- Premium cruise liner Sapphire Princess confirmed to home-port in Fremantle in summer of 2027-28
- Vessel will undertake nine cruise itineraries across WA ports and generate over $140 million in economic impact
- Part of the Cook Government's economic diversification strategy to generate valuable tourism dollars for local business and support local jobs
Fremantle will host a home-ported cruise ship in 2027, with the Sapphire Princess to sail into Western Australia and generate millions in economic impact.
The premium Princess Cruises ship carries up to 3,200 guests and will undertake nine cruise itineraries, beginning and ending in the port city over the 2027-28 summer season.
The cruise ship will generate an estimated $142 million in economic impact across the nine itineraries, supporting more than 1,000 jobs and bringing large cruise vessels back to Geraldton.
The home-porting news was announced at the Australian Cruise Association (ACA) Conference being held in Fremantle this week and is supported by the Cook Government through Tourism WA.
Around 160 key decision makers from across the global cruise industry are in Perth for the conference, to discuss future Australian cruise development opportunities and future itineraries.
WA is currently home to 10 active cruise ports which collectively hosted 290 cruise ship visits in 2023-24 and generated a record $385 million in economic impact.
The home port is an example of the Cook Government's economic diversification strategy to inject millions of dollars in visitor spend into the State, support local jobs and provide a boost for hospitality businesses.
The Cook Government continues to focus on growth in the State's cruise sector, through theWestern Australian Cruise Tourism Strategic Plan 2023-2033.
Around $1.8 million in funding will be spent delivering the strategic plan over the next four years and building cruise line engagement, with an additional $35.5 million committed to improve infrastructure at Fremantle Passenger Terminal.
Full itineraries to be revealed in November. For more information, visit www.princess.com.au
As stated by Tourism Minister Reece Whitby:
"This new home port ship is a significant achievement for WA's cruise and tourism industry that is set to bring tens of thousands of passengers to our State.
"Welcoming back another superliner cruise ship to home port will be a massive boost to WA's tourism sector while highlighting the strength and popularity of our ports as cruise destinations.
"Cruise tourism plays a major role in the Cook Government's economic diversification strategy to drive out-of-state visitation and generate valuable tourism dollars for local business and industry.
"We're thrilled to announce this great news at the Australian Cruise Association Conference as it shows the value of hosting these business events, demonstrating our commitment to supporting and growing WA's important cruise sector."
As stated by Ports Minister Stephen Dawson:
"The home porting of the Sapphire Princess will be a welcome addition in Fremantle and the regional ports it will visit.
"The Cook Government is undertaking important berth upgrades at Fremantle Port to ensure it remains a vibrant destination for the future. This includes $35.5 million in upgrades at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal.
