January cruises 2027up to -50%

January 2027 is one of the strongest months on the cruise calendar for Australians, with sailings spanning the Caribbean, South America, South East Asia, Australia, Polynesia and Central America. Trips run from short breaks of 4 nights to extended voyages of 150 nights, with a median length of around 11 nights — enough time to genuinely explore a region rather than just skim it.

Where do January 2027 cruises go?

The mix of destinations available in January 2027 is broad, but the demand is clear: the Caribbean leads, followed by South America and South East Asia. Below is a guide to what is sailing and who it suits, organised by how far you are travelling from Australia.

Close to home — the Pacific, Polynesia and Australia

For Australians who want to keep the journey manageable, January 2027 offers a strong selection in the region. South East Asia is the busiest of the nearby destinations this month, with sailings departing from ports including Singapore and Hong Kong. These are well-suited to cruisers who want a compact fly-cruise — a relatively short flight from most Australian cities, then a ship that does the island-hopping for you. If Singapore is the embarkation port, we can arrange flights and a hotel the night before as part of your package, so you arrive ready to board rather than rushing.

Australia itself has sailings in January, making it the only region where some passengers can reach the ship without flying at all. If you live in or near Sydney or Brisbane, you can drive or take the train to the terminal. From another state, a short domestic hop is typically all it takes — far simpler than a long-haul flight. Carnival Cruises in Australia and Princess Cruises around Australia in 2027 are particularly popular in this period. Crown Princess, for example, sails round Australia from multiple home ports including Sydney, and offers rare full-circumnavigation itineraries — see the Brisbane January 2027 page and the Sydney January 2027 page for port-specific sailings.

Polynesia and the South Pacific round out the nearby options, with itineraries that suit couples and families alike looking for relaxed island sailing. The Australia and New Zealand routes also appear in January, and are worth exploring if you want a more scenic, scenic voyage close to home.

The long haul — the Caribbean, South America and Central America

The biggest concentration of January 2027 sailings heads to the Caribbean, which is the most popular destination this month by a clear margin. The majority of Caribbean departures leave from Florida ports: Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) and Miami are both major hubs, and they are about half an hour apart — worth checking both for dates and prices, since one may have exactly the date or price you are after. San Juan, Puerto Rico is also an embarkation point for several Caribbean itineraries, useful if you prefer to fly into a Caribbean island before boarding. For all of these, we can book your international flights, pre-cruise hotel and transfers as a single holiday.

South America is the second-largest destination group this month, with sailings ending or beginning in Buenos Aires. Many of these are one-way voyages, so if the voyage finishes in Buenos Aires, a domestic or connecting flight brings you home — and we arrange that leg too. Transatlantic crossings also appear in the January mix, often ending in Southampton, and these suit travellers who want to turn the cruise into a wider Europe trip.

Central America and Los Angeles departures complete the long-haul picture, with round-the-world itineraries also available for those who want the full ocean experience. The itinerary calls at ports across multiple continents — speak to our team about which one fits your available time.

Which cruise lines sail in January 2027?

MSC Cruises has the largest presence in January 2027, followed closely by Royal Caribbean. Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises all have strong representation, as does Holland America Line, Viking Cruises and Explora Journeys. Carnival Cruise Lines also sails in January, particularly on Australian routes.

The range of lines means you can match the cruise experience to your style — from the large resort-style ships of MSC and Royal Caribbean to the more intimate feel of Explora Journeys. Our experts can walk you through the differences and help you find the line that suits you best.

What ships are sailing in January 2027?

Several well-known ships have itineraries in January 2027. Here is a closer look at some of the ships you can sail on this month.

Azura (P&O Cruises)

Azura underwent a bow-to-stern refresh in 2025, with new restaurants, bars, cabin décor and updated interiors throughout the ship. The result is a ship that feels noticeably newer than its launch year. Dining highlights include Sindhu for modern Indian cuisine and the Glass House wine bar, curated by TV personality Olly Smith — both well worth booking in advance. In the evenings, the 800-seat Playhouse theatre hosts West End-quality aerial acrobatics, while the SeaScreen open-air cinema on deck gives you films under the stars. For cabin grades on Azura, see the Azura cabins and deck plans.

• Larger Inside Cabin OB — 15 m², exclusively on Riviera Deck, making it easy to find your bearings and navigate to ship facilities
• Sea View Cabin LB — 15 m², with natural light and an unobstructed sea view, everything an inside cabin offers plus an outlook onto the water
• Superior Deluxe Balcony Cabin DA — 29 m², with a private balcony for sea air and open views that inside and sea-view cabins cannot offer
• Penthouse Suite A1 — 69 m², the largest suite on board, with a full separate lounge area and significantly more living space than standard suites

Crown Princess (Princess Cruises)

Crown Princess received a significant refit during its 2025 Singapore dry dock. The dining line-up, led by Crown Grill and Sabatini’s, was refreshed — both worth booking early as they fill quickly. On the entertainment side, the new O’Malley’s Irish Pub and a redesigned Gatsby’s Casino are among the highlights. Crucially for Australian cruisers, Crown Princess sails round Australia from Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide and Brisbane, with rare full-circumnavigation itineraries available. For cabin options, visit the Crown Princess cabins and deck plans.

