First ship marks start of cruise season in South Australia

The first cruise ship to South Australia for 2025-26 arrives at Outer Harbor today, kicking off a season which will welcome new cruise ships to the State, a new destination, and new tour experiences for passengers.
 
They are part of 56 cruise ships scheduled to visit South Australia this season, bringing more than 80,000 passengers to the State’s shores.
 
The Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess arrives today from Western Australia, bringing over 3,000 passengers as part of a 28-day circumnavigation of Australia which started in Sydney last month.
 
Data from Princess Cruises show the cruise line will generate an estimated $15 million in economic benefit for South Australia in the 2025-26 summer cruise season, with strong support for small businesses in provisioning for supplies, and for tourism operators who will be welcoming Crown Princess’ guests with open arms.
 
Princess Cruises has 10 port calls to South Australia scheduled this season across four of its ships – Crown Princess, Coral Princess, Grand Princess, and its newest and biggest ship, Discovery Princess which will make a maiden voyage to Port Lincoln.
 
Passengers onboard the Crown Princess today will have the opportunity to disembark to explore the city and nearby regions such as the Barossa Valley and the Fleurieu Peninsula and also take pre-booked shore excursions.
 
Among the new cruise ships set for South Australia in 2025-26 are from luxury cruise line Silversea – Silver Moon and Silver Dawn – which will make first-time visits to Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln, and includes multiple overnight stays in Adelaide.
 
Of the new cruise ships scheduled for South Australia through to May 2026, there are eight maiden calls to Adelaide, eight to Kangaroo Island, and two to Port Lincoln.
 
Robe in the Limestone Coast will welcome cruise ships for the first time since 2015, when the Silversea Silver Nova and Seabourn Sojourn make visits to the State’s south-east starting next month.
 
The largest vessel visiting South Australia this season is Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess with a capacity of over 3,600 passengers and 1,600 crew, followed by Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge with 3,500 passengers and 1,377 crew.
 
More than 17 cruise line brands will visit the State, including the ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas which will call into Kangaroo Island.
 
Other high-end international cruise brands sailing into South Australia include:

  • Holland America Line

  • Oceania,

  • Azamara, and

  • Phoenix Reisen

In the 2023/24 season alone, the cruise industry injected $227 million into the South Australian economy.
 
The State Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission, in collaboration with cruise lines and local operators, has developed over 15 new tour experiences now featured across multiple cruise line programs. These include experiences spanning the Limestone Coast, Fleurieu Peninsula, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Kangaroo Island, and Adelaide city.
 
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison
 
Today is an important milestone for South Australia’s tourism industry, with the start of the cruise season for 2025-26.
 
As we welcome the arrival of the Crown Princess and its more than 3,000 passengers, we look forward to showcasing our State to local, domestic and international visitors.
 
This cruise season, we will see a number of new cruise ships visit South Australia with maiden voyages to all major ports – Adelaide, Penneshaw and Port Lincoln – as well as a visit to Robe for the first time in 10 years.
 
We’re working hard to maximise the benefits of cruise to our visitor economy, with a range of new tour experiences introduced this season in regions like the Limestone Coast, Fleurieu, and the Barossa – is just one example of that.
 
We know Princess Cruises and their guests love South Australia and it’s fantastic to see visits scheduled to our State across four of its ships, including its newest and biggest, which will make a first-time visit to Port Lincoln early next year.
 
While I acknowledge there are some challenges ahead for this and future cruise seasons as a sector nationally, our objectives remain on growing the number and range of cruise lines and ships adding South Australia to their itineraries and bringing high-yield visitors to our shores.
 
Quotes attributable to Matthew Rutherford Princess Cruises Vice President, Asia Pacific
 
The arrival of Crown Princess into Port Adelaide kicks off an exciting Summer Cruise Season on offer for local, national and international guests alike.
Princess is South Australia’s number one cruise line, and we bring more international guests to South Australia than any other cruise line.
 
The launch of the 2025-26 Summer Cruising Season demonstrates the strong commitment Princess Cruises has to South Australia and sets the scene for the next two and a half years of port calls into South Australia by Crown Princess, Coral Princess, Grand Princess, and Princess Cruises’ newest and biggest ship, Discovery Princess.
 
With over 3,000 guests onboard the Crown Princess, Princess Cruises is setting the standard in cruising in South Australia.
 
We can’t wait to show off the best of what South Australia has to offer to our guests on board Crown Princess, and to impress them with what’s on offer right across Adelaide and South Australian regions.
 
Quotes attributable to Phil Hoffmann, Travel Founder/Director & Ambassador, Phil Hoffmann
 
It’s incredibly exciting to welcome Crown Princess to South Australia, with multiple visits and departures planned over the coming months. This sends a clear message to the South Australian community that cruising season is back.
 
Each visit from a major international cruise line like Princess Cruises not only builds excitement and confidence among travellers but also delivers significant benefits to our local economy.
 
In the 2023/24 season alone, the cruise industry injected an impressive $227 million into the South Australian economy. While the 2025/26 season may not be as large, there’s real momentum to rebuild Adelaide’s position on the national cruise circuit — and it’s fantastic to see the government working proactively to make that happen.

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