Poseidon Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Diving Cruise from Port Douglas

Great for both SCUBA and Snorkel!!

TL;DR: Great for both SCUBA and Snorkel (also have "crash course SCUBA"). Three dive sites w/min down town between. Great dive guides! State of the art dive equipment. Closed heel fins. Bring your own towel. Good food w/veg option and beer for sale. Certified Advanced Eco Tourism. Would 100% book again! I highly recommend the Poseidon Snorkel & Dive Cruise! My husband and I are SCUBA certified, but our friends are not and like to snorkel. This was the best cruise to accommodate both SCUBA and Snorkel. We did 3 dive sites at the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs which were amazing! They broke down the SCUBA groups into 3 major groups; Experienced, Novice, and "Crash Course SCUBA". I am a novice and my husband is experienced, but they put him in my group so we could be buddies. Kevin, our dive guide, was great. He knew I was a novice so he checked on me often during the first dive, then talking with him after he did less "check-in's" the remaining 2 dives, since he knew I felt comfortable. I overheard some of the training for the "crash course SCUBA" class and it was all good material to refresh myself on (since I just got certified and I learned units in imperial). This would be a good option for someone who is comfortable in the water and wants to SCUBA, but does not want a certification. The food on board was great and offered vegetarian options. There was beer for sale which was great for the ride back. The boat is large enough to bring a small bag with towel and change of clothes, which I recommend for the ride back. They provided Lycra suits for SCUBA and snorkel since it was "stinger" season. I brought my own mask since I felt most comfortable with it. The gear was exactly what I trained on with separate secondary regulator. They pack your BCD with an extra snorkel and inflatable signal tube. They do provide closed heel fins, so if you are between sizes on fins you should bring your own dive socks to be more comfortable. On the ride back you can order pictures/USB they took along the way and had them ready before we left the boat. All in all a great day!

Emma and Steve are the funny ones .....

Great team. Friendly and humorous. The whole experience was fantastic. I would recommend thus to anyone wanting to dive on the reef.

Certified Diver Horrendous Experience - Be Forewarned!

