Royal Caribbean 2027–28 Cruises: New Ships, Itineraries & Destinations
Royal Caribbean Goes BIG Down Under
Royal Caribbean's 2027–28 cruise season brings three ships to Australia, with cruises from Brisbane and Sydney to New Zealand, the South Pacific, Australia and Asia. New itineraries also include Royal Caribbean Japan cruises from Tokyo during cherry blossom season.
Royal Caribbean 2027–28 at a glance
Running from October 2027 to April 2028, Royal Caribbean's expanded Australian summer season will feature everything from quick 2-night getaways to longer 17-night adventures, plus epic transpacific and repositioning cruises.

Ships
Ovation, Voyager & Anthem of the Seas

Australian homeports
Brisbane & Sydney
New Zealand cruises
Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin & Milford Sound

South Pacific
New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Royal Beach Club℠ Lelepa & French Polynesia
Cruise lengths
2–17 nights, plus longer repositioning cruises
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas – Brisbane Cruises
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas returns to Brisbane for the 2027–28 cruise season, offering a range of cruises from Brisbane to Queensland, Australia and the South Pacific. Itineraries range from shorter getaways to longer South Pacific adventures, making Ovation a great option for travellers looking for a Royal Caribbean cruise from Brisbane. With plenty of dining, entertainment and activities onboard, there’s something for everyone from couples and families to groups of friends.

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas – Brisbane, Sydney & Asia Cruises
Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas offers cruises from Brisbane and Sydney during the 2027–28 season, with itineraries exploring Australia, the South Pacific and Asia. From shorter cruises from Brisbane to longer adventures from Sydney, Voyager gives New Zealand travellers plenty of options for a Royal Caribbean cruise close to home. The ship combines family-friendly activities, entertainment, dining and plenty of ways to relax at sea.

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas – Sydney & New Zealand Cruises
Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas returns to Sydney for the 2027–28 season, offering cruises from Sydney to New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. New Zealand itineraries include 9-night roundtrip cruises visiting destinations such as Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin and Milford Sound.
There are also special seasonal sailings, including a 9-night South Pacific Christmas cruise and a New Zealand New Year cruise, plus a memorable 17-night cruise from Honolulu to Australia.

New for 2027: Royal Beach Club℠ Lelepa
One of the biggest highlights of Royal Caribbean's 2027–28 South Pacific season is the arrival of Royal Beach Club℠ Lelepa in Vanuatu.
Opening in October 2027, Royal Caribbean's exclusive South Pacific beach destination will offer beautiful beaches, tropical scenery and plenty of ways to enjoy island life.
Selected Royal Caribbean South Pacific cruises from Australia will visit Lelepa, making it one of the exciting new experiences to look out for when choosing a 2027–28 cruise.
Royal Caribbean Japan Cruises in 2028
Japan is one of the big stars of Royal Caribbean's new 2027–28 Asia-Pacific deployment.
From late February 2028, Voyager of the Seas will sail from Tokyo during Japan's famous cherry blossom season, giving cruisers a front-row seat to one of the world's most spectacular natural displays.
The new 10- to 12-night Japan cruises will visit destinations including:
Osaka • Nagasaki • Kobe • Shimizu for Mt Fuji
For New Zealand travellers, this creates an exciting opportunity to combine a Japan holiday with a Royal Caribbean cruise, particularly if seeing Japan during cherry blossom season is on your bucket list.
Planning a Japan cruise? Visit our dedicated Royal Caribbean Japan Cruises page for more information and itineraries.

