All eyes were out to sea on Sunday morning and into the afternoon as the silhouette on the horizon gradually became bigger and clearer until the 20-storey-high US aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, had arrived at the Port of Brisbane. 

The 300-metre vessel, with 3000 sailors on board, reached the port about noon, and sailors were expected to disembark and be taken into the CBD by a fleet of waiting buses and taxis.  

Brisbane Greeters, with information packs and maps of the river city, waited for the sailors to appear at the Grain Wharf, which was also used by the USS George Washington two years ago during Exercise Talisman Sabre. 

The huge military ships have limited docking options because they can't fit under bridges further down the Brisbane River, so they use the Grain Dock near the mouth of the river.  

The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 2003, is visiting the river city as part of this year's Talisman Sabre war games.

Australian and US forces take part in Exercise Talisman Sabre every other year, with the 2017 operation expected to involve more than 30,000 personnel.

This year's operation, which is the seventh of its kind, is scheduled to run until late July, with the majority of the training exercises to take place in near Rockhampton.

US Navy Lieutenant-Commander David Levy disembarked the ship on Sunday afternoon and said some of the sailors had been invited to get along to the Gabba to see their first AFL game.

The sailors started hitting dry land at 2.45pm, with the majority of sailors expected off the ship by 6pm.

The Brisbane Lions' match against Carlton was due to bounce off at 4.40pm.

Commander Levy, on terra firma for the first time since June in Singapore, said Brisbane had put on "perfect golfing weather".

"We're looking forward to a good steak and a good beer," he said.

"It's been long days and long nights out on the sea during Talisman Sabre

"Brisbane has been very welcoming and we're excited to get out and try everything."

It took about 2½ hours for the USS Ronald Reagan to dock at the Port of Brisbane.

"It's not a pleasure craft," Commander Levy said.

"It takes a lot of effort."

Commander Levy said some sailors' families had flown out from the US to spend time with them in Australia.

- with AAP