Princess Cruises made an announcement on 22 March, 2007 that the 77,000-ton super liner Dawn Princess would operate out of Melbourne for the 2008-09 summer cruising season. Princess Cruises’ spokesperson Katie Lahey said: Basing the Dawn Princess in Melbourne would generate more than $10 million through ship supplies, port fees and visitor spending. The announcement was made on board the Dawn Princess’ sister ship Sapphire Princess at Station Pier which is a 116,000 ton vessel with a capacity of 2,670 passengers and the biggest cruise ship ever to sail into Melbourne. The Dawn Princess has eight restaurants, four pools, five spas, two theatres, a casino, a nightclub and 975 cabins. It can hold up to 1,950 passengers. Princess Dawn’s cruises will brighten the city. The first cruise will be a 28-day trip round Australia from November 28. Source: The Age