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You might think of the Indian Ocean as a place for luxurious beach holidays, but why limit yourself to one version of paradise when you can see several on a cruise? Whether it’s mixing mainland Africa with Madagascar and the Maldives, hopping along the coastlines of Sri Lanka, or exploring the west coast of Australia, a cruise here can combine city skylines with castaway isles and incredible wildlife.
Over the years, my travels have taken me all over this remarkable region. I’ve ridden the cable-car up Table Mountain and encountered rare wildlife, including Mauritius pink pigeons. No matter whether you’re looking to tick off headline attractions or discover hidden-away gems (or both), you’re certain to find them on either a mainstream or an expedition cruise. Be it a big ship or more of a yacht-style experience, these are the very best Indian Ocean cruises to book now.
Find by cruise type:
Best for luxury
Seychelles & Indian Ocean Adventure
Emerald Cruises
The largest of Emerald Cruise’s luxury yachts holds no more than 128 passengers
Key stops: Aldabra Atoll, Farquhar Atoll, Alphonse Atoll, Amirante Islands and Praslin Island (Seychelles), Zanzibar, Mafia Island and Kilwa Kisiwani (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya)
Departure port: Mahé (Seychelles)
Duration: 12 nights
Ship: An Emerald Cruises luxury yacht
If the Indian Ocean’s islands are among its greatest assets, this particular cruise ticks off some of the best. Better yet, you’ll be exploring them in the comfort of one of Emerald Cruise’s luxury yachts, the largest of which holds no more than 128 passengers. Starting on Mahé, the main island of Seychelles, the voyage takes in the archipelago’s two other big-hitters, Praslin and La Digue, for visits to coco-de-mer palm forests and the boulder-strewn beach of Anse Source d’Argent.
From here, the islands get ever more castaway. Among the Seychelles’ gems are the Alphonse, Farquhar and Aldabra atolls, followed by a sea day for a chance to relax before making landfall in Tanzania. Discover Kilwa Kisiwani and Mafia Island (the latter has impressive baobab trees) before exploring exotic Zanzibar and its white-sand beaches, spice markets and historic, World Heritage-listed Stone Town. Finally, disembark in the Kenyan seaport of Mombasa.
Insider tip
Why not extend with an East African safari in Kenya or Tanzania to boost this cruise’s wildlife tally with elephants, lions and cheetahs.
How to do it
A 12-night Seychelles & Indian Ocean Adventure departing on March 5, 2027, costs from £10,676pp for a Panorama Deck Balcony Suite. Includes meals and selected drinks, Wi-Fi, tips, touring and transfers.
Best for adventure and wildlife
Tanzania and The Coralline Seychelles
Aqua Expeditions
Aqua Lares will have capacity for just 30 guests
Key stops: Mafia Island (Tanzania), Aldabra Atoll, Astove Island, Farquhar Island, Saint-Francois Atoll, Alphonse Island, Remire Island and Mahé (Seychelles)
Departure port: Zanzibar (Tanzania)
Duration: 10 nights
Ship: Aqua Lares
Although the Seychelles and Zanzibar are a fairly frequent Indian Ocean cruise combination, this itinerary on a small, yacht-style expedition ship (with capacity for just 30 guests) can access out-of-the-way spots that are beyond the reach of larger ships. Aqua Lares will join Aqua Expeditions’ small-vessel fleet when it launches in early 2026 and, like its sister ships, will offer personalised service, a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio, cuisine by world-renowned chefs and expert-led small-group excursions.
Off-ship experiences include a visit to Aldabra, a low-lying coral atoll populated by giant tortoises, and diving on the four-mile-long Astove Wall, which teems with reef sharks, rays and tropical fish, but ultimately, it’s the blend of peaceful onshore exploration with an ultra-luxury on-board environment (this is, after all, a superyacht) that makes cruising with Aqua so special.
Insider tip
Be sure to pack binoculars to make the most of wildlife sightings, from crab plovers among the mangroves to red-footed boobies diving for flying fish.
How to do it
A 10-night Tanzania and the Coralline Seychelles cruise departing on March 11, 2026, costs £13,750pp for a category 5 cabin. Includes twice-daily excursions, house wines, beers and soft drinks, scuba diving, water sports and Wi-Fi.
Best for combining city and sea
Africa: South Africa & Madagascar
Norwegian Cruise Line
Enjoy plenty of sea days on board the 1,878-guest Norwegian Sun – Rick Diaz Photography/Norwegian Cruise Line
Key stops: Pointe Des Galets (Réunion), Antsiranana and Nosy Be (Madagascar), Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha, Mossel Bay and Cape Town (South Africa)
Departure port: Port Louis (Mauritius)
Duration: 10 nights
Ship: Norwegian Sun
Mauritius is well-known for leisurely fly-and-flop sunshine holidays, but the island also makes a memorable starting point for an ocean cruise. This option, with Norwegian Cruise Line, combines Mauritius with its Mascarene neighbour, French-speaking Réunion, before crossing the sea for two immersive stops in Madagascar.
After hanging out with the island’s resident lemurs, the 1,878-guest Norwegian Sun embarks on three relaxing sea days before reaching South Africa for an overnight stay in Port Elizabeth and then hopping along the Garden Route to Mossel Bay and Cape Town.
