Cruising New Magazine April 2019 April 2019 Edition | Page 16

Serenade of the Seas to Call Australia Home
Brisbane’s International Cruise Terminal
and located within a stone’s throw of
the stunning South Pacific.
Australian travellers can choose from
four Royal Caribbean megaliners and
two home ports from 2020, when the
line introduces a brand-new ship to
Sydney Serenade of the Seas and
delivers Queenslanders with their very
own dedicated cruise ship, Radiance
of the Seas, home ported from
Serenade of the Seas – the younger
sister to Radiance of the Seas – will sail
from Sydney’s Overseas Passenger
Terminal for the first time from October
2020 to April 2021, offering 18 dining
venues, bars and lounges, as well as
a rock-climbing wall, 9-hole mini golf
course and three pools. The 2400-guest
megaliner boasts Whoopi Goldberg
as her godmother plus lounges and
bars not seen previously in Australian
waters, including the Safari Club,
Congo Bar and Zanzibar Lounge.
Australian fan-favourite Voyager of
the Seas returns to Sydney in October
2020. With capacity for 4000 guests,
the megaliner is widely considered
the ship which started the revolution
for larger, newer and more feature-
packed ships being deployed down
under.
Last but by no means least, Australia’s
largest and most technologically
advanced cruise ship, Ovation of
the Seas, returns for her fifth season
down under. Each cruise can cater to
up to 4,900 guests, who will continue
to enjoy incredible thrills such as the
iFly skydiving experience, North Star
viewing capsule and bumper cars
included in their fare as standard.
“Our company ethos has always been
to bring Australians our world-class
style of cruise holidays – direct to their
doorstep,” said Susan Bonner, Royal
Caribbean International managing
director, Australia & New Zealand.
Together, the four Royal Caribbean
megaliners will offer more capacity
and itineraries than ever before, with
more than 80 sailings for Australian
travellers to choose from, ranging
from 2 to 19 nights to destinations in
the South Pacific, New Zealand and
Australia.
Royal Caribbean International Returns to Brisbane
Royal Caribbean International has
announced it will return to home
porting in Queensland with the
2400-guest Radiance of the Seas, to
be based at the brand new Brisbane
International Cruise Terminal at
Luggage Point from November 2020,
offering bold adventure and easy
access to Queensland’s stunning
beaches and the idyllic South Pacific.
At 90,090 GRT, she will be the
largest ship home ported in the
Sunshine State. During her inaugural
Queensland season from November
2020 to April 2021, Radiance of the
Seas will offer over 20 cruises and inject
more than AUD $20million into the
Queensland economy in passenger
spend alone.
Known as Royal Caribbean’s culinary
ship, Radiance of the Seas features
nineteen restaurants, cafes, lounges
and bars – including favourites
such as Chops Grille for perfectly
cooked steaks, Giovanni’s Table for
Italian served family-style as well as
Izumi, where talented chefs create
Japanese-infused delights in an open
kitchen. At 293m long, she boasts
features like a rock-climbing wall,
9-hole mini golf course, self-levelling
pool tables, indoor cinema and a
sports court.
Radiance of the Seas will arrive to
Queensland fresh from a multi-million
dollar makeover following a drydock
in 2020, which will see a range of
enhancements.
Susan Bonner, managing director
of Royal Caribbean International
in Australia and New Zealand, said
that returning to Brisbane was a
central component of the company’s
Queensland growth plans, which
include increasing calls to the state
by 20% for the 2020/21 summer cruise
season.
Port of Brisbane Chief Executive
Officer Roy Cummins welcomed
Royal Caribbean’s announcement.
“The Brisbane International Cruise
Terminal opens up a whole new
world of opportunities for cruising
in Queensland,” Mr Cummins said.
“Providing capacity for mega cruise
liners like Radiance of the Seas means
more investment in the region and
more tourism jobs. RCI’s decision to
homeport Radiance in Brisbane is
a wonderful vote of confidence in
our brand new facility, and we look
forward to working with them further
into the future.”
First Woman Captain to Launch a Brand-New Cruise Ship
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has
announced that Captain Serena
Melani will helm the cruise line’s newest
ship, Seven Seas Splendor, making her
the first woman in cruise industry history
to captain a new cruise ship at launch.
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Issue 30
Captain Melani, 45, has progressed
quickly in her nearly 30-year career
to roles of cruise ship leadership. She
began her nautical career at age 16 as
a cadet while attending school working
on cargo ships in her hometown of
Livorno, Italy, along the Tirrenian Sea in
the Tuscany region. After graduating
from Nautical College in 1993, she
was one of only a few females to hold
roles of increasing responsibilities on oil
tankers, cargo and container vessels.
Captain Melani joined Regent in 2010
as a Bridge Officer, and then served as
Navigation Officer, Safety Officer and
Staff Captain on Seven Seas Voyager.
She became the company’s first
female Master Captain in 2016 and has
led Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas
Mariner and Seven Seas Navigator
during her tenure.
“Captain Melani has distinguished
herself as a trailblazer in the maritime
and cruise industries,” said Jason
Montague, president and chief
executive officer of Regent Seven
Seas Cruises. “She is an international
role model and admired by our guests
and crew. We are proud to appoint
Captain Melani as the industry’s first
female captain to deliver a new cruise
ship and look forward to her many
future successes leading Seven Seas
Splendor in the years ahead.”