Royal Caribbean Australia cruises from October 2011

Phil: After the successful launch of Brilliance of the Seas into Dubai for UK passengers seeking winter sunshine, Royal Caribbean have now increased their presence down under with the announcement of two ships in Australia from 2011.

Here is the press release.

The Radiance of the Seas will sail from Sydney starting in October 2011, giving Royal Caribbean International two ships in Australia.

The 2,501-passenger Radiance will join the 2,435-passenger Rhapsody of the Seas, a ship currently in its third Australian summer season.

"The move is a demonstration of the strength of the local cruise market, and is in response to demand from American, European and Asian visitors to experience Australia and our region onboard our cruise ships," said Gavin Smith, managing director of Royal Caribbean Cruises Australia.

Royal Caribbean said it will release 2011-12 itineraries for the two ships in late March.

Phil's comment: Yes this is a long way to travel just to cruise, but there will be a large number of British guests who will use the Royal Carribbean cruise as a stop-over option whilst visiting friends and family. It also opens up the option to holiday with your friends and family down under..!!

This is a cruise blog entry by Phil