(23/10/2018) Fremantle gets another Ovation

*** UPDATE ***

Fremantle Ports has advised Ovation of the Seas is now expected to arrive at 4:30pm and depart at 11pm.

For the latest information visit the Fremantle Ports website. 

Cruise ship season will kick into high gear again on Thursday when Ovation of the Seas returns to Fremantle.

Ovation of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, carrying more than 3500 passengers and 1000 crew.

The ship is expected to arrive from Singapore at 6:30am on Thursday and depart for Adelaide at 5pm.

The City of Fremantle will have a team of volunteers at the passenger terminal to welcome passengers and help them plan their day.

Roving Fremantle Ambassadors will also be at key locations around the city to offer advice and information, and free shuttle bus will run every 10 minutes between the passenger terminal and Kings Square.

City recently received a $20,000 grant from Tourism WA to improve services for visiting cruise ship passengers.

The funds will be used to enhance the cruise ship welcome program for ships that home port in Fremantle, including additional shuttle bus services.

The state government is also spending $3 million to upgrade the Fremantle Passenger Terminal.

Direct expenditure by the cruise ship industry in Australia in the past financial year was estimated to be almost $2.3 billion.

In 2017/18 there were 43 cruise ship visits to Fremantle, with a total of 83,352 passengers, generating $238 million in total output. The 43 ships also generated 11,121 crew visit days.  

Ovation of the Seas – which boasts features like a skydiving simulator, bumper cars, skating rink, wave park and robot bartenders – is the largest cruise ship ever to visit Australia and the equal fifth largest in the world.

It’s the ship’s third visit to Fremantle, following previous stopovers in November 2017 and December 2016.