Rhapsody to debut down under……………..
Royal Caribbean International’s Rhapsody of the Seas arrives in Australian waters in October, followed by sister brand Celebrity Cruises’ Mercury in December.
Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise brands with 21 ships currently in service, is to increase its presence in Australia.
Mr. Brendan Tavadia, Director of International Sales – Asia Pacific said, “Over the years, we have seen strong growth in the number of Australian guests on our worldwide itineraries who have enjoyed our award winning cruises.”
“Australia is an important market for us and we recognise the sophistication of guests from this market and their demand for a selection of cruises and itineraries closer to home.” “We are therefore steadily increasing our presence in Australia and the number of cruises from the country as part of our global expansion and our continued drive for growth.”
O
n October 15, Rhapsody will make its debut in Sydney and sail a 12-night South Pacific cruise. On October 27 (via Melbourne) and November 10 (via Hobart) she will be sailing Sydney to New Zealand, cruising through Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds and calling to the ports of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga and Auckland.
November 25 will see Rhapsody on a 15-night cruise to Singapore via Brisbane, Hamilton Island, the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns and Darwin and then to Bali.
RCI is well known for its innovation in the cruise industry, being the first brand to offer cutting-edge onboard amenities such as a rock-climbing wall, ice skating rink and the Royal Promenade entertainment boulevard.
In May next year, the brand will be launching the Independence of the Seas, the third ship in the Freedom class of cruise ships that are the largest in the world at 160,000 gross registered tonnes and are capable of hosting 4,375 guests.
In late 2009, RCI is expected to launch the widely anticipated 5,400 guest, 220,000 tonne prototype ship developed under the project name, Genesis.
Under their global banner they operate Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Cruises and Pullmantur. The company has a total of 35 ships in service and six under construction.
Look forward to our full coverage, including video, when TravelTVShow and TravelMole sail on the Rhapsody of the Seas later in the year, but in the meantime, please visit these sites:-
Report by Michael Osborne TravelTV Show and TravelMole
John Alwyn-Jones
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