Fremantle Ports is providing a free shuttle bus to and from the Fremantle Train Station for cruise passengers leaving or boarding cruise ship Sun Princess this Friday (1 November).
The Friday shuttle bus is the first that will be provided for all ‘turnaround’ cruise ships – those ships visiting Fremantle for a complete passenger exchange.
Fremantle Ports CEO Chris Leatt-Hayter said that as most turnaround passengers were from Western Australia, the shuttle bus would assist locals to make train or bus connections to or from home, and access Perth city or Fremantle accommodation.
“This is a great initiative to help Western Australians enjoy the local cruise industry.
“Turnaround passengers getting off or on ships at Fremantle have luggage with them and the shuttle bus will provide a great service.”
The 34-seater bus will travel in a 20-minute continuous circuit from the Passenger Terminal to the train station and back from one hour after the ship has berthed until 4pm.
Disembarking passengers can get on the bus at the Passenger Terminal and embarking passengers can board at the train station.
Sun Princess will have 1939 disembarking and 2060 embarking passengers on Friday.
Transit passengers, those who leave the ship for the day for sightseeing, are already provided with a free shuttle bus service by the City of Fremantle. This service travels between the Fremantle Passenger Terminal and Kings Square in the Fremantle CBD.
Fremantle’s cruise season 2019-20 began on 20 October with Sea Princess on a transit visit to the Fremantle Passenger Terminal, Australia’s largest cruise terminal.
In all, there are 29 visits scheduled for 2019-20, comprising 14 transit visits and 15 turnaround visits.
Two debut calls this season will be Boudicca on 19 December and Majestic Princess on 22 February.
Two giants of the Australian cruise industry will return early next year: Radiance of the Seas on 25 February and Queen Mary 2 on 14 March.
In 2018-19, there were 62,544 passengers who passed through the Fremantle Passenger Terminal (comprising 17,435 transit passengers; 22,408 disembarking and 22,701 embarking).
See Fremantle Ports up-to-date schedule of cruise ships here.