Queensland with Great Barrier Reef

Overview

A 12-night voyage aboard Grand Princess, departing Brisbane on 8 Mar 2027 and arriving in Sydney, Australia, calling at 9 destinations along the way.

Cabin prices

Live prices per person based on two sharing. Select a grade to see its fare options.

1. 1

   Day 1 ·BrisbaneEmbark

   8 Mar 2027

   Depart 16:00

   Once considered the "country cousin" among Australian cities, Brisbane is today the nation's third-largest metropolis - and one of the most desirable places to live in the country. Lying on the banks of the meandering Brisbane River, this cosmopolitan city boasts elegant 19th-century sandstone buildings, a lively cultural scene and superb parklands. Brisbane is also your gateway to uniquely Australian adventures, be it the theme parks of the Gold Coast or Queensland's dazzling beaches.
   
   The beaches south of Brisbane form Queensland's Gold Coast. Travel tip: Brisbane is pronounced "Bris-bin."
2. 2

   Day 2 ·At Sea

   9 Mar 2027
3. 3

   Day 3 ·Airlie Beach

   10 Mar 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 18:00

   Airlie Beach is your gateway to the Whitsunday Archipelago. These 74 islands feature pristine fringing reefs, calm, lagoon-like waters, and superb beaches. The archipelago is one of Australia's premier playgrounds.
   
   The Whitsundays were once mountains. Rising seas at the end of the Ice Age formed the Whitsunday Passage between the islands and the mainland.
4. 4

   Day 4 ·Townsville

   11 Mar 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 18:00

   Often described as the "unofficial capital of North Queensland," Townsville was founded in 1856 when an enterprising sea captain built a wharf on Cleveland Bay. The city lies at the very north of the Dry Tropics, where the outback bush meets the waters of the Coral Sea. Today's travelers are drawn to Townsville's superb location. Queensland's fabled Wet Tropics World Heritage Area lies just to the north of the city. Towering over Townsville is Castle Rock, a 1,300-foot monolith of pink granite that provides sweeping views of Townsville, Cleveland Bay and Magnetic Island.
   
5. 5

   Day 5 ·Port Douglas

   12 Mar 2027

   Arrive 08:00Depart 18:00

   In 1877, the aptly named James Venture Mulligan struck pay dirt on Hodgkinson River, igniting the fabled North Queensland Gold Rush. At the height of the boom, Port Douglas boasted 12,000 residents and 27 hotels. Bust inevitably followed boom, and Port Douglas slid into decades of obscurity. Then came a second gold rush in the 1980s as tourists flocked to the North Queensland Coast. Located between the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas provides a perfect gateway to hardy adventurers en route to rainforest and reef.
   
   In addition to its nearby scenic wonders, Port Douglas boasts several resorts ranging from the Sheraton Mirage to the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa in the heart of the rainforest.
6. 6

   Day 6 ·Cairns

   13 Mar 2027

   Arrive 07:00Depart 21:00

   Cairns is one of Australia's hottest vacation destinations. Cairns boasts three of Australia's great natural wonders. Just offshore, immense bastions of living coral form the Great Barrier Reef. Sixteen miles of superb beaches stretch to the north of the city - the famed Marlin Coast. And inland lays the immense Daintree National Park. Cairns itself basks in tropical sunshine, balmy breezes waft in from Trinity Bay. The city's graceful, tree-lined esplanade was once the gateway to the gold fields of North Queensland.
   
   Cairns graceful, tree-lined esplanade was once the gateway to the gold fields of North Queensland. A travel tip - Cairns is pronounced "cans."
7. 7

   Day 7 ·Willis Island, Australia

   14 Mar 2027

   Arrive 11:45Depart 12:45

   This tiny island measures in at just 1,600 feet long by 490 feet wide, though it is the only permanently inhabited island in the Coral Sea Islands Territory. You won't find any neighborhoods, schools or homes here, however. The only structures on Willis Island comprise a weather monitoring station hosted by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, where just a handful of weather observers reside at any given time.
   
   Willis Island is one of several tropical islands sitting beyond the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea Islands Territory, and is surrounded by thriving reefs where many creatures make their homes. Numbering into the thousands, Willis Island itself caters to many species of seabirds, including Masked, Brown and Red-footed Boobies that cry out nearly 24 hours a day. It is also an important nesting ground for turtles.
8. 8

   Day 8 ·At Sea

   15 Mar 2027
9. 9

   Day 9 ·Brisbane

   16 Mar 2027

   Arrive 07:00Depart 16:00

   Once considered the "country cousin" among Australian cities, Brisbane is today the nation's third-largest metropolis - and one of the most desirable places to live in the country. Lying on the banks of the meandering Brisbane River, this cosmopolitan city boasts elegant 19th-century sandstone buildings, a lively cultural scene and superb parklands. Brisbane is also your gateway to uniquely Australian adventures, be it the theme parks of the Gold Coast or Queensland's dazzling beaches.
   
   The beaches south of Brisbane form Queensland's Gold Coast. Travel tip: Brisbane is pronounced "Bris-bin."
10. 10

    Day 10 ·At Sea

    17 Mar 2027
11. 11

    Day 11 ·At Sea

    18 Mar 2027
12. 12

    Day 12 ·Newcastle, Australia

    19 Mar 2027

    Arrive 09:00Depart 17:30

    Newcastle is a harbour city in the Australian state of New South Wales. Its plentiful beaches are linked by the Bathers Way, a coastal walk stretching between Nobbys Beach and Merewether Beach. The walk provides access to Bogey Hole, a convict-built ocean bath from the colonial period. Also on the path is the 1880s Fort Scratchley, a historic site and a viewpoint for spotting migrating whales.
13. 13

    Day 13 ·Sydney, AustraliaDisembark

    20 Mar 2027

    Arrive 06:00

    Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

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