More than 900 Australian travel agents gathered in Sydney for Cruise360, the industry's biggest annual conference, and their message to Canberra was blunt: local cruising is being priced and regulated out of the country.

The backdrop is a strange contrast. Globally, cruising has never been busier — CLIA figures show a record 37.2 million passengers last year, with around 38 million expected in 2025 and 42 million projected by the end of the decade. Yet Australia and New Zealand are moving the other way. Cruise lines have been redeploying ships to other regions, citing a complex regulatory environment, rising costs and high port charges. The result is thinner local schedules and fewer calls at Perth, Melbourne and regional ports.

Agents at the conference say the squeeze shows up directly in their bookings. Michelle Michael-Pecora of TravelManagers Australia said clients who want a local cruise often find only the same four-night or seven-night options on offer, pushing them toward the Mediterranean or Alaska instead. Her colleague Michelle Pelley pointed to families who would happily cruise from home but balk at flying to Los Angeles or Singapore just to board a Disney ship — nobody wants to wrangle luggage and kids through an international airport before a holiday even starts.

Joel Katz, Managing Director of CLIA Australasia, told delegates the region has been losing competitiveness and needs "stable, practical and competitive policy settings" to win ships back. He argued the stakes reach well beyond the wharf: cruise tourism supports travel agents, local businesses, farmers and food producers in towns big and small. Last month CLIA launched the Australian Paddock to Port Alliance — a coalition of growers, suppliers, tourism operators, ports and agents — to make that economic case to government.

For holidaymakers, the practical takeaway is simple: if you want to cruise from an Australian port, book early and stay flexible, because inventory is tighter than it has been in years. Itineraries that do exist tend to sell fast, and the shortage of variety means popular departure windows — school holidays especially — fill quickly. And if the government responds to the industry's lobbying, the next few years could bring more ships, more routes and more choice for anyone who'd rather start their cruise a short drive from home than a long-haul flight away.

Story via Cruise Passenger.