Oceania, including Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and Asia) and the islands of the Pacific, is a major expanse of sea and land. This cruise region offers great diversity from the culturally vibrant and exotic ports of Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, India, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, to the tropical islands of the Pacific, such as Tahiti, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. Australia offers the attractions of her cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Freemantle and the uniqueness of the coast, the coastal resorts, and the countryside (Cruise Down Under, 2004). New Zealand is still basking in the Lord of the Rings effect, which has followed the success of the movie trilogy. Publicity from feature films has frequently created heightened interest in travel destinations, and this has also been evident in the increased number of ships visiting the ports of Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand.

This region is located in the southern hemisphere, so the seasons are a reversal of the pattern recognized in the northern hemisphere. As a result, the summer cruising season for Australia and the South Pacific extends from November to April (Mancini, 2000). This vast geographical area is likely to experience continuous growth, with emerging economies such as China and India fuelling opportunities for new consumer markets and new, relatively accessible itineraries (Figure 4.5).

Figure 4.5: Oceania and the South Pacific