Key Aspects:
- Australia’s prime cruising season will begin in October 2025 and continue to April 2026, drawing 60-plus cruise ships operated by two-dozen cruise lines.
- A major annual conference, Cruise360 Australasia, is underway in Sydney, where delegates are discussing cruise trends across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.
- Data shows that the average age of cruise guests has fallen to 46.5 years, with fully a third of passengers now under age 40.
The summer cruising season in the Northern Hemisphere is starting to fade, as the final voyages to destinations such as Alaska, Iceland, and Scandinavia are closing in, but Down Under in Australia, the summer season is just gearing up and it looks to be another winner.
Australia’s prime cruise season runs from October to April, and during the 2025-26 season, 63 cruise ships operated by 24 cruise lines will sail the region.
The look-ahead numbers were revealed as Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) Cruise360 Australasia conference is held in Sydney on August 27 to 28, 2025.
Attracting some 850 delegates, the gathering addresses industry trends evolving in the region, such as growth in the luxury cruise market and an increase in first-time cruise guests.
“The popularity of cruising continues to grow worldwide, and Australia is undoubtedly one of the world’s most spectacular cruise destinations,” said Joel Katz, managing director of CLIA Australasia.
“The summer ahead will offer an incredible diversity of experiences aboard some of the world’s most spectacular ships,” added Katz.
The Australia region is seeing a spike in new cruisers, as roughly 31% of cruise guests during the past two years were first-time passengers. The number shows an increase from pre-pandemic years, when just 24% of cruisers were new to the industry in 2019.
Advances in niche cruise markets such as luxury and expedition have led to increases in popularity in these sectors, and overall, cruise guests are getting younger.
Globally, a cruise guest’s average age is 46.5 years, and one-third of all cruisers are under 40, data from the conference shows. On a regional basis, the Australia/New Zealand/Pacific area comes in seventh in the top 10 worldwide cruising destinations, according to CLIA’s 2025 State of the Industry report.
The Sapphire Coast region of New South Wales includes the Port of Sydney, Port of Eden, Port Botany, Port Jackson, Port Kembla, and the Port of Newcastle, all of which were predicted to receive a total of about 1.2 million cruise guests during the 2024-25 season.
The cruise industry in those regions is responsible for bringing nearly $8.5 billion a year to the Australian economy. Sydney attracts the greatest share of cruise ships in New South Wales, as it is a homeport for many vessels and a routine port call on virtually every world cruise.
Major Cruise Lines Will Sail Australia in 2025-26
Australia attracts the contemporary cruise lines such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, along with several ultra-luxury brands and expedition lines, plus premium brands like Holland America Line, Azamara Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises, among others.
Carnival Cruise Line will have four ships based in Australia during the upcoming season, as Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Encounter sail from Brisbane, and Carnival Adventure and Carnival Splendor homeport in Sydney.
Royal Caribbean will deploy Anthem of the Seas to Sydney and Voyager of the Seas to Brisbane, while Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Spirit will sail between Sydney and Auckland.
Worth Checking: Check Prices and Itineraries for Australia Cruises
In 2025, premium line Princess Cruises will mark 50 years of sailing from Australia. The line’s Crown Princess will deploy to Sydney in September 2025 and operate year-round voyages through early November 2026.
Disney Cruise Line will base Disney Wonder Down Under for a third season, sailing from three ports — Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland, but in a surprise announcement, it recently disclosed it will not return to Australia after the 2025-26 season.
Expedition cruise lines set to return to Australian waters include Aurora Expeditions, Coral Expeditions, and Heritage Expeditions, while top luxury lines that will bring guests to Australia are Crystal, Ponant, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
