Australia’s wave season is about to start – and after a two year wait, the ships and itineraries couldn’t be better.
Companies like Imagine Holidays are feeling the positive effects of the cruise rush, as more people get ready to splash their cash at making their travel dreams into realities from September to March, 2023.
Sally Lord from the company says cruisers aren’t being shy about their spending.
“People are getting balcony upgrades, they’re getting suites, or they’re even splurging and booking with lines like Silversea, which is all-inclusive, with all your drinks and everything included. Which is why people also like booking through Imagine, to have their flights, hotels and cruise all in one price.”
Premium cruise lines are headlining sales.
“Our audience really like those higher end cruise lines. We’re selling a lot of Cunard and Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity are making a huge focus on local ports in Australia as well, which has been really popular. And Princess is always a strong seller as well.”
Ms Lord says availability is still aplenty for the upcoming season, with itineraries and products still being rolled out.
“At the moment, we’re just releasing a product with P&O, that’s going from Sydney to London this September, so you can definitely still get good last-minute trips and have it all organised for you.”
To make the process a little easier, here’s a summary of where the major cruise lines will be stopping off over Australia’s upcoming wave season, with plenty of options to sail from now until well into 2023.
Viking
Viking makes its return to Australia this December and what you can essentially expect is a ton of chances to get over and explore the neighboring New Zealand. Viking Orion and Viking Mars will both be down under, sailing to and from New Zealand from December until the final sailing from Auckland to Sydney on March 7.
Itineraries will hit the major attractions like Melbourne and Tasmania on their way to New Zealand, before hitting the major cities as well as the natural beauty waiting in New Zealand.
Explore more: vikingcruises.com.au
Princess
Princess wasted little time in returning to Australian shores, already beginning their season with Coral Princess finding a home at the new Brisbane cruise terminal.
Princess has a big season lined up, with 48 cruises from now until next April. At the moment Coral Princess is sailing out of Brisbane on a series of six-night Great Barrier Reef itineraries, before heading down to Sydney for a couple of months, and then back up to Brisbane by November.
Come October, she’ll be joined by Majestic Princess who will set up camp in Australia, with a range of itineraries across New Zealand, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia and more on offer.
Grand Princess will then also join the fun starting with a five-day Southern Australia explorer itinerary but also offering longer voyages like an 18-night New Zealand exploration, leaving on January 5 out of Adelaide.
Explore more: princess.com
P&O
P&O captured the hearts of cruisers across Australia, when Pacific Explorer sailed from Sydney to Brisbane to mark the return of cruise in Australia.
P&O will be running a range of seven to 10-night Barrier Reef Discovery cruises and four-night Whitsunday cruises right through the cruise season but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Beyond a range of other Aussie sailings, you can expect special cruises like a Melbourne Cup sailing, a special Sapphire Coast Food Festival sailing, a couple of Elvis themed cruises, a Christmas cruise and more, with specialty cruises reigning supreme.
Explore more: pocruises.com.au
Carnival Cruise Line Australia
Forever a family favourite for Australians, Carnival will have two ships sailing in Australia this season, with the newly purchased Carnival Luminosa set to join Carnival Splendor in its Australian adventures.
Options are aplenty hitting up iconic Australian destinations like the Great Barrier Reef, as well as journeys out to New Zealand and the South Pacific.
For something a bit different, if you fly yourself to Seattle, you can journey back all the way to Sydney over 22-nights stopping in Hawaii and the South Pacific along the way, leaving on September 6.
Other options for the South Pacific run right through the season, generally at around eight to 12 days, with exciting stops in ports like Noumea and Mystery Island.
Explore more: carnival.com.au
Celebrity Cruises
Currently offering up to 60% off second guests, Celebrity Cruises has plenty planned for the upcoming wave season.
Celebrity Eclipse has generated a lot of excitement about her journey down under and she’ll kick things off with a 12-night cruise out of Sydney to New Zealand on October 2022.
After this she’ll have an 11-night journey to the Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand voyages and even a visit to the South Pacific in December.
After the new year there’s another visit to New Zealand, before a spectacular sailing to Fiji and Tonga. For lovers of the grape leaving on February 7 is a special nine-night Australia Wine cruise.
The season continues through to April, with options ranging from shorter three-night sample sailings and a five-night exploration of Tasmania, to longer journeys out to New Zealand, the South Pacific and Great Barrier Reef.
Explore more: celebritycruises.com
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean will bring two of her bigger and best ships, the Quantum and Ovation of the Seas.
There are plenty of options for shorter sampler cruises from around $300.
But there are longer voyages like a 12-night cruise over the silly season, from Sydney to New Zealand on December 23, aboard Ovation of the Seas.
Then there’s also a range of cruises in the mid-range, with plenty of variety from a seven-night Queensland cruise out of Brisbane on January 6, to a nine-night Tasmania cruise, also from Brisbane leaving on November 9, or a slightly shorter 10-night New Zealand cruise from Sydney leaving on February 12.