• Inside cabin IA — 15.1 m², located on middle decks with central access to lifts and facilities
• Sea-view cabin OB — 16.6 m², panoramic window with an unobstructed sea view and natural daylight
• Premium Balcony cabin B1 — 25.2 m², private outdoor area with table and chairs for direct access to fresh air and open views
• Owner’s Suite S2 — 63.8 m², the most spacious suite on board, significantly larger than penthouse or premium suites, sleeping up to 4

The Princess Cruises 2027–2028 season gives a fuller picture of where Princess is sailing across the year.

MSC Bellissima and MSC Meraviglia (MSC Cruises)

MSC’s two flagship-style ships both have sailings in January 2027, and both share a signature feature: a 96-metre LED promenade that runs along the centre of the ship, lined with boutiques, restaurants and evening entertainment beneath a digital sky. On Bellissima, this is the Galleria Bellissima; on Meraviglia, it is the Galleria Meraviglia. Both create a real sense of place at the heart of the ship, regardless of the weather outside. Bellissima adds an Arizona Aquapark with Grand Canyon theming and three waterslides, while Meraviglia layers in a Polar Aquapark, a full-sized bowling alley and Formula 1 simulators across 19 decks and 172,000 GT. Both ships offer the MSC Yacht Club — a ship-within-a-ship concept with a private pool, 24-hour butler service and an exclusive restaurant, for those who want a quieter, more personalised experience within the larger ship environment. Cabin options are listed on the MSC Bellissima cabins and deck plans and the MSC Meraviglia cabins and deck plans.

MSC Opera (MSC Cruises)

MSC Opera is a Lirica-class ship, which means it is compact enough to enter harbours that larger vessels cannot reach — a real practical advantage on certain itineraries. On board, the Teatro dell’Opera and the Byblos Discotheque anchor the evening programme, with the Cotton Club Jazz Bar for those who prefer late-night swing and blues. Families are particularly well served: five age-specific kids clubs, built in partnership with LEGO, Chicco and Namco, make it one of the most complete family programmes afloat. For cabin grades and deck layout, see the MSC Opera cabins and deck plans.

What do January 2027 cruise fares include?

What your fare covers depends on the cruise line and the fare tier you choose. Here is a breakdown of what the main lines offer on their January 2027 sailings.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean offers several fare types on January 2027 sailings. The standard Cruise Fare covers your accommodation and the sailing, with fare types such as last-minute offers providing discounted pricing on selected departures, and early booking options offering onboard credit per booking. A Solo Fare is available for guests travelling alone in a single-occupancy stateroom. Taxes, fees and port expenses are additional across all fare types.

Princess Cruises

Princess offers a Standard fare and a Princess Plus fare on January 2027 departures. The Princess Standard fare covers the cruise itself, with packages available to add on. The Princess Plus fare bundles in genuine daily value: 4 casual dining meals per voyage, beverages up to A$15 each (with a daily limit of 15 drinks), MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi, pre-paid crew appreciation, unlimited digital photographs with 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating. For many cruisers, Princess Plus effectively removes the day-to-day spending decisions on board — drinks, Wi-Fi and dining credits are all accounted for before you sail. Drop N Go fares — late-availability options — also appear under the Princess Plus umbrella when sailings are close to departure.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line gives you a choice between sailing light or sailing fully loaded. The Brochure fare is the lowest option — just the cruise, nothing added. The Free at Sea fare bundles in a speciality dining package, a Wi-Fi package, a premium beverage package and shore excursion credits per port. The Free at Sea Plus tier extends this further, with the dining package applying to all guests on the reservation and the number of included restaurant meals scaling with the length of the cruise. If you enjoy eating at speciality restaurants and having a drink without watching the bill, Free at Sea is worth comparing carefully against the base fare before you book.

Are there discounts on January 2027 cruises?

A good share of January 2027 sailings are available at a reduced price compared with what was previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing. Reductions of around 13% are typical across the discounted sailings, though the range is wide — a small number of departures carry reductions up to 49%, measured from the price previously listed for that cabin grade. It is worth checking individual sailings rather than assuming a headline figure applies across the board. Our team can tell you quickly which departures are currently sitting at the deeper reductions.

What are the departure ports for January 2027 cruises?

