Cairns & the Tropical North

Ocean Free Green Island and Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise

Badge of ExcellenceCairns & the Tropical North, Australia
Green Island Sailing Cruise from Cairns

From $178.26

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 9 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Sail on a 2-masted schooner from Cairns to Green Island for a full day of snorkeling, swimming, and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Have a choice of options for exploring Green Island, spending time in the water around the magnificent coral reefs, or lazing on the white sandy beaches. Enjoy the expertise of the superb crew, in addition to buffet lunch, morning and afternoon tea, and a glass of wine as you cruise back to Cairns.
  • Spend time at an exclusive Green Island mooring in the Great Barrier Reef
  • Swim, snorkel, and dive (additional cost) in pristine waters
  • See the colorful fish and other marine life that inhabits the reef
  • Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch, plus morning and afternoon tea aboard the schooner

What's Included

  • Sailing cruise to Green Island & the Great Barrier Reef
  • Environment Management Charge and port fees
  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • Lunch
  • Morning and Afternoon tea
  • Complimentary glass of wine on the return sail to Cairns
  • Snorkeling tuition, tours and in-water crew assistance if required
  • Snorkeling equipment (snorkel, marks, flippers, buoyancy vests)
  • Transfers to/from the schooner to Green Island
  • Reef talk by a marine interpreter
  • Fish Feed
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Only Pre-book diving if no medical conditions/taking medication - some may preclude you from diving
  • Optional diving - x 1-2 Certified / x 1-2 Intro dives possible on day .10-12m depth .

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 1 Spence St, Cairns City QLD 4870, Australia

    Enter the Reef Fleet Terminal and look for Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom desk. From the side entrance enter and look right. If entering from the entrance facing the sea look straight ahead on the right . Check-in is from 7.15 am at this desk .

Start time

07:15 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Make your own way to the marina in Cairns where you board your spacious 54-foot (16.5-meter) 2–masted schooner for the sailing excursion to Green Island, located on the Great Barrier Reef.

Sip a cup of complimentary tea or coffee and snack on fresh muffins and fruit as your vessel prepares for departure. Receive a safety briefing then perhaps assist the crew with hoisting the sails before relaxing and soaking up the scenery as you motor-sail to Green Island.

Green Island is a protected Marine National Park, topped with emerald rain forest and surrounded by white sandy beaches and magnificent coral reefs, the perfect place for snorkeling and scuba diving. If you plan to scuba dive (additional cost), complete your paperwork and site briefing during the journey over to the island so that you can hop in the water upon arrival.

Your captain moors the boat at Pinnacle Reef just offshore from Green Island. Hit the water and snorkel or dive among schools of tropical fish, turtles, giant clams, shells, starfish and sea anemones in this underwater paradise.

After a morning of snorkeling and scuba diving, a delicious buffet lunch is served onboard your boat before transferring by dinghy to Green Island. Relax on the beach or explore the island. Visit Marineland Melanesia to watch the crocodile feeding and see a variety of marine life up close.

After ample time on the Great Barrier Reef, sail back to Cairns (wind permitting). Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine with your tropical afternoon tea, a perfect way to end your day out on the reef.

This tour is perfect for all levels of water experience with instruction and in-water assistance provided.

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

9 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Great Barrier Reef

9 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Green Island

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Marineland Crocodile Park (Pass By)

Cairns Premier Reef & Island Tours

9 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • A maximum of 25 people ensures a unique and personalized experience
  • Please note: All DIVERS will be required to complete a medical questionnaire on board prior to diving. Please only book the diving options if you have no medical conditions nor taking medication as some conditions/medication preclude you from diving
  • Tour requires you to be stable and mobile enough to move around a moving vessel and to transfer from main vessel onto tender and back
  • If intending to take part in diving all divers (whether certified or introductory diver) will be required to fill out a diving medical questionnaire on board. If diving is an important option for you, please advise if you have any medical issues (past or present) or taking any medications so we can advise if any QLD diving medical clearance is required. Some medical conditions and medication may preclude you from diving. It is imperative for your safety that you answer the questions on the form truthfully.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Chris_A
Well worth the cost. Superb day out with an excellent, friendly crew. Beautiful boat and great scenery. Loved sailing back in at the end of the day. Great help for those nervous of snorkling for the first time. Would recommend to anyone.

