Ocean Freedom: Great Barrier Reef Luxury Snorkel and Dive Cruise
Description
Enjoy the most guest-oriented Great Barrier Reef tour aboard a fast travelling stylish and comfortable catamaran from Cairns! A "barefoot luxury" snorkel and dive experience, visiting 2 very different and unique Great Barrier Reef Sites. "Wonder Wall" on the outer edge Upolu Reef and Upolu Cay reef area - an aquarium style coral garden with the most beautiful clear blue azure waters. Spend six hours (more than any other reef tour) to snorkel or scuba dive (see options below) these Green Zone Marine Park highly protected areas. Absolutely no rush in the day. Enjoy complimentary Glass- Bottom Boat tour (subject to sea conditions) and Adventure Drift Snorkel tours with your onboard marine naturalist. This cruise is limited to 75 guests, ensuring quality customer service and passenger comfort.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After check-in board the vessel, grab a coffee, a Danish pastry, fresh fruit & settle in. After just over an hour we arrive at our first Great Barrier Reef destination - the beautiful "Wonder Wall " on the outer edge of Upolu reef. Snorkel, SCUBA (extra) this stunning Great Barrier Reef site teaming with fish and marine life. Experience an informative complimentary Glass Bottom Boat & Adventure Drift Snorkel tour with our very attentive guides. After a morning of activities enjoy a large scrumptious lunch as we cruise to Upolu Cay. Snorkel this "coral garden" tropical oasis - look out for turtles & sting rays! When conditions allow you can even land on this glistening white coral Cay! Enjoy six hours of snorkelling, relaxing between these 2 uniquely different reef sites. After a magical day we return to Cairns serving fresh fruit, cheese and crackers and cake arriving back in Cairns by around 4.15 pm . We are thrilled to now have you as part of our ever growing Ocean Freedom family!
Our Marine Guides will enthrall you on a reef and marine life discovery on an a highly informative and engaging Adventure Snorkel Tour and Glass Bottom Boat Tour at our two unique Upolu Reef sites - "Wonder Wall" on the Outer Edge Upolu Reef and our "Aquarium" coral garden reef site amongst the beautiful shallow, azure coloured waters of Upolu Cay Reef. These sites are in Marine Park highly protected zones where no fishing is allowed, hence the abundance of fish and marine life. Come and find your favourite Hollywood Nemo character! With 6 hrs of actual un-rushed reef time you have plenty of time to do both complimentary activities and continue exploring yourself under the guidance of our attentive crew!
Ocean Freedom travels to two Great Barrier Reef sites - "Wonder Wall" on the Outer Edge of Upolu reef (a truly magnificent snorkel and dive site) and Upolu Cay Reef - a beautiful shallow turquoise coral garden site. Upolu Cay site is truly magnificent - picture a coral garden reef with lots of colourful reef fish darting in and out of the staghorn coral as you snorkel in these crystal clear shallow waters surrounding Upolu Cay. Look out for turtles popping to the surface for a breath of air, stingrays eagerly scouring the bottom for food. Sometimes you can stand thigh deep on the Cay in the middle of the ocean, other days we can land on this glistening white beautiful coral cay - each day a little mystery of nature but always we have the stunning turquoise waters to snorkel in and around this magnificent Great Barrier Reef area. Make sure you have your camera ready for this truly picturesque site!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A maximum of 75 people ensures a unique and personalized experience
- The order in which the snorkeling and dive sites are visited may changes as it is dependent on the conditions on the day
- Guests come from many countries and many only have a small opportunity to visit the reef. The vessel will operate in all weather conditions (apart from gale force and severe weather warnings) and has extra procedures to make the day the best possible. If you are concerned about the weather, please visit www.bom.gov.au cairns coastal report - it will give you a 4 day forecast. 10-20 knots is a normal good day. Date of travel can be changed subject to availability and also full refund if cancelling with minimum 24hrs notice. Our vessels are open air with good boat movement so less likely to suffer seasickness than some other closed vessels however, if prone to motion sickness we recommend taking travel sickness tablets 20 minutes before boarding the vessel.
