The State is on track for its biggest ever cruise season with a strong finish to 2015-16 to be led by P&O’s Pacific Eden, which arrived in Fremantle this week for its inaugural WA cruises.
WA is leading the nation in terms of growth in the cruise sector.
In the 2014-15 financial year, visiting ships generated 1,188 jobs and more than $275 million in the State – a $159 million increase on 2013-14.
Already in 2015-16 there have been 43 cruise visits to Fremantle carrying more than 103,000 passengers.
This included Carnival’s Princess Cruises, which carried more than 45,000 cruise guests to and from Fremantle between April 2015 and March 2016, generating about $30 million for the WA economy.
A record total of 58 cruise visits to Fremantle is expected by the end of June, including the first cruises by Pacific Eden, which will be based in the port city for the next four months.
The ship is predicted to carry more than 20,000 passengers on itineraries including Busselton, Esperance, Broome, Exmouth and Geraldton.
