Sydney Harbour at sunrise, Milford Sound by Thursday.
Round trips from Sydney and Auckland, the 12 to 14 night crossing between them through Fiordland, the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania, from October to April when it is summer down under. Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian, Viking, Oceania and Cunard all sail here. SmartCruiser shows every sailing with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus credit at the top.
Three ways to do the bottom of the world
Pick one and the list below filters to it.
Sydney to Auckland, or back
- 12 to 14 nights across the Tasman with Melbourne, Hobart, Fiordland and the Bay of Islands
- A full day of scenic cruising through Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds
- Fly into one city, home from the other
Best for: first visits, anyone who wants both countries in one trip
Australia round trips
- Sydney or Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef, Airlie Beach and Cairns
- Tasmania long weekends to Hobart, 5 to 7 nights
- Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess ships based in Sydney all summer
Best for: families, reef snorkelers, a short cruise on a long trip
New Zealand round trips
- Auckland loops to Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Picton, Dunedin and the fjords
- Maori culture, Marlborough wine, Hobbiton from Tauranga
- 10 to 12 nights with few sea days
Best for: scenery, wine lovers, Lord of the Rings fans
Australia & New Zealand deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Australia and New Zealand sailing from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Australia & New Zealand sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Sydney, Auckland or Brisbane
Pick a port and the list above filters to it; all three have nonstop flights from the US West Coast.
Which line for Australia and New Zealand?
The Australian market has its own fleet each summer; here is who is based there and what each does best.
When to go
The season runs October to April, with the southern summer at its best from December to February.
Australia and New Zealand cruise questions we answer every day
How long is the flight, and how early should I arrive?
Fourteen to sixteen hours nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco or Dallas to Sydney, Auckland or Brisbane, and you lose a day crossing the date line. Arrive two nights before; Sydney is a city you will not want to rush.
Do I need a visa or a passport?
A passport valid six months past your return, plus a visa for each country; both are electronic and quick. Australia’s ETA is done by app and New Zealand’s NZeTA online before you fly. We walk you through both when you book.
Will I see the Great Barrier Reef from a cruise?
Round trips from Sydney and Brisbane call at Airlie Beach and Cairns, where ship tours take you to the outer reef by catamaran or helicopter. Sydney to Auckland crossings do not reach the reef; add a few land days in Queensland.
What is Fiordland like from the ship?
The highlight of any New Zealand cruise: a full day of scenic cruising into Milford, Doubtful and Dusky Sounds with waterfalls off both sides and a park ranger narrating from the bridge. No port that day, so get a balcony or be on deck early.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities, drinks packages and excursions are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise.
What do the SmartCruiser picks mean?
They are sailings where booking through SmartCruiser gets you something you do not get booking direct: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate we hold on that sailing, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the best public price.
Talk to an Australia and New Zealand specialist
Tell us the month and how many weeks you have, and we build the cruise, the flights and the Sydney nights around it. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.