Oceania to feature Cape Town cruise during 2025/26 Christmas and New Year season

Oceania Cruises will feature an extended Indian Ocean itinerary departing from Cape Town during the 2025 festive season, offering travellers a chance to celebrate Christmas and New Year while sailing along the southern African coast and through the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia.

Departing December 2nd, 2025, the 24-day Indian Ocean Opus sailing aboard Oceania Sirena travels from Cape Town to Singapore. The itinerary includes stops in Mozambique and Réunion before crossing to Mauritius, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and on to Malaysia and Thailand, concluding in Singapore.

It is the only Oceania holiday voyage focused on Africa for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 seasons and reflects the line’s broader strategy of combining long-haul repositioning cruises with festive itineraries.

Oceania Sirena

The voyage is one of more than 40 Oceania holiday sailings across both seasons, offering a variety of durations and destinations. 

Holiday programming on board includes Christmas carollers at embarkation, entertainment on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, menorah lighting during Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve celebrations with a countdown and Champagne toast.

“Our festive holiday voyages are meticulously crafted to deliver the magic of the joyful season in an elegant, luxurious setting wherever you’re sailing in the world,” said Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer at Oceania Cruises. 

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

“Guests will enjoy inclusive celebrations that honour beloved traditions – from festive décor and holiday entertainment to lavish meals – alongside our signature heartfelt onboard service and the elegant ambiance of Oceania Cruises’ ships, creating a truly memorable journey at sea,” he added.

The African-focused itinerary joins a selection of other voyages across the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean, with several itineraries extending beyond 25 days. Travellers can choose from short regional escapes or full-season grand voyages.

Holland America Line Christmas and New Year Cruises to also feature:

2025/26 Holiday Voyages

South Pacific Archipelagos – 19 days from Sydney to Papeete aboard Oceania Riviera, departing December 10th, 2025. Ports include New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti.

Outrigger’s Route to Bali – 24 days from Papeete to Bali aboard Oceania Regatta, departing December 17th, 2025. Includes French Polynesia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, northern Australia, and Indonesia.

Yachting Treasures – 10 days roundtrip from Miami aboard Oceania Insignia, departing December 19th, 2025. Calls include San Juan, Basseterre, St. John’s, Philipsburg, and Charlotte Amalie.

Antarctic Triumph – 20 days from Santiago de Chile to Buenos Aires aboard Oceania Marina, departing December 21st, 2025. Highlights include Puerto Montt, Laguna San Rafael, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia, and Buenos Aires.

Holiday Havens – 14 days roundtrip from Miami aboard Oceania Allura, departing December 21st, 2025. Ports include Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent, Dominica, Antigua, and St. Maarten.

Ponta Delgada, on Sao Miguel in the Azores

2025/26 Grand Voyages

Iberian & Island Dreams – 25 days from Barcelona to Miami aboard Oceania Nautica, departing December 2nd, 2025. Stops include Spain, Gibraltar, the Azores, and the Caribbean.

Spanning the Americas – 77 days from Los Angeles to San Diego aboard Oceania Vista, departing December 20th, 2025. The itinerary includes Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, French Guiana, and Brazil.

2026/27 Holiday Voyages

Australasian Allure – 23 days from Sydney to Perth aboard Oceania Riviera, departing December 15th, 2026. Includes Queensland, Komodo, Bali, and Waingapu.

Antilles to Andes – 15 days from Miami to Lima aboard Oceania Insignia, departing December 19th, 2026. Ports include Curaçao, Aruba, Colombia, Panama Canal transit, Ecuador, and Peru.

Legends of Jade – 15 days from Hong Kong to Singapore aboard Oceania Nautica, departing December 21st, 2026. Includes Ha Long Bay, the Philippines, central Vietnam, and Malaysian Borneo.

Rome, Italy

2026/27 Grand Voyages

Ramblas to Renaissance – 26 days from Barcelona to Rome aboard Oceania Sirena, departing December 9th, 2026. Calls include Casablanca, Agadir, Canary Islands, Lisbon, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Toulon, Cinque Terre, and Rome.

Corals & Kiwi Coasts – 40 days from Sydney to Auckland aboard Oceania Riviera, departing December 15th, 2026. Includes stops in Bali, Komodo, Perth, Busselton, Napier, and Picton.

Oceania Cruises’ festive sailings span a wide geographical range and are available in durations from seven to 77 days. Select itineraries also form part of the cruise line’s Grand Voyage collection, offering extended regional and transoceanic routes across multiple continents.

Shaun Ebelthite

Founder and editor of Cruise Arabia & Africa. I try to create the best news and information specifically for cruise passengers taking cruises to and from Dubai (where I live) and South Africa (where I was born). You can contact me at shaun(at)cruisearabiaonline.com.

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