Accessibility
Everyone is welcome onboard!
At Iconic Whitsunday Adventures, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Whitsundays. We are committed to creating an inclusive, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all guests, no matter their mobility, sensory, or other accessibility needs.
Not all tours are suitable for all guests though, so if you have specific requirements, please reach out! Our friendly crew is more than happy to assist in making your adventure as smooth and memorable as possible.
Why Choose Us
“We believe everyone deserves the chance to experience the wonders of the Whitsundays.”
Nicole and Jeremy Graham
Owner Operators Iconic Whitsunday Adventures
Dietary
All of our tours offer a variety of foods through the tour duration. All of our menus are designed with the greatest flexibility and accessibility in mind.
We choose options as a default like gluten free soy sauce, and dairy free butter spreads.
Our menus are available to peruse should you have a specific need, and our team are only too happy to help.
Wheelchair access
With its level surface with wide walkways all round, it is the most accessible sunset cruise in Airlie Beach.
Our other tours are more adventurous, and wheelchair access is tricky. Guests would need to have a certain level of upper body strength to enjoy these adventure tours, and we recommend you’ll our friendly team to discuss your requirements before booking.
Marina ramps are designed to rise and fall with the tide, and at low tide the ramps may be very steep.
Accessible facilities
We recommend you use these facilities prior to boarding.
Boat toilets were not built with accessibility in mind and access to them all on our vessels involve steps, narrow doorways, and small cubicles. We can supply images and dimensions if required. Just ask our friendly team.
Sensory
Boats and buses can be noisy, and there is often music playing, or amplified commentary, and guests should be aware of this.
Boat trips may involve sea spray, wind, and bouncing movements.
Sundowner is able to offer a quieter spot to sit, for those who require some down time.
Accessibility FAQs
We’re Here to Help!
We encourage guests to inform us in advance of any accessibility requirements so we can ensure the best possible experience. Your comfort and enjoyment are our priority, and we are always looking for ways to improve accessibility across our tours.
If you have any questions, feedback, or special requests, please reach out—we’d love to help! Phone 07 4948 3000
-
Sundowner is Iconic Whitsunday Adventures’ most accessible tour for all.
Sundowner is able to accept smaller wheelchairs, scooters, prams and other mobility aides, with some limitations. Chair users should be able to take 2 steps up to board the vessel, and the chair should fit between the posts which are only about 65cm wide.
The flat surface allows guests to move around freely while onboard, plus there are two spaces ideal for parking a chair/device with excellent views.
We do believe it to be the only wheelchair accessible sunset cruise on offer in Airlie Beach.
-
Coral Sea Marina has wheelchair accessible toilets at both the north and south ends of the marina, very close to our vessel departure points.
It is a good idea to use these facilities before boarding.
On our Coastal Explorer tour, there are Accessible toilets at the Coffee Plantation, Cedar Creek Falls, and at Cape Gloucester Resort.
-
Our vessels were all built before Accessible toilets were a consideration.
Sundowner’s toilet has a lip around the doorframe guests must step over. The room itself is somewhat narrow.
Lady Enid’s toilet is below deck, down a steep, ladder-like set of steps. Guests must be able to walk to navigate down below to use this toilet.
Viper’s toilet is tall, narrow, and down 3 steps.
Our bus does not have a toilet on board.
-
Yes, there are Accessible Parking Bays at both the north and south ends of the marina, very close to our vessel departure points.
At both locations it is also possible to drop off passengers even closer to the departure points, before parking the car in the car park nearby.
-
Iconic Whitsunday Adventures offers a 15% discount to carers assisting a person with a Companion Card.
Valid only for direct bookings, please call us on 4948 3000, and the Companion Card must be presented to staff on request.
-
Sundowner welcomes Assistance Animals on the sunset cruise. Please notify us before booking by calling 4948 3000.
There is a quite spot a the back of the vessel where a guest with an animal can be seated, away from the general crowd.
There are no animal toileting areas on the boat, so animals must be toilet trained for public places.
Our other tours operate in a National Park and Marine Park environment. Only fully accredited Guide Dogs may be permitted, and permission must be sought from QPWS.
Read more here
-
Yes! Our snorkel briefings on Viper and Enid are verbally conducted in English and demonstrated physically by our crew. We also provide written information regarding safe snorkelling practices in 14 other languages including Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish, Vietnamese, Russian, Korean, Hindi, Malay, and Portuguese
-
Of course, that’s not a problem.
Please let us know when you book, or at the very least, 24 hours before travel, so we can notify our caterers.
All of our menus are designed to be as flexible and broadly accessible as possible. We choose dairy free, gluten free, soy free options as a base line, and offer varieties of salads with meat and seafood separately (where offered).
We can cater for coeliac, vegan, halal, kosher etc diets with ease, as long as we know in advance. Specialised menus may incur an extra charge.
All our boats’ menus vary, so please enquire with our friendly team if you want to know more.
You are of course welcome to bring your own snacks on board if you are unsure.
-
- We can provide a quieter space on Sundowner at the rear of the vessel where the music is quiet and other guests can not walk past you. The boat does play happy music and the atmosphere is lively.
- On Enid it is very easy to find a quiet space, as we take only 2/3 of the guests were are permitted to, allowing more space for everyone. It is very easy to find quiet spots on shore.
- On Viper we only have fixed seating for 36 guests which is all together. The boat and the music can be loud. It is possible to find quiet moments within the day, on the boat or on shore.
-
- We can arrange for priority boarding on all vessels if requested
- Our full day tours involve water spray, sun, noise, smells and motion. Guests with sensitivities should be prepared
- Marina ramps are designed to rise and fall with the tide, and at low tide these ramps can be steep
- All our vessels have some narrow pathways and handholds all round to aid stability while walking around a moving boat
- Sundowner has wide pathways and a flat surface across the whole interior of the boat making wheeled devices welcome
- Limited walking is required for Sundowner and ample seating is provided, both low bench seats and high bar stools
- Ample shade can be found on all our tours
-
We have recently undergone an Accessibility Assessment and are working to create more accessible experiences for all our guests. We ask for your patience while we work to improve our processes.
We’re very open to hearing your suggestions for improvement.
Your safety is important to us
The thought of sharks, jelly fish and snakes may cause concern to visitors of Australia however these native animals are an important part of our Australian biodiversity. While the risk of an encounter with a dangerous animal during your visit is minimal there are precautions that we take to minimise risk of unwanted encounters:
- We don’t snorkel at fishing locations or throw any food overboard.
- We provide stinger suits to all passengers for in water activities.
- We are fully equipped with first aid equipment and all staff are trained to provide first aid.
- We stay on defined tracks when exploring on land.