--- title: "Cairns Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/cairns description: "The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef" --- # Cairns ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ ยท Australia ยท Australia & New Zealand > "The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 11.8h - **Visiting Sailings:** 83 - **Cruise Lines:** 7 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Feb (33 sailings), Mar (18 sailings), Nov (10 sailings) ## About Cairns Cairns is the main gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, sitting on the coast of tropical far-north Queensland. The cruise terminal is in the centre of town, though some larger ships anchor offshore and tender passengers in. The Esplanade runs along the waterfront with a free public swimming lagoon, since the beach itself is mudflats at low tide. Behind town, the Atherton Tablelands rise into rainforest-covered hills. Reef trips are the obvious draw. Boats leave from the marina for half-day and full-day snorkelling and diving tours to the outer reef. The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway runs 7.5 kilometres over the canopy to the village of Kuranda, where markets sell local art and tropical fruit. Back in town, the Night Markets on the Esplanade have cheap food stalls and souvenir shops. The weather is hot and humid year-round, so pack light and carry water. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** AUD (Australian Dollar) - **Language:** English - **Timezone:** Australia/Brisbane (UTC+10) - **Tipping:** Not expected; 10% for exceptional service ## Location Coordinates: -16.9203, 145.7828 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Cairns/@-16.92034,145.78282,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Cairns&ll=-16.92034,145.78282&z=13) ## Things to Do in Cairns Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~12h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Barron River Rafting: Cairns, Port Douglas or Self-Drive](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/8595231d-1cf9-4750-8b39-3c1cb5f5967c.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (1,630) | 4h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ82 | Viator | | [40-Minute Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight from Cairns](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/f6249db4-2c71-4919-8f63-881ce03b2c1d.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (874) | 0h 40m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ157 | Viator | | [Cairns Jet Boat Ride](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/4ddb260c-f751-43c2-bed2-5808c325e3f4.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (454) | 0h 35m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ54 | Viator | | [Cairns Half Day Tour a Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Experience](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/d237d795-3b35-48f9-87c4-994047864977.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (534) | 4h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ113 | Viator | | [Half Day Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/9667fe8f-4695-4c1c-b611-cf5521623108.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (396) | 5h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ132 | Viator | | [Cairns: Behana Gorge Rainforest Canyoning Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/23296bcb-a67b-49f6-bdf8-fadc9b3ec7d6.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (357) | 5h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ158 | Viator | | [Kuranda Riverboat Sightseeing Cruise](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e641d38a-129d-401b-bc83-f59cd0d0c105.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (395) | 0h 45m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ19 | Viator | | [Seastar Luxury Outer Great Barrier Reef Island and Reef Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e528f22d-35a5-4a50-82bf-f99145b2360b.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (1,083) | 7h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ176 | Viator | | [Cairns Aquarium by Twilight Tour and 3-Course Dinner](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/da885cf2-13e3-4068-8cd7-ec46bbb5b777.md?via=markdown) | 4.9โ˜… (210) | 3h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ118 | Viator | | [Night Wildlife Walk in the Cairns Botanic Gardens](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/a318af90-8a3c-47ec-94ab-bab92e62ed54.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (163) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ38 | Viator | | [Bungy Jump Experience at Skypark Cairns by AJ Hackett](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0f6f2191-aeaf-4f41-b5a2-6efdadc4d366.md?via=markdown) | 5โ˜… (108) | 2h | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ119 | Viator | | [Cairns City Sights and Surrounds Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0a511978-e4fe-404d-9ef4-5e8f887c1864.md?via=markdown) | 4.8โ˜… (239) | 6h 30m | โœ“ | โ‚ฌ76 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Yorkeys Knob](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/yorkeys-knob.md): 10 nm - [Port Douglas](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/port-douglas.md): 32 nm - [Townsville](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand/townsville.md): 152 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [AIDA Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/aida-cruises.md) - [Carnival Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/carnival-cruise-line.md) - [Celebrity Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/celebrity-cruises.md) - [Costa Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/costa-cruises.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [MSC Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/msc-cruises.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise โ†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/sapphire-reef-passage-cairns-airlie-beach~PCL-AP-20270301-7.md)** - **Price:** โ‚ฌ755 per person (โ‚ฌ1,510 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - **Ship:** [Grand Princess](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises/grand-princess.md) - **Duration:** 7 nights - **Departure:** 2027-03-01 - **Itinerary:** Sapphire Reef Passage โ€“ Cairns & Airlie Beach ## Featured Cruises from Cairns Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Sapphire Reef Passage โ€“ Cairns & Airlie Beach](https://cruisello.com/cruises/sapphire-reef-passage-cairns-airlie-beach~PCL-AP-20270301-7.md) | Grand Princess | Princess Cruises | 2027-03-01 | 7 | โ‚ฌ755 | | [Eucalyptus Winds โ€“ Darwin, Cairns & Brisbane](https://cruisello.com/cruises/eucalyptus-winds-darwin-cairns-brisbane~COSTA-SERENA-20261031-12.md) | Costa Serena | Costa Cruises | 2026-10-31 | 12 | โ‚ฌ1,271 | | [Indonesian & Australian Adventure โ€“ Bali & Cairns](https://cruisello.com/cruises/indonesian-australian-adventure-bali-cairns~CCL-LUMINOSA-20261130-14.md) | Carnival Luminosa | Carnival Cruise Line | 2026-11-30 | 14 | โ‚ฌ1,052 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Cairns](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=cairns) (83 sailings) ## Browse - [Australia & New Zealand cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)