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Cairns · Queensland · Australia
Ocean Freedom Cruise to Upolu Cay Reef & Outer Edge Upolu Reef
Starting From
From $162.76 per person
Current Project Expedition rate
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Project Expedition
The Experience
What your day looks like
Cruise to 2 Unique Great Barrier Reef Sites Travel with style and speed on our comfortable 20 metre motor catamaran. Ocean Freedom provides you with a first class way to experience two unique Great Barrier Reef sites, without the crowds. Enjoy truly personalised service. Our crew will connect with you to ensure you have the best reef experience possible. Ocean Freedom is the only boat in Cairns offering a full 6 hours on the reef, meaning there’s absolutely no rush in the day. You get to enjoy all the complimentary water activities, whilst still having time to relax and enjoy a long lazy lunch. Experience an adventure drift snorkel tour with our attentive crew and jump on board for an informative glass bottom boat tour. If interested in taking your first ever scuba dive experience with us (optional extra ), Ocean Freedom’s unique 2 divers to 1 instructor ratio ensures your comfort and care. If you’re a certified diver, enjoy a small personal group with complimentary guide, so you can just relax and enjoy the sights! This 5 star tour visits 2 great and unique destinations. The crystal clear, shallow waters and surrounding reef of Upolu Cay and “Wonder Wall” on the outer edge of Upolu Reef. Explore the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef with us, for a simply superb day in paradise. Duration 9 Hours total. Ocean Freedom departs at 8am and returns at 4.15-4.30pm Why Travel with Ocean Freedom? Must Do Experience For the discerning traveller wanting first class service with that friendly ozzie touch, you must choose Ocean Freedom. Our enthusiastic crew are committed to providing for your every need. More Reef Time 6hrs to experience 2 very unique and different destinations on the Great Barrier Reef. Just over 1 hour to get to the reef and only 10 minutes travelling between the 2 destinations. No rush in the day. Personalised Tour You’re a name not a number. Guest numbers are strictly limited to 75 (despite being surveyed to carry 105) ensuring maximum customer service and passenger comfort. Be pampered by us. Lots of Inclusions Complimentary Glass Bottom Boat Tour, with informative reef talk, Adventure Drift Snorkel Tour, scrumptious seafood smorgasbord lunch including smoked salmon and prawns, tea and coffee all day. Drift Snorkeling Guided adventure drift snorkel tours showcase the best of the Great Barrier Reef (exact site dependent on conditions on day ) Float gently, admiring the amazing variety of colourful corals and marine life beneath you. Dive the Reef (Optional Extra) Ocean Freedom offers introductory diving (no experience needed) and certified diving. All dives are guided and the highest ratio of dive instructor to diver is offered. We take your safety seriously. Environment Ocean Freedom is an Advanced Eco Certified product and Green Travel Leader and been committed to responsible and sustainable practices for nearly 30 years. With numerous years of connecting our guests to the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, we continue to stay committed to this- our more recent projects being our Coral Nurture Programme with scientists, collecting valuable data on our tourism sites for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) so that they can gather the information for optimal management of the Great Barrier Reef and purchasing trees for a regeneration project in the beautiful Daintree. Value for Money This is a great value for money day tour with lots of inclusions. You have 6 hours to explore Upolu Cay area and Outer Edge Upolu – 2 unique Great Barrier Reef destinations.
