September 23, 2026

Cruises Leaving from Fremantle – 2027 Cruise Guide

Well it’s official: Hellbound, Australia’s first ever metal cruise, is back for 2027 – but they still aren’t coming to WA. After their whirlwind debut in 2025, the heavy music festival racked up strong reviews from ticketholders, promising an eventual return to the Sydney Harbour, with some also hoping for a second cruise departing from Fremantle, but sadly it isn’t meant to be for next year either.

For interstate travellers looking to set sail on the heavy metal seas yet again, there are at least still plenty of bookings still available for Hellbound II departing from Sydney. But if you’ve already been looking into eSIMs and cruise travel insurance and are keen to enjoy a local cruise experience, then there are still plenty of options available to you.

With the Sapphire Princess cruise ship announcing Fremantle as its homeport for the 2027-2028 summer cruise season, Perth is gearing up for a year of fun cruise ship experiences across 2027. If you want to experience all the thrill of embarking on a cruise from Fremantle before the heightened activity at the end of next year, then we’ve got you covered.

Here are some of the top 2027 cruise experiences to keep on your radar when holiday planning for next year.

Oceania Cruises – Fremantle to Auckland (17 nights)

Scheduled for January 7th-24th 2027 on board the Oceania Riviera, this route from Fremantle to Auckland takes you along the Bass Strait, with stops along the way at:

Busselton, WA
Albany, WA
Esperance, WA
Adelaide, SA
Melbourne, SA
Picton, South Island
Wellington, North Island
Napier, North Island
Gisborne, North Island
Rotorua (Tauranga), North Island

Sadly despite travelling via the Bass Strait, the Oceania Riviera will make no stops in Tasmania and just the one stop in Picton on New Zealand’s South Island. But this 17-night cruise will still deliver plenty of stunning sights of Australia’s southern coastline as well as the eastern and northern coasts of New Zealand’s North Island.

Princess – Northern Explorer Cruise (13-18 days)

Princess Cruises’ fan favourite ‘Northern Explorer’ route is back with few different voyages scheduled all across the 2027 calendar year, plus itineraries of varying lengths to accommodate travellers looking for shorter or longer trips. Shorter trips may conclude in Brisbane, whereas longer trips continue further down the coast to dock in Sydney Harbour.

All of the Northern Explorer cruises follow a familiar route, with some stops only being included in longer itinerary options. Across the 18 day journey, however, travellers can expect to enjoy sights, sounds, and attractions at the following stops:

Broome, WA
Yampi Sound, WA
Kimberley Coast, WA
Darwin, NT
Cairns, QLD
Willis Island, QLD
Townsville, QLD
Airlie Beach, QLD

Seabourn – Australian Explorer (20 nights)

The longest cruise on this list by a few days and a few more nautical miles, the Australian Explorer mega-voyage takes you all across the northern coastline of Australia, including one day of international travel in Papua New Guinea.

Scheduled to depart from Fremantle on the 26th of March and conclude upon its arrival in Brisbane on the 15th of April, this cruise aboard the Seabourn Quest is scheduled to make these stops along the way:

Geraldton, WA
Exmouth, WA
Broome, WA
Kimberley Coast, WA
Darwin, NT (overnight stopover)
Alotau, PNG
Cairns, QLD (overnight stopover)
Townsville, QLD
Airlie Beach (Whitsunday Island), QLD

The mid-autumn weather will bring a nice breeze to this expedition whilst still providing plenty of warm weather, sunshine, and little risk of rain. This has all the makings of an enriching voyage across tropical Pacific waters.

Silversea – Perth to Darwin Expedition (16 nights)

At first glance, it may not seem like this cruise covers a lot of ground. After all, taking 17 days (September 9th-25th) to go from Fremantle to Darwin seems excessive. But when you factor in the whopping 22 shore excursions included in this voyage, it’s clear to see what all the fuss is about.

For travellers who’ve always wanted to explore the wilder northern coastline of WA but have never felt prepared for the rugged adventure, the Silversea Perth to Darwin cruise is poised to make the journey far more accessible and hassle-free.

With only just 1 day at sea and some days with multiple stopovers, this cruise is less a voyage and more a tasting menu of WA and NT’s greatest hits. In fact, you’ll end up spending a lot more time on land than you do on the cruise ship itself! In short, this is the perfect cruise experience for people who may not even like cruises.

The many local stopovers you can expect on this itinerary include:

Fremantle, WA
Abrolhos Islands, WA
Cape Peron, Shark Bay, WA
North Muiron Island, WA
Dampier Archipelago, WA
Broome (Kimberley), WA
Buccaneer Archipelago, WA
Hunter River Region, WA
Ashmore Reef, Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Swift Bay, WA
Koolama Bay, WA
Darwin, NT

Princess – Indonesian Explorer (14 nights)

Finally, if you’re looking to close out the year upon the open ocean, then look no further than Princess Cruises’ Indonesian Explorer tour, scheduled to embark on December 19th, 2027 and return on January 2nd, 2028.

This return trip travels along the WA coastline all the way up to Bali before returning via a 3-day open voyage across the Indian Ocean. On the night of December 31st, you’ll get to enjoy the unique experience of a New Year’s countdown out on the open sea.

Outside of departing and docking at Fremantle, the stops scheduled along this voyage are as follows:

Exmouth, WA
Broome, WA (overnight stay)
Kimberley Coast, WA
Lombok, Indonesia
Bali (Benoa), Indonesia (overnight stay)

ARRIVAL Festival 2027?

And for those who are still hoping for a music festival experience akin to Hellbound II (i.e. on the open water), then let’s keep our fingers crossed that ARRIVAL returns for 2027. The beloved annual not-for-profit festival had a major turnout for its 2026 run earlier this year which included a river cruise on the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River), but the festival organisers have explicitly stated on their website that ARRIVAL’s return in 2027 is fully dependent on fundraising over the next 4-6 months.

Head over to the ARRIVAL website if you want to see the festival return again for Autumn 2027.

Set sail in 2027 with any of these domestic and international cruise experiences

Fremantle’s unique positioning makes for the perfect gateway to the wider Indo-Pacific region. With international cruises set to depart from Fremantle over 2027 and 2028 in partnership with Princess Cruises, the floating festival experiences we may be missing out on here in Perth (like Hellbound II and Rock the Boat), are minimised by the growing number of ocean voyages departing from Fremantle in 2027.

Have any of these itineraries caught your eye? Then rest assured, it isn’t too late to book your tickets! Where are you setting sail for in 2027?

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