Seabourn Odyssey from Sydney to Bali: The Great Barrier Reef, the Top End and Komodo

Ben Hall joined Seabourn Odyssey in Sydney for the greater part of her 19-day voyage from Auckland to Bali, sailing inside the Great Barrier Reef to Darwin and on to Komodo. Seabourn Odyssey left the Seabourn fleet in 2024; as at September 2026, the former Seabourn Odyssey sails in Japan as Mitsui Ocean Fuji. These are Ben's despatches from the voyage.

A floating boutique hotel

What a difference a couple of years make. Three years earlier, when we first travelled on Seabourn Odyssey, she was brand new, and there were many Seabourn regulars who weren't happy with the new class of ship. "Too big and lacking the old Seabourn charm" was the main complaint, but on this cruise there were no detractors, and Odyssey seemed to have won people over.

Odyssey and her sister ships Sojourn and Quest had been receiving rave reviews since they came into service, and at the time the smaller and more intimate Seabourn ships were being sold off.

The reason for that is pretty simple. With a capacity of 450 guests, there's still plenty of space on board to find those quiet and intimate spots, and Odyssey has one of the highest space-to-guest ratios of any ship at sea. But what sets her apart is the contemporary and modern style, which basically makes her a floating boutique hotel, although some traditional amenities, like the forward jacuzzi, have been fused in to keep the cruise line's fiercely loyal regulars happy.

All 225 suites have an ocean view and 90 per cent have balconies. All suites feature flat-screen TVs with an extensive range of on-demand movies and entertainment, iPod docking stations, wireless internet access, 24-hour room service, complimentary champagne on arrival, a fully stocked bar and fridge, a walk-in wardrobe, personalised stationery and writing desk, and a granite bathroom with separate tub and shower and a separate make-up vanity.

The legendary Seabourn service is also still a feature. Crew make an effort to remember everyone's names and what they like, and it's attentive and friendly without being too "heavy". While this is typical of Seabourn, the design of Odyssey has been welcomed as an innovative and refreshing departure from the way traditional cruise ships are built. Quite simply, Odyssey has been hailed as the world's most luxurious cruise ship, and very few people can name anything better.

Brisbane

Our first port of call was Brisbane, as Odyssey cruised from Auckland to Bali on a 19-dayer that would take us through the Great Barrier Reef and on to some little-known Indonesian islands.

We were among the 40 guests who embarked in Sydney, missing the three-day crossing from Auckland, and even after just two days we'd received a lot of envious messages from people who'd experienced the Odyssey-class ships for themselves. First impressions were that this is still the classic Seabourn experience: a beautiful ship that appeared to have aged very little in three years, with attentive service of the highest standard.

We had a chance to explore Brisbane again. We've made a few trips here in recent years, and it's a city that seems to get better all the time; it's becoming a recognised holiday destination in its own right and not just an add-on to Sydney and Melbourne. It was all a bit different 20 or 25 years ago, when Brisbane was a pretty sleepy place with not a lot going on. Between Saturday lunchtime and Monday morning the CBD used to be a bit of a ghost town, and you could see tourists wandering around thinking "what the hell is going on and where is everybody?"

Nowadays Brisbane city and its surrounding suburbs have become a happening place, with a real café scene along with some good restaurants and funky bars. It's mostly down to the inner-city development of Brisbane, which breathed new life into the area, and the slew of apartment blocks on the Brisbane River and in the inner suburbs has created a new community which is thriving.

A lot of the crew took the shuttle into town after their shifts to wander the streets and enjoy a few hours off, while the guests seemed to opt for an excursion to Australia Zoo at Beerwah, about an hour north of Brisbane.

The zoo was established by the late Steve Irwin and his family now runs the business. We took a look on another trip about two years earlier, and it's a great place for anyone who's never seen Australian wildlife before. It's more of an American-style theme park, which foreign tourists love, but it's well laid out, and you can hand-feed kangaroos and see koalas up close in their enclosure.

The Whitsundays: from The Big Grey to Whitehaven

They call this part of the world The Big Blue, but when Seabourn Odyssey dropped anchor off Hamilton Island it was more like The Big Grey. A heavy low-pressure system swamped the Whitsunday Islands in the morning, you could hardly see the tops of the hills on the islands, and the rain was constant.

