Japan & East Asia
Japan can combine Tokyo, Kyoto-area gateways, smaller ports, gardens, temples and distinctive regional culture. Longer itineraries may add Korea, Hong Kong or other East Asian destinations.
Asia, Australia and South Pacific Cruise Planning
Asia, Australia & South Pacific Cruises
Japan and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Tahiti and remote Pacific islands all fit within one enormous part of the world — but they create completely different vacations. Region, distance, season, ship size and how much time you have can matter enormously here.
Japan & East AsiaCulture cities history and distinct seasonal experiences
Southeast AsiaVietnam Cambodia Thailand Indonesia and Singapore
Australia & New ZealandMajor cities wildlife coastlines and dramatic fjords
South PacificTahiti Hawaii remote islands and long ocean journeys
One Huge Region. Several Very Different Trips.
Start With the Experience, Not the Map
A Japan cruise built around cities, temples and culture has very little in common with a Tahiti voyage focused on lagoons and island scenery. Australia and New Zealand can combine major cities with wildlife and fjords, while a Mekong river cruise takes travelers directly into villages and communities in Vietnam and Cambodia.
These destinations belong on one hub because travelers often compare them as major long-haul cruise ideas — not because the vacations themselves are interchangeable.
One planning principle matters throughout this region:
if you are flying halfway around the world, the cruise should
make good use of the journey. The itinerary, pre- and post-cruise
time and total trip length deserve to be planned together.
A mix of our travel photography and destination imagery from cruise partners.
The First Way to Narrow the Choices
Which Part of the Region?
These four broad experiences are enough to begin. From there, we can narrow the ports, ships and trip length.
Southeast Asia
Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia bring temples, markets, food, history and tropical landscapes. Ocean and river cruises can experience this region in very different ways.
Australia & New Zealand
Sydney and Melbourne, Tasmania, Auckland, New Zealand's coastal cities and dramatic fjords create an itinerary that can mix urban experiences, scenery, wildlife and long-distance cruising.
South Pacific
French Polynesia, Hawaii and more remote Pacific islands reward travelers who want dramatic landscapes, lagoons, island culture and a slower voyage where sea days can become part of the appeal rather than something to avoid.
A Few Decisions Change Everything
Four Questions We Ask Early
This part of the world becomes much easier to plan once these questions are answered.
1
One Region in Depth or a Long Combination?
A focused Japan, New Zealand or Tahiti voyage provides depth. Longer journeys can connect Australia, Southeast Asia and other regions into one much larger travel experience.
2
Ocean, River, Small Ship or Expedition?
The vessel can completely change the destination. A Mekong river cruise, South Pacific luxury ship and large Australia and New Zealand ocean itinerary may all visit the same broad part of the world in fundamentally different ways.
3
How Much Time Can You Give the Trip?
Long flights make very short vacations less appealing for many travelers. A few extra days in Tokyo, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore or another gateway can add a great deal of value.
4
Which Season Fits the Specific Region?
This hub crosses hemispheres, tropical climates and very different weather patterns. Timing should be matched to the exact itinerary rather than treating all of Asia-Pacific as one cruise season.
Distance changes the planning equation.
In Europe or the Caribbean, a traveler may compare several
one-week trips. Here, the better question is often whether the
flight time and expense justify adding land time, a longer
itinerary or even more than one region.
Timing Depends on Where You Are Going
One Calendar Does Not Fit the Whole Region
This is one destination hub where we deliberately avoid saying there is a single best cruise month.
Japan & East Asia
Seasonal scenery, temperatures and holiday periods can dramatically change the experience. Timing is often part of the reason for choosing the itinerary.
Southeast Asia
Tropical heat, rainfall and monsoon patterns vary by country and route, so we compare timing at the itinerary level rather than by one regional rule.
Australia & New Zealand
Southern Hemisphere seasons reverse the calendar many U.S. travelers are used to, and different parts of Australia can have very different climates at the same time.
South Pacific
Tropical islands are attractive year round, but rainfall, heat and storm patterns vary. Itinerary and island group matter more than a simple good-season/bad-season label.
Tell us where you want to go and what experiences matter most; then we can look at the timing that fits that specific journey.
Destination First. Travel Style Next.
Ways to Cruise Asia, Australia & the South Pacific
This region supports almost every style of cruising, which is another reason the product choice matters.
Premium Ocean
Larger premium ships offer comfortable ways to explore Japan, Australia, New Zealand and longer Pacific itineraries while still providing a substantial onboard experience.
Compare cruise-line styles →Luxury & Small Ship
Smaller upscale ships can pair longer port stays and unusual destinations with more intimate service — especially useful across Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
Explore luxury cruising →Mekong River Cruising
A Mekong cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia is not simply a smaller ocean cruise. Villages, markets, temples and local communities become the center of the journey.
Explore river cruising →Expedition & Remote Travel
Remote islands, wildlife regions and less-developed coastlines can make expedition-style travel an appealing alternative to conventional ocean cruising.
Explore expedition cruising →Grand & Extended Voyages
The distances between these regions make them especially well suited to longer voyages that connect Australia, Asia, the Pacific and sometimes multiple continents.
Explore longer voyages →
Very Different Products Serve This Region
Cruise Lines Worth Considering
There is no single cruise line that is best across Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Holland America, Celebrity & Princess
These premium brands can be strong choices for Australia, New Zealand, Japan and longer Pacific voyages. Holland America is especially notable for extended South Pacific itineraries, while Celebrity and Princess add substantial regional options.
Oceania, Azamara & Luxury
Smaller ships become especially useful when destination depth, longer stays and unusual ports matter. Oceania, Azamara, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and similar products can create a very different long-haul experience.
River & Specialized Cruising
AmaWaterways brings a destination-focused river option to Southeast Asia through the Mekong, while expedition and specialty operators open up more remote parts of Australia, Indonesia and the wider Pacific.
A Region That Keeps Expanding for Us
Firsthand Experience Across Asia and the Pacific
Our travels have already taken us through Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Easter Island, Pitcairn and other Pacific destinations.
Our recent Mekong journey added a very different kind of
Southeast Asia experience, while our 2028 Oceania Grand
Voyage will take us back through New Zealand and Australia
and into Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka
and India.
That mix of past experience and future travel is one reason this broad hub makes sense for us: we can compare several fundamentally different ways of exploring the region rather than treating it as one type of cruise.
Current Opportunities
Asia-Pacific Cruises We Recommend
These three journeys illustrate just how different travel across this region can be.
Exceptional Group Pricing
Holland America South Pacific 2028
Sail roundtrip from San Diego through Hawaii, Tahiti, Moorea, Fakarava and the Marquesas on a long, relaxed voyage where the sea days are part of the experience.
Explore the South Pacific Voyage
Cruise With Us 2028
Oceania Best of East & West
Join us for all 96 days from Auckland to Rome or choose a shorter regional segment, including Auckland to Sydney, Sydney to Bali, Bali to Singapore and other combinations.
Explore the Oceania Journey
Firsthand Southeast Asia
AmaWaterways Charms of the Mekong
We recently returned from this immersive Mekong journey through Vietnam and Cambodia, where villages, markets, temples and local communities make the destination the true center of the cruise.
Explore the Mekong Journey
Let Us Help Narrow the Choices
Which Asia-Pacific Journey Fits You?
Tell us whether you are dreaming about Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Tahiti or a much longer combination voyage. We can help compare the regions, ships, trip lengths and travel styles that make the long journey worthwhile.
Prefer to talk? (805) 210-5327
