Sunlover Great Barrier Reef Day Trip To Moore Reef Pontoon

You will need to get in the water and snorkel in order to see the beauty of the fish and marine life. The glass bottom boat and the submersible do not provide the experience that I was expecting.

The Sunlover Reef cruise was amazing and well worth the cost. The boat was modern and crew were extremely friendly & helpful, they took great care of everyone’s safety, especially whilst snorkeling on the reef. The buffet lunch was plentiful and tasty, this trip was the highlight of my Cairns visit and the variety of fish & stunning coral was incredible. I highly recommend this trip.

Great experience with lovely professional people.Amazing View that you will never forget.Swimming with colorful and big fish it’s way different than aquarium.Best snorkeling guide feel safe and finding good spots to stay with fish.Must try with family ,I got 7 and 9 years old.best ever

We sere extremely disappointed with this company and the poor customer service. The staff member we dealt with was dismissive and extremely unhelpful and quite frankly couldn't be bothered to get out of her chair to communicate with us regarding our query. I was also concered about the handling of medical information. On the way out to the island on the ferry we were given one form and asked to complete it (we were a group of 5) and we handed it in to a member of staff as instructed. On the way back we were each given 5 form and told to complete one each. They appeared to have lost the first form. This was well after the event and when we were about 5 mins from the end of our journey. This raised concerns for us about how important medical and safety information was being collected and managed and paid attention to especially as this is probably a legal requirement. The biggest disappointment was the value for money. The tour was described as an offshore guided snorkelling tour but we essentially did the same snorkelling as everyone else who was there independently and for free. The main difference appeared to be having a lifeguard with us. She was extremely good but we did not need her. Other guided snorkelling tours offer the same qualified staff but offer more in terms of being taken to places, even off the shore, where the general public would not necessairly know to go. Overall we were disappointed with the customer service, concerned about the handling of medical information and felt that the guided snorkel tour did not offer good value for money.

Had a fabulous time. We did the snorkel tour with Ted - just excellent. Shout out to Mousa aka Finn also great 👍

A lovely day. I enjoyed the snorkeling, glass bottom boat and semi submersible experiences. Unfortunately the food was pretty bad.

Amazing experience seeing the coral reef & swimming with different fish! The crew was helpful and courteous. Boat ride to the pontoon was a bit choppy even though wind was only 10-15 knots. I took 1 Travacalm original & it helped. We did the sea walking as well, A$150pp for 20 mins. It’s worth it! Being surrounded by fish underwater was incredible. The buffet lunch was mediocre with salad, bread, cold shrimp, beef stew, veggie curry & white rice etc.

This was an excellent experience both for my husband and I who snorkelled, and our friends who chose to remain dry and took advantage of the submersible and glass bottom boat tours. The staff were exceptional. They were extremely attentive and efficient and very approachable. They seemed to get on well as a team.

Wow, I’ve made it! Wow, it was amazing! Wow, it’s done! This full-day activity flew in the blink of an eye! I was planning the pontoon adventure as my main activity while visiting Great Barrier Reef. Well, with Sunlover cruise. And I am happy to complete it. I don’t snorkel, but there are plenty ways to explore the Reef by other means, like underwater observatory, a semi-submersible and glass bottom boats, which are the great alternatives to see the underwater life. Lunch on the pontoon and sunbathing on the sun deck were very relaxing. I became so much relaxed that I was about to skip the last attraction - fish feeding, but it became “a cherry on the cake”! The feeding attracted lots of rare sea creatures to the underwater observatory and it was a great and spectacular way to finish the trip.

The reef cruise itself was amazing. We had a fantastic experience with Ted, our snorkel guide. He gave a great description of the reef and made us feel very comfortable. The customer service at the check in was very poor. During ticket collection, had a few questions about the cruise and the lady at the check-in seemed visibly annoyed with my questions and responded rudely saying “Do you want to check in or no?”. This is not an acceptable behavior from the company whom we paid more than a thousand dollars to

This was a wonderful day on the Great Barrier Reef and Fitzroy Island and well set up for families with children. My 7 year old daughter is just learning to snorkel, but she was able to enjoy the safe kids swimming area, the water slide, glass bottom boat, underwater observatory and fish feeding. All the staff were professional and friendly, and Fiztroy Island is a tropical paradise.

The glass boat and the submarine viewing windows were very dirty and unclear so it ruined our experience. The seats of the boat from the base were sunk and low. It was hard to view anything from the seats. Rest of the things including food, staff and travel times were good.

