The luxury cruise ship Silver Nova docked at Outer Harbor Thursday morning (November 29th), and visited Kangaroo Island on Friday (November 30th) as part of her itinerary. Passengers are set to explore key South Australian tourism regions, including the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Adelaide, and Kangaroo Island, contributing to the economic benefits of the state’s broader tourism sector.
Silver Nova, operated by Silversea Cruises, is scheduled to return to South Australia in February 2025, marking its second visit to Adelaide and its inaugural call at Port Lincoln. This follows agreements reached in 2023 between the South Australian Tourism Commission and Silversea, which resulted in the cruise line scheduling 30 visits to South Australian ports between 2024 and 2027. These include prominent locations like Robe, a newly designated expedition anchorage.
The Silver Nova’s call is part of a broader surge in cruise activity during South Australia’s 2024-2025 season, which features 20 maiden calls to the region. This season will see major international cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line, and Ponant, bringing an estimated 241,000 passengers and crew to South Australian shores 120+ scheduled ship visits.
This activity builds on the record-breaking 2023-2024 cruise season, which generated US$227 million for South Australia’s economy and supported 738 jobs - an increase from the US$215 million and 704 jobs recorded during the 2022-2023 season.
To sustain and expand this growth, the South Australian Cruise Attraction Working Group has been formed. Announced during the 2024 Australian Cruise Association Annual Conference in Adelaide, the group includes representatives from the South Australian Tourism Commission, Flinders Ports, the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, and industry stakeholders. Its mission is to attract more cruise lines and diversify the ships and itineraries visiting the region, further solidifying South Australia as a key player in the global cruise sector.