Celebrity Solstice returns down under

Celebrity Solstice arrived in Sydney on Saturday 8 October for the start of a bumper international cruise season for Australia and New Zealand, as well as the biggest ever local season for RCL Cruises Ltd.

With a capacity increase of 15 percent, year on year for the company’s trifecta of cruise lines, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, RCL Cruises in Australia and New Zealand managing director, Adam Armstrong said “this summer, our three cruise lines and seven ships based down under will sail 101 itineraries, carrying over 300,000 guests who will inject $208 million in passenger spend alone in Australian ports.”

With around 15 percent of the international RCL Cruises Ltd fleet now based in Australia and New Zealand between October and April, this season will see the company introduce two new ships, spend $11.25 million refreshing another, as well as offer a whole host of new and unique itineraries on a range of cruise ships to suit every taste.

“This is undoubtedly our biggest and most exciting season to date. And nothing will be bigger than the debut of Royal Caribbean’s all-new Ovation of the Seas. She represents not only a whole new way to cruise, but a new holiday category entirely – what we’ve dubbed supercruising. This is truly going to blow Australia away,” Armstrong added.

Ovation of the Seas cost USD$1 billion to build, weighing in at 168,666 GRT with capacity for close to 5000 passengers, making her by far the largest, the newest and the most technologically advanced cruise ship to ever call Australia home.

She’ll depart Singapore on 30 November and reach the Australian coast for the very first time in Fremantle on 6 December, before calling in Adelaide, Hobart and Sydney. Once she arrives at her new southern hemisphere home port of Sydney on 15 December, she’ll offer seven roundtrip itineraries to New Zealand, the South Pacific and Australian destinations, plus a repositioning cruise to Singapore departing in February 2017.

Ovation of the Seas joins the South Pacific Sisters – twin sisters Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas – along with Radiance of the Seas sailing out of Sydney. Together, the biggest ships in the Southern Hemisphere will offer 65 voyages around Australia, the South Pacific, New Zealand and Asia.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Celebrity Solstice cruise