Luxury cruiser visits Bunbury

Perfect weather conditions were a highlight for 800 passengers and crew who disembarked from German chartered cruise ship MS Amadea for its inaugural visit to Bunbury.

The 193 metre luxury liner is on a four month world cruise, having just stopped in Broome, Exmouth and Perth, before sailing down the South West coast.

The mainly-German passengers milled around the Bunbury CBD, taking in the sights and shopping at markets in Bicentennial Square.

Sunny conditions and glistening water tempted many holiday makers onto the beach in Geographe Bay, where they took advantage of their limited time in the city by swimming and lazing in the 34 C heat.

Bunbury Cruise Ship Committee chairman Jon Birch arrived at MS Amadea with Bunbury Mayor David Smith and members of the South West Development Committee for a lunch meeting to welcome the ship to the city for the first time.

Mr Birch said MS Amadea's arrival was a boost for the city as international passengers would bring ``new money'' to the region.

``80 to 90 per cent of passengers on the ship are from Germany and they are all bringing new money into the South West region,'' he said.

``This is a pretty high class cruise ship and the passengers will bring in about $200 per head.

Mayor David Smith said he would give a welcoming speech at the lunch, which was aimed at better understanding how the South West Development Committee could improve the experience of cruise ships coming to the region.

For their first visit to the city we give them a plaque of the City of Bunbury to put in their boardroom, Mr Smith said.