{"id":5731,"date":"2026-10-20T09:24:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T22:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/?page_id=5731"},"modified":"2026-10-20T09:34:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T22:34:34","slug":"melbourne-cup-cruises","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/life-onboard\/melbourne-cup-cruises\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne Cup Cruise: Celebrating at Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first Tuesday in November is the one day the whole country stops to watch a horse race. Add a cruise into the mix, and Melbourne Cup Day becomes the centrepiece of an entire holiday rather than a single afternoon at the track. A Melbourne Cup cruise brings together race day tradition, days at sea, and a change of scenery, all before you have even set foot at Flemington Racecourse. Here is how Carnival’s Melbourne Cup cruise works, what is included, and how to make the most of your voyage to the race that stops a nation.<\/p>\n

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What is a Melbourne Cup cruise?<\/h2>\n

A Melbourne Cup cruise is a cruise timed to coincide with the Melbourne Cup Carnival, taking you from Sydney to Melbourne in the days before the race and bringing you home again afterwards. Rather than booking flights, a hotel and race tickets separately, your room, most main meals onboard, your entertainment onboard and your race day are all part of one holiday.<\/p>\n

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Carnival Cruise Line runs its Melbourne Cup cruises from Sydney aboard Carnival Splendor<\/a> and Carnival Adventure<\/a>, with the fare including a race day general admission ticket into Flemington Racecourse and return transport between the ship and the racecourse on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day.<\/p>\n

Setting sail from Sydney<\/h2>\n

Your Melbourne Cup cruise begins the moment your ship leaves Sydney Harbour. It is a six-night round trip, so you settle in, get to know your ship, and let the anticipation build before Melbourne even comes into view. There is a genuine sense of occasion to it: canap\u00e9s by the waterslides, race-themed onboard moments like the Phantom Cup Call, and a fleet of guests all counting down to the same event.<\/p>\n

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When your ship reaches Melbourne, you will come ashore at Station Pier, close to the Yarra River and within easy reach of the city. From there, it is race day: transfers to Flemington are included, so you can focus on your outfit and your form guide rather than logistics.<\/p>\n

View Carnival’s Melbourne Cup cruise<\/a> for current sailing dates and fares.<\/p>\n

What’s included on your Melbourne Cup cruise<\/h2>\n

Carnival’s Melbourne Cup cruise fare is built around a simple idea: making race day easy. That means your cruise fare includes:<\/p>\n