Cruises around Australia 2028

Where can you cruise around Australia in 2028?

Every sailing circles Australian waters, making 2028 one of the strongest years on record for domestic ocean cruising. Voyages range from 11 to 32 nights — the median sits at 21 nights — so there is genuine choice between a compact two-week circuit and an extended month-long adventure. Most itineraries are one-way, finishing in a different city from where they depart, which means you connect the two ends with a short domestic hop rather than retracing your steps. If you’re based close to a departure port, no flight is involved at all; from another state it’s still a quick domestic connection, far simpler than flying to an overseas embarkation port. For sailings that begin or end in Singapore, CruiseAway can book the international flights, hotels either side and transfers as part of a single holiday.

Which cruise lines sail around Australia in 2028?

Norwegian Cruise Line leads the 2028 Australian programme with the most departures, sailing aboard Norwegian Spirit. Princess Cruises covers the Great Barrier Reef and longer coastal routes aboard Grand Princess. Regent Seven Seas Cruises brings an all-inclusive luxury option through Seven Seas Mariner, while Oceania Cruises rounds out the line-up with its own take on destination-focused sailing. DreamAway Packages are also available, combining the cruise with flights, hotels and transfers in a single booking. Across all lines, 7 of these sailings are all-inclusive or include a bundled fare package, so meals, drinks and sometimes excursion credits are already counted in the price.

Where do these sailings depart from?

The majority of departures leave from Sydney, making it the natural home port for this programme. Singapore is the second most common embarkation point, opening up fly-cruise options for travellers who want to extend their trip through Southeast Asia — CruiseAway handles the flights, pre-cruise hotel and transfers. Adelaide and Melbourne each feature as departure ports too, useful if you live in or near South Australia or Victoria. Disembarkation ports include Sydney, Singapore, Perth (Fremantle) and Bali, so one-way itineraries can conveniently end closer to home depending on which sailing you choose — or in an exciting international destination you’d like to explore further.

For a deeper look at sailings from specific ports, see cruises from Sydney in 2028, cruises from Singapore in 2028, and Melbourne departures.

Norwegian Spirit — Australia and the Pacific

Norwegian Spirit carries the largest share of 2028 Australian departures. She is a mid-sized ship with an informal, relaxed approach to dining and days at sea — you choose when to eat and where, rather than following a fixed sitting. Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bistro are two of the speciality restaurants on board, and the Stardust Theatre hosts live shows on evenings when you’re back from port.

On deck, the adults-only Spice H2O beach club is the spot for a sun-soaked afternoon: open-air, with cocktails and sea breezes. It is the kind of space that makes a 21-night voyage feel unhurried rather than long.

Cabin grades on Norwegian Spirit

Norwegian Spirit offers a range of cabin types to suit different group sizes and budgets. See the full Norwegian Spirit cabins and deck plans for layouts and deck positions.

• Family Inside cabin I4 — 13.8 m², sleeps 4. A compact but practical option for larger groups, with extra sleeping places that standard twin cabins don’t offer.
• Deluxe Sea-view cabin O3 — 26.7 m², sleeps 3. The largest sea-view grade on board, offering almost twice the floor space of a standard ocean-view cabin.
• Balcony cabin BA — 15.9 m², sleeps 3. A private balcony with sea views, adding outside space that interior and ocean-view grades don’t provide.
• Owner’s Suite SB with private aft balcony — 56.2 m², sleeps 2. The most spacious suite on the ship, with a separate bedroom, distinct living and dining area, and a walk-in wardrobe.

What does a Norwegian Cruise Line fare include?

Norwegian Cruise Line sailings offer several fare tiers. The base brochure fare covers the cruise itself — no packages included, just the sailing. Step up to the Free at Sea bundle and guests 1 and 2 receive a Premium Beverage Package, a Speciality Dining Package covering restaurants such as Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bistro, a Wi-Fi package, and shore excursion credits of US$50 per port. The Free at Sea Plus tier extends the dining and beverage inclusions to all guests on the reservation; the number of speciality dining meals scales with the length of the voyage. Fare types such as these and limited-time promotional offers can change, so it’s worth asking our cruise experts which is current when you’re ready to book.

Grand Princess — Great Barrier Reef and beyond

Grand Princess is the Princess Cruises ship on this programme, sailing 4 departures that trace the Queensland coast and the Great Barrier Reef. She is a well-established ship with a handful of features that make longer voyages genuinely comfortable. The Princess app lets you order food and drinks from anywhere on board — by the pool, in your cabin — without queuing at a bar or a buffet. The Sanctuary is a top-deck, adults-only retreat with sun loungers and light meals, well away from the busier pool areas below. And on certain evenings, a movie screens on deck under the open sky — a pleasure that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.

For Princess Cruises around Australia in 2028, Grand Princess is the ship to watch. You can also explore the broader Princess Australia 2028 season and the Princess 2027–2028 season launch for context on what else is available.

Cabin grades on Grand Princess

Grand Princess accommodates a range of preferences, from practical inside cabins to a suite with a private hot tub. The full Grand Princess cabins and deck plans page shows exact positions by deck.

