Royal Caribbean's 10th season in Australia begins this weekend, as the first of the cruise ships arrive down under.

Radiance of the Seas will arrive in Sydney on Sunday, which marks the start of the cruising season for Royal Caribbean in the region.

Joining Radiance of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, returning for her second and longest season yet, as well as family-favourites Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.

"We’re back – Australia’s beloved Radiance of the Seas pulls into port this weekend, marking the start of an epic 10th birthday season ahead for Royal Caribbean," said Adam Armstrong, managing director for RCL Cruises in Australia and New Zealand.

Royal Caribbean Australia has debuted a new brand campaign that uses slogans such as, "this is not a cruise, this is a Royal Caribbean cruise" and "this is not your dream holiday, this is your next holiday."

Strategic branding and design company Hulsbosch created the campaign as a means of differentiating Royal Caribbean from its competitors.  The ads feature activities such as indoor sky diving, snorkeling, bumper cars and more.

Royal Caribbean will open bookings for its 2018/19 Australian summer season today, Tuesday, May 30.

For the 2018/2019 season, Australia will welcome Ovation of the Seas for her third and longest season yet. She will be joined by Explorer of the Seas, as well as Radiance of the Seas.  Radiance will offer Royal Caribbean’s very first departure from Melbourne and three cruises departing from Auckland.

Radiance of the Seas will kick off the 2018/19 summer season, arriving to Sydney on October 6, 2018. Explorer of the Seas will return down under on October 27, 2018 and Ovation of the Seas on November 2, 2018. Together, the three ships will offer 61 sailings, ranging from three to 23-nights, sailing to nine different countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Singapore, the USA and Vanuatu.

Ovation of the Seas, as well as Radiance of the Seas, will primarily offer guests a range of Australia and New Zealand itineraries. Ovation will sail exclusively from Sydney, while Radiance of the Seas will sail from Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

As well as her New Zealand voyages, Radiance of the Seas will also sail a range of shorter cruises, including a three-night sampler cruise to nowhere, a new four-night cruise to Melbourne and a five-night Tasmania sailing.

Explorer of the Seas, will become the largest cruise ship to ever call to Newcastle in February 2019, following upgrades to the Port of Newcastle to allow mega ships to berth in the Hunter. Explorer of the Seas will call twice during the season, on 10 February 2019 during a six-night voyage that also includes calls to Wollongong and Hobart, and on 16 February 2019 during a 14-night South Pacific voyage. Explorer of the Seas will continue her focus on South Pacific voyages, with a range of eight to 14-night sailings.

“We can’t wait to welcome our three megaliners back down under for the summer of 2018/19 – marking our longest Aussie season yet,” said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia & NZ.

“There’s no better time beat the winter blues and plan your summer getaway – for this season or next. By booking early, you’ll ensure you reserve your preferred choice of ship, departure date and itinerary, as well as your pick of the staterooms, and you’ll lock in a terrific price,” Armstrong concluded.

Buy One, Get One Half Price

Australia residents can celebrate the start of bookings with Book before 30 June 2017 and guests can ‘Buy One, Get One Half Price’ – PLUS receive a Balcony stateroom for the price of an Oceanview.

Promotion applies to new bookings made between 30th May - 30th June 2017 on all Royal Caribbean International voyages departing 1st July 2017 onwards. Offer excludes all voyages departing from China.

Eligible bookings will receive

• Up to 50% off the total fare of the second passenger, who must be booked in the same stateroom as a first passenger who books at full fare.
• 25% savings off the cruise fare portion for the third and fourth guests booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests.
• Eligible bookings made on Royal Caribbean International Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Transpacific & Asia Repositioning voyages, five nights or longer will be able to book a Balcony stateroom at the price of Oceanview; voyage must start or end in Australia.

Offer is not combinable with any other offer or promotion unless otherwise stated. For full terms and conditions, please visit our website at www.royalcaribbean.com.au

It appears guests looking to book a 2018-2019 Royal Caribbean cruise from Australia will have to wait a few more weeks.

Royal Caribbean informed travel agents that its 2018/2019 summer cruises, which were supposed to become available today, will now go on sale in "early June."

Royal Caribbean explained that these new sailings "are not quite ready to go on sale just yet."

Thanks to Pippa for sharing this update with us.

Royal Caribbean has released a new six-night Tasmania cruise onboard Explorer of the Seas for later this year.

Departing Sydney on Saturday, December 9, 2017, the six-night round-trip cruise includes two port days and three days at sea. The voyage calls to Hobart, Tasmania and Melbourne, Australia.

“Many of our new customers opt for shorter cruises of up to six nights for their first time at sea, and once they get a taste for the fun, convenience and value of ocean cruising with Royal - they’re hooked!” said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia and NZ.

“This cruise offers guests the perfect way to explore our own beautiful backyard, while treating themselves to the huge range of dining, entertainment and activities onboard,” Armstrong concluded.

