Best Cruises for Australians in 2025: What You Need to Know
Cruising has always had a special place in the hearts of Australians. There’s a certain magic in stepping aboard, hearing the steady thrum of the engines, and waking each morning to a new horizon without ever needing to drag a suitcase across an airport floor. Its travel made simple, yet still full of discovery. In 2024, more than 1.3 million Australians set sail, nearly matching the all-time record, making us one of the most cruise loving nations on earth.
On paper, the average cruiser is in their late forties, thanks to short family-friendly trips with plenty of splash and dazzle think Disney and mega-ships with waterparks. But look more closely at the longer cultural voyages, river journeys, and ocean crossings, and the picture changes. These trips, often stretching across weeks rather than weekends, are filled largely with guests in their sixties and seventies. For them, cruising is less about frantic entertainment or fighting for a deck chair, and more about comfort, enrichment, and travelling at a pace that feels both secure and unhurried.
The cruise industry itself is also shifting. With lines merging, brands disappearing, and fewer ships based in Australian waters, travellers are being nudged to choose more carefully than ever. The good news is today’s options are far more transparent and accessible. With Google, online reviews, and even AI tools like the Slow Travel Planner GPT from MyLifestyle.au, travellers can now plan with confidence and independence.
It wasn’t always that way. I still remember my very first cruise as if it were yesterday. I was about nineteen, and after coming through a difficult chapter in life, we decided a short cruise would be a gentle way to start travelling again. Back then, choice was limited, and research was old-school. If you wanted to book, you had to visit a travel agent, sit across the desk, and hope they didn’t load your ticket with hidden extras to boost their commission. Naïve and excited, we booked a four-night sailing on the P&O Oriana, departing from Sydney to New Zealand.
Of course, living in Brisbane meant we first had to endure the mighty Greyhound bus for the ten-hour journey south. By the time we stumbled off at Circular Quay, bleary-eyed and too early to board, I turned to my husband and muttered, “Never again.” But exhaustion melted into anticipation as we finally stepped aboard. Suddenly, we were nineteen and wide-eyed in a whole new world endless food that felt impossibly glamorous, live entertainment we’d never seen the likes of, and colourful cocktails that tasted of adventure. As the Oriana gently rocked her way towards New Zealand, we knew one thing for sure this would not be our last cruise.
The Cruise Honour Roll: Who Stands Out in 2025
Cruises aren’t all the same and neither are the people who choose them. Some travellers thrive on non-stop fun, bright lights, and late-night noise, while others long for quiet corners, good food, and cultural depth. Picking the right line really comes down to matching the holiday to your personality.
I learned that the hard way. Years ago, when I was feeling utterly burnt out from teaching, I booked a short cruise around the South Pacific. All I wanted was a quiet trip, a bit of sunshine, and maybe a cocktail or two. Because we’d been to the islands before, I skipped the shore excursions and planned to simply rest onboard. Voyager of the Seas seemed perfect a smaller ship compared to today’s floating cities, and just what I thought I needed.
What I didn’t realise was that some parents take their children out of school just before the holidays and bring them on a cruise. On this particular sailing there were 1,100 kids onboard. Now, I don’t mind children at all, but hundreds of them running wild at all hours is another story. They pressed every button in the lifts, darted around the corridors, and turned the pool deck ice-cream machine into their personal playground. Meanwhile, their parents sipped cocktails and seemed oblivious. Let’s just say it wasn’t the quiet, restorative escape I’d envisioned.
That trip taught me something important: the glossy brochures never tell the whole story. A ship that looks glamorous on paper can feel very different once you’re living it day after day. Since then, I’ve learned to look beyond the shiny atriums and ask, “Who is this cruise really designed for?” It’s saved me from more than one “ice-cream machine showdown,” and these days I can spot a family ship a mile away.
That experience showed me something every traveller eventually learns the right cruise line can make or break your holiday. Each one has its own personality, its own rhythm, and its own type of traveller it suits best. Some are designed for families and fun-seekers, others for culture lovers, and a few for those who want the full luxury treatment. So before you book, it’s worth knowing who’s who. Here’s a closer look at the lines that stand out in 2025, and what you can expect when you step aboard.
Holland America Line – Calm seas and classic comfort.
