Cruising in Australia

Australia is the world's largest island, having 22,270 miles of coastline. Cruising to Australia can be affordable as well as exciting.

Here are a few highlights from some available tours:

Captain Cook Cruises is a family-owned company focusing on travel in Australia and the Fiji Islands. Their ship holds 150 passengers, and some of their tours include:

The Great Barrier Reef Tour - Fitzroy Island and Lizard Island; Sydney Harbour Cruise, which consists of 20 sightseeing and dinner cruises daily and 2 night weekend cruises. This cruise could include Harbour Highlights, International Buffet Lunch Cruise, Top Deck Lunch Cruise, Sunset Dinner Cruise, and an Opera Dinner Cruise. Their Murray River Cruise includes an Aboriginal archaeological tour and vineyards.

A new kind of cruise in Australia is called a "rail cruise." It's considered by many to be the only way to travel this vast continent. Lasting 19 days, it includes a full-day "vacation" time in Sydney, Melbourne, Kangaroo Island, Ayers Rock, Top End, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Destination Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia is a luxury four-day charter cruise program. It includes a sunset cruise along Darwin Harbour and a trip to Adelaide River and the famous Jumping Crocodile Cruise. This Cruise includes crocodile feeding. Though the deadly Saltwater Crocodiles are not normally seen, this cruise practically guarantees one's chance to see them. The cruise lasts 5 1/2 hours and is considered to be one of the most reliable wildlife cruises in the world. This tour offers a snake handling show and free coffee and tea all day. This tour began in 1985 with one crocodile and has nearly 100 now. The cruise ships operate daily and include the Adelaide River Queen, Kakadu Princess, or Pathfinder cruise boats which operate daily.

Another way to cruise Australia is with the cruising restaurants. Gold Coast Cruises, which launched its first vessel in 1985, is available to the traveler for cruises during the week as well as the weekend. They offer cruises for short durations of 2 1/2 hours (the luncheon cruise) to a five-day cruise at on a camping safari. Another company, the award-winning Melbourne Yarra River Cruises, offers weekend dinner cruises featuring three-course meals and live entertainment.

Rhythmboat Cruises include Sydney Harbour cruises, restaurant cruises, live music cruises, private charters, comedy cruises and Christmas cruises.

Ocean Spirit Cruises in Sydney includes snorkeling and sailing as well as dinner cruises. One of its cruises is to the Michaelmas Cay Cruise. It also includes coral viewing, coral cay scientific tours, nature walks at a bird sanctuary, live entertainment, and a complementary glass of champagne on the way back to shore. The passenger/crew ratio is also nine to one.

Cruises can also be quite expensive, and include pampering. For $9,699 you can take a sample cruise to the Australian Outback which includes guided rainforest walks, complimentary use of sailboats, and lunches on the beach. The tour also includes plenty of romantic dinners for two and samples of local fruits and seafood.