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Cruises to Moreton Island

15 Reviews
Moreton Island (Photo:mark higgins/Shutterstock)

About Moreton Island

The pristine beaches of Moreton Island are a popular getaway for Brisbane locals who flock to these shores, particularly during school holidays.

Moreton Island was placed on the cruise map in 2013 and, thanks to positive feedback from passengers, now appears regularly on cruise itineraries. Visitors usually enjoy a full day of fun on the island, arriving early in the morning and leaving around 8 p.m.

Moreton is the third-largest sand island in the world and an ecological jewel, located about 35 kilometres off the coast of Brisbane on "Nemo's Super Highway" or the East Australian Current. Sitting on the edge of the picturesque Moreton Bay and its Marine Park, the island is 38 km long, and just less than 8 km at its widest point.

The island is also famous for spectacular marine life, and impressive sand dunes with 95 per cent of the land zoned as a national park to protect its unique natural qualities. Its balmy waters teem with dolphins, whales, dugong, manta rays and stingrays. There are no sealed roads on Moreton Island, so it tends to attract people with a sense of adventure, as well as a love of the great outdoors. It is an ideal place to escape the stresses of city life.

There are three townships on the island. Bulwer is a small holiday village for local travellers with a handful of essential services and a passenger ferry terminal. Cowan Cowan is famous for World War 2 relics and wrecks. Kooringal is at the southern end of the island. Here you can eat locally grown rock oysters from the Toulkerrie Oyster Farm and also purchase necessary grocery supplies.

Tangalooma is a private beach resort and one of the few places in Australia where you can enjoy the unique experience of feeding wild bottlenose dolphins. The resort was established initially as a whaling station and is now a marine education and conservation centre.

  • More about Moreton Island

  • Why go to Moreton Island?

  • Moreton Island Cruise Port Facilities?

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Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Sojourn

145 Night
145-day World Cruise: Extraordinary HorizonsDetails

148 Reviews
Leaving:Los Angeles
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Jan 11, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Sojourn

89 Night
World Cruise: Gems Of The Pacific RimDetails

148 Reviews
Leaving:Los Angeles
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Jan 11, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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Cruise Critic Favorite
Seabourn Odyssey
Seabourn Odyssey

80 Night
Grand Australia, Asia & AlaskaDetails

204 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 21, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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Seabourn Sojourn
Seabourn Sojourn

72 Night
World Cruise: Treasures Of The Pacific RealmDetails

148 Reviews
Leaving:Los Angeles
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Jan 11, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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Virgin Voyages

36 Night
Queensland Gems & Malay ArchipelagoDetails

204 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 21, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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43 Night
World Cruise: Australia & Orchid Isles AdventureDetails

148 Reviews
Leaving:Auckland
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 10, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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50 Night
World Cruise: Australia & Imperial AsiaDetails

148 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 20, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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Cruise Critic Favorite

57 Night
Gems Of The Coral & China SeasDetails

204 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 21, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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18 Night
Queensland Gems & IndonesiaDetails

204 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 21, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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72 Night
World Cruise: Australia & Asian SplendorsDetails

148 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 20, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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33 Night
World Cruise: Queensland Coast & Tropical Treasure...Details

148 Reviews
Leaving:Sydney
Cruise Line:Seabourn Cruise Line
Feb 20, 2024
No prices currently available for this sailing.
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More about Moreton Island

Why go to Moreton Island?

Pros:

Pristine beach, relaxing island vibe, opportunities to explore

Cons:

Travel around the island is only available on tours

Bottom Line:

Beautiful location that is especially good for water-lovers

Moreton Island Cruise Port Facilities?

Ships anchor off Tangalooma Island Resort and use tenders to transport passengers to a pier.

Good to Know?

Tangalooma Island Resort and its many activities await your full day in port at Moreton Island. If you're not keen on a tour of the island or participating in any activities on offer, you can enjoy the resort facilities, which include a pristine beach, lunch ashore, cold drink at the bar or swimming in one of two pools. There is also a beach festival when ships call, with music and food stalls.

Getting Around?

On Foot: You can walk around the Tangalooma Resort and the beach.

By Tour: The only way to see other parts of the island from Tangalooma and your ship is by taking an organised tour. Options include 4WD bus tours, bay cruises and helicopter flights. You may be able to hire a 4WD taxi at the resort, but on days when a ship is in port, they are usually busy operating tours. A limited number of 4WD vehicles are also available to rent at Tangalooma Resort, but they are not available when a ship is in port because they are used for tours.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

The local currency is the Australian dollar. There are no banks on Moreton Island. There is an ATM at the Tangalooma Resort, and the resort also offers currency exchange. For updated currency-conversion figures, visit www.xe.com.

Language?

Australians speak English with an Aussie accent and, on Moreton Island, the language is much the same as you'll find in the rest of the country. Just don't forget your togs, which is what Queenslanders call a swimsuit. You'll definitely need one on a visit to this island with all the beaches and water sports. Most local tourists will be from Brisbane.


Moreton Island Cruise Reviews
Finally we were allowed off - few times ship says too rough so no visit. Have stayed on island a week in past and water too cold to snorkel. We just walked south along beach to Tangaluma Point then back to the entrRead More
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Astro Boy
Although we didn't get off we love the resort and have had a time share there since 1988. There are many activities to partake in or just lie by the pool or swim in the clear water. You have to board the ship in the Read More
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david the pirate
Good place to visit, plenty to doRead More
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Grahamc321
Carnival has locked up all excursions. We thought we would tender over and find our own. Wrong. We took the glass bottom tour on shore and it was billed to our stateroom. Never seen that before. Read More
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ckone

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