It was amazing! The staff were very friendly and helpful! It was the first time for us to go on snokerlying. And it was our first time to travel on a helicoptor. The view of the reef was amazing! My youngest son get to sit on the frong of the helicoptor, it was a wonderful experience for him.
Review by: navy4502, March 2018
Altamente recomendado, tuve la oportunidad de bucear en la Gran Barrera de Coral, una experiencia inolvidable. Los miembros de la tripulación fueron muy amables en todo momento.
Review by: Paul M, January 2018
Loved the experience
Review by: Maggie, January 2018
This was one of the highlights of our trip in Cairns while going to the Barrier Reef. The catamaran boat and staff servicing you were all extremely professional and entertaining at the same time. They really helped to make it a special event. Their first objective was to make you feel at home and then they wanted to make sure everyone was safe during this excursion. We visited two excellent snorkeling locations. The snacks and lunch provided were very tasty and good quality. Once again, they stressed how important safety was during this trip. They ensured that you had the right equipment and knew how to use it properly. I took my 85 year old parents on this excursion and they enjoyed snorkeling on the Barrier Reef. One more check mark next to the bucket list. Then the highlight was the exciting helicopter ride back to the Cairns airport. Great way to see the Great Barrier Reef from the air and see various aqua life. Transportation to and from the boat was excellent and prompt. Once again, highly highly recommend this trip to anyone in Cairns, especially looking for a new adventure.
Review by: Friedemann K, January 2018
The Tour itself is fantastic Helcopterride was great, glasbottomboat, too! There have been some mistakes happend in Organisation, Pick up has had a 45 Min delaly, Helicopter had to be changed technical problems so at the end it wasnt enough time on the reef!
Review by: Jessica, January 2018
Amazing! I highly recommend this tour. Friendly and knowledgeable staff.. a great way to see the reef, especially if you get see sick!
Review by: Ketema H, November 2017
Everything went smoothly with this tour the pickup and drop off without a hitch, the helicopter ride was amazingly beautiful and fun, and the snorkeling as well was great. A must do if you go to Cairns!!
Review by: Ann D, November 2017
The tour was good but the reef is dead and brown.
Review by: Nndma56, November 2017
Regardless of the weather, when all was well I still had a revised schedule that still delivered the best trip ever...thank you viator
Review by: djhellers, October 2017
This rating was difficult for me because right off the bat, Down Under Cruise and Dive were asking for money everywhere drinks, wetsuits, which you don't need, cameras, etc.. It really bugged us. We selected the all day cruise out and helicopter back w/Nautilus, the latter of which I HIGHLY recommend. In fact, due to unseasonable weather rough, rainy, the heli ride SAVED our trip.
Review by: Patrick C, October 2017
The 30 min of helicopter was deceiving as we only had 15 min around GBR before we headed back. The snorkeling gears were good,experience was great. The staff was amazing!!! My Only (-) would be the food. The cook said steak but it was worse than the worst piece of meat off of the cow. BYO food :/
Review by: kimarnzen, October 2017
The diving was wonderful. The crew was very friendly and knowledgeable. The helicopter had mechanical issues the day we were out, so we did not get to go on the helicopter tour. A refund was easily issued once we returned and I could contact Viator. We were supposed to take the helicopter back to the dock area, but I ended up glad that we didn't. There was singing and entertainment on the boat ride back and we had a wonderful time._br/_ There were a lot of people on the boat, so it was a little hectic trying to get everyone suited up and into the water. However, they did have a plan of action and routine for getting off, if only people would calm down and follow their directions. _br/_ I would definitely book this tour again.
Review by: Natalie T, August 2017
The team onboard were amazing. Having a marine biologist on board is another big plus. Highly recommended.
