Australia’s cruise industry celebrated the region’s season start in Sydney today with new statistics showing a big increase in those wanting berths in the next six months.
The so-called wave season kicks up in September with an armada of vessels – see our guide below.
Cruise Lines International Association Australasia MD Joel Katz welcomed a record 850 travel agents and cruise line executives to Cruise360.
“This event has long been the biggest cruise industry gathering in the Southern Hemisphere, and through your passion and involvement it is now bigger than ever and certainly one of the most important tourism events in this region,” he said.
And he announced a new record.
“Earlier this year CLIA announced a very important milestone. Our annual passenger figures show we have overtaken the numbers achieved previously in 2019, and moved into new territory. We’re setting new records.
“CLIA’s forecasts indicate we will break that record again in 2024, reaching 34.1 million passengers worldwide, and again next year with 36.4 million.
“Australasia has followed the global trend with positive figures of our own, recording 1.34 million passengers from across this region in 2023.
Australia alone contributed 1.24 million passengers to that total, surpassing 2019 levels and confirming once again that this is one of the world’s most passionate cruise markets.
“We have good reason to be confident this passion will continue, despite cost of living pressures.”
Though CLIA’s latest consumer sentiment research shows the intention to cruise remains strong worldwide, including in Australia and New Zealand, Katz mentioned the problems of the cost and regulation impacting deployments in the region.
Cruise Passenger exclusively disclosed that 30 per cent fewer cabins could be available in 2026.
“While the market is strong, recent deployment announcements by cruise lines reflect the high cost of operating in this region, and the impact of regulatory complexities,” he said.
As a result, capacity in Australia is likely to remain static in the short term, and in New Zealand it is notably down, he said.
Worldwide. cruise lines are continuing their investment in spectacular new ships.
“The current world order book shows 71 new cruise ships scheduled for delivery through to 2036 with a combined value of more than US$60 billion.
“It’s interesting to note that despite the attention on the largest ships, the reality is we have a good balance among ship sizes in the fleet today, and into the future, with a third being small ships, a third medium, and a third larger ships.
“Importantly, every new ship coming into service will take us further towards our sustainability goals. Each one is more efficient than those it supersedes, bringing more efficient propulsion systems, new fuels, better energy management, and the newest engine technologies.”
CLIA has pledged a path to net zero emissions by 2050 – and Cruise Passenger has published today it’s magazine, New Wave, showing the latest breakthroughs in emissions reduction.
You can read it here: https://issuu.com/bigsplashmedia/docs/new_wave_2024
Who is cruising in 2024/25
A total of 25 CLIA cruise lines will operate ships in Australian waters between October and April, including:
Azamara Cruises
Azamara Pursuit will sail a variety of cruises in the region, arriving in Geraldton in mid- December then sailing the Great Australian Bight with visits to Albany, Esperance and Kangaroo Island before making her way across the Tasman for a series of New Zealand voyages. Pursuit will also be in Sydney Harbour over the New Year period and will cruise back through the Bight to Hong Kong as she departs Australia in late February. Azamara Onward will also sail in Australian and New Zealand waters from mid-February as a part of a World Cruise itinerary. The two ships will make a grand entrance into Sydney Harbour together on February 20.
Carnival Cruise Line
The family-oriented cruise line is offering itineraries across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Carnival Luminosa arrives in Brisbane in November for her homeport summer season, while Carnival Splendor is based year-round in Sydney.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity will return to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific with the award-winning Celebrity Edge from 22 October. Showcasing the signature Edge Series for a second season, Celebrity Edge will embark on 17 sailings ranging from three to 14 nights. Departing from Sydney and Auckland, she will visit a collection of 26 ports during her six months in region, from the dramatic landscapes of Dunedin to the pristine beaches of the Australian East Coast and Fiji. Celebrity Solstice will also return to local waters for two turns departing from Sydney on October 19 for Asia and then April 9 for Fiji and the Transpacific.
Coral Expeditions
The small ship expedition line has 103 departures scheduled for 2024-25 across the purpose-built fleet of three Australian- flagged expedition ships including the yacht-like Coral Discoverer (72 pax), and sister ships Coral Adventurer and Coral Geographer (120 pax). In its 40th year of operations Coral Expeditions has a record number of forward bookings. Along its position as the largest Kimberley cruise operator, Coral Expeditions will sail the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, Cape York and the Torres Straits and has increased to a six-departure season in Western Australia’s Abrolhos and Coral Coast.
Cunard
Queen Elizabeth will arrive in October for a homeporting season from Sydney, with the third edition of the Great Australian Culinary Voyage and the inaugural Australian Literature Festival At Sea being some of her season’s highlights. In February, the brand- new Queen Anne will make her maiden voyage to Australia on her world cruise.
Disney Cruise Line
The mouse is returning to Australia and New Zealand for a second season of cruises from October 2024 through to February 2025. Itineraries range from two to seven nights, sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. The magic of Christmas will also be celebrated on board select sailings from November 24, 2024 to January 3, 2025.
