Cruise enthusiasts have been drifting in the doldrums of late, but it seems fresh winds are now picking up as a flotilla of cruises ships gets ready for the 2022 sailing season in Australia.

And with everything from fun-filled megaships to luxury small ships and intrepid expedition vessels heading our way, there’s plenty of variety on the horizon.

The big players are all promising full Australian seasons. Among P&O Australia’s mix of domestic voyages are Barrier Reef Discovery cruises out of Brisbane, A Taste of Tasmania cruises from Adelaide, and a four-night cruise return from Adelaide that visits Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island.

Meanwhile, P&O’s South Pacific cruises, most out of Cairns and Sydney, will visit destinations such as New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. From Brisbane, a series of seven-night Pacific Island Hopper itineraries take in Noumea, Port Vila and Lifou, with several days at sea so guests can enjoy the entertainment and amenities of Pacific Encounter.

Princess Cruises is also anticipating a busy Australian season in Australia. Coral Princess is returning to Brisbane for Pacific island and Papua New Guinea cruises. Royal Princess and Majestic Princess will operate round-trip cruises to New Zealand from Sydney, and Grand Princess from Melbourne. There will also be Queensland, Tasmanian and Fiji cruises from eastern homeports, cruises from Adelaide and Fremantle, and a 28-day Round Australia circumnavigation in October 2022.

Royal Caribbean’s 2022–23 season Down Under features two high-tech Quantum-class ships. From October 2022, Quantum of the Seas sails from Brisbane to destinations in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Ovation of the Seas sails from Sydney to Queensland, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Meanwhile, Radiance of the Seas has 22 departures from Sydney to destinations such as Great Barrier Reef, South Pacific, New Zealand and Tasmania.

Also arriving towards the end of 2022 is Celebrity Eclipse. Between September 2022 and April 2023, it will offer itineraries ranging from two-night sampler cruises to 18 night voyages in the Pacific, departing from Sydney and Auckland. The ship overnights in Adelaide, Cairns and Hobart on some itineraries, has added Port Arthur as a new port, and has 8pm departures from some ports that provide longer stays.

Tasmania is certainly tipped to be an ever-more popular destination. Carnival Cruise Line too is offering Tasmanian cruises on both its Australia-based ships. Carnival Splendor, homeported in Sydney, will also visit New Zealand in November 2022 before sailing to Papua New Guinea. Carnival Spirit, based in Brisbane, will operate three-day sampler crises and itineraries to the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

Cunard is homeporting Queen Elizabeth in Australia for a record 124 days between November 2021 and March 2022, culminating in a rendezvous with Queen Victoria in Sydney Harbour. Among the cruises is an inaugural Fiji and South Pacific journey and inaugural visits to Lautoka, Suva and Eden. The ship is back again at the end of 2022, sailing Fremantle–Sydney, Tasmanian cruises out of Melbourne, and New Zealand cruises from Melbourne and Sydney. The most spectacular offering is an Australian circumnavigation, round-trip from Bali.

Other large cruise lines are making briefer Australian appearances. The newly renovated Norwegian Spirit will sail Sydney–Auckland and Sydney–Bali in March 2022, a 14-day voyage from Sydney to Papeete in April, and returns for a Sydney–Auckland cruise in December. Holland America’s Oosterdam cruises Sydney–Auckland in early 2022 before heading onwards to Seattle. And Viking Cruises is sailing Sydney–Auckland cruises (or the reverse) in January, February and December 2022 and Sydney–Bali (or the reverse) in March.

Those looking for smaller luxury ships won’t be disappointed, either. Crystal Symphony sails Melbourne to Sydney in January on a predominantly New Zealand cruise, then Sydney–Bali. Crystal Serenity sails Auckland–Fremantle in February. Regent Seven Seas’ inaugural season here starts at the end of 2022 when Explorer sails Singapore–Sydney, followed by Sydney–Auckland itineraries.

Seabourn Odyssey visits from December 2022 to March 2023, with five 16-day voyages between Sydney and Auckland, and a 16-day Queensland Coast & Orchard Isles voyage from Sydney to Bali. Meanwhile, most of Oceania’s New Zealand cruises from Sydney in early 2022 are already sold out, but Regatta sails an Aussie Adventure circumnavigation in December 2022.

As for expedition cruising, the most varied Australian choices come from Coral Expeditions, including extended Kimberley sailing dates aboard new vessel Coral Geographer, a new 18-night Across the Top expedition between Broome and Cairns (or the reverse) in January 2022, and a new 14-night Great Southern Coastline cruise from Melbourne to Fremantle in March.

Ponant has two expedition ships in the Kimberley between March and September 2022, followed by a New Guinea cruise from Darwin, two Papua New Guinea cruises from Cairns, and an east-coast cruise to Sydney. It then offers a Tasmanian itinerary over Christmas and New Year. Silversea also returns for a Kimberley season. Silver Shadow will also sail Cairns–Melbourne in January 2022, followed by New Zealand itineraries from Sydney and Melbourne.

The most adventurous expedition offering is Aurora Expeditions’ all-new voyages from Hobart aboard Greg Mortimer to the Ross Sea and Commonwealth Bay in East Antarctica, running until March 2022. It’s the first time that the polar specialist has sailed this part of the Antarctic, where it will provide its usual adventurous excursions such as kayaking and polar snorkelling. The cruise also visits Australia’s remote Macquarie Island and New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands.