6 Night Great Barrier Reef Cruise aboard the Carnival Encounter
Settle in for six nights of breathtaking sailing across the sea when you set sail with the Carnival Encounter from Brisbane and back again.
This sailing is particularly interesting because you'll exclusively visit very uncommon stops like Airlie Beach and Cairns. This route is an uncommon one for the Encounter.
Offered at under $100 per day, this value is very strong. This includes all entertainment, meals, port fees, and taxes. No sneaky extra fees!
The Carnival Encounter
The Encounter Carnival, based in Brisbane and refurbished just this year ago in 2026, is a highly-rated Grand class cruise ship that can accomodate over 2,500 guests.
The Encounter Carnival has a bowling lane, a casino, a rock climbing wall, a gym, a waterslide, a jacuzzi, five pools, and a spa.
Your Itinerary
This sailing spends three sea days and two port days. High points include visits to exotic destinations like Airlie Beach and Cairns.
| Date | Port | Arrive | Depart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Feb 27 | Brisbane, Australia | 3:00pm | |
| Mon, Feb 28 | At Sea | ||
| Tue, Feb 29 | Airlie Beach, Australia | 8:00am | 4:00pm |
| Wed, Mar 1 | Cairns, Australia | 9:00am | 6:30pm |
| Thu, Mar 2 | Willis Island, Australia (Cruising) | ||
| Fri, Mar 3 | At Sea | ||
| Sat, Mar 4 | Brisbane, Australia | 7:00am |
Alternate Sailings
The Encounter sails this route once next year, but doesn't sail it this year. The Luminosa, Quantum of the Seas, and Grand also sail routes with the same stops but slightly different schedules. In the accompanying graphic you can see a visualization of when this ship sails as well as the relative price.
Book Your Cruise
The accompanying graph shows the cost over time for the different classes of cabin. Since being listed eight months ago, The cost of a room on this itinerary has ranged between $556 and $615 inclusive of taxes and port fees. Now this cruise is just $38 higher than the all time low of $556 so reserve your stateroom now before it goes up.
Last Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Last Modified: Jul 16, 2026