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Coral Princess Cruises
Great Barrier Reef - Australia

Southern Great Barrier Reef Cruise

Cairns - Townsville (CT3)
4 Days / 3 Nights from AUD 1,311*.

A Coral Princess Cruise is a Great Barrier Reef and Island experience you will never forget. Enjoy 3 nights of discovery and adventure exploring Australia's renowned tropical paradise and World Heritage Marine and National Parks.

The award-winning 35 meter expedition style cruise ships, Coral Princess and Coral Princess II, are large enough to provide all the comforts and facilities you would expect from larger cruise ships, yet small enough to enable us to access reef and island sites inaccessible to other vessels. With our open bridge policy and a maximum of just 50 passengers, your environmental experience will be both personal and memorable.

And there is as much to as you want, or as little to do as you like - snorkelling, guided coral viewing excursions in our glass bottom boats, scuba diving, guided rainforest walks and presentations by our Marine Biologists - or simply take the time to relax on the sundeck or in the spa. The choice is yours!

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Day 1 10:30am: Board your Coral Princess Cruises small ship for an 11:00am departure from Cairns. As we depart Cairns and cruise Trinity Bay, there is time to settle in and discover your home for the next three nights. This afternoon we arrive at the outer Great Barrier Reef, anchoring off Thetford Reef and Sudbury Cay. Join our Marine Biologist for a glass bottom boat tour over the colourful coral gardens before gathering on the snorkel deck to participate in a fish feed. Discover some of the 1500 species of tropical fish that call the reef home, including Spangled Emperor, Giant Trevally and the Hump-Headed Maori Wrasse as they are hand fed by the Marine Biologist.

You may wish to enjoy our first snorkelling opportunity for an up-close view of the hundreds of varieties of coral growing on this section of reef. Our experienced crew will be on hand to provide assistance, advice and guided snorkelling tours for less experienced swimmers. In the evening, join our crew and travelling companions on the top deck as the sun spectacularly sets over the reef.

Day 2
This morning we enjoy ample time to discover Coates or Nathan Reef. This section of the reef offers some of the most colourful coral gardens found anywhere along the length of the reef, allowing us to view many of the 400 different species of coral living in this World Heritage-listed wonderland.

Venture in to the warm tropical waters to explore the corals and marine life on a guided snorkelling tour and join the Marine Biologist for a glass bottom boat tour. For the ultimate Great Barrier Reef experience, accompany our Dive Instructor on an unforgettable SCUBA dive. Later, discover some of the amazing creatures living on the reef with our Marine Biologist at the on-board display tank.

Enjoy the rare opportunity for a close up look at sea cucumbers, colourful starfish and other marine life living on this part of the reef. This afternoon we visit Dunk Island Resort where there is time to relax by the resort’s pool, enjoy a drink in the cocktail bar or join a guided rainforest walk discovering the island’s unique flora and fauna. We may be lucky enough to see the brightly coloured blue-winged Ulysses Butterfly, impossible to miss against the ancient rainforest background. Keen birdwatchers should keep an eye out for many of the up to 100 species of native birds recorded on the island, including the Yellow-bellied Sunbird, Emerald Dove or Orange-footed Scrubfowl.

Day 3
Enjoy a delicious breakfast as we cruise further amongst the scenic Family Group of Islands, the only tropical islands on the Australian coast. Discover the towering island cliffs and mangroves of the Hinchinbrook Channel before arriving at Coral Princess Cruises’ very own tropical island, Pelorus. We invite you to join us on the beach for a delicious beach BBQ, freshly prepared by the Captain. After lunch, explore the surrounding rainforest on a guided nature walk.

Pelorus’ fringing reef, in the shallow waters just meters off the beach, offers some fantastic snorkelling opportunities. Admire the colourful corals from the glass bottom boat with the Marine Biologist, accompany our Dive Instructor on an unforgettable SCUBA dive or simply relax on the long stretch of golden sandy beach, the choice is yours! This evening, relax with our crew and new-found friends on the top deck as we cruise through the spectacular Palm Islands before settling in for our final night cruising the Great Barrier Reef.

Day 4
This morning we cross Halifax Bay, passing close to Magnetic Island before arriving in Townsville at 10:00am.

Due to weather, tides or mechanical problems the itinerary may be subject to change without notice.

* Stateroom fare in AUD, based on triple occupancy.

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Last modified: 17 Feb 2011 17:51