All ashore that’s going ashore! Albany gives traditional welcome to 4000 passengers and crew of Crown Princess

The 3000 passengers and 1000 crew of the Crown Princess were welcomed into Albany by the city’s mayor and an Indigenous smoking ceremony on Wednesday morning, marking the start of the local cruise ship season. The ship was two hours late after hitting rough weather on its journey from Busselton, but the visitors found Albany open for business when they got on shore, with many heading up York Street or to the National Anzac Centre. Mayor Greg Stocks was on the dock as the ship pulled in aided by a tug, with the Mooditch Nop Dance Group providing a traditional greeting. Mr Stocks said cruises stopping in Albany provided a major boost to the local economy, with passengers splashing an average $200-$280 per person for a total direct spend of up to $3.5 million. It is the first of 13 cruise ships scheduled to dock in Albany this summer, a tally which is expected to bring about 22,500 visitors to the Great Southern. The 113,600-tonne Crown Princess has 19 decks, is 290m long and is 59m high.