Princess Cruises Unveils 2025/26 Australia Program Featuring the Longest World Cruise

Princess Cruises has revealed details of its highly anticipated 2025/26 Australian summer programme, including the Down Under debut of its stunning flagship Discovery Princess and the longest world cruise ever to sail roundtrip from Australia – a record-breaking 114-night voyage on Crown Princess.

Crown Princess’ epic 2026 world odyssey will visit 48 destinations across 31 countries across six continents and travel 35,000 nautical miles, including round-trip departures from Sydney, Brisbane, and Auckland.

The journey will also be the longest world cruise ever undertaken from Australia, with Crown Princess carrying up to 3080 guests on a record voyage around the world. 

The cruise will visit two new world cruise ports, Alexandria in Egypt and Patmos in Greece, as well as overnight visits to New York, Lima, and Quebec, as well as late-night stays in exotic destinations such as Reykjavik in Iceland and Papeete in Tahiti.  

Princess Cruises Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, UK & Europe reveals details Stuart Allison said the milestone cruise was a highlight of the new program brimming with exciting holiday options as Discovery Princess joins Crown Princess and Grand Princess in local waters.  

Throughout the summer season, the trio will offer 75 unique itineraries and 120 departures, with voyages ranging from 2 to 37 days and sailings from seven ports in Australia and New Zealand: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Hobart, and Auckland in New Zealand.  

Mr Allison said the Discovery Princess’ Sydney debut on 6 December 2025 will be unforgettable, nearly 50 years after Princess Cruises initially began cruising local waters. In December 1975, the first Pacific Princess set off from Sydney on her inaugural round-trip journey.

“Cruising has come a long way in half a century, and we’re delighted to be now bringing a ship of the calibre of Discovery Princess to Australia as part of a fantastic line-up of summer cruising,” said Mr Allison.

The 145,000-tonne Discovery Princess will be the biggest Princess Cruises ship ever sailing in Australian waters. Measuring 330 metres long and carrying 3,660 guests, it will offer 22 itineraries during its four-month deployment, including 11 departures from Sydney.

Mr Allison added that the Discovery Princess and Crown Princess will be deployed in Sydney, sailing on an array of itineraries, including the cruise line’s ever-popular round-Australia trips, unique Tahiti and Hawaii cruises, and round-trip sailings to New Zealand, Queensland, and Fiji.  

Meanwhile, the 107,000-tonne, 2600-guest Grand Princess will be based in Brisbane and will carry a record number of Princess guests on 14 roundtrip voyages to destinations including Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. 

Highlights of the program include:

• Crown Princess’ 2026 world voyage, sailing from Australia to Southeast Asia and via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe before cruising to North America and crossing the newest Panama Canal locks to return to Australia via the Pacific. The journey departs Sydney on 10 May 2026, will visit 48 renowned destinations and give access to more than 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• More cruises to New Zealand than any other cruise line, with itineraries ranging from six to 15 nights on the three ships.
• An 18-night cruise from Singapore to Sydney on Discovery Princess, departing 18 November 2025 and enjoying maiden visits to destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang in Vietnam and Lombok in Indonesia. Sailings from Brisbane and Sydney, round-trip options include visits to various beautiful ports from Dunedin in the south to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand’s north.
• The Crown Princess will sail around Australia in November 2025 and March 2026, departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide, and Brisbane. Visits to regional ports like Port Douglas, the Whitsundays, Broome, Exmouth, and Albany, and scenic cruising along the Kimberley Coast.
• The Grand Princess will sail on a 37-night voyage to Hawaii and Tahiti, visiting Pago Pago, Maui, Honolulu, Kauai, Kona, Hilo, Papeete, Moorea, Raiatea, Tonga, and Norfolk Island. The cruise will depart from Sydney on 16 October 2025 and from Brisbane on 18 October 2025.
• A 12-night Southern Explorer cruise aboard the Discovery Princess, departing Sydney on 28 February 2026 and visiting Melbourne, Kangaroo Island, Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Port Arthur, and Hobart.
• An 11-night Grand Princess cruise to Papua New Guinea, departing Brisbane on 24 March 2026 and visiting Alotau, Rabaul, Kiriwina Island, and the Conflict Islands. • Epic adventures sailing across the Pacific between North America, Australia, and New Zealand on Discovery Princess and Grand Princess, with visits to Tahiti and Hawaii.

Mr Allison said guests on Discovery Princess would be able to enjoy 270-degree sweeping views from the ship’s Sky Suites, unwind in ultimate comfort at the Sanctuary, and indulge their senses with world-class dining options like 360: An Extraordinary Experience, which takes guests on a sensory journey through world-class cuisine with a fusion of master story-telling and visual entertainment.  

Other features include 14 restaurants, 10 bars, multiple lounges, and entertainment options. One is the SeaWalk, a stunning glass-bottomed promenade stretching approximately 9 metres beyond the ship’s edge.

Meanwhile, all three ships based in Australia will feature the Princess exclusive MedallionClass experience, enabling a level of service personalisation previously only available on small ships to be offered on a large vessel, amenity-rich platform.

The connected guest experience saves guests time by providing onboard conveniences such as contactless payment for anything on board, expedited embarkation, keyless stateroom entry, muster anywhere, a friends and family locator, and the ability to order food, drinks, retail items, or request service from their smart device or a crew member and have their order delivered directly to them…even if they move.

For guests looking for more all-inclusive options onboard, the Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages include express boarding, alcoholic beverages, mocktails, speciality coffees and smoothies, unlimited MedallionNet Wi-Fi (the fastest at sea), casual and speciality dining, boutique fitness classes, complimentary room service, and more.  

The program will go on sale at 9 a.m. AEDT on 29 November 2023, for Elite guests only and at 9 a.m. AEDT on 30 November 2023 for the general sale.