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With the local 2027/2028 cruise season at full steam ahead, Cruise Critic UK & Australia executive editor Adam Coulter – in Sydney recently for CLIA’s Cruise360 – looks at the market, breaking down what the shift from balcony to outside cabins means even as advertised prices climb.

Cruise Critic’s click data shows balcony share of interest fell from 61% in H1 2025 to 47% in H1 2026, while outside cabins rose from 15% to 23%. Advertised prices rose in every tier, from 5.5% for outside cabins to 14.4% for inside. The data is based on Cruise Critic campaign response and is best read directionally with Coulter saying the shift reflected a mix of pressures.

“People aren’t disappearing from the funnel – they still want to cruise – it’s just they are trading down due to economic pressures,” he says.

“So, it’s a combination of affordability stress and value-seeking – cruisers want to get the best bang for their buck and they are prepared to trade down a tier as long as they still get to cruise.

“Agents need to be mindful of that, and skilled ones will be able to tempt cruisers back into booking a balcony cabin.”

A second peak outside wave season

Wave season is as strong as expected, with January and February accounting for 23% of the year’s clicks (FY25/26). But August stands out as a quieter second peak, at 8.6% of annual clicks, when luxury ocean lines over-index well above their yearly average alongside a lift in Mediterranean and European interest.

“January and February are exactly the spike you’d expect from wave-season promotion – 23% of the whole year’s clicks in those two months alone,” Coulter says.

“But look at August: nobody plans a campaign around it, and it’s quietly the third-biggest month, bigger than March.

“Luxury’s real moment is August, right alongside a genuine lift in Mediterranean and Europe interest. So if you’re chasing a luxury client, don’t save your best pitch for wave season,” he says.

“Start planning by contacting their luxury clients well ahead of time, seek out promotions and offers and make sure they are looking well ahead for luxury deals – sometimes two years.”

Australia and New Zealand are not one market

For the first time, Cruise Critic split its Find a Cruise data by Australian and New Zealand users. New Zealanders over-index on the South Pacific (20.5% of interest, versus 17.8% for Australians) and Alaska (4.1% versus 2.8%). Australians over-index on Asia (13.7% versus 10.7%) and Norway (2.1% versus 1.1%).

Cruise length also differs. New Zealand’s most-searched length is three to five days (24.5% versus 19.2% in Australia), while Australians lean towards 10-14 day itineraries (21.0% versus 17.9%).

“New Zealand clients are looking for ‘closer-to-home’ destinations such as South Pacific and Alaska, so make sure you do your research on both these destinations,” Coulter says.

“Australians have more of a long-haul appetite and over-index on Asia, particularly Japan, and Norway.

“NZ’s single most-searched length is three to five days. Australians over-index instead on 10-14-day itineraries. Quick-getaway campaigns land better with NZ; the extended itinerary has more room with Australians.

“As always, this is about knowing your client and the market; research and training are key – use all the resources available to make sure you make the most of both.”

Setting expectations before sailing

Analysis of member reviews found Australian and New Zealand cruisers flag currency and billing issues at a rate of 9.6 mentions per 1,000 review insights – 2.6 times the rate of US cruisers (3.6) and British cruisers (3.9) – largely over onboard spend being billed in US$ rather than AU$. Cruise line excursion operations were also rated worse than the ports or tours themselves.

Asked what single conversation advisers should have with a client before sailing, Coulter says it comes back to understanding the client.

“My advice is simple: sit down and find out exactly what your client wants and tailor your suggestions appropriately,” he says.

“With cruise, you often only get one shot to get it right, so make sure you know what they want, where they want to go and who they are going with.”

Looking to 2027

Shopping volume for 2027-28 sail dates is already building, particularly for long-haul fly-cruise destinations. So when should advisors start looking to book in clients?

“Now! It’s almost 2027,” Coulter says. “Look for where is hot – still Japan, shoulder seasons, hot and cold expeditions, Royal Caribbean’s private island Lelepa, Norwegian fjords and European rivers.”