May cruises 2027up to -49%

Where do May cruises go?

May 2027 cruises spread across some of the world’s most rewarding sailing grounds. The biggest concentration sits in Alaska and the west coast of North America, where departures from Vancouver and Seattle lead the way. The Mediterranean — both western and eastern — accounts for a strong share of what’s on offer, followed by the British Isles, Japan and Norway. For travellers based anywhere in Australia, nearly all of these require a flight to the embarkation port — but that’s where we come in: our team books the whole journey as one package.

Alaska and West Canada

Alaska is the standout destination for May, and it’s easy to see why the region leads the field. Sailings depart from Vancouver and Seattle, so if you’re flying in from the east coast of Australia, either is a straightforward connection. The itineraries visiting this region tend to run around 7 to 14 nights — long enough to take in the dramatic scenery at a measured pace.

If you’re local to the departure city, you can board the same afternoon you arrive. From another state it’s a short domestic or transpacific hop rather than a long-haul journey. On round-trip sailings you return to the same port; on one-way voyages the ship finishes in the other city, and a connecting flight home completes the trip. We can book that flight, along with any hotel nights you want either side, as part of your booking.

Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises both run strong Alaska programmes in May. Enchanted Princess sails this region, with cabin grades running from inside staterooms through to full suites. The Princess 2026–2027 season has been popular with travellers heading to this part of the world — it’s worth checking what’s available for your preferred departure date.

Mediterranean Sea and western Mediterranean

The Mediterranean in May is a natural draw, and the month delivers a solid mix of both western and eastern routes. The main embarkation ports are Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia), with sailings also picking up passengers in Rotterdam and other European hubs. Disembarkation often happens in Rome, Barcelona or Piraeus (the port for Athens).

For travellers flying from Australia, we’d recommend booking your international flights and at least one night’s hotel at the embarkation port as part of your package — long-haul flights and port check-in times rarely line up perfectly, and having that first night sorted makes the whole experience calmer. We can arrange it all in one booking.

MSC Cruises has a strong presence in the Mediterranean this month, with MSC Sinfonia and MSC Splendida both sailing the region. The eastern Mediterranean Sea is also well represented, with voyages calling at Greek island and Adriatic ports. Transatlantic crossings also feature in May, linking Europe and the Americas for those who want something more adventurous.

British Isles

A British Isles sailing in May offers something different: a voyage around the coastline of the UK and Ireland, departing from Southampton. These sailings tend to run around 7 to 14 nights and often combine scenic sailing with port calls along the way. For travellers flying from Australia into the UK, Southampton is easily reached from major airports, and we can organise your transfers or a pre-cruise hotel night to make the connection seamless.

Queen Elizabeth is Cunard’s most recognisable ship on this route. Azura also sails from Southampton in this period.

Japan

May is a popular time to cruise Japan, and a number of sailings visit the region this month. Departures connect through Tokyo and other Japanese ports, making this one of the more accessible long-haul options for Australian travellers — the flight to Japan is considerably shorter than to Europe or the Americas. Round-trip itineraries return to the same port; one-way sailings finish in a different city, and we can book your connecting flight home as part of the package. Cruising Japan in May gives you a full itinerary of port calls without the peak summer crowds.

Norway

Norway’s fjord scenery is at its most dramatic when the days are long, and May sailings take advantage of that. Departures for Norway cruises typically originate from European ports, with Amsterdam among the embarkation hubs listed for this month. These are mostly round-trip sailings, so you return to your starting point at the end. As with all European departures, we can package your flights from Australia, a hotel before you board, and transfers to the terminal into a single holiday booking.

Close to home — Australia

A small number of sailings in May depart from Australian ports. If you’re local to the embarkation city, you can board without any flight at all — train or car will do. From another state, it’s a short domestic hop, and we can add that flight to your booking. The cruise around Australia in 2027 page covers this region in more detail, and the Sydney harbour page lists what’s sailing from there specifically.

For anyone considering cruises from Sydney in May 2027, these local departures are the most straightforward option — no visa prep, no long-haul flight, and you’re at sea within hours of leaving home.

Which cruise lines sail in May 2027?

