Great Barrier Reef & Michaelmas Cay Sailing Cruise From Cairns

What a day! We enjoyed the sail out to the reef. We took the submersible and saw everything, corals, and fish. We enjoyed the lunch. Then we went snorkeling. It was perfect. Other people were welcome to swim or scuba dive. We were at a Sandy Island where half of the island had blue footed boobies birds and chicks. It was wonderful.

It was so much fun. The crew was great and so helpful. The food was really good as well. Would recommend

There are a few Japanese crews and they explained everything in Japanese prior to the activity, which was a huge help!

I had an amazing day with Ocean Spirit visiting michaelmas cay at the barrier reef. The whole thing felt so professional and the guides were so great and knowledgable about the marine life. I liked that you could join various activities at your leisure while the boat was docked at the cay during the day, like snorkelling from the beach or taking a ride around with the semi-sub. I did both and it was incredible, saw turtles and many different kinds of fish - even clownfish! The submarine felt very special as I’ve never seen a reef this vast, I don’t think there’s anything else like it in the world. We also had morning snacks, a big buffet lunch and afternoon snacks with sparkling wine which was a lovely touch. I’d definitely join Ocean Spirit for another tour one day :)

Definitely recommend this tour, all the staff were friendly and the food was fabulous! The day we went was overcast and a bit miserable but it didn’t matter we still had a great time. The water was so warm and the snorkeling was great. You can have a snorkel and go back to the boat eat lunch and go back out snorkeling. The guest’s safety is top priority there is someone at all times in a little run about boat making sure everyone is okay in the water.

Fabulous experience and so worth it to do the guided snorkel tour for the extra money. We ended up with Jayden as our private guide for just my husband and me and she knew where all the special fish, blue starfish giant clams etc were and took us there. Water was warm and so shallow that the reef was right below us only about 8 inches at times. Gorgeous colors and the marine talks were most informative. Only disappointment was that we were on a catamaran and they never put the sails up and the wind was blowing nicely. The food and tea times were great and the champagne on the way back was a nice touch to top it all off. had the most wonderful time overall .

The crew were very accommodating and experienced. They organised each part of the day really well. They provide all guests with the tools and equipment to obtain the most out of the day. The reef was very accessible and I really like that you can snorkel from the sand cay. The semi submerged sub was air-conditioned and views from either side. The presenter was very knowledgeable and presented very well. The lunch was amazing. Overall it was a very nice day out. I like the fact that there is plenty of shade on the vessell too.

Our family of two adults and two teenagers found this to be a very long day, and in hindsight it wasn’t the best fit for us. The boat, equipment, catering, and staff were all excellent – professional and friendly. Absolutely no complaints, and the trip delivered everything that was advertised. That said, the two-hour journey each way to Michaelmas Cay (known to locals as ‘Birdshit Island’) felt long, and was certainly pungent. Relaxing on the beach wasn’t really feasible, though birdwatchers will enjoy it, and the newly hatched chicks were adorable! The submersible is a nice option for those not keen on snorkelling, but it didn’t add much for those of us comfortable in the water. Lunch offered a good variety of food, but afternoon tea was poorly managed, with early groups taking more than their share and leaving limited options for those later in the line. Overall, the long travel time for limited activities made it less satisfying for our group. This was more a matter of the trip not being the right fit for us rather than any issue with the quality of the operator or experience.

Beautiful location. We saw lots of turtles. Staff are very responsible and kind, always watching us for our safety, and kind to talk to us. We had an amazing time and experience.

Great experience, loved the whole day enough time at the reef (went snorkeling twice: 1 long one before lunch and a 20 min after lunch, then went on the included glass boat) and still time to enjoy the evening in cairns. Great spot to snorkel and good equipment. Wasn’t too touristy at all and the atmosphere the crew provided was lovely. Thanks for the great lunch and snacks 🫶🏻

Great day out. Friendly staff who looked after everything. Delicious food, not overcrowded. Snorkelling gear was clean and good quality.