We chose this particular reef experience because it seemed family friendly and offered a lot of variety out on the reef pontoon. Pros: very friendly staff, variety of activities available (snorkeling and glass bottom boat were favorites), Moore reef was absolutely stunning, lunch included, most gear included Cons: instructions and guidance for activities were hit or miss (I missed important info because I was in the toilets and there were no speakers down there), bathroom facilities were not great even though boat was clean and modern, buffet lunch was edible but not great, semi submersible was pointless (water was cloudy and you couldn’t see anything), time at the reef felt a bit rushed and chaotic. **Don't make the same mistake I did - towels are NOT provided so you must bring your own. This surprised me because everyone is tourists staying in hotels so why would we have beach towels with us or purchase them for one time use? Towels should be provided or at least available to rent by the tour operator**

The crew are very professional, friendly. The facility provides fun for every one. My kids love the snorkeling, and enjoy the waterside. It’s a life time experience for us.

Long and very bumpy boat ride to get there. They did offer sea sickness tablets before departure but these had to be purchased and were not included in the $350+ per person that we paid for the tour. This resulted in almost half the passengers throwing up on the way and staff had to run around cleaning up after them. The pontoon itself is nice and there was plenty of space for the amount of people. Lunch was a nice hot meal. The underwater observatory on the pontoon is a nice touch and there were plenty of big fish swimming around close to the window. The slide was fun too. The snorkelling part was what was a little concerning to me. The reef area that they had cordoned off for snorkelling was a very shallow section the day we went, maybe it was low tide but it was very easy to touch the corals just by swimming over top of them on the surface. Very easy to accidentally touch corals. Also, we saw people purposely stepping on corals, we went to tell the person on lookout about it and they said "oh we tried to tell them, they didn't understand". The people maybe didn't speak English, but to me this is unacceptable - as a tour operator in this vulnerable natural environment, I believe Sunlover need to take full responsibility over the actions of their guests and get them removed from the reef if they aren't behaving responsibly. Also they should never send people out to snorkel in such a shallow section - there should be a different cordoned section at low tide which doesn't allow people to be in arms reach of the corals. The semi submarine experience was also a bit disappointing - windows were dirty and there wasn't too much to see on the route we took. The snorkelling itself was amazing and had a very abundant sea life population and beautiful colorful corals, and we saw a turtle too.

Easy to board and to navigate around the ship and platoon. Minimal supplies for snorkeling, had to wait if you don’t go to the snorkeling activity first. Glass bottom boat guide was highly knowledgeable and the staff was friendly and helpful.

The seas were rough on the way out, we took motion pills and were glad we did. Many others did not and paid the price. The staff were excellent, the lunch was good. The amount of activities for all ages far exceeded expectations.

Reef was excellent and all Crew were excellent and all activities were very good all together Excellent thank you Sunlover tours would happily recommend and go again regards Paul

Excellent experience . It was beyond our expectations. Every instruction was written and our pick up was always on time

We had the best day, hands down the best experience we had in the 9 days we were in North Queensland. The Reef was beautiful and the staff were very helpful and experienced. We paid extra and did the Sea Walk which was once in a lifetime opportunity. Can't wait to get back to Moore Reef.

What a fantastic way to take someone who had never been to Cairns before or seen the reef and experience the natural beauty of this Paradice. Indigenous Tour Guide Tim David took us on a wonderful glass bottom boat experience and immersed us in his culture. Tim sat with us on the trip back for over an hour explaining his connection to land and family. The Helicopter extra was a must if you can afford it.

Great experience and chance to see the GBR. Sea conditions was a bit rough heading out (highly recommend taking travel sickness tablets!) Once at the Pontoon, conditions were much more stable. Great range of activities to choose from for swimmers and non-swimmers. Glass bottom boat wasnt working though. Food was decent and plentiful. Not too crowded when we went so plenty of room on the pontoon.

Great staff, very fun, had a great time. Would like to try one of their other trips if I visit Cairns again.

We had a great day!! A bit anxious to start with regarding the snorkeling but the staff were amazing!! Saw some amazing sea life including a turtle! Would highly recommend.

Didn’t know what to expect - you take a large boat with about 200 other folks to a “island” platform next to a reef. You can snorkel right over the reef and see lots of fish and coral. Additionally, you can take a “submarine” if you don’t want to get into the water but you can’t really get much of the experience from that. You may get seasick during the 1.5 - 2 hr trip to the platform (many did, and they were passing out nausea bags). Opt for the lowest level if you tend to get seasick. We took a helicopter back from the platform. Book that option early or opt for a private helicopter flight, but that will set you back quite a bit. Very enjoyable trip - glad we did it!

