Quicksilver Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise from Palm Cove

Great outer reef experience with professional Quicksilver crew

This is a well run operation- the facilities and reef experience were great! This is a good way to experience the outer barrier reef if you are not an experienced diver.

Dont have to be young to do this

Amazing, everything went smoothly. Food was great and snorkeling was a lot easier than I imagined. I'd only been snorkeling once before some 20+ years ago. Wearing a 'stinger' suit was compulsory, but a lot safer to do so. Reef just looks like a patch of seaweed, and they do warn you that the travelogues showing incredibly bright coral colours are filmed at night, and under lights. Expect most of the things you see to have a blue tinge, but still incredibly worth doing.

Great day, the outer reef is amazing.

Incredible, schooling fish, reef corals, clear water. The food was plentiful, varied and good. The staff friendly and helpful. Would do it all again. Thank you.

Best time I have had for a long time

Staff are fantastic. So glad we did this. My daughter enjoyed it as much as I did. Definitely doing this again and add a few extras on the trip. Lunch was alright not a huge salad fan or cold meat but can’t complain. Overall this was a highlight of our trip to port Douglas. It’s a must on your to do list

Amazing Day at Agincourt Reef

Swimming on the outer reef was an amazing experience. The Quicksilver Team were all great thanks for an exceptional day.

Happy snorkeler!

Great day on the reef with my brother experiencing the humbling beauty and magic of the fish and coral. Wonderful day out

Excellent staff and overall very comfortable

The scuba diving was excellent and the staff seemed very experienced and knew what to do. The boat that took us that was very large but their bathroom on the boat did not have working taps and therefore I couldn't wash my hands. The water isn't that cold even though I visited in winter and was was pretty average but was still mildly enjoyable. Although some equipment could be upgraded such as the fins were either too big or too small or uncomfortable, the majority of the equipment was pretty good. Overall, you should visit this place if you ever visit Cairns.

Outer reef

After a 2 hour journey to get out to the pontoon we were able to view a small section of the reef via the underwater observatory which is a small walk through corridor. From here you can see some fish swimming around but that's about all. We then border the semi sub for a trip through another section of the reef. From here we were able to get a better view of the reef and sighted more fish and hubby saw a turtle. Unfortunately some of the windows are a bit clouded and vision is not very clear. Also missed some of the view as the windows are not very high. The snorkeling was great and a wonderful experience. Being able to get that close to everything below the surface is something to behold. I'm not sure I would rebook this one. I feel the length of time to get to the reef from Palm Cove took away from the entire day...4hrs spent traveling.

A memorable family experience

A perfect day out, from the luxurious catamaran, to the substantial feast, nothing was left to chance from the enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Special shoutout to the infectious Hayley. A rare talent indeed that captivated even my 9 year old in her 15 minutes pre dive briefing. Well done team, throughly recommended!

Incredible experience!

This experience was incredible. Quicksilver run a very smooth and organised operation regarding the transfers and logistics. Then there's snorkelling on the reef itself which felt safe and magical that first time you look under the water. I did the guided tour with Hayley who was amazing, extremely knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable as a first time snorkelling. If I could've went back again the next day I would've. Can't wait to go again in the future!

Next Time There's An Active Monsoon, Offer A Refund Rather Than Send People Snorkelling

When Port Douglas is experiencing monsoonal weather, any company sending people into the water to snorkel should offer a refund or reschedule. We were booked on the Outer Reef tour on December 29. We originally booked the cruise-fly option where we would take a chopper flight back to Port Douglas. We were called that morning by Nautilus Aviation who told us that understandably, the choppers were grounded due to the weather. I called Quicksilver to ask what they were doing and to my surprise they said they weren't cancelling. They didn't offer a refund or a rescheduled date. They tried to spin it that the weather won't affect the reef but we weren't convinced. We were picked up and the driver told us that the bigger Cat was being used today with carried over 400 people. We checked in, headed to the Marina only to board the Catamaran with a few hundred people all having to cram indoors as it was teeming with rain. Despite the fact that we all showed proof of vaccine, hardly anyone wore a mask. It was a potential petrie dish for COVID as everyone was crammed in the cabin as we sailed out to the outer reef. Visibility out the wind was so bad, we couldn't even see the mountain ranges. The photo I posted was taken at the rear of the boat, It looked more like a trip on Port Phillip Bay in winter than a barrier reef cruise. Upon our arrival to the pontoon, it was every one for themselves in getting their snorkeling gear and queuing up to get lunch with people not social distancing and not wearing masks. The area set aside for snorkeling was so cram packed full of people that it made it near impossible to snorkel without getting belted in the face by someone's flipper. I booked to do the snorkeling tour with the two marine biologists who were really lovely. We set out on our snorkel tour away from the masses and they did a great job looking after us. However the water got pretty choppy and the current changed so it made it hard to really enjoy it as we were concentrating on making sure we didn't stray from the group. The two ladies did their best to give us the best experience possible. I should say that the staff we dealt with were all great and very pleasant and did what they could to make it enjoyable. The policy not to cancel obviously came from higher above. Upon our return, once again we were all crammed indoors as the weather got worse. It was very disappointing and we felt ripped off. We were only in Port Douglas two days and it had taken the gloss off the star of our visit. We booked a snorkeling tour with another company a few days later to make up for the disappointment on the 29 December. We learned from patrons and operators that on that very day, other snorkeling tour companies cancelled and offered refunds. Quicksilver should have done the same!