Imagine Holidays is running an offer for a stunning 19-nights on Quantum of the Seas, exploring Hawaii and French Polynesia, including a four-star hotel stay in Honolulu to cap it all off. Leaving soon on October 12, the itinerary will take you all the way back to Brisbane.
Explore more: imagineholidays.com.au
Cunard
The line of the royals, Cunard, will be traversing Australian waters from November through to February.
Excitingly, Cunard offers some chances to really dive into your own backyard, with a 28-night Australian Circumnavigation aboard Queen Elizabeth, leaving Sydney on November 15, making its way all around Australia, even squeezing in a quick stop in Bali. For something right on the other end of the spectrum, you could try a two-night break from Sydney to Melbourne on December 13.
From here there’s a range of itineraries exploring New Zealand and Tasmania, with the culmination of them being a 25-night roundtrip out of Sydney over Christmas and New Zealand, focused on a deep dive into New Zealand and Tasmania.
Imagine Holidays has some great offers on Cunard cruising, including a two-week highlights of New Zealand voyage with free flights and a four-stay Sydney stay wrapped into your price, leaving on January 6. Also on offer, is a similar deal out of Melbourne with a four-stay stay before heading off for seven-nights on Queen Elizabeth, leaving December 14.
Explore more: imagineholidays.com.au
Norwegian Cruise Line
Also running plenty of deals at the moment, is Norwegian Cruise Line, with an action-packed Australian wave season planned.
Like most lines, NCL is offering plenty of chances to get over to New Zealand, with a range of itineraries throughout the summer focusing on the natural beauty of New Zealand, most with an exciting stop along the way in New South Wales’s South Coast in Eden.
However, NCL also offers some top opportunities to get into the endless sunshine and snorkel-ready waters of the South Pacific. Itineraries out to Fiji, Bora Bora and Moorea over a two-week cruise start from December, with a spectacular cruise also on offer in March, hitting 10 ports of call from Sydney to Papeete, with American Samoa, Samoa Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and French Polynesia all on the way.
Explore more: ncl.com
Coral Expeditions
While Coral Expeditions might be known for Kimberley voyages, there are plenty of sailings outside this Western Australian Region. Visit the remote Wallis & Futuna on a 21-night cruise from Cairns to Auckland leaving December 16, try a 16-night circumnavigation of Tasmania, leaving on January 1 or focus on New Zealand wilderness on a Fiordland and South Coast eight-night itinerary leaving on January 19.
Coral Expedition itineraries are extremely varied, exploring some of the lesser-known gems of Australia and its surrounds. If you want to do some exploring this summer, Coral Expeditions will definitely have a cruise for you.
Explore more: coralexpeditions.com
Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises, known for having the best cuisine at sea, arrives in Australia this December, before Regatta sets off on a series of epic itineraries.
Starting off, you can miss the madness of the holidays and sail from Sydney to Bali for 13-nights leaving on December 12, before Regatta makes the return cruise for 20-nights, arriving back in Sydney on January 16.
To close out the season there’s one chance to get out to the sparkling South Pacific seas, with a 17-night cruise out from Sydney to Papeete, leaving February 28.
Explore more: oceaniacruises.com
Ponant
Ponant was one of the first lines to get things back up and running in Australia, with sailings in the Kimberley kicking off late April. The expedition line will stick around in the Kimberley until September, running itineraries such as Australia’s Iconic Kimberley – with National Geographic, sailing for 10 nights from Darwin to Broome aboard Le Soleal.
When the Kimberley wraps up there’s still plenty to explore, with itineraries like the 10-night Ancient Cultures of Papua New Guinea, Treasures of the South Australian Coast and Tasmania and even a new Tropical Odyssey between North East Australia and Indonesia, are all still available at the end of this year and early next year.
Explore more: au.ponant.com
Regent Seven Seas
The all-inclusive luxury of Regent Seven Seas Cruises will return to Australia this December, when Seven Seas Explorer sails in from Singapore. She’ll then sail for 14-nights out to New Zealand, departing on December 29, before returning from Auckland back to Sydney over two weeks starting on January 12.
From Sydney, she’ll continue for 18-nights to Bali, finishing her season at Bali’s golden beaches. If you want to really see it all, you can jump on in Auckland and sail for 32-nights all the way into Bali, departing on January 12, 2023. You’ll go through Kiwi Fjords, Australian wilderness and Bali beauty over a magical month.
Explore more: rssc.com
Silversea
Another luxury line, Silversea has been treating guests to opulent yet wild explorations of the Kimberley already this season, with the Kimberley set to wrap up in the beginning of September.
Sail from Sydney to Auckland for 14-nights leaving on December 20 with Silver Muse, with plenty more itineraries between Australia and New Zealand over the following months.
There are also some purely sailings like a spectacular Melbourne to Cairns 26-night cruise on Silver Muse, leaving Melbourne on January 16.
Come February, Muse and Whisper make their way to Japan and you are of course welcome to join for the journey, with 30 and 33-night cruises to Osaka and Tokyo respectively.
Explore more: silversea.com
