6 Night Great Barrier Reef Cruise aboard the Carnival Encounter
Prepare for six nights of exciting cruising through the sea when you set sail with the Carnival Encounter from Brisbane and back again.
This cruise is particularly exciting because you'll exclusively call on exotic destinations like Airlie Beach and Cairns. This route is an interesting one for the Encounter. Actually, it sails it only once.
We include all meals, entertainment, taxes, and fees in this price, so there are no sneaky extra fees. Offered at less than $100 a day, this value is really good.
The Carnival Encounter
Based in Brisbane and refurbished less than this year ago in 2026, more than 2,500 people can sail on this top-rated Grand class ship.
The Encounter Carnival offers a casino, a bowling lane, a waterslide, a jacuzzi, five pools, a gym, a spa, and a rock climbing wall.
Your Itinerary
This sailing includes two port days and three days at sea. Highlights include visits to exotic cities like Airlie Beach plus a long stop in Cairns.
| Date | Port | Arrive | Depart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 4 | Brisbane, Australia | 3:00pm | |
| Sun, Sep 5 | At Sea | ||
| Mon, Sep 6 | Willis Island, Australia (Cruising) | ||
| Tue, Sep 7 | Cairns, Australia | 5:45am | 4:00pm |
| Wed, Sep 8 | Airlie Beach, Australia | 9:00am | 6:00pm |
| Thu, Sep 9 | At Sea | ||
| Fri, Sep 10 | Brisbane, Australia | 7:00am |
Alternate Sailings
The Encounter sails this route once next year, but doesn't sail it this year. The Voyager of the Seas also sails a route with the same stops but a slightly different schedule. In the accompanying graphic you can see a visualization of when this ship sails as well as the relative price.
Book Your Cruise
Since being listed four months ago, The cost of a stateroom on this sailing has varied between $585 and $603 inclusive of taxes and port fees. This graph displays the price over time for every class of cabin. Right now this sailing is only $7 higher than the all time low of $585 so lock in your room now before it goes up.
Last Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Last Modified: Jul 17, 2026