Taking “let’s meet up for coffee” to a whole new level, the captains of two Princess Cruises vessels grabbed a coffee together with Sydney Harbor as a picturesque backdrop when the ships were crossing paths Down Under.
Captain Mario Consentino of the Crown Princess and Captain Michele Bartolomei of the Diamond Princess shared a cup of Joe on January 11, 2025, providing a rare photo opportunity that celebrated the cruise line’s adventures in Australia.
The meetup occurred when the 113,561-gross-ton Crown Princess was departing from her homeport of Sydney on a 14-night roundtrip journey to New Zealand, just as the 115,906-gross-ton Diamond Princess was moored at Athol Bay during a call on a 10-night roundtrip sailing from its homeport in Brisbane, Australia.
Up to 2,670 passengers aboard Diamond Princess had departed from Brisbane on January 3, visiting Eden, Australia, and Port Arthur and Hobart, Tasmania, before arriving in Sydney at 7 a.m. for a 12-hour visit.
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As Diamond Princess was enjoying a day in Sydney, Crown Princess was departing on its voyage to New Zealand that included Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.
(It had arrived earlier in the day from a 13-night roundtrip cruise from Fiji that had departed on December 29, 2024.)
The two ships greeted one another with various horns while passengers hit the decks to wave to fellow cruisers. Some shared their own images from their vantage points on social media.
“This was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had while cruising,” said one passenger. “Thank you so much Princess Cruises for organizing this event. I’ll never forget it.”
Guests onboard Crown Princess – up to 3,080 – reported being slightly delayed, which may have been due to the meeting of the captains for a cup of espresso.
“We’re delighted to be in Sydney today with our sister ship, Diamond Princess, in this beautiful city,” said Captain Consentino.
“It’s the first time our ships are together in Sydney and it’s also the first time I’ll see my colleague Diamond Princess’ Captain Bartolomei in almost 10 years,” he continued.
The ships’ photo op aligned with Crown Princess leaving the White Bay Cruise Terminal and passing the moored Diamond Princess, which wasn’t set to leave the harbor until 7 p.m.
After departing, Diamond Princess sailed back to Brisbane to conclude her voyage on January 13.
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Princess Cruises Australia currently operates three ships in Australia, including the 3,560-passenger, 142,714-gross-ton Royal Princess, which was sailing in New Zealand when her sister ships converged.
Owned by Carnival Corporation, which is absorbing its P&O Cruises Australia into its Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises is one of several of the company’s Australian operators. Cunard, Holland America Line, and Seabourn also regularly sail in the region.
The two ships showcased the popularity of Australia for cruise lines, with the tourism board anticipating 1.2 million passengers and crew member visits in New South Wales, Australia – including Port Sydney, Port Eden, Port of Newcastle, Port Botany, Port Jackson, and Port Kembla – during its 2024-25 summer season.
Last year, New South Wales celebrated a $4.4-billion cruise industry – its largest to date and a 22% increase over its pre-pandemic highs.
Princess Cruises docks at White Bay Cruise Terminal or the Overseas Passenger Terminal (Circular Quay West) when in Sydney, if not mooring due to congestion.