Discover Cruising

Why Cruise?

Undecided about cruising – but looking for a blissful, hassle-free holiday of a lifetime visiting places you’ve always dreamed about?

Cruising ticks all the boxes for comfort and convenience, combining lots of popular destinations into a hassle free holiday! It connects all the dots so you don’t have to worry about how to get there, travel around and find accommodation – it’s all taken care of.

It's no surprise that the number of cruise-goers is rising rapidly every year – in fact, a record number of 98,000 New Zealanders took an ocean cruise in 2017. And with more ships, more cruise ports and more itineraries to choose from than ever before, there has never been a better time to get onboard!

But if you're among those who are still considering taking a cruise for the first time, then here are our top 8 reasons why we think you should book a cruise holiday:

Value for money

Whatever type of cruise you choose will include your accommodation, main meals, daily activities & nightly entertainment and often, other additions like bonus onboard spending money, drinks packages & free wi-fi!

Only unpack once

When you board the ship, you really have arrived at your home away from home, and you won’t need to pack again until the end of the cruise. Your cruise ship will take you from city to city or island to island with the greatest of ease!

Foodies Haven

From poolside BBQs to five-course meals, foodies will love what’s on offer. Most ships have self-service buffets & casual eateries. Then there are specialty restaurants where, for a fee, you can indulge in world-class cuisine at celebrity chef restaurants

Discover other cultures

Waking up in a different place nearly every day is a definite bonus. Explore different regions easily and comfortably & immerse yourself in various cultures.

Onboard activities

Many ships have great programs onboard and often include options such as swimming, fitness classes, computer training, art auctions, photography classes, dance lessons, cooking, basketball and tennis, to name a few.

Entertainment Galore

Every night on a cruise ship is an entertainment spectacular. Consider your ship a floating capital city, with nightclubs, movies, live music, themed parties, magic, comedy, cabaret, Broadway- and West End style shows, and casinos.

Top-Notch Facilities

Larger oceangoing cruise ships are fitted out with an array of facilities for everyone to enjoy. They often house day spas, gyms, wave pools, cinemas, ice-skating rinks, mini-golf courses, tenpin bowling alleys and rock-climbing walls, to name a few.

Shore Excursions

It's the greatest way to experience the best of the ports! Shore Excursions include cultural walking tours, cooking schools, shopping tours and many adventures, including helicopter rides, mountain biking, canoeing, white water rafting and trekking.

What's Included In Your Cruise Fare?

We often get asked if cruising is affordable and a good-value holiday option. Our answer? A resounding YES! Cruising really is a great 'value for money' holiday. From accommodation to dining to entertainment, as well as the use of the ship’s many complimentary facilities such as swimming pools, gym, whirlpool spas and sporting equipment, here's what is (and isn't) included in your cruise holiday:

Accommodation

Your standard cruise fare includes your chosen accommodation. Most cruise lines advertise their basic “lead in” cabins, which are the cheapest options available for your inside, outside, balcony and suite cabins. But, there are lots of different levels of cabins offered above this, each offering different amenities, layouts and so on. Here is a list of all the FREE perks available in every room:

Private ensuite
Hairdryer
Wardrobe
Air-conditioning
Telephone
Television
Personal safe for valuables
Cabin stewards who attend daily

Dining

All of your main meals onboard are included in the price of your cruise fare, this includes:

The Main Dining Room - offering à la carte menu items for breakfast, lunch and dinner
A buffet area or the “Pantry” as known on P&O, which is an upmarket food hall, serving a more casual breakfast, lunch & dinner
Complimentary Pizza
Complimentary Ice-cream
Room Service (some 24hrs)
Water, Juice, Coffee & Tea
Other complimentary dining options including a range of different cuisines from American, Asian, Italian, Modern Australian + much more

Onboard Activities

Not only will you not go hungry on a cruise, but you will also not be bored, with an endless numbers of activities offered throughout the day and night. Some activities do incur a fee but there are loads of onboard activities on offer for FREE so you won’t need to spend a cent! These vary from ship to ship but include:

Swimming Pools & Spas & Poolside activities
Adults only retreats
Fitness Centres & the gym equipment
Enrichment programs & presentations
Libraries
Trivia and game shows
A range of dance classes
Trivia, game shows & board games
Karaoke
Sports such as basketball, table tennis, mini golf, volleyball, chess, jogging tracks + more
Cooking demonstrations

Night Life & Entertainment

Cruise lines have an array of different entertainment options available every night and suitable for every kind of cruiser. Although this varies by cruise line & ship, typical entertainment options include:

Live Production Shows
Broadway Performances
Guest Entertainers and Comedians
Live Music
Piano Bars
Cinemas
Themed Parties
Movies Under the Stars
Karaoke
Entry into all pubs, bars & nightclubs
Big Screen (sports, recent release movies and more)
Game shows

For The Kids

There are loads of activities available for kids onboard a cruise ship. Group activities for 3 to 17 year olds are available during the day and vary from ship to ship but all Australian based cruise lines provide Kids Club Programs and include activities such as:

Themed Parties & Discos
Kids Pools & Water Activities
Sports such as basketball, table tennis, mini golf, volleyball, chess, jogging tracks + more
Game Arcades with Playstation and Wii consoles
Arts and Crafts
Scavenger Hunts
Family Production Shows
Dance Classes
Teen Hangouts

What's NOT Included in Your Cruise Fare:

Not everything is included in the cost of your cruise fare although it's fair to say that you could go your entire cruise holiday without spending another cent. Almost all ships are cashless these days, so your onboard expenses are charged to your personalised cruise card that is given to you when you board the ship. Here is a list of what's NOT included in your fare:

Specialty Dining
Alcoholic Beverages & Premium Soft Drinks
Spa & Salon Treatments
Activities such as Bingo & the Casino (but you do have the chance to win the jackpot!)
Shore Excursions
Fitness classes (such as Yoga, Pilates, Zumba etc)
Duty free purchases or items from the onboard shops
In cabin baby-sitting
NB: There are a number of all-inclusive cruise lines, mostly in the luxury category.

Cruise Prices: How Do They Compare?

Let’s be honest: comparing cruise prices isn’t easy. No two ships are the same, no inclusions are exactly the same, and some destinations (such as Antarctica) are significantly more costly than others, such as the Pacific Islands.

But on ships departing Australia, such as those of P&O Australia, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises or Carnival Cruise Lines, you can often pay less than $100 per person per night and, if you keep an eye on sales and special deals, this can drop to around $50 per person per night! For accommodation and food alone, that would be almost impossible to match on land.

So how do cruises really compare? We've done all the research - take a look at the below example, based on an 8 night cruise departing Sydney.