IT'S not every day you get a chance to win $5000 in cash or the trip of a lifetime.

But that's exactly what the Whitsunday Coast Guardian and the Reef Gateway Hotel are giving one lucky person the chance to do, through their "Cash or Cruise” promotion.

To go into the draw all you need to do is spend $20 at the Reef Gateway Hotel, attach the receipt of purchase to the coupon published in the Whitsunday Coast Guardian and pop it in the barrel at the Reef Gateway Hotel.

The cruise up for grabs is on board the Ovation of the Seas. The magnificent ship has garnered international attention recently with it being referred to as one of the first innovators of "supercruising”. Its features include an onboard skydiving simulator, a Jamie Oliver restaurant and martini-mixing robots.

The cruise, which will board in Sydney then whisk passengers off to New Zealand on a 10-night whirlwind tour, is worth more than $6000.

Whitsunday Times general manager Steven Jacklin said a promotion of this kind was a first for the Whitsundays. "It has been a long time since we have done a competition of this size in the community,” Mr Jacklin said.

Entry forms are being published in the Whitsunday Coast Guardian from January 11 to April 5, with the winner to be announced at a massive party at the Reef Gateway Hotel on April 8 - so start snapping up those Guardians for your chance to win.