Royal Caribbean has confirmed a ship almost twice the size of Radiance of the Seas will be making two visits in coming months.

Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh and Wollongong councillor Leigh Colacino revealed on Thursday morning the giant Voyager of the Seas will be docking at Port Kembla on December 27 and January 18.

Voyager has 4200 passengers and 1000 crew and each visit will inject close to $1 million into the Illawarra economy.

Voyager’s cruises will depart Sydney and call at a range of destinations in the South Pacific. 

Mr Sleigh said the additional visits along with others recently announced for Radiance of the Seas and the giant Explorer of the Seas were a reflection of Royal Caribbean’s commitment to the region. He said this was an amazing opportunity for the Illawarra to attract more interest from one of the fastest growing tourism sectors in the world. And the additional calls were a result of the enthusiasm and professionalism of the local tourism industry.

Mr Sleigh said there were already more than 400 volunteers who would begin training on Friday to welcome passengers on Radiance of the Seas when it arrives on October 30. “With the cruise industry growing at such a rapid rate and with limited capacity to facilitate this growth in Sydney Harbour, this ongoing commitment from Royal Caribbean will no doubt see other cruise lines looking towards Wollongong as both a shore excursion and turnaround port in coming seasons,” he said.

Cr Colacino, who first knocked on Royal Caribbean’s door four years ago, said the Voyager news was another exciting announcement for Wollongong. “This is a wonderful show of commitment by Royal Caribbean..and has no doubt been brought about by the incredible amount of support the local community has shown. It was always the intention that the maiden voyage of Radiance of the Seas on October 30 was to be the beginning of a long-term relationship between the cruise industry and Wollongong, and this announcement from Royal Caribbean is a massive sign of ongoing commitment to Wollongong. It is now more important than ever that the community comes together to ensure Sunday October 30 is a day that Wollongong never forgets”.

Illawarra First executive director Chris Lamont said the announcement came on World Maritime Day which was of special significance for the region with such a rich maritime history. He said it was essential that the Illawarra placed a high priority on investing in the potential of Port Kembla to service cruise ships along with the necessary investment to meet growing export and import demand.

Royal Caribbean cruising schedule.

Voyager of the Seas stats.

EDITORIAL