Princess Cruises will operate a 129-night, round-trip world cruise from Australia in 2029, as part of a broader 2028–29 programme covering Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, a press release reveals.
The Grand World Odyssey, sailing aboard Grand Princess, is scheduled to cover about 37,300 nautical miles and call at 61 destinations in 31 countries across five continents. Passengers will be able to join the voyage in Sydney, Brisbane, or Melbourne, while Dover will provide an additional embarkation point for travellers beginning in the UK.
The itinerary links ports in the South Pacific, the Americas and Europe. Planned features include two full passages through the Panama Canal’s newer locks, scenic cruising near Easter Island and Pitcairn Island, and calls at cities including New York, Miami, Reykjavik, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Copenhagen. Tahiti and Auckland are also among the listed destinations.
Princess says the voyage will include eight late-night stays and one overnight port call, with Lima (Callao), Lisbon, and New York cited among the extended visits. The company also lists access to 51 UNESCO World Heritage sites. The ship is due to cross both the Equator and the International Date Line twice during the journey.
The world cruise forms part of a regional season involving Grand Princess, Emerald Princess, and Royal Princess. Across more than 90 departures and over 70 itineraries, cruises will range from two to 46 nights and depart from Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth (Fremantle), and Sydney.
Regional options are expected to include trans-Tasman sailings, journeys along the Kimberley Coast and itineraries visiting Queensland, Tasmania, and southern Australia. Princess has also scheduled 17 Round Australia voyages during the season. Selected cruises will offer late-night or overnight calls, giving passengers additional time in port.
Emerald Princess is set to return to Australia for the first time since the 2016–17 season. The programme also restores homeport operations in Melbourne and expands the line’s New Zealand offering. Destinations highlighted by the company include Fiordland National Park, Phillip Island, Kangaroo Island, and the Kimberley Coast.
Jim Berra, Princess Cruises’ chief commercial officer, said the schedule would give guests “more ways to discover remarkable destinations, immerse themselves in different cultures and see the world in new ways.”
For the regional market, the deployment broadens the range of departure ports beyond Sydney and Brisbane. Adelaide, Melbourne, and Fremantle are included in the schedule, while Auckland remains the New Zealand gateway. The mix of short cruises and longer itineraries is intended to serve both domestic passengers and international visitors combining a cruise with a land stay.
The 129-night sailing is notable for its Australian round-trip format rather than for introducing a new ship or destination region. Its route combines major ports with remote-island scenic cruising, while the extended calls may reduce some of the time constraints associated with single-day visits (and offer the vessels a chance to save on fuel costs). Final port timings and shore programmes remain subject to the cruise line’s published schedule.
Bookings for both the Grand World Odyssey and the 2028–29 regional programme are due to open on 10 November 2026. Princess has announced introductory incentives available until 16 February 2027, including onboard credit and reduced deposits, although terms and eligibility vary by voyage and passenger status.
In other cruise news, residents on board the Villa Vie Odyssey worldwide trip, many of whom had sold up their homes to take up a permanent life on the water, were told with little prior warning to disembark the cruise on 26 October 2026, due to unsustainable fuel price increases caused by the Iran War. The incident serves as a reminder to cruise lovers of the risks entailed in embarking on long voyages while fuel costs remain so volatile.
