Whitehaven Beach Half-Day Cruises

Girls Day Out

Bucket list trip for my daughters and myself, had a wonderful day! Beach and weather was perfect and the sunset on return was stunning!

Long day but memorable

After a shaky start, realising the tour began on the island normal commuter catamaran. The awesome scenery of clear blue waters made up for our slight disappointment. First stop Daydream Island, the Hamilton before a bit of a rough 15mins crossing the open water of the Coral Sea. Then a short tender crossing to the foreshore of Whitehaven Beach. Beautiful! Then after 2 hours, the same all over again. Georgia, a wonderful crew member fulfilled her duties with vigor and enthusiasm. She reassured us when our tummies where churning. She made our day memorable. Thanks!

Check the weather is good BEFORE booking

Sadly the trip was very bad for us as we had a difficult crossing, and rain on the beach. It was not worth the price for us, and we wish we had been offered a refund or another crossing

Amazing

Such an amazing experience! Whitehaven is a must see, would definitely recommend everyone to visit, great day at the beach and snacks provided on the boat on way home. Thank you

Go on a day that’s not so cloudy

We went on a very cloudy day and the sea very very rough over to the island, so I feel we didn’t get the full colourful experience but the beach is amazing and you can loose yourself. Fab

Liars with no idea or skills just a scam company

Here's the translation to English: "I made a reservation through Viator Australia to go to the Whitsundays. I specifically asked about snorkeling in the sea to see the coral reef and they confirmed it. We traveled 12 hours and 1200 km from the Sunshine Coast to Airlie Beach, and when we arrived, they confirmed again that snorkeling was included at the reception. In the end, with my 70-year-old mother who came from Spain, we had to give up doing what we really wanted and pay $600 to not do what we were truly willing to do on this trip."

Waste of money. Not a tour!!!!

Absolute lies! Not a tour. It’s an over priced taxi service that over sells more tickets than seats and ignores passengers standing for two hours. I am trying to lodge a complaint but no one interested. Don’t waste your money here! They don’t care.

Over priced, nowhere to sit, poor engagement. Try another company!

Not very impressed. Seems they over sold tickets and several people were left standing for about an hour without a single crew member offering assistance . The PA system up stairs does not work (or could not be heard). We had no idea there was afternoon tea being served so missed out. We had to change boats and very little coordination, instruction or interaction with staff. Basically an over priced ferry system to the beach. Would not use again. Whitehaven Beach was the only worthwhile part of this adventure. It was amazing!

Very good trip. Only...

Very good trip. Only thing was there was no morning tea as advised, if there was we were not advised. Staff were lovely.

This is not an actual tour to Whitehaven. It's an island taxi service.

This is not a tour. This is a very long taxi service. Was advertised as a half day your to Whitehaven. Took 2hrs to get there, with a taxi stop at Daydream and to Hamilton Island. Had to get off and change boats. So wasted another 1/2hr. Finally arrive at Whitehaven and we got 1 & 1/2hrs before we had to get back on the boat. Once on the boat had to wait 30mins while Cruise Whitsunday packed up all the stuff they had on the beach all day. Afternoon tea was salami, cheese, crackers, rock melon, red apple and chocolate cake. Then, back off on our taxi service back to Hamilton and Daydream before getting back to Airlie Beach. If you an actual tour to Whitehaven, then this is not the tour you want to pay for.

Not worth the money

It is a lot of money to simply get a ferry to the beach for under 2 hrs. It doesn't take you to the lookout point (one of the main reasons its voted on of the best is because the lookout has great views) so I don't see what all of the fuss is about. We were on a boat for more time then we were at the beach, the wind was awful so the trip over was the worst i have had on a boat. People being sick as the boat was swaying side to side. I will stress this is not the companies fault, but be mindful if you don't like rough water you will be on the boat for a long time. Yes its a beautiful beach, but unless its near the lookout you can go to many beaches like this around Australia. I would recommend spending a little more to go with an experience of viewing the lookout. I asked if I could go but I wouldn't have been back to the boat in time.

