Summer cruises departing from Australia

Australian summer — December through to February — is one of the most popular times to cruise, and the choice reflects it. South East Asia leads the mix, with Australia itself, South America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific all well represented. Sailings range from short getaways of 4 nights to grand voyages of over 100 nights, with a median length of around 11 nights. A good number are one-way voyages rather than round trips, so it pays to check the end port before you book — and if the ship finishes somewhere other than home, we can sort the flight back as part of the same booking.

Where do summer cruises go?

The destinations below cover the full spread of what is on sale for the Australian summer season. We have grouped them loosely by how far you travel to get there, because that shapes the kind of holiday it becomes.

Close to home — Southeast Asia, the Pacific and around Australia

Australia itself is a genuine cruise destination: a circumnavigation of Australia that calls at ports around the whole continent is a rare thing, and Crown Princess offers exactly that, sailing round Australia from Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide and Brisbane. If you want to start and finish in the same city, cruises departing and returning to Sydney are a popular option — no flight needed if you live nearby, or a short domestic hop if you are coming from interstate.

The South Pacific — Vanuatu, New Caledonia and beyond — sits just a few days’ sailing from Australia’s east coast and makes for a relaxed, sun-filled itinerary. Australia and New Zealand combined itineraries are also on sale, pairing coastal Australian ports with New Zealand‘s harbours. For something more remote, Polynesia sailings reach further into the Pacific.

Southeast Asia is the single biggest region in the summer mix. Itineraries frequently sail from or finish in Singapore or Hong Kong, threading through ports across the region. If you are flying from Australia to join the ship, we book the flights and any pre-cruise hotel nights so it is all handled before you travel.

Long-haul summer — the Americas, the Caribbean and beyond

South America draws a strong showing in the summer mix — the southern hemisphere summer aligns neatly with voyages along the South American coast, and Rio de Janeiro features as both an embarkation and a destination port. Many of these are one-way voyages ending in South America, so a flight home is something we can build into the booking from the start.

The Caribbean is well represented for travellers who do not mind a flight to reach the ship. Most Caribbean sailings depart from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) or nearby Miami — the two ports are about half an hour apart, so it is worth checking both when you search. Los Angeles is another embarkation option for transpacific itineraries crossing between the US and Asia.

Which cruise lines sail in the Australian summer?

MSC Cruises leads by volume this season, followed closely by Royal Caribbean. Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America Line all have solid summer schedules, and Explora Journeys and Celebrity Cruises round out the choice for travellers looking for something different. The Princess Cruises 2027–2028 season is now on sale, covering Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific — worth looking at early if you want the best cabin choice.

Ships worth knowing about this summer

Azura — P&O Cruises

Azura went through a full bow-to-stern refresh in 2025, with new restaurants, bars, cabin décor and corridor carpets throughout. The result is a ship that feels noticeably newer than its years. Sindhu serves modern Indian cuisine, and the Glass House wine bar — curated by TV personality Olly Smith — is one of the more distinctive spots at sea. The 800-seat Playhouse theatre offers West End-quality aerial acrobatics, and the SeaScreen open-air cinema on deck gives you something to do on balmy evenings. For cabin options on Azura, see the Azura cabins and deck plans.

• Larger Inside Cabin OB (inside, 15 m²) — located exclusively on Riviera Deck, with a single clearly defined position that makes it easy to get your bearings around the ship.
• Sea View Cabin LB (outside, 15 m²) — everything an inside cabin offers, plus natural light and an unobstructed outlook onto the sea.
• Superior Deluxe Balcony Cabin DA (balcony, 29 m²) — a private outdoor space for sea air and open views that inside and sea-view cabins cannot match.
• Penthouse Suite A1 (suite, 69 m²) — the largest suite on board, with a full separate lounge area and significantly more living space than any other cabin grade.

Crown Princess — Princess Cruises

Crown Princess came out of a 2025 Singapore dry dock with refreshed dining and entertainment throughout. Crown Grill and Sabatini’s lead the dining roster — both worth reserving early — and the new O’Malley’s Irish Pub and redesigned Gatsby’s Casino give the evenings more character. The standout for Australian summer cruisers is the itinerary: Crown Princess is one of very few ships offering full circumnavigations of Australia, sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide and Brisbane. Explore Crown Princess cabins and deck plans to find the right grade for your trip.

