Royal Caribbean sets the benchmark for cruising in Australia

Summer cruise season commences next weekend

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd will launch an exciting new era in Australian cruising this summer.

Introducing cruise ships usually reserved for other corners of the world to local waters, two impressive newcomers – Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and Celebrity Solstice from sister brand Celebrity Cruises – will become the two largest and most modern cruise ships ever based in Australia.

The summer cruising season kicks off on Friday 12 October 2012 with the return of Radiance of the Seas in Sydney, the first international cruise ship to arrive in Australia this season; closely followed by Rhapsody of the Seas on Sunday 14 October and Celebrity Millennium in November. Together they will offer an unprecedented choice of five world-class superliners from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises.

Australia & New Zealand Commercial Director, Adam Armstrong, is looking forward to the summer months. “We are gearing up for a very exciting and historic season: this is the beginning of a brand new era in Australian cruising. Voyager of the Seas and Celebrity Solstice will revolutionise the cruising landscape as we introduce a size and calibre of superliners previously only experienced overseas.

“Voyager of the Seas will not only eclipse all other ships in size, but also in features with the region’s first at-sea ice-skating rink and an exclusive DreamWorks experience. Celebrity Solstice is the highest-rated cruise ship in our region* and will take ‘modern luxury’ to new heights with guests able to enjoy the unique experience of a real, living lawn in the middle of the ocean.

“They join three of Australia’s favourite ships – Rhapsody of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Celebrity Millennium – all of which recently refreshed from multimillion dollar revitalisation programs. So whether choosing Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises, our guests will enjoy the very latest cruising amenities on any of our five new or freshly revitalised superliners.

“This summer we will host over 200,000 holiday-makers on our ships – a remarkable number compared to the 35,000 guests who sailed with us only two seasons ago. We are also a major inbound tourism operator, with up to a third of our guests travelling from North America and Europe.”

Royal Caribbean International will become Sydney’s largest cruise line this coming summer, offering more cruises and carrying more guests than any other cruise line in the 2012- 13 season.

* Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2012

KEY DATES – 2012/ 2013

Friday 12 Oct
Radiance of the Seas’ arrival in Sydney – official start of the Australian international cruising season

Sunday 14 Oct
Rhapsody of the Seas’ arrival in Sydney

Friday 2 Nov
Voyager of the Seas’ arrival in Port Hedland – first port of call in Australia

Monday 5 Nov
Voyager of the Seas’ arrival in Fremantle (begins her first Australian cruise)

Wednesday 21 Nov
Celebrity Millennium arrival in Sydney

Thursday 22 Nov
Voyager of the Seas’ maiden arrival in Sydney; Celebrity Millennium departs Sydney
Voyager of the Seas and Celebrity Millennium will cross paths in Sydney Harbour in a historic evening rendezvous near Fort Denison

Friday 30 Nov
Celebrity Solstice’s arrival in Darwin – first port of call in Australia

Friday 7 Dec
Celebrity Solstice’s arrival in Brisbane

Sunday 9 Dec
Celebrity Solstice’s maiden arrival in Sydney – starts her first Australia & New Zealand cruise

Saturday 9 March
Voyager of the Seas’ season ends (sailing out of Fremantle)

Tuesday 12 March
Voyager of the Seas departs Port Hedland – last port of call in Australia

Monday 8 April
Celebrity Solstice ends her maiden season, departing from Sydney to Hawaii

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas

The largest ship ever to be based in Australia and featuring her own ice skating rink, Voyager of the Seas will be home-ported in Sydney and Fremantle for a five-month season. Her maiden Australia and New Zealand season will feature 12 New Zealand, South Pacific and Australia cruises itineraries ranging from one to 18 nights.

