Australia’s first five-star, overnight riverboat, the brand, new Australian Star, launches on the iconic Murray River late this summer in Echuca, Victoria, and with most staterooms already booked for 2026, Murray River Paddlesteamers is announced exciting new bonuses for bookings made for 2027 sailings.
Book a seven-night cruise aboard Australia Star departing between January 1 and August 31, 2027, and receive a $100 saving per person, a free hotel night in Echuca or Melbourne before or after your cruise, and the chance to win $1000 off your total stateroom fare. For bookings made from Jan 1 to Feb 28, 2026, on www.mrps.com.au .
The gleaming, new 38-guest Australian Star will fuse heritage and contemporary elegance as the first five-star river vessel in Australia, the largest paddlesteamer in the Southern Hemisphere and the only wood-fired, five-star, accommodated paddlesteamer in the world.
Built to replicate an authentic, 19th Century paddlesteamer but with modern-day luxuries, the new $11 million Australian Star will boast a deluxe lounge offering sweeping river vistas, a gourmet restaurant, multiple outdoor relaxation areas and 19 sleek staterooms, all opening to a deck and offering an ensuite, air-conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi, luxury linen and ever-changing river views.
The modern-day paddlesteamer will also sport a modern, energy-efficient, hybrid diesel/steam propulsion system featuring a 1907 wood-fired steam engine, adding a touch of nostalgia and authenticity to the journey.
Weaving through the timeless landscapes of the Murray River in contemporary comfort, Australian Star will offer intimate and immersive journeys through history, culture and nature, with daily excursions to farm stations, wineries and heritage towns and riverside barbecues beside crackling campfires and under starlit skies
From 2026, the striking, new vessel will offer year-round cruises of between three and seven nights on the Murray River from Echuca.
Earlybird savings for 2027 sailings aboard Australian Star from Echuca, Victoria – Book by Feb 28, 2026
Book a seven-night cruise aboard Australia Star sailing between January 1 and August 31, 2027, and receive:
* A $100 saving per person
* Free hotel stay for two guests before or after your cruise at either the Mercure Port of Echuca or The Savoy Melbourne opposite Southern Cross Station where trains depart for Echuca
* Go into a draw to win $1000 off your total stateroom fare – drawn March 1, 2026
Book from Jan 1 to Feb 28, 2026, on www.mrps.com.au . Conditions apply and subject to availability.
Including the $100 saving, fares for a seven-night cruise in 2027 are available from A$6450 per person, twin-share.
Fares include return rail transfers from Melbourne to Echuca, onboard meals, daily shore excursions and experiences, cruise transfers, Wi-Fi, gratuities, selected beers and wines with dinner and soft drink, bottled water and tea/coffee throughout the cruise.
