cruise ship timetable airlie beach

Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Schedule For 2023

Airlie Beach cruise port

Australia - new zealand - pacific ocean islands.

• Coordinates -20.263, 148.720
• LOCODE AUWSY
• Local Time 2024-04-19 17:03

Airlie Beach cruise ship schedule

• Temperature

Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Schedule 2023

For 2024 dates, please see our  2024 Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Schedule .

With different cruise ships arriving weekly, Airlie Beach is alive and thriving, with travellers from all over the world flooding the streets. Scroll down below to check out the Airlie Beach cruise ship schedule for 2023 . It will tell you what dates the cruise ships are arriving, where they've come from, how many guests they are carrying and how long they are staying in town for.

For 2024 dates, please see our 2024 Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Schedule .

Why do cruise ships stop in Airlie Beach?

Airlie Beach is essentially the capital of the Whitsundays, being the doorstep to the  Great Barrier Reef  and  74 Whitsunday Islands . With endless activities to do and stunning scenery to admire, it's no wonder why the region is a favourite amongst cruise ship companies! The town is teeming with world-class restaurants, charming cafes and groovy bars to check out. Live entertainment is also never far, simply wander Airlie's main boulevard and you'll easily be able to hear live music, no matter the day of the week. 

A perk about visiting Airlie Beach via cruise ship is that guests receive 'VIP' treatment upon arrival at the port. There are  Volunteer Cruise Ship Ambassadors  who welcome and farewell passengers. They volunteer to ensure guests make the most of their limited time in Airlie Beach. Not only are they friendly and fun, they are also full of local knowledge and offer great recommendations, so be sure to have a chat to them!

Things to do on shore in Airlie Beach

While cruise ship guests don't have hours and hours to spare, there are ways to make the best out of the short time on land in Airlie Beach. From  scenic flights  over the Great Barrier Reef to shopping at the local markets, Airlie Beach is a place everyone will be itching to revisit! If you are on one of the many cruise ships that stop by, read through our ' Things to do for cruise ship guests in Airlie Beach ' article which will give you deeper insight into the activities you and your fellow cruise ship companions can get up to!

Check out what you can do in Airlie Beach for the day...

For next year's timetable please see our Airlie Beach Cruise Ship Schedule 2024 article.  

If you have any questions about Airlie Beach or want to book a tour, jump on our  live chat today!

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Sailing into the Great Barrier Reef has to be done very precisely, with the assistance of a pilot on board for well over 40 hours, as not to disturb the environment.

Cruise ships are not able to dock here, you will be tendered ashore. The Port of Airlie is easy walking distance from most hotels and accommodation in Airlie Beach's town center.

Beside going to the town of Airlie Beach, local chartered tenders will meet you right at the ship for diving and snorkeling trips to the Great Barrier Reef, not to be missed!

Airlie Beach is a small town, one main street really, so assuming you tender to the main quay you'll be a 10min walk to the tourist info offices which are all located on that street. You will also probably find quite a few enterprising locals waiting for you when you hop off the tender offering all kinds of exciting deals. Don't dismiss them too quickly, they aren't necessarily dodgy and some of them do really good trips.

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Sightseeing:

Airlie is a relatively tiny town that can at times get very busy. Pop. 5000

Airlie Beach is a Town in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. Airlie Beach is known as the Heart of Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) due to its position near the center of the GBR that stretches for two thousand kilometers along the coast.

Near latitude 20 degrees South, Airlie Beach and the nearby Whitsunday Islands enjoy a tropical climate and lifestyle which includes rain all year round and humidity!. The Whitsunday Islands, named by James Cook in 1770 are a sailors' paradise. Cook named the islands as he believed he passed through the area on the Christian festival day of Whit Sunday. It is now widely accepted that he didn't actually pass through on this date, as he had failed to take into account the yet to be brought into existence International Date Line a lá Phileas Fogg.

Each year the residents of Airlie Beach celebrate The Blessing of the Fleet on Whit Sunday or Pentecost Sunday. The Blessing was started by Father Keith Felgate. Airlie Beach is a tourist destination and together with the adjacent Shute harbor, provide one of the embarkation points for both the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.

Its beach is small and the sea is inhabited by marine stingers (a type of jellyfish) from November to May. In order to provide somewhere for the short term visitors tourists to swim, the local council, has built a medium sized swimming lagoon on the foreshore.

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Shopping and food.

