The results are in! Here are the holiday habits of Australia’s most loyal cruisers

• Aussies are still willing to spend on travel, including premium and luxury prices.
• They will commit to long holidays with a variety of itineraries, likely due to long travel times to destinations.
• They won’t compromise on comfort- especially when flying.
• River cruising is on the radar of many Australians.

It will be the number one issue at the upcoming election. But what is the cost of living doing to the holiday habits of Australia’s most loyal cruisers?

Not much, it seems. Almost 40 per cent told us they were continuing to spend on travel, and another 30 per cent admitted they were being more frugal, choosing upper premium rather than luxury lines or cutting back their days.

But most were not cutting back on their favourite pastime. A staggering 93 per cent said they were looking or had already booked a cruise or travel holiday.

We asked a series of questions to gauge the spending and travelling habits, and more than 1,000 replied over one weekend.

The answers to our survey provided valuable insights into how Australians are travelling in 2025/26.

Are you still spending money on cruises?

With the cost of living crisis affecting many Australians, we wanted to see whether their plans to cruise were being impacted by efforts to save money.

Australia’s zest for cruising is not showing any signs of slowing down. Only 9% of respondents said they were less inclined to cruise because of money concerns. Post-covid, Aussies seem to agree that travel is a luxury people are not willing to give up. 

On that note, cruises do offer great value for money, making travel more affordable and allowing customers to pay for many different products up front. 

27% of respondents said that they’d buy a cruise holiday because it is better value than most holidays. With rising costs for food, drink, activities and transportation, cruise lines offer packages and discounts that can help customers save money, making them a popular choice.

Where do they want to go?

Although domestic travel in Australia remains a popular choice, many Aussies are keen to go on international cruises. Almost 80% of respondents said that they would take 1-3 international holidays a year.

When asked what their bucket list destinations were, the most popular spot was Japan, with 15% choosing it as their dream getaway. 

A surprisingly popular choice was Antarctica or the Arctic at 6%, which was a preferred destination to the South Pacific, the Caribbean and South America. This highlights Australia’s ongoing interest in expedition or adventure cruising. The polar wilderness is seen as one of the more exciting destinations to venture to, with the rare opportunity to see extraordinary natural phenomena.

River is also on the rise, with 16% of respondents saying they were planning to go on a river cruise next. 

Riving cruising is gaining momentum for a variety of reasons: the ship’s small size means that it can access more places and offer plenty of onshore excursions. They often focus on cultural experiences, fine dining and exploring.

Three companies dominated the majority of river cruise bookings, with 68% of respondents having cruised with either APT, Scenic or Viking before. However, it is likely that a wider range of companies will gain new Australian clientele as the industry continues to grow. 

That growth is a tribute to our own River Cruise Collective campaign, which has restarted for 2025 with six lines taking up membership positions.

How are they staying?

Our survey has proved that Aussies are willing to commit to longer holidays, since travelling times can be long and expensive.

71.2% of respondents sometimes or definitely book an extended stay when cruising overseas. This means that they are not flying over solely to get on their cruise ship. Aussies are interested in making the most of being so far from home. They’ll stay for an additional period of time, whether to travel to other countries or take local tours.

To give an idea of how long Australian cruisers will travel for, 41% of respondents said they’d holiday for over 21 days. Unlike Europeans, Aussies can’t hop on a budget flight to another country within a few hours. So, when they make that 20+ hour trip to Europe, they’re going to explore as much as they can.

How are they cruising?

Despite cost of living pressures, 44% of respondents said that they were considering luxury or premium cruising over other choices. With such a wide range of options in premium and luxury cruising, from Ponant to Oceania to Regent, Australians continue to be attracted by fine dining options and impeccable service.

Continuing with this trend of opting for a luxury experience on holiday, 41% of respondents said that they would fly premium economy or above to their desired destination. Perhaps long travel distances mean that Aussies are willing to splash their cash on a more comfortable journey.