Celebrity Cruises Take Guests Down Under

[JoeyandDavid]

Celebrity Cruises to Take Guests to the Wonder Down Under

Exotic Product Offering Expands Significantly With Australia, New Zealand

MIAMI, May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sightings of koala bears, kangaroos and kiwi birds await vacationers sailing with Celebrity Cruises next year. At a special event in New York today, the line's President Dan Hanrahan announced that Celebrity will sail for the first time in Australia and New Zealand beginning in 2007.

"This marks a significant expansion of our product portfolio, and is particularly exciting because it's a market our guests and agency partners have told us they want to experience with Celebrity," said Hanrahan. "Based on that valuable feedback and our extensive research, we're looking forward to a very successful inaugural season there next year."

Celebrity's Mercury will present six 14-night open-jaw sailings between Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia from December 2007 through March 2008. Among Celebrity's destinations "down under" are Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Milford Sound, New Zealand, along with Melbourne, Newcastle, and Sydney, Australia, and Hobart, Tasmania.

The line's first calls on Papeete, Tahiti; and Moorea and Bora Bora, French Polynesia, will precede Mercury's six Australia/New Zealand sailings on a 16-night voyage departing Honolulu on November 23, 2007, concluding in Auckland.

"Imagine pairing such exotic destinations as these with the extraordinary service and experience we offer onboard every Celebrity ship," said Hanrahan. "It's an unbeatable combination."

Celebrity also has created a new series of Cruisetour packages in the region, complementing the cruise with options including a two-night stay in Sydney, an escorted three-night experience in Sydney and Cairns, or a five- night adventure featuring the best of Sydney, Ayers Rock and Cairns, including visits to the famed Great Barrier Reef.

A total of nearly 40 new ports of call have been added to Celebrity's deployment lineup for 2007, including those in Australia and New Zealand.

[Mebert]

JoeyandDavid,

That sounds like a very desirable cruise. Now to get to Auckland, New Zealand. This is going to be expensive all around.

[JoeyandDavid]

Hi Mebert, The Itinerary would be an open JAW; fare from LAX to AKL for embarkation then debarkation from SYD to lax will run approx $1250 usd on AA

My best guess guesstement on cabin price has it right around $2000 usd per person for verandah on the Mercury.. I have it right around $6500 usd per couple ( that includes transportation, meals, and board) before add ons (tips, excursions, additional nights, souvenirs)