Carrying a giant “We Love Melbourne” flag on her bow, the Coral Princess became the first cruise ship to sail into Melbourne in more than two years, according to a press release.
The Coral Princess is the vanguard for the many Carnival Australia cruise lines that base ships in Melbourne for designated sailing seasons or have ships on call for the remainder of this year and into 2023.
These include Cunard’s iconic Queen Elizabeth, which will return home to Melbourne from mid-November.
Ships from P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Cruise Line will once again play a major role in bringing thousands of interstate visitors to major Melbourne events, including the Melbourne Cup and Australian Open Tennis, the company said in a statement.
Three ships – P&O’s Pacific Adventure (sailing from Sydney) and Pacific Encounter (sailing from Brisbane), and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor (sailing from Sydney) – will bring more than 7,000 visitors to the Melbourne Cup. P&O’s Pacific Adventure will also bring guests to the Australian Open Tennis in January.
Starting in November, three brands – P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Cunard – will operate ships in Melbourne for the cruise seasons.
Thirteen ships will visit or homeport in Melbourne during the current summer cruise season. Between them, they will make 70 calls – including nine overnight stays – and 11 calls to Phillip Island.
“It’s great to see the return of cruising to Melbourne after such a long absence with the city poised to take part in the growth of cruise tourism and the rebuilding of Australia’s $5 billion a year cruise industry,” said Marguerite Fitzgerald, President of Carnival Australia and P&O. Cruises Australia.
“Melbourne is a natural starting point for cruises to destinations in South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.”
Victoria’s Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said, “Today marks an important milestone for tourism and the state’s recovery efforts. It is fantastic to see cruise ships on our shores with passengers from all over the world.”
“Australia remains high on the list for many American travelers and new direct links to Victoria mean millions of visitors will start their journey here – boosting tourism and supporting local jobs and businesses,” Minister Dimopoulos said.
Stuart Allison, Senior Vice President Asia Pacific for Princess Cruises said it was exciting that Coral Princess would be the first ship to return to Melbourne following the resumption of the cruise industry, as well as being the first MedallionClass “smart ship” who visited the city.
“Princess Cruises is committed to the Australian cruise market for the long term and we appreciate our loyal guests for whom sailing from Melbourne is their holiday of choice and will be able to do so during Grand’s dedicated sailing season Princess in Melbourne,” Allison said.
Reflecting on Carnival Australia’s strong association with Australia’s event capital, Victoria Racing Club Chief Executive Steve Rosich commented on the importance of sailing to Melbourne’s premier events.
“We have had a strong relationship with P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Cruise Line for more than 50 years and are delighted to continue this partnership,” Rosich said.
“Cruise travel leads a significant interstate visit to the Melbourne Cup carnival and this year we can welcome more than 7,000 cruise passengers to Flemington over the four days of Cup Week to experience the fun, fashion, food, entertainment and racing world class Melbourne Cup. Carnival has to offer.”
