Trinity Inlet Dinner Cruise by Catamaran Cairns

Cairns Marlin Marina and the waterfront

Your evening starts at Cairns Marlin Marina, the city's main harbour, right beside the Esplanade and a short walk from most central hotels. By day this is where reef boats leave for the Great Barrier Reef; in the evening it becomes a calm, glowing harbour of moored yachts with the mountains of the coastal range rising behind the city.

Boarding begins at 5:45 PM from A Finger, and the catamaran leaves promptly at 6:15 PM. Arrive a little early to find the pier and settle in on deck with your welcome drink, choosing either the open air or the cool interior. From the water you see the Cairns waterfront from a new angle: the palm-lined Esplanade, the marina boardwalk and the lights of the city coming on one by one as the cruise begins.

Trinity Inlet at dusk

Trinity Inlet is the broad tidal estuary that gave Cairns its harbour. It was named on Trinity Sunday in 1770 by the first European navigators to chart this coast, and the town grew on its shore a century later. Today its banks are lined with dense mangrove forest backed by green rainforest-covered ranges, a protected habitat for fish, wading birds and even saltwater crocodiles.

Because the inlet is sheltered from the open sea, the water is almost always calm, which makes a Trinity Inlet cruise ideal for anyone worried about seasickness. As the light fades, the sky above the mountains turns orange and pink and the mangroves become dark silhouettes against the water. Is a Cairns sunset cruise worth it? On a clear evening, the colours over the inlet are one of the most beautiful sights of the city.

Buffet dinner on board

Once you are under way, dinner is served in the air-conditioned dining room. The buffet offers a variety of hot and cold dishes, with fresh seafood such as prawns alongside meats, salads, vegetables and desserts made with local Queensland produce. You can take your plate back out on deck or sit inside at a table with views through the large windows.

There is plenty of time to eat at a relaxed pace and go back for more, and the crew is on hand throughout the evening. On Sunday to Thursday evenings, live music adds to the atmosphere. Extra drinks can be bought on board. If you have dietary needs, let us know when booking so we can pass them on before your cruise, and the crew can advise on the dishes on the buffet.

Cairns by night from the water

As the catamaran turns back toward the city, night falls over Cairns. The stars appear above the inlet, and on a clear night the tropical sky is full of them, while the illuminated waterfront, marina and hotels reflect in the still water. It is a peaceful, romantic way to see the city, and many guests spend the last part of the cruise outside on the open decks.

The best time for a Cairns dinner cruise is during the dry season, from May to October, when evenings are clear and mild; in the warmer wet season the sunsets can be dramatic between the clouds. The dress code is smart casual tropical wear, with a jacket in the cooler winter months. The cruise returns to Cairns Marlin Marina about two and a half hours after departure, close to the restaurants of the Esplanade.