January cruises 2027up to -49%

Where do January cruises go?

January is one of the widest-ranging months in the cruise calendar. The Caribbean draws the biggest share of January sailings, followed by South East Asia, South America, Australia, New Zealand and round-the-world voyages. Whether you want a week in warm water or four months circling the globe, January has a sailing that fits.

The Caribbean — January’s most popular destination

The Caribbean leads January by a significant margin, with sailings departing from Florida ports including Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades). These two ports are roughly half an hour apart, so a Florida trip can sail from either — it’s worth checking both for dates and prices before you commit. Port Canaveral, Tampa and Los Angeles also feature as departure points.

Caribbean itineraries in January range from short breaks of around 4 nights up to longer voyages pushing past two weeks. Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises both sail heavily through the region, with Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Line also well represented.

For most travellers from Australia, a Caribbean cruise in January means flying into a Florida port first. CruiseAway can arrange that as part of a DreamAway Package — flights, a pre-cruise hotel night, transfers to the pier and the cruise itself, all on one booking, so there’s nothing to chase up separately.

Close to home — South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific

Not every January cruise requires a long-haul flight. South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific together account for a solid share of January departures, and several of them leave from Australian ports.

South East Asia sailings often depart from or call at Singapore, with itineraries weaving through the region over a median of around 9 nights. If you’re based near Sydney or Brisbane, these can be reached with a short domestic hop rather than a full international flight — and our team can add that connection to your booking.

Australian coastal sailings are another January option. Crown Princess offers the chance to circumnavigate the country in one voyage, calling at Sydney, Brisbane and other ports along the way. If you’re local to a departure port, you can board without a flight at all. If you’re travelling interstate, a short domestic leg gets you there — and we can add that too.

New Zealand sailings in January suit anyone who wants dramatic scenery without straying too far. January is peak summer in the Southern Hemisphere, making it a popular time for New Zealand itineraries. Cruises from Sydney to New Zealand are a particularly well-travelled route, and the one-way nature of many of these sailings means the voyage finishes in a different city — a domestic flight connects the two ends, and we book that as part of the package.

South Pacific itineraries round out the close-to-home options. These tend to be relaxed, island-hopping voyages well suited to families and couples alike.

The long haul — South America, transpacific, Japan and beyond

January is one of the best months to catch a South America sailing. Itineraries here tend to be longer voyages — the kind of trip where the journey itself is the point. Embarkation for South America sailings is typically in the United States or further afield, so flights, a pre-cruise hotel and transfers are all worth arranging in advance. CruiseAway’s team handles all of that as part of a single booking.

Japan sailings are a growing part of the January picture. These itineraries call at ports across Japan and are popular with travellers who want to combine a cruise with time ashore in one of the world’s most rewarding countries for independent exploration. Our team can add pre- or post-cruise hotel nights in Japan to make the most of the trip. For a broader look, cruises to Japan covers the full range of options across the year.

Transpacific sailings in January typically cross between the Americas and Asia or the Pacific, and are nearly always one-way voyages. That means the sailing finishes in a different city from where it starts — a domestic or international flight connects the two ends, and we make sure you don’t have to sort that out separately.

Round-the-world sailings are the longest option of all, with some voyages running well over 100 nights and the itinerary calling at ports across multiple continents. If a world cruise is on your list, the Cunard 2027–2028 world cruise season is worth a look alongside the options here.

Which cruise lines sail in January 2027?

MSC Cruises leads January 2027 by volume, with more sailings than any other line. Royal Caribbean is close behind, followed by Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises. Holland America Line, Viking Ocean Cruises and Explora Journeys also have sailings departing in January.

Each line has its own style, fare structure and ship experience. Our cruise experts can talk you through the differences and help you match the right line to what you’re actually after — whether that’s a lively mega-ship, a relaxed mid-size vessel, or something more boutique.

What are the ships like in January 2027?

A handful of ships are particularly worth knowing about for January 2027. Here’s what each one actually offers.

Azura — P&O Cruises

Azura was renewed inside and out in 2025, with fresh restaurants, bars and cabins throughout — so it genuinely feels like a newer ship than its years suggest. The 800-seat Playhouse delivers West End-quality aerial acrobatics, and the SeaScreen on deck means you can watch a film under the open sky. The Glass House wine bar, curated by TV wine expert Olly Smith, is a standout for anyone who takes a glass seriously.