It was a disappointing start, especially for the overseas guests, but the heavy weather began to lift in the afternoon, and for a few hours we all managed to see why this place is regarded as one of the most beautiful island groups in the world.

Very few holiday destinations can boast 74 islands with beautiful white-sand beaches, lush tropical rainforests and coral reefs teeming with colourful fish, and each day is usually finished off with a surreal sunset over the islands.

From snorkelling and scuba diving to sailing, whale watching, reef fishing, helicopter rides, water-skiing, jet-skiing, parasailing, sea kayaking, rainforest hikes, fish feeding and picnics on secluded beaches, it's a romantic getaway and adventure destination all rolled into one, catering for all tastes. But there's no shame in sitting on the deck of Seabourn Odyssey with a cocktail in hand to catch a few rays.

We got up in the air on a short helicopter ride to take a few more photographs of this beautiful island group, and the highlight is Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. This beach is routinely voted one of the best in the world, and it's easy to see why. Its pristine white sand is like icing sugar, the water is the deepest blue and plenty warm as well, and there is no development here, so it retains its untouched and unspoiled demeanour. Day trippers do come out on the boat and helicopter tours, but nothing is left behind, so the next lot of visitors have the same perfect escape to enjoy.

Townsville and Magnetic Island

After our day in the Whitsundays we docked in Townsville, which is a real contrast to Hamilton Island and its surrounds. This is a real working city, and as if to emphasise the point, the port itself was undergoing massive reconstruction, which meant we had to be tendered while tied up in port.

The tender ride itself was only five minutes to the Breakwater terminal, right in the heart of the city, which is also the launching point for one of Townsville's main tourist attractions, Magnetic Island.

Just 8 kilometres off the coast of one of Australia's fastest-growing cities, Magnetic Island can be excused for letting the pace of modern life slip by, and "Maggie", as she's known to locals, is the type of place that demands nothing of you except that you kick back and chill out.

The Townsville locals have naturally known about the little gem on their doorstep for years, and the 25-minute cruise across the bay to Magnetic Island is a ritual which is now becoming familiar to visitors from further afield in Australia and from overseas.

The arrival into Nelly Bay sets the scene for the unique atmosphere of this World Heritage-listed island. You cruise across the sparkling deep-blue water, and ahead looms the stunning physical presence of huge boulders set against tropical forest and a mountainous backdrop. Rocky headlands rise over beautiful unspoiled beaches dotted with magnificent pine trees. Snorkellers, swimmers and kayakers enjoy the balmy waters and small reefs that ring the island.

They say first impressions are crucial, and Maggie turns on the charm right from the start, but that doesn't mean she's only skin deep. The stunning headlands link 23 bays and beaches, and two-thirds of the island is national park, with 24 kilometres of bushwalks which provide access to remote swimming spots and native wildlife including koalas, rock wallabies and more than 100 species of birds.

Exploring the island independently is a great way to experience its natural beauty, and hiring a ubiquitous mini-moke, even for just a day, gives you enough time to cruise around the major bays, including Alma, Picnic and Horseshoe, and gets you close to walking tracks which lead to more secluded beaches, including Balding Bay, Florence Bay and Rocky Bay.

Cairns

As for Cairns, there are two reasons why it's such a popular holiday destination: its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, and the fact that it's the gateway to the world's oldest rainforest, the Daintree.

Cairns itself has a reputation as a backpacker haven, but it is evolving into a sophisticated city and has the hotels and restaurants to prove it.

By day, the centrepiece of Cairns is "the Nard", The Esplanade to the uninitiated, which has undergone a major facelift, transforming the city centre into one of the most aesthetically appealing in Australia.

At the heart of the redevelopment is a 4,800 square metre saltwater swimming lagoon straddling the edge of Trinity Bay, which has become the focal point of daytime activity in Cairns, with local families cooling off alongside foreign visitors in a very laid-back, leafy environment. For the Seabourn Odyssey crew, this was a popular chill-out spot. We overnighted as well, a late decision, as the ship would be unable to anchor off Thursday Island as scheduled.

When we finally pulled out from Trinity Wharf, the rain had thankfully held off for our sail-out. From the back deck we could see the whole city of Cairns, while the Atherton Tablelands behind were covered in heavy cloud and almost invisible, so they must have been taking an absolute drenching up there. The deck crew, as they do, made sure everyone had a glass of French champagne in hand, with three sea days ahead before Darwin.

