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From the Caribbean to Newcastle – luxury cruise ship sets new record
Celebrity Millennium will slip into port with just six metres to spare
January 5, 2009: When Celebrity Cruises’ five star luxury liner Millennium arrives in
Newcastle tomorrow, it will be the biggest ever passenger cruise ship to dock here and it will
bring with it over 2,000 tourists keen to visit Newcastle and the Hunter region.
At 294 metres in length, the Miami-based Celebrity Millennium will slip into Newcastle Port
under the watchful eye of Captain Michael Karatzas when it arrives in Newcastle on January
6 on its way across the Tasman to New Zealand for a 14 night cruise.
Gavin Smith, managing director Royal Caribbean Cruises Australia said, “Newcastle is an
excellent port facility, and can accommodate ships up to 300 metres in length - so this
beautiful ship will make it with just six metres to spare. It will be quite a sight for passengers
and onlookers alike.”
The previous record for the biggest ship to enter Newcastle was held by Celebrity
Millennium’s sister ship, Celebrity Mercury in January 2008.
According to Smith, Newcastle is the gateway to the Hunter Valley, and a great place for
international visitors. “There’s an incredible diversity of tourism experiences within one
hour’s drive of Newcastle, and guests on Celebrity Millennium will be able to experience food
and wine tasting in the Hunter region, visit sand dunes in Stockton and go dolphin watching
along the coast.
“A great proportion of our guests are from the United States and Europe, bringing with
them valuable tourism dollars,” he says. “There are cruises, and then there is Celebrity.
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Celebrity Millennium is a five star luxury ship that provides its guests with an incredible level
of service and a cruise experience that exceeds their expectations.”
Celebrity Millennium holds over 2,000 guests in four classes of stateroom accommodation,
including the luxurious penthouse suite, which comes complete with a European butler
service!
The 91,000 ton ship also features four indoor and outdoor pools, a gym and day spa, eight
bars and cocktail lounges, a world-class restaurant, cinema, shopping boutiques and a casino.
Celebrity Millennium is also family-friendly, with the tailored activities program ‘Celebrity X-
Club’ offering a four tier program of endless fun at sea for children and young adults aged
three to 17 years-old.
Celebrity Cruises is a Royal Caribbean International global cruise brand with nine ships
currently in service and two under construction. The line also offers unique land-tour
vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and New Zealand
through its cruise tour division. For additional information, visit www.celebritycruises.com.
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About Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean
International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. The
company has a combined total of 38 ships in service and six under construction. It also offers
unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South
America.
Media enquiries:
Georgina Policarpou on behalf of Celebrity Cruises
Telephone: 02 9281 2230
Email: georgina@darcypr.com
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