The 2026–27 cruise season in the state of Victoria, Australia, officially started with the arrival of the Crown Princess to Station Pier, Melbourne, on October 12.

Located in Port Melbourne, Station Pier is described as the state’s premier cruise ship terminal and a key turnaround port for southern Australian and New Zealand cruise itineraries.

Ports Victoria CEO Craig Walker noted: “Station Pier has a strong history of welcoming and farewelling people to our state and Australia and today marks the start of a busy six-month stretch that will bring thousands of visitors to Victoria.”

The 3,000 visitors and 1,200 crew are the first of 120,000 expected to arrive and depart from the port’s Station Pier on 63 cruise ships this season.

For 2028–29, Ports Victoria said that a 24.6 percent increase in total ship visits to Station Pier is expected across all cruise lines, compared to the prior season.

Since Princess Cruises is also celebrating 50 years of cruising in Victoria, the cruise line met with a Ports Victoria team to celebrate the seasonal homeporting of a Princess ship in Melbourne for the 2028–29 season.

“Cruising plays an important role in supporting local tourism, businesses and communities,” added Princess Cruises’ Vice President Asia Pacific Matthew Rutherford.

“For 50 years, Australians have trusted Princess to create memorable holiday experiences, and Melbourne has long been an important part of that story – the enthusiasm we continue to see from Victorian cruisers reinforces our confidence in the market and our commitment to offering more opportunities for guests to sail with Princess in the years ahead.”