Darwin and the Top End

After three sea days from Cairns there was a certain level of anxiousness among many on board, and a sense that people were happy to have a port day with something to do and see. Lazy sea days by the pool or in Seabourn Square with a coffee are all well and good, but this was the day to get out and about and see what Darwin has to offer.

The Darwin CBD is centred on the Smith Street Mall, and this is where you'll find air-conditioned shopping malls with local shops and amenities and a healthy smattering of tourist shops selling Aboriginal art, along with the usual T-shirts and trinkets. Parap is also a good place to go shopping, even if the markets aren't operating, as there is a good selection of permanent retailers.

But no trip to Darwin is complete without a visit to Crocodylus Park on McMillans Road, where there are daily guided tours of the crocs. They're fed twice daily in the main pond, where they show off their ability to propel themselves vertically to catch their food, and this is where you learn how athletic and potentially lethal they can be.

Along with Crocodylus Park, the Territory Wildlife Park at Berry Springs is one of those Top End experiences which shouldn't be missed, and it's a 45-minute drive south of Darwin's CBD. The highlight is the Birds of Prey show, where you can see several of these amazing animals up close, with guides on hand to explain the behaviour of these flying predators.

Litchfield National Park is also within striking distance of Darwin. It's a beautiful area covering about 1,500 square kilometres, with some fantastic waterfalls and natural pools which are good for swimming. The best of these is probably Florence Falls, while a few kilometres upstream is Buley Rockhole, another favourite spot for locals to cool off.

Komodo, and a dragon called Warren

Our first port of call after Darwin was Komodo Island in Indonesia, and of course this is the place that's famous for the massive dragons that inhabit it. We anchored in Slawi Bay, adjacent to Komodo National Park, and did a ship's tour: a one-and-a-half-hour hike through the park in the hope of seeing the world's biggest lizard.

Seabourn Odyssey dropped anchor at sunrise, and within minutes we could hear young voices from below: "Hello, hello… soda, soda!" Komodo's little kids had paddled out in their canoes to check out one of the most modern, sophisticated and opulent cruise ships in the world, and some guests lobbed cans of soft drink off their balconies as the kids dived to grab them, to sell later for a bit of cash.

We were on a morning tour, which is apparently the best time to see these famous reptiles, and the tropical savanna and scrubland is ideal for their survival.

Our guides were Marsel and Tamlan, and they gave us a briefing on how to react if we got lucky enough to see a Komodo dragon. The message was simple: move out of the way quickly, give them their space and don't make any sudden movements.

As we began our one-and-a-half-hour trek, we stopped at the top of the trail and Marsel gave us his disclaimer that there were no guarantees of seeing the dragons, as wildlife can be fickle. As he was telling us this, a large Komodo loomed behind him, lurching quickly straight at us.

He was in the middle of his speech and we were all pointing behind him, and he thought we were making fun of him. But he eventually turned around and ushered us all off the track and into the forest. "Move quickly, move quietly and don't get too close."

The three-metre reptile walked past and growled at us in warning, and I asked Marsel if he knew this one. He said he did: the reptile's name was Warren and he was about 25 years old.

We found out that Komodo dragons will attack if they feel threatened, and we were told that a few weeks earlier a guide had been bitten and had to be flown to Bali to treat a nasty infection. Further up the track another one emerged from the forest behind us, and we were all rounded up and moved into the bushes again. This one was even bigger and meaner, we were told, so we kept a respectful distance.

All up we spotted about 12 Komodo dragons, making this one of those days you never forget. Then it was off to Lombok, before disembarkation in Benoa, Bali.

More on UTM: Seabourn Odyssey · Ship Review: Seabourn Odyssey · Komodo: Island of Dragons

If Warren and his fellow dragons have you itching to see more of Komodo and the islands around it, Pack Ya Bags can arrange tours and itineraries on the ground in Indonesia for travellers from Australia and New Zealand. Ask us at info@packyabags.com

Editor's note. This article brings together UTM's original Seabourn Odyssey Barrier Reef and Bali despatches, first published as a series, into a single piece. Consolidated and fact-checked on 21 September 2026.