• My Cruises, an offshoot of Flight Centre owned Ignite Travel, has rented Oceania’s Regatta for more than a year.
• The company’s Brisbane team has created Explorations by Norwegian and is now selling a world cruise of 370 nights.
• A quarter of the suites have already gone, including one for the whole journey, which was sold to a divorcee for $500,000.

P&O Australia may be gone, but welcome My Cruises Explorations by Norwegian – a hybrid cruise line in which the Flight Centre-owned, award winning cruise agency has chartered Oceania’s Regatta for a year to offer a round-the-world itinerary that can also be split into 24 legs.

My Cruises is describing the move as a “whole new era of cruising” after creating an itinerary with Oceania luxuries – think Versace plates, plush decor, artworks and gorgeous upper premium suites – and Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) famous entertainment and service.

The idea came about when My Cruises went to NCL for more cabins on a cruiseon which they had already sold 700 cabins. Norwegian said no because demand was so high – but jokingly suggested the Aussies might want to charter one of their ships.

The My Cruises team took them at their word, and Exporations by Norwegian was born.

What is Explorations by Norwegian

Firstly, harking back to the demise of P&O Australia, this is a journey created by and for Australians.

One look at the map, with a focus on flexibility, immersive experiences, and a seamless fusion of ocean, river, luxury, and expedition cruising, Explorations By Norwegian is a completely new experience.

You can take it all for 370 nights at a base price of $99,990 – that’s $270 for inclusions like all meals, Wi Fi, drinks with meals, a shore excurions allowance, flights and hotel stays.

If you take the full year, you can gift segments to friends and family. Or you can buy one of 24 sectors – but at high value prices.

On a visit to the ship inSydney, Cruise Passenger was taken around Regatta. As you would expect from an NCL ship, she is in great shape.

Newly titled CLIA Cruise Champion for Australasia 2025 Michael Middleton, who came up with the idea, unveiled the latest sectors, which will visit iconic destinations such as the Maldives, Bali, Singapore and India, as well as under-the-radar ports including the Seychelles, Madagascar and Zanzibar.
The 700-guest ship can visit more than 220 ports, offering a small-ship experience with all the amenities and atmosphere of an ocean cruiser.

Middleton is ecstatic at the response from Australians.

“We have been blown away by the way this cruise has taken off in the Aussie market, with 25 percent of all sailings already sold. This growing demand for Explorations by Norwegian sailings has shown our team of cruise experts that we have done the right thing with this unique and trailblazing itinerary.

Our cruise experts have worked with partners to create opportunities no one has even considered before, doubling bucket list opportunities yet keeping the travel to and from at the bare minimum.”

He added: “A core part of My Cruises’ Explorations By Norwegian is its unique blend of ocean, river, luxury and expedition cruising into one. Taking inspiration from river cruising, the cruise will have bikes available onboard for guests to use and self-explore in ports, a unique offering for an ocean cruise.”

Taking a leaf from river cruising, the ships will have Destination Directors, providing a daily briefing before the cruise comes into port to share with guests’ information about the region and activities available whilst the ship is docked in port.

Middelton told Cruise Passenger: “We know Oceania is a great product, but we also know Norwegian is a great product and we’ve tried to blend the two together. It’s an oceania ship, but it’s going to be operated as a Norwegian product.

“The Australian consumer loves that: of course Norwegian does have a great reputation for entertainment and Oceania a great reputation for cuisine. You’ll be getting a blend.”

He adds: ” The ship itself is the perfect size, perfect layout – it really does feel like a home at sea.”

Middleton explains the whole year is split into 24 different segments. “One of my favourites, for example, is Panama Canal. The season before a Panama Canal is Alaska for 6 months and then the season after is Caribbean normally for 5 or 6 months.

“What we’ve done is offered the Panama Canal, which immediately afterwards is followd by the Amazon. What an amazing 30 day trip. The Panama Canal and the Amazon River.

“You only have to fly once to the US, not twice, to do that great itinerary.”

Middleton is a complete enthusiast for the amazing variations of this global cruise. “You know, you could fly to the to Copenhagen and do the Northern Lights and then finish in Cape Town. The Northern lights and the Africa. That is absolutely amazing.”

“We know Australians are travellers, they love to explore, they love to experience. We’ve blended the best of river cruising, which we know Australian consumers love.

“We’re going to have on board what we call a destination director as well as a cruise director, a little bit like on river cruise where they have a destination director that you know might be in the lounge every evening at 7 to say, hey, tomorrow, you know, we’re going to be in Alexandria.

“We want people to kind of get immersed in the destination like you do with river. Obviously ocean cruising, we know Australia is surrounded by ocean, Australian consumers have got this affinity with the sea.

“As far as river is concerned, we’ve already been looking at some of the Europe itineraries to say, for example, you might want to fly into Amsterdam, do one of the Rhine River cruises down to Basel, and then we can take them down to Rome to pick up one at the Med itineraryies”.

Middleton maintains once the idea was suggested by Norwegian it quickly took on a life of its own with the team at My Cruises.

“We’re we’re creating the itineraries with the Australian consumer in mind, you know, we’re getting the uptake that has blown us away with, you know, the inquiry and bookings that are coming through.

My Cruises has grown enormously in the lat five years. But this is a new dimmension.

“This is a proud moment, we’re able to have the ship here, show some key kind of media and industry partners what we’re doing.”

Best of the world cruise segments

As a confirmed Oceania fan, the world cruise looks amazingly enticing.

But some of the segments are stand-outs. Here’s are my picks:

Christmas & New Year Exploration – Mumbai to Singapore & Beyond

23 Night Fly, Stay & Exploration Cruise Holiday including City Stay, All-Inclusive Always & More

From $9,990 pp

South Africa, The Maldives, India & Beyond Exploration

44 Night Fly, Stay & Exploration Cruise Holiday including City Stay, All-Inclusive Always & More

From $15,990 pp

South Africa to Perth Exploration – Cape Town to Fremantle

61 Night Fly, Stay & Exploration Cruise Holiday including City Stay, All-Inclusive Always & More

from $19,990 pp

For more see full details here.