2 Day 1 Night Snorkelling Trip - Great Barrier Reef Twin Share

Travelled with Divers Den on a 2N/3D Sucba trip livingaboard OceanQuest. Here are key pointers- 1) DiversDen chat service is awesome- if you have any request or recommendation, reach out to them online. 2) You are promptly picked by one of their vans from your hotel/AirBnb. I was at DoubleTree and my pick-up was for 7AM (Picked up by ~7:15AM). 3) You can store your heavy luggage with them prior to boarding the vessel. Keep minimum stuff with you (don't need a lot on the boat). 4) First 2 dives happen on SeaQuest - the ship that takes you to OceanQuest, which is parked at Outer Reef (and only moves between a few reef sites). The ride can be rough so take any meds prior to boarding. 5) Once on OceanQuest - you mostly do eat, dive, sleep and repeat. Below are specific to OceanQuest 6) Decent size vessel - only moves during breakfast and lunch hour from one reef to another (10-15 mins ride). 7) They provide everything (even a towel once you are on board) so keep only what is necessary. 8) They DO NOT serve fish at all so if you are a pescaterian, you will get vegetarian options. On board chef does a great job of veg meals though. 9) The portion size is controlled but just so everyone can get a proper meal. I did not feel that the meal was not enough for me or anyone around me. However, if you are a big eater, keep some of your favorite snacks with you. 10) The coffee is instant coffee (mix with hot water) so if you are a coffee lover, may be keep a french press or your favorite instant coffee with you. 11) Keep an outer layer- A/C insite ship can be cold plus you are in/out water all the time. 12) OceanQuest staff (servers, cleaners etc.) are mostly volunteers - they are people who work on the ship for a few days and get to stay on board, eat and dive for free. If this is what you want to do, reach out to Divers Den and ask for options. I saw most people working hard on the ship. 13) If you are not an advanced diver or someone comfortable going with a dive partner alone, consider going with a guide. For AUD20, this is well worth it. Typically a group of 5-6 divers go together with a Dive Master. The downside - you are limited to the group. 14) The boat will rock you to sleep (mostly) - very unique experience to wake up to a sea view all around you. Hit the sunrise on Sun Deck. 15) Don't fear the night dive - with ship lights and torches, you will be able to see a lot around you. Also Fluro Dive is also a good one time experience worth doing. Overall, Divers Den runs a nice professional show. It is not a luxury or top of the world trip and reefs are nice (not outstanding) so if you want a good liveabord experience for a reasonable cost, they are your best bet. I'd ignore a lot of negative reviews on food, lack of safety etc.

We had the absolute BEST TIME!!!! We dove with James, Jana, and Tristan, and loved every one. We were able to do 6 dives and saw sooooooo many cool things! If you are not a diver, this may not be the best fit for you, but we absolutely LOVED it and will be recommending it to all who will listen.

We had such a wonderful time onboard Oceanquest over two days. The team was incredibly friendly, helpful and made sure we were all safe and kitted out for our dives. They really fostered a great sense of community onboard. The guides were all very knowledgeable too and helped us identify various fish species. I’d highly recommend them and would definitely book again!

Took my Open Water Certification with one night on the liveaboard and cannot recommend it enough! Our instructor Catalina was professional, thorough and helpful. Great dive sites and would definately recommend doing the liveaboard instead of day trips and having an extra night if possible. All the staff and guides were friendly and helpful and everything was well organised.

Trip was pretty well organized and the Great Barrier Reef did not disappoint. Rough seas, made things interesting at times, but good crew and guest made for a delightful trip. High recommend this adventure!

Fantastic stay onboard with gear set up for each dive and lots of support available if needed. As an infrequent diver I was initially anxious, however Jonno was capable, calm and available, supporting me through my first dive and night dive. Help was given with getting back on board/removing fins and checks done thoroughly. Zac and Deanna, who led the team, remembered our names. This made us feel valued and respected. We ended up doing all available 10 dives! The room was lovely. I was able to watch the moon and sunrise from my comfy bed. The air conditioning inside is set to 'fridge', so make sure you take layers and warm pyjamas. We slept well with the extra blankets provided.

