Cruise around Australia

What is a cruise around Australia?

A cruise around Australia is exactly what it sounds like: a voyage that traces the Australian coastline, calling at ports along the way rather than sailing to an overseas destination. Most itineraries are one-way — the ship sails from one Australian city and arrives in another — which means the voyage itself connects two places you might otherwise only reach by flying. A handful of round-trip sailings return to their home port, giving you a complete loop without the need to organise a return leg. Durations run from 11 nights up to 40 nights, with a median voyage of around 22 nights: long enough to see a serious stretch of coastline, short enough for a proper holiday rather than an expedition. A small number of itineraries extend into Australia and New Zealand waters, and a few begin or end in Singapore or Bali.

Why Australians love cruising the coast

The most obvious reason is convenience. For anyone living close to a departure port, the whole trip starts the moment you board — no airport queues, no checked luggage allowances and no long-haul flights at either end. The main embarkation ports are Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle (Perth). If you are not local to the departure city, a short domestic hop gets you to the ship far more easily than any international connection would — and on a one-way itinerary, a domestic flight at the other end reconnects you home without any complicated logistics.

Australia is also a continent unto itself, which means the coastline covers genuinely different landscapes within a single voyage: tropical reef waters, remote western ports and the cooler southern reaches all feature on different itineraries. Voyages exploring Australia make up the overwhelming majority of what is on sale here, with a small selection of sailings crossing into New Zealand waters for those who want to extend their range.

Which cruise lines sail around Australia?

Princess Cruises is the most popular choice here, with the widest selection of Australian itineraries. Norwegian Cruise Line brings a freestyle cruising style with no fixed dining times and a broad range of cabin types. Oceania Cruises appeals to food-focused travellers who want gourmet dining included in the fare. Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers a fully inclusive luxury experience. And Cruise1st Packages bundle the cruise with flights, hotels and transfers for those who want everything arranged in one go.

For small-ship luxury, Seabourn Quest sails with just 450 guests, and the near 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio shows. Every suite has a private balcony, butler service and all fine wines and spirits included — and the Seabourn Square social hub at the centre of the ship replaces the usual cruise desk with an open, café-style lounge where guests genuinely gather. See Seabourn Quest cabins and deck plans for the full layout.

For something broader, cruise deals across all lines and all regions give you the full picture if you are still weighing up your options.

Ships sailing around Australia

Grand Princess — Princess Cruises

Grand Princess carries the largest share of Australian sailings here. The ship’s Crown Grill steakhouse has been named Best Cruise Steakhouse by USA Today, and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria completes the specialty dining lineup. What makes Princess stand out on longer voyages is MedallionClass® OceanNow® delivery: using the Princess app, you can order food, drinks or services and have them brought to wherever you happen to be on the ship. Movies Under the Stars® — the giant poolside screen with free popcorn and blankets — works particularly well on warm-weather sailings. See the full Grand Princess cabin and deck plans.

Cabin grades on Grand Princess:

• Inside cabin IA — 14.9 m², sleeps up to 4, located on middle decks for easy access to lifts and facilities with minimal ship motion
• Premium sea view O3 — 19.1 m², sleeps up to 4, floor-to-ceiling panoramic window with an unobstructed sea view
• Premium Balcony cabin B2 — 25.5 m², sleeps up to 4, floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors and an open-plan feel
• Grand Suite S1 with private hot tub — 67.8 m², sleeps up to 4, the largest suite on board by a considerable margin

Sapphire Princess — Princess Cruises

Sapphire Princess completed a full refit in 2025 and homeports in Fremantle for the 2027–28 seasons — making it the natural choice for Western Australian departures. Post-refit additions include Crown Grill steakhouse and Makoto Ocean Sushi by Chef Makoto Okuwa as new specialty venues. The wearable Medallion device replaces the app for OceanNow delivery, so ordering to your sun lounger or cabin requires no phone at all. See Sapphire Princess cabin and deck plans if you are deciding which grade suits you. The Princess 2027–2028 season launch has the full programme for both ships.

Norwegian Spirit — Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Spirit’s Spice H2O adults-only open-air beach club is NCL’s signature outdoor entertainment deck — think Ibiza-style atmosphere rather than a traditional lido. A 2020 refurbishment added Onda by Scarpetta modern Italian restaurant alongside the long-standing Cagney’s Steakhouse for premium specialty dining. The Stardust Theatre stages original productions nightly. Check the Norwegian Spirit cabin and deck plans before you choose your grade.

