Left it late to plan the festive season? Several cruise lines sailing from Australian ports still have cabins for Christmas and New Year's departures, with entry-level fares working out around $200 per person per day.
Most of the remaining sailings head for the South Pacific. Carnival has a New Year's escape calling at Santo, Port Vila, Mystery Island and Lifou, with the big countdown spent at sea. Carnival Splendor departs Sydney over Christmas, visits Lifou, Mystery Island and Noumea, then returns on Boxing Day, while Carnival Encounter offers a cheaper Christmas option through Noumea, Mystery Island and Port Vila back on 27 December. Royal Caribbean has two choices: a New Zealand itinerary taking in the Bay of Islands, Auckland and Tauranga for something cooler, or a Brisbane departure to Noumea and Mystery Island with just two port days and plenty of onboard family time.
If you want the whole festive period covered, Celebrity Edge does both Christmas and New Year at sea on a New Zealand voyage that includes Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound plus Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and the Bay of Islands. At the luxury end, Oceania Riviera sails a 23-night Sydney-to-Perth run from 15 December from $8,100, routing through Queensland, Darwin and Indonesia, and Regent Seven Seas offers a domestic loop calling at Eden, Melbourne, Phillip Island, Geelong and Hobart.
Be warned: festive sailings command a serious premium — expect to pay roughly 50 to 100 per cent more than an equivalent cruise at any other time of year. In return you get a fully decorated ship, a visit from Santa, themed events, special meals and, on New Year's Eve, parties across every bar and nightclub on board. Pack your own presents and wrapping paper; crackers sometimes turn up on board but it's cheaper to bring them.
Two practical notes for anyone booking now. First, these sailings fall in school holidays, so family-focused lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean will be busier with kids than usual — great for multigenerational groups, less so if you want quiet. Second, check when your port days fall: shops and attractions in stops on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Year's Day may be shut, so a booked shore excursion often beats wandering into a sleepy town.
The appeal is obvious for anyone tired of hosting: no cooking, no washing up, and entertainment for every age group, with the novelty of waking up at sea on Christmas morning. Whether you'd rather spend it on a beach in Vanuatu or a fjord in Fiordland, there's still a cabin with your name on it.
