Cairns is all about astounding natural beauty. From luxuriant rainforests, gorges to stunning beaches and islands; Cairns has everything to make the holiday blissful and enchanting. Along with hiking, island hopping, and thrilling water sports and adventure, Cairns also offer fascinating cruises that aim to provide the best of thrilling experiences. These cruises from Cairns are fancy and offer amazing views and adventure. What are you waiting for? Plan and sail on-board in these luxury cruises and make the most of your Australian vacation.
8 Best Cruises From Cairns
Some of the best cruises that start from Cairns have been listed below! Do add most of these to your itinerary to explore the most amazing aspects of this city.
1. Great Barrier Reef
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One of the most popular cruises from Cairns which no one should miss is to Great Barrier Reef. The 6-8-hour long catamaran cruise takes you to stunning destinations like Lizard Island, Dunk Island, Cooktown, and Pelorus Island and one can experience the spectacular beauty of the verdant rainforests and coral reefs. The stunning beauty of the Great Barrier Reef- a World Heritage Site as declared by UNESCO will surely leave you in awe. Don’t forget to capture the beauty and flaunt your Insta page. You can even enjoy deep-sea diving and snorkeling at two spots namely Upolu Cay and Upolu Reef and enjoy the glass bottom boat ride to spot corals and fishes and the make most of this cruising tour. The cruise offers top quality diving and snorkeling gear and the package also includes lavish breakfast and lunch spread.
Average Cost: $ 114/head
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2. Sunset Cruise
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If you are holidaying in Cairns; this cruise must be on your itinerary. Enjoy a photogenic sunset while sailing through the emerald Pacific. Does it sound unreal? No, it isn’t. Take a sunset cruise from Cairns and enjoy this epic experience. Starting from Cairns Harbour, this cruise takes you through the diverse landscape of rainforests, lush green mountains and mangroves vegetation. Experience the best sunset over the Pacific Ocean and its islands and gather the most unforgettable memories of a lifetime. Many cruises offer a glass of champagne or wine onboard and some of them even offer lavish dinner buffets.
Average Cost: Starting $ 59/head
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3. Green Island
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This is a small emerald island near the mainland of Cairns and the abundance of lush green rainforests justifies its nomenclature. Adorned with sparkling white sand beaches, Green Island is a true paradise and a day cruise to this island from Cairns is a favourite activity amongst travellers of all kinds. The air-conditioned catamaran cruises depart from Reef Terminal in Cairns and takes about an hour to reach Green Island. The astounding view of Green Island while cruising towards it is nothing less than a delightful treat to the eyes. One can spend the day exploring the place and admiring the breath-taking beauty of the island and for those who love thrill and adventure, there is a bounty of options to indulge in. Spend a thrill-loaded day and enjoy snorkeling, canoeing, glass-bottom boat rides helmet diving and lavish lunch spread, which is a part of the cruise facility.
Average Cost: $ 98/head
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4. Willis Island
Located beyond the Great Barrier Reef; Willis Island is the only permanently inhabited island among the Coral Sea Islands and cruising there from Cairns is undoubtedly such an activity that no one would want to miss. Generally, Willis Island is a part of a 7-8 days long cruise from Cairns departing for Sydney. Located 280 miles from Cairns, this is usually the first stop in the Cairns-Sydney cruise. People visit this place to enjoy bird watching, strolling around and spot a variety of fishes and turtles.
Average Cost: $ 999/head
5. Thursday Island
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Thursday Island cruise from Cairns is a 6-day long voyage, quite popular among locals and tourists. Tour to this emerald breath-taking island, Trinity Bay and Bamaga and the beauty of the sea, stunning coastline and reefs will surely leave you awestruck. The 60-meter-long vessel that takes people from Cairns to Thursday Island can accommodate up to 38 passengers and departs once every week from the Reef Terminal. The ferry even docks at Thursday Island and Bagmaga and people can explore these places and admire their spectacular natural beauty.
Average Cost: $ 1087/head
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6. Noumea
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Enjoy a luxury cruise to Noumea in New Caledonia, across the Coral Sea. This is a seven-night long tour in luxury ships that can accommodate up to 148 passengers. The ships are well-appointed with private rooms, restrooms, great food, and incredible services. Enjoy the enchanting view of the ocean and spot dolphins during the tour and create the best of Australia holiday memories. One-night stay at any heritage property in Noumea is also a part of most of the Cairns- Noumea cruise packages.
Average Cost: $1870
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7. Fitzroy Island
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This is another fascinating option if you are looking for a cruise from Cairns. Sail to this splendid island and enjoy the enchanting views of opulent rainforests, sun-kissed beaches, and azure sea. It is a day-long cruise where food and beverages are served on board but there are few cafes on the island where you can chill out with family. As one of the many amenities, the cruise offer guides for snorkeling and diving and you can also go for forest trails and hikes or visit ‘Secret Garden’.
Average Cost: $ 89/head
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8. Port Douglas
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One of the bustling resort towns, far north of Queensland. Once a quaint fishing hamlet, Port Douglas is a must-visit now from Cairns and if you are planning to take a cruise; it is even more exhilarating. Step aboard and admire the ocean tour where you get the chance to see lush green Daintree Rainforests, corals and fishes. Enjoy guided snorkeling and swimming at the Four Mile Beach of the island. The cruise takes about 1 hour to reach Port Douglas which is 67 km from Cairns.
Average Cost: $ 167/head
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These iconic and popular cruises from Cairns not only allow you to enjoy the surreal beauty of oceans and islands but also help you to create the best holiday memories. If Australian holiday is on the cards, do plan these cruising trips and enjoy a charming time on board.
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Frequently Asked Questions On Cruises From Cairns
Which are the popular cruise companies that operate in Cairns?
The cruise companies that operate in Cairns are Azamara Club Cruises, Silversea, Coral Expeditions, P& O Cruises. and PONANT.
Which are the stay options at Lizard Island?
One can stay at Lizard Island Resort in Lizard Island.
Where to stay at Cairns?
The best options to stay at Cairns are Mantra Esplanade, Palm Royale, Cairns Colonial Club, Novotel and Reef Palms.
What to do at Port Douglas?
Beach walking on Four Miles beach, hiking in Daintree, cruising to Great Barrier Reef, snorkeling and diving are the popular things to do at Port Douglas.
How far is the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns?
Great Barrier Reef is 253 km from Cairns and it takes about 45 to 90 minutes to reach the reef islands from Cairns.
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A book lover and fun-loving, overtly emotional mom with a wanderlust soul, Sukanya has completed her Master Degree in Geography and currently perusing her passion for writing as a profession. Nothing detoxes her more than trying new recipes and travelling to offbeat places is ultimate Therapy for her.