Review by: hurtony, June 2017
Best way to see the Reef! Yes, it is a little pricey, but it is totally worth it! If you are at all worried about getting sea-sick this is the way to go. Years ago I tried to view the reef from Cairns, but really had no idea of how long the boat ride was, and how choppy the waters could be. I tried taking precautions, but they didn't work, especially while trying to get some air but having to stand downwind from a cigar smoker! By the time we got to the reef for snorkeling, I couldn't even get in the water. Luckily we had another opportunity to see the Reef while at Hamilton Island, it was only by helicopter. At that time, we thought it was pricey, but less than the heli/cruise today! This time, I wasn't going to take a chance, and it worked out well. Seeing the GBR from the air is amazing in itself, something the cruises can't show you. The 25 minute ride was smooth, and closer to reaching the landing platform, the pilot explains what you are seeing. By the time you have been briefed on the equipment and procedures, you have about and hour and an a half of water/snorkeling time. It does go by quickly, but I noticed that some of the the passengers that had done the full day cruise and had already snorkeled in a different area, didn't stay in the water the whole time. Be prepared for beauty overload! The cruise back turned out to be fine, though we did have rough waters for just enough time to start to experience that feeling, but luckily, we weren't in it long. My advice to anyone who wants to have an amazing Reef Adventure, is to book this package. Nautilus Aviation was great, and the Down Under Cruise staff was too! If you think you won't have enough snorkel time, my advice is to do this one first and then if you need more, book another cruise.
Review by: Guillermo M, May 2017
Brought the whole family 5 of us on the helicopter / snorkeling / cruise combination tour on to the Great Barrier Reef. Informative commentary about the reefs by helicopter pilot was a real bonus as we flew out to Hastings reef. Snorkeling on the reef was wonderful seeing coral up close, we came with camera's for those once in a lifetime helicopter and underwater pics over and in the Barrier Reef. We welcomed the drinks and food provided especially after the snorkeling session on the very large boat called Evolution plus the professional and friendly service by crew was a credit to the operation. And a really nice and smooth cruise back to Cairns to wind down the tour. Recommend you put this on your MUST DO list, well worth the experience and service by this tour operator.
Review by: marsha p, May 2017
The helicopter ride back over the Great Barrier Reef with Nautilus Aviation was fantastic. However, I only gave this trip 3 stars because I was disappointed in the visits to the two reefs with Down Under. The coral at the first reef was somewhat faded, quite a letdown after the beautiful coral I had seen the day before with Reef Magic. On the positive I did see a reef shark and colorful fish. Also the crew was excellent ,very attentive, and kept us safe. The current was very strong on both visits. The current carried me out further than advised, and a crew member pulled me back in. We snorkeled from a boat, not a pontoon as I did the day before. As a senior with minimal arthritis, I found this more difficult. Because we could not drip all over the boat, we had to peel our Lycra stinger protection suits off for lunch and then put them back on for the second visit. I did not have this nuisance the day before, as we ate on the pontoon.
Review by: Christopher B, April 2017
Firstly this tour gets 5 stars because it is the Great Barrier Reef! However the tour operator's involved Down Under Cruise and Dive and Nautilus Aviation were fantastic from pre-tour communication to dropping you back at your hotel after the tour. All the staff were polite, informative and wanted you to have the best day.
Review by: Mrs_twitter, March 2017
It was our first ride in a helicopter. Great fun but hot and noisy. It was great to get to view the reef system from the air as you get a sense of both its magnitude and variations of depth. It would have been nice to have spent a bit of time lower to see more detail but I am certain regulations may prevent that. The boat was great as there were far fewer people on it than I envisioned and they strived to give each person personal attention. Snorkel! I was hesitant as I am not a great swimmer but they had a guide take me around and it was AWESOME! Fish of every color in the rainbow, giant clams, and even a small nurse shark they don't bite. The water was crystal clear. The lunch provided was yummy and there was plenty available. The only letdown was the semi-sub. The other three in my group didn't want to get in the water so I went with them on the ride so they could see the fish and coral too. We saw virtually nothing. The water was super cloudy, all of the colors were distorted by the windows to a greenish white and there were maybe five unremarkable fish in the area. Completely not worth the time and I wish I would have stayed in the water instead. Nice ride back to the dock but finding our ride back was a nightmare. The directions were not clear and it was a completely different bus company that we were supposed to catch than picked us up which we were not told in advance. After searching up and down the pier for 20 minutes we had to call to get it corrected.
Review by: Kate M, March 2017
Helicopter ride was nice but the boat was packed with people and staff was not helpful. Lunch and snacks were either unavailable or not worth eating. Snorkeling location was pretty even on a day when the water was choppy.
Review by: adamandy, March 2017
This should be on everyone's bucket list. We were lucky enough to have the most beautiful weather which made the view of the Reef from the air just spectacular. Our photos are exactly the same as the brochure. The pilot was knowledgeable, friendly and put everyone at ease with his confidence and obvious ability. An amazing, unforgettable day. I took 10 family members as part of a 60th birthday celebration and would spend my hard earned money on this tour again in a heartbeat!
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