Cruise Month returns to Australia and New Zealand in October, putting cruise holidays in the spotlight ahead of a busy summer season of sailing.

“Cruise Month is about celebrating the upcoming cruise season and capitalising on the passion Australians and New Zealanders have for cruising,” said Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz.

“Our campaigns this year takes a split-screen look, highlighting the enjoyment of cruising alongside the extraordinary destinations we can sail to.”

CLIA data shows the number of Australians who took an ocean cruise during 2023 reached 1.25 million, slightly above the 1.24 million who sailed in 2019. The market penetration rate of cruising in Australia was close to five per cent – almost one in every 20 Australians took an ocean cruise, one of the highest rates in the world.

The summer cruise season will 62 international ships head to Australia, with newcomers including Silversea's Silver Nova, Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun and Cunard's Queen Anne, which will make their maiden visits in November, December and February respectively.

Viking Venus will also be sailing in Australian waters for the first time during the 2024/25 sailing season. Arriving in December 2024, she will first sail from Sydney to Auckland on 23 December 23.

CLIA’s figures also show a revival in the number of overseas visitors cruising in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, which reached 217,000 during 2023, a similar level to 2019.

Weekly themes for Cruise Month 2024 include:

  • Ocean cruising (29 September - 5 October)
  • River cruising (6-12 October)
  • Expedition cruising (13-19 October)
  • Luxury cruising (20-26 October)

Among activities planned this year is an expanded social media campaign targeting new-to-cruise consumers as well as established cruising fans.

Learn more here.