January 2023 - Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours

Google Rating

4.8

Based on 1273 reviews

Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Great Barrier Reef & Island Tours

4.8

Emanuela Alexandra Nicolae

1761207294

Amazing experience, we had such a lovely cruise!! The crew is amazing, they are so tentative, always looking to ensure we had the best experience possible. They would give you pointers on what to do, when to do it and answer any question. The entire experience is very flexible, we were able to book diving on the spot, and they also had a glass bottom boat for prople that did not want to enter the water as well as any of the scuba/snorkeling people if they wished to join. They prioritize everyone getting back safely, while sharing their love and apreciation for the marine life.

Bryan Ash

1761202915

Incredible, very worth the money, especially the diving. We had a mechanical failure on the day we had booked for ocean freedom, and were essentially given a second day out for free due to the wasted time.Great people working there, very nice, very helpful instructors for intro dives. I was able to enjoy the second dive on day 2 much more after growing pains on the first dive so I recommend doing 2. The instructor for both was great though, book here.Also good snacks/food.

Alida B

1761078384

We chose Ocean Freedom for our reef experience and we were really happy with our choice. The atmosphere on the boat was great, food was delicious and the crew did everything to help. We were lucky enough to have a beautiful september day (just a little bit cloudy at some point) especially on the second reef stop so there was a lot of snorkeling ...

namruth kyatham

1761019947

Excelleny experiance

Mathilde Bisgaard Frimer

1760934345

Fantastisk søde og imødekommende guides som gjorde dagen uforglemmelig! Virkelig en skøn tur med smukke omgivelser😁 En klar anbefaling!

T M

1760780936

We joined the Ocean Freedom full-day cruise and spent an unforgettable day out on the reef. The weather was perfect and the ocean was absolutely stunning. Even for our friend who was snorkeling for the first time, the instructor was incredibly patient and attentive, which made it easy to relax and enjoy.The only thing I’d say is that the lunch itself probably wouldn’t taste particularly special on land—but somehow, eating it out on the beautiful turquoise sea made it feel surprisingly good.Unlike other snorkeling tours I’ve joined in different countries, where you’re rushed out of the water after 30 minutes, this trip really lets you enjoy snorkeling for as long as you want. We were lucky enough to see a sea turtle that swam right up close—almost close enough to touch!All the crew members were cheerful, caring, and made the entire day so much fun. The whole experience exceeded my expectations. I’ll definitely choose Ocean Freedom again next time I’m in Cairns.

Kiera Constable

1760349534

Rafa Expósito

1760079314

Muy buena experiencia con el equipo de Ocean Freedom haciendo snorkel en la barrera de coral. Equipo joven, atento y muy motivado que te hace pasar un día fantástico. Lo recomiendo 100% y no dudaría en volver a hacerlo con ellos. Gracias!!

Eve Holly

1760011795

Fabulous time with Blair, Dan and Annie! Superstar team that provide us all with a great time.We had a slightly dull weather day but the team was far from dull!! They were informative, caring, humourous and welcoming. I felt very safe on my trip, especially with Dan doing my intro dive (Thank you so much!!)The food provided was fab and the overall experience was excellent.They spoke highly of their work and experience with the company, which was so nice to hear.Big shout out to the crew ❤️ hopefully catch you all next time, and if not, good luck on all future endeavours.Big love, Eve and Oscar x

Tina Rüger

1760007213

The entire team was incredibly friendly, attentive and extremely well organised. A very special thank you to Poul and Luke, our diving instructors!With his calm, competent and humorous manner, Poul made sure that we felt completely safe and relaxed while diving. Luke also provided lots of exciting information.The boat, the food and the atmosphere on board were also excellent – everything was perfect for an unforgettable day! And as it was a slightly cloudy day, there weren't many guests on board, so we had plenty of space and time to enjoy ourselves.

David Mack

1759995084

Booked on the sailboat ocean free. Had a great time. We sailed with Skipper, Ana and Stormy. Everyone was knowledgeable and professional. Ana lead us on a scuba tour and her knowledge of the reef and and locations to see the local wildlife was outstanding! Best snorkel trip of my life. Sailing back home with some charcuterie was a great capstone for the experience. I highly recommend ocean free to anyone else looking for great barrier reef snorkel tour. Again, thank you Stormy, Ana, and skipper for the unforgettable experience. 10/10 would drink all their beers again and pump up the jam again!