Cabin grades on Norwegian Spirit:

• Family Inside cabin I4 — 13.8 m², sleeps up to 4, with additional sleeping places for larger groups
• Deluxe Sea-view cabin O3 — 26.7 m², sleeps up to 3, the largest sea-view grade on board
• Balcony cabin BA — 15.9 m², sleeps up to 3, private balcony with sea views
• Owner’s Suite SB — 56.2 m², sleeps 2, separate bedroom, living and dining area, walk-in wardrobe and private aft balcony

Oceania Cruises — Marina and Riviera

Oceania’s two ships sailing here are both built around the same idea: food this good does not usually come included in the fare. Marina carries the only cooking school at sea — the Culinary Center has 24 professional cooking stations with courses led by experienced chefs. La Reserve by Wine Spectator pairs exceptional wines with tasting menus. The private Privée dining room, furnished by architect Dakota Jackson, seats up to 10 guests with 4 bespoke menu options. Riviera keeps the same culinary philosophy with 6 gourmet restaurants — Polo Grill, Toscana, Jacques and more — all included with no surcharges, and 800 crew serving just 1,250 guests. See cabin layouts for Marina and Riviera.

What do the fares include?

What is covered depends on the cruise line and the fare tier you choose. It is worth reading this section before you compare prices, because two sailings at similar prices can include very different things.

Princess Cruises fare tiers

Princess offers 2 main tiers on Australian sailings. Princess Standard is the base cruise fare and covers the voyage itself; drinks packages, Wi-Fi and dining add-ons are available separately. Princess Plus includes 4 casual dining meals per voyage, beverages up to A$15 each (up to 15 drinks per day), MedallionNet® Max Wi-Fi, pre-paid crew appreciation, unlimited digital photographs plus 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating — all built into the one price.

Norwegian Cruise Line fare tiers

NCL’s lowest tier covers the cruise with no packages attached. The Free at Sea tier adds a Premium Beverage Package, a Specialty Dining Package, a Wi-Fi package and shore excursion credits of US$50 per port for guests 1 and 2. Free at Sea Plus extends those inclusions to all guests on the booking and increases the specialty dining allowance based on voyage length.

Where do the sailings go — and where do they leave from?

The overwhelming majority of sailings here explore the Australian coastline, with a smaller number crossing into Australia and New Zealand territory. Sydney is the busiest embarkation port, followed by Fremantle (Perth), with further departures from Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and — for a handful of itineraries — Singapore and Bali.

Most itineraries are one-way: the ship departs one city and arrives in another, which means the two ends of the voyage are connected by a domestic flight rather than a return sea leg. That is not a complication — it is often what makes the itinerary interesting. If you are local to the departure port, you can board without any flight at all. If you are travelling from another state, a short domestic hop to the embarkation city is far simpler than any international connection. We can book that domestic or international flight, plus hotels either side and any transfers, as part of a single holiday package.

A small number of sailings depart from or arrive in Singapore or Bali. Those itineraries are the middle of a longer trip, and we can build the flights, pre- and post-cruise hotels and transfers around them so nothing is left for you to arrange separately.

Planning from Brisbane? The cruises around Australia from Brisbane page shows departures from that port specifically. For sailings by year, see cruises around Australia in 2026 and cruises around Australia in 2027.

Are there discounts available on Australian cruises?

Some sailings are reduced from their previously listed price. Discounts run up to 18% off that cabin grade’s earlier fare — though that maximum applies to just 1 departure, and most reduced sailings are closer to 2% off. If a sailing has been reduced, the saving is applied to the specific cabin grade and departure, not across the whole voyage. Our Best Price Guarantee means that if you find the same sailing cheaper elsewhere after booking, we will match it.

Top alternatives to consider

If you are still deciding on the right itinerary, a few related pages are worth exploring. Princess Cruises around Australia in 2027 and Princess Cruises around Australia in 2026 narrow the field to the most popular line here. For holiday-season departures, Australia Christmas cruise deals for 2026 and Easter cruises 2027 from Sydney cover the peak periods. If you want luxury at the smaller end of the scale, last-minute Seabourn cruises sometimes offer strong value on late availability. And if you are open to extending your travels, Christmas cruises to New Zealand are worth a look alongside the Australian options.

For the broadest view of what is sailing from Australia, Oz cruises covers all departures from Australian ports regardless of destination. Round-trip Sydney cruises and cheap cruises from Sydney are useful if Sydney is your home port and you want to return to where you started. Carnival cruises to Australia add another fleet to compare if you are still weighing up cruise lines. Or browse all cruise deals if you want to search across every destination and line at once.

Make it a full holiday

Cruise1st is a cruise specialist — every booking is a cruise or a cruise-inclusive package. Our team can add flights, hotels, tours, transfers and insurance around your sailing, whether you want a simple bundle or a fully custom itinerary. That is particularly useful on a one-way voyage, where you will need to get to one end and home from the other. We handle both legs, the nights either side if you want them, and put the whole thing on a single booking. Cruise1st Packages show some of our pre-built options if you want a starting point. Our Australian cruise experts are available seven days a week to talk through the options before you commit.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.

Where a discount is shown, it is a reduction from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing, not a comparison between cabin grades or against a brochure rate.