Heritage Expeditions
Australasia’s only family-owned and -operated expedition cruise company celebrates its 40th anniversary with bucket-list voyages aboard its luxurious 140-guest flagship Heritage Adventurer. As Southern Ocean cruise pioneers, the line’s voyages will sail from New Zealand to the Subantarctic Islands of Australia and New Zealand, into the ‘heart of Antarctica’, the Ross Sea, along Australia’s iconic Kimberley coast, and around New Zealand’s three main islands. More intimate New Zealand cruises around Fiordland, Stewart Island and Marlborough Sounds are offered on the luxurious 18-guest expedition yacht Heritage Explorer.
Holland America Line’s
Westerdam arrives in Sydney on 17 November for an exciting summer taking guests around Australia and New Zealand. Guests can choose from a range of itineraries, including a 35-day circumnavigation of Australia departing 17 November, visiting stunning destinations including Cairns, Bali, Broome and Hobart.
MSC Cruises
MSC is preparing for its World Cruise 2025 which will see MSC Magnifica take a 116-night voyage around the world visiting 50 destinations across 21 countries and five continents. From 4 March, she will head Down Under to enjoy an extended tour of New Zealand and Australia as one of the last international ship visits to round off the cruise season.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s
Norwegian Sun will make her Australian debut this summer, arriving in Brisbane on 18 December after a leisurely 18-day French Polynesia and South Pacific sailing. She will sail a selection of 12-to- 15-day voyages between Australia and New Zealand, including a new collection of brand-first itineraries to the Great Barrier Reef and South Pacific between Cairns, Australia, and Lautoka, Fiji, which is also NCL’s first turnaround in both ports.
Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises is preparing for an exciting return to Australia and New Zealand with the better-than-new Insignia, Regatta and Nautica all sailing in local waters. Sixteen destination-intensive itineraries will grace Australian and New Zealand ports, with 11 voyages embarking or debarking in Sydney or Auckland. A 34-day circumnavigation of Australia aboard Regatta during the festive season calls into Whitsunday Island (Airlie Beach), Cairns, Darwin, Fremantle, Melbourne and Burnie. Meanwhile, New Zealand highlights include the Bay of Islands, tastes of stunning wines in Napier, Wellington’s spectacular vistas, and Te Puia’s hot springs.
P&O Cruises Australia
The all-Aussie cruise line is set to embark on its final summer season at sea, offering over 80 sailings from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, visiting destinations such as the Pacific Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Island, Kangaroo Island, Tasmania, Exmouth, and more. In March 2025, Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter will join the Carnival Cruise fleet, sailing year-round from Sydney and Brisbane as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter.
Ponant
The expedition vessels Le Jacques-Cartier and Le Laperouse will conclude their Kimberley season at the end of September 2024. Le Laperouse will then sail Cairns to Bali exploring Northeast Australia and Indonesia. Le Jacques-Cartier will embark on an exploration of Indonesia in October, and Australia’s South Coast and Tasmania from December. From January, she will explore New Zealand with journeys from Auckland to Lyttelton and a new itinerary from Auckland to Cairns via New Caledonia. From December, Le Soléal will explore New Zealand, including two departures to its Subantarctic Islands, as well as Northeast Australia and Indonesia. In January, PASPALEY PEARL by PONANT’s new 30-guest expedition vessel, PASPALEY PEARL, will embark on her inaugural season in Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands, before turning to the Kimberley.
Princess Cruises
The line has Royal Princess returning to Sydney for her second homeport season and she will be joined by Crown Princess and Diamond Princess. Crown makes her debut season in Australia, becoming the largest ship Princess has ever homeported here year-round. In June 2025, Crown Princess will make her inaugural 113- night world cruise voyage from Sydney.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Seven Seas Explorer will return to Australia and New Zealand for the third time, in December 2024, offering three itineraries including a 16-night Bali to Sydney voyage, a 14-night festive season cruise from Sydney to Auckland, and another 14-night Auckland to Sydney sojourn. Meanwhile, Seven Seas Voyager sails into Australia in January 2025 on her Singapore to Sydney Pristine Australian Wilderness cruise, visiting Indonesian and Queensland ports on the way to Sydney, and embarks on an 18-night sailing from Auckland to Bali (Benoa) in March 2025.
Royal Caribbean
The summer season features the return of Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas. The line offers more than 40 domestic and international cruises when the ships visit destinations around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Scenic Luxury Cruises
The line will operate the ultra-luxury Scenic Eclipse II in Australia, exploring the Great Barrier Reef, the Kimberley region, and the West Australian coastline including the Abrolhos Islands. In New Zealand, the ship will cruise both the North and South Islands including the beautiful Bay of Islands and Fiordland. In expedition mode, Scenic Eclipse II will venture into the rarely visited East Antarctica and the Ross Sea, where passengers will experience the majestic ice landscapes and unique wildlife.
Seabourn
Seabourn Quest arrives in Melbourne on 10 January for a summer exploring the wonders of Australia and New Zealand. Quest follows Seabourn Pursuit’s majestic maiden season exploring the Kimberley in 2024.
Silversea
The luxury line will unveil its groundbreaking Nova Class ship, Silver Nova, with a debut in Australian waters at the end of 2024, marking the start of its Australia and New Zealand season. In addition to Silver Nova, Silver Muse will offer voyages through Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania from December to March and deliver unforgettable experiences.