Cabin choices on Azura run from compact to genuinely spacious. If you’re weighing up your options, the Azura cabins and deck plans page has the full picture. In brief:

• Larger Inside Cabin OB (15 m²) — positioned exclusively on Riviera Deck, making it easy to find your bearings and reach ship facilities quickly
• Sea View Cabin LB (15 m²) — the same footprint as an inside cabin, with natural light and an unobstructed sea view added
• Superior Deluxe Balcony Cabin DA (29 m²) — a private balcony with sea air and open views that inside and sea-view cabins can’t match
• Penthouse Suite A1 (69 m²) — the largest suite on board, with a full separate lounge area and significantly more living space than any other grade

Crown Princess — Princess Cruises

Crown Princess is particularly well suited to January itineraries around Australia and New Zealand. It’s a ship designed with a relaxed, personal feel — live shows, genuine service and dining that doesn’t feel like a production line. Families are well looked after: the Treehouse, Lodge and Beach House clubs keep younger guests busy while adults have The Sanctuary, a peaceful adults-only retreat on deck, to themselves.

For cabin choices on Crown Princess, the Crown Princess cabins and deck plans give the detail. The grades on this sailing run as follows:

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

Princess Cruises also has a dedicated Australia 2027 summer season and an Australia 2026/2027 season launch worth exploring if you’re planning around the region.

MSC Bellissima and MSC Meraviglia — MSC Cruises

Both ships are large, lively and packed with things to do every sea day. MSC Bellissima’s indoor promenade stretches 80 metres under a continuous LED sky — bars, boutiques and entertainment line the route, so the evening genuinely starts the moment you step out of your cabin. Travelling in the MSC Yacht Club gives you a private enclave with your own pool, a butler available day and night, and fine dining included.

MSC Meraviglia takes a similar approach but scales it up further. The Galleria runs the length of a city block under a 96-metre LED sky. The aquapark, bowling and F1 simulators give sea days real variety, and the Yacht Club retreat provides a quieter option at the other end of the scale. Cabin choices for both ships are detailed on the MSC Bellissima cabins and deck plans and MSC Meraviglia cabins and deck plans pages.

MSC Opera is the smaller MSC option in January — compact enough to dock in ports that the bigger ships can’t reach, with a jazz bar, a proper disco and age-specific kids’ clubs on board. See the MSC Opera cabins and deck plans for full details. MSC Sinfonia also sails in January; MSC Sinfonia cabins and deck plans cover its layout.

Queen Victoria sails in January 2027 as part of the Cunard fleet — see the Queen Victoria ship page for what’s on board, and the Queen Victoria cabins and deck plans for cabin options.

Explora Journeys ships in January 2027

EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II both have January sailings, offering a more boutique style of ocean travel at the premium end of the market. EXPLORA II’s flagship accommodation is the Owner’s Residence — 183 m² of interior space plus 132 m² of private terrace, positioned across the full width of the stern. There’s nothing else on board that comes close to it for scale. Full details are on the EXPLORA II cabins and deck plans page, and EXPLORA I cabins and deck plans cover the sister ship. EXPLORA III also has January availability; its cabins and deck plans are available if you want to compare across the fleet.

What do January cruise fares include?

Fare inclusions vary considerably by cruise line, and getting this right before you book can make a meaningful difference to the total cost of your holiday. Here’s how the major lines structure their fares for January 2027 sailings.

Royal Caribbean fare tiers

Royal Caribbean offers several fare types for January 2027, including a standard Cruise Fare, a Solo/Single Fare for guests travelling alone, and promotional fare types such as Last-Minute offers. Early bookings confirmed during the offer period may also include onboard credit. Our cruise experts can tell you which fare type applies to the specific sailing you’re looking at, and whether any current promotions can be combined.

Princess Cruises fare tiers

Princess Cruises sails in January with two core fare structures. Princess Standard is the base fare covering the cruise itself, with drinks, dining and Wi-Fi available to add on. Princess Plus bundles in 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 photos plus 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating — a meaningful package for anyone who plans to eat and drink well at sea.

