Interestingly, the two brands making their debut, Disney Cruiseline and Virgin Voyages are very close, which shows there is demand for both of these very different styles of cruising.

No surprises that Carnival and P&O hold the majority of the bookings, and equally un-surprisingly Royal Caribbean and Princess are neck and neck.

What I do find surprising is the lower number of bookings for Holland America and Norwegian which are both exceptional - and very different - products. Could it be an issue of lack of brand awareness?

While I understand that a more scientific approach would be to run this poll longer and add more options, I think this provides an interesting snapshot into what Australian cruisers on Facebook have booked. 

Personally, I will be cruising in Australia with Princess and Virgin this year - but I might add a few more before the season ends in April.

CLIA Australia’s Managing Director Joel Katz said that this was a welcome move and gives clarity to cruise guests ahead of the coming summer season. He reinforced that the cruise industry will still hold health and safety as its highest priority.

“The past few years have been tough for cruise lovers, but we’ve seen an incredible amount of passion from travellers as they’ve returned to sea and begun exploring the world again. The good news now is that the rules around cruising are consistent with the settings on land and for other forms of travel,” he said.

“Cruise ships have always had a big focus on health and sanitation procedures, and cruising is the only form of travel where trained medical professionals and essential medical facilities travel with you. 

Covid-19 is still with us and still a part of our lives, on land and at sea, so we all need to be mindful of our health and continue following professional medical advice. But now, when we travel by sea, we can enjoy our holiday without having different requirements to other forms of travel.”