10-Day Great Barrier Reef from Sydney, Australia

Day 1: Sydney
Whether you’re departing or arriving in Sydney,you’ll be surrounded by icons. The Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House provide the perfect backdrop for all your selfies. A Carnival cruise is guaranteed to provide your family funbelievable memories all at great value.

Day 2: Fun Day At Sea
No port today! It’s a great time to explore your ship and its exciting entertainment, food and activities! Or take it easy at the pool, spa, or... if you book a room with a balcony, enjoy the waves.

Day 3: Fun Day At Sea
No port today! It’s a great time to explore your ship and its exciting entertainment, food and activities! Or take it easy at the pool, spa, or... if you book a room with a balcony, enjoy the waves.

Day 4: Airlie Beach
The white sands of world-famous Whitehaven Beach, glass-bottom-boat day tours on the turquoise waters of the Coral Sea, high-speed catamaran joy rides and Hamilton Island region magic awaits Airlie Beach cruises with Carnival.
Travel to the heart of the 74 islands that comprise the picture-perfect Whitsunday Islands, an Australian treasure.
Snorkel from the Great Barrier Reef pontoon on an Airlie Beach 4, 7, 9, or 10-day cruise departing Sydney or Brisbane. Your fantastic holiday begins the moment you step onboard Carnival’s cruise ships. There’s a multitude of tastes, sights, natural wonders, sightseeing, themed events and year-round fun to suit the whole family.

Day 5: Cairns
Visit the coastal city of Cairns and enjoy a smorgasbord of fun and adventure. A Carnival Cruise Line holiday to Cairns offers the perfect mix of shore excursions the whole family will love - on water and land. Daintree Rainforest tours are the ideal way to experience the ecosystem of the wet tropics of Queensland (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Go snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, experience the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail, or have a tropical rainforest nature park adventure. A day trip to Cairns itself is always worth it, with amazing shopping on the Esplanade and scenic walks that will blow you away.

Day 6: Port Douglas
Few places on Earth can rival the breathtaking beauty of Port Douglas, and the most remarkable way to experience it is through a Carnival Port Douglas cruise. Depart from Sydney or Brisbane and embrace the Great Barrier Reef, embark on a sunset cruise, delve into the world heritage-listed Daintree forest and national park, or dive into the outer Agincourt reef for an underwater adventure.
The humid tropics of North Queensland are home to an incredible array of flora and fauna. Opt for a full-day tour, a reef cruise, or a visit to the Mossman Gorge. Alternatively, you might prefer to unwind in the ambience of Port Douglas itself. Explore shops and cafes, go snorkelling, bask on the Australian beaches, and see why tourists from all over are drawn to this charming locale.

Day 7: Willis Island (Onboard Experience)
Established in 1921, the weather monitoring station is home to four weather observers and provides a cyclone early warning service for Queensland. This tiny island, located 450 kilometres east of Cairns, is home to fascinating wildlife, as well as a manned Australian Bureau of Meteorology weather monitoring station. While the cruise does not include a stop at Willis Island, you can catch glimpses of its natural beauty from the comfort of the ship. As you sail by, you'll have the opportunity to witness some amazing wildlife that calls this island home, including wedge-tailed shearwaters and sooty terns.

Day 8: Fun Day At Sea
No port today! It’s a great time to explore your ship and its exciting entertainment, food and activities! Or take it easy at the pool, spa, or... if you book a room with a balcony, enjoy the waves.

Day 9: Tangalooma - Moreton Island
A Carnival Tangalooma, Moreton Island cruise from Sydney to Tangalooma Island Resort gives you access to one of Australia’s best-kept secrets. Experience snorkeling the famous shipwrecks or go whale watching for an experience you’ll never forget. A 4-day Tangalooma, Moreton Island Cruise from Sydney or Brisbane also offers the chance to take an exhilarating 4WD bus adventure around Tangalooma, Moreton Island, the 3rd largest sand island in the world! From sand tobogganing down the dunes, ATV quad bike tours and scenic helicopter flights to spotting turtles on a clear bottom kayak tour or even a spot of parasailing, this cruise has something for everyone. And enjoy more than 45 onboard activities on our Tangalooma, Moreton Island Cruise.

Day 10: Fun Day At Sea
No port today! It’s a great time to explore your ship and its exciting entertainment, food and activities! Or take it easy at the pool, spa, or... if you book a room with a balcony, enjoy the waves.

Day 11: Sydney
Whether you’re departing or arriving in Sydney,you’ll be surrounded by icons. The Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House provide the perfect backdrop for all your selfies. A Carnival cruise is guaranteed to provide your family funbelievable memories all at great value.

It’s hard to tell which onboard space best represents Carnival Splendor — they all seem to hint at the amazing time you’re going to have. El Morocco Lounge hosts comedy shows, musical performances, karaoke and more… and wears its 1930s namesake clearly on its nameplate. The words “Royal Flush Casino” incite visions of winning, while our onboard jazz club — The Cool — simply says it all without saying a word. And Fahrenheit 555™ can be found not only at the height of elegant dining, but at the actual apex of the ship.

If you like your fun to flow, there are options aplenty. If you list “splishing” and “splashing” among your favorite things to do, there’s Carnival WaterWorks™. Those into sitting and sliding are invited to try the all-new Green Lightning thrill-slide. How about floating or swimming around? Carnival Splendor has pools all over the place, including the midship pool featuring a retractable roof that makes any day a pool day. So whether you splish or splash, you’ll find hydro-excitement galore.

If getting up and making the crowd go wild with your dance moves is your idea of a good time, Lip Sync Battle™: Carnival is our idea of a great idea. Or if relaxation is more your thing, Serenity Adult-Only Retreat™ is more your place. Or if you’re looking to take relaxation to the extreme, direct your attention to the Cloud 9 Spa™, featuring more (and better) ways to kick back than just about anywhere else, on land or at sea. You haven’t lived until you’ve relaxed in a Thalassotherapy pool, or chilled — so to speak — in a dry heat chamber.

Why Carnival?

Cause we're just as fun as you, of course!

In 2014, Carnival Spirit, currently the largest and newest cruise ship home ported year-round in Sydney, was joined by sister ship Carnival Legend which has been sailing on an extended summer season Down Under every year, until recently departing for the incoming Carnival Splendor.

Carnival Spirit will reposition to Brisbane, its new home port, and sail year-round from October 2020. Carnival Splendor will join the Australian fleet in December 2019 as the ship repositions to her new home port in Sydney and is set to become the newest and largest ship home ported year-round in Australia.

Carnival sails from Sydney and Melbourne and will do so from Brisbane in 2020. Carnival's itineraries range from three-night short weekend getaways to 8-night Pacific Island escapes to longer holidays between Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Hawaii.

With more than 45 daily activities from the thrilling Green Thunder waterslide, themed nights, live Broadway-style entertainment and the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss with Seuss at Sea™.

Carnival's ships offer fun-loving families and couples fun, memorable holidays at great value.