Both are newly revitalized from bow to stern to the tune of US$180 million, and with itineraries that lend themselves perfectly to families and amenities to match, Royal Caribbean is positioning the South Pacific Sisters as the go-to summer cruise holiday for families of all ages and sizes.
2016/17 summer cruise itineraries will whisk guests away to idyllic destinations like Mystery Island and Port Vila in Vanuatu, and Noumea, Isle of Pines and Lifou (Loyalty Islands) in New Caledonia.
Plus, the South Pacific Sisters will make more calls than ever before to perennial island favourite, Fiji. The megaliners will more than double the amount of Fiji calls year on year, with 34 visits across the season to two destinations, Suva and Lautoka. There will even be two Fiji overnight calls, when Explorer of the Seas stays the night in Suva during her repositioning voyages between Australia and Seattle.
The megaliners are amongst the region's largest – second only to Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas – and boast an array of features that can only be found on Royal, like the twin FlowRiders that feature on their top decks, ice skating rinks where the young and young at heart can test their skills and virtual balconies for real time ocean views in interior staterooms.
Royal Caribbean's Voyager Class pioneered the interior promenade in cruise ship design, allowing interior staterooms to look down on to an indoor street lined by cafes, shops and bars, where colourful characters from much loved movies like Shrek and Madagascar light up the night with family parades and shows^.
Royal Caribbean is known as an innovator, and for good reason, says Adam Armstrong, Managing Director for Royal Caribbean International in Australia and New Zealand.
"Since we arrived in Australia some eight years ago, we've been delivering Australians with the style of cruising they had previously been travelling overseas for. With two Voyager Class megaliners now sailing from Sydney, there's double the opportunity to cruise on Australia's most feature-packed ships, and double the fun," Armstrong concluded.
Because they have the size and space to offer something for everyone, the South Pacific Sisters are perfect for families of all shapes, ages and sizes, including the growing trend for inter-generational family holidays.
Voyager and Explorer of the Seas boast a range of accommodation options, such as interconnecting staterooms and luxurious, multi-room suites, as well as the new panoramic family staterooms that offer all the benefits of an apartment, including floor-to-ceiling windows and a separate bunk room for the kids.
When parents and grandparents are looking for some downtime, the award-winning kids club program, Adventure Ocean, offers a range of age appropriate activities and spaces that kids can call their very own. Included in the fare, Adventure Ocean groups range from Aquanauts (aged three to five years old), Explorers (six to eight) and Voyagers (nine to eleven). Tweens and teens have their own spaces too, including a dedicated night club. Babies aged 6-18 months can attend the Royal Babies and Tots playrooms, where trained youth staff, together with parents, oversee learning and play sessions. In-room babysitting services are available for a small fee.
There's no better time to start planning a family getaway in the sunshine than with Royal Caribbean's Island Time Sale, with savings across the South Pacific Sisters' itineraries. Fares for a seven night roundtrip sailing on Voyager of the Seas start from AUD$1,009 for the first guest and AUD$549.50 for the second, when booked before 30 July 2016. The cruise departs Sydney 1 November 2016 and includes calls to Noumea and Isle of Pines in New Caledonia*.
For further information or to book a Royal Caribbean cruise, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au, phone 1800 754 500 or see your local travel agent.
^DreamWorks not available on all ships. See www.royalcaribbean.com.au for full detail.
*Terms and conditions apply, see www.royalcaribbean.com.au for full detail.