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Melissa Klurman is a freelance travel reporter. Combining her journalism background with her love of exploring, Melissa turned her passion for travel into a profession, venturing everywhere from the Arctic to Zimbabwe in search of stories. She has worked as an editor at both Frommer's and Fodor's travel guides, editor at large for Bonnier's Travel Group (Islands/CTL/Saveur) and was a media spokesperson for both Fodor's and Travelocity. At Fodor's she created the first Southern Africa and African Safari guidebooks, which in turn has led to more than a dozen trips to southern and eastern Africa, including gorilla trekking in Uganda and a comically unfortunate horseback ride in the Kalahari Desert.
August 11, 2024 • 11 min read
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Quick summary
Africa cruises offer diverse itineraries, from ocean voyages along the continent’s coasts to intimate river journeys on the Nile and Chobe rivers.
Options range from wildlife-focused trips to cultural explorations, with destinations including South Africa, Madagascar, Namibia, Egypt and Botswana.
Cruise lines cater to different preferences, from large-ship experiences with entertainment to smaller, luxury vessels emphasizing destination immersion and all-inclusive amenities.
Sailings are available throughout 2025 and 2026, with some itineraries featuring unique shore excursions, pre- and post-cruise safari programs and extended port stays.
What to consider
Itineraries vary in length, from nine to over 25 nights, and may include both ocean and river segments.
Some cruises are adults-only or have a focus on educational programming, while others offer a more traditional cruise experience with entertainment and multiple dining options.
Certain sailings have seasonal availability, with high demand during October to March and limited departures in the summer months.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed comparisons of cruise lines, specific itinerary highlights and guidance on selecting the best Africa cruise for your interests.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Nothing quite says "bucket list" like a cruise to Africa.
You get wildlife safaris, ancient wonders of the world and some of the most fascinating cultural epicenters on the globe all in one trip. Are you starting to understand why a cruise here is so unique?
Africa is a big continent, and you'll find almost as many ways to cruise as marvels to see. Whether you want to visit Africa's tropical Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean or prefer the dramatic red sands of Namibia on the Atlantic coast, you can do it on a cruise ship — even on the same itinerary.
And that’s not all! You can book intimate river cruises on Botswana's Chobe River or Egypt's Nile River, a rite of passage for many a cruise fan. (We've highlighted Viking below for its vast number of sailings, but Lindblad/National Geographic, Uniworld and Avalon Waterways all offer Nile itineraries as well.)
Whether you're looking for an expedited South African highlights cruise or a multiweek African continent adventure, you can find a cruise itinerary to suit you. Here are our picks for the best Africa cruises in 2025 and 2026.
Norwegian Cruise Line: 11- to 13-night South Africa & Madagascar cruises
Idyllic Camps Bay beach and Table Mountain in Cape Town. FIVEPOINTSIX/GETTY IMAGES
Norwegian Cruise Line has some of the most robust and varied Africa cruise options of all the big-ship lines, with 13 sailings ranging from 11 to 21 nights in 2025 alone.
Among the most popular offerings is the Cape Town to Mauritius (or reverse) route on Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Dawn. These 11- to 13-night cruises combine the highlights of Cape Town with the wildlife wonders of Madagascar. The latter is one of the most enthralling safari destinations in Africa; 90% of the plant and animal species on the island are endemic, including 103 varieties of lemurs. But Madagascar is also a destination that even hardcore safari enthusiasts often skip because flights and lodges are hard to book, making a cruise the perfect way to get there.
NCL's itineraries also visit Pointe de Galets, Reunion — a lush beach and rainforest area on the Indian Ocean. Norwegian Dawn's 12-night itinerary adds a stop in Maputo, Mozambique.
Who should go: The 1,944-passenger Norwegian Sky and 2,290-passenger Norwegian Dawn are some of the smallest and oldest ships in Norwegian Cruise Line's fleet. They suit cruisers looking for a more intimate experience than what you'll find on bigger ships. Africa cruises tend to draw cruisers who care more about the destinations they visit than onboard attractions, but the ships will still entertain you with multiple eateries and bars and lounges, several pools and whirlpools, a casino and a theater with nightly shows.
Azamara offers an 18-night Western Africa Voyage sailing between the Canary Islands and Cape Town. The 704-passenger Azamara Quest calls on the ports of Dakar, Senegal; Banjul, Gambia; and Luderitz and Walvis Bay, Namibia, along the African coast. The ship also stops at the British-controlled island of St. Helena.
Book excursions to seek out the elusive wild horses of Namibia, take a sightseeing flight over the massive shifting sand dunes of Sossusvlei, race through the desert in a four-wheel-drive vehicle and explore the waterways and villages of Gambia.
Azamara also partners with Micato Safaris for pre- and post-cruise Africa programs to see the "Big Five" (Cape buffaloes, lions, rhinoceroses, elephants and leopards). You can book safaris in Chobe National Park in Botswana or Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Who should go: Azamara caters to affluent, well-traveled cruisers who enjoy smaller vessels, a country house ambience and itineraries that focus on destination immersion. (You won't find waterslides or roller coasters, and that's exactly how the line's fans like it.) Azamara creates an immersive African experience with its focus on longer stays in port; for example, the ship spends two full days in Walvis Bay, Namibia. Additionally, the line's complimentary AzAmazing Evenings program takes cruisers ashore to experience cultural performances in jaw-dropping locations, such as the "Desert Dinner & Fire spinners and Marimba Band" event in Namibia.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: 16-night Shores of Madagascar: Cape Town to Port Louis cruises
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Statue in Port Louis, Mauritius. WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers a 16-night itinerary along the southern coast of South Africa and on to Mozambique and Madagascar, concluding in Port Louis, Mauritius. The 750-passenger Seven Seas Splendor departs Jan. 27, 2026, on this itinerary and then repeats the sailing in reverse, from Port Louis to Cape Town, on Feb. 12, 2026.