Certified Diver (PADI) review only. I had booked a total of 6 dives separated over 2 days, December 5th and 7th departing from Port Douglas. To summarize I was completely shocked with the lack of professionalism, rudeness and extremely poor customer service offered by several boat staff including Scuba Professionals Dive Masters. Both days were on a mixed Snorkel/Scuba Tour Boats: Dive Day #1 SuperSonic, Dive Day #2 Poseidon Outer Reef. I will now proceed to provide backup details to justify my negative review. Whilst the the balance of evidence is not quite sufficient to submit a PADI Serious Incident Report it's only by the thinnest of margins - I witnessed 2 safety incidents. I was directly involved in the second incident which could have resulted in the death of a fellow scuba diver. In my estimation there was a lack of co-ordination between the Diver Master and Dive Coordinator which directly resulted in 2 unsafe water entries. In the second incident in which I was directly involved the Diver Master intimidated and rushed this smaller group of 6 divers comprised of a Dive Master, 4 paying certified divers plus one employee diver on a pleasure dive. We were harried during suit up and rushed into the water for the commencement of diving - this was a significant contributing factor to what potentially could have been a scuba diving fatality. When I challenged the staff on the safety issues upon my return to the boat I was berated and humiliated to the extent that I cancelled my 3rd dive on December 7th - I was in complete shock at what I witnessed. Incidentally the Dive package cost $400/day for 3 separate dives - I was refunded $15.22 for cancelling my last dive? Full disclosure I am a novice Diver aged 60 - which I was at pains to point out during the initial dive briefings. Other less serious issues I observed but nonetheless very aggravating.... 1. Underwater Photography...there is a cameraman who escorts on certain dives. In one instance at ~10m depth I was waiting to get a picture of me with a cuttlefish - as I attempted to move into photo position the Dive Master photo bombed the shot - which she laughingly later admitted at surface. On the second day we had a smaller group of 4 paying dive customers The photographer did not take any photos of me. 2. Buddy System - Diving is a buddy sport but when everyone is wearing the same black Lycra rental stinger suit it's really easy to lose your buddy which just adds to confusion at depth. Add in a couple of groups of 8 people mixing underwater and its chaos. I recommended that we all have paired colour coded identifiable armbands but this was waived off by the experts in charge. 3. Time Wasting - On the first day a Pro level paying customer was using his own equipment, he was paired as my buddy he had his own equipment so he was identifiable. He was the last diver scheduled to enter the water - as he was about to enter the water he realized he forgot his weights - then he had problems with his tank, etc. The water was a little choppy so I was using the regulator - and was consuming air at surface. Hence total bottom time was reduced accordingly. If the Dive Master had any decency or respect to the folks already in the water she should have informed Pro guy to postpone his dive. The Pro guy was assigned to me as my buddy - a complete mismatch in skills - he delighted to chart his own course - at least he was identifiable albeit at a lengthy distance, absolutely useless in case of an emergency. 4. Insulting Behaviour - I received my PADI certification in Thailand - it was directly expressed by the Dive Master on the second day that Thailand is an unsafe country in which to dive - effectively inferring I was an unsafe diver? When the review book came around at the end of the second day - the Dive Master from the first day said "well I guess we wont ask Kenny for a review today.....hahaha" this was in front of other paying customers resulting in more humiliation for me. 5. General Assistance - There was a lack of any helpful support - i.e helping with Stinger suit removal ( they are thin Lycra suits) staff would watch me struggle with my suit removal and fin removal...with folded arms without extending a common courtesy of assistance. This was a bucket list trip for me travelling from Canada via Thailand to visit the GBR for what would potentially be the first and possibly the last time - let me end by saying this will definitely be my last trip to the GBR on a mixed snorkel/scuba tour. From my standpoint the behaviour of the staff has reflected poorly on my impression of Australia. I do have electronic copies of fully completed dive logs - No incidents were reported on either day.

Wonderful experience, highly recommend.

I had a great day, I was picked up by Cam am taken to the Port Douglas Marina. It was windy day and a rough ride on the boat but once on the reef and under the water it was amazing. We did three dives under Dive Master Gordon on the Poseidon through Quicksilver. The colour changing cuttlefish who stayed about for 5 minutes was a diving highlight. We had the opportunity to see sharks and the usual fish that live on the reef. The food was lovely along with the staff. I was placed on a different bus in the afternoon which had a fault light come on. This was not a problem Cam was driving another bus behind us and picked us up and we were on our way within 10 minutes.

Great experience

Would highly recommend this. It’s an amazing privileged experience. Good boat. Good gear and very exciting sites. I did a scuba initiation dive which was fantastic. Guide was very helpful and guided me very well. Thanks for that. Whereas most of the crew was very helpful and extremely friendly. One or two were very patronising and unfriendly which dramatically downgraded the experience. A point for this company to work on.

Unforgettable diving experience! One tick off bucket list!

The whole experience exdeeded my expectation. Staff was very friendly needless to mention the outstanding service. Diving equipment looked new and well maintained. There was a marine scientist to give us a talk between dives,which I appreciated a lot. We had three dives on the day. There wasn't much time in between because the agenda was quite packed. However, the arrangement was smooth, just be noted to have your lunch swiftly (not recommended to be so full when diving anyway) We met moray fish, lion fish, a lot of fishes etc. It looked like a huge aquarium in real life! One tick off my bucket list. Don't hesitate if you are thinking to join this tour. . . Let's peserve our ocean together because its so beautiful and utterly important to all living things :)

Highlight of my East Coast trip!

