Holiday guide
Ocean cruising
Whether you’re after massive or modest, upmarket or mid-range, classic or expedition, there’s sure to be a ship to suit. Our experts offer the best advice on which cruise is best for you.
Twenty spectacular destinations best seen by ship
There are stellar destinations here and overseas that are simply at their best when visited aboard a cruise ship.
- Brian Johnston
Which cabins are noisiest? 20 of the big questions in cruising answered
What should you pack for a cruise? Is there a dress code on board? Do cruise ships really have a brig for unruly passengers? Here are the answers.
- Brian Johnston
How to choose the perfect cruise
Whether you’re a cruise veteran or a first timer, a party animal or a culture vulture, there’s a cruise out there to suit every taste.
- Brian Johnston
Seven of the world’s wackiest cruise ship cabins
From a suite in the ship’s funnel to a family room with its own slide, these staterooms are as in demand as they are extreme
- Nicole Carmichael
One of the world’s most isolated places is the ultimate cruise destination
Forget Greenland, Svalbard and Antarctica. Getting to one of the world’s most isolated places isn’t easy, but this island outclasses them all.
- Brian Johnston
My first time on a big ship taught me a big lesson
The secret of making the most out of this trip is working out when to go big, when to go small, when to go niche and when to go solo.
- David Whitley
Want to use the Wi-Fi on a cruise ship? Read this first
Poor Wi-Fi has long been a bugbear of cruise travellers. No more, though some aspects of staying connected are still annoying.
- Brian Johnston
When people say cruises are all same-same, I counter with this
Even cruise regulars might not have heard of these niche, sometimes quirky, cruise companies.
- Brian Johnston
Going on a cruise? Beware these insurance traps
If you haven’t checked your travel insurance cover on this kind of holiday, you might be in for a very nasty surprise when trouble looms.
- Brian Johnston
- ★★★★½
Not quite luxe but this expedition ship is the real deal
Premium rather than luxury, this is an unbeatable vessel with every technology and a crack team of experts to tackle polar travel.
- Brian Johnston
The nightmare that happens when you miss your cruise
Life lesson: the ship never waits. In Portugal in 2016, a British passenger tried to swim back to her departing ship and was lucky to survive.
- Brian Johnston
Are you the perfect cruiser? Check our etiquette guide to find out
If it takes two to tango, it takes a whole boatload of people to sail. Do you have your cruising etiquette down pat?
- Brian Johnston
- Collection
Traveller’s ultimate guide to cruise ports
Planning a cruise, but not sure what itinerary is right for you? Here’s our expert guide to some of the major port stops around the world.
Business class at sea: Exclusive, luxury areas on big ships take off
If hotels can have executive club lounges and airlines have business and first class, why can’t cruise ships do the same thing? Now they are.
- Brian Johnston
I went on one of Virgin’s party cruise ships alone. Here’s what happened
What started as a quiet solo escape became a whirlwind of fun, unexpected friendships and unforgettable moments.
- Tatyana Leonov
When it comes to cruising, there’s good news for solo travellers
Single, or partner not keen on a cruise? The good news is many lines are making it easier, cheaper and more appealing to sail alone.
- Brian Johnston
This is a cruise fit for the gods
This eastern Mediterranean cruise takes in history, myth, and a date with Dionysus.
- Keith Austin
The world’s 15 greatest seas and how to explore them in comfort
Dreaming of sailing the seven seas? Even better, match these 15 amazing expanses of water with the best lines for a cruise of a lifetime.
- Brian Johnston
Are drinks packages worth it? 18 of cruising’s biggest questions, answered
Want to know how to score a seat at the Captain’s Table, or whether to splurge on a balcony suite or premium drinks package? We’ve got you covered.
- Brian Johnston
Avoid the ‘single supplement’: How to choose the best cruise as a solo traveller
Cruising solo can be better, cheaper and smarter – here’s how to make the most of your solo cruise.
- Kristie Kellahan
How to choose the best cabin on a cruise ship
The location of your cabin influences cost, convenience, noise levels and movement, and also creates subtle differences in cabin space.
- Brian Johnston
Technology is transforming the way we cruise
Shipboard life is becoming increasingly digital – slow internet on board is a thing of the past.
- Brian Johnston
The hassle-free, lazy way to explore the Pacific
Pacific islands are glorious, but the logistics of travelling through them can be challenging, unless you’re on a cruise.
- Brian Johnston
On board the new cruise giant that’s a ‘next-level Love Boat’
With a glass dome up top, a sphere atrium below and liquefied natural gas for propulsion, the new Sun Princess is in a class of its own.
- Kerry van der Jagt
I can’t live like this: The cruise ship that ruined life on land for me
Returning to normal life is difficult after spending a week on board one of the world’s most luxurious ships.
- Craig Platt
The surprising things I learnt about Mediterranean food on board a ship
As a former food-magazine editor, I wasn’t expecting to broaden my culinary knowledge on a cruise ship.
- Trudi Jenkins
It’s one of the world’s greatest cruise experiences, but few Aussies do it
In the realm of amazing cruise experiences, a transit of the waterways and intricate locks of this engineering miracle is near the top.
- Kristie Kellahan
I sailed on the world’s biggest cruise ship and it was bonkers
With capacity for 7000 passengers, Icon of the Seas is like an ocean-going lovechild of Looney Tunes and Las Vegas.
- Keith Austin
Feel like you’ve seen it all? This cruise will change your mind
South America is an overlooked cruise destination, but nowhere gives you the chance to sail to more varied destinations.
- Brian Johnston
How to travel on a luxury ship for half the price
Want to try a new cruise line or sample the high life on a luxury ship at below regular cost? A repositioning cruise might bag you a bargain-price holiday.
- Brian Johnston
How to make the most of your time ashore during a cruise
When it comes to cruise ship shore excursions it pays to be sure of what you want to see and do when going ashore.
- Anthony Dennis
Too much to do: On board ‘the world’s most innovative cruise ship’
Named “one of the world’s greatest places” by Time magazine, Celebrity Edge is big enough to offer variety, without being a floating city.
- Jill Dupleix
Australian passengers have one major complaint about cruises. This ship solves it
On behalf of a nation of espresso-sipping extremists, Silversea’s Silver Muse is doing god’s work in the caffeinating department.
- Anthony Dennis
I took my kids on a Disney cruise ship. They’ll never forget it
We’re here to give our children an experience that will help shape the well-rounded human beings they will hopefully become once they move past the tantrum and food-throwing stage.
- Ben Groundwater
The four-in-one Australian ship that can go anywhere
Coral Geographer isn’t just a ship: it has four adventurous ways to get you into Australia’s remotest corners.
- Brian Johnston
A new Queen takes to the seas
There’s good news and bad news for Australians who appreciate Cunard, the cruise line that operates the Queens of the sea.
- Brian Johnston and Julietta Jameson