We take a look at a selection of world cruises for 2025/26 – some have limited availability and demand is strong, so early booking is key.
Could you or your clients handle nine months onboard a ship? World cruises are often described as epic but Serenade of the Seas’ 274-night cruise is even more epic than most.
Next month, the 2,476-guest Royal Caribbean ship will depart Miami on a voyage that will visit 150 destinations in 65 countries. Although this itinerary is exceptionally long, thousands of avid cruisers are lining up to book world cruises that typically last two or three months, at least a year in advance.
Several cruise lines operate world cruises. Some circumnavigate the globe, others visit several continents and most offer ‘segments’ you can book if you’re not up for the full world-cruise experience.
Grand Voyages are another category of longer cruises and typically focus on sailing in one or two regions of the world – Asia and the Pacific, or South America, for example – for 60 or more nights.
World cruises usually depart from ports such as Southampton, New York and Fort Lauderdale in January and end in April or May back where they started.
Princess operates world cruises from Australia every year and has just announced that Crown Princess will embark on her 2026 world voyage on May 10 in Sydney; bookings open on November 29, 2023 for Elite guests and on November 30 for general sale.
For more information, visit book.princess.com.
Here’s a look at a few other world cruises coming up in 2025 and 2026 – demand is so strong that there’s only limited availability on some, so if you or your clients don’t want to miss out, the key thing is to secure a booking as soon as they are announced.
The small-ship scene
Smaller, ultra-luxe ships offering world cruises sell out incredibly quickly. Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 2026 world voyage on board the 700-guest Seven Seas Mariner opened for bookings in March this year and there’s only limited availability now.
The 154-night round-trip from Miami is the longest-ever for RSSC. Fares start from AU$135,000 per person for a Deluxe Veranda Suite, or about AU$876 per night, which includes just about everything – shore excursions, all dining, drinks, unlimited laundry, gratuities, WiFi and more.
For more information, see RSSC.com.
Silversea’s 596-guest Silver Dawn will depart Fort Lauderdale for Lisbon, Portugal on January 6, 2026, a couple of days before Seven Seas Mariner. Over 140 days, she will visit 70 destinations in 37 countries (more than any previous Silversea world cruise).
Fares are also very inclusive, starting at AU$146,900 per person for the Vista Suite. The ship features the Otium ‘leisure and pleasure’ concept, which encompasses everything from fabulous food to spa treatments, and Silversea’s signature S.A.L.T. culinary program.
For more info visit silversea.com
Azamara Onward’s 2026 world voyage also sets sail on January 6 from Miami, and finishes in Barcelona, Spain on June 11. The 155-night journey is divided into 10 segments over 36 countries: Miami to Lima; Lima to Papeete; Papeete to Auckland; Auckland to Sydney; Sydney to Hong Kong; Hong Kong to Singapore; Singapore to Dubai; Dubai to Istanbul; Istanbul to Venice; and Venice to Barcelona.
Fares for the full itinerary range from AU$56, 603 for a Club Interior stateroom to AU$227,868 for a Club World Owners Suite, with US$22,000 worth of inclusions thrown in.
For more info, visit azamara.com
There’s no word yet on Oceania Cruises’ 2026 world voyage, but Oceania Insignia departs Miami for a 196-day east-to-west circumnavigation on January 5, 2025, returning to San Diego on July 3. Like Azamara Onward, Insignia is an R-class ship, and accommodates up to 670 guests.
She will visit 89 ports in 32 countries and guests can take mid-cruise Overland Programs such as a safari in South Africa or trip to Myanmar’s historic temples at Bagan.
Fares for a Concierge Level Veranda Stateroom are AU$115,220 per person; Oceania’s Simply More packages include a US$9,800 excursion credit, specialty dining, gratuities and more.
For more info, see oceaniacruises.com
Bigger sisters
Although world cruises on larger ships don’t sell out quite as quickly as those on small, luxury ships simply because there are more cabins to fill, they offer more affordable accommodation categories and demand for those is huge.
Value means many things, of course; extra costs can add up considerably when you’re on a two- or three-month voyage, so be sure to factor these in.
Cunard fans are keenly anticipating the May 2024 debut of Queen Anne, the first new Cunard ship for 13 years, and a spokesman for the cruise line says there is only very limited availability for her 2024 season.
“Queen Anne’s maiden world voyage in January 2025 is equally popular and selling fast.”
The 2,996-guest ship will depart from Hamburg on January 7 and Southampton on January 9, 2025 for the 111-night round trip, sailing in the United States, Central America, the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and then back to Europe via the Mediterranean.
Fares for a Britannia Balcony stateroom start from AU$41,920 per person and soar to AU$246,998 for a Queens Grill suite.
For more information visit cunard.com
With a guest capacity of 2,550, MSC Magnifica is one of MSC Cruises’ smaller ships and her 116-night, 2025 world cruise is selling fast. She has a choice of four round-trip departure ports – Civitavecchia (Rome), Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona on January 4, 5, 6 and 7 January 2025 – and will visit 50 destinations in 21 countries.
Fares for an Interior Bella (inside cabin) start from AU$45,378 per person, while a Balcony Bella starts from AU$61,498. Fares include a dine and drink package, 15 shore excursions and a 30 per cent discount on laundry.
For more information, visit msccruises.com.au