Queen Elizabeth hosts an Australian Literature Festival at Sea. Photo / Cunard
Queen Elizabeth hosts an Australian Literature Festival at Sea. Photo / Cunard
Looking for the perfect long weekend getaway, a fun mini-break or a relaxing way to get from one capital city to another on your next trip to Australia? These cruises are short — and sweet, writes Tiana Templeman
Princess Cruises | 4 Night Australia Seacation
Skip the traffic and the risk of losing your luggage on this cruise, which offers a relaxing way to travel from Melbourne to Brisbane. Diamond Princess will be your floating palace with stylish cabins, a choice of included and specialty dining venues, and the Izumi Japanese Bathhouse. Sailing into and out of Sydney Harbour means you’ll get a great view of the Opera House — twice — from the ship. With your port day in Sydney bookended by two sea days, there’s time to enjoy all the on-board amenities before disembarking in Brisbane.
Come aboard Queen Elizabeth in Sydney for five nights of high-end dining, culture and entertainment with distinguished authors, writers, and creatives on Cunard’s inaugural Australian Literature Festival at Sea. Indulge your love of language with thought-provoking talks, hear accomplished authors share the secrets of their creative process, and attend hands-on workshops and interactive Q&As. You’ll also visit Hobart, a destination with enough history to inspire you to write your own bestseller.
Carnival Cruises | 4 Night Tangalooma Moreton Island Cruise
When you board Carnival Splendor, the colourful decor will surely catch your eye, and so will the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, Cloud Nine Spa and one of the fastest waterslides at sea. As part of this round-trip sojourn from Sydney, you’ll travel north to Queensland’s Moreton Island for sand, sea and fun such as snorkelling around shipwrecks or tobogganing down a sand dune. Two sea days allow time for partying during the 80s night and chilling beside the adults-only pool with a cocktail.
Carnival Splendor hosts an 80s night for retro fun at sea. Photo / Supplied
P&O Cruises | Tribute to the King
Dust off your blue suede shoes, get the jumpsuit drycleaned and get on board with your “Teddy Bear” as you join the rhinestone crowd for a three or four-night round trip from Sydney with P&O Cruises that celebrates all things Elvis. You Can’t Help Falling in Love with the ships on these sailings, with their stunning public spaces and fee-free specialty dining like Dragon Lady’s pan-Asian menu and Angelo’s classic Italian. Indulge your Burning Love of Elvis with multiple concerts, parties and A Little Less Conversation and a little more action as you sing your way out to sea and back.
P&O Cruises celebrates Elvis with concerts and parties. Photo / Tiana Templeman
Virgin Voyages | Sun, Surf & Sandy Aussie Shores
Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady offers a trendy sailing experience that’s a little different, with multiple fee-free dining venues throughout the ship, Wi-Fi, soft drinks, water and entertainment all included in the fare. This short but packed four-night sailing from Sydney to Brisbane includes a stop in “Newie” (as the Aussies call Newcastle) for a stroll on the beach or a swim in one of the city’s famous ocean baths, before sailing on to Mooloolaba for some of the region’s famous prawns and a swim before disembarking in Brisbane.
Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady includes fee-free dining and Wi-Fi. Photo / Virgin Voyages
Royal Caribbean | 5 Night Queensland Cruise
Set sail for five nights of fun in the sun on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas as you sail the Queensland coast from Brisbane to Airlie Beach and back. This ship is a funhouse of activities with the FlowRider surf simulator, iFly skydiving, roller skating, bumper cars and sports deck. Mix in multiple dining venues, from pizza to high-end Chops Grille steakhouse, and you’ll never go hungry. Add big production shows each night plus more-intimate musical entertainment in the bars and lounges, and you might need one of those two sea days just for sleeping.
Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas features a FlowRider surf simulator. Photo / Royal Caribbean
Disney Cruises | 4 Night Disney Magic at Sea Cruise from Auckland to Sydney
Cross the ditch surrounded by the magical world of Disney on this four-night sailing from Auckland to Sydney. With kids’ clubs that are so good you’ll wish you were a child again, themed experiences and shows featuring Disney’s famous movies, and multiple character meet-and-greets throughout the day (and night), there’s plenty to keep you entertained on this family-friendly cruise.
Disney Magic at Sea Cruise offers themed experiences and character meet-and-greets. Photo / Tiana Templeman
Celebrity Cruises | 4 Night Taste of Luxury
Dine your way around France, Italy, Greece, and the US in Celebrity Edge’s four complimentary main dining rooms, each of which has a theme. On this round-trip cruise from Sydney to Hobart, you can also sip a cocktail or eat dinner on the Magic Carpet, a moving platform that serves as a bar, restaurant, and tender launching point, and spend your evenings enjoying Broadway-style shows, guest musicians and multiple bars and lounges, before your ship arrives back in Sydney.
