Royal ramping up

ROYAL Caribbean International (RCI) will now sail three ships locally from 16 Oct 2021, as part of updates to its Australian 2021/22 season, which is now open for sale.

Quantum of the Seas will head to Brisbane to replace Radiance of the Seas, which will join Ovation of the Seas in sailing from Sydney.

The move will see both New South Wales and Queensland homeport Quantum class ships for the first time ever.

In total, the trio of vessels will offer 67 voyages to 33 destinations around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, ranging from two to 15 nights, with increased flexibility on new bookings offered to cruisers who make a reservation by the end of next month.

Travel agent commissions will also be protected, as part of the cruise line’s Royal Reignited partner campaign, which aims to boost businesses and prepare travel partners for the comback of cruising.

Royal Reignited will see the launch of revamped marketing toolkits, training, policies, and the latest Royal Caribbean announcements that are made over the next few months.

RCI’s online trade portal HomePort will also offer access to updates, educational materials, offers and marketing tools, while the ships will boast a mobile app to help limit contact and crowds through innovations such as staggered arrival times and reservations.

“Our 2021/22 summer season will be the most technologically advanced fleet to ever sail Australia and we are committed to providing the signature Royal Caribbean holiday that Aussie clients know and love, and delivering them home safely at the end of their cruise,” said Royal Caribbean International Australia & NZ Managing Director Gavin Smith.