Kicking off her Australia and New Zealand season in Fremantle on November 5, highlights of her program include:

• Four 14-night New Zealand cruises sailing roundtrip from Sydney
• A new 14-night school holidays itinerary taking in New Zealand’s North Island as well as exotic calls in New Caledonia and Fiji
• Shorter cruises to Tasmania (8 nights) and Fiji (9 nights) plus a 1-night Sampler Cruise
• Two 18-night cruises between Fremantle and Sydney taking in key cities in southern Australia and New Zealand, including Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and Milford Sound.
• Two 14-night repositioning cruises between Singapore and Perth (Fremantle) book-ending the program including calls in Bangkok, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice

Complete with a real half acre lawn, Celebrity Solstice is the youngest ship to be based in Australia and introduces a contemporary and luxurious style of cruising. Celebrity Solstice’s inaugural program features Australian and New Zealand cruises as well as a special around Australia voyage that can be experienced in its entirety or separately as two sailings. Sailing from Sydney, Perth and Auckland, she will make a total of 17 sailings, comprising of 11 unique itineraries that range from one- to 35-night cruises, calling at 28 ports in seven countries. They include:

• A 13-night New Zealand round trip cruise from Sydney;
• Five 12-night New Zealand cruises sailing from Auckland or Sydney
• An 11-night Tropical Queensland Easter cruise departing Sydney;
• A “Round Australia” cruise which can be taken separately as two sailings – an 18-night Australia and New Zealand cruise and a 17-night “Top End” cruise – or together as a grand 35-night voyage;
• A special 16-night Singapore to Sydney repositioning cruise which includes a stop at Bali;
• And an 18-night Trans-Pacific Hawaii &Tahiti cruise from Sydney to Honolulu.

Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas

Radiance of the Seas offers more dining options than other ship in Australia and when she returns in October 2012, guests will be able to enjoy near-new amenities thanks to a recent revitalisation program. Radiance of the Seas will be home-ported in Sydney and Fremantle. Her second Australian season features voyages around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Her itineraries range from 2- to 18-nights, departing from Sydney and Fremantle, including:

• An expanded range of cruises to the South Pacific islands of New Caledonia and Vanuatu – choose from 5 cruises ranging from 8 to 12 nights.
• A new 10-night itinerary to Tropical Queensland over the Christmas and Easter holidays
• Three 14-night cruises to New Zealand which include an overnight call in Sydney
• A new 5-night Sampler Cruise to Newcastle and Brisbane
• Two full circumnavigation voyages of Australia and New Zealand, available either as a 34-night cruise or in 16- and 18-night segments from Sydney or Fremantle
• Repositioning cruises between Sydney and Hawaii taking in New Zealand and Tahiti

With five seasons already under her belt and a strong following among Australian cruisers, Rhapsody of the Seas will return to her seasonal home-port of Sydney in October. This will be her first full season after a multi-million dollar revitalisation in March 2012, where she has been enhanced with a host of new amenities and upgrades. This season, Rhapsody of the Seas provides itineraries to Queensland and the South Pacific -highlights include:

• Twelve cruises to the South Pacific islands with an expanded choice of 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12-night itineraries – including Christmas, New Year and Easter sailings;
• Four 11-night cruises to Tropical Queensland – the only itinerary available in this market which includes 2 full days docked in downtown Cairns;
• A 7-night Tasmania cruise and a 2-night Weekend Sampler cruise; and
• Repositioning cruises between Sydney and Hawaii taking in New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.

Celerity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium

Celebrity Millennium, which once called Australia home and was last here in 2009, stops by for a brief visit in Sydney on her a way to her first Asian season. This is also the first ever Asian season for Celebrity Cruises. She will set sail for Australia and Asia fresh from an extensive refurbishment, with major additions to include 107 new spa-inspired AquaClass featuring luxury amenities such as unlimited access to the AquaSpa relaxation room, a spa concierge and an upgraded room service menu.

Celebrity Millennium arrives on 21 November and departs the next day on 22 November, crossing paths in Sydney Harbour with Voyager of the Seas as she arrives for first Sydney visit.