Best Great Barrier Reef Tour Cairns – Dive Master Blog Review

Best Great Barrier Reef Tour Cairns – Dive Master Blog Review

A blogger review of the best Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns. Narrow down the endless possibilities for an epic reef snorkeling or diving trip from Cairns - the Great Barrier Reef's doorstep! A complete and honest dive evaluation by a certified Dive Master

What’s not to love about Cairns? For adventure travelers, Cairns ticks all the boxes for a world-class tropical destination. From the islands to the rainforest, the opportunities for adventure are endless.

However, there is one highlight that attracts more people to Cairns than any other - the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, the Great Barrier Reef.

While you can visit the reef from other destinations such as Port Douglas or The Whitsundays, Cairns is your best bet in my opinion. In this guide, I'll make your search for the best Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns easier by giving you an honest review. I'll also help you by giving you some tips on how to get a good local deal and how to make the most of this epic experience.

SKIP TO OFFER: I booked my Great Barrier Reef snorkeling and diving tour from Cairns with Down Under Cruise & Dive through Klook. This trip is currently discounted due to the pandemic. So if you're a Cairns local who's always wanted to dive the reef, now you have a better chance than ever!
Klook.com

What is the best Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns?

As you would expect, there are a variety of tour operators and boats in Cairns offering Great Barrier Reef tours. In fact, there are so many that there is an entire boat terminal dedicated to ships heading to the GBR: The Reef Fleet Terminal.

However, if you talk to a local in Cairns, they will recommend Down Under Cruise and Dive as the best Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns, and for good reason. While I will discuss these further down in the review section of this post, here are some reasons why they are known as the best.

• Immer noch ein lokales Familienunternehmen in Cairns: Bleiben Sie lokal – geben Sie Ihr Geld nicht an wohlhabende Offshore-Unternehmen
• Die Evolution ist bei weitem das beeindruckendste Bootsangebot für Rifftauch- und Schnorchelausflüge
• Als mit dem höchsten Sicherheitsniveau bewertet
• Eines der schnellsten Boote, damit Sie mehr Zeit am Great Barrier Reef verbringen können
• Weitere kostenlose Leistungen wie Tee, Kaffee, Snacks, Mittagessen und sogar Wein

alt=“SAXONS REEF ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF “>

How to get the best deal on a Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns

When I book tours, activities or experiences, I always use a booking app or website like Klook. Klook selectively works with only the best and most ethical travel providers, with hundreds of activities across Australia.

The good thing about booking with an app or website like Klook is that you can easily compare reviews of experiences and activities across the board. In addition, you will always get the best deal as they always offer the cheapest deals, which are often even cheaper than going straight to the terminal.

Check out the current discount offer: Now is the best time to travel to Cairns. With the rest of the world off limits, take advantage of the crazy local fares on offer.
alt=“GREAT BARRIER REEF CORAL REEF OFF CAIRNS”>

Down Under Cruise & Dive – A review

Now let’s dive into what I think is the best Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns. I'll try to keep this as unbiased as possible, but it's overwhelmingly positive. Personally, I took this trip and there was very little I could fault about it.

In fact, many share this view, with the reef cruise being named #5 Best Day Cruises in the World and #4 Best Travel Experiences in Australia by Tripadvisor in 2020.

About business

The trip is pretty epic, but what really sold me on this particular Cairns Great Barrier Reef tour was the fact that they are one of the few companies still locally owned and operated. With the commercialization of the reef came major foreign investment, which unfortunately bought up most of the smaller boats and companies operating in Cairns.

Rest assured, the business is still locally owned and operated by a family from Cairns. They also employ Cairns locals, so you know your dollar is going straight back into the local economy.

The Boat – The Evolution

Alright, perhaps the best reason to book a Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns with Down Under Cruise & Dive is their boat, The Evolution.

If you've ever been to Cairns Marina, you've probably seen them. The truth is, you can't really call it a boat - she's more of a luxury superyacht. Evolution is a custom-built, three-deck, multi-deck luxury catamaran with air-conditioned saloons, a restaurant, bar and extensive diving facilities.

If you don't care what the boat will look like, then let me assure you that this is one of the most important factors when choosing between the best Great Barrier Reef tours from Cairns. This catamaran is super fast and stable, meaning you'll spend more time on the reef than bouncing around in transit. In total, it only takes about 1.5 hours to get to the outer Great Barrier Reef with evolution. You'll also have a more enjoyable experience and less risk of getting seasick!
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What is included in the Down Under Cruise and Dive Reef Tour?

The trip I recommended as the best GBR diving and snorkeling trip is a full day trip. We visited two reef destinations, which ultimately depended on the weather conditions and how busy that particular day was.

In summary, here are the full inclusions I enjoyed on this epic Cairns experience:

• Kostenloser Kaffee, Tee und Snacks beim Einsteigen
• Private Sicherheitsunterweisungen, bei denen Sie sich nicht wie Vieh fühlen
• Schnupper- oder zertifizierter Tauchgang am Great Barrier Reef (abhängig von Ihrer Erfahrung)
• Alle Schnorchel- und Tauchausrüstung inklusive, sowie ein Stinger-Anzug
• Voller Mittagstisch
• Ein Besuch an zwei Tauchplätzen
• Kostenloser Wein auf der Rückfahrt

Honestly, I couldn't really expect more from a reef tour for this price. However, you only get one dive in the base price. If you want more dives you have to pay a little more. In saying that, I've never been on a diving trip anywhere in the world where you can get three dives for this price, so including just one in the basic package is pretty reasonable.

