Emerald Princess to dazzle

One of the largest cruise ships in the world will berth in Albany in a major coup for the region.

The Emerald Princess is booked to arrive in 2020, carrying more than 3000 visitors, and will be the largest cruise ship ever to dock in Albany.

It will dwarf the Sea Princess, which docked in Albany earlier this month with just over 2200 passengers on board.

The massive ship will take up two berths when it arrives.

Southern Ports harbour master Captain Gary Wilson said the ship’s arrival in Albany would be a spectacular sight.

“The ship can carry more than 3000 visitors to the region and will be the biggest cruise ship to berth in Albany at 288m,” he said.

“The vessel can berth across both berths one and two. Albany is an increasingly popular destination for cruise shipping and Southern Ports will work with the community and other stakeholders to make each visit as successful and memorable as possible.”

The Emerald Princess has 19 decks and 1539 guest cabins, with several pools, bars, gyms, a spa and restaurants.

Deck seven, the Promenade Deck, is home to a steak and seafood grill, a pub with 63 whiskies, a cocktail bar, a lounge bar and a dance club

Cruise ship season for 2017/18 began earlier this month and 16 ships are scheduled to visit the port before April 2.

The largest cruise ship arriving this season is the Sea Princess, which carries 2272 passengers, and a total of almost 17,000 visitors are expected throughout the season.