Amazing day out for all ages

Staff were fantastic, everything was very well organised and ran like clockwork. Lunch was great and plenty of it! The boat trip over had a talk and video presentation by a marine biologist, as well as a video as to what to expect at the pontoon. On the pontoon there was a semi submersible, plenty of time to snorkel, all the gear was provided and there were plenty of staff looking out for everyone! The reef was amazing, am so pleased to have been able to take my 10 year old to see one of the natural wonders of the world! How lucky we are to live in such a beautiful country! Highly recommend

Outer Reef Trip with Children

We are a family of five, and were immensely looking forward to introducing our children to the Great Barrier Reef. Quicksilver Outer Great Barrier Reef cruise was professionally run, staff were friendly and accommodating (particular thanks to Wendy). Although, owing to COVID restrictions there was no self serve buffet lunch, the staff who plated the food were very generous with servings. The facilities at the reef are excellent, and we immensely enjoyed the variety of coral and fish life. In terms of advice for other families, I would suggest taking books/ colouring pens for entertainment, and snacks like fruit and water as there were only sweet biscuits, cordial, tea and coffee for morning tea. We would have loved to purchase one of the professional photos taken of our family on the day, but at $25 each, found them to be too expensive. A lower price point , particularly for multiple photos, would have encouraged us to purchase.

Wonderful Barrier Experience

My husband and I loved this cruise. Received a discount being a member of RACV. Bonus. This outer reef cruise was excellent. Comfortable vessel, helpful and friendly staff. We included a return transfer to our ticket because it was too costly to find a way to Port Douglas Pier. Sea life was abundant. So many colorful fish. We did see a turtle during the submersible experience( great experience). After lunch, the tide dropped and more of the reef became exposed rising above the sea line. As coral gets more sunlight, you can see more colors (coral is actually only grey, white, brown and orange). You only see lots of colors when exposed to more sunlight. Of course more fish life was also visible. That was the best time to be in the water. Don’t be fooled. Just because it’s tropical the sea is not warm. On our trip back to port, we noticed so many coral reefs with exposed colorful turquoise waters around them. Long day but it was amazing. The only negative I must say is the lunch we received. We are vegetarian and specifically asked for not just salad. We received a plate full of lettuce with a few olives, tomatoes, cucumber mixed in. WE could not eat onion or garlic either so it may sound that i am being a bit non realistic but I am sure they could have been a bit more creative. Very disappointing considering everyone received pretty much a gourmet meal.

Awful - left me out of pocket and so disappointed

I turned up an hour and a half early to palm cove And the bus had already left. No one called my phone number and spent $120 on an Uber to get to palm cove . I then couldn’t get on any other outings for the day And was devastated I was so looking forward to going and had one spare day.

Beautiful play sweet beautiful people

The best fun with your pants on. The best day from start to finish people with beautiful food was great and the reef well it's just the reef loved it Chris

Reef day trip

We had a great time on our diving and snorkelling trip. The facilities the crew and the excellent diving spots made for a great day trip. Gordon is highly recommend if you want a fun and knowledgeable dive master.

Awesome experience!

I strongly recommend them. The location was excellent. Food was excellent quality. Service was first class. Highly recommended!

Do It.

Lots of fun. Very well executed. We’ll trained personnel. Very helpful for even novice snorkeling. Great trip.

Review:)

A very nice and caring crew and there was lots to see and do at the reef. They also provided complementary items to ensure comfort.

Bad experience and discrimination

The dive master did not bring us to a good location. We dive nearby the sand. You can see the photo: almost nothing. They also discriminate Asian. The crew member laugh at one of my friends, when she asked “ is this line for helicopters or ship?” They laugh at her, “ does the ship fly?”

Breathtaking!

This cruise was fantastic. Large boat with everything you need. After a 1.5hr boat ride out to the reef, you then have 3.5hrs to snorkel, dive etc etc. The snorkelling is amazing - the water, the coral, the fish - all just spectacular. To be up close and swimming with so many fish is surreal. We also took a ten minute helicopter flight over the reef - wow wow wow.......breathtaking. Highly recommend it. Lunch is provided as well as all your snorkelling equipment - including prescription snorkel masks which was a great surprise.

Big boat so sea sickness not a real...

<p>Big boat so sea sickness not a real issue and the pontoon had lots of options to fill the time. Snorkelling, underwater viewing ,glass sided boat etc</p>

Well organized, and well looked after...

Well organized, and well looked after throughout the trip.

This was fantastic! The whole setup was...

This was fantastic! The whole setup was first class from the get-go. Seeing the reef up close is something to behold. Do this tour!

I'm the first time to play diving. It's...

I'm the first time to play diving. It's really my unforgettable experience. As the location is quite far away and only have limited time, we can only play max 2 activities. Finally I played Ocean Walk and Scuba Diving. As I'm the first time to play, instructor is very friendly and bring me to see great barrier reef and super big fish can be touchable.

This was my fifth cruise with...

This was my fifth cruise with Quicksilver and as usual was a great experience.