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Gold Coast Whale Escape - Luxury Whale Watching Cruise

Highlights

  • 100% whale sightings guarantee
  • Commentary from Marine Biologist
  • Enjoy a delightful selection of snacks upon embarkation, along with expertly crafted coffee and rich hot chocolates

Every year from May to November, fifty thousand humpback whales migrate up the Australian East Coast — straight past the Gold Coast. Sun Goddess takes you out to meet them. Warm galley, hot coffee, marine biologist commentary, and the stability of a 34-metre superyacht.

What's included?

  • 2.5 hour whale watching cruise
  • Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and light refreshments
  • Dedicated and professional staff
  • Expert commentary from a marine biologist

Set sail on an unforgettable adventure with those who matter most aboard Sun Goddess, a 34 metre luxury yacht designed for comfort, connection and awe. This premium Gold Coast whale watching cruise begins with a warm welcome and a delicious morning tea of coffee, tea and biscuits as you soak up the sea air and stunning skyline views.

Then, glide into the open ocean for an up-close encounter with migrating humpback whales. Watch in wonder as these gentle giants breach and play just metres from the rotating view deck, accompanied by fascinating insights from your onboard marine biologist. With spacious viewing decks, a fully licensed bar, and a crew passionate about sharing the magic of marine life, every moment is effortlessly memorable. From curious dolphins to graceful sea turtles, you’ll see the Gold Coast from a whole new perspective - luxurious, natural, and unforgettable.

Important information

  • This experience is 2.5 hours in duration
  • Commencing the 29th of May / 1st Nov 2026
  • Morning Session: Boarding at 8:30 AM, Departure at 9:00 AM, Return at 11:30 AM
  • Afternoon Session: Boarding at 11:30 AM, Departure at 12:00 PM, Return at 2:30 PM
  • Please note: The whale watching season is between 29 May - 1 November
  • Free return cruise offered if no whales are sighted
  • Child tickets are valid for ages 3-13years. Infants under 3 years travel Free of Charge. Must be advised at time of booking
  • If you are prone to seasickness, please contact a pharmacy for information. Please ensure taken 30mins before boarding as the crew cannot provide medication
  • No external Food or beverages are allowed on board “Sun Goddess” or Mermaid Spirit
  • Participants in their third trimester of pregnancy must advise this at the time of booking
  • Baby Strollers are accepted on-board all cruises with the exception of Whale Watching. Prams/Strollers can be stored at the Jetty.
  • Unfortunately our vessels are not Wheel Chair friendly
  • Boattime reserves the right to substitute another Vessel of similar standard if “Sun Goddess” or “Mermaid Spirit” are unavailable.
  • Bookings will not be accepted via sms. Please send all inquiries/bookings to whales@boattimeyachtcharters.com.au
  • Cancellation or change is within 48hrs of cruise a $20pp administration fee applies
  • Minimum 48hr cancellation notice by booker or booking is forfeited.
  • Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience

Minimum number of passengers is required to run this tour.

This Cruise is weather dependent and may be cancelled by Boattime due to weather and dangerous tides. Boattime will endeavour to give as much notice of cancellation via SMS text message and email. All cancelled cruises can be rebooked for an alternate available service.

A warm jacket and sunglasses are recommended.

This experience takes place in Main Beach, QLD.

Reviews

4.3
41 reviews
5 stars 31
4 stars 2
3 stars 1
2 stars 3
1 star 4

Not as advertised

Georgia 12 July 2026

The boat was a lot more dated and different than pictured. There was not enough seats and it was overbooked. No complimentary drinks or snacks as stated and options aboard were slim & expensive.

Customer Experience

Hi Georgia, we're sorry to hear the experience didn't match what was advertised and that the onboard facilities fell short of expectations. We’ll be reaching out to the supplier directly to better understand what happened. Thank you for sharing your feedback.

20 July 2026

Recommended

Whale-tastic

Trish 15 September 2025

Lovely afternoon. Staff polite, whether perfect and the whales were happy to show us their moves. Was informative and relaxing.

Customer Experience

Hi Trish, it is always great to hear about the wonderful experiences our customers have, thank you for sharing!

