We spent a week in Sydney before the cruise and LOVED it! The Opal pass makes transportation easy and it works on all the ferries. Want to go back.

You need to book a shore tour here. Or take a chance and buy one from the booths on the dock. We found a taxi and asked to be taken to a beach. 25 miles later, we walked through a hotel to a beach only to find the tide out. There, that means the ocean is almost too far away to see, and the path to get there is endless dead coral mud. What a disappointment.

We walked into town and found a dive shop, bought fins and asked where to snorkel. They said Duck Island was close and directed us to the local bus and boat out to the island. For $40 total we had a great day and ran into friends from the ship on Duck island who had paid $75 each for the same trip, except that they had to go back much earlier.

Get off the ship and walk around to the main beach for the day. We rented lounge chairs from the hotel and lunched in their restaurant. The water was warm but not super clear. And the sand!!! It felt like velvet on our feet. The softest white sand I've ever seen. Loved that day.