Frequently Asked Questions

It takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach the Palm Island.

There are up to 6 return services to Palm Island each week. Please see our Palm Island ferry timetable page for further information and up-to-date services.

We recommend planning your journey in advance. Freight loading services close 20 minutes prior to departure, if you are checking in freight please arrive prior to this. Please allow time to park the car, purchase your ticket from the sales counter and maybe buy something from the Maggie Link café before you board or grab a drink, chips or chocolate from the bar onboard. View our ferry timetable.

We have fully licenced bars on all our SeaLink Magnetic Island vessels. Passengers can purchase a cold drink, chips, or chocolates on board from our friendly staff. Alcoholic beverages can only be served between 10am – midnight. Certain restrictions on serving alcohol on Good Friday, ANZAC day, Christmas Day and New Years Eve or in accordance with the Palm Island Alcohol Management Plan.

Toilets are located on-board all our vessels and in both the Breakwater Ferry Terminal in Townsville.

No, it is not necessary to pre-book ferry tickets. We do not allocate tickets to our ferry departure times, arriving early to the terminal is recommended to board your desired ferry departure. We recommend arriving 30 minutes prior to departure to allow sufficient time to purchase tickets or redeem your online ticket purchase from our friendly staff at our front counter (on-board after hours). The freight counter closes 20 minutes prior to departure and boarding commences 10 - 15 minutes prior to departure.

Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more people traveling to Palm Island when booked directly with SeaLink Queensland. We also have great prices for schools and university groups. For more information visit our groups and charters page or email [email protected].

Please follow this link to our Palm Island price list.

SeaLink E-Tickets

SeaLink's electronic ticketing solution provides a new and faster way to pay for and travel on our North Queensland services. By replacing the older ticketing system, this upgrade allows us to continue to offer you new ways to travel.

These efforts to digitalize ferry transportation and improve the efficiency of outdated fare collection systems through contactless ticketing also align with our sustainability goal of reducing our environmental impact by no longer requiring printed tickets for every passenger.

When purchasing tickets online through the SeaLink website, you will no longer need to queue at the sales counter to obtain a boarding pass because your online ticket will include a barcode that can be scanned by our crew upon boarding. If you prefer not to use a mobile device to display the barcode, your online confirmation email including the barcode can be printed and presented to the crew.

Similarly, any tickets purchased from the team at the sales counters in the terminals and onboard the vessels will have a barcode that will be scanned upon boarding.

"GO SeaLink Ferries" Commuter APP

SeaLink North Queensland has also launched the “Go SeaLink Ferries” Commuter App with both now offering a faster, easier and more convenient way to pay and travel across our vessels.

The App is free to download and is integrated with our booking system, so bookings are made nice and simple and kept in one place for easy access when checking in or travelling. The app can also securely store your credit card information to make purchases faster and easier.

Another great feature is that you can check the live timetable within the app & any additional services will be listed. It will also remove any cancelled services so those wanting the most accurate information in real-time should be encouraged to download the app!

So how do I get it? Just search "Go SeaLink Ferries" in your smart device app store. Download the app and create an account.

This upgrade helps us to continue to offer new ways to travel replacing the older paper ticketing system so no more worries about losing it as it is all saved under your profile on the App.

For those that prefer to buy in person, you can still purchase your ferry tickets in our terminals and on our vessels.

FAQ'S

How do live timetables work?

As soon as a service is amended in our booking system it will be updated on the app. You will be able to see additional services available during peak times and cancelled services will not be displayed. If the service is running late this may not appear on the live timetable, however. our standard procedure will still apply: all affected customers will be notified if their service is cancelled or delayed.

What do I do if something is not working as it should on the App?

Sometimes things don’t go as planned… If you are having trouble logging in or accessing your purchased tickets please email [email protected] with the ticket booking number, your name, contact details and screenshots. This feedback will allow us to update and improve the app.

Breakwater Terminal (7 days a week)
6.00am - 6.00pm
Visit our Palm Island Timetable page for departure information.

Taxis are available at the front of the airport for transfers direct to the Breakwater Ferry Terminal. It takes 10-15 minutes to reach the Breakwater Terminal. There is also a shuttle service available 7 days per week, bookings are essential and can be made with Townsville City Shuttle – www.shuttletsv.com.au

There is car parking available at the Breakwater Terminal starting from $9.00 per day for a standard vehicle. The car park has adequate lighting but is not fenced. Vehicles are left at their own risk. Secure lock up parking is available at Metro Quays Car Park in Ogden St. Sunbus conduct services from the city mall directly to our terminal which meet every day-time ferry.

There are storage lockers (82.5cm long, 50cm wide, 60cm high) available for hire within the Breakwater Terminal. These lockers are only accessible between opening hours. Large lockers are $8 per 24hrs.

Yes! SeaLink North Queensland have taken all reasonable steps to ensure safe access to their vessels for customers who require wheelchair access. All vessel gangways operating ferry services are a minimum of 890 mm wide to allow access to most types of wheelchairs. Please note that all Cruise Ship Transfer gangways and some Charter gangways may not be wheelchair accessible (ie: 750 mm wide).

Disability toilets can be accessed on Palm Cat, Fantome Cat, Coolgaree Cat and Maggie Cat, please note travel time between Townsville and Palm Island is approximately 1hr 45mins so we recommend boarding on the lower ramp as the disable toilets are located on the lower deck.

Disability toilets are located in both the Breakwater Ferry Terminal in Townsville.

Yes! Dogs must be muzzled and on a leash in our terminals and on board our vessels, or in a pet carrier. As the journey is 1hr 45mins, please ensure your pets have access to water and food if required.

Yes, we allow push bikes to be taken on board our ferries at no extra charge, this includes bicycles packed in travel boxes or bicycle bags. Please note, push bike trailers are not allowed on the passenger ferry.

Yes, we allow personal e-scooters and e-bikes to be taken on board our ferries at no extra cost, however e-scooters and e-bikes must be switched off during boarding, transit and disembarkation. Please note e-scooters and e-bikes cannot be charged either whilst in the ferry terminal or during transit on the ferry.

4 wheel trolley carts are permitted as long as they are loaded as per our freight policy and processes for all Palm Island luggage.

For more information on travelling with a beach trolley, please view our Palm Island Luggage and Freight Policy.

Dangerous Goods are not permitted to be carried on-board SeaLink vessels. Where a passenger is unsure, they are required to declare the item/s with the Vessel Master:

The following MUST NOT be carried

▪ Corrosive substances (e.g: acid, industrial cleaners, pool chlorine, wet cell batteries, engine oil)
▪ Toxic substances (e.g: oil based paint, used paint tins)
▪ Flammable/explosive substances or items containing these (e.g: compressed gasses, fuel, combustion engines). Medical oxygen is permitted.
▪ Radioactive materials
▪ Bulky/Awkward items (e.g: Sharp objects, glass panels, household furniture/equipment)
▪ Cement and plaster bags, fertiliser, dirty car parts.
▪ Machinery/Equipment (unless brand new – as long as oil/liquid has not yet been placed in it; and if Master deems ok) Eg: hot water cylinders, tyres, generators, BBQ.

View our dangerous goods policy.