“Book now!” – thanks to the Middle East, that European 2027 cruise may already be full and will certainly be priced at a premium

• Travel agents are urging cruisers to book now, as prices and capacity come under pressure in 2027.
• Cruise lines are experiencing a rise in forward bookings, and many cruisers have been pushing back their cruise plans to 2027 due to geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
• This is leading to stronger forward bookings in both Europe and closer to home in Australia, Asia and the South Pacific.

A combination of the war in the Middle East and a big rise in popularity has experts warning: If you want to cruise next year, book now.

The complications of flying to Europe due to conflict in the Middle East, as well as strong forward bookings across all types of cruising, mean travel agents are urging Aussies to book as soon as possible for 2027, with prices already on the rise as cabins fill up.

Cruise lines are reporting a surge in bookings for 2027 and even 2028.

Viking, a public company, recently reported to shareholders that it is 98% sold out for 2026, making it effectively at maximum capacity.

And it has sold 38% of suites and cabins for 2027 already – a big increase over this year, even with 15% more capacity.

Carnival Corporation has reported that 85 per cent of 2026 sailings have already been booked, and bookings are up 10% year over year, suggesting that 2027 will go even faster.

Royal Caribbean is reporting occupancy above 100 per cent this year, which means ships are filling up beyond just standard double occupancy, and reports that despite a slight slowdown due to geopolitical events, they are now exceeding bookings from last year.

Travel agents warn prices are on the rise

Travel agents are on the front line of the bookings bonanza.

Gladis Mahfoud, founder of Aussie online booking company Investing in Memories, explains how many cruisers are pushing their Europe cruises into 2027 and 2028 due to the complications and uncertainty of flying there at the moment.

“There’s no doubt this is happening. A lot of our clients have actually cancelled their upcoming Europe sailings and pushed them not only into 2027, but even into 2028.”

This has led to strong forward bookings all across Europe, as well as in Polynesia for those seeking alternatives.

“From what I’m personally seeing, Northern Europe, the British Isles, and some luxury or premium cruise lines are seeing particularly strong forward bookings. Polynesia is also becoming increasingly popular with travellers wanting alternatives to Europe at the moment.”

Shane Black, owner of S.W Black Travel is seeing the same trend. He warns that this doesn’t only mean stronger forward bookings in Europe, but also in the South Pacific and Asia as people look for options closer to home.

“I am seeing clients avoiding Europe in the short to medium term which has certainly driven up bookings closer to home – including the South Pacific and Asia. For those who are considering Europe, they do seem to be looking further ahead.

“At the moment, South Pacific, Asia and local Australia cruises seem to be getting booked further out. This seems to be a combination of people avoiding Europe as well as a reluctance to go to North America. Australia circumnavigation cruises in particular seem to be booking out earlier, which seems to be a combination of Aussies seeking to do these cruises, as well as international visitors.”

Mahfoud says the message is clear: You should book now, because everything points to prices going up.

“In terms of pricing, I would absolutely recommend booking as early as possible when clients know what they want. We’re seeing strong demand on certain itineraries and categories, and once availability tightens, prices usually follow.”

Black offers similar guidance: “My advice to clients is to always book as far in advance as possible as this gives you the greatest flexibility with your cabin… the cabins in popular locations will generally go first. If the cruise fare coming down is a concern, it can always be monitored and adjustments may be permitted before final payment is made.”

Sharon Summerhayes, owner of Deluxe Travel and Cruise says she is already seeing prices creep up for 2027.

“Bookings are definitely strong for 2027 and I’ve noticed that prices have increased in the past few months. It’s always best to book as early as possible, especially for high season.”

Cruise is constantly growing and becoming more popular, and this combined with many cruisers shuffling their plans back to 2027 to avoid Middle East travel or not wanting to travel at an uncertain time, means that 2027 looks set to be a year where cabins will go flying.

Cruise lines work on dynamic pricing, meaning the more people that are booked on a cruise, the more expensive the cabins that remain become. This means that if you’re thinking about a cruise for 2027, the best thing you can do is act now, or you might find that fare hundreds or even thousands of dollars more expensive.