Brisbane has officially joined the big league of cruise homeports, and it has done so with a ship that knows how to make an entrance. Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas has arrived on the Brisbane River, bringing with it a swagger that suggests summer holidays just became considerably more exciting.
For the first time, the award-winning Voyager is homeporting from Brisbane, marking a long-awaited return to Australian waters and opening the door to 20 sailings that range from quick three-night escapes to extended 12-night adventures across Queensland and the South Pacific. For holidaymakers, families and time-poor professionals alike, it is a menu designed for modern Australian lives — flexible, sun-soaked and unapologetically fun.
Royal Caribbean Australia and New Zealand managing director Gavin Smith says the fit feels natural.
“Our award-winning Voyager is an adventure-seeker’s dream and the perfect holiday match for the spirit of the Sunshine State,” Smith said. “This season from Brisbane is one for the books with more weekend getaways and more island time than ever before across Queensland and South Pacific destinations, reinforcing the unforgettable memories that families can make on a Royal Caribbean holiday.”
From Brisbane, Voyager’s Queensland itineraries read like a greatest hits album of coastal Australia. Ten three- to seven-night sailings glide north to Airlie Beach and Cairns, offering travellers the rare luxury of packing light, switching off quickly and returning refreshed before real life notices they are gone. Two three-night Friday departures, clearly designed for jam-packed calendars, turn weekends into floating staycations with considerably better views.
Those with a longer horizon can follow the call of the islands. Ten seven- to nine-night South Pacific voyages weave through Nouméa, Port Vila, Mystery Island, and Luganville, places where time stretches, water glows, and shoes become optional. It is the sort of travel Australians have always loved, now made easier by a Brisbane departure point.
Festive sailings raise the stakes further. Christmas is reimagined as an eight-night escape framed by palm trees rather than pine needles. At the same time, New Year’s Eve arrives mid-ocean on a nine-night South Pacific celebration complete with dining, entertainment and fireworks of the metaphorical variety. For the truly committed, Voyager also offers a 25-night Transpacific voyage to Seattle via French Polynesia and Hawaii, a reminder that sometimes the scenic route is the point.
Onboard, Voyager of the Seas wears its reputation lightly but confidently. This is a ship built for all ages and attention spans. Thrill-seekers can battle it out in the glow-in-the-dark laser tag experience Battle for Planet Z, test their balance on the FlowRider surf simulator, or skate on real ice in the middle of the Pacific at Studio B. The Perfect Storm waterslides deliver three storeys of high-speed bravado, while Splashaway Bay ensures younger travellers are equally well catered for.
Adults, sensibly, are not forgotten. Poolside cocktails flow freely at The Lime & Coconut, while the Vitality Spa offers the kind of reset that usually requires a switch of continents. Evenings are anchored by headline entertainment, including Ice Odyssey, where professional skaters bring tarot cards to life on ice, and Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme, a polished celebration of musical theatre favourites.
Dining is a global affair. With 20 venues onboard, Voyager moves from Far East flavours at Izumi to rustic Italian comfort at Giovanni’s Table, finishing strong with hand-cut steaks at Chops Grille. It is indulgence without pretence, a Royal Caribbean signature.
The ship’s arrival also reinforces Royal Caribbean’s growing Australian footprint. In Sydney, Anthem of the Seas recently made its Down Under debut, delivering 24 itineraries across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Together, the two ships represent a clear statement of confidence in the Australian cruise market and its appetite for premium, family-friendly travel.
Families, in particular, are being courted with care. This season introduces six Wiggly-themed sailings, exclusive to Royal Caribbean, across Voyager and Anthem. Featuring The Wiggles and their colourful friends, the cruises combine live performances, character appearances and exclusive merchandise with Royal Caribbean’s established family programming. This partnership feels both nostalgic and surprisingly inspired.
For Brisbane, Voyager’s arrival is more than a maritime moment. It is an economic and tourism signal, reinforcing the city’s position as a serious cruise gateway and giving Queenslanders a front-row seat to some of the region’s most compelling travel experiences.
Island time, it seems, is no longer something Australians have to chase. It is now waiting at the Brisbane cruise terminal, luggage in hand.
For more information on Royal Caribbean’s 2025–26 Australian sailings, visit https://www.royalcaribbean.com/.
by My Thanh Pham – (c) 2025
Read Time: 5 minutes.
About the Writer.
My Thanh Pham has worn more travel hats than most luggage racks could hold. After taking a course in travel and tourism, she found herself deep in the business of arranging itineraries across South-East Asia, matching travellers to temples, beaches, and the occasional night train, with a knack for making the complicated look easy.
Not content with life behind the desk, she joined a Vietnamese airline, juggling reservations one day and the frontline bustle of the airport the next. It gave her a ringside seat at the theatre of travel: the missed flights, the joyous reunions, and the endless stories that airports never fail to serve up.
These days, My Thanh has swapped ticket stubs for a writer’s keyboard at Global Travel Media. Her words carry the same steady hand she once brought to bookings, guiding readers through the rich, unpredictable world of travel.
