Australia's cruise ship visits decline 9.3% despite record passenger demand

(2:30 p.m. AEST) – Cruise ship visits to Australian ports fell 9.3 percent last year, dropping to an estimated 1,496 from around 1,650 the year before, according to figures presented at the Cruise360 Australasia conference in Sydney this week.

The decline comes despite passenger demand reaching a record high with 1.45 million Australians taking an ocean cruise in 2025 – up 9.5 percent on the previous year.

A combination of rising port costs and regulatory fees, plus several lines pulling capacity out of Australia including Cunard, Virgin Voyages and Seabourn, and P&O Cruises Australia folding into Carnival in early 2025, has led to the decline.

"We need to put Australia back on course – we need to restore Australia's competitiveness as a cruise destination," Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Executive Director in Australasia Joel Katz said.

"We need stable, practical and competitive policy settings, so that Australia can continue to attract cruise ships and deliver billions of dollars' worth of benefits to communities around the country."

Fewer ships based in the region translates into fewer sailing dates, fewer calls at smaller regional ports and less competitive pricing than during the post-pandemic recovery, when Australia saw 1,650 ship visits – up 21% on 2022-23.

However, the rising port fees, distances involved in deployment and a lower per diem spend per passenger has led to many lines putting ships in the Caribbean where costs are significantly lower.

Mr Katz said the industry's warnings about a complex and uncertain regulatory environment, and rising costs, had been "proven right," adding that the region had been losing competitiveness and needed to turn that around. Australian states and territories had voiced strong support for encouraging cruise lines to call here, but that a national approach was now needed.

Similar concerns had been raised in New Zealand, where deployment has also dropped, but the government has now indicated it is pro-cruise.

However, there are some positives, with Princess basing Crown Princess in Fremantle, WA, from October this year, with Sapphire Princess taking over in 2027.

This year's convention saw a record 880 delegates attend the two-day event in the International Convention Centre in Sydney, pictured.

Topics covered including the rise of expedition cruising, the rise of AI and data on cruise trends presented by Cruise Critic's Adam Coulter and Vanessa Green.