I’d rate them a 1 out of 5 "Warning to international travelers and independent bookings: Sunlover Reef Cruises packs their public departures with massive, chaotic school field trips without warning paying guests. I traveled 10,000 miles for a bucket-list experience, only to have the pontoon and buffet overrun by unruly children throwing food overboard. Worse, when the crew explicitly promised to put me on a quiet 2:00 PM glass-bottom boat departure to remedy the chaos, they broke their promise at the last second and loaded the boat with rowdy kids anyway. Management (Amy Davis) completely dismissed the complaint, calling the nightmare a 'lively atmosphere' and hiding behind generic corporate text. Entirely unprofessional. If you want a peaceful, premium reef experience, book with a smaller, more reputable operator."

We spent an incredible day at Moore reef with Sunlover cruises. The reef is vibrant and filled with different corals and fish everywhere. Life vests are compulsory and a life guard is on duty so I, as a very poor swimmer, felt completely safe and snorkelled for hours. The lunch was lovely with enough food for everyone. We will definitely be doing this tour again, it was amazing

I went with my fiance to book a reef trip cruise back in Jan and we were overwhelmed by the stunning scenery and the beauty of Australia. I did a full day snorkeling and what blew me away was the hospitality of the crew helping handle sick people and food. A young attendant really stuck out to me I believe she said her name was Chelsea. She was bubbly and kind she showed lots of compassion and love for her job. She was chatty and warm to everyone made me and my fiance feel welcome and at ease all day. Boat faciality's were good it was a comfortable ride snorkeling was amazing and water was beautiful. However boat staff really topped off the trip and Chelsea was so amazing!

The wind over the water made the trip rocky and uncomfortable. We both got sick. But that wasn't anyone's fault. The crew was very nice, very professional. We felt safe and well cared for. The lunch was ok. One of us didn't eat because of being sick, but that wasn't anyone's fault, either. The snorkeling was amazing. Beautiful location for it. Even with the weather not cooperating, we are glad we went.

My immediate reaction on seeing the pontoon on arriving at the reef was that it was like something out of Mad Max. But it was fine. Things were a bit rushed as we left Cairns late and the result was that we didn't really have time for lunch as we had a guided snorkel tour booked with Erica for 1.30, lunch finished at 2 and we had things we wanted to do before our tour. But all the staff worked extremely hard and were very friendly and Erica took my wife and I out alone as we are extremely poor swimmers at sea and she was very patient, kind and helpful while constantly telling us what we were seeing. So 100% for her. Thank you Erica! But the glass bottomed boat didn't show much and neither did the semi submersible. So a Very Good, although the crew were outstanding. A good day out.

My wife and I booked a day trip on Sunlover Reef Cruises to Moore Reef and Fitzroy Island. The first part of the day involved cruising out to the Moore Reef pontoon for snorkeling and trips on their glass bottom boat and semi-submersible. On the trip out I was offered a chance to have a guided snorkeling tour of the Reef with Erika; Sunlovers marine biologist. It cost ASD 65 and I have to say it was worth every penny and I would highly recommend taking out this option Erica was super knowledgeable and friendly and with limited snorkeling time and a pretty big area to cover Erica will take you to all the best bits of the Reef. We saw a green turtle and the Reef was alive with vibrant coral and anemonies. The fish life was spectacular. Vickie doesn't swim so took the glass bottom boat and sub rides which she thoroughly enjoyed. All in all a great day out and would highly recommend.

There are different activities out on the pontoon at Moore Reef. The trip out to the Great Barrier Reef was very rough waters getting out to the reef due to the storm and high winds. All was done safely. Out at the protective Reef the seas were calm. The water was clear. The Reef appeared very healthy. There was an abundance of various underwater fish. I was amazed by the thousands of baby fish. The pontoon had water slides, observation decks for viewing above and below thr water. There was a partial submersible submarine, a glass bottom boat, diving, snorkeling, helmet diving, helicopter fligbhts, eco talks and tours. The meal was very good and plentiful. The bar was good. I never felt crowded. The crew was great with taking care of guests. I enjoyed the whole adventure. We have out to the reef several times over the past 20 or so years and this has been the best.

This was a fantastic excursion! Everyone was so incredibly helpful on the boat and with getting our snorkel gear on. They even had a scuba diver below, who took pictures of us snorkeling, which was an incredible keepsake. The food was great and the whole experience was wonderful.

awesome service, very kind and helpful staff, couldnot get any better customer service than this for >100 people with lots of activities on board, However, food quality should be better.

Beautiful views. Professionally run. Shame I didn’t see a turtle.

This was our fifth time on Sun Lovers and we had another fantastic experience on Moore Reef-cheaper than other tours available, so great value! We swam with a turtle, saw rainbow parrot fish, Nemo and Dory! The lunch was very good and plentiful and my 10 year old spent most of his time on the slide! The crew members go above and beyond to help you-thoroughly recommend!

