Seven cruises to dock in Geraldton for the 2023-24 season will inject millions into the local economy

WA’s revitalised cruise sector injected more than $5 million from 11 cruise ships into the Geraldton economy over the 2022-23 season, with seven cruise ships to dock in the upcoming season. The 11 cruises which docked in Geraldton across the 2022-23 cruising season carried 15,096 passengers and 3611 crew — helping bolster local industry with a healthy injection of $5.2 million, according to figures from the Australian Cruise Association. Seven cruises are forecast to layover in Geraldton from November 10 until the season comes to an end on May 1 next year. The Coral Princess will be the first ship to stop in Geraldton, with a guest capacity of 2000 and about 895 crew. The estimated total passengers for the entirety of the 2023-24 season is 10,519, accompanied by 4338 crew members. Fremantle will greet the most cruise ships, with nearly 30 cruise visits bringing more than 36,000 passengers and 17,000 crew to the port city this financial year. The WA Government continues to prioritise growth in the cruise sector, with the recent launch of Tourism WA’s Western Australian Cruise Tourism Strategic Plan 2023-2033, which outlines plans to further build on the sector’s success. The strategic plan prioritises enhancing onshore activities and experiences for visitors, as well as attracting new cruise lines to WA, expanding WA itineraries, and further developing marine infrastructure across the State. The last financial year saw $333 million injected into the WA economy, with cruise ships docking more than 150 times creating more than 1000 local jobs across the cruising, tourism and hospitality industries. Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said: “We will continue to work with the global cruise industry to bring more ships to our shores, while we also continue to work with WA tourism operators to help cruise passengers have the best possible experiences along our beautiful coastline and in our seven port destinations.”