At a Glance
The experience, in brief
- Visit two uniquely different Great Barrier Reef sites
- Snorkel and discover "Wonder Wall" on the outer Edge of Upolu reef
- 6hrs of actual reef time no rush in the day
Detailed Itinerary
The journey, in full
Check-in from 7.15 am at the Ocean Free & Freedom desk located inside the Reef Fleet terminal, 1 Spence Str Cairns. After check-in, our friendly staff will direct you to the boat located on A Finger no 5 for boarding from 7.30 am. On boarding, store your bags and then grab a coffee or tea with a Danish pastry and fresh fruit and settle in while the rest of the guest’s board. If you have chosen the optional diving, you will fill out a diving medical questionnaire onboard. Please ask our dive staff any questions you may have. After a head count the boat departs the dock at 8.00am. Listen to the safety brief as you depart the marina and start to get excited as your journey to the Great Barrier Reef begins! On the way our helpful staff will give out snorkel equipment - again please be sure to ask any questions you may have. If diving, you will also be briefed on the journey out. After just over an hour, we arrive at our first Great Barrier Reef destination - the beautiful "Wonder Wall " - located on the outer edge of Upolu reef. Once moored our crew will conduct a snorkel brief showing you how and where to snorkel, where the Look Out is located and provide you with any assistance you require. Experience an informative complimentary Glass Bottom Boat Tour and a complimentary Adventure Drift Snorkel tour with our very attentive and knowledgeable snorkel guides (all top snorkel equipment included). After a full morning of in-water activities or just relaxing sit back and enjoy a large smorgasbord lunch with smoked salmon, prawns, mixed meat, chicken platter, 3 different salads and assorted breads as we cruise to our second Great Barrier Reef site - Upolu Cay Reef. Snorkel this "coral garden" tropical blue oasis - look out for turtles and sting rays! At times when conditions allow you can land on a small sandy cay but at all times you will have the shallow crystal-clear turquoise waters to snorkel in. With only just over an hour to arrive at this first reef site and only 10 minutes travel time to the second reef site - Ocean Freedom offers six hours between both sites to enjoy all the activities and relax with no rush in the day. After a magical day we start our journey back to Cairns serving fresh fruit, cheese and crackers and cake whilst you chat to fellow travellers or just relax and take in the views - arriving back in Cairns by 4.15- 4.30 pm - well in time for a sunset drink on the esplanade! We bid you Bon Voyage and are thrilled to now have you as part of our ever-growing “Ocean Free & Freedom family. If you loved the day and our customer service why not also join us on our sister boat Ocean Free for a completely different experience but same passionate service - we are always happy to see you again!
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Cairns
Snorkeling at The Great Barrier Reef.
Before You Go
What to know before booking
Included
All snorkelling equipment - fins, mask and snorkel, snorkel jacket Glass Bottom Boat Tour Adventure Drift Snorkel Tour Lycra or wetsuit depending on season Prescription masks (please prebook)
Not Included
Diving is also an optional extra that can be decided on and booked on board - this is subject to not having any medical issues or taking any medication contrary to diving. Bus transfers not included but can be pre-booked as an optional extra
What to Bring
What to bring: As if going to the beach - Swimming costume, hat, sunglasses, towel, sunscreen, credit card/cash (to purchase any optional extras or drinks on board). The boat is fast and most open air so not conducive to travel sickness - however if you are prone to travel sickness and intend to take any medication then it is best to take 20 minutes before boarding.
Restrictions
All diving is subject to you having no medical condition or taking any medication (past or present) which may be contradictory to diving. All divers (certified and introductory) will be required to fill out a diving medical questionnaire on board each vessel, regardless of whether pre-booked or booking on board. If diving on the day is very important to you, and you are taking any medication, or have any past or present medical conditions, please email us so we can further advise if any medical clearance is necessary prior to your date of travel. It is also imperative that you inform us of any health condition or medication truthfully as diving has special health requirements, in part, also due to breathing compressed air. Your safety is our absolute concern. The tour requires you to be mobile and stable enough to move around a moving vessel and to be able to navigate some step ladders into and out of the water and also step from the main vessel into the Glass Bottom Boat and back. Soft Adventure and suitable for youth, family and active retirees.
Meeting & Pickup
Check-In From 7.15 am at Ocean Freedom desk inside the [Reef Fleet Terminal, 1 Spence Str, Cairns] #Boarding From 7.30 am (after check-in) at the Ocean Freedom Vessel docked on # 5 A Finger (in front of Reef Fleet Terminal) . Bus service can be pre-booked a time of booking
Languages Offered
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Before Booking
You must be fully mobile and stable enough to move around a moving vessel and and be able to go up and down stairs into the water and out and transfer from the main vessel into a tender and then onto the beach and back. If you are thinking of doing any diving (certified or non -certified (Introductory) - please let us know whether you have any past or present medical issues, or taking any medication so that we may advise you if any medical clearance may be required by a doctor trained in diving medicine prior to day of travel - QLD has very high safety regulations . This avoids any disappointment on the day
Planning Notes
Hotel pickup offered: Yes Confirmation: Manual By Business
Traveler Impressions
What travelers are saying
2024-09-22
4.00 / 5
They did a good job taking care of their clients.
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