Royal Caribbean announced the first Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship will be based in the Asia-Pacific region. Set to be launched in spring 2019, the yet-to-be-named ship is the first Quantum Ultra Class ship, and will join sister ships Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

The new ship will specifically be designed for guests in the region, featuring even more cutting-edge and unprecedented experiences and amenities. The announcement was made as Royal Caribbean unveiled its full roster of 2018-19 China, Singapore and Australia itineraries.

2018-19 China, Singapore, Australia Deployment Highlights

As part of the deployment plans for 2018-19, Mariner of the Seas will reposition to a new home in Miami, Florida embarking on a “Global Odyssey” from Asia that features three long sailings from Singapore to Dubai; Dubai to Barcelona; and Barcelona to Miami. The “Global Odyssey” opens for sale on May 2, 2017.  Voyager of the Seas will have her first full season in Singapore in 2018-19, offering 3- to 7-night adventures throughout Southeast Asia with stops that include ports in Thailand and Malaysia.
        
The new 2018-19 deployment season presents additional highlights, including an expanded offering of open-jaw itineraries for adventure-seekers traveling down under with new 10-night open-jaw itineraries between Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne or Sydney, Australia on Radiance of the Seas. During the winter, Ovation of the Seas will reposition to Sydney for her longest season in Australia, reclaiming the title as the largest ship based in the region.

Royal Caribbean’s China 2018-19 itineraries for Quantum and Voyager will be available to book beginning April 26, 2017, followed by Ovation on April 27. Australia and Singapore sailings will be open as of May 16, 2017.

With the departure of Explorer of the Seas from Sydney on Saturday evening, Royal Caribbean has concluded a record breaking 2016/2017 summer seas in Australia.

The company’s three brands, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, based an unprecedented seven ships in the region – 15 percent of the global fleet – including two new ships; the newest and biggest Australia has ever seen, Ovation of the Seas, and the boutique, freshly revitalised Azamara Journey.

Adam Armstrong, managing director, RCL Australia & NZ, commented on the big year down under, “We increased capacity by 17 percent, introduced two new ships to the region, completely refreshed another, launched a brand new cruise port in Wollongong, and wowed Aussies, Kiwis and more than 50,000 guests from overseas on over 90 different itineraries around Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Asia. What’s more, Royal Caribbean International became Australia’s largest cruise line in terms of capacity over the summer season. It truly has been a record breaking seven months."

“Royal Caribbean changed the game for cruising down under when we introduced supercruising to Australia, with the incredible US$1 billion Ovation of the Seas,” Armstrong continued.

The spectacular vessel arrived in December to much fan-fare and was the first brand new ship to be based in Australian waters. 

Radiance of the Seas made waves this season opening up a new port for the industry, becoming the first cruise ship to bring passengers to the NSW coastal city of Wollongong and arriving to huge celebrations from locals of the Illawarra. The City of Wollongong also welcomed Voyager of the Seas twice during the season.

Radiance of the Seas also made maiden calls for Royal Caribbean to the beautiful South Pacific islands of Tonga, visiting Vava'u and Nuku’alofa in December. Meanwhile, identical sister ships Explorer of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, known as the South Pacific sisters, made their mark with dedicated sailings all season to the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia.

The upcoming 2017/18 season will see four Royal Caribbean International ships return, including the ground-breaking Ovation of the Seas for a longer second season, along with South Pacific sisters Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas.

The arrival of Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas to Australia is being met with plenty of excitement and attention from an Australian public that is fully embracing having a brand new cruise ship to themselves.  While not everyone reading this post might be in Australia to take advantage of this momentous occasion, we all can enjoy some beautiful photos of Ovation of the Seas down under.

Royal Caribbean took some wonderful shots of Ovation of the Seas in Sydney harbor, and we just had to share them with all of you.

Ovation of the Seas' arrival into Sydney marks her first summer season of Australia and New Zealand itineraries. She is the newest and largest ship in the region accommodating 4,180 guests at double occupancy and 1,500 international crew members.

The newest, largest and most tech-laden cruise ship to ever call Australia home arrived yesterday in her new homeport of Sydney.

Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas has pulled into Sydney Harbour, which marks a momentous occasion for the Australian cruise market. Ovation of the Seas becomes Royal Caribbean’s fifth locally-based cruise ship, joining sister ships Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, and making Royal Caribbean the single largest cruise line operating in Australia this season.

"Ovation of the Seas is an absolute game changer for cruising down under. SuperCruising is a holiday experience unlike anything else you can find in Australia – and it can only be found on Royal Caribbean," said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Australia & New Zealand. 

"Over the last decade we have committed to bringing the biggest and best cruise ships to our doorstep – and today is the climax of that story. This occasion marks the first time that a cruise line has ever based a brand new ship in this market."

"At 348m long, 18 decks high, weighing in at 168,666 tons and with capacity for 5,000 guests and 1,500 crew, Ovation of the Seas is the fourth largest cruise ship in the world, making her the largest cruise ship to sail Australian waters, and by far the largest ship ever home-ported here."

Ovation of the Seas' two-day visit to Sydney is expected to inject over $3.3 million in passenger spend alone, while her maiden Australian season is expected to inject more than $35 million into the national economy.