Frequently Asked Questions

Guests should arrive approximately 30 minutes before their departure time.

Our cruises depart from either the Sea World Cruises Terminal, Main Beach or Appel Park, Surfers Paradise. See more information about the departure locations here.

Please see the relevant experience page for further details about the specific departure location.

Please see the Travel Conditions page for information regarding our cancellation policy.

Tickets are fully flexible if you notify us more than 24 hours before your scheduled cruise. This does not apply to group bookings of 10 or more passengers.

Please see our Accessibility Guide for more information regarding our services, facilities and amenities.

We suggest wearing flat enclosed shoes and bringing a warm jacket, sunglasses, camera and seasickness remedy (if required).

Seasickness, also known as motion sickness, travel sickness, airsickness or carsickness, may occur in response to certain types of movement – such as the rocking of a vessel on the ocean. Seasickness is preventable for most individuals. For seasickness advice, visit our seasickness page.

Whale watching tours operate in the rain. Rain does not affect the whale’s behaviour, and the vessels have large covered decks for passenger comfort. On rainy days bringing a raincoat is recommended. Ponchos are available to purchase at check-in, subject to availability.

If rough sea conditions are expected, we will notify you at check-in. You can choose to proceed with the tour, reschedule, or receive a full refund. We will only operate if it is safe to do so.

In the unlikely event that your tour is cancelled, you will be notified by SMS at least 2 hours before your departure time. You will be given the option to reschedule your experience to another day or receive a full refund.

The Sea World Cruises Terminal café offers a selection of sweet and savoury treats, cold drinks, alcoholic beverages (served after 10:00 AM), tea, and percolated coffee. Kindly note: we do not serve barista-style coffee. You are welcome to take items from the café with you onboard.

Snacks, cold drinks and alcoholic beverages (served after 10:00 AM) are available to purchase on board the vessels, with both cash and card payments accepted.

The Gold Coast enjoys Australia’s longest whale watching season, from late May to early November.

As a responsible whale watching operator, we follow the Rules for Watching Marine Mammals as established by the Queensland Government. This means that the closest we will approach a whale is 100 metres. However, the whales can come as close to the vessel as they wish and frequently choose to do so. This type of behaviour is known as mugging.

Infants and children of all ages are welcome onboard but must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times. For safety, we recommend that children do not travel during rough sea conditions. We kindly asked that all prams are stored at the check-in terminal.

In the unlikely event your tour doesn’t see a whale, you will be provided with a free return tour, valid for 12 months.

We ask that you allow up to 2.5 hours for the tour.

The Humpback Highway is an ancient migration corridor that humpback whales travel along during their annual journey between their feeding grounds in Antarctica and their breeding grounds in the southern Great Barrier Reef.

Our departure location is located just 20 minutes from the Humpback Highway.

A dedicated photographer will capture your group’s boarding photo and images of the whales during your tour. These can be purchased as prints, with complimentary digital files, onboard during your return journey. Proceeds support our marine conservation programs.

We welcome guests who are pregnant to join us whale watching. We suggest speaking with your doctor prior to booking your cruise to discuss any concerns you may have, including motion sickness.

Buffet Lunch Menu
Buffet Dinner Menu

We cater to a wide range of dietary requirements. You can find menus on the individual product pages which outline vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, lactose free options and those items which may contain nuts and eggs.

Spirit of Elston is wheelchair accessible; however, we kindly ask that you inform us at the time of booking so we can best accommodate your needs. Please contact our reservations team on (07) 5539 9299. Kindly note that there is no wheelchair-accessible toilet on board.

Our sightseeing and dining cruises operate exclusively within the calm waters of the canals and rivers, and do not venture into open ocean. As a result, the risk of seasickness is low. However, as the vessel is still in motion, those who are particularly sensitive may still experience mild symptoms.

During inclement weather, indoor bookings will continue to be welcomed onboard to delight in our fully enclosed indoor dining space as normal.

We will endeavour to relocate outdoor bookings to our indoor seating areas where possible. Alternatively, we will provide customers a choice of rescheduling their experience to a later date or a refund.

In the unlikely event that your tour is cancelled, we will contact you prior to your experience.

Gift vouchers are available to be purchased online here.

National companion cardholders who purchase a ticket can receive admission for their companion at 50% RRP. Excludes VIP Captain’s Lounge experiences. Companion card bookings can only be made directly with the operator over the phone. A valid National, State or Territory companion card must be presented at check-in.

Seniors must present an Australian or New Zealand Government issued Senior Card at check-in. Applies to Dining Cruises only.

Children rates are available for guests aged 3 years – 13 years old.

Infants are considered ages 0 – 2 years old. They can travel for free but require their own ticket and must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

Please see our Accessibility Page for detailed information about the amenities for all of our experiences.