9-Day Great Barrier Reef Cruise on Carnival Splendor from Sydney (Australia)

Sydney (Australia)

Sydney is known as the Harbour City. It is the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia and one of the world´s most beautiful and liveable cities. Brimming with history, nature, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design, it is set next to miles of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches. Recent immigration trends have led to the cities reputation as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in Australia and the world. The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on the planet. The city is surrounded by nature and national parks, which extend through the suburbs and right to the shores of the harbour.

Airlie Beach (Australia)

Airlie Beach is a town in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia. Airlie Beach is one of many departure points for the Great Barrier Reef. Near latitude 20 degrees south, Airlie Beach, Proserpine and the nearby Whitsunday Islands enjoy a tropical climate and lifestyle. The Whitsunday Islands, named by James Cook in 1770 are a sailors paradise. Each year the residents of Airlie Beach celebrate The Blessing of the Fleet on Whit Sunday or Pentecost Sunday. Airlie Beach is a tourist destination, extremely popular with backpackers. Its beach is small and the sea is inhabited by marine stingers, the box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) from November to May. In order to provide somewhere for the visitors tourists to swim, the local council, has built a small – medium sized swimming lagoon on the foreshore, similar to the lagoon found in Cairns. The Great Barrier Reef is easily accessible from Airlie Beach, with an array of different types of tours available. A survey conducted by Ray Green in 2000, found Airlie Beach was often described by local residents and tourists as commercial and touristy, relaxed, beautiful and friendly while maintaining a natural environment with tropical vegetation, views of the sea, islands and surrounding hillsides.

Cairns (Australia)

Cairns is a very popular destination for the tourists due to it's tropical climate and to it's proximity to numerous attractions. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the attractions and is less thatn an hour by boat. The Daintree Natural Park and Cape Tribulation, 130 kms to the north of Cairns, are famous areas surrounded by rainforest.

Willis Island (Australia)

Willis Island is an island in an external territory of Australia, located beyond the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea some 280 mi east of Cairns, Queensland. It is the southernmost of a group of three islands, which with their associated sandy cays stretch in a NNE to SSW line for about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi). Willis Island itself is aligned NW to SE and is about 1,600 ft long by 490 ft wide, 19 acres in area, rising to about 30 ft above sea level. It is the only permanently inhabited island in Australia's Coral Sea Islands Territory.

Moreton Island (Australia)

Sydney (Australia)

Sydney is known as the Harbour City. It is the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia and one of the world´s most beautiful and liveable cities. Brimming with history, nature, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design, it is set next to miles of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches. Recent immigration trends have led to the cities reputation as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in Australia and the world. The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on the planet. The city is surrounded by nature and national parks, which extend through the suburbs and right to the shores of the harbour.