Fantastic trip!

Everything was well organised! Staff was welcoming and helpful! Overall the trip was so relaxing and full of memories

Please read before booking

I strongly recommend considering alternative options if your primary goal is to visit Whitehaven Beach, as the following scenario may occur: After checking in, you settle into the ferry, the doors close, and then the captain announces a change in destination due to weather conditions, redirecting the ferry to another beach instead of Whitehaven. They do not disclose this information before check-in, preventing refund requests. Even if they do mention it later, refunds are not provided, as stated in their terms and conditions. This unfortunate experience happened to us on December 24, 2023, during our Christmas trip. We were taken to a modest beach, much less appealing than the one near our hotel on Hamilton Island. My lawyer and I are pursuing this matter with QCAT and are waiting for other travelers from that day to join. Unlike other services on Hamilton Island, this provider seem rather unreliable

Wonderful view

The beach is amazing. Recommend to bring your own snorkeling equipment, since the cruise do not supply these. You can definitely see fishes in Christal clear water.

Unpleasant! Go with another cruise it's not worth the time or money.

It wasn't what we expected, it felt like we were on a taxi by sea. They fail to mention that the cruise will spend more than half its time picking up and dropping off other punters from two different Islands, and then transferring ferry on Hamilton Island. They also pack everyone in like sardines. It's not about an experience it's about how much money they can make for the day. This was also in wet season forget it when it's dry season it would unbearable, over crowded, and the beach would make Bondi look quiet. We left at 11.35, arrived back just before 6pm, too busy picking up others, and stuck on an uncomfortable seat, with no ventilation. Spend an extra 50$ and go with a more private cruise, don't waste your money on this horrible experience.

Not worth the money

We did the afternoon half day trip to the Whitehaven beach. We paid $140 for the half day trip, we were told we had to be at check in for 10.30 waited over a hour for departure, we also had to switch boats at Hamilton island. We had around 1.30 hours on the actual beach and then got back to the port at around 6.30, the majority of the day was spend on the boat or waiting around. There was a photographer there. Photos cost $20 per photo, the part of the beach we went to was nothing special, if this had of been my first impression off the Whitehaven beach I wouldn’t have known what all the fuss was about. The previous week, we went on an ocean rafting tour that included a 15 minute walk to the best look out point to the Whitehaven beach that was stunning, then we had a hour and a half on the white haven beach with crystal clear shallower water with lots of wildlife to look at, it was really the like the pictures you see on the post cards and then we had also two 45 minute sessions at snorkelling spots at the Great Barrier Reef. We got all this for $190 and was definitely way more worth the money! And all the photos were included in the price to! This is definitely your better option if wanting to see the Whitehaven beaches. I will say all of the staff were all really lovely on the cruse and couldn’t be more helpful, but the full experience was definitely not worth the money. We enjoyed the previous day at the lagoon better….

Good

Was good but the best beach is actually right in front of the hill illnet lookout where I would recommend to book another trip if available

Excellent white sand beach play day

Very happy with the experience. Short walk from the Marina to the airport, we were able to skip getting a ferry from Airlie Beach just to get to Hamilton Island airport.

Whitehaven Half day trips

Subject: Unpleasant Experience and Misleading Marketing I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration regarding our recent half-day trip with your company to Whitehaven Beach. Despite our anticipation for a morning visit to Whitehaven Beach, we found ourselves on a different section of the island. The confusion regarding the north and south sides of the beach led to a significant additional cost for us, which we feel was not communicated clearly during the booking process. Several aspects of the experience were disappointing: 1. The condition of the beach we visited was subpar, with mud and an unpleasant odor, contrary to the pristine images associated with Whitehaven Beach. 2. The delay in reaching the beach contradicted the advertised schedule, leaving us with less time to enjoy the surroundings. 3. The lack of clarity in your marketing materials and the absence of information differentiating the north and south sides of the beach contributed to our misguided expectations. We were disheartened to learn that to access the part of Whitehaven Beach we initially intended to visit, we would have to pay an additional $223.12. This unexpected expense, coupled with the disappointment of spending the majority of our half-day trip on the less appealing south side, left us dissatisfied. In light of this, we kindly requested a partial refund of $280 for the half-day package. We were willing to cover the cost of the upgrade to the full-day tour, as we did appreciate the north end of the beach. Additionally, we suggested updating your brochure to provide a clearer distinction between the north and south sides of Whitehaven Beach, possibly including a map for better understanding. This adjustment would prevent future guests from experiencing the same confusion we encountered. We believe this fair resolution will address our concerns and contribute to the improvement of your services for future customers. This was our email, their reply: No.

