Unsure about cruising Europe this year? Here are five places to sail instead

• As conflict in Iran continues, many Australians aren’t sure if they’ll still make it to Europe this winter for their summer travels.
• This is due to disrupted flight connections through the Middle East, which hit cruisers particularly hard as they have less flexible travel dates.
• If your Europe plans aren’t looking likely, here’s where to go this year instead.

Many Australians who had a planned summer of travel in Europe have seen their plans thrown into doubt due to the USA’s war on Iran in the Middle East. This has lead to thousands of cancelled flights, countries closing airspace, strict travel warnings from the Australian government and more.

This is a major hurdle for many Australians, as a flight through the Middle East is the preferred way to arrive in Europe for many. 

Lines like Qantas, Virgin, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad and more all stop in locations such as Dubai or Doha on their way to Europe. With all indications appearing to show that the conflict is set to continue, this means that Aussies who thought they had their Europe flights locked in might be left without a way to arrive.

The impact so far has been massive, with 60,000 flight cancellations in and out of the Middle East. For flights between Australasia and Europe, the airlines Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways represents a massive 57% of total passenger traffic.

This means alternative routes are becoming extremely competitive and rising in prices and the reality is that if the situation doesn’t change soon, many people are going to miss out on their Europe flights.

If you’re looking for alternative ways to get to Europe, Cruise Passenger already has you covered with a guide on all the other ways to fly from Australia to Europe. However, if inflated prices and travel stress don’t sound like your cup of tea, you might prefer to turn your eyes elsewhere and cruise somewhere new.

While a classic European cruise is hard to beat, there are other options, both local and international, that can offer something new and give you the peace of mind of not having to worry about flight interruptions.

Here are a few alternatives for your travels over the coming months.

Alaska

Generally setting sail out of Seattle or Vancouver, two easy-to-reach destinations for Australians, Alaska cruises are a feature on many bucket lists. It’s a cruise where you’ll truly see a postcard-worthy view wherever you look.

Guests can see anything from whales leaping out of water to grizzly bears hunting down salmon, as they travel to a unique and wild part of the world.

The season runs in line with the European season from May through to September and just about every cruise line you could imagine offers Alaska itineraries. A seven-night cruise with a line like Carnival or Royal Caribbean may start from around $1200 total, but NCL, Celebrity Cruises, Disney, Holland America Line, Princess, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas and more all sail in Alaska, so you won’t be short on options. 

Flights: Return flights from Sydney to Seattle with Air Canada starts from around $2300 for a July flight. Other options include Qantas or United in the $2400-2700 range for return flights.

Cruise prices: A seven day cruise with Carnival ranges from $1150 – $1500. A seven-day cruise Princess ranges from $1500 – $1800. A seven-day cruise with Royal Caribbean ranges from $1500 – 2000.

The Kimberley 

You can see some of the world’s most rugged and untouched scenery without ever leaving Australia, with the season running from about April to September.

It should be mentioned that straight away that this is not a budget destination, here you’ll find expedition and luxury cruise lines like Seabourn, Ponant, Silversea, Scenic, Coral Expeditions and more.

However, those who do make the trip will be rewarded with amazing scenery and wildlife, with red towering sea cliffs, thundering waterfalls and bright coral reefs all dotted throughout the region. 

Flights: Return flights from Sydney to Broome during the cruise season generally come out to about $1000 return with Virgin Airlines, with a stop in Perth along the way.

Cruise prices:A voyage of 10-days or more will often come out to more than $12,000 per person, but the deals are around if you look and you can often find a slightly shorter cruise for about $8000 per person.

The South Pacific 

While options are limited for Aussies to head out to the South Pacific over the winter months, Carnival Cruises do offer these sailings year round, often starting as low as $100-115 per day. Heading to the South Pacific in these months has the double bonus of getting to escape the Aussie winter for a couple of weeks, as well as a much lower chance of running into bad weather or even cyclones, when compared to the summer.

Carnival offers plenty of options out to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, leaving from either Sydney or Brisbane. 

This is by far the most economical option on the list, but also offers little flexibility as Carnival is the only line consistently sailing over the winter months. If you want a longer holiday you could cruise back to back and combine your cruise with a trip to Queensland or simply a weekend getaway for a few extra days at sea.

Flight prices: The easiest way is to not fly at all and cruise directly out from Sydney or Melbourne. There are also options to fly and start your cruise in the South Pacific, but this will generally be for expedition or luxury cruises.

Cruise price: A 10-night Carnival Cruise to the South Pacific ranges from $950 – $1300. With Royal Caribbean it is around $1500 to $1800, generally for a nine-night cruise.

Japan 

Japan is always a popular travel option for Aussies, with plenty of sightseeing and culture to be enjoyed. It’s also an easy place to find a cruise with your favourite line because Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and NCL all offer sailings. 

Princess is generally a stand out for Japan, as they have plenty of ships stationed in Asia and sail the full Japanese season, often offering the chances to sync up your sailing with major Japanese festivals, the cherry blossom season and more. 

The cherry blossom season runs from March to May, with June to August offering warmer months and October and November offering more of an Autumn look and feel. 

You’re generally looking at around $200 a night in Japan with a line like Princess or Royal Caribbean and it’s a fantastic alternative for those going cold on their Europe plans.

Flights: Average flight prices from Sydney are around $1000 – 1250 with ANA.

Cruise prices: A 10-day cruise with Carnival starts from around $2000, an eight-night cruise with Royal Caribbean starts from around $2000, and a nine-night Princess cruises starts from $2000.

China

While China isn’t well known as a cruise destination, this could be set to change soon. Aussies have been flocking to China since visa-free travel was announced and the trend looks set to continue. 

As China’s tourism grows, its cruise industry is as well, with cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises looking to grow in the region, with Royal Caribbean already sailing year round.

Flights to China also prove surprisingly cheap due to China’s low cost carriers such as China Eastern and China Southern offering great prices year-round, with options in the $750-850 return range generally up for grabs.

Cruises from China with lines like Royal Caribbean generally go into either Japan or South Korea, meaning you get a mix of different Asian cuisines and cultures on your trip. 

While China is a bit out of left field for a cruise, it’s a growing destination and is worth considering if you’re thinking about ditching Europe this winter.

Flights: Flights to Shanghai have a year round average of about $700-$800 with carriers like China Southern, China Eastern and Air Asia.

Cruise prices: A five-night Royal Caribbean cruise starts from around $850, and a eight-night cruise starts from around $1650.