Celebrity Millennium Breaks Record as Biggest Liner Ever to Dock in Newcastle

Celebrity Cruises’ five star luxury liner Millennium made history today as the biggest passenger cruise ship to ever dock in Newcastle Port.

At 294 metres in length, the Miami-based Celebrity Millennium will bring with it over 2,000 tourists keen to explore Newcastle and the Hunter region.

Millennium slipped into Newcastle Port on January 6 under the watchful eye of Captain Michael Karatzas 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 an incredible place for international visitors and a major gateway to the Hunter Valley. 

“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.  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 features four classes of stateroom accommodation, including the luxurious penthouse suite, which comes complete with a European butler service.

The 91,000 tonne liner 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.

The family-friendly ship also boasts a range of tailored activities for children and young adults aged 3 to 17 years with ‘Celebrity X-Club’, a four tier program which offers endless fun at sea.

Celebrity Cruises is a Royal Caribbean International global cruise brand with nine ships currently in service and two under construction.