Diamond Princess

More than 310,000 passengers will sail through Australian waters on board a Carnival Australia ship this summer, making the 2011-2012 season the largest one yet for the company.

Nineteen Carnival Australia ships, including Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Princess Cruises’ megaliner, Diamond Princess will embark on itineraries down under.

The season officially commences in Brisbane on 21 September when Sun Princess begins her first season of cruising from Queensland waters and claims the title of the largest and the first international ship to be home ported in the city.

Queen Mary 2, the largest ship to ever visit Brisbane, will make her maiden call on 16 February with her sister, Queen Elizabeth visiting on 2 March.

Five ships will be deployed to Australia for home porting over summer, joining the six ships that the company has positioned here full time.

“It’s a great indication of the growing popularity of cruising in Australia as well as the economic impact that cruising is having right around the country,” said Jenny Lourey, Senior Vice President Carnival Australia.

Australia’s cruising capital, Sydney, will experience 107 separate calls by 18 Carnival Australia ships, including 19 days where the harbour city will welcome two ships on the one day.

Dawn Princess will be home ported in Melbourne from 14 December 2011 to 8 April 2012 with Queen Mary 2 making her maiden call to the city on 5 March following her maiden call to Darwin on 22 February.

Overnight visits have become more popular, with Hobart welcoming three overnight stays in summer including two by Dawn Princess and one by Pacific Pearl.

“No matter where you are on the Australian coast, from Broome in the north-west to Hobart in the south, there’ll be big white ships sailing by. In fact, there will be a lot of days when we’ll have two ships in the same port,” said Ms Lourey.

The company estimates that their 300 calls to 24 different Australian ports between October and April will generate more than AUD$230 million for the economy.