Lilli Helgheim

1759925010

10/10 experience☺️ I was originally planning to dive but decided not to for personal reasons (nothing related to the staff). My boyfriend dived twice and absolutely loved it! The staff were so supportive and kind, which made the whole experience even better. They never pressured me and only supported me☺️ We had the best day! Thank you all for being so patient and understanding, and for making our experience so amazing😍

Zahra Maghami

1759825074

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5A Wonderful Family Experience with Ocean Freedom – Cairns, Great Barrier ReefWe joined Ocean Freedom for a snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef, and it was absolutely fantastic! The crew were incredibly friendly, helpful, and full of energy — such a lovely team of young, kind, and beautiful people. As someone who has lived in Australia for years as a migrant, I was truly happy to see such amazing, welcoming Australians showing the best of this country’s spirit.This was only my second time snorkeling (the first was in Thailand), and even as a beginner I felt completely supported and safe. The team explained everything clearly, provided all the gear (wetsuits, fins, masks, life jackets), and helped everyone feel comfortable in the water.Here are a few tips for beginners or families like mine:• They provide plenty of food — a delicious lunch and afternoon tea with cheese, crackers, fruit, and cake — but if you’re bringing small children (like my four-year-old son), it’s a good idea to pack some extra snacks or drinks they like.• There’s space on board to keep your backpack dry, so bring your own water, sunscreen, and maybe a light jacket.• Bring a spare towel and even a small blanket if you have little ones — they might get chilly or fall asleep on the way back.• If you’re worried about the sun, you can wear a full-body swimsuit or onesie; otherwise, a bikini (for women) or swim shorts (for men) under your wetsuit works fine.• If you’re prone to sea sickness, take your medication before getting on board, and keep an extra dose with you in case you need it later. The crew provide hyoscine tablets on board, but if another medication works better for you (for example, ondansetron), it’s best to buy it beforehand and bring it with you.• They offer two snorkeling spots — at the first one I felt a bit cold and used a life jacket and a floating ring, and one of the guides kindly pulled me over to see a big turtle! The second spot was shallower and warmer, and I felt confident enough to swim on my own.Overall, this was a truly memorable experience — not only for the beauty of the reef but also because of the warmth and professionalism of the Ocean Freedom crew. I’ll definitely go with them again next time I’m in Cairns, and I highly recommend this tour to anyone, especially families and beginner snorkelers

Tash Wilde

1759733941

Such a fantastic experience! I cannot fault the crew, the day, the boat, the planning or the food! Everything was meticulously planned and delivered. Every individual crew member was fantastic, super kind and helpful, very knowledgeable and would go out of their way to ensure participants were enjoying themselves. It was very noticeable that safety was paramount, and staff articulately delivered safety information and gave pointers along the way tk keep all out of trouble. The dive/snorkel spots were second to none, such a great use of time to visit 2 very different spots on the one trip.I would recommend this company to all who wish to experience as much of the reef as possible as safely as possible.

Jessica Jacobs

1759649532

Absolutely incredible day! The crew was fantastic, attentive and knowledgeable. They made sure everyone from novice to experienced had a great time. Highly recommend this tour. The reef was incredible to see and made better by the professionalism of the crew.Good for groups, couples and solo travelers.

Stefaan Dekempe

1759617126

Oktober 2025. Voor de 2x meegeweest. Nu met de zeilboot. Terug super vriendelijke medewerkers. Lunch was top. Zie foto's. Meegaan met zeilboot is een beetje meer uitdaging maar zr worden pilletje voor zeeziekte gratis aangeboden. Augustus 2025.SUPER vriendelijke staf. Leuk georganiseerd. Wel druk op de boot. Bijna permanent fruit, middag lunch en nadien ook nog wat versnaperingen. En ik heb persoonlijk 2x gedoken. Redelijk veel vissen gezien en ook mooi koraal. De dag gaat vlot. Als deze info een meerwaarde was altijd om een te duimpje of hartje krijgen. Veel plezier.

Janaya Felix

1759494538

Steve claus

1759484096

Just came back from a double dive and my wife did some snorkelling. Great experience and even better staff aboard this vessel. My wife wanted to try the introductory dive, but because she was on some meds they said she couldn’t go. While disappointed, she understood and watching the checks and balances they used for the entire trip. It is a very well run and safe experience.We highly recommend this experienceSteve and LeeAnnCanada

kk kk

1759443370

Highly recommended. All the crew members were very helpful and accommodating. The dive instructor we had was awesome and helped me to overcome the initial glitch. Overall has a very good time and thanks for the crew members that made it happen 😊.

John Comerford

1759399646

My son Milo and I had an incredible day today with the team. We were welcome like one of the family from our first interaction to our last with the crew. We felt safe , the boat was excellent as was the food.Milo did an introductory dive and the Diver team were all fantastic.Seriously I would rate today’s one of the best days I have had in the water. If you don’t use these guys , you will miss out. We will be sending our family . Thank you so much.

