January Cruises – New Year Getaways at Sea

Where Does a January Cruise Take You?

January is one of the widest-ranging months in the cruise calendar. The Caribbean leads by a clear margin, with Florida’s ports — Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) — handling the bulk of departures. Southeast Asia is strongly represented too, sailing from Singapore. Further afield, South America, Central America, Polynesia and the Canary Islands all have solid choice. Durations run from short breaks upwards, with a median around 12 nights — long enough to feel like a proper holiday without committing to a world cruise.

January Cruises: Top Destinations

The Caribbean — January’s Most Popular Region

The Caribbean is where the majority of January cruises head, and it is easy to see why it suits this month. Round-trip sailings from Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) account for most departures, so a Florida trip is the natural starting point. Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) are about half an hour apart, so a Florida trip can sail from either — worth checking both for dates and prices. The Southern Caribbean also has its own selection of itineraries for those who want to push further into the region. Lines including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises all sail the Caribbean heavily in January. If you want a fly-cruise package that handles flights and transfers in one go, take a look at fly Caribbean cruises in January or the dedicated P&O Caribbean cruises in January page for that line’s specific sailings.

Southeast Asia — Sailing from Singapore

January is a popular month for Southeast Asia sailings, with Singapore serving as the main hub. Round trips from Singapore put a wide range of ports within reach over itineraries of varying lengths. Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises and others position ships here for the season. Because you are flying out and back, this is exactly the kind of trip where a Cruise1st Package pays off — flights, hotel nights either side, transfers and the cruise itself on one booking, handled by people who know the route.

South America and Central America

Both South America and Central America have meaningful January selections, with Buenos Aires among the embarkation ports. These tend to be longer itineraries — the kind of trip where having expert guidance on cabin grade and fare inclusions saves you time and money. One-way sailings appear in this part of the world, so if your itinerary ends in a different port from where you started, you will need a flight home; our team can arrange that as part of the same booking.

Canary Islands and the Western Mediterranean

Closer to home, the Canary Islands offer a popular January option — warm enough to be genuinely appealing in winter, and reachable from UK ports. MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises both sail this region in January. The Western Mediterranean also features in the January mix, rounding out the European options. P&O sailings on the Canary Islands route are worth a look specifically — see the P&O Canary Islands cruises page for that line’s itineraries.

Polynesia and New Zealand

For something more adventurous, Polynesia and New Zealand both appear in the January sailings. These are longer voyages, typically flying to your embarkation port and making the most of the southern hemisphere’s summer months. Sydney and Los Angeles both feature as disembarkation ports in this part of the world. A Cruise1st Package is particularly well suited here, where the logistics of long-haul travel benefit from having everything arranged in one place.

Transatlantic Crossings

January also has a selection of Transatlantic sailings. These one-way crossings connect continents rather than looping back to their start point, so bear in mind you will need to arrange a return leg. Our team can book that flight home alongside your cruise, so it is never something you have to sort out separately.

Cruising in January — What to Expect

January sailings span a wide range of trip lengths — from short breaks of 4 nights through to extended voyages of over 100 nights, with the middle ground around 12 nights being the most common choice. Many sailings are round trips, though a meaningful share are one-way itineraries, particularly on longer routes. If you are considering a one-way sailing, check the disembarkation port before you book, and let us arrange the return travel at the same time.

A large number of January sailings include all-inclusive fare options, which can simplify your budget considerably — drinks, dining and gratuities wrapped into one fare rather than tallied up at the end. The fare structure varies by line, so it is worth knowing what each tier actually covers before you choose.

January Cruise Deals — What the Fares Include

Knowing what your fare covers is as important as the headline price. Here is what the main lines offer on January 2027 sailings:

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean offers fare types including last-minute offers and early booking bonuses on January departures. Some fares carry onboard credit for the first 2 guests, while solo travellers have a dedicated single occupancy fare rather than paying a double-occupancy supplement. Fare types such as last-minute and early booking offers may be combinable — our team can check what applies to the specific sailing you are looking at.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises January sailings are available in Standard and Plus tiers. The Princess Standard fare covers the cruise itself. The Princess Plus fare adds 4 casual dining meals per voyage, beverages up to $15 each (with a daily limit of 15 drinks), MedallionNet Max Wi-Fi, pre-paid crew appreciation, unlimited digital photographs plus 3 prints, and reserved theatre seating. If you want drinks and dining handled upfront, Plus is the one to consider.

Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises January fares range from a base Comfort Plus option — full board, unlimited drinks and 24-hour room service — through to All Inclusive, which adds the My Drinks Plus drinks package. Flash and Last Minute fares offer discounted entry points with full board included, though without the drinks package built in. Last-minute fares are worth checking if your dates are flexible.

Which Ships Are Sailing in January 2027?

Several well-known ships are active on January 2027 departures. Here is what each one brings to the table:

MSC Meraviglia

MSC Meraviglia is one of the most distinctive ships at sea in January. Its Galleria Meraviglia is a 96-metre LED sky promenade — the ship’s social and retail spine, lined with boutiques, restaurants and nightly entertainment. For families, the Polar Aquapark, a full-sized bowling alley and Formula 1 simulators offer plenty to fill sea days, while the MSC Yacht Club provides a ship-within-a-ship experience for those who want something quieter. The Royal Court Theatre hosts exclusive Carousel Productions shows performed only on Meraviglia and Bellissima.

Cabin grades on MSC Meraviglia range widely. See the MSC Meraviglia cabins and deck plans for the full layout, or use this as a guide to the key grades:

• Inside cabin Bella — 16 m², sleeps up to 4 with flexible bed configurations including sofa beds
• Super Family cabin Plus with sea view (FPO) — 48 m² with 3 separate bathrooms, sleeping up to 9 guests across a suite-style layout
• Super Family cabin Plus with balcony (FPB) — 72 m² with 2 bathrooms and a private balcony, the most spacious family option on the ship
• MSC Yacht Club Duplex Suite — 82 m², a maisonette layout spanning 2 decks, more than 3 times the size of standard cabins

MSC Opera

MSC Opera is another MSC Cruises ship active in January. See the MSC Opera cabins and deck plans for full grade and layout details.

Azura (P&O Cruises)

Azura completed a full bow-to-stern refresh in 2025, with new restaurants, bars, cabin décor and updated public spaces throughout. Specialty dining options include Sindhu for modern Indian cuisine and the Glass House, curated by TV wine expert Olly Smith. The 800-seat Playhouse theatre delivers West End-quality aerial acrobatics and productions, and the SeaScreen open-air cinema on deck adds something you will not find on every ship. A January cruise from Southampton on Azura means no airport — you can reach Southampton by road or rail from most of Britain and be at sea the same afternoon. See the January Southampton selection for specific departures.

Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda carries the world’s first Frescobaldi wine restaurant at sea — Osteria Frescobaldi is exclusive to this ship. The Solemio Spa covers 4,500 m² and includes a snow grotto, one of the most unusual wellness features in the fleet. The Colosseo Theatre spans 3 decks for evening shows, and the Food Lab cookery school rounds out a strong onboard offer. Cabin grades on Costa Smeralda include:

• Inside cabin I1 — 10 m², sleeping up to 4 guests, on lower decks
• Ocean-view cabin with sea view (E1) — 17 m², a window bringing daylight and a sea outlook without the cost of a balcony
• Balcony cabin with sea view (B1) — 14 m², exclusively on deck 5, a lower and more stable position with less wave motion
• Grand Suite (GS) — 33 m², sleeping up to 4, with noticeably more space than the 28 m² standard suites

Full details are on the Costa Smeralda cabins and deck plans page.

Costa Pacifica

Costa Pacifica is the only ship at sea where guests can record their own CD in an onboard recording studio — a genuinely unique feature. The Grand Bar Rhapsody is the social centrepiece, a music-themed bar inspired by notes and chords. The Samsara Spa spans 6,000 m² across 2 decks, with a glass-fronted gym giving panoramic sea views. Cabin layout details are on the Costa Pacifica cabins and deck plans page.