• Inside cabin IA (inside, 15.1 m²) — on the middle decks, with central access to lifts and facilities.
• Sea-view cabin OB (outside, 16.6 m²) — panoramic window with an unobstructed sea view and natural daylight.
• Premium Balcony cabin B1 (balcony, 25.2 m²) — private outdoor area with table and chairs, for direct access to fresh sea air without going to a public deck.
• Owner’s Suite S2 (suite, 63.8 m²) — the most spacious suite on board, significantly larger than penthouse or premium suites, sleeping up to 4.

MSC Preziosa — MSC Cruises

MSC Preziosa is easy to recognise by its Swarovski crystal staircases and hand-cobbled Italian piazza — the kind of design detail that makes a difference on a long sea day. For entertainment, the Vertigo waterslide runs 120 metres, there is a 4D cinema and an F1 simulator, and the Platinum Theatre fills evenings at sea. Guests who want something quieter can book into the MSC Yacht Club — a ship-within-a-ship concept with butler service, a private pool deck and exclusive dining. See the MSC Preziosa cabins and deck plans for the full range of grades and layouts.

What fare types are available?

Royal Caribbean offers several fare types, including last-minute fares on select sailings and early booking options that can include onboard credit. Fare types such as solo occupancy fares and group booking offers are available on selected departures — the details vary by sailing date and cabin grade.

Princess Cruises sells a Standard fare (cruise only, with packages available to add) and a Plus fare that bundles casual dining meals each voyage, beverages up to A$15 each with a daily allowance, MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi, pre-paid crew appreciation, unlimited digital photographs and 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating. The Plus fare is worth comparing against the Standard if you are planning to drink, eat in the casual dining venues and use the internet regularly — the maths usually works in its favour.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a lowest fare (cruise only) alongside its Free at Sea tiers, which bundle a speciality dining package, a premium beverage package, Wi-Fi and shore excursion credits into the base price. The higher Free at Sea Plus tier applies the package to all guests in the cabin. Comparing these against the base fare is something our team does every day — give us a call if you want a hand.

Round trips and one-way voyages — what to expect

These summer sailings are a genuine mix of both shapes. Some return to the port they left from; others finish in a completely different city — Fort Lauderdale, Singapore, Hong Kong or Rio de Janeiro, for example. Always check the end port before you book, and if the voyage finishes somewhere other than home, we can include the flight back as part of your Cruise1st Package — flights, hotel nights, transfers and tours sorted in one go. Never leave a one-way itinerary as a loose end.

Sailing from Australia — do you need a flight?

A small share of summer sailings depart from Australian ports — primarily Sydney and Brisbane. If you live near either city, you can board without ever setting foot in an airport. If you are travelling from another state, it is a short domestic hop rather than a long international journey. For the large majority of summer sailings that depart overseas — including the many that leave from Florida, the US west coast or Southeast Asia — we book the outbound and return flights, hotels either side, transfers and tours as a single holiday. Our Cruise1st Packages exist precisely for this: one booking, everything included, and a team of Australian cruise experts available seven days a week if anything needs adjusting.

Christmas and New Year sailings

December and January are peak season for a reason. If a Royal Caribbean Christmas cruise is what you have in mind, or you want to spend New Year at sea, these dates sell quickly and cabin choice narrows fast. Christmas cruises to New Zealand are particularly popular, and Christmas sailings from Brisbane suit east-coast travellers who want to drive to the port. January sailings from Sydney and January cruises more broadly are a good option if you want to avoid the Christmas premium and still sail in high summer. Our Best Price Guarantee applies across all of these.

How much do summer cruises cost?

Summer cruise fares start from A$198 pp* for shorter sailings. Longer voyages, premium lines and suite grades carry higher fares — our team can help you find the combination of length, line and cabin grade that fits your budget. The Best Price Guarantee means that if you find the same sailing cheaper elsewhere after booking, we will match it. Over 1,200 of the summer sailings on sale include all-inclusive elements, so compare what each fare tier covers before focusing purely on the headline price. A fare that bundles drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities may cost more upfront but less in total — and that is exactly the kind of comparison our cruise deals team makes easy.

Other seasons worth considering

If the summer dates do not suit, December cruises and November cruises overlap with the summer season at either end and often carry lighter demand. For something later in the year, January cruises are a good anchor point, or browse the full range of cruises by departure date to find what works for your calendar. Explora Journeys also runs a dedicated Spontaneous Summer Invitation promotion worth checking if your dates are flexible. And if you are keen on Carnival cruises around Australia, those are available year-round with summer departures in the mix.

*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.