At 70,000 tonnes Legend of the Seas is Royal Caribbean International’s first cruise ship based in Queensland. There was a lot of excitement when the Legend arrived in Darwin last week. Read the story here.

Sailing from the sunny state for the first ever season until April 2016, Legend of the Seas with its 15 itineraries in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific is expected to bring more than $24 million into the Queensland economy. The ship will return to Brisbane for an extended summer season in October 2016.

“We are thrilled to welcome Legend of the Seas to her brand new home.  We have been working towards basing a ship in Brisbane since opening our Australia office in 2009 – so it’s a great pleasure to finally deliver Queenslanders with an international style of cruising, right on their doorstep,” said Adam Armstrong, Regional Commercial Director, Royal Caribbean International.

“Queensland is one of the fastest growing markets in the country and has been a major source market for our Sydney-based ships over the last decade. Positioning Legend of the Seas to Brisbane offers greater convenience for Queenslanders, who now have an exciting new choice in cruise lines,” said Mr Armstrong.

With a US$50 million refit in 2013, Legend of the Seas will impress Queenslanders with its extraordinary facilities, like the Central Atrium where high flying acrobats put on an incredible aerial show, an outdoor rock climbing wall for active travellers to test their skill, a mini golf course, indoor adults-only swimming pool for more leisurely pursuits, a stunning two-deck grand dining room, pool-side big screen, the vitality spa and fitness centre, as well as a babies nursery for families.

Legend of the Seas is Royal Caribbean International’s unprecedented fourth ship sailing in Australia for the 2015/16 summer season; joining Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas sailing out of Sydney; contributing to capacity growth of almost 50 percent this summer.