Crown Princess sailed into Sydney Harbour this week, marking the commencement of the 2026-27 Australian summer cruise season.
Completing her 114-night World Cruise, the ship arrived carrying 2720 guests and 1130 crew after travelling 36,000 nautical miles around the globe.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Global President and CEO Charles ‘Bud’ Darr flew into Sydney to celebrate the season launch and joined 120 industry leaders at the Museum of Contemporary Art for an event exploring the future of Australian cruising.
The event highlighted cruise tourism’s significant contribution to Sydney and Australia, supporting more than 22,000 jobs and generating over $7 billion in economic activity.
Mr Darr shared his perspectives on the outlook for global cruise, the forces shaping its future, and the opportunities for Australia and Sydney to strengthen their position within this dynamic and growing industry.
Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones was a keynote speaker at the event and discussed the vital role the cruise industry plays in attracting visitors, supporting businesses and creating jobs across the state.
“NSW remains Australia's premier cruise destination, with strong demand across both Sydney and our regional ports, including Eden and Newcastle,” Ms Jones said.
“These destinations benefit from high-value visitation that supports accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes, retailers, transport operators, tour companies and many other local businesses.”
Australia’s Paddock to Port Economic Impact Report, released last month by the Australian Paddock to Port Alliance, shows cruise passengers across Australia spend around $1.8 billion annually, including on accommodation, shore excursions, retail, transport, dining and other visitor spending.
Passenger spending includes almost $400 million on food and beverages ashore, around $250 million on shore excursions, around $210 million on retail purchases and around $210 million on transportation.
Cruising in NSW generated $3.9 billion in total output during the 2024-25 financial year.
Destination NSW provides resources to help visitor economy businesses learn more about the cruise sector and how they can get involved.
These resources include Cruise Sydney and NSW, an overview of the cruise industry; Cruise 101, which covers the fundamentals of cruising, including seasonality, passenger demographics and cruise terminology; Value of cruise tourism, a guide to the economic value of the cruise tourism and the benefits it can bring to a destination; and Quick tips for creating cruise shore experiences, a guide for visitor economy businesses seeking to make the most of cruise visitation.
Learn more here.
Pictured main: Carnival Group Senior Vice President and Country Manager Peter Little, Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones, CLIA Australasia Executive Director Joel Katz and Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou.
