Great Ocean Road & Twelve Apostles
Full day · 11 hours
Coastal drive via Bells Beach, Apollo Bay rainforest and the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks. Long day but the headline Victorian experience.
Melbourne cruise shore excursions.
Station Pier, Port Melbourne 10–11 hours alongside Australia
Melbourne rewards repeat cruisers. The city itself — laneway coffee, Queen Vic Market, the National Gallery — fills a half day easily, while the surrounding regions deliver some of Australia's best wine, wildlife and coastal scenery within a single day-trip radius.
What to do ashore
Yarra Valley wineries & gourmet lunch
Full day · 8 hours
Three cellar doors including a sparkling house, with a two-course lunch overlooking the vines. Optional Healesville Sanctuary add-on for native wildlife.
Phillip Island Penguin Parade
Afternoon · 7 hours
Coastal drive to Phillip Island for the nightly Penguin Parade. Only suitable for ships with late departures (after 9pm).
Melbourne city, laneways & Queen Victoria Market
Half day · 4 hours
Walking tour of Hosier Lane street art, Block and Royal Arcades, and a guided graze through Queen Vic Market's deli halls.
Getting ashore
Walk-off port at Station Pier. Tram 109 runs from the pier head into the CBD in 25 minutes.
Good to know
- —Great Ocean Road is an 11-hour day — leave a generous buffer for return traffic on the M1.
- —Phillip Island only works with a late sail-away; confirm with the cruise line before booking.
- —Melbourne weather is famously changeable; layers are essential year-round.
Planning a call at Melbourne?
Request a full shore excursion programme with pricing, capacity and backup plans.