Cunard and Princess will skip Melbourne calls because of port fee increase
By Andrea Zelinski
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Nov 29, 2023
Cunard's Queen Elizabeth in Melbourne in December 2022. Photo Credit: Dans Destinations/Shutterstock
Princess Cruises and Cunard will boycott Melbourne, Australia, and visit other nearby ports in 2025 in reaction to the port authority's decision to hike the port fee next year.
The port will increase the fee to $32 per passenger, up from $28.50, according to the Australian Associated Press. The increased fee goes into effect on Jan. 1.
"We cannot continue to plan voyages to Melbourne should unexpected and substantial increases be imposed by port operators. These sorts of steep price raises with very little notice are not something that any business can wear, let alone a business that is still at such a fragile point of recovery," said Teresa Lloyd, chief strategy officer for Carnival Australia.
She said Princess and Cunard are open to working with Ports Victoria and the Victorian government to find a "long-term solution together," according to Sky News in Australia