Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise from Cairns

Cairns, Australia

This Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise is great for beginners, non-swimmers and first-time visitors to Tropical North Queensland. You can watch fish feeding, go on a snorkeling expedition, try scuba diving, see the coral and marine life on a semi-submersible submarine, and enjoy a tasty buffet lunch. Transport between Cairns and Port Douglas is included.

Agincourt Reef sits at the very edge of the Great Barrier Reef, a ribbon reef running parallel to the Continental Shelf. Clear water provides great underwater visibility and encourages rich coral growth which supports a variety of fish life, both large and small. Schools of damsel fish, solitary clown fish and small reef sharks are common visitors to this part of the reef, along with brightly-colored parrotfish and elegant angel fish.

Departing from Port Douglas, your 90-minute high speed catamaran cruise takes you directly to Agincourt Reef. The permanent pontoon moored here provides a sheltered base for your day on the reef. During the trip a snorkeling demonstration will get you ready for your adventure, and the staff will take you through your options for the day.

You'll have around 3.5 hours to enjoy the reef at your leisure. Grab a snorkel and hit the water on your own, or join an optional guided snorkeling tour with a qualified marine biologist. Snorkeling is a great way to explore the Great Barrier Reef, and there are friendly staff on hand to show you how.

Prefer to stay dry? You can explore the stunning reef from the comfort of a semi-submersible submarine. You'll take a leisurely cruise through colorful coral gardens, giving you a snorkeler's view of the marine life without getting wet.

For a little more adventure, try an introductory scuba dive. or a unique Ocean Walker Helmet Dive - no diving experience necessary.

See 'Itinerary' below for more details on your options, and click the 'price guide' button below to compare pricing.

We recommend you book this reef trip on your first full available day. You then have the opportunity to be flexible and change your travel date if you wish. Your booking can be changed at no additional cost directly with the operator once you are in Cairns. Prebook and secure your booking, but relax in knowing  you can make amendments at no charge.

USD $238.19

Review by: Sheila D	March 2012
A first class way to visit the reef. The ship was clean and modern, the staff helpful, friendly and knowledgable, a great experience overall. There were many things to do, even for the non-swimmer. We tried scuba for the first time and loved it. Verra was a great guide. She trained us, went at our pace, and even held our hands until she knew we were comfortable. An Excellent adventure! We stayed in Port Douglas after reading that the bus made so many stops along the way to pick up passengers. That was a good experience as well.

Review by: HIEN V	August 2011
Great tour. Highly recommended.

Review by: Gordon M	July 2011
Excellent day and tour operator

Review by: mwaters205	December 2010
Very professional crew. Tons to do. Perfect for someone with limited time wanting to do the most possible in a single day. These guys are great!

Review by: Alexander T	July 2010
Well organized. NOte this departs ex Port Douglas so if you leave from Cairns you'll spend about 2-3 hours on the bus. Spend 3 hours cruising and 3 hours at the reef. Excellent service, semisubmersibles, underwater observation deck and snorkeling are all included and much fun. Options include helicopter ride, guided snorkeling, helmet diving and Scuba diving. One of the pricier tours available but worth every buck even the locals recommend this!.

Review by: Prashant K, Australia	January 2010
gr8

Review by: Peter C, United Kingdom	December 2009
Well organized, and well looked after throughout the trip.

Review by: Karen J, Canada	May 2009
This was fantastic! The whole setup was first class from the get-go. Seeing the reef up close is something to behold. Do this tour!

Review by: Leung Y, Hong Kong	January 2009
I'm the first time to play diving. It's really my unforgettable experience. As the location is quite far away and only have limited time, we can only play max 2 activities. Finally I played Ocean Walk and Scuba Diving. As I'm the first time to play, instructor is very friendly and bring me to see great barrier reef and super big fish can be touchable.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	November 2008
Amazing. The tour guide and the cruise staff was awesome, helpful, and the trip itself was awesome. I can only say good things about this trip.

Review by: Robert W, United States of America	September 2008
Terrific staff - once in a lifetime event!

Review by: Lawrence K, Canada	August 2008
We had never snorkeled before but as long as you watched the video and are comfortable in the water you will have no problems. There are lots of workers to help you in any way. I took a ginger sea sickness pill to help in case of rough waters. The reef was beautiful.

Review by: Steven H, United Kingdom	August 2008
Good day but need more time.

Review by: Neil K, United Kingdom	April 2008
The weather was a bit rough on the way out on our trip, but once anchored at the platform all the sea sickness soon wears off at the sights of this amazing place. The staff are really friendly and helpful whenever you need anything.

Review by: Anonymous, Ireland	April 2008
This Barrier Reef day trip from Cairns was very well organised.

Review by: Jurek P, United Kingdom	March 2008
There is high demand for use of limited facilities. The snorkeling area was quite crowded at times. However, the semi-submersible boat was a great way for views of the larger Reef area.

Review by: Moira P	March 2008
There is high demand for use of limited facilities. The snorkeling area was quite crowded at times. However, the semi-submersible boat was a great way for views of the larger Reef area.

Review by: David H, United States of America	October 2007
We had a fabulous time. Probably the best day we had in Australia! And we did some fun stuff!!!! Great guides, great boat! A wonderful experience!

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	July 2007
This was a good experience. I would give it four stars, but we forgot our swimsuits, so we were not able to fully participate. However, the cruise was great, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was decent, not super. We enjoyed the semi-submersible ride, but if you don't swim there's not a whole lot to do.

Review by: Don O	June 2007
We enjoyed this tour a lot. It was a long day but worth it. The ship and facilities were very nice. The experience isn't as good if you don't go in water, but you can still see a lot from the "semi-sub" and the underwater observatory area.

Review by: Ashley O, United States of America	May 2007
Reef trip was very well organized and could not have asked for a better trip!

Review by: Teresa M	January 2007
Far too commercialized, spoiled idyllic location and experience of visiting the Great Barrier Reef. The whole trip felt rushed and too much emphasis on selling snorkel, dive trips and merchandise etc. OK if you have never been underwater before or have never been snorkelling or diving. We felt as though diving and snorkel trips were hurried and a bit of a 'cattlemarket' experience. For any experienced divers or snorkellers I would strongly recommend spending fairly expensive excursion costs on an alternative more isolated reef trip.

Review by: Loreta M, United Kingdom	September 2006
What a day! Staff were excellent, all facilities were clean and more than adequate for the 400+ passengers. We were lucky, the boat even stopped for a bit of whale watching!