May cruises 2027up to -49%

Where do May cruises go?

May sits at a sweet spot for ocean cruising. The Mediterranean is warming up, Alaska’s glacier season is opening, and the British Isles and Norway are heading into long, bright days. The mix of destinations on sale for May 2027 reflects exactly that — sailings spread across the Mediterranean, the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States, Europe and beyond, with durations running from short breaks of 4 nights up to voyages of 43 nights, and a median trip length of 10 nights.

Alaska and West Canada

Alaska is one of the great draws of May cruising, and it is well represented here. Ships sail the Pacific coast from Vancouver and Seattle, threading through dramatic coastal scenery past fjords, glaciers and wildlife. For most Australian travellers, this is a long-haul trip — a flight to Vancouver or Seattle, then straight aboard. Cruise1st can book that flight, any hotel nights either side and your transfers, so it arrives in your inbox as a single, sorted holiday rather than a series of separate bookings to juggle.

Many Alaska itineraries run one-way between Vancouver and Seattle, so there’s no doubling back. The voyage ends at the other port and a short domestic flight in Canada or the United States connects you home. Our Vancouver to Alaska page goes deeper on the routing options if you’re weighing up which end to join from.

The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Sea and the Western Mediterranean together account for the largest share of May sailings — and it’s easy to see why. May brings settled weather to the region before the peak-summer crowds arrive, and ships operate from several major European ports. Civitavecchia (the port for Rome), Barcelona and Amsterdam all appear as embarkation points in this departure window.

Round-trip Mediterranean sailings let you return to the same port you boarded, while one-way itineraries — for example, ending in Civitavecchia after beginning in Barcelona — give you a point-to-point voyage. On a one-way, you fly into one city and out of another; Cruise1st can wrap both flights and any pre- or post-cruise hotel into a single booking. For those thinking about the all-inclusive Mediterranean options specifically, that page outlines what those fares cover.

British Isles, Norway and beyond

May is one of the most appealing months to sail around the British Isles. Days are long, ports are lively, and the sailing calendar is full. Ships depart from Southampton, which is the main embarkation hub for these itineraries. For travellers joining from Australia, Southampton is a flight into London followed by a straightforward transfer — we can sort both.

Norway sailings in May catch the fjords before the midsummer high season. Itineraries of around 10 nights are common, giving enough time to take in the scenery without feeling rushed. Transatlantic crossings and sailings around Portugal and England round out the European options — useful if you want to arrive in Europe by ship and explore by land afterwards.

May also sees sailings to Japan in this window. These tend to be longer itineraries and suit travellers who want to combine a cruise with time exploring ashore — a combination our team can build into the booking with hotels and tours on either end.

Which cruise lines sail in May 2027?

Viking River Cruises leads the field by volume in May 2027, with a strong programme of European river sailings alongside ocean itineraries. Carnival Cruise Lines and MSC Cruises both offer a wide range of departures, making them popular choices for families and first-timers as well as experienced cruisers. Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises are active across multiple regions, and AmaWaterways brings its river programme to the mix.

Also sailing this month: Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, and Avalon Waterways. Between them, the lines cover ocean and river itineraries across Europe, the Americas and the Pacific.

It is worth noting that around 6 of the sailings in this window are river cruises — the rest are ocean voyages. If you are specifically looking for river cruising, our team can identify which lines and routes suit your plans.

Ships sailing in May 2027

Sun Princess — Princess Cruises

New in 2024, Sun Princess is the Sphere class flagship and the largest ship Princess has ever built at 177,882 GT. The Dome is the defining feature: a multi-level glass-enclosed deck that operates as a daytime pool space and transforms into a lively evening venue after dark. The Princess Arena delivers large-scale theatrical productions in a technologically advanced performance space. See the Sun Princess cabins and deck plans to compare grades before you book.

The Princess 2027–2028 season has a full rundown of where Sun Princess sails if you want to plan further ahead.

