The company surveyed almost 5000 trans-Tasman customers to find out why cruisegoers love hitting the seas.

The survey found 78 per cent of respondents are planning to sail again in 2025, while 26 per cent are already planning their 2026 cruise holiday.

In fact, more than a quarter of them would only choose a cruise for future holidays.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s survey reveals 95 per cent of past cruisers like to go ashore in every port, with city sightseeing, scenery, history tours and cultural activities the most popular shore excursion picks.

A quarter of those surveyed are keen on snorkelling excursions in tropical destinations such as Hawai’i, Tahiti, Fiji and the Maldives.

The top reason for cruising was the appeal of easily visiting destinations of interest (76 per cent). After the destination, the value of cruising compared to land-based itineraries was an incentive (66 per cent), with the quality of food and dining experiences onboard also a high priority (65 per cent).

The Mediterranean is the most desirable destination overall for past cruisers (40 per cent), followed by Asia (32 per cent), Northern Europe and the Baltics (30 per cent).

Alaska, the South Pacific and Hawai’i are also popular choices.

“Our research confirms Norwegian Cruise Line is delivering more of the elements our guests value the most, such as more than 400 destinations to explore, extended time in port and greater value with NCL’s ‘More at Sea’, including more specialty dining, more premium beverages, more wi-fi minutes and shore excursion credits in every port,” says Ben Angell, vice president and managing director of Norwegian Cruise Line APAC.

Norwegian Cruise Line has a range of ships sailing more than 250 European voyages during the 2025/2026 seasons, visiting 117 ports across 28 countries in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Greek Isles, offering guests an average of 10 hours in port and more overnight stays for an in-depth exploration of cities such as Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Livorno and Istanbul.