RCI Celebrates BIGGEST Ever Month, Since Begining Operations In Australia, By Smashing Record Sales In January 2016.

Bookings for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises smash records in January.

2016 is off to a fantastic start for RCL Cruises Australia and New Zealand with a record-breaking first month of the year. January 2016 has seen the biggest month for sales since the company opened its local offices, eight years ago. Bookings for its three brands – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises – reached an all-time high, with an increase of 50 per cent in new bookings compared to the same period last year.

January 2016 also outperformed RCL’s previous record breaking month for bookings – June last year, when Australasia’s first ever new-build and the biggest ship to ever be based in Australia, Ovation of the Seas, went on sale – by 30 percent.  In particular, the last week in January saw Royal Caribbean International bookings almost double year-on-year.

“We said it would be a record-breaking summer and we’re excited to see booking volumes beat our own projections. Australia’s appetite for cruising with us continues on a very positive trajectory, driven by strong early booking offers and the biggest and best ships in the region,” said Adam Armstrong, regional commercial director for Asia/Pacific. 

“In response to the increasing demand, this season we introduced three new ships – Explorer of the Seas, Legend of the Seas and Azamara Quest – as well as a brand new cruise line in Azamara Club Cruises; so for the first time, we have our trifecta of three brands sailing down under. All up, that represents 20% of RCL’s worldwide fleet – a very significant number and a testament to the strength of the Australian cruising market,” Adam continued.

Bookings on international sailings have shown substantial increases year on year; Alaska cruise bookings grew by more than 25% and Asia sailings increased by 10% when compared to the same month last year. But the most significant increase is reflected in local sailings – in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific – where bookings increased by more than 65% in January 2016 compared to January 2015, demonstrating the success of delivering Australians with the very best product on their doorstep.

Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest megaliner, Explorer of the Seas – fresh from her US$80 million revitalization that saw her equipped with a FlowRider surf simulator – jumped to the top of the bookings table in the final week of January to became RCL’s most popular ship, taking pole position from twin sister Voyager of the Seas. Plus, positioning the two Voyager Class sisters as the South Pacific specialists next season (2016/17) is proving a hit with passengers. Together the two megaliners recorded a third of all bookings created in January – and individually both achieved the highest share of bookings for all locally based ships.

Celebrity Solstice has almost two full months remaining in her current Australian season yet she is sold out, such is the popularity for her modern style of luxury. For the best chance to sample Australia’s highest rated cruise ship – and the only Lawn Club at sea in our waters – Celebrity Solstice returns in October for her fifth summer season down under. 

This summer season has seen an unprecedented seven ships from RCL brands sailing in the region, with a final ship, Celebrity Millennium, due to call in March.  The upcoming 2016/17 summer season will see a quarter of a million Australians sailing on eight RCL ships locally, including onboard the showstopping Ovation of the Seas – Australia’s very first brand new ship.

As the newest, biggest and most technologically advanced cruise ship ever be deployed to the region, Ovation of the Seas will offer onboard features like no other ship in Australia, including the North Star viewing capsule, iFly sky diving experience, Bionic Bar with robot bar tenders, 18 different restaurants including Jamie Oliver’s, FlowRider surf machine and much more.  

Ovation of the Seas will join Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas sailing out of Sydney, while Legend of the Seas will return for her second season sailing from Brisbane. Award winning Celebrity Solstice will also return to Sydney next season offering guests an elegant and more sophisticated choice for local cruising, and Azamara Club Cruises’ second boutique ship, Azamara Journey, will make her Australian debut in February 2017, following an extensive bow-to-stern refurbishment. 

“It’s not too late to book a cruise or grab a good deal for 2016, we are offering incredible savings and deals available across all three brands, so now is a fantastic time to book your next cruise holiday. Early birds will find 2016/17 cruises are also on offer, so start planning for next summer today,” Adam concluded.

For more information or to book a cruise, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au, www.celebritycruises.com.au or www.azamaraclubcruises.com, call 1800 754 500 or contact your travel agent. 

Information supplied by: Royal Caribbean International.

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