It’s been years since a Princess Cruises vessel has homeported in Melbourne, Australia. But after a recent visit by Crown Princess, the cruise line dropped a big announcement for the port: the ship will officially be calling Melbourne home for the 2028–29 Australian summer season.
For local cruisers (Australians living along the southeastern coast) there will finally be a regular option without having to travel to Sydney or Brisbane.
While Melbourne is used to being port of call for a lot of cruise ships sailing around the continent, Crown Princess will offer regular sailings right from the port itself.
When Will Itineraries Be Released?
So, we don’t have all the details yet. All we know right now is that the ship is coming to Melbourne for the summer of 2028.
But more details are on the way. According to SeaTrade Cruise News, on October 28, 2026, Princess Cruises plans to officially unveil the 2028/2029 itineraries for Crown Princess. Stay tuned for that.
And on November 11, 2026, cruises for the ship will open for bookings to the general public.
This will be a seasonal homeport stint, but it’s still a big step for both the cruise line and travelers wanting a local option.
The decision to move the Princess cruise ship back to Station Pier is expected to deliver an estimated $40 million economic boost to Victoria (The state where Melbourne is located).
Princess Cruises VP APAC Matthew Rutherford highlighted the importance of giving Melbourne residents this local option
“We know how much our Victorian guests value being able to start their holiday closer to home, and we have heard loud and clear they have missed having a Princess ship based in Melbourne,” Rutherford stated, adding, “For 50 years, Australians have trusted Princess to create memorable holiday experiences, and Melbourne has long been an important part of that story.”
About the Ship
Crown Princess is a Grand-class ship that first debuted in 2006. She is a 113,561 gross-ton ship that can accommodate 3,080 passengers and 1,200 crew members.
The ship has sailed all around the world, sailing routes in the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, and the South Pacific.
Current Voyage: Crown Princess is currently in the middle of a 28-day Round Australia circumnavigation voyage.
After docking in Melbourne to kick off Victoria’s cruise season, she is continuing around the continent to ports like Adelaide, Albany, Fremantle, Broome, Darwin, and Cairns before returning to Brisbane.
The ship will remain in the region until November when the ship will sail from New Zealand to Los Angeles on a 24-night cruise. From there the ship will move to the Caribbean where it will sail from San Juan and Barbados on 7- and 14-night sailings.
Ending a 6-Year Homeport Drought
By the time Crown Princess officially pulls into Melbourne as a homeport in late 2028, it will have been six years since a Princess vessel called Melbourne home.
The last Princess ship stationed at Station Pier as a dedicated seasonal homeport was Grand Princess during the 2022–23 Australian summer season.
Since then, Princess mostly has operated homeports out of Sydney and Brisbane, leaving Melbourne with single-day port calls.
This news will change that, and I’m excited to see what kinds of sailings Princess Cruises will offer from the southeastern port.
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