One way of getting to Australia by sea is to take a trip on a cruise liner. Standard ferries are not an option as there are great distances between Australia and other countries and it is not practical, but cruise liners pull in to a number of ports in the country each day. Travelling by cruise liner is definitely not the quickest method of reaching Australia and it can be a very costly option. If you choose to cruise there you will also be able to call in at a number of other locations along the way. Most cruises are planned to take place in the warmer months, from September to April in Australia. The main cruise operators are Royal Caribbean, P&O, Cunard and Holland America.

In addition to this you are able to travel to Australia on a freighter. There are a number of companies that will take passengers on board a freight boat. These travel mainly between Australia and the US, although there are a number which have routes from Europe. From the US, docking takes place mainly in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Depending upon the route being taken the trip can take between 23 and 42 days, but will cost on average $100 per day. From Europe the trip can take 80 days or more, depending upon the type of ship and the route taken, although a voyage from the UK can take around 45 days. Most ships from the UK will dock at Sydney or Melbourne and will travel through the Suez Canal. Some ships can be caught at Hamburg, Rotterdam or northern France. There are some ships which take the journey across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal instead.

From Europe the journey will cost on average £100 per day. This cost will include the travel, accommodation and food and drink while you are on board. Freighter ships have a limited number of vacancies for passengers and most will only carry a dozen. Accommodation is usually very comfortable on board though. Cabins are available as singles or doubles, and most have en-suite bathroom facilities. Most cabins will also have fridges and TVs and there will be a communal lounge and dining room which may be shared with the officers. However, passengers should not expect to find a wide variety of on-board entertainment and there may be restrictions on the age of the passengers that can be taken on-board, with some companies not accepting young children or elderly passengers.