Royal Caribbean bets big on Brisbane as Lelepa opening approaches

• Royal Caribbean will expand its Australian fleet to three ships for the 2027-28 summer.
• Favourite Ovation of the Seas will be in Brisbane.
• The move is a major vote of confidence in a local cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean will expand its Australian fleet to three ships for the 2027-28 summer, putting two vessels in Brisbane for the first time and bringing Australian favourite Ovation of the Seas back Down Under after a major refurbishment.

The move will see the newly refitted Ovation join Voyager of the Seas in Brisbane, while Anthem of the Seas returns to Sydney, creating what Royal Caribbean is billing as its biggest Brisbane season yet and significantly expanding the line’s ability to carry Australians into the South Pacific.

But while the opening of Lelepa, the first Royal beach resort in the region, was to be the high spot of the next season, Royal Caribbean is now centering its campaigns around Ovation.

Few details about Lelepa’s opening have been heard since the release of digitised artwork.

And the media release about Ovation of the Seas came with a noticeably large caveat: “These statements relate to, among other things, the company’s expectations regarding the development of the Royal Beach Club Lelepa and other land-based destinations and specific offerings at such destinations. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially.”

Royal Beach Club Lelepa in Vanuatu, Royal Caribbean’s first Royal Beach Club in the South Pacific, has been years in the offing, and at one stage the company’s president said every ship sailing from Australia would include a visit to Lelepa.

That said, three ships is a big boost for an Australian cruise industry that has spent several years warning about shrinking local capacity, rising operating costs and ships being redeployed elsewhere; the announcement is one of the most encouraging deployment decisions in years.

Cruise Passenger has previously reported that capacity across the major cruise lines was heading for a fall of about 35 per cent between the 2023-24 and 2026-27 seasons.

Against that backdrop, Royal Caribbean’s decision to add a third ship is much more than another set of new itineraries. It means more beds, more departures and a clear commitment to growing rather than defending its position in Australia.

It is also a significant win for Royal Caribbean’s local and regional leadership, which has secured fresh investment in the market from the company’s Miami headquarters at a time when the world’s major cruise regions are competing fiercely for ships.

The scale-up is clear when set against Royal Caribbean’s 2026-27 Australian program, built around two ships: Anthem in Sydney and Quantum of the Seas in Brisbane. In 2027-28, the company will not only add a third Australian vessel but concentrate two ships in Queensland.

Ovation of the Seas returns with a new look

Ovation’s return is particularly welcome. One of the best-known Royal Caribbean ships among Australian cruisers – I’ve personally sailed her three times – the Quantum-class vessel spent several weeks in drydock in Singapore this year undergoing what the company calls a Royal Amplification, bringing features developed for newer Royal Caribbean ships to Ovation.

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen replaced Jamie’s Italian, while Izumi Teppanyaki took over the former Wonderland space. The tropical Pesky Parrot bar replaced the Bionic Bar and a full Starbucks replaced La Patisserie on the Royal Esplanade.

Royal Caribbean also expanded Casino Royale, created the new late-night Sound Cellar, relocated the Suite Lounge, added new cabins and an Ultimate Family Suite, and expanded the Splashaway Bay children’s aqua park. The official Australian program also highlights private pool-deck Casitas among the changes.

These upgrades should make Ovation a big drawcard for Queensland.

Ovation will offer a mix of three- to eight-night family cruises from Brisbane, giving Queensland passengers a choice of shorter escapes and longer holidays through the region.

The ship will arrive in Australia following a 16-night transpacific voyage from Honolulu to Brisbane, travelling through French Polynesia on its way to Queensland. Once based in Brisbane, Ovation’s program will also include two four-night Whitsundays cruises to Airlie Beach, providing a shorter coastal option for passengers wanting a Queensland getaway.

The pairing of Ovation and Voyager in Brisbane also gives Royal Caribbean an opportunity to grow the domestic fly-cruise market. Travellers from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and regional Australia will have a broader choice of departures from Brisbane, ranging from quick escapes to full South Pacific holidays.

“This season is a major milestone for our region with three bold ships. We’re thrilled to welcome more Royal Caribbean adventures Down Under, led by Aussie favourite Ovation of the Seas returning newly amplified and sailing from Queensland with even more ways to dine, unwind and make memories,” said Gavin Smith, vice president and managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Royal Caribbean.

