Small ship cruises

Where do small ship cruises go from Australia?

Small ship sailings cover a wide arc of the globe, from coastal Australia and the South Pacific through to Southeast Asia, Japan and beyond. The mix skews strongly towards our own region: Australia, the South Pacific and New Zealand together account for the lion’s share of departures, making it straightforward to build a voyage that starts or ends close to home. Further afield, transpacific crossings, Japan and Southeast Asia draw travellers who want something a little more ambitious.

Close to home — Australia, the Pacific and New Zealand

Australia is the strongest region. Coastal itineraries sail between major port cities and into more remote stretches of the Australian coastline, and because the embarkation ports are domestic, a short internal flight — or no flight at all if you happen to live nearby — is all it takes to reach the ship. One-way itineraries are common here: the voyage ends in a different city, so a domestic connection brings you home rather than retracing your steps. Browse cruises around Australia in 2027 for a full picture of what’s sailing.

The South Pacific is the second busiest region. These sailings typically depart from Australian east-coast ports and spend their days island-hopping across the Pacific, with Sydney and Brisbane the most frequent starting points. If the Pacific draws you, a cruise from Sydney to New Zealand is one of the most popular routes on the page — and a very natural pairing of the two regions.

New Zealand sailings are the third-most-represented group. Itineraries weave through the fjords and coastal towns of both islands, frequently running one-way between Auckland and an Australian port, which means you see far more than a round trip would allow. The domestic flight to connect the two ends is a short one from most Australian capitals.

Further afield — Asia, the Pacific crossing and beyond

Southeast Asia is the most popular long-haul region. Sailings call at ports across the region and often embark or disembark in Singapore, making them straightforward to reach with a single connecting flight. Our team can book flights and hotels either side as part of a DreamAway Package, so you arrive rested rather than rushing to the pier.

Transpacific sailings are the page’s great long-distance option — voyages that cross the Pacific and connect Australia with the west coast of North America, often calling at island groups along the way. These are almost always one-way, finishing at ports such as Los Angeles or Seattle, with a long-haul flight home at the other end. We can bundle that return flight into your booking so nothing is left loose.

Japan sailings are a smaller but dedicated part of the range. Ships typically call into Yokohama (Tokyo) and other Japanese ports, and they suit travellers who want to combine a cruise with time ashore in one of the world’s most compelling travel destinations. Hong Kong and Tokyo both appear as embarkation and disembarkation options across this range.

For those drawn even further west, Mediterranean sailings in 2027 and voyages to the British Isles are also represented, offering northern-hemisphere itineraries for travellers who want to turn a cruise into a longer European trip. These departures are based well overseas, so flights and pre-cruise hotels are essentially part of the package — something our team handles as standard.

Which cruise lines offer small ship sailings?

MSC Cruises carries the largest volume of sailings across this page, followed closely by Princess Cruises and Viking Ocean Cruises. Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line are well represented too, with Norwegian Cruise Line also appearing across multiple itineraries and regions.

At the luxury end, lines such as Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Seabourn offer a more intimate, high-ratio service experience. Seabourn in particular is known for all-suite ships where complimentary elegant dining and a genuinely personal level of service are part of every sailing — not an upgrade.

Princess Cruises has a strong Australian presence, with its 2026–2027 Australia season covering a wide range of itineraries. The line’s fare structure gives you real choice: the standard fare covers the cruise itself, while the Princess Plus tier adds casual dining, beverages, Wi-Fi and crew appreciation to the booking, and reserved theatre seating for good measure. Our cruise experts can walk you through which tier makes sense for the way you like to travel.

Royal Caribbean’s fare options include fare types such as last-minute offers and early-booking credits, as well as solo-traveller fares for guests sailing on their own. Norwegian Cruise Line offers a just-cruise base fare or packages that bundle speciality dining, a beverage package, Wi-Fi and shore excursion credits — a genuinely strong value stack for guests who want most things included.

Featured ships

Below are some of the ships sailing across these itineraries, each with something specific worth knowing before you book.

Seabourn Ovation

Seabourn Ovation is built around an all-suite experience, with complimentary elegant dining included across every sailing. The ship’s hallmark is a classical, unhurried luxury — high staff-to-guest ratios, personalised service and an atmosphere that never feels crowded. The Grand Wintergarden Suite runs to approximately 115 m² and includes a private hot tub, a separate bedroom, a full living area and a kitchen with bar — almost twice the footprint of an Owner’s Suite on the same ship.

Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth carries Cunard’s Art Deco interiors from the chandelier fittings down to the promenade deck — a style of ocean travel that feels genuinely different from a modern resort ship. The Royal Court Theatre hosts live stage performances, and the Queens Room ballroom is one of the last at-sea venues where you can dance properly, to a live orchestra. Dining is arranged by grade, with the Britannia, Princess Grill and Queens Grill each setting its own standard. Cabin grades on Queen Elizabeth range across:

• Britannia Inside Deluxe GB — 19.2 m², around 5 m² larger than a standard inside cabin on the same ship, sleeping 2
• Britannia Ocean-view EB — 18.3 m², with a cabin window and natural daylight, sleeping 2
• Britannia Club Balcony A1 — 24 m², with a private balcony and sea views, sleeping 2
• Queens Grill Grand Suite Q1 — 127.7 m² with a private balcony of approximately 90 m², sleeping 2

Azura

Azura completed a full interior refresh in 2025, with new restaurants, bars and cabin fitouts across the ship. The 800-seat Playhouse stages West End-quality aerial performances, and SeaScreen brings outdoor cinema to the top deck. The Glass House wine bar, curated by TV wine expert Olly Smith, is a genuinely considered spot for an evening. Cabin options on Azura include:

• Larger Inside OB — 15 m², located exclusively on Riviera Deck, sleeping 2
• Sea View LB — 15 m², with natural light and an unobstructed sea view, sleeping 2
• Superior Deluxe Balcony DA — 29 m², with a private balcony, sleeping 2
• Penthouse Suite A1 — 69 m², the largest suite on board, with a full separate lounge area, sleeping 2

Nieuw Statendam

Nieuw Statendam was designed by Adam Tihany and Bjørn Storbraaten, and every public space — from the two-storey Wine Tower in the atrium to the Music Walk’s rolling programme of blues, pop and chamber music — reflects that attention to craft. Tamarind’s seven-seat sushi bar is a highlight for food lovers. Check Nieuw Statendam’s cabins and deck plans for the full range of stateroom grades.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam (2021) carries the name of six historic ships before her, and sailing on her feels like being part of a 150-year tradition of ocean travel. The Music Walk brings Billboard Onboard, Rolling Stone Rock Room and BB King’s Blues Club together in one stretch of the ship — evenings here rarely end early. Tamarind’s Southeast Asian menu, from Vietnamese pho to Japanese-inspired dishes, is among the standout dining options at sea. See Rotterdam’s cabins and deck plans for stateroom choices.

What does a small ship cruise actually include?

What’s covered depends entirely on the line and the fare tier you choose — and this is exactly where a specialist earns their keep. Some fares are bare cruise-only: you pay for the voyage and everything else is optional. Others bundle in drinks packages, Wi-Fi, dining credits, gratuities and shore excursion allowances. The difference in daily spend between a base fare and a fully inclusive tier can be significant, and it’s not always obvious from the headline price which represents better value for the way you travel.

Our cruise experts go through this with every booking — they know which lines offer strong all-inclusive value, which add-on packages are worth paying for and which you’re unlikely to use. That conversation costs nothing and often saves a meaningful amount on a longer voyage.

Make it a full holiday

The vast majority of sailings embark overseas — in the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and across Asia. That means the cruise itself is typically the centrepiece of a longer trip, and the flights, pre-cruise hotels and transfers are real planning decisions, not afterthoughts.

CruiseAway can pull all of it into one booking. Our DreamAway Packages combine the cruise with return flights from Australia, hotels before and after, airport transfers and tours — priced together and managed by one team. If you prefer to build something more bespoke, our cruise experts can do that too, mixing and matching components around your preferred itinerary.

For sailings that embark in Australia, the picture is simpler: if you’re local to the departure port, you can drive or take the train to the pier with no flight involved at all. If you’re travelling from another state, a short domestic hop is all it takes — still a far easier journey than reaching most overseas departure ports.

Browse all cruises available through CruiseAway if you want to see what’s available beyond this page, or explore Australian cruise departures if you’d prefer to narrow to sailings from closer to home.

Looking for something more specific?

If you already have a destination in mind, these pages go deeper into specific regions and routes:

• Cruises around Australia in 2027 — coastal and full circumnavigation itineraries
• Cruises from Sydney to New Zealand — one of the most popular transtasman routes
• Australia cruise sailings — the full range of Australian-region itineraries
• New Zealand cruises — fjords, coastal towns and cross-island voyages
• South Pacific cruises — island itineraries from Australian east-coast ports
• Transpacific crossings — for those making the big Pacific voyage
• Mediterranean cruises in 2027 — for northern-hemisphere sailings this year

If you’re planning around a specific city, it’s worth knowing which port you’d actually sail from. Melbourne cruises and Sydney cruises both have dedicated pages with port-specific sailings. Fans of a 28-day cruise around Australia will find a dedicated page for that route, and if timing is tight, last-minute sailings from Sydney are updated regularly. Christmas cruises from Sydney in 2026 are also available for those planning the festive season. Princess travellers planning ahead can explore the Princess 2027–2028 season launch for what’s coming next.