Great Barrier Reef Adventure any good?

What is the quality of the snorkeling on this tour provided by Regent?

What is the quality of the snorkeling on this tour provided by Regent?

Snorkeling on the reef is generally exceptional, but no idea about the tour Regent offer.

What is the quality of the snorkeling on this tour provided by Regent?

Considerably more information needed to even answer the question.

The Reef is over 3000 individual reef systems and islands stretching down 2300 kilometres of the QLD coast.

So you may want to be a tad more specific in your question - ie what tour ? what location - town, city, island etc?

In addition to the above question find out if this tour goes to one of several barges anchored on or near the reef. Read the wording carefully and do a little googling to check it out. Most ship's tours use large boats to transport you to these public facilities and they are not exclusive to your tour. You will be mixed with other groups and there could be several hundred people there. In addition, the snorkeling areas around these barges tend to be overused and somewhat denuded. If, however, this is your only option it is still better than most places in the world.

If, on the other hand, you get an exclusive boat that anchors directly on the reef your experience will be spectacular. Subject to time in port, private tours are available but most leave before 8AM and return around 5.

I have more information on the tour so maybe someone familiar with any part can give their impressions.

Luxury fast catamaran from Cairns to Marine World activity platform. 90 minute sail to get to the Outer Barrier Reef site. Three hours will be spent on the pontoon over the reef. I would like to hear from anyone who has been here as to the overall quality of the tour and the quality of the snorkeling. I used to dive and have been a snorkeler the last few years and have been to beautiful areas in the south pacific.Is this opportunity at the Great Barrier reef going to be as good or is it more of just a tourist venture?

We are also very interested in the answers you get here. We are taking a cruise in the area next year and see the cruise line is offering a very similar excursion. It doesn’t sound like the best way to visit the reef but it maybe the only way we get there without spending many more $’s

We are also very interested in the answers you get here. We are taking a cruise in the area next year and see the cruise line is offering a very similar excursion. It doesn’t sound like the best way to visit the reef but it maybe the only way we get there without spending many more $’s

I also posted this same question under the Regent Cruise Line message boards and the results have not encouraged me to book with the cruise line. As usual booking privately is probably going to be the best option.

I also posted this same question under the Regent Cruise Line message boards and the results have not encouraged me to book with the cruise line. As usual booking privately is probably going to be the best option.

There are quite a few private operators taking small boats to the reef. Check tripadvisor for more information. We used SeaStar for our trip. It was spectacular!

Timing in port is critical. Because of the distance to the reef boats leave Cairns by 8 AM or earlier and return by 5 PM. If that doesn't work it is possible to charter a boat. We had a 10 AM to 8 PM port call so I chartered a 35 passenger boat. Left the harbor at around 11 and had 3-4 hours on the reef. This option does take a lot of long term planning. Cost per person was less than half the ships tour to the reef - in this case a different barge (platform) out of Airlie Beach. Folks who took that one were disappointed.

I wish you good luck. It is worth the effort if you can swing a private tour.

Robbie

Marine World is the name of the fixed pontoon platform used by a company called Reef Magic. The Reef Magic boat carries up to hundreds of passengers from Cairns to this platform. There you can snorkel in a proscribed area, take a glass-Bottom boat ride, do a semi-submersible ride or see the Reef from the underwater viewing area. For an extra charge you can dive or, I believe, take a helicopter ride over the Reef.

As you’ll see from the link below, the reviews of Reef Magic are very good. I have never gone out with them as I prefer smaller, more personal boats like Seastar out of Cairns or Wavelength out of Port Douglas. But these smaller boats generally aren’t an option for cruisers to book independently since they leave at 8:00-8:30 am and don’t return until 4:00-4:30 pm and these times seldom mesh with the times the cruise ship is in port.

Trip Advisor reviews of Reef Magic:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255069-d1052254-Reviews-Reef_Magic_Cruises-Cairns_Cairns_Region_Queensland.html

How are the seas in that area? Are they generally rough with strong currents, or pretty tame?

The roughness of the seas depends on the winds. The winds are generally strongest in winter (June - August). The boats don’t go out to the Reef when the winds are too strong.

The GBR boat companies can generally tell you a day ot two in advance what the weather and wind conditions will be.