The spread of lines in May is broad, from large resort-style ships to small luxury vessels and river cruise specialists. MSC Cruises features prominently across the Mediterranean, while Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises lead in Alaska. Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises both have May sailings across multiple regions. Holland America Line runs a refined programme that suits travellers who prefer a more traditional pace. For river cruising, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways offer European river itineraries — though note that river sailings make up only a small share of what’s available in May; the vast majority are ocean cruises.

Our autumn cruise collection draws heavily from this same pool of lines and regions, so if May doesn’t work for your dates, that page is a useful starting point for nearby options.

What are the ships like?

May 2027 brings a strong line-up of ships across all styles and price points. Here are some of the most notable vessels sailing this month.

Sun Princess — Princess Cruises

Sun Princess is the newest and largest ship Princess Cruises has ever launched, having entered service in 2024. With 29 dining venues and 5 pools, there’s a genuine sense that you could spend a fortnight aboard and still find something new each day. The Dome is the ship’s signature space: by day it’s a Santorini-inspired pool deck; as evening arrives, it transforms into an entertainment venue at the heart of the ship’s social scene. If you’re choosing a cabin, the Sun Princess cabin and deck plans walk through every grade in detail. Princess Cruises’ fare tiers for this ship are covered below.

Queen Elizabeth — Cunard

Cunard’s 2027–2028 season includes Queen Elizabeth sailings in May, and this ship remains one of the most distinctive at sea. The Art Deco interiors — from the chandeliers in the grand lobby to the promenade deck — give the ship a character that modern builds rarely match. Dining aboard is structured around the Britannia restaurant, the Princess Grill and the Queens Grill, with White Star Service that sets the standard for formal ocean travel. The Royal Court Theatre hosts nightly productions; the Queens Room ballroom runs dancing sessions most evenings. Deck croquet on a sunny afternoon is not a cliché on Queen Elizabeth — it genuinely happens.

Cabin grades on Queen Elizabeth, from the Queen Elizabeth deck plans:

• Britannia Inside cabin Deluxe (GB) — 19.2 m², around 5 m² more spacious than the standard inside option on the same ship, sleeping 2
• Britannia Ocean-view cabin (EB) — 18.3 m², with a cabin window for natural daylight and sea views, sleeping 2
• Britannia Club Balcony cabin (A1) — 24.0 m², with a private balcony and sea views, sleeping 2
• Queens Grill Grand Suite (Q1) — 127.7 m² including an approximately 90 m² private balcony — an exceptional amount of outdoor space for 2 guests at sea

MSC Sinfonia — MSC Cruises

MSC Sinfonia is a Lirica-class ship — compact enough to call at ports that larger vessels cannot reach, but fully equipped for families and couples alike. A top-deck water park with slides keeps younger travellers busy, while the enlarged Aurea Spa gives adults a quieter corner of the ship. The ship has 94 balcony cabins. Evenings tend to run long, with Broadway-style shows in the theatre and dedicated zones for children running in parallel.

Cabin grades on MSC Sinfonia, from the MSC Sinfonia deck plans:

• Inside cabin Aurea — 15.0 m², sleeping up to 4; around 2 m² larger than the standard inside option
• Premium Ocean View Fantastica — 22.0 m², sleeping up to 4; 9 m² larger than the junior ocean-view grade
• Suite Fantastica — 26.0 m² with a private balcony, sleeping 2; direct access to fresh air without crossing public decks
• Family Balcony cabin Fantastica (FLA) — 20.0 m² with an extra bed, sleeping up to 4; more space than a standard balcony cabin and designed with families in mind

Seabourn Ovation — Seabourn

Seabourn Ovation sits at the quieter, more refined end of ocean cruising. Every sailing is built around complementary elegant dining and the kind of itinerary that makes time for smaller ports. The Grand Wintergarden Suite — see the Seabourn Ovation cabin and deck plans for details — runs to approximately 115 m², with a separate bedroom, generous living area, full kitchen with bar, and a private hot tub. It sleeps up to 4 and is nearly twice the footprint of the ship’s Owner’s Suites. If all-inclusive luxury cruising is what you’re after, Seabourn delivers it without the resort-ship scale.