If you’re the type who prefers a good glass of wine and a string quartet over a neon-lit party, then Holland America is where you’ll feel at home. Their ships have an old-world charm wide teak promenades perfect for a slow walk, cosy libraries, and a sense that the journey itself is just as important as the destination. They don’t go for gimmicks or sky-high slides; instead, they lean into cultural activities, cooking classes, and live music. For guest the peace of mind is even deeper their medical care is considered the best at sea, with highly trained doctors onboard. There’s a reason people come back again and again it feels safe, enriching, and quietly elegant.
Viking Ocean Cruises – Travel for the curious, not the hurried
Stepping onto a Viking ship feels like entering a calm retreat. No children under 18, no casinos, no loud pool parties just a focus on learning and cultural discovery. Days are filled with lectures, art displays, and performances that bring destinations to life. Evenings are quieter, often spent with a book in the Wintergarden lounge or gazing out from the Explorers Lounge as the sea slips by. For me, Viking epitomises slow travel at sea unhurried, reflective, and designed for those who want their holidays to feed the mind as much as the soul.
Cunard Line – Elegance with a touch of tradition.
Cunard is like stepping back into the golden age of travel. There’s a formality about it ballroom dancing, afternoon tea served with precision, gala nights where the sparkle isn’t just in the chandeliers. Some might call it old-fashioned, but for many, that’s exactly the appeal. It feels like an occasion, something special. I admire that Cunard has also embraced solo travellers with dedicated staterooms, proving that tradition can be welcoming as well as elegant. For those who love a sense of ceremony and history, few cruise lines can match Cunard’s atmosphere.
A personal note: this line is known for its formal dress codes. Pack carefully or plan to update your wardrobe with a few glamorous pieces before you board.
Regent Seven Seas – Luxury without the surprises.
There’s something comforting about paying once and not having to think about your wallet again. Regent Seven Seas is the master of this approach. Drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, excursions it’s all included. Even hotel stays before the cruise and flights are bundled in. The fares aren’t cheap, but what you buy is peace of mind. For budget conscience in particular, knowing you won’t be stung by hidden costs can be the difference between relaxing and worrying. Onboard, everything feels polished, from the dining to the service, and you can focus entirely on enjoying the journey.
Norwegian Cruise Line – Solo-friendly and full of spirit.
I’ve always felt a bit sorry for solo travellers who get punished with double fares. Norwegian changed the game with their Studio Cabins clever little spaces designed and priced just for one person. Better yet, they added exclusive lounges where solo travellers can meet, mingle, and make friends. It turned what used to be a lonely experience into a social one. For guests who don’t want to wait for someone else to travel with, NCL makes cruising accessible, affordable, and fun again. It’s a reminder that cruising isn’t just for couples or families it’s for anyone with a spirit of adventure.
Royal Caribbean: Big, Bold, and Built for Fun
Royal Caribbean is, without doubt, the king of the mega-ship experience and I’ll admit, it’s my favourite type of cruise. These floating cities are designed to impress, with rock climbing walls, surf simulators, zip lines, ice-skating rinks, Broadway-style productions, and even neighbourhoods at sea. There’s a real sense of scale and spectacle the moment you step aboard. Families love them because there’s always something for kids and teens to do, while adults can retreat to quieter lounges, solariums, or cocktail bars when they need a breather. Personally, I love the energy there’s always something happening, and it feels like the ship itself is a destination. Of course, that comes with a trade-off: these ships are busy, buzzing, and often packed to capacity. If you thrive on action, Royal Caribbean delivers in spades. If you prefer peace and quiet, you may want to choose carefully or pack a good set of earplugs.
MSC Cruises: European Flair Meets Mega-Ship Style
MSC brings a touch of Europe to the seas. Their ships are glamorous, modern, and often enormous, with sprawling pool decks, glitzy atriums, and a distinctly continental feel. Onboard you’ll hear a mix of languages, taste menus with Italian flair, and see families enjoying cruising in that big, multigenerational style Europeans do so well. Their new mega-ships rival Royal Caribbean’s for size and spectacle water parks, bowling alleys, and even indoor promenades lined with shops and cafes. They can feel a little chaotic, especially if you’re used to smaller ships, but they’re also vibrant and full of life. MSC also offers the exclusive “Yacht Club” experience a private, ship-within-a-ship enclave with its own lounge, pool, and butlers, perfect for those who want the excitement of a big vessel but the comfort of a quiet retreat.