This trip was a highlight of our vacation! What an amazing day with a fantastic crew. The large catamaran easily accommodated everyone comfortably, and had six toilets/changing rooms. The equipment provided (masks, snorkels, fins, lyra suits) were clean and well stocked. During the two hour boat ride to Michaelmas Cay, the crew gave us a safety briefing, and there was a presentation/introduction to the fish and corals that we would be seeing. Such a pity that over half the passengers were too busy sunbathing or taking selfies and missed out on this valuable talk! Later we were able to identify all the corals that we saw through the submersible and during our swim, that we could not have done if we missed the talk. The crew served us coffee/tea and cake when we boarded, lunch was a very nice hot and cold buffet with a variety of food, and after the swim there was afternoon coffee/tea and cookies and finally some bubbly and dessert/fruit/cheese. It was much more than we were expecting and very much appreciated. The semi-submersible ride that is included in the tour accommodates about 20 passengers at a time, so they did several trips at various time slots. Again there was a marine biologist explaining all the different corals we were seeing through the glass. Note: we took the guided tour option (for an additional fee) and would highly recommend it. We are not very strong swimmers and would never have ventured into deep waters on our own. Doing it with a guide (Paul) allowed us to see so much more.

Ocean Spirit was an excellent way to see the reef! The marine biologist was very informative and the information helped us appreciate what we were seeing. The semi-sub was a great way to explore the deeper part of the reef and also provided details about our surroundings. We were so happy Ocean Spirit allowed us to book an hour before checkin as our other tours (different company) cancelled last minute due to boat technical issues.

Staff were amazing, they couldn’t do enough for you. We had morning and afternoon tea plus a delicious lunch. It was easy to get on and off the boat when we went snorkeling and were looked after while on the sand island. I would suggest to take a jacket with you as it can become cold.

This experience was good value for money, not on the cheaper side, but definitely worth the money. The boat was not overly crowded. The food was absolutely fresh and tasty. The submergible boat trip was extremely enjoyable, and the snorkeling location was ideal with staff patrolling in their boats, happy to tow you out to the outer reef to swim back in - very accommodating very friendly. We even saw 5 turtles. A most enjoyable day out. There were 9 people in our party, 8 adults in ages from 21 to 56 and an 8 year-old child - we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was a good day. Right from the first greeting at the counter; welcome to the boat; safety briefing; and dive site understanding. The team was thorough, polite and safe. The marine scientists were fabulous. Especially Jayde The snorkeling was really good. Lots of every colour fish big and small. The water was crystal clear and smooth. Pity it wasn’t windy enough to flap the sails. The food was excellent All in all a very good day.

Me and my brother have been on the cruise on July, 23rd. We strongly recommend it because: - the tour is well organized with knowledgeable personnel on the boat - good food on board - the cay is amazing with all the birds and its beach - the use of snorkel equipment and lyra suit for all the people - the tour on the semi-submersible with views of the coral I am not good at swimming and snorkeling so I cannot really judge it. All the rest is amazing. We also saw some whales that were not expected and this added value to the cruise Paolo and Maurizio Bizzini

Amazing experience! Thoroughly enjoyed the private snorkeling tour. Well worth the additional expense. The lunch buffet and tea time treats on the ship were delicious. The crew is exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. Be sure to take advantage of the various talks they give throughout the day so that you can get the most out of your trip. The multiple onboard ship toilets are a decent size and thus serve well as changing rooms. Beach area at Michaelmas Cay is very windy so bring a heavy/solid bag to put your things on the beach when you are in the water. Be sure to dress for the weather as it can be quite windy if you want to go on deck. Recommend taking motion sickness medicine, especially for the trip back.

8/8/2025 morning tour - Ocean spirit crew and guest had a complete disregard for the local wildlife and safety on the reef. Ocean Spirit crew members took tender boats at full speed across shallow reefs while other tour operators had divers in the water. Tender boats ignored marked channels and cross full speed across shallow reefs. The Ocean Spirit crew took multiple groups ashore on Michaelmas Cay and allowed guests to cross the restricted wildlife zones on both sides of the cay, occurring for extended periods of time. Guests scared off many of the local nesting birds on the island while taking pictures and sitting on the beach outside of the authorized zone. Ocean Spirit guests who were snorkeling also stood up on multiple spots on the reef. Ocean Spirit crew did nothing to stop guests from crossing the restricted areas on the cay nor stop them from standing on the reef. Obviously clear that this company has no respect for the Great Barrier Reef and only cares about profits.