What’s happening at Lelepa

Royal Beach Club Lelepa is expected to be the new star of the 2027-28 proposition, with Royal Caribbean saying every South Pacific holiday from Sydney and Brisbane beginning in October 2027 will include the destination.

The Vanuatu club is expected to offer two beaches, including an adults-only retreat and an activity-focused family beach, along with nature trails and snorkelling. There will be 10 bars and island dining, while umbrellas, loungers and towels will be included.

For Royal Caribbean, adding Australian capacity in the same season that Lelepa was due to open gave the company more opportunity to monetise its investment while differentiating its South Pacific itineraries from rival cruise lines.

It has been a long haul for the line to get agreement, with chiefs and government ministers needing to be reassured. Their concerns centred on turtle-nesting areas and fishing grounds, waste water, marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and the scale of daily visitation.

Royal Caribbean told Cruise Passenger: “Royal Caribbean has submitted the EIA for Royal Beach Club Lelepa and has ensured it complies with Vanuatu environmental regulations and Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC) standards under the Environment Protection and Conservation (EPC) Act and EIA Regulations. 

“The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Royal Beach Club Lelepa has been approved.”

Voyager of the Seas

Voyager of the Seas will have one of the most varied deployments of Royal Caribbean’s 2027-28 program, sailing from Brisbane and Sydney before continuing into Asia.

Its season begins with a 25-night voyage from Seattle to Brisbane, travelling via Honolulu and the French Polynesian destinations of Moorea, Papeete and Raiatea. Voyager will then make Queensland its home from October to December 2027, operating cruises of two to 11 nights from Brisbane.

Its South Pacific itineraries from Brisbane will call at Noumea, Lifou, Mystery Island, Port Vila and Luganville. Royal Caribbean says Voyager will then broaden its Australian deployment with five new cruises from Sydney.

Among the Sydney highlights is a 10-night Christmas cruise to New Zealand, visiting Picton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, as well as Milford Sound. Voyager will also offer a short three-night Sydney escape.

The ship will eventually leave Australia on a new 15-night Sydney-to-Singapore repositioning cruise, visiting Airlie Beach, Darwin, Lombok and Celukan Bawang along the way. From January to April, Voyager will move into Asia, sailing from Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Anthem of the Seas

Anthem of the Seas will return to Sydney for the 2027-28 Australian summer, offering cruises ranging from three to 17 nights from October 2027.

The Sydney-based program will include quick three-night escapes, longer South Pacific voyages and an extensive selection of New Zealand cruises. Royal Caribbean says its New Zealand itineraries will range from nine to 12 nights, visiting destinations including Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Milford Sound.

Holiday sailings will be a key part of Anthem’s season. The ship will operate a nine-night South Pacific Christmas cruise, as well as a New Zealand New Year voyage that will welcome 2028 surrounded by the scenery of the Sounds.

Anthem will also reach Australia via one of the longest voyages in Royal Caribbean’s local program: a 17-night cruise from Honolulu. The line positions the transpacific journey as an alternative to flying directly to Australia, allowing passengers to cross the Pacific by sea before arriving in Sydney.

Navigator of the Seas – Singapore and Asia

Royal Caribbean will also strengthen its wider Asia-Pacific deployment in 2027 with Navigator of the Seas, which will operate year-round from Singapore.

The cruise line is extending Navigator’s Singapore season through October 2027, marking both the ship’s Singapore debut and its first year-round deployment in the region. Its schedule will feature a range of short cruises designed for travellers wanting to combine a Singapore visit with destinations elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Navigator will offer two- to five-night cruises visiting Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. The revised duration is notable because Royal Caribbean’s earlier release had described these as three- to five-night cruises; the August 13 release now specifies two to five nights.

The program will also include a longer 12-night voyage from Tokyo to Singapore, giving travellers an extended Asia-Pacific itinerary before the ship settles into its Singapore-based schedule. Royal Caribbean specifically describes the cruise as an option for Australian passengers interested in exploring Asia.

Bookings for Navigator’s extended Singapore season will open on August 19, while Voyager of the Seas’ Asia-Pacific cruises go on sale from August 26.

For bookings and more, go here.