There are things to like about divers den, the crew are generally excellent and the food and facilities on Oceanquest are good. Unfortunately for me the whole experience was ruined by the insistence on making me wear long fins. I know for most people fins are a good idea but for me they turn a confident open water swimmer into someone who struggles. They claimed this was a Queensland legal requirement (although I can find no evidence that this is actually the case). Common sense should be applied, it actually made me less safe. At the very least this requirement should be on the website in FAQs for example.

Steven was a awesome instruckter he really made learning to dive fun

Great guides, greatly organized. I was not a snorkeled and they took the time to instruct and lead me. Other snorkeling was well guided. Overnight stay was very well organized

Thanks Divers Den for the best 2 day/1 night first-ever liveaboard trip! 🤿🥰 I had an amazing experience with multiple dives at awesome GBR sites with blue water, clear visibility and professional guided tours…couldn’t ask for more as a newly certified diver! I felt comfortable and safe and saw so many things 🫶 The vessels are setup perfectly, you’re fed well, the rooms are clean and cosy and the entire program is extremely organised and well-run with such personable staff who work tirelessly to share all the many different tasks on board. So impressed! The only constructive feedback is that guides should be either included rather than additional $20 per dive considering the overall cost, or, capped at a maximum amount per guest. Hopefully management can consider this moving forward. Special thanks to the super helpful and caring MARTA, pro supervisors ANNA and LILY, bubbly and kind NIA, all rounder NAT, great spotter of things FELIX, boat mum MIKI and all other crew members I’m sorry I didn’t catch your names! (Including the super helpful French (?) guy who helped me gear up and gear off + the quiet conscientious trial guy) 💙 You’re all superstars who work so hard with smiles on your faces, great efficiency and attitudes! 👏🪸🚢🐠 🐢🦈🤗 Thank you for helping make our trips awesome with wonderful memories. I’ll be back for a longer stay next time! 🥳 From Selene (Adelaide) and friends from Austria Andrea & Gerald and Lea & Olga.

On my bucketlist! This was my third visit to the Great Barrier Reef and an overnight stay was on top of my list. We were recommended the Ocean Quest by our AirBnB hosts and the trip exceeded our expectations. The professional and friendly staff made the difference between being a tourist and being a guest and a big shout-out to Auggie and Panchita who took us on our two introductionary dives and showed us the marvels of the reef - including Nemo.

Not enough info is given about itinerary before departure. The boat you leave on is not the boat you stay/sleep on, and whatever you bring with you for overnight you will have to keep with you on the smaller boat, Sea Quest. Wear swimwear when you leave, you won’t check into your room on the boat until about 4pm. The toilets on SeaQuest are small and very wet and you will use them repeatedly. Sea Quest takes you to a nice bit of the reef for a snorkel or dive. If you have a heart condition, like I do, and tell them about it prior, like I did, they won’t let you dive without a pre-existing dive medical. Get one, it can’t be done on the boat and you will pay for a dive you won’t be allowed to do. They will refund you. If, on the other hand, your kid can’t equalise his ear pressure when diving (even though he has dived before) they won’t. So you get to the reef and you get changed in a toilet to snorkel, you snorkel and have, admittedly, a lovely time doing so on a very fishy bit of reef, then before you know it, it’s time for lunch. You can’t go back in the boat wet so you have to get changed. You eat lunch, which isn’t bad and they take any allergies into account if you give notice. But then it’s back out on the reef. Back into the toilet, struggle into your wet gear. Lovely reef again. Then it’s off to meet up with Ocean Quest where you will stay the night, but you can’t transfer wet and if you thought it sucked getting your wet bathers on in that tiny loo, try getting changed again in a wetter toilet as the boat jumps around the sea like a yo-yo. So you pull up at Ocean Quest, wet in your dry clothes, bruised and battered and feeling sick. Then you transfer over to the big boat. You leave your shoes on Sea Quest by mistake but they don’t clean it so don’t worry they will be there the next afternoon when you get back on it. You don’t need the shoes as shoes are not allowed on either boat. Immediately you get on the freezing cold Ocean Quest (aircon on all the time and cannot be turned down or off) it’s time for a dive briefing aimed at scuba divers, snorkellers are second class citizens nobody cares about. So you don your wet gear again Another pretty decent snorkel on a new bit of the reef which is uncannily like the bit you just dove on. So much so you couldn’t tell you’ve moved. Then it’s dinner time, and agin, you gotta get changed but at least you have a room to change in. The rooms are surprisingly large, but very cold, and the sea is not warm. There is nowhere to hang or dry you wet stuff so it will still be wet and cold the next day when you put it on again. Dinner is served individually plated and options for allergies are taken into account. There’s honestly not much of it and I didn’t really like it but there is plenty of hot chocolate, and it was good stuff, tbh. The water was rough and I hurled it back up soon after anyway. Did I mention how cold it is on the boat? God it was cold. I’ve slept in slightly colder igloos but the crew were forthcoming with blankets. Evening shark snorkel got canned because it was too rough. I skipped the morning snorkel cos I still felt ill from the night before but it was rough and otherwise ok. The transfer back to SeaQuest for trip back to cairns after brekkie means getting changed again. Shoes are where you left them but also all the food from lunch is still strewn around the floor, cos like I said, they don’t clean it. The trip back to Cairns was exceptionally rough, which is not the crews fault but my wife was literally thrown out of her seat and onto the floor atop a hatch that opened and shut like Pac-Man the whole trip and staff could not have cared less. Crew member, who eventually came to check if y wife was ok was advised about the flapping hatch and said “oh, good, then you being stuck there is keeping it closed”. It was not and I really worried a toe or finger would be severed as it flapped up snd down, now with the full weight of an adult on it. The captain of the boat was clearly under pressure and running late, cos slowing down to, you know, keep passengers safe, was not going to happen.

