ROYAL CARIBBEAN UPDATES AUSTRALIAN SUMMER SEASON TO DOMESTIC-ONLY SAILINGS (AUSTRALIA VERSION)

SYDNEY, Aug. 4, 2021* – Royal Caribbean International today announced a new season of Australian domestic sailings on board returning favourite Ovation of the Seas. Ovation will sail from Sydney 13 Dec. 2021 through 31 March 2022, offering a mix of 2- to 10-night domestic sailings that visit some of the country’s most famous cities and regions.

 “We continue to encourage and assist federal and state governments to establish a clear pathway for the return of cruising, and hope that by December we will have guests holidaying with us once again. While Sydney manages its ongoing lockdown, several factors make us hopeful that domestic cruising will return this summer, from rapid advances in COVID-19 research, technology and an emphasis on swift vaccine distribution,” says Gavin Smith, vice president and managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Royal Caribbean International.

In lieu of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the opening of international borders and to ensure guests have peace of mind surrounding their holiday plans, Royal Caribbean has made the decision to cancel the following sailings:

• Serenade of the Seas’ sailings from Sydney from 24 Oct. 2021 to 27 February 2022 inclusive
• Ovation’s sailings from Sydney from 27 Oct. 2021 to 10 April 2022 inclusive, and Ovation will be redeployed to a domestic only itinerary

All impacted guests and travel partners have been contacted and advised of their options. Guests automatically will be issued a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to the value of 125% of their cruise fare to use on future sailings, however, guests are able to opt for a full refund or to Lift & Shift to applicable summer 2022-2023 sailings, if preferred.

“We know our guests look forward to our return to cruising in Australia and these cancellations will be met with disappointment, a sentiment that we strongly share here at Royal Caribbean,” says Smith. “We are thankful to our loyal guests and travel partners for their ongoing patience and support since we suspended cruise operations in March 2020. Great progress has been made around the world, and we are eager to welcome guests back as we have successfully done in Singapore, Europe, the USA and UK.”

Looking Ahead in Australia

Ovation will offer guests a raft of short breaks and voyages with 24 sailings from Sydney starting in December. Guests can choose from 2- to 10-night itineraries that visit ports such as Eden, Hobart, Adelaide, Brisbane, Kangaroo Island, Airlie Beach, Cairns or Port Douglas. Plus, enjoy scenic excursions of the Great Barrier Reef, Willis Island and the South Coast of New South Wales.  

As one of the most technologically advanced ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, Ovation features a world of elevated experiences second to none. Guests can enjoy a vast selection of thrill-seeking activities, world-class amenities and dining experiences every night, and turn down for the evening to their luxurious accommodation. Ovation’s new sailings are available to book from Thursday, Aug. 5.

Royal Caribbean’s summer 2022-2023 sailings remain open for bookings. Quantum, Ovation and Radiance of the Seas will make a stunning return to Australia to sail cruise holidays across Australia, New Zealand and islands of the South Pacific. 

“We are very encouraged by the great response we have had to our 2022-2023 season as guests plan ahead and remain confident and excited about a return to cruising in Australia. We’ve seen strong interest in cruises on Quantum, which will homeport at Brisbane’s new state-of-the-art cruise terminal,” says Dave Humphreys, director of sales, Australia and New Zealand, Royal Caribbean International.

The new, world-class $177 million Brisbane International Cruise Terminal was completed in mid-2020 and will play a vital role in growing Queensland’s cruise industry by helping to showcase all that south-east Queensland has to offer. 

A Successful Global Return to Sailing

Royal Caribbean has completed several sailings globally, recording a successful return to cruising. Working closely with federal and state governments as well as authorities around the world, the cruise line has developed multilayered measures to safeguard the well-being of all guests, crew members and the communities at each port of call. These protocols include the ships’ robust ventilation systems, enhanced cleaning and sanitisation, and cruising at reduced occupancy as ships initially return to sailing.

Royal Caribbean is in ongoing discussions with multiple national, state and local health and government authorities around the world regarding the various requirements for all upcoming sailings. Independent of the port of departure, the cruise line will continue to follow the guidelines as recommended by health experts and provide updates to guests and travel partners. Royal Caribbean will continue to evaluate protocols based on specific needs to Australia at the time of sailing.

* Updates to health and safety measures are available at
www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center.

About Royal Caribbean International 
Royal Caribbean International has been delivering innovation at sea for more than 50 years. Each successive class of ships is an architectural marvel featuring the latest technology and guest experiences for today’s adventurous traveller. The cruise line continues to revolutionise vacations with itineraries to more than 270 destinations in 72 countries on six continents, including Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first in the Perfect Day Island Collection. Royal Caribbean has also been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 18 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards. 

Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter, @RCIaustraliaandnz on Facebook and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers can call their travel advisor; visit RoyalCaribbean.com.au; or call 1800 754 500.

Royal Caribbean International is applying the recommendations of its Healthy Sail Panel of public health and scientific experts to provide a safer and healthier cruise vacation on all of its sailings. Health and safety protocols, regional travel restrictions and clearance to visit ports of call, are subject to change based on ongoing evaluation, public health standards, and government requirements. U.S. cruises and guests: For more information on the latest health and travel alerts, U.S. government travel advisories, please visit www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates or consult travel advisories, warnings or recommendations relating to cruise travel on applicable government websites.  

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*October 2021 update: Royal Caribbean has canceled all Australia cruises on Ovation of the Seas (December 2021–March 2022). For itinerary updates, click here.