The day started by a greeting from the friendly staff members with onboard coffee and snacks. Informative marine biologist and good snorkel briefs. We opted to relax out on the deck for the outwards journey and spotted a humpback whale in the distance. Didnt have much expectation from the semi sub but it blew me away, the colour of the coral and the diverse marine life was outstanding. Lunch was great, Japanese pork curry was a highlight but loads of different buffet options. Snorkel in the afternoon from the sand island and saw nemos, turtle and a very small reef shark. Couple of beers and cakes on the way home to top off an awesome day trip. Thanks to the staff this tour made our trip!

It is definitely a fun thing to do while in Cairns. You can enjoy the Great Barrier Reef from many areas not necessarily Cairns. This company is not very helpful if you're new snorkelling while others provide noodles for extra safety, this one doesn't. The location chosen to snorkel was nice but I enjoyed Whitehaven Beach tour a lot better, and other guests agreed as well. It wasn't the best but it was decent. Service was great, food was excellent and the ferry rountrip was fun. Tide dropped so we couldn't snorkel for long.

Beautiful scenery, knowledgeable and very friendly staff and good food too. Lots of wildlife both in and out of the water.

Great trip. Well informed and managed. Worth the price. Very nice crew, helpful., accommodating, timely

Amazing trip out to Michaelmas Cay. The boat is roomy and no problem finding a place to hang out while on our way out there or on our way back. The crew was great and helped out anytime you needed them. The food was really good. They take pictures of you while snorkeling or scuba diving and the price was a bit high to buy them so be aware of that. Other than that the day was a great day of snorkeling and hanging out on the reef.

Very well organised heaps of staff to assist you. Very knowledgeable staff and helpful. Trip out was great and introductory talk was informative and fun. Clear instructions on the day and the preparations for the day. Morning tea was very nice to enjoy. Tenders to shore easy and fast. Snorkelling was excellent the correct gear and instructions, had a great time seen heaps of coloured coral fish and highlight was the giant clams. The semi submersible was great as well seen heaps of fish and coral. Lunch was great arrangement of food and then afternoon tea was excellent a glass of sparkling wine, cake , fruit, biscuits and cheese. What else could you ask for. I highly recommend this tour. You will have a great time.

The crew was awesome the food was good. The experience of snorkeling from the cay was incredible. It was quite a windy day. And a choppy ride if they recommend the sea sickness pills take them especially on choppy/windy days. The wind was not a big factor for the snorkeling as the cay was protected. Diving would have been amazing. They wanted a medical doctor to agree to my being able to dive. Seems the rules may be stiffer here or have stiffened since I last dove.

This is a mixed review to be honest. The boat was superb, comfortable, well-appointed, and modern. The crew were first-class, very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. The food and drinks were decent. The semi-submarine was the best part of the trip, we loved it and loved seeing the reef and its life up close. Possibly the reason we loved the sub so much though, was because we saw absolutely zero of the reef when snorkelling. The current was so strong on the day, we just went sideways, and expended a HUGE amount of energy to only get a third of the way to the reef from the cay. We were a family of 2 adults and 3 kids, so moved more slowly than just the adults. In fact, the dinghy had to come rescue us, as we had drifted far away from the group. I was utterly exhausted after that and had no energy to try again for the reef. I know Ocean Spirit cannot control the conditions, but I felt they could have done a better job of catering for small children, and suggesting a better way for us to maximise our experience. I understand running such a vessel is expensive, and am happy with the price tag, but feel we just didn't quite get the value of the experience that we were looking for. We'll be trying another option, should we decide to try again.

Absolutely amazing experience. As we are travelling with small kids, safety is very important for us. We felt safe and well taken care of on board! Our 5 year old was even able to come snorkelling to on the guided tour (thank you, Kevin!)! Stunning beauty of the corrals in Michaelmas Cay. Reccommend this to everyone.