10/10, 5 Stars. Above and beyond on everything. I specifically want to call out out guide, Van, who was so attentive and careful, and patient and thorough. The kind of individual you want taking care of your family. The kind of individual our world needs more of. Well done, good sir!

Had an amazing 2 day 1 night live-a-board doing my advanced course. Met some super friendly people. Staff were very professional and also very personable. Had Van as my instructor. Rad guy, super knowledgeable, excitable, relaxed, and very attention + detail oriented. Would recommend!! Keen to do a longer trip out.

This was a really good experience that my whole family loved. We did our Padi course and it was so much fun, our instructor for the course was Taylah who was amazing and all the other instructors and staff were also great. We loved staying on the boat for 2 nights and doing all the dives especially the night dive. Would highly recommend doing this experience, we all loved it

Was a great experience and well worth the trip. Staff was nice and definitely took care of us. I will definitely do it again

Absolutely amazing experience! Such a beautiful reef with so much amazing life and things to see and explore! The boat we stayed on was great with way better rooms than expected!😄 Food was great, you didn’t feel like you had to kill time in between dives. And most importantly the staff and crew was amazing! So kind and fun to be around and always felt in safe hands🌟 Especially a big thanks to Andi too!🥳 She was so fun to be around and made me feel very welcomed! And showed me many things under water that I haven’t seen before! Can only recommend going on this trip!☀️

Incredible experience with Divers Den team. Stayed for 2 nights to fulfil a dream of visiting the reef and couldn't have asked for a better time. As a recently certified open water diving my prior experience was limited but the instructors were brilliant and persuaded me to take my advanced open water certificate which Audrey was fantastic at guiding me through.Guided dives also ensure you see as much as possible and each of the 5 guides Lewis, Audrey, Fillipo, Oriol and Mika were a pleasure to dive with taking me on the optimum routes and pointing out wildlife that I would have completely missed. Food and cabins were great for refuelling and recovering enough to get back in the water. Diving schedule packed at 4 dives/snorkels per day which maximises time in the water which is the whole point of being out there . Can skip any dive if it feels like too much but hard to say know to any opportunity to explore the reefs. Sites are diverse and boat moves every day giving best chance to see as much wildlife as possible. Whole crew passionate and extremely friendly. Honestly could not recommend enough. Bargain for what you get! Would definitely book another trip whenever I'm back on this side of the world.

You don’t need to bring sunscreen. Drinks other than water is for purchase only. The boats have AC and can be chilly so take something to cover up. If you do more than a day trip a boat transfer at sea is required. The people are very friendly. Booking is the weak point. Information is limited.

The Great Barrier Reef is spectacular. The diving and snorkeling experience cannot be compared. Yes, the boat is older and cabins are small, but that was minor compared to what you experience. I like to give a shout out to Archie as he got us out to snorkel the reef when no one else wanted to attempt it as the wave's were crazy that morning. He made sure we got out safely and back. Best reef.