The beauty of this itinerary is the chance to top and tail it with an indulgent Mauritius beach break and a Cape Town city stay, complete with a visit to Table Mountain and the wineries just inland. The ship itself is also an attraction: its extensive facilities and freestyle approach, whereby passengers don’t have to adhere to fixed dining times, all contribute to a chilled-out ambience.
Insider tip
Among the unusual sights on this trip is that of Réunion’s Piton de la Fournaise, which is considered one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
How to do it
A 10-night South Africa and Madagascar sailing departing on April 29, 2026, costs from £2,750pp for an inside cabin. Excludes flights.
Best for a longer voyage
Minarets to Mandalas
Oceania Cruises
Oceania offers a casual ambience that forgoes the fuss and formality of other luxury cruise lines
Key stops: Dubai (UAE), Mumbai (India), Malé (the Maldives), Galle (Sri Lanka), Phuket (Thailand), Langkawi, Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore
Departure port: Doha (Qatar)
Duration: 20 nights
Ship: Oceania Nautica
This remarkable voyage weaves together temples, tea plantations, tropical shores and urban skylines as it docks into seven countries between the Middle East and Singapore. Starting with the Arabic cultures of Qatar and the UAE, Oceania Nautica sails to India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives before cruising through South-East Asia via Thailand and Malaysia.
Overnight stays in Mumbai and Malé leave time for cultural immersion and the chance to try local street foods such as Maldivian mas huni, a dish made with tuna and coconut. Then again, with such good food on board, you might not want to miss a meal at the ship’s four open-seating restaurants. My favourite thing about Oceania is the elegantly casual ambience that forgoes the fuss and formality that some luxury cruise lines embrace.
Insider tip
A standout excursion on this sailing is the hot-air balloon ride across Dubai’s desert, followed by a buffet breakfast once back on land.
How to do it
A 20-night Minarets to Mandalas voyage departing on October 14, 2026, costs from £3,570pp for an inside stateroom. Includes gratuities, soft drinks, Wi-Fi and laundry services.
Best for off-the-radar destinations
Abrolhos Islands and the Coral Coast
Coral Expeditions
Coral Expeditions heads to the hard-to-reach Murujuga National Park
Key stops: Dampier Archipelago, Montebello Islands, Muiron Islands, Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth and Cape Range National Park, Shark Bay, Abrolhos Islands (Australia)
Departure port: Broome or Fremantle (Australia)
Duration: 12 nights
Ship: Coral Adventurer
The easternmost part of the Indian Ocean collides with the coastline of Western Australia. Beyond the built-up parts around Perth, much of this coast remains wild and untouched, presenting a perfect environment for expedition cruising.
This remote region of red sands and turquoise seas is layered with fascinating stories, from the indigenous Yaburara people to European explorers like William Dampier, who installed his name on Murujuga National Park (it’s also known as the Dampier Archipelago). It’s one of the stops on this west-coast itinerary from Australian small-ship specialist Coral Expeditions, along with the Montebello Islands’ seabirds and the coast-hugging corals of Ningaloo Reef.
Perhaps the most exciting element of this trip is the Abrolhos Islands, a hard-to-reach outpost where it’s possible to snorkel or dive with Australian sea lions. Taste the islands’ bounty back aboard the capable-but-comfortable Coral Adventurer, where Abrolhos crayfish are the stars of a seafood supper.
Insider tip
As well as the sheer vastness of this wild and empty region, be prepared for discovering shipwrecks, Aboriginal rock art and closer-than-you-dreamed wildlife encounters.
How to do it
A 12-night Abrolhos Islands and the Coral Coast voyage departing on September 16, 2026, costs from £6,675pp for a coral deck cabin. Includes mealtime drinks, Wi-Fi, tips and shore excursions.
Best for exploring South-East Asia
Bali, Malaysia and Thailand
Celebrity Cruises
Recently renovated Celebrity Millennium offers upgraded cabins and an adults-only solarium – Michel Verdure
Key stops: Lombok (Indonesia), Port Klang for Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi (Malaysia), Phuket (Thailand), Singapore
Departure port: Benoa, Bali (Indonesia)
Duration: 12 nights
Ship: Celebrity Millennium
All the colours of South-East Asia come together on this Celebrity cruise, with an itinerary that provides an introduction to four very different countries. Starting in Indonesia with a pre-cruise beach stay in Bali, Celebrity Millennium sets sail across the Indian Ocean, with two relaxing days at sea before arriving in western Malaysia. Here, the highlights include an overnight stay in Penang and a day in Langkawi, where the limestone scenery is protected as a Unesco Global Geopark.
Thailand comes next, with the ship staying overnight in Phuket, allowing ample time to try local street food or take an excursion to the gorgeous island of Koh Phi Phi, before the final stop of Singapore.
Although it’s one of the brand’s older ships, Celebrity Millennium (which is based in the region year-round) has been fully renovated to offer upgraded accommodations, an adults-only solarium and 18 different food and drink experiences.
Insider tip
For extra space, book a suite with access to The Retreat, which comes with an exclusive sundeck and lounge, butler service and private dining at Luminae, a restaurant reserved for guests staying in suites.
How to do it
A 12-night Bali, Malaysia and Thailand cruise departing January 2, 2027 costs from £1,339pp for an oceanview cabin. Includes meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and transfers.
About our expert
James Litston
James is a freelance travel writer from the UK. His special interest in wildlife, adventure and expedition cruises has taken him all over the world, from Australia to South Africa, Northern Europe to the Mediterranean.
James Litston, Telegraph Travel’s cruise expert
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