- The operation of the Glass-Bottom Boat Tour is subject to weather conditions and may not operate in rough seas.
- If intending to take part in diving all divers (whether certified or introductory diver) will be required to fill out a diving medical questionnaire on board. If diving is an important option for you, please advise if you have any medical issues (past or present) or taking any medications so we can advise if any QLD diving medical clearance is required prior to day of travel . Some medical conditions and medication may preclude you from diving. It is imperative for your safety that you answer the questions on the form truthfully.
Reviews(1,976)
We had an awesome time out on the reef today. The crew were super friendly, knowledgeable and capable. The small number of people on the boat made the experience more enjoyable as there weren’t heaps of people tussling for space on the boat or whilst snorkeling. The food served for lunch and snacks was also wonderful. Overall this was an excellent experience and definitely the money.
The crew members were all very friendly and knowledgeable making you feel very safe and excited to enter their boat and to explore the waters with them. The scuba diving is beginner friendly and quite an extraordinary experience! We felt very welcomed on the ship and we highly recommend people use this company to explore the Great Barrier Reef
First time scuba diving. Did two introductory dive and saw turtles and sting rays. Great food on board as well. Crew were amazing in making us feel comfortable. Recommend to always take sea sick pills.
Excellent experience. Had a great time snorkeling over the reefs. Saw a turtle, a Shark and many fishes. The glass bottom tour was good.
Hello Surya! Thank you so much for your generous review, we really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience! We are so happy to hear that you were able to experience some of the beautiful marine life within the Great Barrier Reef. We hope to have you on another adventure with us if you are ever back in Cairns!
This was an outstanding day, full of amazing experiences. The crew were so skilled and knowledgeable and made everyone feel super comfortable. They were totally on top of all safety aspects, but in a very calm and relaxed way. And snorkelling the reef, seeing all the beautiful marine life, was better than I dreamed it would be. Couldn't have wished for a better experience. Thanks to the whole team.
Hello Kylie, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that your day aboard Ocean Freedom exceeded your expectations and that snorkelling the reef was everything you had hoped for and more. The Great Barrier Reef is an incredible place, and there's nothing better than seeing guests experience its beauty and amazing marine life for the first time. It's also fantastic to know that our crew helped you feel comfortable and well looked after throughout the day. Safety is always our top priority, so we're pleased that our team's professionalism and calm approach helped you relax and fully enjoy the experience. Thank you for your kind words and for choosing to spend your day with us. We'll be sure to share your feedback with the crew, who will be thrilled to hear they helped create such a memorable experience. We hope to welcome you back on board again someday!
We had such an amazing day with Ocean Freedom. The staff were genuinely so friendly and made the whole experience even better. Nothing ever felt rushed, and they went out of their way to make sure everyone was having a great time. The views were absolutely beautiful and being out on the reef was unforgettable. You can really tell the crew love what they do and care about giving everyone the best experience possible. If you're visiting Cairns, I couldn't recommend Ocean Freedom enough. It ended up being one of the highlights of our trip and we'd happily do it all over again.
Hi Kaytlin, Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for choosing Ocean Freedom during your visit to Cairns. We're delighted to hear that your day on the Great Barrier Reef was one of the highlights of your trip. Our crew takes great pride in creating a relaxed, enjoyable experience, so it's fantastic to know that their friendliness and genuine passion made such a positive impression. The reef is a truly special place, and we're thrilled you were able to enjoy its beauty while feeling well looked after throughout the day. Your kind words mean a lot to the entire team. Thank you again for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back on board for another unforgettable reef adventure the next time you're in Cairns!
We had a fantastic day on Ocean Freedom. The crew were all really friendly and helpful and made sure that everyone was stocked up on anti-sickness tablets, as it was a choppy day. The snorkelling on the reef was fantastic and Tamara pointed out many interesting fish and sea-life to look at. It really felt like we had plenty of time to snorkel too, which was great. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone.