Nieuw Statendam — Holland America Line

Nieuw Statendam was designed by interiors duo Adam Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten, and it shows — every lounge and corridor has been considered, and the ship avoids the generic feel of some larger vessels. The two-storey Wine Tower is the ship’s dramatic centrepiece; the sommelier-led wine service around it tends to become a nightly ritual for guests. Tamarind’s seven-seat sushi bar is a highlight for food lovers, and the Music Walk — running blues, pop and chamber classics in dedicated venues — keeps evenings interesting well beyond dinner. Check the Nieuw Statendam cabin and deck plans if you’re thinking about cabin grade and location.

Other ships sailing in May include Azura, MSC Splendida, Enchanted Princess, Rotterdam, EXPLORA IV and others across the full range of lines and regions.

What do May cruise fares include?

What a fare covers varies significantly by cruise line, and May 2027 is no different. Here’s what the main fare tiers actually include for three of the biggest lines on the page.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean offers several fare types this month. The base Cruise Fare covers the sailing itself; promotional tier types such as last-minute fares and group booking offers appear on selected sailings, with terms that vary by departure. A Solo Fare is available for guests travelling in single occupancy. Our cruise experts can walk you through which fare applies to your chosen sailing and whether any current promotions stack with it.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises structures its fares around two main tiers. Princess Standard is the base cruise fare — it covers the sailing, with packages available to add on separately. Princess Plus bundles in 4 casual dining meals per voyage, beverages up to A$15 each (with a daily limit), MedallionNet® Max Wi-Fi, pre-paid crew appreciation, unlimited digital photographs plus 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating. If you’re likely to use the bar and the Wi-Fi regularly, Princess Plus typically works out well compared to adding those items individually. The Princess 2027–2028 season launch has more detail on what’s new across the fleet.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line gives you three clear options. The base Brochure fare is the lowest fare without any packages — straightforward if you prefer to pay only for what you use. Free at Sea (NCLATSEA) adds a Premium Beverage Package, Speciality Dining Package, Wi-Fi, and shore excursion credits of US$50 per port for guests 1 and 2. Free at Sea Plus extends that across all guests on the booking and adds more speciality dining options. For a longer sailing with multiple ports, the shore excursion credits in Free at Sea Plus can amount to a significant saving on their own.

Make it a full holiday

Almost all May sailings depart from ports outside Australia — the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and others. That makes May one of the months where getting the logistics right matters most. CruiseAway can put the whole trip on one booking: your international flights, a hotel at the embarkation port the night before you board, transfers to the terminal, shore excursions, and travel insurance. If your itinerary is one-way, we handle the return flight from the disembarkation city too — you won’t be left to sort the end of the trip yourself.

That’s what our DreamAway Packages are designed for: a cruise-inclusive holiday where nothing falls through the cracks. Talk to our cruise experts and they’ll build the right package around your sailing — whether that’s a simple fly-cruise or a fully custom trip with touring either side.

What does May cruising cost?

May 2027 cruises start from A$341 pp* for the shortest sailings. The median sailing runs around 8 nights, which gives a useful benchmark for mid-range pricing. Suites and luxury-line sailings sit considerably higher — Seabourn Ovation’s Grand Wintergarden Suite, for example, is a very different proposition from a Britannia Inside on Queen Elizabeth. The right cabin grade depends on how you travel, and our experts can show you what each tier actually gets you before you commit.

A large share of sailings have reduced fares available, and a number of departures are offered as all-inclusive packages. Our cheap cruises page is a good starting point if price is the primary filter, and the broader cruises listing lets you adjust the search across all months.

Thinking about the month before or after?

If May doesn’t quite line up with your plans, the months either side have strong offerings of their own. April cruises cover much of the same ground — Alaska, the Mediterranean, the British Isles — and tend to have good availability early in the booking window. For a closer look at departures from a specific port in April, the April 2027 sailings from Sydney page is worth a read, and April 2027 cruises from Australia rounds out the regional picture.

If you’d like to compare directly with May departures from Sydney, the May 2027 Sydney sailing page lists everything leaving from that port in the month. And if you’re planning further ahead, the full Australian cruise listing covers the year in detail. For those thinking about a Royal Caribbean sailing from Sydney in 2027 specifically, that page has the full picture for that line.

*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.