Royal Caribbean branches out in Australia with a Brisbane-based ship

Brisbane will become the company’s second Australian homeport with Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas based in Sydney during the 2015/16 season.

Legend of the Seas, which underwent a $50m revitalisation last year, is one of the largest superliners able to navigate the Brisbane River and dock at the Brisbane Cruise Terminal at Portside Wharf.

Regional VP Asia Pacific Gavin Smith said Royal Caribbean is responding to a strong demand from domestic and international passengers for world-class cruising in Queensland and the South Pacific.

‘We are thrilled to announce our first programme of cruises from Brisbane,’ Smith said. ‘Legend of the Seas will provide a new choice in local cruising and is the logical next stage in Royal Caribbean’s growth in Australia.’

The Brisbane programme goes on sale later this month, with a choice of 17 itineraries ranging from two to 14 nights to ports in Queensland, the South Pacific and New Zealand, as well as repositioning voyages between Hong Kong and Brisbane.