Thank you for the kind review, Kirsty! We love to hear that our crew made your day so fantastic and will be sure to pass this onto Tamara especially as she will be ecstatic to hear that she could help you spot and experience the beautiful marine life. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to have you with us again if you are ever in Cairns.
I met Taryn at the end of 2023 at a travel event. I got in touch with her again in February 2024 regarding my trip. After a few emails back and forth, we've confirmed it in May. The service has been first class from the beginning to the actual experience in late August. We went to the service desk the day before to pay and the lovely Camille at the desk was so patient with my 100s of questions. I had another family booked on the same tour through Viator, and she made sure to put a note about their dietary requirement and prescription goggles for their son as well as for my daughter too. The check in and boarding was really easy and quick. Skipper Mike was fantastic. My special gratitude goes to the crew who looked after my daughter who was seasick, got her water, held her back and checked up on her. What I liked the most was that there was always someone keeping an eye on those who might need some extra support in the water. They made sure everyone who went into the water had a partner, regardless of their swimming ability. They also helped those who can't swim well to experience the Great Barrier Reef. My brother in law can't swim, but he went with a crew and spent so long in both locations and came back with a big smile on his face! However, I have to say, despite Molly's attempt to get me to see the reef failed massively. I was too scared and panicking to actually listen to her and follow her lead, and got back to the boat, which I regretted the minute I got back! I have to mention the food too. I was pleasantly surprised to see we had our vegetarian food kept in separate bowls with our names on them. Usually, places/tours like this, they would simply let us have whatever vegetarian options on the buffet and if we get to the buffet late, we may not have any left for us. But this way, they made sure we had something separate. I know this is a very late review, but the company & the team deserves this shout out even if it is this late.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and kind review! It is so lovely to hear your story on meeting Taryn and how you had a blast onboard Ocean Freedom! We love hearing these types of stories and it reminds us of how much we love the family and friends’ dynamic of our company. We are sorry to hear that your daughter got seasick on the day but glad to hear that you felt our crew cared for and supported your daughter and we hope she still had a good day on our vessel. It’s also so lovely to hear that our crew were able to get your brother-in-law into the water and make him feel comfortable enough to experience the reef and learn a little about the marine life! We understand that some people find the water more daunting than other and hope to have you onboard again with us in the near future where we can hopefully get past that fear! We are additionally thrilled to hear that you were pleased with the food offered through the day. We try and have our catering to offer a variety of different options so that there is always something for everyone as we understand that lots of swimming and the sun works up an appetite. Again, we really appreciate your thoughtful and detailed review as it really means a lot to us and hope that if you are ever in Cairns again, we will be able to have you onboard for another epic day!
Ocean Freedom and crew made this such a wonderful experience for both my wife and myself. Crew were very friendly and knowledgeable, learnt a few things about corals and marine life during the glass bottom tour which was included. Safety was at the forefront of all crew members. Thoroughly enjoyed the day, this wouldn't have been possible without the support and guidance of crew members. Special thanks to Amber for being with me throughout the snorkeling tour. Highly recommend them for experienced as well as first time snorkelers.
Thank you for your great review! It's lovely to hear that our crew were a standout part of your day. They endeavour to pass on their passion for the GBR to all of our guests and make sure they are able to have the best experience. We will ensure we pass on your kind words to our crew and especially Amber. Thank you for your recommendation and we hope to have you travel with us again!
A fantastic day! They crew are all very knowledgeable and courteous. The sites they chose were terrific, and we saw all kinds of life on the reef. This is a great, family-friendly option. The crew will also facilitate nearly all swimming abilities. I’ve done a few different snorkelling tours on the reef, I highly recommend Ocean Freedom.
Hello Matt! Thank you so much for the great review! We are thrilled to hear you had a terrific day on the reef and that the marine life came out to play. Our crew are our greatest asset, so we are glad to hear you noticed their attentiveness. As a family-owned business of 30 years we really appreciate your recommendation of us! Thank you for choosing Ocean Freedom!
