Cruise Experts Report Rapid Growth In Asia Travel As South Africans Embrace Affordable And Accessible Voyages

Demand for cruises in Asia is growing rapidly among South African cruisers with cruise sellers seeing Asia as one of the fastest growing markets and cruise lines actively expanding their itineraries.

“Over the past two years or so, demand for Asia has grown faster than most international cruise regions for South Africans. This is because it offers value for money, easy access, seamless flight connections and a safe travel experience,” said Thaybz Khan, Head of Commercial at Cruises International.

According to Khan, demand is fuelled by the exceptional value and favourable flight connections and options as well as access to bucket-list destinations like Singapore, Tokyo, Bali and Vietnam.

Nirosha Sidat, NCL Country Manager, Africa, says the region's appeal lies in its accessibility as many destinations are visa-free or visa-easy for South Africans, as well as its cultural wonders, including history, architecture and cuisine.

Response to demand

To match this increased demand, cruise lines have expanded their Asia itineraries.

“We're responding to this demand with expanded itineraries. Our Asia sailings predominantly run from January to April in 2026 and 2027, including voyages through Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia in March 2026, and Japan-focused cruises from Seoul from November 2026 until April 2027,” said Sidat

Henuti Purshotam, Marketing and Product Specialist for Whitestar Cruise & Travel, has noticed the same trend across the cruise lines they represent. “Cunard, Seabourn, Norwegian Cruise Line and Explora Journeys have expanded or refined their Asia offerings. From luxury expeditions to Japan with Seabourn to NCL’s immersive Southeast Asia itineraries and Cunard’s grand voyages linking Cape Town with Singapore and Hong Kong, we are seeing strong momentum across every segment of the market.”

Japan

Japan has emerged as a clear favourite among South Africans, with Sidat, Khan and Purshotam all noticing it as a standout destination.

“Japan has huge bucket-list appeal and has seen the most momentum. Itineraries featuring Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are performing extremely well, along with smaller ports that offer a deeper cultural feel,” said Purshotam.

She has also noticed that more boutique routes through Indonesia and the Philippines are gaining momentum with luxury guests.

Challenges in Asia

Travel to Asia does present some challenges, particularly when it comes to flights and pricing.

“The biggest challenge is flight availability and pricing. Peak-season fares to hubs like Singapore and Tokyo can be expensive, and limited seat capacity often affects group bookings,” said Khan.

For Purshotam, global demand during peak seasons can be challenging for travel to Japan. “Cherry blossom season remains the most popular time to travel, but August is also emerging and demand far outweighs availability. We advise guests to start planning Japan cruises in advance. These challenges are manageable and, importantly, none of them is slowing interest from South Africa. Almost every alternate enquiry we receive at the moment is for Japan.”

Asia competes with other destinations

Europe still remains the firm favourite for South Africans, however Asia is becoming a strong competitor.

“While Europe and the Med remain strong, Asia has shown the most notable uplift. It has also become a strong alternative to the Caribbean, offering warm-weather cruising, island experiences and excellent pricing without the complexity of long multi-stop flights,” said Khan.

“Many guests who have cruised Europe several times are now actively looking for a new destination, and the increased deployment from lines has made Asia more accessible and top-of-mind for South Africans,” added Purshotam.