This trip is AMAZING. The boat is large, comfy and feels pretty luxurious compared to other day trips I have done. The staff are INCREDIBLE, so helpful and friendly - they cannot do enough for you. The snorkelling and dive locations themselves are stunning - full of life. I saw a reef shark, swam with a turtle and saw a baby nemo!! I did an intro dive, and our instructor Liam was brilliant. super chill and supportive. I was quite nervous about diving after dropping out of my open water course, and he made me feel safe and at ease. I enjoyed it so much I did a second dive and the next site. This part of the reef is still thriving, with life everywhere. The food was amazing and plentiful - vegan options were YUM! Highly recommend this trip - best on the reef, and I wouldn't go with anyone else.

Best day ever

Loved my trip to the reef with Poseidon. Kylie helped me scuba dive. She was amazing. I can’t fault them, a fantastic day out.

Amazing diving and amazing crew

We did the scuba diving option, the sites ( Phil's reef, the Point and the Nursery) and sea life were spectacular. The crew however were the best we gave had in 20+ years of diving. Attentive to detail, providdd excellent information on dives and were very friendly. Robbie, our dive leader took exceptionally good care of his divers in and out of the ocean! An exceptional diving experience at the GBR.

Fish and Reef all in one day!

Such a great time with my family. This has been the best snorkeling we have ever seen. We’ve tried Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. This is a once stop shop for great fish and beautiful reef.

Brilliant day-boat experience

What a fantastich day! As a cairns local, of course, we had jumped on many boats with our biggest advantage, great weather. However, Poseidon gives us an excellent boat trip experience with their friendly staff, nice food, well-experienced dive guide and they pick agincourt reef which is our favorite diving spots. Well, perspectives could be different from local people compare between boats; we look at food because we want nice refreshments to keep us energised under water. We look at staff and diving guide, we requires a passionate team to make us like having fun all day long. We had Adriana, an awesome guide in scuba-diving. We met Lucy that gave us a big smile when check-in. Obviously catamaran might not be the biggest vessel ex PD or cairns, we were still enjoying that we have space for our lunch, which is so important. We are happy to recommend Poseidon to my friends coming over for day boat diving trip and waiting for our next trip out =)

Wonderful

Amazing crew. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Funny as well. We did have a wonderful time snorkeling. Definitely go for them if you are wondering which cruise to take. Well worth it.

Scuba 🤿 diving and snorkeling

Today was the best day ever for my first time scuba 🤿 diving. I really enjoyed the crew on the boat today, they all made you feel very welcome, well educated with all their reef, ocean, scuba diving and snorkeling knowledge. Being in Port Douglas has been awesome. Steven who did the first time group in scuba diving made me feel safe and calm and was very professional. Hayley with her welcome on the boat was informative and had some funny jokes 😂🙈. The two lifeguard girls absolutely marvellous in their jobs, making sure that everyone was safe in and out of water 👌🏽. My mum who was sea sick 🤢 wasn’t real great. However the young girl who had red hair behind the bar kept making sure that she was okay and kept feeding her, LOVE THAT. The crew asked her several times if she ok and bought her water and food, amazing customer service. The young girl who is a lifeguard really knew her coral knowledge. She was deadly. Dan the boss was amazing and really friendly. I HONESTLY LOVED EVERYONE ON THE BOAT AND I HAD SO MUCH FUN. THANK YOU POSEIDON GROUP- KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Love Genelyn and Jenny

Friendly staff

Super friendly staff, they bent over backwards for my partner and I. We did two intro dives and loved it!

Reef was great. Operator was not

This company operates SilverSonic and other ships as well. On the plus side, I highly recommend going snorkeling or diving at the reef. It is a lot of fun and special. However, I felt this operator was more interested in "checking the boxes" to claim that they are giving you a first class experience than in actually delivering one. I found the staff fairly indifferent to everyone's needs, they made no attempt to make sure people could hear the explanations regarding the reef or what needed to be done. This could have easily been accommodated by using a portable or the ships speakers. The food was inadequate and they were rude when I asked about the meal. I rented an underwater camera from them and the battery died during the beginning of the 3rd dive. When I brought it back I lost most of the dive time and didn't even get an apology. He also never gave any instructions as to what to do to get the best results (be very close to the main focus of the picture and the closer to the surface the better b/c no flash or light). Again it was because they were more interested in checking the boxes and pushing their products than our actual experience. I had the opposite experience on an inner reef experience at Hamilton Island where they were highly attentive to everyone's needs and made sure everyone had a good experience. So the difficulty was not with having a ship or going snorkeling. I will say as an additional positive that they do keep things well organized so the large number of people while sometimes a problem at the reef was not a problem in terms of getting ones equipment (unless you had a problem) or getting on or off the boat.

