Crown to visit year-round

PRINCESS Cruises is set to make history in Australia, with Crown Princess (pictured) to soon claim the title of largest cruise ship to ever be based year-round in the country.

The 3,080-guest ship will make her debut in her new home port of Sydney in Oct 2024, offering itineraries which include a 113-night world cruise, the longest Princess voyage to sail round-trip from Australia.

Princess’ 2024-25 program will see the cruise line offer roundAustralia voyage options from five different cities in total, also including the maiden Brisbane season of the 2,670-guest Diamond Princess, the largest of the cruise line’s ship ever to be based in the Queensland capital.

The program also includes Princess’ first ever round-trip cruise from Hobart - an 18-night voyage to New Zealand on Royal Princess.

Guests may also choose to extend their stay in Tasmania, with two options to take a fouror five-night cruise to and from Hobart.

The three ships will offer 117 departures between them, from two to 113 days, between Oct 2024 and Sep 2025, sailing from six different ports: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, and Hobart.

Princess President John Padgett said the decision to base a large ship such as Crown Down Under year-round is testament to Australians’ love for long cruises.

“Thanks to Crown Princess’ generous size, we’ll be able to carry over 50% more guests on popular itineraries like our world cruise and Australian circumnavigation voyages, adding more affordable stateroom types and more premium suites than ever before to cater for a broad range of travellers.”

The program goes on sale from 04 Apr for Elite Guests and 05 Apr for General Public Sale.

MEANWHILE, one of the cruise line’s ships has performed a “daring midnight rescue” (pictured inset), with Grand Princess rendering emergency aid to rescue two sailors in rough waters off Wilsons Promontory.

Grand responded to a police call for assistance on Mon morning, rescuing the two sailors who had become stranded and abandoned their boat, with the ship’s Staff Captain detailing the story on

Sunrise this morning.

The sailors were found just off Cleft Island in the Bass Strait.