Best ocean voyages for Kiwis in 2023-24 to sail away on

Renew your passport and clear time in your schedule because cruising is back. If you thought the sector would struggle to rebound post-Covid, think again - an Oceania 2024 round-the-world cruise that went on sale in March and over 10 million travellers have taken a cruise since ships returned after pandemic restrictions.

Indeed, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) predicts that volume will surpass pre-pandemic levels next year.

While all cruise lines implement their own Covid protocols, many have relaxed requirements in recent months (although all must abide by local laws in port) and business is booming.

No matter what sort of cruise you’re after - a quick getaway with the kids, an adults-only escape or a life-changing long cruise to destinations far and wide - there’s a ship and an itinerary to suit; one thing to keep in mind - in this market - book early or risk missing out altogether.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages is the hot new ticket in cruising, offering a sophisticated, adults-only cruise experience aboard awe-inspiring, sleek new ships that sport a “rock-star vibe” (indeed certain suites come with a “Rockstar Agent” who is dedicated to your every whim) and its newest ship, the

On offer, exclusively through My Cruises () for a limited time, is a 55-night world-first cruise itinerary, departing March 15th, 2024, allowing Kiwis to experience a half world voyage from Auckland to Athens via some of the world’s most exotic destinations - with stops in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and overnight stays onboard in Sydney, Bali, Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai.

Included in the package is two nights in a hand-selected hotel in Athens, and an onboard bar tab worth US$1600.

At last the much lauded Celebrity Edge is headed this way for the 2023-4 season. Named “one of the world’s best places” by Time magazine on its launch in 2019, this state-of-the-art ship has got to be seen to be believed; featuring wonderful design, great food and a moveable deck that gives guests a totally different perspective on the cruising experience (I was lucky enough to spend three nights on her maiden voyage and, yes, it does live up to the hype.)

Edge will offer an array of 6- to 13-night itineraries from early December 2023 through to April 2024, designed to immerse guests in the spoils of our own Aotearoa and the stunning coastlines of Australia, along with the tropical South Pacific.

If you want to venture further afield why not book an extended stay aboard the Edge, one that offers 52 nights of in-depth exploration across 11 countries. Highlights of this once-in-a-lifetime experience include cruising through the Suez Canal, exploring another bucket-list wonder, Petra, and riding the camels in Wadi Rum, Jordan.

The voyage departs from Rome on October 30th, 2023 and ends in Sydney in December.

Want a shorter cruise with a more laid back vibe? Why not spend five days sailing in the Pacific Northwest. I took a very similar cruise a number of years ago on the Noordam, and it remains one of my favourite cruise experiences, and came with the bonus of multiple whale and dolphin sightings from the upper deck’s dining room.

The cruise departs Vancouver on May 2, 2023, but fly in a few days early and experience the wonderful hospitality of the Canadian city. Then sail down the Pacific coast, explore the small city of Astoria in Oregon, spend a day in Seattle – one of the best food cities in the US - before moving on to the Victoria, the capital of British Columbia before looping back to Vancouver.

Nothing flashy, and probably not the ship to cruise on if you have young children as there’s not a lot to do, but if you want a little R’n’R the Noordam - which has a fabulous library - is a great choice - and the burgers served at the Dive-In pool-side grill are to die for!

Oceania Cruises bills itself as the “world’s leading culinary and destination-focused cruise line”. The lines seven small, luxurious ships carry no more than 1250 guests, ensuring access to a wide range of boutique ports across the globe. Its newest ship, Vista, debuts next year and has an enticing European-based itinerary including a 10-day cruise from Rome to Barcelona, departing July 25, 2023 (the ship will also feature a new category of Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms dedicated to solo travellers.)

Looking ahead to 2024 Oceania Cruises will have two ships operating in Australasia – Regatta and Nautica. Cruises range froma 35-day holiday circumnavigation of the continent to a cornucopia of voyages that follow the Southern Cross across the Pacific and up to Polynesia where Nautica offers a series of four 10-day sailings roundtrip from Papeete. Regatta also reprises her popular Alaska cruises in 2024 with a selection of 7- to 23-day itineraries sailing from Seattle, Vancouver, Seward, and Los Angeles.

Forget about booking a flight home with Majestic Princess’s 26-day Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific Crossing which visits six ports and departs October 3, 2023 from Vancouver, sailing you back into Auckland 27 days later. Port stops include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tahiti and Hawaii.

Princess Cruises has a reputation for providing a family-friendly, casual vibe and was voted the Best Cruise Line for multi-generational family travel by Porthole Cruise Magazine 2018. Majestic Princess offers a mix of lively entertainment and dining options (there’s some great Chinese food to be had at Harmony Chinese Restaurant on deck 5) while there’s still plenty of space on the upper decks to find a quiet spot and just watch the ocean going by.

Silversea specialise in providing a luxury cruise experience. Its ships are small (just 298 to 608 passengers, its expedition vessels carry just 100 to 254 passengers) and all costs are included in your fare. Many cruisers compare the Silversea experience to that of being a member at an elite country club, with the average age of guests skewing older than other lines. Service is exemplary which you’d expect when it’s a one-to-one crew to guest ratio.

Concluding Silver Endeavour’s inaugural season in Antarctica is a 10-day voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula, departing round-trip from Puerto Williams on March 4, 2023. Silver Endeavour has been described as one of the most luxurious expedition ships afloat, one that has been designed specifically to take travellers to the world’s most remote destinations.

Spend six days exploring the peninsula, the penguin colonies, as well as various other bird species, seals and other marine life. Silver Endeavour’s amenities enhance the experience with a remote gimbal camera system, a remotely operated underwater vehicle, and industry-leading expert - and Zodiac-to-guest ratios.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) make exploring the world’s most captivating cities and coastlines alongside less discovered ports easy with its Extraordinary Journeys itineraries, a series of immersive, extended voyages to unique destinations including Iceland, Greenland, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific and Antarctica.

Want a truly larger-than-life wilderness experience to get the new year off to a good start? Try NCL’s 14-day Antarctica & South America Round-trip from Buenos Aires departing 15 January 2023 aboard Norwegian Star. Starting with the sumptuous street food and dynamic culture of Buenos Aires, a city that never sleeps, this voyage calls on ports in Chile, the Falkland Islands and Uruguay. Guests will also be able to experience the magnificent glaciers and fascinating wildlife of Antarctica – making this itinerary a photographer’s dream – and a genuine bucket-list voyage. Looking ahead NCL’s newest ship, Norwegian Viva, will be offering a series of Mediterranean voyages from May 2024.

Big ship cruising gets no better than aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, the largest cruise ship operating in Asia. Ovation stands higher than the Sky Tower, has capacity for 4180 passengers and, when it was last in Auckland, had to moor in the harbour as it was too big to dock at Auckland’s cruise terminal.

Ovation is a great choice for families as there’s plenty of activity options to keep the kids - and young-at-heart-grown-ups - occupied, including skydiving, surfing, skating rinks, bumper cars, zip-lining and a capsule that transports passengers 90 metres above sea level for a bird's-eye view of their surroundings.

Ovation operates out of Sydney, (its equally large sister ship, Quantum of the Seas, out of Brisbane) and has a range of itineraries on offer - including an enticing 8-night South Pacific Cruise departing Sydney Feb 4, 2023 with stops in Vanuatu and New Caledonia and four days at sea - giving you plenty of time to discover all that this big beauty has to offer.