Frustrated at chech In. Ocean Spirit hadn't been updated by Viator that we moved the reservation 1 day ahead. Ocean Spirit was very accommodating . Snorkeling for 2 was made available. Everything going forward was outstanding!

Awesome self-paced experience with a very caring, proactive, and passionate crew. The cay was beautiful. We saw a small shark and a turtle eat a jellyfish while snorkeling, and got to go on the semi-submersible twice which provided incredible views of the reef.

It’s a large catamaran which caters well for everyone! Snorkelling was frustrating as weather dictates and we saw nothing. It’s a long trip so be prepared for ever changing conditions. We had a great time in spite of the fish not turning up ! The submersible is an interesting experience! Crew were knowledgeable and efficient! Only sadness is that we didn’t sail!

We did our trip with this company as it was included in holiday. Boat out to reef all equipment provided a couple of talks about the reef feeding fish etc. You could walk around worship the sun. We out to Michaelmas Cay which is just a sand bar with half cut off due to birds being there. You were ferried there and back for your snorkel trip over the reef. We got morning coffee/tea lunch afternoon tea. As much coffee tea water to drink for free cold drinks extra. I wouldn't have picked this company [price] i would've picked one with a lot more to offer. The crew were good.

The staff was super friendly. While it was a big group, only 1 other person did the snorkel option so it was an intimate experience. The submersible was interesting, the food was good, but more importantly I got to see a sea turtle, parrot fish, giant clams, and saw very colorful corral.

We went on the Ocean Spirit in mid February during wet season after big washout in Northern QLD. It was such a hot and humid days in Cairns, and we were so glad that we booked this to get away from the CBD to ocean. The boat ride was pleasant. No rough surf and was very enjoyable sailing, within a very small group. Everyone enjoyed their personal space on the boat. They made 2 hours ride interesting with briefing of the day and marine biologist’s informative talk. The staff was all professional, friendly and helpful. They all are cautious about safety and look after their guests. Also the food was good, variety on the menu, including fresh salad and prawns. Afternoon tea was good too, with complimentary bubbly after swim. Because of the weather and season, snorkeling was ordinary. Visibility was bad that you couldn’t see much, and they made me wear a life jacket because of strong current, which I have never done before, made me not to go down deeper. There is still plenty of marine animals and coral including turtles and clownfish - but it wasn’t as good as my other experiences in cairns because the water wasn’t clear from rainwater and the color of coral was not vivid, due to overcast weather. Michaelmas cay - I have been on other similar snorkeling trips to much better snorkeling spots. 2 hours sail out and still not super excellent corals…. One thing I wouldn’t recommend is the submersible boat, and we got so seasick. It was very claustrophobic to start with and stank from (probably) vomit, and we weren’t able to see much because of bad visibility, which made us feeling like being badly rocked in a very small space, looking at the green window. Should’ve gone out to snorkeling instead. Overall, it was still enjoyable trip but would have been excellent if the weather was better and if we picked the right season.

We did this tour with the intro dive and it was amazing. The staff were extremely helpful so everyone felt at ease and fun to work with. The food provided was fantastic we got to see some cool wildlife

loved the tour. Stunning part of the world. Tour guide staff were excellent and informative. The only slight disappointment would have to be the food quality offered on board (no proper coffee-only instant coffee, dry unappetising cold chicken, two curries to choose from) not 5 star as written in your brochure. . . . I would loved to have more photos taken of me as I was travelling solo and my own phone overheated. Other than that highly recommend it and would attend again any day. Good value too.

Absolutely epic day on the Great Barrier Reef aboard Ocean Spirit!! Beautiful boat, very spacious and stunning reef. Loved being able to go onto the Cay and check out all the birds too. Matt, Nico and Scotty put in the extra and made our day on the way home

