Royal Caribbean announces 2024-2025 Australia and New Zealand cruises

Royal Caribbean has released their itineraries for the 2024-2025 Australia cruise season. 

The season will kick off with two repositioning cruises, the first of which will be on Ovation of the Seas and depart from Honolulu, Hawaii on October 13, 2024. Quantum of the Seas will follow suit a few weeks later, departing from Singapore on November 19, 2024. 

Both ships will remain in Australia through April 2025 and will offer cruises ranging from 2- to 14-nights, excluding the 19-night repositioning cruise on Ovation of the Seas, from Brisbane and Sydney.

Below is a breakdown of all the Australia and New Zealand itineraries that Royal Caribbean is offering in 2024 and 2025 that will go on sale to the public on May 4. 

Ovation of the Seas

Great Pacific Crossing

The season begins when Ovation of the Seas sails from Honolulu, Hawaii to Sydney on October 13, 2024. This 19-night cruise will visit Papeete, Moorea, Raiatea, Auckland, and Bay of Islands before arriving in Australia.

Sydney Getaway

Ovation of the Seas will make four cruises to nowhere. These 2- and 3-night weekend cruises are great short getaways for those looking for explore the ship, as the do not visit any ports of call. They will depart on November 1 and December 15, 2024, as well as February 20 and March 22, 2025. 

South Pacific Adventure

There will be five South Pacific Adventure cruises that visit Mystery Island, Port Vila, and Noumea and last either 8- or 9-nights. Note that depending on which sailing is chosen, the order of the ports may change.

The 9-night cruises depart on November 4, 2024; February 23, 2025; and April 3, 2025. In fact, this itinerary will be the last before Ovation of the Seas departs Australia at the end of the season on April 12. 

There are also two 8-night versions of this itinerary: January 7 and 15, 2025. 

Sunshine State Sun-Soaker

The 8- and 7-night Sunshine State Sun-Soaker cruises depart on November 13, 2024 and January 23, 2025, respectively. The first will visit Airlie Beach, Cairns, and Willis Island (cruising), with the latter skipping Willis Island due to the shorter itinerary length. 

Escape to the South

Both Escape to the South cruises are 7-nights and will sail to Adelaide and Hobart from Sydney. The first departs on November 21, 2024, with the second leaving a few months later on March 15, 2025.

New Zealand Wonders

The New Zealand Wonders cruise is one of the longest that is offered on Ovation of the Seas during the 2024-2025 season. Each sailing lasts either 10- or 11-nights!

Those on this cruise will visit (in no particular order) Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Milford Sound, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Picton, before returning to Sydney. The 11-night sailing includes an additional stop in Napier.

The New Zealand Wonders cruises departs on November 28, 2024; February 9, 2025; and March 24, 2025. 

South Pacific Splendour

There is only one South Pacific Splendor sailing, and it departs on December 8, 2024. Passengers on this 7-night cruise will get to explore Noumea and Mystery Island, plus five fun days at sea to explore everything the ship has to offer. 

Holiday cruises

Both holiday cruises onboard Ovation of the Seas are 10-nights and sail to New Zealand. 

The first, New Zealand Christmas, departs Sydney on December 18, 2024 and will stop in Wellington, Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Milford Sound. 

New Year’s in Zealand will leave on December 28, 2024, and you will get to ring in the New Year onboard while visiting Picton, Tauranaga, Auckland, and Bay of Islands. 

South Pacific Explorer

The only South Pacific Explorer cruise sails to Noumea, Mystery Island, and Port Vila. Note, though, that it is an overnight stop in Port Vila! This is the only cruise on Ovation of the Seas during the 2024-2025 Australia season to offer an overnight stay in any port of call. 

The cruise departs on January 30, 2025. 

New Zealand Wanderer

This 11-night cruise combines some of the highlights of both New Zealand holiday cruises, visiting Auckland, Tauranaga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, and Picton. 

Quantum of the Seas

Singapore to Brisbane

Quantum of the Seas moves to Australia a little bit later than Ovation. She will not begin her repositioning trip until November 19, 2024. This 12-night cruise will depart from Singapore and visit Lombok, Darwin, Cairns, and Airlie Beach before reaching her seasonal homeport: Brisbane. 

Sunshine State Sun-Soaker

For the most part, cruises on Quantum of the Seas are shorter than Ovation’s. The Sunshine State Sun-Soaker itineraries, for instance, are either 4-, 5-, or 6-nights, compared to Ovation’s 7- and 8-night cruises. 

After departing Brisbane, guests will visit a singular port, Airlie Beach. The 5- and 6-night cruises includes an overnight stay. 

The 4-night cruises depart on February 28 and March 10, 2025, while the 5- and 6-night cruises leave Brisbane on December 1, 2024 and January 4, 2025. 

South Pacific Splendour

While there is only one South Pacific Splendor sailing on Ovation of the Seas, this is one of Quantum’s most frequent sailings during the 2024-2025 Australia season. 

The 7-night cruises depart on December 6, 2024; January 10, 2025; January 17, 2025; January 24, 2025; February 7, 2025; February 28, 2025; and March 28, 2025. 

Ports of call include a mix of Mystery Island, Noumea, and Port Vila. A total of two stops will be made on each cruise. 

South Pacific Adventure

Both South Pacific Adventure cruises are 8-nights and visit Noumea, Mystery Island, and Port Vila. They depart on December 13, 2024 and February 13, 2025. 

Holiday cruises

Quantum of the Seas’ holiday cruises are shorter than Ovation’s. The 7-night South Pacific Christmas cruise departs on December 21, 2024 and sails to Port Vila and Mystery Island. 

On December 28, 2024, Quantum of the Seas will depart on the South Pacific NYE cruise and visit Noumea and Mystery Island. 

Brisbane Getaway

There will be three cruises to nowhere. These 2- and 3-night weekend cruises do not visit any ports of call, so they are good for those looking for a short getaway to take advantage of everything the Quantum Class ship has to offer. 

The 2-night cruise departs on February 22, 2025, while the 3-night sailings leave Brisbane on January 31 and March 7, 2025. 

New Zealand Wonders

The 14-night New Zealand Wonders cruise is the longest itinerary for Quantum of the Seas while based in Australia. It will depart on March 14, 2025 and visit Bay of Islands, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Dusky Sound, Doubtful Sound, and Milford Sound.  

This is also the only cruise to New Zealand from Brisbane during the 2024-2025 Australia season. 

What can you do while you wait for bookings to open?

With the announcement of new Australia bookings, I is time to get excited and began preparing for your next trip. 

Go ahead and reach out to a travel agent about what cruise you might be interested in. If you are not sure, you can talk about your preferences and interests, and they will help guide you through the decision. 

You can begin to think about how long you want to be gone, as well what what type of cabin you would like to stay in. 

Taking just a few steps ahead of time can save you a lot of stress when bookings open up!