nick

i am trying to organize my trip to the Reef and i need some advise about cruising to whitsundays. Anyone has done smth and was really satisfied? Looking for 2-3 day cruises, so i can see more than one island, starting from Airlie Beach/Shute Harbour. Thanks

Karen

I was going to post almost the same question! We are looking at a 3 day sail next year around New Year's. (Diving is not a priority for us.) We are considering the Anaconda III, which does a 4 PM Tuesday to 4 PM Friday sail out of Airlie Beach for under $A400. <BR><BR>Hope someone out there has some firsthand experience?<BR><BR>Karen

liz

ttt

Lindsey

My husband and I did a 4 day/3 night sail about 5 years ago,on a historical old wooden sailing yacht called the Derwent Hunter. It was based in Airlie Beach. i don't know if it is still there.<BR><BR>Total number of passengers was about 12. We had the only private cabin on board and the rest of the guests were in bunks in 2 large cabins. <BR><BR>At the time, we were in our early 40's and all the other passengers were early 20's backpacker kids. So it was bit difficult to really mix socially because I am sure they were wondering what these old folks were doing there.<BR><BR>Nevertheless, when the water was smooth and the weather good, it was absolutely beautifu. We stopped near Hayman for excellent snorkeling and some people went diving and one night we spent at the dock at Hamilton Island so everyone could get a really good hot shower at the facilities there.<BR>We did hit one huge storm, which was pretty scary. It was too rough to be below. You would have been bouncing off the walls and totally seasick. So we spent about 2 hours on deck in the pouring rain, clinging to the railings for dear life.<BR><BR>If you are looking for luxury accommodations, I don't think this type of cruise would suit. But if you don;t mind roughing it a bit, it's a good way to see the Whitsundays.

katie

I went on the Anaconda(not sure which one) about two years ago. It was definitely one of the nicer ones but by no means luxury. There were definitely some backpackers on the boat (including myself). Not sure if that is a problem.

Lindsey

Katie,<BR>I did not mean to imply that sailing with backpackers was a problem. My comment was made more to describe the style of accommodation. But I do think occasionally our presence made them more uncomfortable than the other way around. <BR><BR>Since some travelers are more comfortable with people their own age, it's probably best if they know in advance what to expect.<BR>

Karen

I wish Liz would come back and tell us what ttt means.

liz

ttt is<BR>to the top..........<BR>in other words I sent the message back so that it would be seen and get more answers - which it did

Aleisha

I am doing a 3 days sail with PROSAIL out of Arlie Beach - apparentlyt they have won numerous awards and are just fabulous!! I can't wait!!

liz

There are some nice ones listed on the following site and for great prices. <BR>http://www.wotif.com/holiday/<BR>

johnw

I paid A$475 for a 3 day cruise with Prosail from Airlie Beach in early Jan. on their &quot;Indulgence&quot; boat - did some snorkelling on the first two days and a couple of hikes around whitehaven and south molle. This boat carries 12 passengers and 2 crew, although 2 passengers did not show up, which gave a bit more room. This boat is a former racing yacht and so the accommodation is somewhat compact - effectively 3 cabins for 4 people each (one cabin also being the main living area).<BR><BR>The weather was very nice apart from a small amount of rain on the first morning and we had a good mix of people on the boat. I would strongly recommend this as a thoroughly enjoyable way to see the Whitsundays as long as you're not expecting hotel-style accomodation.

jake

Hi Nick, like Lynsey I was on Derwent Hunter November 01. It was a mixture of young/old, singles/couples. It was a 3day/2 night trip and it is one of my best memories of a year in Australia. We were fortunate having fantastic weather and a great crew. In agreement with Lynsey, it's definitely not luxurious and you do have to be prepared to slightly rough it. I spent both nights sleeping on deck (we all did!) with a blanket watching for shooting stars and waking up to the most amazing sunrise. Isn't that what it's all about!.. Enjoy!