22 September 2025

Disappointing

Ruby 27 July 2025

Didn’t get to see the whales as the areas where you could view from was over crowded.. unfair advantages on the boat was not value for money bought extra tickets for other family members to join us.. they were also disappointed

Customer Experience

Hi Ruby, thanks so much for your feedback. We are always looking for ways to improve so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

28 July 2025

Recommended

Whale Watching was fantastic

Wayne 14 July 2025

Staff and boat was fantastic. The boat we went out on was bigger than we expected. They found were the whales were, and what a experience that was with the show the whales put on.

Customer Experience

Hi Wayne, thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind words and are thrilled to hear about your positive experience!

14 July 2025

Appalling customer service

Kate 16 October 2024

They cancelled the service without telling anyone. No one would answer the calls. The customer service and the way they operate was just appalling. Avoid this company if you can. I made my reservation at 5:14 PM on 28/09/2024, but apparently, they told me emails were sent to guests at 4:11 PM that same day. Were those who booked after that time even notified of any updates? To make matters worse, I received a reminder at 7:29 AM on 29/09/2024 for an 8:30 AM boarding, despite the cancellation. Why send a reminder if the event is canceled? I emailed to question these and they just stopped replying.

Customer Experience

Hi Kate, thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear about the issues with communication around your booking. We understand how disappointing this experience must have been and appreciate you bringing it to our attention. Could you please email us at info@redballoon.com.au, we’d be happy to help you look into the remaining refund.

16 October 2024

Very disappointed after driving 2 hours

Toni 2 September 2024

Absolutely disgusting service and response to disappointed customers Got the family out of bed at 5.30am, drove 2 hours, arrived very early, paid for parking, and was waiting with about 40 others who were all totally unaware that this company had cancelled the tour. My partner rang the office and confirmed that the tour was cancelled. There was no email, text or phone call, advising of the cancellation. 40odd people can't have missed an email. I understand things happen, however both my partner and I were given completely different stories when we rang and the customer service representative I spoke to just wanted to argue with no sign of empathy or apology. Basically too bad so sad. I have requested a refund and was told "oh...we can't do anything about that as you booked through Red Balloon" Dwight at Red balloon was very helpful. I certainly will not be booking with them again and I will be advising everyone I know to not go through them. Not happy about the lack of professionalism, empathy and the treatment received when expressing the disappointment.

Customer Experience

Hi Toni, I am sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your experience. I’ve passed your valuable feedback through to our experience operator. We’re always looking for ways to improve, so I really appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback.

2 September 2024

Recommended

Absolutely wonderful

Stephanie 12 August 2024

Was such an amazing and informative experience my husband, myself and our 3 children (6,4,2) all absolutely loved it!

Customer Experience

Hi Stephanie, we’re so happy to hear about your positive experience! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.

12 August 2024

Disappointed took a long time to find whales and t

Lee 8 August 2024

Not the best experience expected so much more on and off the boat

Mya

Hi Lee, I am sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your Luxury Whale Watching Yacht Cruise. I’ve passed your valuable feedback through to our experience operator. We’re always looking for ways to improve, so I really appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback.

8 August 2024

Recommended

Whale watching on boattime

Laura 20 July 2024

Excellent morning wonderful staff, very informative and of course the whales put on a great show

Customer Experience

Hi Laura, thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind words and are thrilled to hear about your positive experience!

21 July 2024

Terrible! Cancelled without telling anyone!

Mary 7 July 2024

Terrible service (or lack thereof). Arrived early, paid parking, took the day off and was waiting with about 50 others who were all totally oblivious to the fact that this company had cancelled the tour. One lady rang the office and did confirm to the group that it was cancelled and the neighbouring whale watching tour owner advised everyone that it was indeed cancelled. No email, no text or call. I feel for the groups that were here on holidays (I'm a local and even I've been put out) but can't imagine what holiday makers will feel now having missed out on what would have been an incredible experience. I will be requesting a refund and will be taking my money elsewhere. It is understandable that weather and water conditions are unavoidable but the way that the company has dealt with this is honestly unprofessional. No doubt they will play the "we emailed everyone but you must have been missed" as many of the other bad reviews have shown here but how can you "miss" communicating a cancellation to atleast 50 others? 3 hours later and yet still no communication about rescheduling or lack of communication. Not impressed!

Mya

Hey Mary, thanks for your feedback. Great customer experience is incredibly important to us so we're deeply sorry to hear your experience has fallen short of expectation. We'd love to get a better understanding of what went wrong so we can improve. Could you please email me at info@redballoon.com.au, I'd be happy to help.

9 July 2024

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