Royal Caribbean South Pacific Cruises
If your ideal holiday involves warm weather, turquoise water and island hopping, Royal Caribbean's expanded 2027–28 season has plenty to tempt you.
South Pacific itineraries will visit destinations including:
Noumea • Lifou • Mystery Island • Port Vila • Luganville • French Polynesia
And with Royal Beach Club℠ Lelepa joining the South Pacific cruise map from October 2027, there is another exciting reason to consider a Royal Caribbean cruise from Australia.
Royal Caribbean Cruises from Singapore & Hong Kong
The adventure doesn't stop in Australia.
Royal Caribbean is also expanding its Asia-Pacific cruise itineraries, giving New Zealand travellers more options to combine an Asian holiday with a cruise.
Singapore Cruises
Navigator of the Seas will extend its Singapore deployment through October 2027, offering 2- to 5-night cruises to:
Thailand • Malaysia • Vietnam
There will also be a 12-night cruise from Tokyo to Singapore, perfect for combining Japan and Southeast Asia in one holiday.
Hong Kong Cruises
Voyager of the Seas will offer new cruises from Hong Kong, including 4- and 5-night itineraries to Japan.
Some sailings will visit Ishigaki and Okinawa, with selected overnight stays giving you more time to explore ashore.
Other itineraries will visit Taipei, Taiwan and Hue/Danang in Vietnam.
Singapore Lion fountain
Royal Caribbean New Zealand Cruises from Sydney
Anthem of the Seas returns to Sydney from October 2027 with cruises ranging from 3 to 17 nights.
For those wanting to explore New Zealand by cruise, itineraries of 9 to 12 nights will visit destinations including:
Wellington • Christchurch • Dunedin • Milford Sound
There are also special seasonal cruises, including a 9-night South Pacific Christmas cruise and a New Zealand New Year cruise sailing into 2028.
Prefer to spend more time at sea? Anthem will also offer a 17-night cruise from Honolulu to Australia, providing a memorable alternative to flying across the Pacific.
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Why Book Your Royal Caribbean Cruise with Cruise Deals?
Planning a Royal Caribbean cruise from New Zealand? That's where we come in. 😉
We're a team of cruise-loving Kiwis who know our way around a ship — and members of our team have cruised with Royal Caribbean themselves, so we're not just reading the brochure. We know what it's like to actually be onboard.
We're 100% New Zealand owned and operated, have been cruise specialists since 2014, and our team includes CLIA-accredited cruise consultants.
Want to lock in your cruise now? You don't need to wait for flights. Secure your preferred Royal Caribbean sailing with a minimal deposit, then when flights are released — generally around 11 months before departure — come back to us and we'll help you look at your options.
So whether you're eyeing Ovation from Brisbane, Anthem from Sydney, a South Pacific adventure, or Voyager's new Asia and Japan itineraries, we'll help you make sense of the options and find the cruise that's right for you.
Cruise specialists. Kiwi owned. And yes, we've actually cruised too. 🚢
Frequently Asked Questions
Royal Caribbean will have three ships sailing in Australia during the 2027–28 summer season: Ovation of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.
Ovation of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas will both sail from Brisbane during the 2027–28 season.
Anthem of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas will offer cruises from Sydney.
Yes. Royal Caribbean's 2027–28 Australian season includes New Zealand cruises from Sydney, visiting destinations including Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Milford Sound.
Yes. South Pacific itineraries include destinations such as Noumea, Lifou, Mystery Island, Port Vila and Luganville, with additional French Polynesia itineraries available on longer repositioning cruises.
Royal Beach Club℠ Lelepa is Royal Caribbean's new exclusive beach destination in Vanuatu, scheduled to open in October 2027. Selected Royal Caribbean South Pacific cruises will visit Lelepa during the 2027–28 season.
Yes. Voyager of the Seas will sail from Tokyo from late February 2028, with 10- to 12-night cruises exploring Japan.
Yes. Voyager's Tokyo cruises are scheduled to coincide with Japan's cherry blossom season, making them an exciting option for travellers wanting to combine a Japan holiday with a cruise.
The new Ovation of the Seas Brisbane and extended Navigator of the Seas Singapore itineraries open from 19 August 2026. Voyager of the Seas Asia-Pacific sailings open from 26 August 2026.
Absolutely. Brisbane and Sydney are both popular departure points for New Zealand travellers, and Cruise Deals offers both cruise-only and fly & cruise* options from New Zealand.
The 2027–28 deployment includes everything from 2-night short escapes to 17-night cruises, with longer transpacific and repositioning itineraries also available.
Royal Caribbean does not currently homeport in New Zealand for the 2027–28 season, but New Zealand travellers can easily cruise from Sydney or Brisbane. Selected Royal Caribbean itineraries also visit New Zealand ports including Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Milford Sound.
Royal Caribbean's 2027–28 New Zealand cruises depart from Sydney aboard Anthem of the Seas. The programme includes 9-night roundtrip cruises visiting New Zealand, with itineraries featuring ports such as Picton, Lyttelton (Christchurch), Dunedin and scenic cruising through Fiordland including Milford Sound.
Other 9-night New Zealand itineraries can include Bay of Islands, Tauranga, Napier and Picton, giving travellers different ways to explore New Zealand by cruise.
Yes. New Zealand travellers can combine a Royal Caribbean cruise from Sydney or Brisbane with flights from New Zealand to create a fly & cruise holiday. While flights generally aren't available to book until around 11 months before departure, you don't need to wait to secure your cruise.
You can lock in your Royal Caribbean cruise with a minimal deposit, then our Cruise Deals team can check in with you when flights become available and help arrange the flights and any additional travel arrangements you need.
This can be a great way to secure your preferred cruise and cabin now, while leaving the flights until the airline schedules open.
Royal Caribbean is a great choice for families looking for a cruise with plenty to do for different ages. For 2027–28, families can choose from shorter 2–8 night cruises from Brisbane aboard Voyager of the Seas, or 3–12 night cruises from Sydney aboard Anthem of the Seas. Onboard activities include waterslides, entertainment, pools and family-friendly activities, with Anthem also featuring SeaPlex activities such as bumper cars and roller skating.
For families travelling from New Zealand, Sydney and Brisbane departures also make Royal Caribbean relatively easy to combine with flights from Auckland and other NZ cities.
Ready to Cruise?
From Queensland getaways and New Zealand adventures to South Pacific islands, Royal Beach Club℠ Lelepa and cherry blossom season in Japan, Royal Caribbean's 2027–28 season is bringing more choice to the region.
Search Royal Caribbean cruises with Cruise Deals and find your next adventure.