Book the trip here

• alt=“TAUCHEN AM SAXONS REEF UND HASTINGS REEF IN CAIRNS TRIP“>
• alt=“BOOT AUF DEM GREAT BARRIER REEF CAIRNS“>

Snorkeling or diving?

The trip Down Under is a diving and snorkeling trip. Since the Great Barrier Reef is a fairly shallow and quiet dive site, they offer introductory PADI dives even if you have never dived before. You will need to take a briefing and diving safety briefing, which will be carried out on the way to the reef.

If you prefer not to dive, you can snorkel instead. As I mentioned earlier, most of the reefs are fairly shallow, meaning you can still fully experience the reef while snorkeling.

I only did one dive on my trip, and since I have a Dive Master certificate, Haylea and I were able to explore the reef on our own. We spent the rest of the time freediving and snorkeling around the reef. Although the diving was better, I definitely didn't feel like I missed out on the rest of the trip by freediving.

RELATED: Great Barrier Reef Flight from Cairns – What to Expect and Where to Book

A typical reef route – my experience

To illustrate what you can expect on the best Great Barrier Reef tour in Cairns, here is an overview of my experience.

7:15 a.m. – Check-in

After checking in at the Reef Fleet Terminal near Cairns Marina, we boarded the Evolution at around 7:30am. Upon boarding, we were taken to the air-conditioned salon upstairs to fill out diving paperwork and be briefed on the safety of the ship and upcoming dives.

Shortly afterwards we headed down to the restaurant where we enjoyed a coffee and scones while we steamed to the first reef site: Saxons Reef.
alt=“THE EVOLUTION CAIRNS GREAT BARRIER REEF TOUR BOAT”>

Featured in: The 10 Best Tours and Experiences in Cairns

9:00 am – First dive

Since we had experience as dive guides, the Dive Master gave us the option to follow a guide or explore on our own. If I've never dived a place before, I would usually follow a guide as they usually have a pretty good idea of ​​where the coolest stuff is down there. However, Saxons Reef is a fairly easy dive as you follow a reef wall. To date, the dive on Saxons Reef was the most impressive dive I have ever experienced on the Great Barrier Reef. Visibility was over 20 meters and we spotted white tips, huge Maori wrasse, incredible fern corals and a range of other colorful schools of fish.

After being blown away by the diving conditions, we enjoyed a feast on the deck overlooking the incredible coral waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
alt=“BIG MAORI WASS ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IN CAIRNS”>

11:30am – Lunch

After treating ourselves to lunch, we were eager to get back in the water to enjoy the pristine conditions. This time we only brought our snorkels and fins and floated over the shallower parts of the reef, which thankfully were still very vibrant and full of life.
alt=“GREAT BARRIER REEF TOUR CAIRNS BOAT THE EVOLUTION”>

1:30 p.m. – Location of next reef

The second dive site for our reef trip was North Hastings Reef. Hastings is one of the largest and most popular coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef. There are usually dozens of boats moored along the edge, but you know, Covid. I certainly wasn't complaining and was thinking about how lucky we are to be able to experience this incredible coral ecosystem for ourselves.
alt="CORAL REEF IN CAIRNS">

3:30pm – Leave the reef and return to Cairns at 5:00pm

We spent the rest of the day in the water and on the deck of Evolution. When it was time to return to Cairns we were offered a glass of iced wine as we sailed back into port.

We disembarked Evolution at around 4:45pm, which meant we had time for a sunset drink in the marina!

Did you know? The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living organism that has ever existed. This coral ecosystem covers almost 350,000 square kilometers along the Queensland coast. It is also in danger of being lost forever. Read this article to learn how you can help or donate to the Great Barrier Reef Organization.

Things to know when planning a Great Barrier Reef tour from Cairns

I have spent some time in Cairns over the last few years. Although I'm not a local yet, I was able to glean some practical tips to help you make the most of your trip.

booking

When you book the trip with Klook, you will receive a digital pass in the app and sent to your email address. No need to print a PDF copy, just bring your phone. All check-in instructions are included.

Check-in and parking options

Check in here and one of the best Great Barrier Reef tours in Cairns takes place at the Reef Terminal next to the Marina. The email says you need to be there 15 minutes before check-in time. For parking, there is a dedicated lot right near the terminal that costs $18 per day. You must book at least by 5 p.m. However, if you go on the reef boat ride on a Sunday, you can score free parking in one of the middle island parking lots in town. Otherwise, on other days they only park for free for three hours.

What to bring

Pretty much everything you need is included on this reef cruise. I would just recommend bringing:

• Kamera / go pro
• Eigene Maske / Schnorchel (wenn Sie die bereitgestellten nicht verwenden möchten)
• Riffsicherer Sonnenschutz
• Tauchzertifizierungskarte (wenn Sie bei PADI sind, können sie Sie einfach nachschlagen)
• Ein Neoprenanzug, wenn dir kalt wird, aber normalerweise brauchst du keinen (normalerweise 10 $ extra)

All food, water, sting protection and diving/snorkeling equipment are included on board.

More things to do in Cairns

That concludes this detailed review for the best Great Barrier Reef tour in Cairns. If you have any questions about the trip or would like to share your experiences, don't hesitate to contact us in the comments below. Otherwise, if you're planning more epic Cairns adventures, check out some of my other guides and blogs, like this list of epic things to do in Cairns or the comprehensive list of the best waterfalls and hiking trails in Cairns!

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