Swim and hike

We had time to go to the Whitehaven lookout and have a swim at the beach so it was great with the half day cruise for us.

Well organised

We went for the afternoon cruise to whiteheaven Beach from Airlie Beach (11.45-18.15). The experience with Cruise Whitsundays (CW) was fabulous. Parking: lots of parking spaces (pay and Park). CW also can arrange pick-up from various accommodation. Checkin: Show the booking reference number at the counter and receive the tickets for the day. May take2-4 minutes maximum. Timings and route map: Please see the attached pictures. There is a vessel change at Hamilton Island on your way to Whitehaven Beach. However, no such change on your return leg. The boat will stop at Daydream Island and Hamilton Island for other guests on both legs. Boat: Big size, fully air-conditioned & most comfortable. We never had any issues of sea sickness as the boat is very stable (of course, it is a catamaran). Please take seat on your right side to avoid sun on both legs. If you are looking for a hot seat for better views, add priority boarding to your booking. At least 4 toilets are available on board. Crew: Pleasant and happy to help. One or two male staffs were not polite, but no dramas. Whitehaven Beach: You will get 2 hours to enjoy. CW will provide the stinger suits. Shades are available if you are traveling with an infant. You also got the option to buy Kabana at the time of check in. The photographer from CW can help you with photos and when you are back in the boat, she will provide you an IPAD to select the images. You need to complete a form and pay at at the counter within the boat. The images will be send via email after the cruise. Afternoon tea: Impressive. Plenty of options. You can make complimentary tea or coffee at any time. Overall impression: 10/10 for a beginner who was travelling with a 6- year-old and one 2-year-old.

Speedy and reliable

We booked this tour as all other full days tours with other companies were cancelled due to the weather. The crew was very good at helping people with sea sickness and the afternoon snacks were good. However the tour only allows for a short time on the beach (as stated in the listing) and goes to the South side of the beach. Would recommend booking a full day tour that goes to the Hill Inlet side of the beach to make the most out of your money. Still very glad we got to experience Whitehaven!

More of a transport boat than a tour

The beach and water was beautiful. However, we were very disappointed when we found out the half day tour did not include the Inlets viewing point. This is not made clear and the majority of people we met on the tour felt the same. Also, the boat seemed like more of a transport vessel for people working on Hamilton or Daydream island. We made 2 stops to pick people up and drop them off. On the way back, the staff asked for reviews and after that was done, we were told we actually had to transfer to another boat to get to Airlie and waited for about a half an hour before we actually left. Felt like none of this was mentioned. Overall, I would have definitely just gone ahead and done the full day tour to avoid all of this if we knew it would happen. Also advertised there would be commentary on the boat about the Whitsundays, this never happened.

Not great

Not great, too many stops for 2 hours on the beach. Plus got mucked around with equipment at the beach

Whitehaven beach PARADISE

The fish swimming around your feet,it was a great experience, absolute paradise,I would fully recommend it to anyone

2 hour half day cruise

I would not recommend this trip for a number of factors, there is no clear information when booking that it is very unlikely that you will actually get to go to Whitehaven Beach, the captain explained it is usually impossible to moor off it in November. So we were taken to an alternative beach which was nice but no better than the one we are staying on at The Reef Hotel. The catamaran was not a catamaran but a ferry type boat which was almost full when it arrived at Hamilton ferry port. We then became aware that wrist bands had priority to everything. So when we got to the beach those with the wrist bands were first to be taken ashore, we were stuck onboard for a good 30 minutes. We had by the time we got on the beach no more than 2 hours, this is not a half day cruise. My advise save your money & watch a video on Youtube 1 out of 10. Some crew were rude.