Great time.

I went alone but they were very supportive even when I went for my first dive. We went to three site. Which was great. The instructor helped me through the dive. All the crew made time to talk to everyone one and made sure everyone had a good time. At the end of the day all the crew jumped off the boat and farewell everyone with great passion. These guys love there job. Keep up the good work. Will be back.

5 Stars!!! Perfectly organized trip w/ a super friendly crew and great snorkeling and diving spots

This trip was amazing!!! The trip was very well organized, the crew was amazing, food delicious and most importantly the reefs breath taking. Beside a super friendly and helpful crew we were able to see three different spots for snorkeling as well as diving. We could have not wished for a better trip. Thanks so much!!

Poseidon Diving

It was an excellent day, the visibility was great and our diving instructor was very friendly. we enjoyed every minute of our day and dives, took very good photoes.

Quality trip

After reading reviews about which Barrier Reef trip to choose I eventually chose Poseidon because they have access to parts of the Reef others don’t. I did see some bad reviews but thought I’d chance it. What can I say great trip excellent staff and they even gave a tour whilst out snorkelling where a member of the team would take you out in groups to look for certain things like ‘Nemo’. One thing I would say is I saw more snorkelling than I did diving so I wouldn’t worry about the diving aspect too much.

Dive instructor attitude

She was nasty. Treated me condescendingly the whole time. Awful attitude. Can t deal with questions. I was in tears when I came out. I stayed very humble and polite. Never again

Poseidon - Day Trip

The whole trip was fantastic and the best tour we've been on in Australia. I did an intro dive and Gordon was a great instructor and made me really want to dive again. The whole crew was so knowledgeable, helpful and the trip was very well organized. The staff was constantly offering coffee, sandwiches and other snacks between dives/snorkels. The last snorkel they offered a tour to show you what you're seeing on the reef. We did the tour with Grace and it was very informative and would recommend. Overall I would recommend spending a little bit extra to do the Poseidon tour.

Great tour

Awesome knowledgeable and friendly crew. Well run , organized. Made it fun fir everyone. I appreciated focus on safety. Highly recommend

Great Trip. Fantastic Staff. Perfect For Beginners.

We had a great time on our trip. Both my father and I had never snorkelled before and are pretty average swimmers (certainly not Olympic material anyway) and we both felt very safe and well looked after. We had a fantastic time seeing some great coral formations, fish - including Clown Fish - and even a reef shark. The staff were very helpful and accomodating and the food was great. We booked at the stand-by rate at the Tourist centre in Port Douglas the day before and would recommend doing so if you are looking to save some dollars on the cost of multiple people. Overall a fabulous bucket-list experience!

Lovely trip

We've gone on a lot of snorkeling trips, and felt very taken care of on this one. Because it was "stinger" (jellyfish) season, they gave us body suits to wear and were very attentive to our individual needs. The snorkeling was phenomenal! And, of course, the scenery was breathtaking. One tip I'd give them is to outfit their crew with microphones, so that we can hear them giving instructions and sharing information and stories.

Great day on the Outer Reed

We had a fab day at Agincourt Reef. We were among only 13 certified divers and in two groups meant it was a nice size. The sailing out was smooth, Poseidon is very comfortable. After the briefing and gear assignment there was not much time prior to the dive. The operations of the day runs smoothly, yes it felt a little rushed at times but running things well means you get more time underwater. Gear was all on good condition and the team were friendly and welcoming. Lunch was well presented and plentiful. The reef was great, it was nice to be the only boat on each dive and away from all the crowds.

