I booked local tours directly through Travellers Oasis for my first and second full days in Cairns. While I would have loved to explore Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation independently, the lack of public transportation and relatively prohibitive cost of renting my own car nixed that idea.
I reserved the first day for the Great Barrier Reef cruise. There were a number of operators to choose from, and I settled on Down Under Cruise & Dive, which came highly recommended by Helen at the hostel. At $159 AUD plus a $10 AUD discount, the cost was slightly cheaper than another option I was considering, Passions of Paradise, but either way, it wasn't going to be a budget tour.
The hostel offered free shuttle rides to Cairns Marlin Marina, and we arrived at 7:30 am. I proceeded into the Reef Fleet Terminal for check-in formalities. Once the reservation was confirmed and my boarding ticket was issued, I spent some time walking around the marina before heading to our vessel.
Reef Fleet Terminal
Down Under Cruise & Dive check-in
Marina boardwalk
Walking to the boat
Down Under Cruise & Dive operates a large, modern, and extremely fast vessel called the Osprey V. It is, in fact, probably the fastest option to get out to the Great Barrier Reef, which is a great thing, since less time on the boat means more time snorkeling and diving.
With two floors, a large forward sundeck, and convenient aft stairs to enter the water, the Osprey V is really the perfect base from which to spend a day on the reef. The boat can accommodate up to 120 passengers, but I don't believe there were more than 100 people on board the day I went.
After we settled into the air-conditioned seating area on the lower floor, welcome announcements and safety instructions were made. Guests were then asked to go to the aft deck to pick up their snorkeling gear and pay for extras such as wetsuits and diving equipment. We were also assigned cubbies to store our belongings for the day.
Osprey V
Boarding
