Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas is back in Sydney for a second southern summer, and the 2015-built ship has a fuller programme than its debut year. After a first Australian season of two- to 18-night sailings aimed largely at the local market, the ship now has 21 itineraries on offer, running from quick three-night hops to nine-night South Pacific escapes, plus a set of extended 12-night cruises to New Zealand.
The short end of the range covers Australia's East Coast with five different getaways — three- to eight-night trips taking in Hobart, Queensland and Tasmania. That's a solid option for a long weekend or a school-holiday break without booking flights.
For a proper island holiday, there are seven- to nine-night South Pacific itineraries calling at Nouméa in New Caledonia, and Port Vila and Mystery Island in Vanuatu. These are the classic fly-cruise-free island routes, and doing them by ship means one unpack and all meals sorted.
The longer sailings head to New Zealand, with nine- to 12-night cruises stopping at Picton, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and — the headline act — Milford Sound's fjords. Sailing into the fjords by ship remains one of the best ways to see that part of the country.
Royal Caribbean isn't putting all its eggs in one harbour, either. The Quantum of the Seas sails from Brisbane this summer on 28 itineraries of three to nine nights, covering the Queensland coast and the South Pacific. Between the two Quantum-class ships, that's nearly 50 itineraries across two Australian homeports.
Families with younger kids get a specific hook this season: The Wiggles-themed holidays return, with Wiggly Friends characters appearing on both ships. Gavin Smith, Royal Caribbean's vice president and managing director for Australia and New Zealand, framed the season as the brand's most action-packed local summer yet, built around short weekenders, island holidays and New Zealand adventures.
Why it matters: Australians (and anyone flying in) now have genuine choice for a big-ship holiday without leaving the region. Short cruises suit first-timers and families testing the waters; the 12-night New Zealand route is the pick for scenery-seekers who want the fjords without a multi-stop road trip. Since the ship sails round-trip from Sydney, you can tack a few city days onto either end. Book early for school holidays — the family programming guarantees demand — while the shoulder dates in early December or late February tend to be cheaper.