Holiday

Very good trip to Whitehaven Beach But no meeting address On booking confirmation😉On our trip from Airlie.

Paradise

Swimming in the crystal clear water and the delicious morning tea and friendly and hepful staff. Thank you!!!

Whitehaven beach

Great day out the water was amazing the sand is so white and soft definitely a must do if your here would recommend the full day tour half day not enough beach time

Well organised and fun day.

the boat ride was a comfortable experience and staff communicated arrival times and meeting times very clearly. the set up at whitehaven was very help and lots of equipment to use whilst you’re there. afternoon tea was a great touch. would do again.

Not impressed

Not really a cruise the Whitsundays, more a shuttle service between Airlie Beach, Daydream Island and Hamilton Island. Left Airlie Beach at 7.15 and arrived back at 2.20, only 2 hours at Whitehaven Beach. Had to disembark at Hamilton Island and wait for another boat to come, then to the airport for more passenger pick up. I was also not impressed that the company would not bring the boat to shore earlier( 10minutes) when it started to rain

Not happy...

Our trip was cancelled a day before due to industrial pay etc. We were unable to organise a trip with another company as they were all full and had no spots available. Waiting for our refun from Viator.

Great day out

Fantastic day, staff were so friendly and very helpful. Nothing was a problem, we felt relaxed and looked after the whole time. Highly recommend.

Stunning beach

Beautiful beach, can get packed out when there are multiple cruises as they all land on the same part of the beach. We went in winter but still busy. Tips: -BYO shade if you can, otherwise hire it - be first off the boat to hire equipment and take photos of beach before it gets busy. - BYO snacks, drinks and water, you get fed morning/afternoon tea really early on in the boat ride and we had just had breakfast so we didn't eat anything until we had our own snacks at the beach. - go to the toilet before you get off the boat - ocean can get rough so bring motion sickness meds if you need them

Nice beach but so many other nice(r) beaches in OZ

Half day trip to Whitehaven Beach on a very average day which was overcast :(. Picturesque beach, although not dissimilar to may other beautiful beaches in Australia. Nothing to do there apart from a few beach activities/games and a long walk. Fortunately it was out of stinger season (May to October I believe they said) so you could go for a dip if inclined but they still did recommend wearing stinger suits. I was a little underwhelmed :( as it took an hour to get there, an hour back and 2 hours on the beach.

Gorgeous spot, busy place

Karen and the deck team were amazing at helping my friend with special needs around the trip. Only a bit more shade available on the beach would have been great. Gorgeous spot. Busy place

Poor service, miserable trip that should have been cancelled

Received two separate notifications that we missed our booked trip several weeks before the date we had actually booked for. A couple of days before the trip we arrived at Daydream Island and enquired about cancelling because of the weather forecast (at this stage we didn't even know if the trip was still booked). We were told we couldn't cancel and that the trip was still booked. To our surprise the sun came out on the day we were booked for. Hostess who greeted us was quite rude but we had a nice journey over to Whitehaven. Captain informed us of the bad weather that was coming in all the way there and said if the weather turned that we wouldn't be left on the beach for the 2 hour 45 mins stop duration. Before we got on the small boat to ferry passengers to the shore from the main boat it started raining and within minutes it was torrential and windy. After a couple of minutes we were all soaked through to the bone, the wind picked up and 90 percent of passengers took cover under the limited shelter available on the island. After 40 minutes sitting in the cold we checked in with the crew to see when the small boat would be back to collect us (it was back at the main boat) as the kids were freezing and all our spare clothes and towels were saturated. We were told that routine maintenance was being undertaken and it would come after that. 30 minutes later a different party went to check on the boat as still no news. The crew radioed the main boat and informed us it would be another 20-30 minutes as maintenance was still being done. They weren't prepared to collect us earlier. All in all we spent 5 minutes enjoying the beach before the torrential rain saturated even the most weather prepared folk and then almost 2 hours in wet clothes crammed in a small shelter with a bunch of strangers also wanting to go back to the boat (it was closed in so we'd at least be protected from the wind and rain). When the routine maintenance was complete it was then too rough and wet for the boat to get us immediately. When we did eventually get on the boat the catered hot drinks were a life saver however the trip back was horrendous. The swells were huge and stuff was flying all over the place. Our 8yo was terrified and so were some fully grown adults. The bar got a bit messed up too so I gather that was not a 'normal' journey. Crew did the best they could to keep everyone calm and looked after. When we finally got out of the open ocean it was much more comfortable. Unfortunately we then had a boat change at Hamilton with wet clothes, gear and upset children. 100% do not recommend this company or their tours. Not like it was a cheap trip either - almost $400AUD for 2 adults and 2 kids. Our trip should have been canned. Those on the afternoon trip were able to reschedule. Was a very miserable half day for 99% (I assume) of passengers on board for our tour. Plenty of other companies to go with - I recommend that you check them out.

