Norwegian Cruise Lines to sail five cruises from Australia in 2026/27

• NCL has released its 2026/27 itineraries.
• There are five listed cruises in Australia, down from nine in 2025/26.
• NCL has previously expressed some issues with sailing in Australia.

Norwegian Cruise Line has rolled out their 2026/27 itineraries. The cruise line though, will be sailing five voyages from Australia between November 2026 and March 2027, putting a bigger focus on the fly-cruise market for Aussies.

The brand has been investing more in the Asia/Pacific region, sending record numbers of ships to the continent.

Next year’s 2025/2026 season will have nine cruises out of Australia. Norwegian Spirit will visit Australia and sail predominantly around the South Pacific. She won’t visit any local ports.

NCL has been pushing fly cruise to Australian consumers, encouraging Aussies to jump on a plane and then on a cruise, rather than cruise out of Australia.

NCL executives have expressed several complaints to Cruise Passenger in the past of factors that make sailing in Australia difficult. For example, competing for port space in Sydney Harbour can be difficult, with limited opportunities, especially for larger ships that can’t fit under the harbour bridge to use the alternative port. Furthermore, along with many other cruise lines and people in the industry, Australia’s high regulatory costs have been noted.

These factors perhaps served as encouragement for NCL to build up its presence in Asia, rather than prioritise Australia as a homeport or high-profile destination for their brand.

The good news is that those who do want to jump onboard, can find a range of cruises for 50% off.

Other itineraries

As part of their Black Friday sales, Norwegian Cruise Line has rolled out a huge number of itineraries for 2026/2027, with over 400 itineraries spanning 39 countries. The itineraries stretch across September 2026 to April 2027, and if guests are quick, they can take advantage of a 50% promotion on all published sailings.

The new itineraries include stops and homeports in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and plenty more. NCL is continuing to increase its presence across Asia, with a seven-month Asian season set to visit plenty of new ports across the region.

What is NCL saying?

David J Herrera, President, of Norwegian Cruise Line said, “Offering guests more ways to have their own best vacation with more of what they love is central to our commitment. With our new fall-winter 2026/27 itineraries, we’re thrilled to provide them with even more voyage options, destinations, and ships to choose from, including our newest cutting-edge vessels, Norwegian Aqua™ and Norwegian Luna™.

“For added convenience, we will feature weekend turnarounds from ports across the U.S., including New Orleans, Miami, and Galveston, Texas, making it easier for guests to set sail on their own schedule. The upcoming holiday season is the perfect time to start planning while getting the most value from your vacation.”

Ben Angell, VP and Managing Director, NCL APAC, commented, “We are delighted to extend our Asia-Pacific offering with even more perfectly curated opportunities to explore more of the world. NCL is providing Indian travellers even more options to enjoy their best holiday and cruise how, when and where they want to – whether discovering the many wonders of Asia through one of our open-jaw or round-trip Tokyo sailings or exploring Australia’s wine regions and our first ever four-day taster cruise.”