This was an amazing day trip. We enjoyed the entire experience and activities. The staff were outstanding as well.

Wonderful experience visiting the Great Barrier Reef! The whole day was well organized and offered plenty to do. Lunch is provided on the boat and was fantastic. The crew was well trained, informative and very professional!

Food was not good Snorkel guard was not very helpful We were not able to spend much time on the reef.

The tour was fine. Very hard to hear directions or any communication over the PA system. On the glass bottom boat portion we were at the other end of the boat from the crew person and we couldn’t hear a word she said. Updating this speaker system would be beneficial, since there is none at the moment.

I dove with Sunlover twice during a trip to Cairns, AU, and have a number of comments, one of which was a genuine safety concern: 1) The first day, I had good dives overall. Two different divemasters, both of which were competent and we saw some cool things. 2) The second day, I had a new divemaster. I am a certified diver, and was paired with a diving instructor called Ken. She is an Asian female, but went by Ken. To cut to the chase, she had a hard time translating BAR pressure to PSI, she asked me about my air level very little while underwater, I let her know when I was at half tank, then I let her know when I was at 1000 pounds, which is the "wrap it up and do a safety stop" pressure. It was at that point she realized we were lost. She surfaced twice, at which point I realized we were lost. I surfaced, and saw that we were at least 500 meters away from the boat, and I did not have enough air to safely get back underwater. She then asked to leave my diving partner behind and bring me to the boat, which I very strongly objected to. We headed back towards the boat as a group swimming at the surface, but I was on my back and I felt my tank hit something. Ken failed to tell me that the reef was in between us and the boat. I ended up on top of the reef, which was not good. 3) When we finally got back close to the pontoon next to the boat I had to do a short stint underneath the pontoon to get to the platform, took me to 500 psi, which is below safety minimum. I don't have a polite way to say this: her failure to ask me about my a periodically was not an act of a competent dive master. Her getting us lost at the dive site was not an act of a competent dive master. Her asking to leave my partner behind in the water was an act of true incompetence in my opinion. I cannot recommend using Sunlover for any diving activities. I tried two of their competitors and had a much, much more positive experience with both of them. Finally, this outfit is very very financially focused. 2nd dives cost an exorbitant amount. Their picture packages are more than double their competitors. Instead of installing security cameras on the boat to keep everyone (and their possessions) safe, they waste space with rental lockers that cose $10 each. This is a sales-focused outfit, and their two competitors were much more service focused. Stay safe. Avoid diving with Sunlover.

Overall the experience is very good. Crew was on top of everything. Be advised that the trip to and from the reef is 90 minutes each way, but this is unavoidable if you’re wanting to snorkel the GBR.

This was a great way to experience the Great Barrier Reef. You are supplied with all of the equipment for snorkeling. The day includes a buffet lunch and a tour on a glass-bottomed boat. Fun day out at sea.

I was in contact 2/3 times with this company over concerns it would be canceled due to weather. They where responsive and told me that they where monitoring the situation and would let me know if they have to cancel. I get there and they have a big sign that says canceled. They told me they texted me which they did not. I asked about a refund and immediately got an email about cancelation and refund. I’m near 100% certain they where hoping I no showed to keep my money. We booked with the company next door same day thankfully.

Watch yourself with this place. I booked on Viator. There was a low pressure system coming in during our stay/tour. I contacted them 2/3 times throughout the course of the week about possible cancelation on Viator as this was the highlight of our trip. I was assured they were monitoring the weather and that they would let me know if they cancel via the Viator app. We arrive with my three small kids I packed up and transported there and they have a big fat sign that says canceled! I asked why no one notified me and why the tour company next door was going. She said oh we sent cancelation to your phone and email. WRONG. Didn’t happen. So I obviously inquired about a refund to which they said oh yes of course. I immediately got a email cancelation notice and notice of refund. It’s my belief they were hoping for a no show to keep my $$. We went with the Great Barrier Reef company next door.

A Fantastic experience. Jonathan was very helpful guide. The Great Barrier Reef is really awesome to see. They are patient and nice. They are friendly and the food on boat is great. All in all : Dont miss it Krishna

Great guides and tour. Lots of options to snorkel, dive and glass bottom boat to see the Great Barrier Reef. Lunch was quite varied also.

Overall, the experience was good, but we were disappointed that submarine was not in a working condition

We were lucky with the weather as the crossing was smooth which isn’t always the case. The pontoon is extremely busy and not particularly relaxing. However, if you book activities and/or snorkel, this won’t bother you. I recommend the guided snorkel.