Wes Hanson

1759222975

Absolutely outstanding experience. 5 stars without hesitation. Booking was easy, price was good and the service was stellar. We did the 2 stop snorkel day trip. The many guides were awesome: easily approachable, friendly, helpful, quick, knowledgeable, fun. They swim with you and point out many cool sights as well as share a lot of knowledge. You get more than enough time and freedom in the water, too. Besides the many varieties of fish and coral we saw sea turtles, giant clams, a reef shark and some terns. They served lots of hearty food and snacks, water, coffee, tea (all included), and have other drinks and such for sale at reasonable prices. They also have a variety of prescription masks. They've thought of everything. You can't go wrong here.

Jay Grabovic

1759221863

Great day, very educational for all. Great fun.

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Facebook Rating

5.0

Based on 437 reviews

Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours

5.0

Danuta Kopieniak

1748391484

🌊
I had the absolute best experience on May 22nd with Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom! From start to finish, everything was flawless — the crew was beyond amazing, warm, professional, and full of energy. Their passion for the reef, the ocean, and for ensuring every guest has a magical time was clear in every interaction.

The snorkeling was incredible, the visibility was perfect, and we got up close with so much marine life. The crew made us feel safe, informed, and completely spoiled the entire day — the food was delicious, and the service was top-notch.

Huge shoutout to the entire crew — you made this the highlight of my trip. Thank you for the memories. Love Danuta and Slav

Lance Schneider

1748374032

While the water wasn’t the best conditions, the crew was top notch and personable. Can’t wait to come back to Cairns and dive with them again!

Enobong Bassey Etteh

1747258001

What a tour, did 1st dive. Well constructed experience, no stone left unturned by the genius who runs this. Music, food, fresh air, interest g company. What’s not to like.

Davina Phillips

1741840268

Hands Down the best reef trip out of Cairns. Best crew, food, attention to detail. Small numbers, beautiful reef, walk in a tropical island early arvo, I literally cannot recommend this gorgeous sailing boat enough. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Karen Harrop

1736714438

Thanks to the whole team for a truly memorable day, my first time snorkeling but the team gave me the confidence ( and the safety ring ) to experience the reef - thank you 😊

Fionnuala Murphy

1730004175

What a trip! The hospitality was first class, the boat spotless and the food, well we were fed all day long.
I'm a decent enough swimmer but never go out of my depth and to have Mike and Molly guide me when snorkeling whilst keeping me safe and given me the confidence all day, I had the trip of a lifetime! The reef was spectacular, the teams knowledge and expertise was second to none. Never mind seeing so many fish, star fish and the turtle. Would recommend this trip with Ocean Freedom without hesitation. Thank you so much Mike and Molly.

Ariel Quintos

1724744929

We have a wonderful time in snorkling. Very nice service and the snorkling buddys were great also! They always check on you if you're ok during the boat ride. I will definitely recommend to friends and family that will visit Cairns, Australia! Captain Mike and the crews you're the best!

Rohan Whatley

1719133246

yes, strongly recommended

went to Upolu reef with ocean freedom, 23/6/2024. only my 3rd time snorkeling and 1st time scuba diving. Very helpful and caring instructors. very well kept boat.

scuba dive was worth it, plenty of fish including Nemo you won't see snorkelling

Mark Grogan

1704614533

I recently did a Reef tour down at Hamilton Island as my first on the GBR and had a great time.

A trip to Cairns (Palm Cove) meant another trip was due!

Ocean Freedom was recommended to us due to the smaller capacity and attention to detail by people at Palm Cove.

It was an amazing day out. A very full day, 2 reefs, well fed and normally I’d just do my own thing in the water, but opted for the glass bottom boat tour and guided snorkel while there and it was great. As little or as much time as you can handle in the water. Excellent reefs, Green Sea Turtles and Manta Rays were spotted by our family.

Highly recommended for your trip to the reef. Very kid friendly also and all provided equipment was top notch.

Loved it!

Chris Hales

1687043270

We had a wonderful experience sailing on the Ocean Free boat to Great Barrier Reef where we snorkelled and our daughter had her first experience diving. The diving instructor gave great instruction and had a genuine care for his clients and the skipper and crew were focused on giving us the best experience possible.
would highly recommend.

Terry McGrath

1684272821

We had the best day. The crew on board were fantastic. The spot they moored off Green Island was so close to the reef you could almost stand on it. Snorkeling and diving was brilliant. Lunch on board is very impressive. We met some lovely people from all over the world. Sailing back at under full sail with a lovely glass of wine was exhilarating and exciting. Thanks to all the staff and crew. You made the day for us so easy from booking to leaving. We didn’t want to leave.

Sue Bailey Thomson

1680595403

We went on this reef cruise today and it was fantastic! The guides were incredible and the food was great- and there was loads of it! We went on a different snorkeling trip yesterday to Green Island and it was nothing compared to Ocean Freedom. The guides were in the water with us showing us all the fish and marine life. Definitely skip Green Island and go with Ocean Freedom!!!!

