Find your next cruise deal during the industry’s best sale season
Packed with everything from waterslides and luxury spas to bumper cars and rock-climbing walls, cruise ships are becoming more and more like floating resorts each year, bracing the likes of celebrity chefs to their restaurants and movie studios to the ships’ entertainment areas.
Not surprisingly, the industry is starting to attract record numbers of passengers. Last season, Australia saw a 13.4% increase in the number of ships calling to its ports and one of the highest growth rates of cruisers.
With an increasing number of options for Australians, choosing the perfect cruise isn’t easy. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of five of the best cruise ships you should set sail on this year.
Feature image: Princess Cruises
Best cruise ships for 2016
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas (Launching April 2016, coming to Australia in December 2016)
Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess
Disney Cruise Lines’ Disney Fantasy
Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Vista (Launching May 2016)
Viking River Cruises’ 2016 ‘Longship’ fleet: Alruna, Egil, Kadlin, Rolf, Tialfi and Osfrid
What's wave season?
In Australia, wave season generally refers to the six months where cruise ships line just about every major port. It runs from about October to April.
The latter half of that, from January until March, is also known for being one of the best times to book a cruise with some of the lowest rates of the year available during this time.
Image: Royal Caribbean
Best for families:
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s newest ship is set to grace Australian shores at the end of 2016. Ovation of the Seas is part of the line’s Quantum Glass of ships and offers features like Dynamic Dining (where there are no set dining times or formal nights) and newly designed staterooms.
Take in 360-degree views from 300 feet in the air on the North Star capsule
Join activities like bumper cars, roller skating, indoor skydiving, surf simulators and rock-climbing walls
Enjoy fine dining, bars run solely by robots and celebrity restaurant experiences, like Jamie’s Italian
Book a Royal Caribbean cruise
Top itinerary picks:
16-Night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise
Cruise Direct
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15-Night Australia & New Zealand Cruise
Cruise Direct
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12-Night Asia Cruise
Cruise Direct
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Image: Princess Cruises
Best for couples:
Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess
After underdoing an extensive $30 million refurbishment in 2014, the Diamond Princess now features a 817-square-metre Japanese bath and garden complex and sushi restaurant to cater to the growing Japanese passenger base. Offering cruises around New Zealand during the early part of the year before moving to Asia, the ship's baths complex is perfect on a cool evening after exploring the coastline.
81% of cruisers on Cruise Critic love the ship
Anytime dining option available
Range of itineraries available including Australia, New Zealand and Asia sailings
Book a Princess Cruises sailing
Top itinerary picks:
7-Day Sydney to Perth Cruise
Princess Cruise Lines
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7-Night Vietnam & Thailand Cruise
Princess Cruise Lines
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8-Day Japan & Korea Cruise
Princess Cruise Lines
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Image: Disney Cruise Lines
Best for children:
Disney Cruise Lines’ Disney Fantasy
Create the ultimate kid’s holiday with a Disney-themed cruise that departs from Port Canaveral, Florida (located less than an hour from Disney World). The House of Mouse-owned ship offers plenty of family-friendly entertainment options and activities for children of all ages and is one of the few Disney ships to run seven-day sailings.
Recommended by 94% of reviewers on CruiseCritic
Features the AquaDuck water coaster and AquaLab splash park
Disney character experiences for a magical touch during dining
Book a Disney cruise
Top itinerary picks:
7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Cruise Direct
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7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Cruise Direct
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Image: Carnival Cruise Lines
Best for budget sailings:
Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Vista
Carnival’s newest megaship, the Carnival Vista, will be the line’s largest ship to date when it debuts in May 2016. She’ll sail around the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic later in the year to run a series of six- and eight-day Caribbean itineraries. Among its new features, the ship will play host to the first IMAX at sea and pedal-powered capsules.
Features an adults-only deck
Offers new Cuba-themed Havana staterooms and suites that are strictly for guests aged 12 or older and Family Harbor staterooms complete with complimentary babysitting in the evening
Cruises start at just $60 per person, per day
Book a Carnival cruise
Top itinerary picks:
6-Night Western Caribbean Cruise
Cruise Direct
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10-Night Mediterranean Cruise
Cruise Direct
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11-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise
Cruise Direct
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Image: Viking River Cruises
Best luxury liner:
Viking River Cruises’ ‘Longship’ fleet: Alruna, Egil, Kadlin, Rolf, Tialfi and Osfrid
Condé Nast Traveller recently listed Viking as one of “the cruises we want to take right now” on the publication’s revered Gold List, noting the line’s Longships offer “swankier staterooms”. Viking is launching six of these new ships in 2016. The river cruise line also branched out into ocean cruising in 2015, launching its first ocean liner, the Viking Star.
