This week’s Cruise Month 2026 launch marks the countdown to Australia’s summer cruising season.
Cruise Month celebrates the growing variety of cruise holidays available and includes promotions and travel agency initiatives aimed at new-to-cruise travellers as well as established cruising fans.
Ocean Week is the first phase of Cruise Lines International Association’s campaign which includes four themed weeks showcasing the different experiences of cruising. It starts with ocean cruising this week; followed by river, expedition, and luxury cruising.
CLIA executive director in Australasia Joel Katz says it’s an exciting time with demand for ocean cruises globally at record levels fuelled by huge investments and groundbreaking innovations.
“There are now 89 new cruise ships on order from shipyards around the world, each set to bring new experiences, innovations and excitement when they enter service over the coming years,” he says.
“Together, these ships represent an investment of almost $US100 billion, reflecting the enormous enthusiasm for cruising among travellers around the world.”
While cruising opportunities from Australia are concentrated in Sydney and Brisbane in particular, with seasonal year-round voyages from those ports, here in WA there are relatively few traditional ocean voyages with itineraries departing locally.
But there are exceptions for the 2026-27 season. Crown Princess will again be the first big-ship arrival at Fremantle Port for the Australian summer season, scheduled for Sunday week, October 18 at 5.30am. The ship measures 290m in length and has 19 decks.
There are two last-minute options to cruise from Fremantle aboard premium-grade Crown Princess this year, departing October 18: the 15-day Northern Explorer to Brisbane, via the Kimberley, the Top End, Cairns and Willis Island in Queensland with days at sea also; or the 17-day Northern Explorer which extends to Sydney.
Sapphire Princess will break the more than two-year drought of regular seasonal passenger services from Fremantle in October 2027.
There’s also the 20-day World Cruise: Australia Explorer voyage aboard luxury ship Seabourn Quest, which departs Fremantle on March 26, 2027 on its maiden visit to our port city. The itinerary schedules visits to Geraldton, Exmouth, Broome plus another day of scenic cruising along the Kimberley coast, Darwin (overnight stop), Alotau, Papua New Guinea, Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach before finishing in Brisbane. The voyage includes several days at sea for a nice mix.
“Cruise Month is a fantastic time to explore the incredible choice of cruise opportunities available right now — both in local waters and in destinations around the world,” Joel says.
You’ll find details of specialist cruise agencies in our online and print Travel publications, along with their special offers and packages.
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