Queen Elizabeth — Cunard

Queen Elizabeth brings Art Deco interiors throughout — think chandeliers, a grand lobby and opulent fittings that deliberately evoke the golden age of ocean travel. One of the things that sets her apart is the dining arrangement: three separate restaurants serve different cabin grades — Britannia for the majority of guests, and the Princess Grill and Queens Grill for suite passengers — each with Cunard’s dedicated White Star Service. Evening entertainment includes nightly ballroom dancing in the Queens Room, performances at the Royal Court Theatre, and deck croquet — details that feel genuinely different from most modern ships.

Cabin grades on Queen Elizabeth run from inside rooms to the ship’s grandest suites:

• Britannia Inside cabin Deluxe (GB) — 19.2 m², around 5 m² larger than a standard inside cabin, sleeping 2. A practical base for guests who plan to spend their days ashore or in the ship’s public spaces.
• Britannia Ocean-view cabin (EB) — 18.3 m², sleeping 2. A cabin window brings natural daylight and sea views that inside cabins don’t offer.
• Britannia Club Balcony cabin (A1) — 24.0 m², sleeping 2. Your own private balcony with fresh air and sea views, exclusive to Britannia Club guests in this category.
• Queens Grill Grand Suite (Q1) — 127.7 m², sleeping 2, with a private balcony of approximately 90 m². Significantly more outdoor space than all other Queens Grill suites, and access to the Queens Grill restaurant with White Star Service throughout.

Browse the full Queen Elizabeth cabins and deck plans for a complete picture of grades and layouts.

Seabourn Ovation — Seabourn

Seabourn Ovation is built around what Seabourn calls exclusive, classical luxury — a ship where elegant dining is included in the fare rather than offered as an add-on. The all-suite configuration means every guest boards with a private space; the Grand Wintergarden Suite (GR) runs to approximately 115–120 m², nearly twice the size of an Owner’s Suite, with a separate bedroom, a generous living area, a full kitchen with bar, and a private hot tub, sleeping up to 4. See the Seabourn Ovation cabins and deck plans if you want to compare the suite options.

MSC Sinfonia — MSC Cruises

MSC Sinfonia is a Lirica-class ship with 94 balcony cabins, a top-deck water park with slides, and an enlarged spa. The ship’s compact size, relative to the largest vessels in the MSC fleet, allows it to call at smaller harbours that bigger ships cannot reach — worth considering if the itinerary matters as much as the ship. The Teatro San Carlo hosts Broadway-style productions on board, while LEGO and Chicco children’s zones make Sinfonia a practical choice for families travelling with younger children.

Cabin grades on MSC Sinfonia:

• Inside cabin Aurea — 15.0 m², sleeping up to 4. Around 2 m² larger than the standard inside cabins, with a little more room to move in the premium Aurea class.
• Premium Ocean View Fantastica — 22.0 m², sleeping up to 4. Around 9 m² larger than the Junior Ocean-view option, with more living space for greater comfort.
• Suite Fantastica — 26.0 m², sleeping 2, with a private balcony giving direct access to fresh sea air without needing to use the public decks.
• Family Balcony cabin Fantastica (FLA) — 20.0 m², sleeping up to 4, with an extra bed. Designed for families or small groups who want balcony access without stepping up to a large suite.

The full MSC Sinfonia cabins and deck plans page has all grade codes and layouts.

Also sailing in May

Nieuw Statendam (Holland America Line) is a Pinnacle-class ship designed by Adam D. Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten, notable for a dramatic two-storey Wine Tower in the main dining room and the Tamarind pan-Asian restaurant, which has a seven-seat integrated sushi bar. Three dedicated live music venues — Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Billboard Onboard — form the ship’s Music Walk. See the Nieuw Statendam cabins and deck plans for grade details.

Also in the May sailing programme: Rotterdam (Holland America Line), Enchanted Princess (Princess Cruises), MSC Splendida (MSC Cruises), Azura (P&O Cruises) and EXPLORA IV (Explora Journeys). Deck plan pages are available for Rotterdam, Enchanted Princess, MSC Splendida, Azura and EXPLORA IV.