Fantastic experience

This is a fantastic cruise/scuba dive experience. The team are friendly and professional, the buffet lunch and morning snacks are excellent and the facilities clean. I did three, 30 minute dives and enjoyed all of them thanks to instructors Gordon and Steve.

Great operator in Port Douglas

Poseidon is one of the best dive boats I have been on. The crew are friendly, high quality boat, smaller group, great guides and the Agincourt reefs are an awesome part of the great barrier reef. The operation is very organised, great guides (our was Mitch) and we felt we were in hands with Quicksilver. The nursery was our favourite dive. Thanks for a fantastic day out!

Enjoyable day but very rushed

We were a family of 5 with the children all being teenagers so it was a very expensive day for us as we also did the introductory dive. The day was really rushed and one of the female crew in particular was very abrupt and bossy, making us feel like it was one big production line in a boat that was jam-packed to capacity. The actual snorkelling was fun though and we got to snorkel at 3 different sites. The dive was fun but again felt rushed by the staff to get it over and done with. On a more positive note, the food was delicious and plentiful and overall we still had a great day. We also booked a trip with the same company on the Wavedancer to the Low Isles. This trip was fantastic, fewer passengers and less rushed.

Very sad

I booked quicksilver as we were a mixed group...2 of us snorkeling but others needing glass bottom facilities. I knew that this would be a very commercial experience and whilst we enjoyed spending time together, and yes the facilities were very comfortable, I was left with an over whelming sense of regret and sadness. It was a stunning day, but alarm bells started ringing when one of the crew started singing to us as we queued up!!!. The boat ride was very quick and comfortable but the pontoon is a monstrosity in this pristine environment and the state of the coral is heartbreaking. The helicopters buzzing overhead, the push to buy more extras, the crowds of people penned in the small snorkel area was awful. I had visited the Barrier reef about 20 years ago on a very small boat and wished I had done the same again. This is mass tourism at it's very worst and I left very angry with myself for getting suckered in. I think it should be mandatory for all tours to gently educate on the effects of climate change and its impact on the reef.....there was one information panel explaining some of the coral rejuvenation work. They put an efficient spin on it saying that the grey coral isn't dead but dont fall for this. I feel so sad that I fell for this, please dont support this mass tourism and use smaller operators. I am sure you will be more educated and have a more enjoyable trip.

Poor Customer Service

It was a really bad experience from the very start. The morning began early due to the number of people that needed to be collected, arriving after 8;30am at Port Douglas. (It took over 2 hours). The day was very rushed throughout, we were quickly rushed to sit down so that they could begin briefing us on the diving procedures. As I had not dived before, I did not really pick up much information due to the speed of the presentation and other crew members speaking at the same time. This did not fill me with confidence. I had earlier mentioned that I had little experience with swimming but the instructor ensured me that he would help me throughout the dive. Furthermore, inside the cabin was very cold due to the air-conditioning being on high, which was uncomfortable. Once finished, we then went to the top deck where we realised there was no more seats available apart from the floor in the middle. They had booked too many people on to such a small boat. (or no one wanted to sit in the lower deck due to the cold temperature) At the first reef, even though it was a free for all initially, we did enjoy the snorkelling and the reef was an enjoyable experience. At the second reef, where I had booked my introductory dive, we were again rushed to put our equipment on with little explaination of what we were doing and quickly pushed to get into the water. Again, I explained that I had little to no experience but was told that I would be directed once in the water, which did not fill me with confidence. I was in a group of four people and we were holding onto the rope. I did not realised what we were doing as no one had bothered to explain this to me. The instructor Shay asked me to do something but because I was not well informed before hand I did not know what to do and this made me stressed, certainty as I was under the water and had little swimming experience. When undertaking the initial diving tests, the instructor was not very patience with me and I felt under pressure. I did not fill at ease and therefore, did not fill safe with her in the water. I decided to the though reasons to stop and get out of the water. We then had another 3 hours on the boat and none of the crew came to speak to me about what happened. After paying an extra $71, for the dive, it was not money well spent. I expected a lot more information and guidance from the crew certainty as I had little experience. As mentioned earlier, the day was rushed, overcrowded and not an enjoyable experience. On the way back, again we were sitting on the floor. The trip was over priced and not value for money. If you are a beginner, I would not recommend this company for your trip. The previous day, we had a snorkelling day trip with ‘Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel’ where the boat was a good size, the staff were patience and very friendly and we had a great time and also it was lower in price. I wished I had booked with them again.