Elaine Kelly

1678969131

What a perfect day! The crew was so pleasant and helpful, catering to our every need, even a glass bottom boat for those wanting a break from snorkeling. Good equipment, great food - and awesome to see all we saw while snorkeling!

Campbell Mill

1675898986

My wife, daughter and myself went out on Ocean Freedom on Wednesday 8 Feb 2023. A great day - the Captain and crew were unbelievably helpful and polite. Nothing was to much trouble. Once at the reef a guided glass bottom boat trip then onto with the snorkelling or SCUBA if you wanted. The food was high quality and heaps for everyone. When you thought it was over out came the cheese and biscuits followed by cake. I’ve been on a number of boat tours around the world and this is by far the best. It is highly recommend. Lastly a shout out to crewman Tom who was very patience with my wife and helped her snorkelling experience.

Dan Boon

1671434033

Perfect day out visiting two of the nearby reefs.
The crew are extremely warm, welcoming and a great laugh helping you be at ease wether if it’s your first time snorkelling/diving or somebody used to the ocean.
I did my first (and 2nd) ever scuba dive guided by these guys today and it couldn’t have been any better!
Will definitely go with these guys again next time I find myself in Cairns. Thank you!

Kgothatso Mohale

1665275230

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Mark DiFelice

1662359648

Great crew and a great day out. More food than you could possibly ask for and great attention to detail.
Special shout out to Mike, Liam, Jazz and Jayden who really made the day special. A few people feeding the fish due to bad weather but the crew handled it beautifully.
Thanks all.

Amy Whiteman

1661940602

Great day had by our family of 5. Mike the Skipper was awesome and lead an amazing crew. Food was great and plentiful. Would definitely recommend this company to anyone. The only fault was the weather

Jane Daniels

1656121964

I had a lovely experience on this tour. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was great. Met some lovely people on the tour from overseas and other parts of Australia. Snorkelling was amazing and I learnt a little about the Great Barrier Reef on the Glass Bottom Boat tour. Hope to do this tour again and hopefully try diving next time.

Brad Warren Simpson

1655888788

Awesome day was had ,great hosts and got to see all you could on the reef

Sarah Domet

1655761618

My partner and I went out diving for the day. He’d never dived and I hadn’t been for years. We were so well looked after and all the friendly, happy staff showed such patience!
Fantastic day out highly recommend this business ⭐️

Susan Greentree

1654034054

I loved the whole experience, from the friendly lady in the booking office, who was the main reason we chose Ocean Freedom, to all the friendly helpful staff once we were on the cruise. I had a very memorable 67th birthday in a beautiful location ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Ocean Freedom!

Tony Takla

1653638361

The tour run by Ocean Free was absolutely fantastic and surpassed all expectation! The program itself ran very smoothly and was an excellent balance between guided activities and relaxing free time. The crew was also brilliant — so friendly, fun and helpful throughout the day. All in all, a very worthwhile experience that any visitor to Cairns should consider 👌

Dianne Rushton

1652833879

Went on a fabulous day out with these guys yesterday! This was my husband’s dream since childhood and it exceeded his expectations totally! The crew were so friendly and informative. The food kept on coming all day and the snorkelling was magical. We will do this again and won’t go with anyone else but these!

Denise Wayland

1652648150

This tour exceeded all our expectations. The crew were amazing. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on board and couldn't ask for a more beautiful memorable day. Thank you for making our day extra special

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Google Rating

4.8

Based on 1273 reviews

Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Great Barrier Reef & Island Tours

4.8

Emanuela Alexandra Nicolae

1761207294

Bryan Ash

1761202915

Alida B

1761078384

namruth kyatham

1761019947

Excelleny experiance

Mathilde Bisgaard Frimer

1760934345

Fantastisk søde og imødekommende guides som gjorde dagen uforglemmelig! Virkelig en skøn tur med smukke omgivelser😁 En klar anbefaling!

1760780936

1760349534

1760079314

1760011795

1760007213

1759995084

1759925010

1759825074

1759733941

1759649532

1759617126

1759494538

1759484096

1759443370

1759399646

1759222975

1759221863

Great day, very educational for all. Great fun.

See all reviews Write a review

Facebook Rating

5.0

Based on 437 reviews

Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom - Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours

5.0

Danuta Kopieniak

1748391484

Lance Schneider

1748374032

While the water wasn’t the best conditions, the crew was top notch and personable. Can’t wait to come back to Cairns and dive with them again!

Enobong Bassey Etteh

1747258001

What a tour, did 1st dive. Well constructed experience, no stone left unturned by the genius who runs this. Music, food, fresh air, interest g company. What’s not to like.

Davina Phillips

1741840268

Karen Harrop

1736714438

Thanks to the whole team for a truly memorable day, my first time snorkeling but the team gave me the confidence ( and the safety ring ) to experience the reef - thank you 😊

1730004175

1724744929

1719133246

1704614533

1687043270

1684272821