Norwegian Cruise Line fare tiers

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a base Brochure Fare for travellers who want to keep the cruise itself as the starting price and choose add-ons separately. Their Free at Sea bundle adds a Premium Beverage Package, a Speciality Dining Package, Wi-Fi and shore excursion credits per port. The Free at Sea Plus tier extends those inclusions further. All three apply to both guests on the booking.

How much do January cruises cost?

January 2027 sailings start from A$291 pp* — that’s the entry point for a cabin-grade price across the sailings on sale. The median sailing runs to around 9 nights, so a mid-range January cruise represents solid value for a proper holiday rather than a short break.

A proportion of January sailings carry a reduced price compared to the rate previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing. Reductions can reach up to 49% on a single departure, though that’s the maximum on one sailing rather than a page-wide figure — most reduced sailings are discounted by around 13%. If you spot a sailing you like, it’s worth booking with our team rather than waiting, since reduced fares can move quickly.

All-inclusive fares — covering drinks, dining and in some cases gratuities — are available across a wide range of January sailings. Our cruise experts can show you the full-inclusion options alongside standard fares so you can judge what actually works out cheaper for how you travel.

Which ports can I sail from in January?

Most January 2027 sailings depart from ports in the United States — particularly Florida, with Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) the two busiest. These ports are roughly half an hour apart, so if one doesn’t have the sailing date you want, the other is worth checking. Port Canaveral, Tampa and Los Angeles also feature. Singapore is the main departure point for South East Asia sailings, and Hong Kong appears in the mix for Asia-Pacific itineraries.

For sailings closer to home, Sydney and Brisbane are the main Australian departure ports in January. If you’re based near either city, you can reach the ship without any international travel. If you’re travelling from interstate, a short domestic flight is the easiest connection — and we add that to your booking so you’re not managing it separately. Cruises from Sydney in January 2027 and cruises from Brisbane in January 2027 both have their own pages if you want to filter by port first.

For one-way itineraries — which make up a notable share of January sailings — the voyage finishes in a different city from where it starts. That final city may be Sydney, Brisbane, Miami, Singapore or Los Angeles. A domestic or international flight connects the two ends, and we make sure you have that arranged before you go.

Why book a January cruise with CruiseAway?

CruiseAway is a cruise specialist — every sailing we sell comes with the support of a team that knows these ships, these fares and these itineraries in detail. That matters most when you’re choosing between fare tiers (do you want drinks included or not?), cabin grades (how much space do you actually need?) or departure ports (which Florida port has better availability for your dates?).

Our Best Price Guarantee means that if you find the same sailing cheaper elsewhere after booking with us, we’ll match it. And our DreamAway Packages let you combine the cruise with flights, hotels, tours, transfers and insurance in one booking — which is particularly useful for January, when most sailings involve flying into a US, Asian or European port first. One booking, one team to call if anything changes.

CruiseAway is a member of ATAS and CLIA, which means we operate to recognised industry standards for Australian travel and cruise retail.

Broader options across all cruise dates are on our cruises hub, or browse Australian cruises and cheap cruises for more starting points.

Explore more cruise options by month

January suits a lot of itineraries, but it’s not the only month worth considering. If your dates are flexible, the weeks either side of January often have strong availability. December cruises cover the holiday period and carry a wide range of Caribbean and Pacific sailings. Specific port-and-month combinations are worth browsing too — cruises from Sydney in December 2026 and cruises from Brisbane in December 2026 are among the most searched combinations heading into the summer season.

If you’re planning further ahead, Brisbane January 2028 and Sydney January 2028 are already open for bookings. Early booking typically gives you the widest cabin choice and sometimes the sharpest prices. For summer cruises more broadly, that page covers the full warm-weather season.

For anyone planning around the Christmas and New Year period just before January, Christmas cruises from Sydney 2026, Christmas cruises from Sydney 2027 and Christmas cruises from Brisbane all have dedicated pages. New Year’s Eve cruises and New Year’s Eve 2026 are also worth a look if you want to see in the new year at sea. For a full year view, all 2027 cruises is the broadest starting point, and cruises around Australia in 2027 narrows it to the home region.

*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.