John Padgett kicks off Princess Cruises’ biggest season in Australia

Padgett co-hosted a celebratory luncheon aboard the Royal-class 3,500-passenger ship in the Italian trattoria Sabatini’s for media and travel industry partners with Stuart Allison, SVP Asia Pacific, UK and Europe.

Four ships in Australia

Royal Princess is joined by another Royal-class ship, Majestic Princess, in Sydney for the 2023-24 cruise season — the first time the company has had two ships homeported in Sydney.

They are joined by Coral Princess and Grand Princess, giving the company 44% more capacity in Australia than last season, with 85% more passengers passing through Sydney, making it Princess Cruises’ biggest (local) summer season.

Padgett told Seatrade Cruise News that Australia is now Princess Cruises’ number two source market, after North America.

Discovery Princess to homeport in 2025-26

He also revealed the company’s flagship Discovery Princess will be homeported in Sydney in the 2025-26 cruise season.

‘Australia is very important to Princess, so Australia is getting the best of Princess,’ Padgett said.

Allison said Discovery Princess will sail alongside Crown Princess, while details of the season’s full deployment, including Majestic Princess and Royal Princess, will be finalised shortly.