IMPORTANT: If you stayed during Christmas 2024 - there were BED BUGS onboard the OceanQuest. We stayed one night and found bed bugs in the front left rooms on Dec 23. We even caught one in a plastic bag for proof. Two days later, I came away with over 30 bites all over my body. I'm most disappointed in the overall response by the company. They did their best with what they could by bug bombing the room that morning but only isolated it. Realistically, there were bed bugs in multiple rooms on the boat. After bug bombing, there were no time to air out the room, which is bad for whoever stayed in our rooms right after. Diver's Den was fully booked for the holiday, but it also means that many customers were exposed to bed bugs or chemicals from the bomb. I'm also frustrated by the manager response. Though we received a small refund for one room that had the bed bugs, nothing else was done to address it. We told him about my bed bug bites from staying in the room next door and he suggested we received them elsewhere. Now, my family is dealing with all of the consequences of rewashing all of our clothes while out of the country and trying to make sure we don't bring back Diver's Den's bed bugs to our house. Aside from the bed bugs, snorkeling was fine and the staff did well there. Food was okay but we didn't have enough on the day boat out or overnight. It would have been good to offer snacks or other things because our entire group was starving for every meal. This company is probably great for scuba divers but for us, it was only okay. I'd recommend searching around for another liveaboard.

Diving with Divers Den was honestly a dream come true! The boat was super nice, the crew had the absolute best vibes, the whole experience was magical. But the real hero of the trip was Van, our amazing instructor. Van wasn’t just knowledgeable and professional – he were so kind and patient. He made us feel safe, supported, and like we could conquer anything, even when I was struggling. Van, you’ve officially won a little spot in our hearts! 💕🤿🌊🐚🦈🪸 The dives themselves were pure magic. We saw octopuses, cuttlefish (three times – I was screaming with excitement!), so many sharks (white-tipped reef sharks and grey reef sharks), the cutest little blue-spotted ray, and tons of clownfish that made me feel like I was living in Finding Nemo. But the night dive with sharks? Unreal. It’s one of those memories I’ll be telling my grandkids about one day, for sure. 🪸🐠✨🐙 The learning curve was no joke for me, but having Van by my side made all the difference. I couldn’t have asked for better support. We’re already planning our next trip because we have to come back – no way we’re staying away for long. Thank you, Van, for making this adventure one for the books! 🪼🏝️🛳️🪸✨

I booked my scuba trip from Vancouver having not dove for 20 years. From the moment I met Ari, who walked me through refresher training at Divers Den pool in Cairns, I knew it was going to be a fabulous trip. She also was part of the livaboard crew and so deserves a massive shout out for her teaching skills and experience and more generally for being awesome. The whole Divers Den crew were fabulous - super professional and organised but also great fun and cool to hang out with. Other shout outs especially to Danny, Laura, Simon and Diego. I wholeheartedly recommend Divers Den and am already planning another diving holiday with them. Other points that must be mentioned: All the diving was out of this world The food was phenomenal The rooms were spacious, considering you're on a dive boat All rooms were ensuite Sunscreen was everywhere The merch is super cool Thank you!

I joined 2 days at the Diversden boat and did 4 dives. The boat's crew is so well organised, really kind and patience. All dives where great! I've seen beautiful coral, fish and (lucky me) a reef shark! I've been guided by Dani who is a kind Instructor, she took a slow speed of diving so I was albe to see it all. Once again, thxs Dani! It was my first time diving at the Great Barrier Reef and I can't wait to see it again!

Amazing few days staying out on the Great Barrier Reef. The most professional and safety conscious team we’ve dived with - made us feel very safe and looked after. Diving was 5 star, lots of varied things to see. Accomodation was basic, but clean and comfortable. Food was plentiful with plenty of choice.

Great tour to see the Great Barrier Reef, even if you’re just snorkelling! Staff was very professional and super nice. Everything was organized really well.

We had an amazing time with Divers Den on a 3 day - 2 night live aboard excursion. A big call out to a few of our favourite staff members … Lilly & Archie for the great refresher course and Danny and Tom who we enjoyed our best dives with! As a very novice diver the entire staff took great care but they were exceptional and spent time to ensure we had a great experience. Food and accommodations were good but the diving and views above and below water were magical 💙🤿

Loved this trip! Michelle was great! We had a great time and saw many reefs that were full of color and animals! The room was nice too.

