ROYAL Caribbean International will make its long-awaited return to Australia with two Quantum-class ships sailing from Brisbane and Sydney from October. The milestone is more than two years in the making, with both Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas to offer a range of adventures.
“We are delighted that cruising has been given the green light to resume in Australia, and we can’t wait for even more guests to create lifetime memories spending their holidays beginning in 2022,” said local Managing Director Gavin Smith. “We’ve hosted over a million guests worldwide marking a successful cruise comeback, and now we can’t wait to bring the magic back to Australia.”
The return of Australian cruises was not the only spot of good news from Royal Caribbean this month, with the line announcing its first South Pacific private island destination, Perfect Day at Lelepa, is back on track. Currently under development, the deal to develop Lelepa was first struck in the lead-up to the 2019-20 local cruise season.
Once it opens, a number of Royal Caribbean itineraries out of Australia will include a beach day on Lelepa, which is a small island in Vanuatu. Located northwest of larger Efate, the private island resort will delight cruisers seeking “authentic adventures and genuine relaxation,” according to Royal Caribbean President & Chief Executive Michael Bayley.
Although Royal Caribbean hasn’t announced a formal opening date for Lelepa, Senior Vice President Hotel Operations Mark Tamis added it will be “within a couple of years,” with the cruise line’s recently released 2022/23 season not currently listing any calls at the destination. Tamis added Perfect Day at Lelepa will be different from Royal Caribbean’s other private island destinations: “what’s a perfect day for an Australian is not a perfect day for an American,” he explained.
