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First Celebrity ship to be based in Melbourne a casualty of COVID-19First Celebrity ship to be based in Melbourne a casualty of COVID-19

As reported elsewhere in Seatrade Cruise News, Azamara and Celebrity Cruises have pulled out of the 2020/21 wave season in Australia and New Zealand.

Helen Hutcheon, Australasia correspondent

October 7, 2020

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

The 2,850-passenger Celebrity Eclipse was to have joined Celebrity Solstice on her maiden visit Down Under.

December to April season scrapped

Eclipse was to have operated from Station Pier from December until April 2021 — the first time the company would have based a ship in Melbourne.

Azamara's 690-passenger Azamara Pursuit was also to have made her debut Down Under in December. She had been scheduled to operate six sailings until March 21.

Serenade of the Seas impacted

The Royal Caribbean Group’s continued pause until the end of November has also affected plans to debut the 2,400-passenger Serenade of the Seas in Sydney from this month until April 2021.

About the Author

Helen Hutcheon

Australasia correspondent

Helen Hutcheon did her cadetship on a shipping magazine and worked in P&O’s Sydney office for seven years as a public relations journalist.

For 19 years she was deputy editor of Travel Week, which was Australia’s leading trade newspaper that covered major local and international industry events.

In 2008 the late legendary Rama Rebbapragada presented her with an award from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ‘in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cruising industry.’

In 2010 she won the Neil Frazer Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the cruise industry,’ elevating her to CLIA Australasia’s hall of fame.

She has been the Australasia correspondent for Seatrade Cruise Review since 1997 and for Seatrade Insider (now Seatrade Cruise News) since its launch in 2000.

 

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