Staff is excellent, friendly and very patient and helpful. Food was excellent , schedule is very tiresome but worth the exhaustion. Eat, sleep and water time , we LOVED it !

* 별점 1점도 아까울정도로 최악임 ㅠ 미디어에서 본 케언즈를 기대하고 오신다면 후회할겁니다 백퍼 ㅎㅎ 글고 배 환경이 넘 안좋음ㅜ 다치기 딱 좋아요.. 애들은 데려가지마세요... 밥 설익어서나옴.. 밥 별로임 ㅠ * STAY AWAY especially if you got kids. * THERE WAS HAZARD in the vessel which caused DEEP LACERATION requiring MULTIPLE STITCHES. - I spent 1 night 2 day at Divers Den (Ocean Quest). - During last snorkeling of the second day, my foot got injured DUE TO THEIR DIVING LADDER BEING UNSAFE (this was also stated by Divers Den staff). The Diving ladder wasn't smooth/safe enough. - As I stepped on the ladder to climb back to the boat after snorkeling, I kinda hit my foot onto ladder and immediately felt significant pain. - It bled a lot. I seeked for help, staff helped me and provided first aid. - Because of their diving ladder being not safe enough (this was stated by the staff too!), it caused a laceration on my foot that ended up requiring multiple sutures in ED. Also requires me to complete course of antibiotics. I was told by ED doctor to keep wound dry. I'm still limping because of pain. - So had to cancel rest of other tours. - I had to buy the medication (antibiotics and pain relief) and dressings. - Emailed Divers Den (Ocean quest) with all those proof. THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THE MEDICAL COST SAYING THE INJURY IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. - The staff wrote the incident report which clearly states that the contributing factor to the injury is "unsmooth edge of diving ladder". Photo attached. This indicates they were already aware of unsafe ladder. Why didn't they fix it? - Divers Den (Ocean quest) which is part of Entrada Travel Group still saying they are not responsible for this. - I'm an adult so I can deal with this wound, but imagine your children was injured like this due to unsafe ladder. Bleeding a lot. Deep wound requiring stitches. - I only asked for cost of antibiotics/pain relief/dressing which was only about $80 AUD. They don't want to reimburse because it's not their responsibility although the injury was caused by the hazard of the boat. - Simply hitting on object does NOT usually cause deep laceration that needs sutures! Even staff knew about unsafe ladder! This was clearly written by their staff! - Debra, the travel manager, didn't apologize at all about the injury and their unsafe equipment. They refused to reimburse for antibiotics. Although the laceration was caused because of their failure to keep the ladder safe. - According to their terms&condition, any injury caused by their unsafe/faulty equipment is passengers fault. No joke. - Communication and their response is slow. Worst management team ever. Onboard staffs were good. Felt like they only wanna take your money. Whatever happens to you, they don't care. Their management team is THE WORST. Requesting to reimburse medical cost is reasonable. They still refused. Im an Australian resident so it's easier for me to deal with them/contact them. But it would've been so much more difficult if I was overseas. Their communication is very slow. I called Debra twice and no answer. I left email and text again. And only got reply email late in the day. Another email I sent - and still no reply from Divers Den.. Response is VERY slow.

Very money hungry. Money is the priority here above diver experience. Over crowded, rushed, and too many ridiculous rules. Some of the staff are nice and helpful. I think they’re the volunteers the company makes work for free to get their dive experience…. Several of the other staff are fake and rude. The boats are okay. Not great. Huge amounts of wasted down time with nothing to do. If I could pay a couple hundred dollars to get a boat uber back to town, I’d be on it. I am a very active and experienced diver. The reef is pretty and I’m glad I saw it. Hindsight, I would have just taken a day trip to the reef and went back to Cairns in the evening. There must be a better day boat besides divers den and the Ocean Quest live aboard is a waste of time. Just my opinion.

The staff are amazing and so kind and great diving on the Great Barrier Reef. The guides are wonderful. The food was great. The operation in general is very rushed. The first 2 dives on the transfer boat were miserable crowded. Also on the ocean quest it is rushed and you are hurried for most of the day. Dinner at 6:30 then dive immediately after. On check out day last dive ends at 11:15-11:30 and out of room by 12 then sit around 2:15 until transfer. Very rushed and frustrating numerous times.