Queen Victoria (Cunard)

Queen Victoria carries one of the most distinctive interiors at sea. The Royal Court Theatre is the first theatre afloat to feature private boxes, with West End-calibre productions nightly. Its ballroom is the largest at sea and hosts Cunard’s famous Gala evenings, complete with a live orchestra and white-gloved afternoon tea service. Dining spans Britannia, Princess Grill and Queen’s Grill — the most traditional class-dining structure you will find on any ship sailing today. For cabin detail, see the Queen Victoria cabins and deck plans page.

Other Ships Sailing in January 2027

Also active in January: EXPLORA II (see EXPLORA II cabins and deck plans), Azamara Onward (see Azamara Onward cabins and deck plans), Coral Princess (see Coral Princess cabins and deck plans) and Costa Deliziosa (see Costa Deliziosa cabins and deck plans).

Benefits of January Cruises

January is a month when the cruise calendar opens up properly. The Caribbean is at its most popular with British travellers, Florida ports are running at full capacity, and lines including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises all have strong January programmes. If you are prepared to look at longer voyages — the median sits around 12 nights — January offers itineraries that feel genuinely expansive rather than compressed.

For those who want to sail without flying, a small number of January sailings depart from Southampton. Most of Britain can reach Southampton by road or rail, making these genuinely no-fly options. Azura, for instance, sails from Southampton in January — you board in England and return to England, with no airport involved. See January cruises from Southampton for the full list of home-port departures, or browse all 2027 cruises from Southampton if your dates are flexible.

For the majority of January sailings, a flight is part of the trip. That is where booking with a specialist rather than directly with the cruise line makes the clearest difference. Our team can add flights, hotel nights before embarkation and after disembarkation, transfers and tours to your cruise in one package, so nothing is left for you to arrange separately.

Why Book January Cruises with Cruise1st?

Cruise1st is one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists, rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from over 7,000 reviews, and ABTA and ATOL protected. When you book a January cruise with us, you get expert advice from people who know these ships and itineraries — not a general travel agent who happens to sell cruises. We help you work out which cabin grade suits your travel style, which fare tier gives you the inclusions you actually want, and how to put the whole trip together as one package.

For fly-cruise holidays in particular, a Cruise1st Package means flights, hotels, transfers and the cruise are all on a single booking. You pay once, you deal with one team if anything needs adjusting, and nothing falls through the gap between separate bookings. Trusted by thousands of UK cruisers and backed by ABTA and ATOL protection, we handle the detail so you can focus on the trip itself.

Which Cruise Lines Have January 2027 Sailings?

MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean lead the January 2027 programme by volume of sailings, with Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Costa Cruises all carrying strong selections. Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line also sail in January. The breadth of lines means you are not limited to one style of cruise — from family-focused mega-ships to more intimate, destination-led sailings.

What Do January Cruises Cost?

January 2027 prices start at £99 pp* for the most affordable departures. The range is wide — shorter sailings on interior cabins sit at one end, while extended voyages in suites occupy the other. The cabin grade you choose, the line you sail with and the fare tier you select all affect the final figure. Our team can walk you through the options for any sailing and help you find the grade and inclusion level that suits your budget.

Thinking About Other Months?

If January does not quite fit your dates, there is strong choice on either side. December cruises cover the festive period with a similar range of Caribbean and Canary Islands sailings — including all-inclusive Christmas and New Year 2027 cruises and New Year’s Eve cruises for those who want to see in the New Year at sea. New Year’s Eve mini cruises from Southampton are a shorter option if you just want a few nights away. February cruises follow on with the Caribbean and Southeast Asia still running strongly. For something specific in February, the P&O February 2027 cruises page covers that line’s programme in detail. Browse all winter cruises if you are flexible on the exact month, or see cruises from the UK for home-port options across all months. All January and year-round options sit within the main cruises search.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.