Royal Caribbean's Australia and Hawaii Cruise Season

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Royal Caribbean International announced its 2010-11 Australia and Hawaii cruise season.

Now open for booking, Rhapsody of the Sea is offering guests the option of 17 sailings from September 2010 through March 2011, 14 of which depart from Sydney, Australia. The season will offer 12 itineraries with 50 ports of call in eight countries.

Cruisers are offered an optional six or seven-day escorted cruisetour to their cruises. The six-day Australia land package begins in Sydney and is followed by a flight to Cairns and the beach resort of Port Douglas.

While in Cairns, guests will visit the Kuranda Rainforest and will go on a full-day boating adventure while exploring the outer Great Barrier Reef. Other trips include a visit to Ayers Rock the country’s Northern Territory.

Guests on the seven-day New Zealand package will visit a private sheep farm in Auckland, along with an excursion to a winery, museum and wildlife reserve in Rotorua, and embark on a Milford South cruise to soak in the fjords before flying to Sydney and embarking on their Australia cruise.

During shore excursions in Dunedin, guests can embark on an 8 x 8-wheel-drive amphibious vehicle known as the Argo for a bird’s eye view of New Zealand fur seals, sea lions, cormorants and yellow-eyed penguins on the “Otago’ Wild Wonders.”

In Australia, options include an excursion via a catamaran from Airlie Beach for a snorkel adventure on the Great Barrier Reef and a four-wheel-drive vehicle tour through mountains and rivers on steep, rugged trails on Melbourne’s “Ghost Towns, Mines Mountains.”

Rhapsody of the Seas
will sail roundtrip from Sydney on a range of new itineraries for its 2010-11 Australia season. Vacationers can choose between two sailings of an 11-night Queensland itinerary that will depart on October 16, 2010, and March 24, 2011. The cruise will feature a maiden call at Australia’s Newcastle.

A 12-night Fiji itinerary will mark Royal Caribbean’s return to the island nation after a year’s absence and will depart on October 27, 2010 and February 5, 2011. 

Five new South Pacific itineraries will range from seven to 12 nights, and feature a second maiden call of the season at Champagne Bay, Vanuatu on the November 8, 2010 sailing.

Guests can do some holiday cruising on a nine-night Christmas sailing on December 18, and bring in the New Year in the South Pacific on the 10-night sailing on December 27.

Vacationers also can combine two itineraries for a 29-night trans-Pacific crossing aboard Rhapsody of the Seas. A 12-night Vancouver to Honolulu cruise will depart on September 17, 2010, while the Sydney-bound sailing from Honolulu will depart on September 29.

Visit www.cruisingpower.com.