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Well, what a few interesting weeks these have been, with the wave season well underway, with a mass of vessels arriving in Australia over the coming months, plus the ongoing fallout from Carnival Cruise Line’s decision to halve its fleet in Australia in 2028 and their attempt to put what appears to be a positive spin on it by announcing its ongoing future itineraries for cruises out of Australia.

At the same time, the spin seems to have continued, with Carnival Corporation’s sister brand, Princess Cruises, announcing itineraries that suggest Carnival, albeit through another brand, is still operating extensively here.

Could this possibly be reflecting what Carnival believes are the more upmarket requirements of the Australian market being delivered by Princess, or could it be simply that Carnival Corporation can make more money out of Princess’ mid- to upper-market offerings and demographics than Carnival Cruise Line’s more family sun-and-fun offering, which may be better suited to the lower operating cost, US short and lower-cost cruise market, that it appears may well provide more profit?

We shall never know except by reviewing and keeping an eye on it all, and of course also Royal Caribbean’s and Celebrity’s announcements, which seem to me to be taking some advantage of Carnival’s decisions and who could blame them!

Also, the ongoing fallout of the extraction of Cunard’s Queen Anne from the Cunard fleet and her being handed over to P&O is seen by some as rather strange and an indicator for some that there may be some major issues at Cunard, with possibly Cunard not doing as well as they did in the past. Again, who knows, but let’s wait and see.

In the meantime, the cataclysmic scenarios around Villa Vie Odyssey’s warm lay-up in Cambodia and the removal of all passengers from the vessel have been more than interesting, with a lot more to happen in this story, including that the “lenders” have repossessed the vessel and it appears it may be auctioned in Singapore. There are serious concerns for the funds of passengers that have paid tens of thousands to participate, but it appears now that they may not receive any money back, and also that the crew, it appears have not been paid, but again, who knows what will transpire with the reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy that it appears will be applied for, if not already!

One thing is certain: if residential cruising were profitable and had even a slight chance of working and making a profit, the big cruise companies would have entered and dominated the market!

Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Line appears to have ignited a fierce debate over tipping etiquette with a new pilot program tracking prepaid gratuities, with passengers who pay their tips before boarding now apparently receiving special “Crew Love” stickers to display on their room cards.

Carnival defends the badges as a simple way to recognise guest generosity and boost crew morale, although critics are slamming the move as “tacky” and warning it publicly shames vacationers who prefer handing cash directly to their favourite staff.

Now on to some good news: John’s GTM Weekly Cruise News and Hot Cruise Deals have proved to be so popular that we have decided that after this week John’s Weekly GTM Cruise News will appear in your inbox in your Global Travel Media eNews on Tuesdays and John’s Weekly GTM Cruise Deals on Thursdays!

In the meantime, this is clearly a great time to book ahead and secure a really good and hot cruise deal with some operators, especially in the top-end luxury market, with heaps of amazing deals for cruises not only here in the wave season in Australia, but also in Europe for the winter and also globally into 2027 and even further into 2028 and 2029!

So, here are a few hot cruise deals this week in Australia and sometimes further afield, with also some great hot cruise deals for you, so here we go!

CORAL EXPEDITIONS

Coral Expeditions is offering savings on a limited number of remaining cabins, with last-minute specials of 30% off twin share and no supplement for solo travellers on select dates.

Offers include:

New Zealand Sounds and Stewart Island – 8 Nights, Bluff to Bluff, 16 December 2026, Save 30% on Promenade Deck & Explorer Decks and travel solo, at no extra cost on 16 December 2026.

South Island and Fiordlands of New Zealand – 10 Nights, Bluff to Wellington, 24 December 2026, Save 30% on Explorer Deck Balcony Staterooms and travel solo, at no extra cost on 24 December 2026.

Island Empires and Ancient Mariners – Komodo, Sulawesi, Padar and Flores Islands, 14 Nights, Darwin to Makassar, 28 November 2026, Save 30% on Promenade Deck & Explorer Decks and travel solo, at no extra cost on 28 November 2026

Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands – 18 Nights , Departs Darwin & Sorong, 27 December 2026, Save 30% on Explorer Deck Balcony and Promenade Deck Staterooms | Travel solo, at no extra cost on 27 December 2026.

For more information, visit CORAL EXPEDITIONS

CRUISEABOUT

Cruiseabout says cruise with the Mediterranean experts with savings of up to 50% per stateroom on Celestyal Cruises, a Greek-owned cruise line built around cruising in the Mediterranean, offering four voyages available now, from eight nights through the Greek Isles to a 30-night odyssey across seven countries, all with savings up to 50% per stateroom included, with offers including:-

The Grand Mediterranean Odyssey – 30 nights across 7 countries, with 27 port days on this Cruise & Stay adventure, from $4,499 pp. Departing 13 November, 2027.

Mediterranean Icons: West to East – 17 nights around the Adriatic and Greek islands, from $3,299 pp. Departing 25 August 2027.

Adventure Across The Greek Isles – enjoy 9 nights exploring the Greek Islands on this unhurried Cruise & Stay, from $2,199 pp, departing 11 June 2027.

Heavenly Greece, Italy & Croatia – Soak up the Mediterranean on this 8-night Cruise & Stay sojourn, from $2,099 pp, departing 13 August 2027
For more information, visit cruiseabout.

FLAT BEDS TOUR + CRUISE – Don’t miss your chance to get insider advice directly from the Cruise experts in a FREE live webinar on 11 Nov 12:30–1:30 PM AEDT on Zoom, covering everything you need to know for Expedition Cruising, including the best itineraries and when to travel, how to choose the right cabin, tips to unlock upgrades and hidden perks, airfare & cruise bundle deals for extra savings, plus a bonus with attendees getting special cruise deals not available anywhere else! Seats are limited and filling quickly. Register now before it’s full! REGISTER HERE

CRUISEAWAY

CruiseAway is offering what they call a fresh round of cruise savings, with sailings below covering a real spread of lines, budgets and bonuses. onboard credit, reduced deposits and stateroom savings are on offer on selected sailings, including:-

Azamara Onboard Credit Offer – Up to US$750 onboard credit per stateroom — book by 4 December

MSC Last Minute Cruises – OBC up to $300 onboard credit per stateroom — book by 14 November*

For more information, visit CRUISEAWAY

So, that is my quick look at cruise news and holiday ideas for this week, and while there may be a few choppy waters for the industry, there are still some wonderful places waiting to be discovered and some really great deals to do so!

To check out this week’s and recent GTM cruise news articles, in case you missed them, visit GLOBAL TRAVEL MEDIA CRUISE ARTICLES!

Watch out for more cruise news next week on Tuesday and hot deals on Thursday next week!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT DEALS AND OFFERS:

All deals, offers, prices, discounts and advertised inclusions included in this article by Global Travel Media have been supplied to Global Travel Media by the relevant cruise operator, travel seller, or operator, for which, for the accuracy of the content, pricing or any other information, Global Travel Media accepts no responsibility. Therefore, contact the relevant organisations to confirm the accuracy and details of any offer or deal. All deals or offers listed by Global Travel Media are subject to availability, booking deadlines and conditions. Australian-dollar prices are identified as A$, US-dollar amounts as US$, and other currencies as appropriate. Unless otherwise stated, per-person prices are based on twin-share accommodation. Actual costs may vary by departure city, sailing date, cabin category and currency, and may exclude flights, taxes, gratuities, transfers or other expenses unless expressly included. You must confirm the final price, booking conditions, itinerary, and availability directly with the provider before entering into any agreement, booking, or paying a deposit, for which Global Travel Media accepts no responsibility.