All forms of shopping facilities can be found in the Airlie Beach area, from specialty and gift shops, food and provision shops, fine clothing boutiques and an assortment of tourist shops. Located only a few meters from the beach the Airlie Beach shopping center has a casual atmosphere and holiday feel. Shopping is a wonderful way to spend a day, especially if you're after those hard to find gifts. There is a large amount of shops in and around the main street of Airlie Beach and you are sure to find what ever item you need in this uniquely friendly environment. In the center of Airlie Beach you are extremely likely to encounter a large number of gift shops, eating places ranging from fast foods to quality restaurants, pubs, bars, and easily accessible shops catering for all your holiday needs. Please note that most shops in the center of Airlie Beach usually open seven days a week.

Shopping facilities are also available close to Airlie Beach, in the neighboring towns of Proserpine and Cannonvale. The Whitsunday shopping center on Shute harbor road Cannonvale is the areas largest mall style shopping center. This is the common place for locals and holiday-makers alike, to come together and shop till they drop. This shopping center has many much-needed facilities including; specialty shops, a post office, banks, automatic teller machines, sports store, cafes and a Bi-lo supermarket.

Another good place to spend time shopping is at the markets, which are located on the Airlie Beach Esplanade along the beachfront, every Saturday morning. This local market showcases a wonderful range of Airlie Beach and Whitsunday art and craft from very talented craftspeople. At these Airlie Beach markets, you can expect to find beautiful jewelry, clothing, unique souvenirs, glass blowing and lots of entertainment. Located in the heart of downtown Airlie Beach, the shopping facilities and weekly markets offer you a friendly and relaxed atmosphere to collect the gifts and essentials you need. Enjoy a day or two walking around the Airlie Beach shops as your bound to find something that intrigues the imagination

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Opening hours and holidays:.

Shops and services are generally open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and until lunchtime on Saturday. In cities and larger towns, many shops stay open late on Thursday or Friday evening - usually until 9pm - and all day on Saturday. Shopping malls are often open on Sundays as well.

In remote country areas, roadhouses provide all the essential services for the traveler and, on the major highways, are generally open 24 hours a day. In tourist areas, even ones well off the beaten track, tourist offices are often open every day or at least through the week plus weekend mornings; urban information centers are more likely to conform to normal shopping hours.

Tourist attractions such as museums, galleries and attended historic monuments are often open daily, though those in rural communities may have erratic opening hours.

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About cruise whitsundays.

Based in Airlie Beach, we know how lucky we are to call the Whitsundays home and work hard to showcase the highlights of this incredible region to visitors from around the world.

Our resort connections, day cruises and activities can take you to the Great Barrier Reef, iconic Whitehaven Beach, must-see Hamilton Island, energetic Airlie Beach and the ocean and islands in between.

We also offer Reefsleep – a fabulous night under the stars on the outer Great Barrier Reef and Australia’s first underwater accommodation, ReefSuites. Be prepared for an intimate experience that will stay with you forever.

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Cruise to Airlie Beach, Queensland

Airlie beach shore excursions, amazing experiences coming soon., sorry, there are no excursions for this port at this moment., things to do in airlie beach.

Islands Among the Reef

Whitehaven beach during a sunny, clear day in Australia

Doing a half or full-day trip to the Whitsunday Islands is the thing to do in Airlie Beach. For best Great Barrier Reef experience, do a tour to Hardy Reef's pontoon. There are also half-day trips available to both South Molle Island and award-winning Whitehaven Beach.

Wander the Rain Forest

View of Shute Harbour from a rainforest in Australia

Airlie Beach is not only an ocean gateway. Conway National Park — and its regional parks — are located minutes from Airlie Beach. The area is known for its lush rain forest, seasonal waterfalls, scenic lookouts and walking and biking trails. Locals recommend the easy Coastal Fringe Circuit, a 1.2-kilometer (0.7-mile) track.

Laze by the Lagoon

Located in the town center, the Airlie Beach Lagoon is a free, self-chlorinated swimming pool. The Lagoon is surrounded by grassed areas, barbecue facilities and swaying palm trees for sunbathing or reading in the shade. There's also a children's pool and sandy beach area attached to the Lagoon.

Local Cuisine

The Esplanade is Airlie Beach's go-to spot for dining. Head here for traditional fish and chips as well as higher-end seafood-focused fare — try tempura-battered local tiger prawns or wild-caught Barramundi with new potatoes. You can also find internationally inspired takes on the ocean's bounty, like Malaysian-style laksa , a noodle soup with curry broth, piled high with prawns, squid and scallops.

The Airlie Beach Saturday Markets happens on the foreshore every Saturday. Drop by and browse the local art, craft and clothing stalls for a unique souvenir. PAYA Boutique also stocks a wide range of hand-selected fashion and lifestyle products, including women's fashion, accessories, jewelry, home wares and gifts.

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