Had a spectacular two day overnight snorkeling experience with Divers Den. Booking was easy as was the morning pickup for the high speed transfer boat Sea Quest. We had some great dives from Sea Quest before we were transferred to the larger Ocean Quest. Rooms on board were clean and more spacious than expected. The crew were always helpful and seemed enthusiastic about their work. Meals on board were great and the recreational areas on the boat were a good spot for relaxing and watching the sun go down. The snorkeling was great with a good range of corals and plenty of fish. We didn't do the night dive but enjoyed watching the divers and the fish waiting to be fed. A great experience and highly recommended.

Nice basic tour for 2 days. At the beginning, it was like Mass tourism - and unfortunately you need to pay for everything extra. We are not certified divers, and they told us, when we booked it, that the introduction dive would cost 20$ - what was not like that. Even the communication at the beginning was kinda not there. We didn't know what is going on, where to go, or even if it's still possible to sign up for a scuba dive course. However, when we went to the OCEANQUEST boat for the life on board experience, it was much more open minded and much friendlier. we booked the the tour actually because of diving, the snorkeling experience, what we got, was still nice. I really liked the welcoming and friendly crew on OceanQuest. Would definitely recommend if you are a certified diver, but not as a random tourist as we were there.

This was such a fantastic experience from every aspect. It was VERY active, with a possible total of six dives over the two days, so those with health challenges may wish to reconsider. Every aspect of the hospitality was superb, right up to the availability of prescription masks for those of us who wear glasses. I highly recommend it!

We had an amazing 'Sharks in the Dark' experience with Divers Den in 2021. Thrilled, we decided to do it again – a trip highlight for our son, who even flew in from Europe! We made our booking two days prior to the trip and specifically asked if the experience would be conducted from the dive platforms, to which the lady on the phone confirmed. The evening arrived, and the voice from the speaker announced that it was time for “Sharks in the Dark” and asked us to come to the deck, change into our wetsuits, and be ready to get in the water in 15 minutes. All of us were ready very quickly, all excited. For another half-hour, we were just standing there, watching crew ladies chaotically running around or dealing with the divers group. Finally, one of the ladies came to us and said that we could take the wetsuits off because the supervisor cancelled it. I tried to find a supervisor and get some explanation, but she did not have time for me, just said it was bumpy there while rushing away. I tried to talk to her that we (my husband and I) had done it before and we wouldn’t have issues holding on to the platform (conditions at that time were way worse and we still did it with no trouble), but she would not listen. She did not even stop for a sec and kept running around the deck with her nose in her papers. She just shouted ‘sorry’ and said that we could watch the sharks from the deck. I tried one last time to convince her to let us onto the platform, explaining that it had been a truly amazing experience before and that it would mean a lot to us. She just ironically shouted “that’s horrendous” and disappeared. And no, letting us watch from the deck with another staff member pointing at the sharks and shouting 'yaaay' with forced enthusiasm in a high-pitched voice in front of eight disappointed people is kind of insulting and definitely not the same as being in the water on the platform (which was the main reason we booked this trip and the only reason we stayed overnight); it felt more like a bad joke. Overall, people who came ‘just’ snorkeling felt secondary; one snorkeler even commented ‘they only care about the divers’. I would never have thought how much the crew can make a difference. Instead of the very laid-back crew guys we remember from before, this time we had a crew that consisted of a bunch of very loud and controlling ladies, treating us as if we were in nursery school, sometimes it looked like they even had problems organizing themselves. Now, I am expecting some vague, sugar-coated excuse about the weather or something, but the weather was pretty much the same the day we booked the trip, we went on the trip, and it had not changed within those 30 minutes we were standing on the deck waiting to be let on the platform (small waves, nothing dramatic, see the photos attached). Besides, you can’t expect the ocean surface to be perfectly still; it’s open water after all. I think the supervising lady just did not want to add up another ‘task’ to her busy day. So, dear Sandy (if I remember correctly, that was her name, apologies for any misspelling), for you, it may have been just another day at work, but for us, it was something we had been planning and looking forward to for months. Not mentioning that we did not get what we paid for. Bottom line, unlike the experience with the Divers Den crew from three years ago, this was the trip I would like to forget about.