What do May cruise fares include?

Fare inclusions vary by cruise line and by the tier you book. Here is what the main lines offer across their fare structures:

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean offers a range of fare types including a base Cruise Fare, a Solo Fare for guests travelling alone, and Last-Minute fares on select sailings with discounted pricing. Promotional fare types such as early booking bonuses and guest-number offers appear from time to time — our team can confirm what is current when you call.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises offers a Standard base fare covering the cruise itself, with drinks, Wi-Fi and dining packages available to add. The Princess Plus package bundles 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 plus 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating — a meaningful step up from the base fare for guests who plan to eat and drink regularly on board. The Princess 2027–2028 season launch page has more on what is available for this departure window.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line has a Brochure fare (cruise only, no packages) and a Free at Sea tier that adds a Premium Beverage Package, a Speciality Dining Package, a Wi-Fi Package and shore excursion credits of US$50 per port for guests 1 and 2. A Free at Sea Plus tier extends the same inclusions to all guests on the reservation. Worth comparing carefully — the all-in tiers can represent strong value on longer sailings.

Round-trip or one-way — what’s the mix?

Within the sample of sailings examined, the split between round-trip and one-way itineraries is close to even. That matters for how you plan the trip: on a round-trip, you return to your embarkation port and a single flight in and out covers it. On a one-way, the voyage ends in a different city — so you need to plan both legs independently, or let Cruise1st do it. We can book the inbound flight to the starting port and the outbound from the finishing port, along with any hotels either side, all in one booking.

How much do May 2027 cruises cost?

Prices for May 2027 sailings start at A$341 pp* for shorter departures on the most affordable cabin grades. The median trip in this window runs around 10 nights, and longer voyages — 20 nights and above — naturally carry higher fares. All prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a cabin. Cruise1st’s Best Price Guarantee means if you find the same sailing cheaper elsewhere, we’ll match it. Our Cruise1st Packages combine the cruise with flights, hotels and transfers into a single price, which is often more straightforward than booking each element separately.

A large share of the May 2027 sailings on sale carry reduced fares, so it is worth searching early to see what is available on your preferred itinerary. Our Australian cruise experts are on the phone seven days a week and can talk through the options with you before you commit.

Make it a full holiday

For most travellers booking from Australia, the cruise sits in the middle of a longer trip. The ship departs from Europe, Canada or the United States — which means at least one long-haul flight each way, and usually a night in a hotel before or after. Cruise1st can bundle all of that: flights, pre-cruise hotel, post-cruise hotel, transfers between airports, ports and hotels, and travel insurance, all arranged as part of the one booking. You pay once, receive one itinerary, and have one team to call if something needs to change.

If your cruise ends in a different port from where it begins — which is common in May, particularly on Mediterranean and Alaska one-ways — we book the connecting domestic or international flight out of the finishing port as part of the same package. You won’t need to sort the return leg yourself.

Our Cruise1st Packages page explains exactly how the bundling works and what can be included.

Thinking about the months either side?

If your dates are flexible, April 2027 cruises offer a similar range of itineraries with some different availability, and the June cruises page picks up where May leaves off — particularly for Alaska, Norway and the Mediterranean. For passengers sailing from Sydney specifically, the cruises from Sydney in May 2027 page has a more focused set of options. The autumn cruises page is also worth bookmarking for longer-term planning.

Earlier May seasons — including the cruises from Sydney in May 2026 and April 2026 pages — are useful for understanding which itineraries and ships operate in this window year on year, even if the dates have passed.

For travellers with a specific cruise line in mind, the Princess Cruises around Australia 2027 and Princess Cruises from Brisbane 2027 pages cover that line’s local programme, while the Royal Beach Club Lelepa sailings page covers a new Royal Caribbean destination for travellers considering the Pacific. If you’re based in Brisbane, the April 2027 cruises from Brisbane page is also worth a look alongside this one.

You can also browse the full cruise search, explore our cruise deals, or go straight to the Australian cruise homepage to start from the top.

*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.