The majority of January 2027 sailings depart from ports in the United States. Florida is the dominant hub, with Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) between them accounting for the largest share of embarkations. The two ports are about half an hour apart — worth checking both, since the right date or price sometimes sits at one when the other is full. Further north in Florida, Port Canaveral and Tampa also have departures. On the US west coast, Los Angeles and San Diego serve west-coast and Central America itineraries.

Beyond the US, Singapore is the main gateway for South East Asia sailings, and Buenos Aires is the hub for South America departures. Australian home ports — principally Sydney and Brisbane — serve the domestic and Pacific itineraries. Southampton appears for repositioning and world voyage departures.

How do I get to my January cruise if I’m in Australia?

Most January 2027 sailings depart from ports overseas, which means most Australian cruisers will need an international flight to reach their ship. This is not the obstacle it might sound like — for a two-week Caribbean or South American cruise, the flight is simply the first leg of your holiday, and we can book it, your pre-cruise hotel, transfers and even tours as a single Cruise1st Package. Nothing gets left to chance, and you have one point of contact for the whole trip.

For sailings departing from Australian ports — particularly those leaving from Sydney or Brisbane — the picture is different. If you live locally, you can reach the terminal by car, train or taxi. If you are travelling from interstate, a short domestic flight is typically all you need, which is still far simpler than flying internationally. For one-way itineraries that end at a different Australian port from where they begin, a domestic flight home connects the two ends — and again, we can arrange that leg so the whole trip is joined up.

Whatever your situation, our Australian cruise experts, available seven days a week, can map out the most practical routing for your specific ports and help you avoid the common pitfalls — including tight connection times, visa requirements and pre-cruise hotel choices near busy terminals.

Which ships from Explora Journeys are sailing in January 2027?

Explora Journeys has sailings in January 2027 on EXPLORA II. The ship’s standout accommodation is the Owner’s Residence — at 183 m² of interior space and a further 132 m² of private terrace, it runs across the full width of the stern and is the largest living space on the ship, with no other residence on board comparable in scale. Cabin grades and deck layout are detailed on the EXPLORA II cabins and deck plans page. Explora III is also associated with Explora Journeys sailings in this period — deck plans for that ship are on the Explora III cabins and deck plans page.

Other ships sailing in January 2027

Beyond the ships covered in detail above, Queen Victoria, MSC Sinfonia all have itineraries in January 2027. MSC Sinfonia deck plans are on the MSC Sinfonia cabins and deck plans page; Queen Victoria cabin options are listed on the Queen Victoria cabins and deck plans page.

Why book January 2027 cruises with Cruise1st?

Cruise1st is a cruise specialist — every booking on this site is a cruise or a cruise-inclusive package, which means our team genuinely knows these ships, these itineraries and the fare tiers in detail. That expertise makes a real difference when you are choosing between, say, a Princess Standard fare and a Princess Plus fare, or weighing up whether a balcony cabin is worth the step up from a sea-view cabin on a 14-night voyage.

Our Best Price Guarantee means you are not sacrificing price for service. Our Australian cruise experts, seven days a week means there is always someone to call — before you book, after you book, and if anything changes. And our Cruise1st Packages mean flights, hotels, transfers and insurance can all go on one booking, rather than sitting across four different websites with four different cancellation policies.

Explore our full range of cruise holidays, or browse cruise deals for the latest reductions across all destinations and lines.

Explore more January cruise options

January 2027 is a strong month, but it is worth knowing what sits either side of it and which other pages go deeper on ports and lines that interest you.

• Cruises from Brisbane in January 2027 — port-specific sailings for Brisbane departures this month
• Cruises from Sydney in January 2027 — Sydney departures and itineraries for this month
• Cruises from Brisbane in January 2028 — if January suits you but 2028 gives you more planning time
• December cruises — the month directly before January, with its own strong summer selection
• Cruises from Sydney in December 2026 — Sydney departures in December 2026 for those considering the run-up to January
• Cruises from Brisbane in December 2026 — Brisbane departures in December 2026
• Summer cruises — the broader season this month falls in, with sailings across all summer destinations
• Cruises from Brisbane across 2027 — if you want to see the full year’s Brisbane programme before committing to January
• Australian cruises — the full range of cruises available to Australian travellers
• Princess Cruises 2027–2028 season launch — Princess’s full forward programme, useful if Crown Princess caught your eye
• Easter 2027 cruises from Sydney — if January doesn’t suit, Easter is another peak period for Sydney departures
• Christmas cruise deals in Australia 2026 — if you want to see what the lead-in holiday period offers
• Christmas and New Year cruises — the festive sailing period that precedes January
• Christmas cruise deals in Australia 2027 — planning further ahead for next festive season
• New Year cruises 2028 — the next new year sailing window, worth bookmarking if 2027 is already settled
• Royal Caribbean Christmas cruises 2026 in Australia — a line-specific view of the festive season sailing

*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. Discounts and prices shown are not kept up to date: the reduction available now may be smaller, or may have ended, and prices may have changed.