Along the way, Regent offers some unique shore excursions that set it apart from other lines. Highlights include safari game drives in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, from Richards Bay; cultural explorations of Durban, South Africa, with visits to Zulu villages in the Valley of a Thousand Hills; and birding in the remote Mayotte, French Comoros.
Who should go: Regent's all-inclusive luxury cruises — which include airfare, transfers, onboard beverages and dining, gratuities, Wi-Fi and unlimited shore excursions — have correspondingly luxurious prices. Passengers are mostly affluent professionals and retirees who enjoy the seamless ease of an all-inclusive sailing offering high-end service.
Fine dining fans will appreciate the multiple onboard dining options, including Chartreuse for fine French cuisine and Prime 7 with steakhouse menus. Other diversions on board include the sybaritic Serene Spa and a pool deck, plus boccie, a putting green and golf nets for sea day enrichment.
Oceania Cruises: 14-night Cape Town to Cape Town cruise
OCEANIA CRUISES
If you’d prefer a deeper exploration of southern Africa, Oceania Cruises' Cape Town to Cape Town cruise Jan. 19. to Feb. 2, 2026, explores South Africa’s coast in an unusual up-and-back itinerary, first exploring the east coast up to Richards Bay, then heading to the island of Madagascar, then looping back to the mainland and stopping in Maputo, Mozambique, before returning back to Cape Town.
Highlights include Durban, with its golden beaches and enchanting Indian Market, and Port Elizabeth on the southern coast of South Africa, an area nicknamed the “Garden Route” for its verdant foliage. Port Elizabeth is also a popular migratory path for southern right whales that you might spot, along with schools of dolphins, as you sail.
Oceania offers longer Cape Town to Lisbon, Portugal, and Cape Town to Barcelona itineraries (as well as Lisbon and Barcelona to Cape Town sailings) of 25 and 26 nights, too. Ports include the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Along the way, you’ll stop at Walvis Bay on the western coast of Namibia, with its iconic red sand dunes; here, you'll have a chance to see flamingos, pelicans and thousands of other migratory birds.
Who should go: Oceania Cruises offers a high-end cruising experience with a residential feel similar to staying in an elegant estate. The intimate 670-passenger Nautica features a relatively uncrowded setting, with a higher crew-to-passenger ratio than you'll find on mass-market vessels. On board, guests delight in several high-end restaurants offering gourmet cuisine and elegant accommodations.
Viking: 11-night Pharaohs and Pyramids cruise
Esna, Egypt. VIKING/FACEBOOK
Not all Africa cruises are on the ocean. A trip down the Nile River is a tick on many a traveler's wish list, and Viking offers one of the easiest-to-book options with seven ships sailing its Pharaohs & Pyramids cruises. In 2025 and 2026, sailings depart nearly every day in the October to March high season, though no sailings are scheduled for the second half of June through the end of July.
The round-trip Cairo sailings feel incredibly exclusive, with ships carrying just 82 passengers on board. The itinerary begins with several days in Cairo, where guests can visit the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, museums and souks before sailing down the Nile. Your ship will linger multiple days in Luxor, Egypt, home of the Valley of the Kings; spend a day in Qena, Egypt, to see the Dendera Temple complex; and stop in the ports of Esna, Aswan, Kom Ombo and Edfu, Egypt.
Who should go:Adults-only cruise line Viking appeals to travelers who appreciate a relaxed onboard experience centered around learning about a destination via guest lectures — in this case, Egyptologists — and shore excursions. The cruise line's passengers tend to be retirement age or older.
Viking's fans love the ships' uncluttered Scandinavian-inspired decor and pricing that includes wine and beer with lunch and dinner, gratuities and one free shore excursion per port. The ships do not have an onboard casino or entertainment spaces beyond the main lounge area, but a shaded pool and sundeck offer a relaxing outdoor venue to watch the river scenery.
If you're someone who loves the equivalent of a travel buffet and appreciates having a little bit of every experience on your plate, then AmaWaterways' incredibly unique Discover Africa cruisetour itinerary is for you. (AmaWaterways also offers Nile cruises.) For this journey, guests start with two full days of guided tours and three nights in a luxury hotel in Cape Town before flying to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and transferring to the Chobe River where you embark on the 28-passenger Zambezi Queen for a four-night cruise traversing the wildlife areas of Botswana, including safari drives into the savannah.
Then, it's back to Victoria Falls to see the thundering waterfall and explore the area by both steam train and smaller sailing vessel during your two-night stay. The adventure ends with a flight to Johannesburg, where you can continue your adventure independently or with a post-cruise extension or fly home.
Who should go: AmaWaterways attracts active guests who appreciate the multiple included excursion options at every port and the line's attention to both wellness and exceptional culinary offerings. The river cruise line's Africa sailings use a chartered ship, so you won't find its signature Wellness Host leading fitness classes or cuisine vetted by the prestigious culinary organization La Chaine des Rotisseurs. However, Zambezi Queen offers unique activities like fishing and bird-watching, as well as dining that AmaWaterways calls "five-star home-cooked cuisine." A local mother and son duo from a nearby village prepare all the meals for an authentic taste of the region.
Zambezi Queen also has a plunge pool on the sundeck, so you can soak up the African views while you take a dip. All rooms have balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows, so you're never far from a safari view.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
