Cruise AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

Cruising Australia and New Zealand. Australia may be a continent, but it's also an island. Therefore, it's a great cruise destination for anyone looking for a longer, more exotic cruise. And, if you are planning a trip to Australia, don't overlook New Zealand. This smaller island nation also in the South Pacific offers spectacular natural beauty and some of the friendliest people on earth.

Some cruises visit both Australia and New Zealand, but note that both countries certainly deserve more of your time than just a few days! The history of Australia and New Zealand and their distance from most of the rest of the world has given the area a mystery and made it a "must see" on every travel lover's list.
Certainly there are tourist sites in Australia and New Zealand that are not accessible via cruise ship, but cruise lines offer pre or post cruise add-ons to capture a trip to the outback, the Great Barrier Reef or to see some of the wonderful natural sites in New Zealand.

There are basically four different types of cruises in Australia and New Zealand.
1. You can fly into a major airport in Australia or New Zealand (normally Sydney or Auckland), embark on a cruise of 10-15 days to various ports in Australia, New Zealand or Tasmania, and then fly back home.
2. You can book a segment of 15-100+ days of a world cruise that includes Australia and/or New Zealand ports.
3. You can take a repositioning cruise between Southeast Asia and Australia.
4. You can fly to Australia and book a cruise of a week or more on a small ship that cruises only in the South Pacific.
Source: cruises.about.com