Reviews

5.0
536 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 536 reviews
A great day
Laurie_P, Apr 2024
The ride to the island was great! The crew was friendly and competent. Food was very plentiful. Directions to find the boat were very clear! Had a great time. Only other thing would have been great was to get pics or video from a pro photographer as my cell phone took crummy videos!!
Response from Host, May 2024
This is amazing to hear Laurie! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed every bit of your day out with us. We will be sure to pass your compliments onto our crew and your feedback to management. We hope to see you on board again soon!!
Put this on your to-do list
Claire_M, Apr 2024
Don't go with any preconceived ideas about what you will see and you will be amazed. Learning to snorkel, meeting turtles in their natural environment amidst a cloud of tiny fishes, and seeing the crocs on Green Island were some my highlights. A team of three looked after us keeping us safe, fed, and informed. And a lovely sail back to Cairns. It was a wonderful day, worth every penny and I'd recommend it.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hi Claire, thank you for your review and recommendation! We are so glad to hear that you had a wonderful day on board our Ocean Free Sail, enjoying all that we have to offer from our exclusive mooring sight, as well as Green Island itself. Our crew will always try to ensure that our guests have an amazing day and fun day, while being safe. We hope you enjoy the rest of your travels 😊
Great personal reef experience
Anthony_S, Apr 2024
Great fun day out, crew were awesome. Not disappointed at all, saw plenty of fish, turtles and small sharks
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your review, Anthony! We are glad to hear that you had a fun day out with our awesome crew. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your travels 😊
Freedom
Liz_A, Apr 2024
Sailing with the wind and snorkelling . Staff were excellent and the food was delicious. The weather wasn’t great but the staff were very calm and supportive
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your review, Liz! We are so delighted to hear that you enjoyed snorkelling and sailing on board our Ocean Free Sail with our excellent staff. Unfortunately, mother nature doesn’t always play in our favour, but we’re glad that our crew were able to support you 😊 Have a wonderful rest of your travels!
Perfect really
Carol_S, Apr 2024
Skipper and crew were so great! Chatted, assisted, friendly and very customer service oriented Great adventure—thank you!!!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hi Carol, thank you for your review! Our crew truly are the very best, and they will always try to ensure that they give the best customer service to all of our guests that choose to travel with us 😊 Take care on the rest of your travels!
The team was kind and...
erin_p, Apr 2024
The team was kind and proficient. The great barrier reef was beautiful. Safety was a priority and food was good.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your review, Erin! Safety is paramount to us, and our crew will always try to ensure that our guests are safe at all times, while being able to have fun while visiting the beautiful Great Barrier Reef 😊 Thank you for choosing to travel with us!
Best experience of the whole trip to Australia
paulinesimon46, Mar 2024
We didn't actually do the Green Island tour because it was cancelled due to low numbers. Instead we did the Ocean Freedom tour and had a great time. We were greeted with teas, coffees, pastries and fruit and very welcoming staff. We were taken to two spots where we were able to snorkel and as we both hadn't snorkelled before, we had a member of the team take us to where we could see the beautiful corals of the Great Barrier Reef as well as the colourful fish. We even saw a couple of turtles swim by. Lunch and afternoon tea was provided and there was more than enough for everyone. The whole experience was magical and I highly recommend this Company. Safety was paramount in everything that we did and they constantly kept an eye on everyone to ensure that they were safe. If I had the time, I'll do this tour all over again. Thank you for a brilliant time!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Hi Pauline, thank you for your delightful review and recommendation! We do apologise for the cancellation of Ocean Free. Nevertheless, we are so very pleased to hear that although the tour you intended on was cancelled, due to not reaching minimum numbers to operate, we are so happy that you still had a magical experience. Our crew will always try to give all guests the best day possible, and we are glad that they were able to fulfil this. Once again, thank you for your review and recommendation! Hopefully you can travel with us some time in the future on Ocean Free 😊