Amazing experience

Our first time scuba diving. The staff was amazing! We had such a great time. Would highly recommend.

Poseidon Dive

The staff were excellent. Seb was especially engaging and friendly. Excellent master diver, showed us around and gave us some space to explore. Always kept tabs on our air and safety overall. The problem was not with the team, it was with the policy of the boat to keep the inside cabin at arctic temperatures. It was explained that cold temps help people who are seasick. On other dives, those who are feeling sick are expected go outside to experience the fresh air, which helps. As a result of the frozen conditions in the cabin, I was too cold to eat lunch and too cold to participate in the last dive. There simply was no place to warm up. They can't control the weather or the water temp, but they have complete control of the temperature inside the cabin. If you have any issues with being cold on dives, don't go on this one.

With so many options and different opinions it was hard to choose

My partner and I went on the outer reef cruise, we were tossing up between all the different companies that go out there we’d heard a few opinions that it could be too busy etc but we went with them anyway and we are glad we did. The boat ride out you got tea and coffee, cordial, biscuits etc, a marine biologist spoke it was good. They were just really organised. The reef spot they took us to was magic They just offered so much more than the smaller ones, the semi submerged boat, they did a fish feeding thing. The lunch was reasonable, To be fair to such a large scale tourist attraction Overall we couldn’t fault it.

GBR for the non-snorkeler

Have been to the reef twice -- once from Cairns to a pontoon setting, and this one from Port Douglas. This trip on the Poseidon was much more personal and intimate. They went to three different sites along the way. The staff was super friendly and helpful, especially Jade the marine biologist on board. She went out of her way to help my wife feel more comfortable in the water and see more underwater sights. It was a lovely trip. We even saw humpback whales on the journey back to shore. It was nice seeing the staff get excited about the whales too! Great trip -- highly recommend.

Great experience!

We had a perfect day on the reef. The weather was wonderful, the visibility perfect, the crew very efficient, professional and accommodating. Couldn’t ask for more! As for the reef - a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget!

Fantastic crew! What an experience!

When you have a bucket list item like "visiting the Barrier reef" you don't want to be disappointed. I certainly wasn't with the Poseidon adventure we had. I was able to dive on the first of three stops and the crew took every precaution to make sure it was a safe and exciting experience. I then snorkeled at the next two sites and didn't want to come back in it was so beautiful. Great lunch and everyone on board was welcomed and enjoyed themselves.

Poor customer service

I don’t like doing reviews especially bad ones. Apart from one part the day was very good. When collecting a protective anti-sting Lycra suit from a gentleman named Max, I was greeted with abuse from him. He greeted me “what size” to which I said I was unsure and so I got closer to see which size I needed. In the process I went passed a red Wheelie bin in order to get a closer look. He then said “what the hell do you think you’re doing, do you think this is here for fun” waving his arms in my face, “I’m sick of people like you, it’s obvious you’re not meant to be stood here do you not think?” This was in the main eating area and I just assumed that it was a rubbish bin, and it wasn’t cordoned off from any other part of the pontoon. I was really upset and angry that I was spoken to in such a disrespectful manner especially when this is meant to be a once in a lifetime opportunity and having spent in excess of $300 to be spoken to in that manner and I expected more from a company that apart from that were completely professional and well organised. Every other member of staff was very welcoming and helpful and the snorkelling and semi submersible were also very good and as good as I expected it was just a shame about this one part of the day

Essential Agincourt ribbon reef

Great attention and service. Maximum punctuality and all kinds of facilities. Absolutely recommended. Three high quality dives.

