Destination
Australia & New Zealand
From the Great Barrier Reef and Kimberley Coast to the fjords of New Zealand and the cultural hubs of Sydney and Auckland, Australia and New Zealand offer a remarkable variety of experiences—best explored by small ship. These regions are defined by diverse ecosystems, rich indigenous cultures, dramatic landscapes, and abundant marine life. Whether you're navigating hidden bays in Tasmania, exploring Maori heritage on the North Island, or witnessing the raw beauty of Western Australia, small ship cruising offers intimate access and exceptional depth.
At Small Ship Travel, we specialize in expertly curated cruises aboard boutique and expedition vessels, carrying fewer than 750 guests. We’ve carefully selected a collection of trusted cruise operators who bring you closer to the natural wonders, remote islands, and cultural landmarks that make this region so extraordinary.
Whether you’re seeking a wilderness expedition, luxury coastal voyage, or an in-depth cultural exploration, we’ll help match you with the ideal ship, itinerary, and travel season to suit your style and interests.
With vast coastlines, remote archipelagos, and countless inlets, Australia and New Zealand are destinations best appreciated by sea. Small ships offer access to places unreachable by larger vessels, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, secluded beaches, and indigenous territories. You'll enjoy Zodiac excursions, expert-led hikes, and authentic cultural programming, with ample time ashore and fewer crowds.
From the iconic Milford Sound and Bay of Islands to the rugged Kimberley wilderness and Lord Howe Island, small ship voyages provide an immersive, flexible, and enriching way to explore Australasia.
Sample Experiences on a Small Ship Cruise in Australia & New Zealand:
Cruising in this region is generally seasonal and varies depending on your itinerary:
Australia (Great Barrier Reef, Kimberley, Tasmania)
New Zealand (North & South Islands, Subantarctic Islands)
At Small Ship Travel, we offer more than a cruise—we offer personalized, thoughtfully planned journeys. Our team has first-hand knowledge of Australia and New Zealand, and we work with only the most reputable and responsible cruise lines in the region.
Through our trusted partnerships, we provide access to valuable perks, including cabin upgrades, shore excursion credits, and custom pre- or post-cruise extensions. From planning your flights and visas to arranging stays in Sydney, Auckland, Hobart, or Queenstown, we ensure every detail is expertly handled.
Reach out to our travel concierges today to create your perfect journey.
Get in the mood for cruising by reading our travel guides, recommendations and cruise reviews.
The first international trip is the one that determines whether international travel becomes a lifelong practice or a one-time adventure. The small ship cruise — with its managed logistics, its built-in cultural education, and its community of experienced travelers — is one of the best possible formats for a first international experience.
Romance in travel isn't a category. It's a quality. It's not produced by a sunset dinner package or a rose-petal turndown. It comes from being somewhere extraordinary with someone you love, in conditions that remove the noise of daily life and replace it with beauty and time. Small ships do this better than almost any other form of travel.
A hotel barge carries 6 to 20 guests. It moves at walking pace along canals so narrow that branches brush the hull. The chef bought the cheese from the producer's farm that morning. The wines are from the vineyard you visited after lunch. At 5 PM the barge ties up for the night in a village with a restaurant that has been open since 1952. This is the most intimate, most food-centered, and most genuinely French form of travel available.
For four centuries, the Northwest Passage — the sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — was the object of the most determined and most deadly quest in the history of exploration. Ships were lost. Men died. The Passage defeated everyone who attempted it until Roald Amundsen succeeded in 1903, taking three years to complete what expedition ships now do in three weeks.
Cabin selection on a small ship is more consequential than on a large ship for a simple reason: you'll spend more time in it. When a ship carries 92 guests rather than 4,000, the common areas are more intimate, the cabin is more frequently a retreat, and the proportional difference in quality between cabin categories is more pronounced.
The Galapagos Islands are the only place on Earth where a marine iguana will walk across your feet without breaking stride, where a blue-footed booby will perform its mating dance three feet from your camera, and where a sea lion pup will follow you along the beach out of pure curiosity. This is not wildlife viewing. This is wildlife coexistence.