Princess Cruises’ vessel Sun Princess is the first cruise ship to return to Kangaroo Island in South Australia after the devastating fires.

Guests on the 2000-capacity ship took advantage of a range of tours by local operators while others visited market stalls established by residents on the nearby Penneshaw Oval.

Sun Princess’ captain, Diego Perra, said: “Our guests are aware this isn’t a normal visit to Kangaroo Island and that their presence helps show respect and solidarity to the local community.

“We have encouraged our guests to support the tourism operators who have worked so hard to ensure there is a wide selection of experiences from which to choose.

“All of us on Sun Princess are so proud to know that we are helping send a message that Kangaroo Island’s recovery has begun.”

At the height of the fires in Australia, an earlier cruise to Kangaroo Island was unable to stop at the island and was diverted to Port Lincoln.

Sun Princess is currently on a 13-night cruise from its current homeport of Freemantle.

South Australian premier, Steven Marshall, added: “Having the Sun Princess dock with 2000 passengers is going to inject a substantial economic benefit to the community and also send a strong signal that we are on the road to recovery.”

A number of the guests on the ship made donations to the bushfire relief, with Princess Cruises donating the revenue it would receive from the day’s shore excursions to the appeal.

Carnival Australia, which owns Princess Cruises, has also donated more than £1 million to fire relief efforts in Australia. Other cruise lines have also been contributing to bushfire relief charities, including NCL and APT.

For information on the Australian Red Cross, its recovery efforts and ways to provide support, visit redcross.org.au.