My daughter and I did a 2 day liveaboard and had 3 introductory dives and also snorkelled 3 times. The whole experience was excellent Great staff throughout, who were very friendly and supportive. The equipment was excellent - they even found prescription goggles for me with my exact prescription -4, the multiple equipment checks and calm, systematic instructors meant that we felt safe, and we had wonderful experiences on our 3 "intro" dives.... There were 2-3 people per instructor and we kept hold of his arm as he gently and expertly guided us around the reef. Snorkelling was also excellent and the experience was just as enjoyable as the dives. The reefs we dived were breathtaking. Everything is well drilled, food was very good and the cabin, while basic, was clean and comfortable. The boat has AC throughout so it was easy to get relief from the heat and humidity. I'd highly recommend Divers Den if you are considering a live-aboard type trip. Given the quality of service they provided, I think they represent pretty good value.

Couldn’t recommend more highly, was absolutely amazing. I was suspicious before I went that you would just be another tourist, but felt properly looked after, all the staff were super friendly and helpful, clearly loving what they’re doing and everything you get is good quality too. I also thought the amount of diving was really good value. It’s worth paying the extra to get that bit further out into the reef where day trips don’t go. I’d also say the night dive I did is literally one of the best things I’ve ever done

To snorkel in the great barrier reef has been a dream i’ve had since preschool, and this weekend i got to experience it. It is the coolest and best experience of my life, that i will never forget! It was even better than i could ever imagined. The staff was both fun and proffesional, the people I met on the boat was so kind and fun! 10/10!!

The reef sites were amazing and also the team behind it is doing a great job! Taking good care of you and also provide amazing food on board. Thanks for this amazing adventure!!

Everything was well planned, the food was great and staff very friendly! We really enjoyed the trip and were pleased how clean the cabins were.

A simply stunning experience. Anna and her crew have something very special going. They manage to make it both chill and professional. They take safety very seriously, while being fun and welcoming. Shoutout to Fernanda for taking me on my first dive, and to Abel, Ivan and Biscuit for subsequent dives. It was with great sadness that I returned to land after 3 days. I got hooked diving. Highly recommend

AWESOME experience. GBR is another world, truly stunning, and (I feel bad saying this) I often felt like the snorkelers saw more than the divers because so much of reef life stays close to the surface. Crew was very attentive to safety measures for snorkelers (making sure we didn’t stray too far from each other, logging everyone on and off the boat, etc.). The bed was comfy & shower hot, and as a solo woman, I was paired with another solo woman for the shared twin room. Guides were all really lovely. My only recommendations would be 1) bring a sweatshirt and more than one towel/swimsuit; and 2) bring some food, especially if you’re veg or gluten free. Some of the meals were…not great 😬, especially for those with dietary restrictions…but it’s hard to begrudge the company this when they’re making the GBR accessible at a very reasonable price. I feel like the staff is really doing their best, so…Just bring some snacks to supplement.

Last week I did the 2 day / 1 night liveaboard with Divers Den on OceanQuest, and I had an amazing time! During this trip, I did 6 certified scuba dives. The dive sites were very divers and there was a lot too see. Since I’m an experienced diver, I didn’t pay for a guide. I’m travelling solo, so was assigned to a dive buddies for my dives. For the first dive, everybody else booked a guide, so one of the staff took me diving 1 on 1 (amazing service!). The briefing before the dives is really good, so I found it easy to navigate the dive sites myself! Even some newly certified divers found this quite easy to do. During the trip it was very easy to socialize with other people. There were some groups on the boat, but also other solo travelers! Safety wise, everything was organized very well. We were told about all the emergency procedures on the boat, and during the day the crew did multiple headcounts, and we always had to sign the sheet before entering the water and after coming back on the boat. The rooms and beds on OceanQuest were really good and comfortable - I had the best night of sleep here! There was even a hot shower with fresh water. During the tour we got served the best food I’ve ever had on a boat trip. The chef on board is amazing! Exactly what you need during a busy day in the water! Also a big shoutout to the crew; they were all very welcoming, fun, knowledgeable and seem to love their job. The dive crew all seemed very experienced, and I also noticed that all equipment was quite new and good taken care of. Overall I had an amazing time, and I would definitely recommend diving (or snorkeling) with them!