Join hands-on demonstrations, cooking classes, traditional dance performances, and local tastings at no additional charge
Lounge on a sundeck with 360-degree views, an organic herb garden and putting green
Free internet access and 24-hour beverage bar for all passengers
Book a Viking River Cruise
Top itinerary picks:
7-Night River Cruise from Amsterdam
Cruise Direct
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9-Night River Cruise from Budapest
Cruise Direct
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7-Night River Cruise from Paris
Cruise Direct
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Cruise line
Gratuities
Royal Caribbean
Recommended US$12 per person, per day ($14.25 for suites)
Princess Cruises
Recommended US$12 per person, per day ($12.50 for Concierge Class and AquaClass plus $3.50 per person, per day for in-room butlers)
Disney Cruise Lines
Recommended US$12 per person, per day
Carnival Cruise Lines
Recommended US$12 per person, per day
Viking River Cruises
Recommended €5-7 per person, per day
Looking for the best deals on cruises? Check out our coupon codes and discounts:
Up to $600 on board credit & kids sail free
Get up to $600 on board credit & kids sail free. Applicable Sailings: Select 2016 sailings. Some exclusions apply.
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Deal
Last verified 19 Jan 2016
Deal expires 1 Feb 2016 11:59pm
3 for Free Sale: Extras perks with new bookings
New bookings will get extras including onboard spending money, shore excursion credits and specialty dining for two. Terms and conditions apply. See website for details.
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Deal
Last verified 24 Dec 2015
Deal expires 29 Feb 2016 11:59pm
Suites, beverage package, free internet, on board credit & more
Suites, beverage package, free internet, on board credit & more. Applies to 5+ night sailings, not sailing within 30 days of booking. Excludes Pride of America Hawaii sailings.
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Deal
Last verified 8 Jan 2016
Deal expires 10 Apr 2016 11:59pm
Beverage Package - up to $1,000 on board credit & more
Get up to $1,000 on board credit & more (Beverage Package). Applies to 5+ night sailings, not sailing within 30 days of booking. Excludes Pride of America Hawaii sailings.
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Deal
Last verified 8 Jan 2016
Deal expires 10 Apr 2016 11:59pm
10% - 25% off Contiki tours
You can save up to 10-25% off Last Minute Contiki tours with these codes.
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Deal
Last verified 18 Feb 2015
Princess Cruises 3 for Free sale
Bag free onboard spending money, free shore excursion credit and free specialty dining. Offer valid for new bookings only and is not combinable with any other offer. Onboard spending money & Shore excursion credit amounts vary by room type and itinerary and may not be applicable to all cabin categories.
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Deal
Last verified 5 Jan 2016
Deal expires 29 Feb 2016 11:59pm
Prepaid Gratuities - up to $1,000 on board credit & more
Get up to $1,000 on board credit & more (Prepaid Gratuities). Applies to Pride of America Hawaii sailings.
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Deal
Last verified 8 Jan 2016
Deal expires 10 Apr 2016 11:59pm
Get discounted flights, hotels and everything else
Discover the world of low cost travel with BYOJet.
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Deal
Last verified 11 Mar 2015
50% Off Second Guest & Up to $1,300 on Board Credit on Royal Caribbean Sailings
Get 50% off (BOGO) second guest & up to $1,300 on board credit per cabin. Applies to all sailings excluding China departures.
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Deal
Last verified 13 Jan 2016
Deal expires 15 Feb 2016 11:59pm
Gift Cards
Promotion is valid via purchases through CruiseDirect.com within the United States. After purchase, CruiseDirect will email and ship the gift card to either the recipient or purchaser. Use the CruiseDirect gift card to book any cruise package online at CruiseDirect.
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Deal
Last verified 8 Jan 2016
Top cruise deals
Find Princess Cruises’ best weekly cruise offers.
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Deal
Last verified 31 Jul 2015
Save on last-minute bookings
Find discounts on last-minute travel bookings at Expedia
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Deal
Last verified 17 Jun 2015