A great day at the reef and Green island
Howie_F, Mar 2024
We had a great experience with Ocean Free from the moment we entered the boat. The crew was so friendly and informative and they kept us safe the whole time. The boat trip out to Green Island was very pleasant and we had a wonderful time snorkeling at the reef, seeing lots of corals and different fish. It was also great to be able to enter Green Island and experience this wonderful paradise. The crew had also made a wonderful lunch for us, so the day went by really fast. Thanks for a really nice day! Would absolutely recommend it.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for your review and recommendation, Howie! It’s absolutely amazing to hear that you had a great experience on board our Ocean Free Sail to Pinnacle Reef + Green Island. This tour does give you the best of both worlds, as you get to explore the reef and marine life, snorkelling directly from our vessel in the morning and then leisurely wandering Green Island in the afternoon. Once again, thank you for your review and recommendation 😊
Great views on the reef
Brianna_Z, Mar 2024
The crew was very friendly and knowledgeable and it was great snorkeling on the reef. The tides were rather high in the morning, but in the afternoon we were able to see plenty of coral and marine life. Green Island wasn't super interesting, but the reef makes it well worth it.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for your review Brianna! Our crew are our greatest asset and are passionate about the GBR and passing their knowledge on, so we are very thrilled that you appreciated this! We're sorry that Green Island was not your cup of tea but we are very pleased that you enjoyed your time exploring the reef with us. We hope you have a fabulous holiday and maybe we will se you again for another reef adventure!
Unmissable
Sara_P, Mar 2024
The crew was amazing, super fun and caring. They even jumped in the sea to give a snorkeling tour to explain every animal and coral. Lots of food included in the menu. Really good price wise, I would repeat the experience a million times.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for your review, Sara! Wow, it’s so amazing to hear that you would repeat the experience a million times 😊 Our crew on board our vessels will always try to ensure that they give all of our guests an amazing day possible out on the reef, and we are glad to hear that they were able to fulfill that.
Great tours
Wen_L, Mar 2024
The weather was rough, the sea is not that peaceful, heavy rain comes and goes, the sky most time is grey, but crews are very friendly and helpful. My husband and my son did not take enough medicine to avoid sea sick which downgraded our experience. And I’m scared of deep sea water(though it’s only 5/6 meters deep) especially there’re waves…versus swimming pool…we got help from crews and my son and my husband managed to have a nice snorkeling with crews help. The back trip was enjoyable, we had enough motion sick medicine, took advice from crew’s, sit on the sailing boat, watching the sea waves…and the food is great! I would give the crew and the trip a 5 star but the overall experience to me is a 4 star. We did not pick the right season come to Great Barrier Reef. Especially for people who’s not familiar with sea and snorkeling, suggest you to come to Australia the winter time, less rains and sea is more peaceful and with the sunshine, paradise is everywhere.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for your lovely review! We are glad to hear that despite the weather conditions and seasickness you and your family were still able to enjoy your time out on Ocean Free. Our crew will always go above and beyond for our guests as they want to you to have the best day possible! You are right we do get less rain in winter but the winds can be at any time. If you are ever back in Cairns we hope that we can have you travel with us again on a calm and sunny day :)
The best in the business
Donna_P, Mar 2024
We actually switched to Ocean Freedom owned by the same company. It was awesome!!! The crew were top notch, friendly, helpful, and very personable. They took great care of us and made sure we had an excellent dive.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Hi Donna, thank you for your review! Our crew on board our vessels always try their best to ensure that all of our guests have the best day possible, and we are glad to hear that this was fulfilled. We wish you all the best with the rest of your travels!