Great day out

Great day out. Two older boys went scuba diving and Hayley was so amazing with them. I did the helmet dive and as a non swinner, the girls saw how nervous I was a took me through it step by step. Amazing experience. Facilities are top notch. Very effective

Very well done and good with young kids and safety

My family and I went on this tour today. We had a great time. The ride out was remarkably smooth, as was the ride back. We took motion sickness pills, which I think was a good idea, but we may not have even needed them. The cruise was pretty full (maybe sold out), which I’d heard would be a downside, but it did not detract from our experience at all. I do think it makes sense to get in line early (around 8:45 or 9) so you can get a good seat by the window, which we did. When we got there, we first went straight in the water, which allowed us to get some good snorkeling in before everyone got in, because many people decided to eat lunch first, and they were long lines. We snorkeled for about 20 minutes or so, then got out and had lunch. Lunch was remarkably good, including what appeared to be very fresh shrimp that you peeled yourself. They also had hot soup, which was a brilliant idea, given that it was a cloudy day in the winter here it was a little bit cool. Next, we took one of the snorkel tours with a marine biologist, which was great. She definitely knew her stuff, and we got to go into an area that we would not have otherwise been able to go into. When my young daughter got too cold for the water, the guide called over the Quicksilver dinghy that was patrolling nearby and he took her back in. It could not have been easier. They also have hot tea and coffee at the beginning and end of the cruise, as well as hot chocolate, which my son insisted that I mention. The whole experience was incredibly professional and done very well. I can see that if you are a hard-core snorkeler or diver, you might want a more individualized and intense experience. But for a family of an inexperienced snorkeled who just wanted to have a day out to see the reef, it was perfect. We saw some good coral, clams, and a bunch of beautiful fish. It whetted our appetite to do more. ,And one more thing: they do have a private changing area, so I would definitely bring dry clothes to change into, as well as towels. It can get cold if you don’t, which I learned the hard way!

Cruise of a lifetime

Definitely something everyone should have on their bucket list. A cruise on the outer rim of the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkelling in three spots - carefully selected by the captain for the best snorkelling and diving for the conditions - is definitely something I will never forget. A senior marine biologist is on board and does snorkelling tours to point out the unusual sea life. Safety is paramount and everything is fine to ensure each and every passenger is safe at all times. We were fortunate enough to travel On the Poseidon and had a fabulous day with a wonderful super friendly crew. A must Do for anyone travelling to Cairns or Port Douglas.

Great Diving & Great Boat!

Diving at the Great Barrier Reef with Poseidon was the best experience we've had. Not only was the boat ride out to the reef extremely enjoyable, but the dive sites themselves were superb. The boat was staffed by an experienced crew who were not only knowledgeable and organized but had a sense of humor too. The boat provided breakfast, lunch, and dessert which was plentiful and delicious. Because we were diving in June (winter), the water was a bit colder (~24 Celcius). The boat provided wet suits to keep us warm and between dives, the crew (including the captain) would bring us hot tea or coffee to warm us up. The crew was extremely thoughtful and made me feel like we were in great hands. The dive sites were home to many exciting creatures including sharks, turtles, colorful fish, and beautiful coral gardens. After diving on Poseidon, we decided to book another trip out to the reef on this boat. We had a wonderful time with Poseidon both days and wouldn't hesitate to do it again!

BEST DAY EVER!

