Its Asia cruises canceled, Sapphire Princess is heading to Australia early

As reported earlier, the ship’s Asia voyages with departures through June 11 were canceled.

44 new cruises

The new programme will add 44 cruises from five major Australian cities.

‘With the ongoing uncertainty of travel restrictions and port closures in Asia impacting our cruise operations in the region, we hope that this extended deployment in Australia will benefit local tourism, particularly in regional areas with 102 visits to regional ports around the country during her year-long deployment,’ SVP Asia Pacific Stuart Allison said.

A$140m boost to economy

Allison said a highlight of the new programme will be an inaugural Australia circumnavigation and that it will inject around A$140m into the local economy.