• Inside cabin IA — 14.9 m², sleeps 4. Positioned on middle decks, minimising ship motion and giving central access to lifts and facilities.
• Premium sea view O3 — 19.1 m², sleeps 4. Floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows bring natural light and unobstructed sea views directly into the cabin.
• Premium Balcony cabin B2 — 25.5 m², sleeps 4. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors open the cabin up and give it a more open-plan feel than standard balcony grades.
• Grand Suite S1 with private hot tub — 67.8 m², sleeps 4. The largest suite on board by a significant margin, with a private hot tub on the balcony.

What does a Princess Cruises fare include?

Princess Cruises offers a Standard base fare and the Princess Plus package. Princess Standard covers the cruise itself; drinks, Wi-Fi and dining extras are available to add. Princess Plus brings meaningful inclusions into one price: 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. Promotional fare types — such as last-minute and tactical offers — appear from time to time; our cruise experts can tell you which are live when you enquire.

Seven Seas Mariner — luxury all-inclusive

Seven Seas Mariner represents the all-inclusive end of the 2028 Australian programme. Operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the ship is built around space and inclusion: virtually everything is covered in the fare, from dining and drinks to shore excursions and flights on qualifying bookings. The idea is that once you’re on board, you spend rather less time thinking about what things cost.

The flagship cabin grade available on this sailing is the Signature Suite SG — 111.9 m² in total, with a verandah area alone of over 74 m², which is close to 3 times larger than a standard balcony cabin on most ships. It sleeps up to 5 guests. For a full picture of suite and stateroom options, see Seven Seas Mariner cabins and deck plans. If you’re comparing luxury all-inclusive options across the year, the Regent Seven Seas 2028 page covers the wider programme.

Oceania Cruises in 2028

Oceania Cruises contributes 1 sailing to the 2028 Australian programme, aboard Vista. Oceania positions itself around destination immersion and culinary depth — longer port calls and a dining programme that is more varied than most ships of a comparable size. For cabin options and deck layouts on Vista, see the Vista cabins and deck plans page.

Are there discounts on 2028 Australian cruises?

Some 2028 Australian sailings carry reduced fares — up to 18% off that cabin grade’s previously listed price on the most discounted departure, though that level applies to 1 sailing. Across the measured sailings, typical reductions are around 2%. It is worth checking current pricing with our cruise experts, as fares on individual grades do move. CruiseAway’s Best Price Guarantee means that if you find the same cabin on the same sailing at a lower price, we’ll match it.

DreamAway Packages — cruise plus everything else

5 of the sailings on this programme are available as DreamAway Packages — CruiseAway’s own bundled holidays that pair the cruise with flights, hotels, transfers and tours in a single booking. They are particularly suited to itineraries that begin or end in Singapore, where you’re already crossing an international border and a pre- or post-cruise night makes the trip significantly more comfortable. But a DreamAway Package works just as well for a domestic sailing if you’re flying in from another state and want accommodation near the port sorted in advance.

Our team can also build a custom package around any sailing — cruise, domestic or international flights, hotel the night before, transfers and travel insurance — without you needing to coordinate the pieces separately. That is what being cruise specialists means in practice.

How long are Australian cruises in 2028?

Voyages range from 11 to 32 nights, with a median of 21 nights. The shorter end — around 11 to 14 nights — suits travellers with tighter annual leave; the longer sailings, approaching a month, are aimed at those who want to cover a substantial stretch of coastline or include a transoceanic leg. Most itineraries are one-way, finishing in a different port from where they depart, which is worth factoring into your planning. On a one-way voyage you’ll connect the two cities by domestic flight — or, if the itinerary ends internationally, we can book that connection for you as part of your package.

When is the right time to cruise around Australia?

The 2028 Australian programme runs throughout the calendar year, so the timing question is mostly about what you want to see and how long you can travel. Longer sailings — those stretching beyond 3 weeks — tend to take in a wider sweep of the coast and are often best suited to travellers with flexible schedules. Shorter voyages work well as a focused coastal circuit. Because Australia is a large continent and these sailings cover it from multiple departure cities, the best time is genuinely the time that suits your port, your preferred ship and your leave dates. Our cruise experts can help you match all three.

If you’re planning around a particular month, see Australian cruises departing in April 2028 for a narrower view of what’s available.

Planning ahead — neighbouring years

If 2028 doesn’t align with your plans, the 2027 Australian cruise programme is live and worth comparing — it draws strong interest and some travellers find booking a year ahead gives them wider cabin choice. The broader cruise around Australia hub covers availability across multiple years, and the main 2028 cruises page shows what else is on sale in the same year if you’re open to other regions.

Nearby programmes worth considering alongside this one include Fremantle to Singapore in 2028 and Singapore to Australia in 2028 — both share ports with this programme and suit travellers who want a longer international arc. For Christmas sailing options from the main departure port, Christmas cruises from Sydney are worth bookmarking too, and for longer Pacific itineraries, cruises from Sydney to New Zealand and cruises from Sydney to Hawaii are both available.

Prices for 2028 Australian sailings start from A$3,059 pp*, based on 2 guests sharing. All prices shown are per person on that basis and are subject to availability.

*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.