Melbourne today welcomed the Carnival Legend to her new homeport for the first of 16 sailings. 

Carnival Legend arrived at Station Pier early morning on Wednesday with thousands of guests who had sailed from Sydney. She will now call Melbourne home with her first cruise leaving on Wednesday to New Caledonia, the company said.

Announcing the news and welcoming the ship to her new home port, Carnival Cruise Line’s President, Christine Duffy said: “Today’s news is in response to the unprecedented demand for Carnival fun in Victoria, our second biggest Australian market.”

“Since launching in 2012, over 117,000 Victorians have sailed with Carnival Cruise Line – a number which would fill the Rod Laver arena twice,” said Duffy.

The ship will undergo a drydocking in May to further add special features to the vessel, including Alchemy Bar, the Mexican-inspired BlueIguana Cantina and Tequila Bar, and Guys Burger Joint curated by Californian restaurateur and Food Network TV personality Guy Fieri.

“I understand Victorians love good coffee, so we’ve started there and upgraded our espresso machines on board, ahead of Carnival Legend’s arrival into Melbourne, ensuring guests can get their morning caffeine fix,” Duffy added. 

Carnival Legend’s sailings boast a range of destinations including the South Pacific, with calls to ports in New Caledonia and Vanuatu, Trans-Tasman escapes to New Zealand, and quick getaways to one of Australia’s favorite destinations: Tasmania.