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9 sailings that will have you celebrating New Year’s Eve on a cruise
Ring in 2020 on board luxurious ships that host parties and pass out champagne at midnight.
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Their parties sparkle with decorations, balloon drops and epic midnight countdowns. Plus, there are are even babysitting services available so parents can join in the fun.
From sunny destinations to breathtaking mountains, these are our picks of the best New Year’s Eve cruises about. They're available to book for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 celebrations.
2020 cruises
1. 12-night New Year's Eve cruise from Sydney on the Pacific Adventure
Spend 12 nights exploring the best of the South Pacific.
- Ship name and cruise line: Pacific Adventure, P&O Australia.
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Sydney departing 29 December 2020.
- Ports of call: Noumea, Isle of Pines, Port Denarau, Suva and Mare.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? On the ocean, cruising to Noumea.
- Ship features: Multiple venues and themed parties, water parks, live music and entertainment and 17 dining options.
2. 11-night New Year's Eve cruise from Brisbane on the Pacific Explorer
Say cheers to the new year with live bands, multiple parties and views of the Pacific Ocean from the deck.
- Ship name and cruise line: Pacific Explorer, P&O Australia.
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Brisbane departing 29 December 2020.
- Ports of call: Mystery Island, Port Denarau, Suva and Port Vila.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? On the ocean destined to spend New Year's Day on Mystery Island.
- Ship features: The Pantry fresh food area, poolside movie screen, two show lounges, kids' clubs, climbing course and multiple pools.
3. 12-night Australia cruise from Sydney on the Regal Princess
Spend the end of 2020 like royalty, with top-notch entertainment, cuisine and facilities at your fingertips.
- Ship name and cruise line: Regal Princess, Princess Cruises.
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Sydney departing 28 December 2020.
- Ports of call: Noumea, Dravuni Island, Suva, Savusavu and Lautoka.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? In Noumea until 6pm then at sea on New Year's Day.
- Ship features: Top-deck pool with light show, Movies Under the Stars screen, SeaWalk and balconies on all outside staterooms.
4. 13-night Australia/New Zealand cruise on the Majestic Princess
Spend a fortnight touring the North and South Islands of New Zealand and celebrating the year to come.
- Ship name and cruise line: Majestic Princess, Princess Cruises.
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Sydney departing 23 December 2020.
- Ports of call: Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Fiordland National Park.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? Spend New Year's Eve in Christchurch before reboarding the cruise at 6pm to spend New Year's Day in Dunedin.
- Ship features: 13 dining spaces, Movies Under the Stars, original musical productions, pools and hot tubs, spas, art gallery and SeaWalk over-the-ocean glass walkway.
5. 16-night Australia/New Zealand cruise on the Silver Muse
Spoil yourself on one of Silversea's newest ships as you circumnavigate Australia and New Zealand's waters.
- Ship name and cruise line: Silver Muse, Silversea
- Departure destination and date: One-way cruise from Sydney to Auckland departing on 20 December 2020. An option to start from Melbourne on 22 December is also available.
- Ports of call: Melbourne, Burnie, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Dunedin, Akaroa, Kaikoura, Wellington, Gisborne, Bay of Plenty and Auckland.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? You'll be in Wellington until 5pm then at sea for the new year.
- Ship features: Small ship that accommodates under 600 guests, 6 dining venues, beauty salon, spa and pool deck.
6. 13-night Australia/New Zealand cruise from Melbourne on the Sapphire Princess
Choose a room with a balcony and you won't be disappointed. In fact, there are 700 balconied rooms to choose from to breathe in that fresh ocean air and welcome the new year from.
- Ship name and cruise line: Sapphire Princess, Princess Cruises.
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Melbourne departing on 20 December 2020.
- Ports of call: Fiordland National Park, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga and Auckland.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? At sea on the way home to Melbourne.
- Ship features: 700 balconies, traditional and anytime dining options, nightclub on the Sky Deck, freshwater swimming pools and kids and teens' clubs.
2021 cruises to book for next year
1. New Year's Eve cruise from Sydney on the Pacific Adventure
Clock off work early on 30 December and leave the year behind as you sail off into the sunset toward the Pacific Islands on a memorable New Year's Eve cruise – with your besties, naturally.
- Ship name and cruise line: Pacific Adventure, P&O
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Sydney departing 30 December 2021.
- Ports of call: Mystery Island, Port Vila, Lifou and Isle of Pines.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? At sea on the way to Mystery Island.
- Ship features: Multiple venues and themed parties, water parks, live music and entertainment and 17 dining options.
2. 11-night New Year's Eve cruise from Melbourne on the Pacific Explorer
Celebrate in style waving farewell to the big lights of the city and trading them in for confetti and disco lights on the ocean as you travel from Melbourne to New Zealand with P&O.
- Ship name and cruise line: Pacific Explorer, P&O.
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Melbourne departing 28 December 2021.
- Ports of call: Fiordland National Park, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington and Hobart.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? During the day, you'll be entranced by the beauty of Fiordland National Park while at night you'll journey to Dunedin to spend New Year's Day on the beach.
- Ship features: The Pantry fresh food area, poolside movie screen, two show lounges, kids' clubs, climbing course and multiple pools.
3. 8-night New Year's Eve cruise from Brisbane on the Pacific Encounter
Soak up the sunshine as you hop from beach to beach and paradise to paradise while ringing in the new year.
- Ship name and cruise line: Pacific Encounter, P&O Cruises
- Departure destination and date: Round-trip cruise from Brisbane departing 27 December 2021.
- Ports of call: Mystery Island, Port Vila and Santo.
- Where will I be on New Year's Eve? During the day, you'll be exploring Port Vila; by night, you'll be celebrating on the ship as it cruises toward Santo.
- Ship features: This grand class ship has 12 guest decks, can house 3,000 guests, has multiple indoor and outdoor dining spaces and pools and waterslides for small and big kids.
What does each cruise line do for New Year's Eve?
Each cruise line has very similar New Year's Eve celebrations and often includes celebrations in their lounges, clubs and bars with New Year’s decorations.
- Princess Cruises celebrates with a special menu just for New Year’s Eve as well as a champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight.
- P&O Cruises hosts parties across multiple venues and a live band leading the festivities.
- Holland America Line hosts a gala.
- Royal Caribbean has a confetti drop, party favours for guests and a balloon drop in the Promenade, Esplanade and Centrum.
All cruises have live music from DJs to bands and more to ring in the new year.
Looking for a bargain on a cruise? Check out these deals:
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