RCL Australia wraps up record breaking 2016/17 season

The hotel, which faces the Overseas Passenger Terminal, has ceiling-to-floor windows and Armstrong’s travel industry and media guests, bedecked with colourful leis, watched as Explorer of the Seas pulled out to start her trans-Pacific voyage to Seattle.

‘As Explorer of the Seas departs Sydney this evening, she concludes what has been our biggest and most incredible season to date, carrying more than 300,000 guests on local cruises and injecting an expected A$200m into the local economy in passenger spend alone,’ Armstrong said.

He said the company had based three brands -- Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises -- in the region, representing 15% of its global fleet.

‘We increased capacity by 17%, introduced two new ships to the region -- Ovation of the Seas and Azamara Journey -- and launched a brand new cruise port in Wollongong,' he said.

‘We wowed Aussies, Kiwis and more than 50,000 guests from overseas on more than 90 different itineraries around Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Asia.

‘What’s more, Royal Caribbean International became Australia’s largest cruise line in terms of capacity over the (Southern Hemisphere) summer season.

‘It truly has been a record breaking seven months.’