Planning a long-haul trip from New Zealand? Before you book flights, there’s something most travellers don’t realise:
Cruising is often cheaper than flying — especially for long-distance and multi-stop trips.
When you compare business class airfares with cruise prices from Auckland, the difference is massive. And that’s before you factor in accommodation, meals and entertainment.
Auckland to Los Angeles: Cruise vs Flight Cost Comparison
Air New Zealand Business class flights Auckland to Los Angeles (one way):
- From ~$4,153 NZD per person
- Around 12 hours in the air
- Transport only, a couple of meals and a few drinks
Cruise from Auckland to Los Angeles on Crown Princess:
- From ~$2,895 NZD per person
- 25 nights
- Accommodation, meals, entertainment included
Cost per hour comparison for an Auckland LA trip:
- Flying Business Class on Air New Zealand : ~$330 per hour
- Cruising with Princess Cruises: ~ From less than $5 per hour
See how this looks on Crown Princess
Same journey and destination. Very different value
Island Routes & Combinations Airlines Don’t Offer from NZ
Flights from New Zealand are limited to certain direct air routes. Cruises are not.
In the old days you could fly the Coral route with Air NZ and include Fiji, Rarotonga, Tahiti and Hawaii on one trip, but those days (and schedules) are long gone
Trying to combine Tahiti and Hawaii on one flight ticket from NZ usually means:
- Expensive one-way fares
- Limited schedules
- Backtracking through hubs
Cruising from Auckland lets you:
- Visit multiple islands in one trip
- Travel one continuous direction without needing to backtrack through hubs
- Avoid baggage limits, transfers and airport stresses
Princess Cruise itineraries from Auckland offer a huge range of World Cruise style segments that are a great alternative to flying
- The closest match to the old Coral Route but by Sea, including: Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii and Tahiti 35 Night roundtrip from Auckland
- Auckland to Singapore via Australia & Asia, 28 Nights
- Full Pacific crossings island hopping all the way from Auckland to Canada for 25 Nights
- Auckland to the UK via Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe 59 Nights
Try booking these routes by air and you’ll need multiple tickets, awkward connections and a much bigger budget
Fed up with High Prices in the School Holidays?
For Pacific Island travel, cruises are often the most cost-effective option from New Zealand, especially in the school holidays
Family of 4 Flights only to Fiji in the July school hols can be eye watering, if you can get them
Then you have to add your hotels, meals, kids clubs and entertainment
PLUS Airlines make you pay right away up to a year in advance for the privelege
Compare this with a cruise
Family of Four, 9 night Carnival Cruise from Auckland in the July School Hols (06 July 2027)
Accommodation, all main meals, world class entertainment and kids clubs included
Family of 4 (2adults & 2 kids 2-11yrs) All up Total Family price from NZ$4719
See what the School Hols Deal looks like for your family
PLUS you can lock it in with a low deposit and pay the balance around 3-4 months before you travel
One-Way Trans-Tasman Travel: Fly or Cruise?
Flights between New Zealand and Australia are common as stubbies at an Otago home game — but one-way fares (especially in premium cabins) can be expensive.
Trans-Tasman cruises include:
- Multiple nights accommodation
- All main meals
- Onboard entertainment all the way
- A relaxed sea journey
In many cases, the cruise costs for these shorter cruises are similar to a premium class flight — but delivers a full holiday on the way
Check out this 5 night beauty on Royal Princess, prices from NZ$1099pp one way PLUS it includes a $300 Air Credit to get you back to NZ after your cruise
Round the World Travel: Airfare vs Cruise
Air New Zealand's web site advises a Star Alliance Round the World airfare from NZ can cost thousands and comes with strict rules on routes and limits on numbers of allowed stopovers.
Business class fares start from a staggering $15,999 per person and thats pretty much just the base fare for your trip. On top of that you have to add all your airport taxes, weeks of hotels or Air B&B's, food, entertainment etc
Compare this with a 114-Night Round the World cruise from Princess Cruises which already includes:
- 31 Countries
- 48 destinations
- Panama Canal full transit
- 6 Continents ticked off on one trip
- Over 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sights
- Accommodation and meals included every day
- No repeated packing and unpacking
- No messy and stressfull border crossings
- No Airline delays or rubbish airline food
Priced from NZ$28,368 pp share twin, thats under NZ$250 per day
PLUS Imagine how much you would save with No Winter power bills or grocery bills for nearly 4 months!
See what a World Cruise Looks like for you?
For long-distance travel, cruising can be one of the cheapest ways to see the world from New Zealand.
Why Are Cruises Cheaper Than Flights?
Cruises offer better value because:
- Costs are spread over weeks, not hours
- Accommodation and meals are bundled in so dont have to come out of your holiday spends
- No peak-hour seat pricing or airline price gouging
- One-way and repositioning sailings offer some of the best cruise deals
That’s why cruise deals from Auckland can undercut airfare prices on value every time — especially for long distances.
How to Find the Best Cruise Deals from New Zealand
If you’re travelling from New Zealand and want:
- Cheaper long-haul travel
- Multi Centre Pacific Island itineraries
- One-way cruises
- Or even a world cruise
Cruising could save you thousands — and give you a better journey.
Browse the latest CruiseDeals.co.nz offers and compare for yourself.
Cruise Information is correct as at 27 Jan 2026 and is based on current availability and pricing. All costs are subject to change until booked and deposited. Any reference to Air New Zealand airfares is based on the live pricing & information showing on their NZ public web site as at 27 January 2026