The white sands of world-famous Whitehaven Beach, glass-bottom-boat day tours on the turquoise waters of the Coral Sea, high-speed catamaran joy rides and Hamilton Island region magic await on a cruise to the Whitsundays with Carnival. Travel to the heart of the 74 islands that make up the picture-perfect Whitsunday Islands, one of Australia's most stunning destinations, where you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, swim in crystal-clear waters and lose yourself in ancient tropical rainforests. Sail on a 4, 7, 9, or 10-day cruise departing Sydney or Brisbane, and enjoy more than 45 onboard activities for the whole family from the moment you step aboard.

Cruises from Airlie Beach to the Whitsundays offer the kind of port days that suit everyone, whether you're after flat-out adventure on the water, a scenic flight above it, or simply a coffee and a wonder at the beautiful scenery. For a deeper look at everything the region has to offer, the Whitsundays cruises guide is worth a read before you go. Here's what a port day in the Whitsundays can look like.

Few port days start with quite this much adrenaline. The Ocean Rafting tour sends you hurtling through the Whitsunday Passage at speed, then drops anchor off Hook or Black Island so you can snorkel straight off the raft into living coral, with an eco-guide on hand to tell you exactly what you're swimming through.

There's something about the sound of sails filling with wind that makes everything slow down in the best possible way. Scenic Sailing puts you on a classic Australian yacht for a long, unhurried reach across to Langford Island, with breakfast, lunch and as much Great Barrier Reef snorkelling as you can fit into a single afternoon.

Nothing puts Whitehaven Beach in perspective quite like seeing it from the air. The Reef and Island Scenic Flight sweep low over the swirling silica sands of Hill Inlet, traces the outline of Heart Reef from above, and reminds you, with some force, just how extraordinary this corner of Queensland actually is.

When the heat settles in mid-afternoon, the Airlie Beach Lagoon is a great place to be. Stinger-safe, beautifully landscaped and completely free, it's the kind of place you find a patch of shade, slip into the water and quietly decide you could stay here indefinitely.