What Really Matters at Sea
It’s easy to get swept up by the glossy brochures the pools, the shows, the gleaming dining rooms but once you’re onboard for a week or two, it’s the smaller details that shape your holiday.
Medical care is one of them. Nobody plans to use it, but knowing there are well-trained doctors onboard, as with Holland America, can make all the difference.
Then there are hidden costs. A fare might look cheap until you add gratuities, Wi-Fi, drinks, and excursions. Regent Seven Seas avoids this by including almost everything, while most other lines expect you to budget carefully.
For solo travellers, Norwegian Cruise Line changed the game with their Studio Cabins, making cruising affordable and social without the dreaded single supplement.
And perhaps most important is the atmosphere. Some ships thrum with constant energy, while others offer quiet spaces and calm routines. I’ve been on both, and it’s the atmosphere not the brochure promises that stays with you.
In the end, the real question is simple will this cruise leave you rested, enriched, and inspired or worn out and needing a holiday from your holiday.
Slow Travel at Sea
At first glance, cruising and slow travel might seem like opposites. A ship moves on a schedule, calling into ports for a day before sailing on. But if you choose the right cruise, it can become the very essence of slow travel. You unpack once, settle in, and let the world come to you at a pace that feels effortless. The movement of the ship itself becomes part of the experience the gentle sway at night, the sound of waves against the hull, the calm of mornings at sea.
Slow travel isn’t about ticking off the maximum number of sights in the shortest time. It’s about depth rather than speed. Cruising, when done well, offers that. You might attend a lecture about tomorrow’s destination and then step ashore with a deeper understanding of its history and culture or and Enrichment talk on AI and come away saying I did not know that. You might linger over a long lunch in a quiet onboard restaurant, watching the horizon drift by. Or you might simply take the chance to rest truly rest in a way that land-based travel often doesn’t allow.
For me, this is where the true heart of cruising lies. It’s not just a way of moving from A to B it’s a way of experiencing the journey itself. A cruise gives you the choice to shape each day: you can be as busy as you like, packing in shows, activities, and shore excursions, or you can slow right down, finding quiet corners for reflection, conversation, and connection. Either way, you arrive at each port not frazzled and tired, but curious and ready to explore. And when you return home, you carry more than just photos you carry the feeling of having lived at your own pace, whether fast or gentle, even just for a little while.
Cruising Into a New Era
Final Thoughts
Cruising in 2025 might look a little different some old names have vanished, new ones are making noise, and the ships just keep getting bigger. But let’s be honest the magic is still there. There’s nothing quite like waking up somewhere new without fighting through airports or lugging bags across train stations.
For many, cruising isn’t just a holiday, it’s practically a national sport. Whether you’re nineteen and wide eyed on your first sailing or seventy and happily ordering your second cocktail of the day, the appeal is the same new horizons, new experiences, and the luxury of letting someone else do the driving.
In the end, the best cruise is simply the one that leaves you smiling when you step back on land. Maybe you’re rested, maybe you’re sunburnt, maybe you’ve eaten your body weight in buffets but if you’re already thinking about booking the next one, that’s how you know the sea’s got you hooked. Book wisely, pack lightly, and save me a seat at sail away.
Ready to Plan Your Own Cruise?
If all this talk of life at sea has you itching to book, here are a few handy links to get you started:
- Check the latest cruise deals here with Cruise Away
- Compare shore excursions here with Viator
- Grab my go-to travel insurance before you sail with SafetyWing
- Slow Travel Panner GPT by MyLifestyle.au
Planning a cruise does not have to be stressful let these tools do the heavy lifting so you focus on the fun (like which cocktail to try first on deck)
Love MyLifestyle #Sheridan-Leigh
Read my personal journal stories here.
About the Author:
Sheridan-Leigh is the passionate voice behind the MyLifestyle Blog, where life is celebrated with vibrant stories and insightful travel tips. With a deep love for slow travel, she believes in truly experiencing each destination, creating connections beyond the surface. Her blog is a blend of personal stories, expert advice, and a philosophy that life is for living to the fullest and is rich with opportunities for growth and adventure. Join Sheridan-Leigh as she shares her journey, inspiring others to embrace life, travel deeply, and live fully.
Below are some recent travels on an interactive map.
Alternatively, view the full interactive travel journey at MyLifestyle Travel Map
Click on a trip line to see images, posts, accommodation and travel information about the destinations.