If you are thinking of doing a trip to see the Great Barrier Reef PLEASE book this trip! The whole trip was made as easy as possible. Pick up from hotels near cairns is included. You are taken to Cairns harbour where you board a smaller boat. You do a couple of dives/snorkels from this boat in the morning before transferring to the larger OceanQuest vessel later in the day. The staff are incredible! They are all very friendly (all of them somehow learn everyone’s names) and they are all sooooo knowledgeable and experienced. The chef on board cooks some delicious food for breakfast lunch and dinner (I particularly enjoyed the Yorkshire puddings). If you are snorkelling, you will see some incredible wildlife: the corals are soooo colourful and many people reported seeing sharks (of the small and safe variety) and turtles. I personally was diving and it was the best diving I have ever done. For a small extra fee you can get guided dives during which experienced divers show you around the reef. I chose to do this for the first few dives since I hadn’t dived in a while and the guides were extremely helpful and friendly and they knew exactly where to go for the best experience. More experienced divers can explore the reefs in pairs which was also very fun. I did 4 dives on the first day and 2 on the second day which is quite tiring but sooo worth it! Each dive was at a different dive site, each of which was unique and stunningly beautiful. The whole diving experience is very streamlined and easy and please do not worry if you are not very experienced because the diving is very chill and stress-free. The main attraction for me and the reason you should DEFINITELY do this live aboard is the night time activities. There are three to choose from. If you are snorkelling, the Sharks in the Dark experience is apparently very cool. The staff feed some of the smaller fish from the boat and you are lowered into the water to see them eat. The commotion can attract sharks and other larger fishy predators for you to see. I personally did the night time dive and it was one of my favourite experiences ever. It was surprisingly relaxing and non-scary and I saw tens of small sharks hunting and stalking the reef. It is a very unique experience and will be unlike any day-time dive you have done. The other experience is a night-time fluoro-dive which uses special torches which cause some of the more difficult-to-spot animals, e.g crustaceans to glow in the dark. Overall, an extremely easy and fun trip and so so worth the price. Thank you so much to all the wonderful staff!!!

Divers Den is a fantastic outfit for diving on the Great Barrier Reef! You can dive four times a day, including a night dive, and if you’re certified, you can go with a buddy or you can opt for a guided dive. Their system makes it easy to prepare for each dive. The staff are incredibly friendly and attentive. Marius runs a tight ship as purser and never forgets a name. The dive leaders are well skilled and patient. Frankie was especially fun as a dive guide finding the most interesting creatures in the sea to point out. Marcel was helpful and very patient with new and skilled divers alike. Even the interns were friendly and hard working, especially Cameron. The accommodations are basic, yet clean and decently maintained. The food is excellent and plentiful. Most importantly the dive sites do not disappoint. Every dive you see something new and all are teeming with fish, coral, and a wide variety of other sea life. Diving the Great Barrier Reef is a bucket list item that is well worth filling if you can swing it, and doing it with Divers Den will not disappoint.

Thank you all staff from Diver Den for the best GBR underwater experience yhat can be had! Staff on the Ocean Quest and Sea Quest for your friendly, yet very professional guidance and service. No request was too much! Already planning my return visit - next time with a go pro! Until nezt time, all the best Carmen

It was a perfect tour. The staff was very friendly and pleasant, and the accommodation was clean and had a nice atmosphere. Meals were always delicious. If there is a chance, I will use it again in the future.

The snorkeling itself was great as it would be with any company on the Great Barrier Reef. Hard to mess that up as it is nature. The boat in and back were good boats no issue there. Boat was very crowded on the way back in to Cairns. The boat that you sleep over on is a relic from the late 70’s. Very sub par and antiquated. Not updated. No wi-fi. 2 twin size beds per cabin as stated in listing. The first cabin they tried to give us stank like an out house. Finally got another one after asking several times. Food was sub par. Cold cuts and chicken every meal. Cheapest possible options and limited as to what and how much we could take when we came up to get food. Felt like a food line in Russia. I have been in better youth hostel accommodations. One of my female snorkels guides stated “I’m not that good of swimmer so everyone stay close”. She was the only snorkel guide out there with 12 people for this 45 min time too. Disappointed that the guides did not take photos to share like I have experienced on other boats before. For the price we paid for the overnight we deserved better. Just being honest as most people wouldn’t be. I would try a different organization if I did it again.