I recently went on the Ocean Spirit day tour and, unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. The boat was extremely crowded, with around 120 people on board, which made it difficult to find a comfortable seat. If you needed to get up for any reason, such as going to the bathroom or getting a drink, there was a high chance that you would return to find someone else in your spot. The availability of stinger suits was also a concern. There weren't enough suits in common sizes, and I was offered a suit in my size that was covered in mold. I declined to wear that due to health concerns. The alternative options were either wear two sizes smaller or three sizes larger, which were not ideal. Same went for my child - who is 7. We both ended up in suits that were too tight and of course that dampened the whole snorkelling experience due to lack of comfort. The overall experience felt chaotic, with long lines and waits for everything, and the staff appeared overwhelmed, which diminished the atmosphere of the tour. The food provided was average, and while the destination itself was beautiful, the large crowds made it challenging to fully enjoy. Having been on various excursions with different companies in the past in the region this particular tour was not my favorite. It may be a better experience for those who don’t mind the crowds, but personally, I wouldn’t choose to do it again.

The grandkids loved the snorkelling and seeing all the fish, followed a turtle and saw the jumbo clam shells! Great boat ! Staff were very pleasant.

Everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. Snorkeling was amazing. The kids had a great time. The crew were helpful, knowledgeable, and kept things organized and moving at a great pace.

Great experience. We got a generous time on the beach you could swim, lay on the sand or spend the whole time snorkeling. There were sting rays, clown fish and giant turtles. The food (the light breakfast, snack and lunch) was great All crew members were very helpful and available for any questions. Would do it again!

I had relatives visiting from the UK & as part of our trip to Palm Cove they had requested to go out onto the reef, after much research I chose Ocean Spirit and was so glad that I did! We had a great day, the ability to snorkel from the beach was one thing that attracted me and it certainly enhanced the experience for those of us who are not strong swimmers, the coral was plentiful & there were also lots of colourful fish to see whilst still being able to stand up! Being the only vessel there made it more special. The food was good quality & the crew on board were all great fun & knowledgeable, I would highly recommend the trip

Had an amazing time on the boat and snorkeling glad we cancelled to do some other trip and went on this boat small group staff were really friendly lunch was lovely.

The snorkelling with wild clams, turtles and the reef was amazing but the semi-sub tour was even better. The biologists (we had Luiza and a great guy whose name I am embarrassed not to remember) are friendly and knowledgeable and eager to share why the reef and cay are unique, but all the staff are friendly and helpful. I recommend the life jacket for snorkeling even if you’re a good swimmer - you want to be out there the whole time and you’re going to be much less tired with it, so you’ll see more. There’s smaller groups on this tour, which really helps you to see fish etc as you don’t have four hundred people scaring them off.

Travelled on the 18 August. Unfortunately, there were engine problems so the return boat trip to the reef took 5.5 hours (instead of 4 hours) and our time at the reef was cut short to under 3 hours. Given the limited time at the reef it would've been nice if they had organised more frequent shuttles from the boat to the beach. That didn't happen. My biggest gripe was that I had specifically checked beforehand about prescription masks. I am very short sighted with -6.5 prescription. I specifically asked before booking if they would have prescription masks close to this range and was told that they did. However, when I arrived on the boat, the closest prescription masks were -5 and -8. I couldn't see the coral and fish very clearly due to this issue. If you say you have prescription masks, you need to follow through and have them. If I had known beforehand that they didn't have anything close to my prescription (when I specifically asked), I would've never booked with them.

Fantastic hospitality. Great service around snorkelling and semi -submersible. E cell ent food and drinks. A wonderful experience we hope to do again.

Honestly couldn’t imagine a better day on the Great Barrier Reef. The marine biology talk was so lovely and then going to see the coral in person. The staff made it so relaxing and not daunting at all. Especially because I struggle sometimes with snorkelling.

Ocean spirits crews were very friendly. I love how they organise the whole trip and be flexible if needed. I and my son truly enjoyed the entire trip and the food provided on the cruise. The staffs are absolutely amazing! We highly recommend this to family with kids or elderly.

Overpriced for value received. Staff sporadically present and not customer friendly. We were left on our own and we were not the only couple who had this opinion. A recommendation: send your staff to see how zigzag staff does it on their Whitsunday snorkel tour on the Great Barrier Reef ! Zigzag team sure demonstrates enthusiasm, devotion and careful attention to all …. We got totally the opposite with Ocean Spirit team and were very disappointed as we did not have our money’s worth We do not recommend this tour with Ocean Spirit.