Location perfect booking processes poor

$80 cheaper to book at Airlie Beach plus get charged fees With Viator . Locator perfect booking in us dollars a pain as it did identify as us dollars until issuing receipt

Fantastic day!

We loved our cruise to Whitehaven! The staff were super friendly and very accomodating to all the kids we were travelling with (including one in a pram). We stopped in at Daydream Island and Hamilton Island which was great to see and the commentary on route to Whitehaven was great, the captain slowed down so we could see whales. Whitehaven was beautiful and the staff have a tent set up with buckets and spades, paddle boarding and drinks. The boat was very comfortable and afternoon tea was so nice on the return trip. It was super organised and we look forward to doing it again soon.

Long trip

Thought nealy 2 hours to get to Whitehaven beach long. 2 stops Daydreeam Island & Hamilton Island only added to length of trip, ( this wasnt mentioned at time of booking) then to only spend less then 2 hours at the beach itself, which is stunningly beautiful. Did the Chance Bay bush walk, not an easy walk, few stairs also but beautiful view at top. Boat staff were ok, be careful getting on and off the boat ramp, afternoon tea was excellent and plentifull, bar options on board good. Take some warm clothes in cooler months. Overall too long trip to spend short amount of time at beach, would like at other options.

Great place to visit, even on a grey overcast day

Fantastic half day trip. Wish we booked the full day. We will absolutely be back. Some bits and pieces that might be helpful for other people thinking of doing this tour. The boat stopped at Daydream Island and Hamilton Island on the way out. It took around 2 hours. It was a great way to see the Whitsundays. On the way back we switched boats at Hamilton Island. I believe on the half day trips you switch on the way way back on morning trips and the way out on afternoon trips. The boat is covered and indoors, so you stay dry on wet days. The boat pulls right up on the beach and you walk down a ramp onto the sand. The crew set up a bar with Eskys on the beach, with soft drink and alcohol for sale. The boat drops you off at the southern end of the beach. You won’t have time to walk to Hill Inlet and back to make your boat home. There was probably 60 of so people on our trip. There isn’t much shelter on the beach. You can hire cabanas for shade. If it’s raining there are some smallish wooden shelters that would provide some protection but it wouldn’t be great on a really wet day. I think you stay the full 2 hours or so even if it’s raining cats and dogs. There are toilet facilities in short walking distance from where you get dropped off. The weather wasn’t great on our day, but it stayed more or less dry and it was still beautiful on grey day.

Beautiful location, friendly staff

Great day out. Beautiful location, pristine beach destination. Staff on the ferry very welcoming and helpful. This was an afternoon cruise and a delicious afternoon tea was provided. Would be useful for actual address of the wharf to be printed on trip advisor tickets and information about no eating facilities available on the beach. Also that tenders required at landing and travel back to the ferries, and that the tenders stop close to the beach but still require getting down into knee high water to access beach. All in all a lovely day out even though the day was overcast.

Out of this world

Had a great time with the kids. The sand and water at Whitehaven beach was phenomenal. Very happy we got out there to experience it.

