Format: cruise news

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Royal Caribbean Lelepa OFFICIAL! 🇻🇺 What This Means for Aussie Cruising | LIVE

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Royal Caribbean Lelepa OFFICIAL! 🇻🇺 What This Means for Aussie Cruising | LIVE

Posted by | Mar 18, 2026 | |

Tonight on Deb & Matt Chat LIVE, we’re diving into one of the biggest cruise announcements for Australia and the South Pacific 🌴🚢

Royal Caribbean has officially revealed Royal Beach Club Lelepa in Vanuatu 🇻🇺 — their first exclusive destination in the South Pacific, launching from 2027.

So what does this actually mean for cruisers? 🤔

We break down:

🌴What’s included at Lelepa (beaches, food, adults-only areas & more)

🛝How it compares to Perfect Day at CocoCay

🤯Why this is a HUGE move for Australian cruising

👀The confirmed direction for Royal Caribbean in Australia

🤔Will this lead to more ships, bigger ships… or even year-round cruising?

💬 Plus — we want YOUR thoughts live in the chat!

👍 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & JOIN THE CHAT
📺 Deb & Matt Chat — Deep & Meaningful Cruise Conversations

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Cruise News LIVE: Carnival Encounter Issues, Royal Caribbean Changes & More

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Cruise News LIVE: Carnival Encounter Issues, Royal Caribbean Changes & More

Posted by | Mar 11, 2026 | |

Welcome back to Deb & Matt Chat LIVE for another week of cruise news, industry updates and live discussion with our cruise community.

Tonight we’re covering several major cruise industry stories including:

🚢 Carnival Encounter controversy
Passengers returning from the ship’s dry dock are reporting incomplete renovations, leaks in cabins and areas of the ship still resembling a construction site.

🥤 Royal Caribbean quietly removes a popular drink package perk
The Coca-Cola souvenir cup will no longer be automatically included with premium drink packages, meaning guests must now pay extra if they want Freestyle machine access.

🛳 Celebrity Solstice returns from dry dock
The ship has received new venues including Sunset Park, Trattoria Rossa and Fine Cut Steakhouse as part of a major modernization program.

💎 Regent Seven Seas sees strong demand for Australia
The ultra-luxury line says its upcoming Australian winter season is almost sold out and may expand operations down under.

🏆 CLIA Cruise Industry Awards announced
Australia and New Zealand’s top cruise travel agents were honoured at the industry’s biggest awards night in Sydney.

⚓ New incentives to attract cruise ships to NSW ports

🏰Disney Adventure Arrives in Singapore
5 years of Disney Magic awaits cruisers from Singapore on the newest and biggest ship in the Disney fleet, Disney Adventure. Recently christened by the ships godparent – Robert Downey Jr.

PLUS we’ll share our experiences, answer questions and discuss what these stories mean for cruisers in Australia.

Join the conversation LIVE!

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Dear Michael Bayley… We Have 3 Wishes for Royal Caribbean in 🇦🇺👀

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Dear Michael Bayley… We Have 3 Wishes for Royal Caribbean in 🇦🇺👀

Posted by | Feb 19, 2026 | |

We filmed this at dinner onboard  ⁨@RoyalCaribbeanAUNZ   Anthem of the Seas Cruise Ship— and it might be our cheekiest video yet 😅

Dear Michael Bayley…

We have THREE humble wishes:

🇦🇺 Year-round Royal Caribbean cruising in Australia
🌴 An announcement date for Lelepa
🥧 And… we need to talk about the goat cheese tart

During the Captain’s Corner onboard Anthem, Matt asked about year-round cruising in Australia — and the whole theatre CHEERED. 👏

So we thought… why not make it official?

If you agree with us:

👉 LIKE the video
👉 SHARE it with your cruise friends
👉 TAG Royal Caribbean & Michael Bayley in the comments

Let’s see if this makes it to Miami 👀

#RoyalCaribbean #AnthemOfTheSeas #CruisingAustralia #DebAndMattChat
@RoyalCaribbean
We address Michael Bailey with three requests, focusing on the possibility of year-round cruising in Australia. As dedicated Royal Caribbean cruise ambassadors, we believe the Australian cruise community deserves this exciting development. We offer cruise tips and travel tips for those eager to explore the world on a cruise ship.

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Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Cruise News LIVE: Royal Caribbean Leak, Disney Farewell & Norwegian Drama

Deb & Matt Chat on YT: Cruise News LIVE: Royal Caribbean Leak, Disney Farewell & Norwegian Drama

Posted by | Feb 18, 2026 | |

Tonight on Deb & Matt Chat Wednesday Live, we’re breaking down a huge week in cruise news — including a major Royal Caribbean deployment leak for Australia’s 2027–28 season.

Here’s what we’re covering:

🚢 A Royal Caribbean “oopsie” that revealed which ships are coming to Australia for 2027–28
🏰 Disney Cruise Line says farewell to Australia as Disney Wonder departs
🇦🇺 A new ultra-luxury winter season for Australia with Seven Seas Navigator from Regent Seven Seas Cruises
⚓ Federal inspectors board Carnival Encounter after allegations — Carnival says “no deficiencies found”
💰 Activist investor Elliott pushes for major changes at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
🛳 Norwegian orders multiple new ships through 2037, including 227,000-ton vessels
🚢 Carnival Encounter enters dry dock

This is one of the most significant weeks for Australian cruising in 2026 — and we’re unpacking what it all means for future deployments, ship sizes, luxury cruising and market direction.

Join us LIVE from Australia 🇦🇺

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💬 Jump into the chat

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