Cruising is booming in Asia and that’s good news for Australians

3 hours ago 1

Brian Johnston

December 25, 2025 — 10:25am

I’m glad to say that Asian cruising continues to trend, giving cruisers increasing choices over the next two years on all shapes and sizes of ships.

If you’re a big-ship enthusiast, then Norwegian Cruise Line, in response to strong demand for Asian cruises, is sending four ships to Asia for a bumper 50-voyage season finishing in April 2027. Norwegian Jade makes its Asian debut in October 2026; guests can embark in Tokyo, Incheon, Hong Kong or Singapore.

Norwegian Sky sailing past Mount Fuji in Japan.

Princess Cruises will see its biggest Japan season ever in 2027, when Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess sail 78 departures. Among the highlights are cherry-blossom voyages, a circumnavigation of Japan, and cruises that take in the Okinawa islands and Taiwan.

Between November 2026 and March 2027, Diamond Princess will homeport in Singapore and offer 11 sailings to 28 ports across the region.

And Carnival Cruise Line is sending two ships – Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure – to Asia for the first time over the 2026-27 season. Although they sail only four itineraries, the move finally recognises Asia as a cruise destination in itself, rather than somewhere to pass through on repositioning cruises.

Among the itineraries is Sydney-Singapore, Tokyo-Singapore and a roundtrip voyage from Singapore taking in ports in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Carnival ships will visit Hong Kong, Osaka, Fukuoka, Seogwipo (Jeju) and Keelung for the first time.

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas.

After an even bigger ship? Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas will homeport for the first time in Singapore between October 2026 and February 2027 and sail three to 12-night cruises to destinations such as Penang, Phuket, Langkawi, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City before heading towards Japan on East Asia itineraries.

If it’s a smaller, luxury experience you’re after, Seabourn too is rolling out new Asian voyages between December 2026 and April 2027. Its Japan voyages notably visit not just big-name ports but smaller ones such as Toba, Miyako, Sendai and Hitachinaka.

Seabourn Encore will also sail a 12-day voyage from Hong Kong to Tokyo, and South-East Asian voyages between Singapore and Hong Kong or round-trip from Singapore.

The news is just as good for those keen on expedition cruising. New Zealand company Heritage Expeditions is upping its Asian offerings, Lindblad Expeditions is offering diving expeditions in Indonesia from October 2026, and Aqua Expeditions has launched seven-night voyages in South Raja Ampat from December 2026.

New Australian expedition company Pearl Expeditions will sail in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea from the end of this year. Coral Expeditions continues to operate throughout Indonesia and is increasing capacity in Papua New Guinea on new itineraries in October and November 2026.

And finally, after a five-year pause, G Adventures is returning to Sri Lanka from next month with cruises by catamaran along the southern coast that mix UNESCO-listed port town Galle with remote beaches and fishing village Kudawella for swimming, snorkelling and surfing.

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Brian Johnston seemed destined to become a travel writer: he is an Irishman born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland, who has lived in Britain and China and now calls Australia home.