Crown Princess Opens Australia’s 2026-27 Cruise Season in Sydney

Crown Princess is scheduled to open Australia’s 2026-27 international cruise season in Sydney on Wednesday, arriving at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at 6 a.m. Cruise Lines International Association expects more than 20 major cruise brands to operate in the region during the season.

Australian cruise tourism generated $7.32 billion in economic output in 2024-25 and supported 22,720 full-time-equivalent jobs.

Crown Princess will enter Sydney Harbour through the Heads at dawn, pass the Opera House and berth at Circular Quay before departing at 6:45 p.m. The ship will begin a 35-night roundtrip voyage through Brisbane, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, French Polynesia and Auckland, returning to Sydney on Oct. 7.

The Sydney call will also complete the ship’s 114-night world cruise, which left Australia in May and visited 44 destinations. Its route included Northern Europe, Iceland, Canada, the U.S. East Coast, the Panama Canal, South America and Easter Island before the ship crossed the South Pacific.

Built by Fincantieri and introduced in 2006, the 113,561-gross-ton Crown Princess carries approximately 3,090 guests and 1,200 crew. The 19-deck ship has about 1,545 staterooms.

“We expect dozens of international ships to join our contingent of locally based and seasonally deployed vessels,” said Joel Katz, managing director of CLIA Australasia.

CLIA global President and CEO Charles “Bud” Darr will deliver the keynote address at a gala lunch in Sydney alongside cruise line, port and travel industry representatives. The program will examine the Australian market and its future prospects, including infrastructure and operating-cost issues.

More departure ports and cruise brands

Melbourne and Adelaide will host a larger share of departures. Fremantle is expected to take on a greater role in future seasons.

“The traditional Australian cruise gateways remain central, but the picture is becoming more geographically diverse,” Katz said.

Carnival Cruise Line will operate four ships locally, including the year-round Carnival Adventure, Carnival Encounter and Carnival Splendor. Royal Caribbean International will deploy Anthem of the Seas from Sydney, while Quantum of the Seas is scheduled to begin its final Australian season from Brisbane.

Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Solstice will return, and Princess Cruises will operate several ships across Australian ports. Norwegian Spirit and Holland America Line’s Noordam are also included in the regional schedule.

Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Viking and Silversea will each send multiple ships to the region. Azamara, Ponant, Crystal and Coral Expeditions are also scheduled to operate Australian itineraries. Disney Wonder and Cunard will be absent, and the season does not include the Australian debut of a new megaship.

The program ranges from short coastal cruises and Tasmania itineraries to Australian circumnavigations and voyages to the Great Barrier Reef and Top End. International sailings will connect Australian ports with New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and other South Pacific destinations.

Economic activity meets Sydney berth constraints

Passengers spent $1.82 billion during the 2024-25 season, including an average of about $440 ashore per passenger. Cruise calls also generate spending on fuel, provisions, engineering, waste services, ground transportation and passenger and crew transfers.

“Each ship visit benefits an extensive array of local Australian businesses,” Katz said, citing tour operators, travel agents, farmers, restaurants, retailers and transport companies.

The industry continues to seek more competitive port charges, long-term infrastructure planning and greater certainty over berth availability. Sydney’s shortage of cruise berths east of the Harbour Bridge remains a central constraint because the largest ships cannot pass beneath the bridge to reach White Bay. Those vessels depend on the Overseas Passenger Terminal, which has one cruise berth.

Princess plans a 2027 handover

Crown Princess is scheduled to operate additional regional cruises before repositioning to the Caribbean later in 2026. Princess plans to transfer its year-round Australian operation to the approximately 2,600-guest Grand Princess in 2027.

Grand Princess is set to operate a 79-night Circle Pacific itinerary from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, with calls across Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Japan and Southeast Asia.

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