Everything about our day out onboard of Poseidon was awesome! The staff were very friendly. The instructors were very knowledgeable and supportive. The Great Barrier Reef was unreal. So many colourful fish, coral, giant clams, we either swam with a Bronze Whaler Shark. The buffet lunch on board was delicious. The marine biologist who doubled as the snorkelling instructor gave an excellent presentation about the reef. Special mention to our scuba dive instructor Gordan who made my 13 year old son's first experience on the reef all the more memorable with his genuine approach to ensuring we all had a fantastic experience. It's a day we'll never forget!

Great staff & sites

My husband and I went on the one day snorkel/dive excursion. He snorkeled, I scuba dove and we both had a great time. Staff were very helpful. They even set up scuba equipment for you so it’s nice and easy to get in and out if the water at each site. The sites visited had a lot of coral and sea life. Lunch is included and the food was very good. Thanks Poseidon for a great day!

Sensational

From start to finish we had a fabulous time. Well organised & great staff. Snorkelled at 3 different reefs. Saw a variety of colorful fish, large & small. Everyone is supplied with all equipment. Good morning tea & Lunch provided. Highly recommend.

something has changed - for worse

I have been on the Poseidon cruise twice before and and enjoyed it very much. But something has changed, for worse. The boat was empty, about 20 travellers out of a capacity of 80. At first I thought this was great, but maybe it was a sign of things to come. On board the staff was friendly enough, the problem I had was with the diving. The sea was calm and visibility was excellent but the dive guide (Shay) expected all individuals in the group to constantly have eyes on her so that she could continuously gesture: how much air do you have, come closer, go higher, go lower, and if you missed any of it, she was very quick to come right up to your face to let you know her displeasure. We missed a lot of sea life: sharks swimming by, turtles and who knows what else because we had to totally focus on her. My daughter and I are experienced (Master) Divers and two others in our our group were dive instructors. When I questioned her on this style of guiding between dives, she was abrasive and dismissive saying she was responsible for our lives. These dive trips are not cheap and this one turned out be a total waste of time and money and left us feeling deeply disappointed. PS two stars instead of one only because the food was plentiful and great and all that empty space on board... - and the little we did see of the reef was amazing :'(

Great Day on the Outer Reef

My wife and I travelled to Port Douglas on the 27th of October this year and one of the features we looked forward to was the Snorkel trip out to the outer reef on Poseidon. The crew were ALL friendly and welcoming whilst making sure all passengers aboard were safe and cared for. Poseidon is a perfect size vessel for the reef with access to three or more sites at the Agincourt reef on the Outer Barrier reef. Excellent lunch that catered for all and very experienced guides for both Divers and snorkelers alike. The day was perfect. We got to see a pod of Spinner Dolphins playing in our wake and a Sea Turtle amongst other amazing sea-life. The Disability was 15m-20m and there were plenty of beautiful corals on view. Take your sea sickness tablets if you're prone to sea sickness as you're 62 Km's from shore. Skipper Dan was a laugh and made the trip a lot of fun.

I had a great trip with my 11 year...

<p>I had a great trip with my 11 year old daughter. The snorkeling with Hayley the marine biologist was the highlight.</p>

Nice trip but in my opinion too...

<p>Nice trip but in my opinion too expensive for what you get, especially since they additionally charge for photos and diving</p>

This was an amazing experience and...

<p>This was an amazing experience and was top of my bucket list!! Crew were excellent - great safety training. Kept eyes on us at all times. </p> <p>Whilst I am a snorkeller - i am usually is calm water. the currents here came in three directions. I was pulled over the reef by one of the crew into a current that would bring me back over the reef so I was able to swim with it whilst exploring the reef. Reef was not as bright as hoped as it wasn't sunny - but I saw many species of brightly coloured fish - too many shapes and patterns of reef to describe and on a second guided swim - on which I was basically towed -my best sighting was a bright blue starfish wriggling around on a reef!!</p> <p>The lunch was excellent and I was able to buy a glass of vino as we headed back- to celebrate the tick on my bucket list and the most amazing experience ever!!</p> <p>totally must be done- I'd love to do it again!!</p>