Fremantle on board as cruise season gets under way

The arrival of the Crown Princess in Fremantle last week marked the beginning of the 2025-26 cruise season in the port city.

The Crown Princess was the first — and biggest — of 26 cruise ships scheduled to visit Fremantle this season.

Twelve will stay overnight and eight of them are on their maiden call to Fremantle.

The cruise industry is big business for the city, generating an economic impact of $289.5 million and supporting 925 full-time jobs, with domestic passengers spending an average of $198 a day while in port and international passengers $283 a day.

So it is no surprise the City of Fremantle council is on board with the beginning of the season, providing a number of services to passengers.

The city’s friendly ‘tourism ambassadors’ will again volunteer their time to provide a warm welcome to passengers and crew as they disembark, at the Fremantle Visitor Centre, and while roving around the city centre.

It will also offer complimentary shuttle bus services between Fremantle Passenger Terminal and city centre each time a ship is in port.

Woola Walyalup welcome ceremonies in Walyalup Koort, featuring Indigenous music, smoking ceremonies and dance performances, will be reserved for ships carrying significant numbers of international passengers.

“Cruise tourism is hugely valuable to local businesses in Fremantle,” mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said.

“It’s not just the passengers buying a lunch here or a souvenir there, but also the crew stocking up on personal items while in port.”

More than 3000 Crown Princess passengers passed through Fremantle last week.

“Fremantle is busy with visitors all year round but spring is a particularly nice time of year for tourists to stroll through the hidden laneways, browse in boutique shops, have an alfresco meal on the cappuccino strip or head to one of our beautiful beaches or parks for a sunny picnic,” Ms Fitzhardinge said.

“Fremantle is one of WA’s must-visit destinations. Consistent visitation through cruise season, along with word-of-mouth promotion and social media exposure from these visitors, strengthens this profile and increases our ability to attract more investment in tourism infrastructure, events, and cultural experiences.”

Princess Cruises vice-president Asia-Pacific Matthew Rutherford said in addition to visiting Fremantle, passengers would experience attractions such as The Valley of the Giants tree-top walk in Denmark, Ngilgi Cave in Yallingup, and Albany’s National Anzac Centre.

“Princess Cruises brings guests from all around the world — from the United States, Canada, the UK, Europe, Japan, Asia, New Zealand and even the east coast of Australia — all want to come and visit WA.”

Last month, Fremantle hosted the Australian Cruising Association’s annual conference, which brought together 150 cruise industry leaders from around the country to discuss cruise and tourism opportunities across the three-day event.

During the conference, it was announced that Fremantle will be the home-port for the Sapphire Princess from 2027.

The vessel will undertake nine itineraries over the season, beginning and ending in Fremantle, and is expected to generate $142m in economic impact, with Fremantle capturing a significant share.