Disappointed Whitehaven

The organisation of this tour was very disappointing. The promised commentary was non existing, very few points of information re format of trip, location of toilets on beach, trails to walk. Neither any historical or ecological facts e.g. that you can polish your jewelry with the super fine sand. The morning tea was ok, bit of fruit and cereal but not impressive. There was a tour group within the tour group whom was taken all the attention of the young crew. A photographer announced she would be coming around taking photos for potential purchase on return. Think she must have concentrated on the 'inside tour's as we never daw or heard her. The beach pictures advertised for the tour is not where the boat docks, yes the sand is white and fine but it's not the Whitehaven beach we expected to experience.

Beautiful & Prestine

The way the staff looked after us, and how beautiful Whitehaven Beach was ❤️❤️❤️ great memories with family & friends ❤️

Fantastic day out, highly recommend

We were picked up from our hotel and driven to the Port of Airlie where we checked in and chilled out before departing. We stopped off at Daydream island to pick up/drop off passengers then continued on to Hamilton Island where we had to change vessels. This gave us 25 mins on Hamilton Island where we got an ice cream and a sandwich and boarded again for Whitehaven Beach. All up the cruise time to get from Airlie Beach to Whitehaven Beach was about 2 hours but it was broken up and went really quickly, the boat speed was fast as well which I was concerned about it being slow. There is complimentary tea and coffee on board, as well as drinks and snacks to purchase. We pre purchased the drinks package for my husband for $45 which was unlimited alcohol and soft drink all day, including while on the beach. We found it worth it for him. Whitehaven beach was beautiful, we were there for 2 hours and the weather was perfect. We have a toddler and the time was just right for us, half spent swimming and half spent playing in the sand. There are cabanas available to hire for $30 but we didn't feel we needed them. When we boarded the boat again we were served an antipasto afternoon tea of crackers, cheese, olives, dips, fruit and lamingtons. We dropped people off at Hamilton island but stayed on the same vessel all the way back to Airlie Beach. The only downside was the confusion around getting our transfer back to our hotel. We waited for 30 minutes and ended up being the last people there and we asked the Heart of the Reef shuttle bus if our name was on their list to which it was. We were never informed at any point in the booking process or after, that the shuttle back from the port was run by Heart of the Reef shuttles. We missed an earlier shuttle bus due to this and with a toddler it's not ideal at 6:30pm. Aside from this we had a brilliant day and would 100% do it again and highly recommend to everyone, families, couples, groups, etc.

Terrible

Weather was very windy and water was rough. All other boats cancelled for the day but our trip went ahead. They warned everyone before getting on that we may get motion sick but refused to offer refunds if we chose not to go . Almost every on the boat was vomiting and it was cold and wet on Whitehaven beach. The trip should have been canceled and refunded.

Tour cancel at the last minute.

Extremely disappointing. We only had one day to stay on Hamilton Island and booked a half day morning tour to go to Whitehaven beach. We booked this tour months in advanced but we received an email the day before starting our tour was cancelled with no reasoning provided. I had to call several times before I could get an answer where they stated the boat had a mechanical issue but the afternoon tour and full day tour would still available. We could not attend those tours as we had another connecting ferry to catch to go to Long Island. I was also told I couldn’t get a refund because I had booked through another agent so I had to contact them for any refunds. That meant we also had to pay extra to get another ferry to Port of Airlie. Completely disappointed, a very bad experience that ruined our whole birthday trip. Ps: it also ruined my dream proposal on Whitehaven beach. Now I have to rebook a whole new trip but will definitely use a different company.

There was a lot of time...

There was a lot of time spent on ferries and not much time on the beach. This was not made clear in the booking

Get what you pay for

The experience was second rate, but you get what you pay for. Paddle boards were in awful shape and had no fins/stability. The volleyball net likely wouldn't pass for a badminton net. Also you don't get to see the neat part of Whitehaven beach. I would recommend paying a little more for one of the other day trips that offer scuba and the entire Whitehaven beach.