Cruise ships set sail for dock record

A record 16 cruise ships will dock in Albany this season, with the Sea Princess scheduled to arrive on Friday.

The ships will bring 17,000 visitors to Albany for the 2017-18 season, with three more cruise ships than the 2016-17 season to arrive in the port.

The Sea Princess alone has the capacity to bring almost 2300 passengers to the region.

Southern Ports chief executive Nicolas Fertin said visiting cruise ships were guaranteed berth space in Albany to encourage tourism through the port.

“Cruise ships bring vibrancy and tourism dollars to the local economy, so as an organisation we prioritise cruise ships and work with stakeholders to make visiting our ports in Albany, Bunbury and Esperance as attractive as possible,“ he said. “We are very proud that many staff working in regional WA have accountability across the whole of Southern Ports.”

Guests aboard the cruise ships will see a new entry experience this season — through a pavilion to provide shelter from the weather.

Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington said the new arrival experience designed by Southern Ports would ensure visitors were protected and had a sense of occasion upon arrival.

In January, there is a special WWI memorial-themed cruise planned, and three ships — Azamara Journey, L’Austral and Crystal Symphony will visit Albany for the first time. The Sea Princess will be at the Albany port from 7am-4pm on Friday.