After more than two years, one of Australia’s most popular cruise lines is returning to the country. Princess Cruises cruise ship Coral Princess sails from Brisbane, Queensland, on June 16.
The cruise ship arrived early on June 7 to prepare for the first cruise from the new state-of-the-art Brisbane International Cruise Terminal.
Coral Princess will offer guests a series of cruises ranging from 3-day short seacations to 12-day cruises during which the ship will be making several maiden calls to never visited ports.
Coral Princess is the first Princess Cruises ship to return to Australia, and later this year, she will be joined by Majestic Princess and Grand Princess.
Coral Princess Arrives in Brisbane
Just nine days before the start of her first cruise in Australian waters in more than two years, Coral Princess arrived in Brisbane.
From the new state-of-the-art Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, the MedallionClass cruise ship will sail a series of 11 cruises departing Brisbane ranging from three to 12 nights between June and August.
There will be 48 calls to ports in Queensland, which makes for a substantial economic boost for the local cruise industry, suppliers, and travel agents. One that is set to inject an estimated A$60 million into the Queensland economy.
Princess Cruises Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, UK, and Europe, Stuart Allison: “Queensland will feature front and centre in a new winter program of sailings from Australia, which demonstrates Princess Cruises’ commitment to cruising Down Under and to the local travel agent community. Our focus on Brisbane also reflects the demand for cruise holidays among Queenslanders, as well as the growing interest in domestic cruising.”
Also Read: 11 Princess Cruise Ships Are Back in Service, 4 More to Go
After a short break between August and November, Coral Princess will return to Brisbane for another ten voyages during the Australian summer. While she is away from Brisbane, the cruise ship will be sailing from Sydney, including an epic 28-night circumnavigation of Australia.
The 91,627 gross tons Coral Princess, which has a capacity for 1970 guests, joined the Princess cruises fleet in January 2003. She becomes the first of the cruise line’s MedallionClass vessels to call Australia home.
First Cruises Already Sold Out
The return of cruising to Australia has not gone unnoticed for the many cruise fans in the country, who finally have the chance to go on their favorite holiday again. The first two cruises have already sold out for Coral Princess, with interest booming for the remaining voyages.
That interest is not without reason. Coral Princess will be visiting a series of ports the vessel has never visited, such as Cairns and Port Douglas.
Some of the highlights during the Australian winter cruises onboard Coral Princess include six short seacations between Brisbane and Sydney, five seven-day Queensland roundtrip cruises from Brisbane, with calls to Cairns, Port Douglas, and Airlie Beach for the Whitsundays.
Other cruises include a seven-day South Wales Coast roundtrip from Brisbane, with a maiden call to Eden on the Sapphire Coast and calls to Sydney and Newcastle. There will also be a 12-day Queensland and New South Wales voyage, sailing roundtrip from Brisbane.
One of the highlights will be a 12-day Queensland and the Conflict Islands voyage, which guests can book roundtrip from Sydney or Brisbane. During the cruise, the vessel will be crossing the Coral Sea to visit the stunning and remote Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea.
Other Princess Ships To Follow Soon
The pent-up demand in Australia means there is more than enough reason for Princess Cruises to send more ships to the country. Before the start of the summer season, both Majestic Princess and Grand Princess will be setting course to Australia.
Majestic Princess will sail on her first cruise on October 20. Sailing roundtrip from Sydney, she will visit Airlie Beach, Yorkeys Knob, Port Douglas, Willis Island, and Brisbane. Grand Princess will join the other ships in Australia on November 2, sailing from Sydney on a 2-night seacation to Melbourne.
The Australian cruise industry reopened only last week when sister cruise line P&O Australia’s Pacific Explorer set off on her first cruise.