The Crew!
Traci_S, Feb 2024
The crew was outstanding, went above and beyond to make everyone’s time safe and enjoyable. They provided a really nice variety of food and snacks to sustain us throughout the day.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for choosing to travelling with Ocean Free Traci! Our crew are very passionate about the Great Barrier Reef which shows in the Excellent customer service they provide daily! Thank you for taking the time to leave a fantastic review!
Love the Ocean Free Crew!
Binhma_R, Feb 2024
Green Island was meh, but the rest of the snorkeling adventure was FANTASTIC! The crew (Pascal, Blair & Kelly) are friendly, attentive and so willing to share information. They really made a good tour into a great one. We had a ball group of 15. I highly recommend Ocean Free for the great crew and a fun day out on the water. Someone had a fruit allergy and they had a separate fruit plate set aside. The beverages available after we finished snorkeling were inexpensive. The food was tasty. ❤️
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Hi Binhma, thank you for leaving such a wonderful review! We are thrilled that you enjoyed your time with us on Ocean Free and had a fantastic time snorkelling! Thank you for choosing to travel with us on Ocean Free! :)
Great snorkelling experience
Terence_F, Feb 2024
Fantastic seeing all the marine life on the Great Barrier Reef Would definitely recommend the small boat experience with a great crew who made the trip memorable
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your review, Terence! We are glad to hear that our tour, as well as our crew on board our vessel made your experience a memorable one 😊
A fantastic day out in the Great Barrier Reef
MichelleD, Feb 2024
Fabulous trip with a small number of passengers. The staff of two Mikes, Molly and Charlotte were friendly and attentive all day and the lunch was fabulous
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your wonderful review Michelle! I will ensure your kind words are passed on to Mike, Molly and Charlotte. Thank you for choosing Ocean Free!
Amazing day on the reef!
Kathryn_M, Feb 2024
Absolutely anmazing experience. So glad we booked this rather than a bigger tour. So much personal interaction with the staff! They docked us at our own private area of the reef then boated us to the island for 1-2 hours after snorkeling with us the entire morning. After the island we snorkeled even more! They even let us help put up the sail. Just an incredible day and one of the most memorable of our trip, could not recommend this booking more! The food was also really good which was the icing on the cake! Just incredible!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for taking the time to write a wonderful review Kathryn! Our tour is designed to feel like you are out on the Reef with a group of friends rather a tour, so it is wonderful that you enjoyed this aspect! Thank you for choosing Ocean Free and allowing us to be a part of your memorable GBR experience! :)
Amazing, 10/10, would do again.
Mhari_J, Feb 2024
The small group is just so perfect for exploring the Great Barrier Reef, and even more perfect for me going solo as an opportunity to chat to others and have plenty of time to explore the reef through either scuba diving or snorkelling. The team were absolutely fantastic, so accommodating and friendly. They went out of their way to find everything you wished to see/do. Would absolutely recommend to everyone.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your lovely review, Mhari! It is so lovely to hear that you enjoyed leisurely wandering the beautiful Great Barrier Reef on our Ocean Free Sailboat that travels to Pinnacle Reef and Green Island. Our tour carries low guest numbers and is designed to give our guests a personalised and intimate experience, with our crew being able to dedicate their time to all our guests on board. Once again, thank you for your review and recommendation! 😊
A not to be missed experience!
Joseph_G, Feb 2024
Wow, wow wow! Fantastic voyage in ever way. Amazing crew, fantastic food and spectacular reefs. The variety and color of the latter was beyond beautiful!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Hi Joseph, thank you for your review! We are glad to hear that you had a fantastic day on board our Ocean Free Sail to Pinnacle Reef and Green Island with our amazing crew. Wishing you all the very best with your travels 😊
The best of the best
Kayla_W, Feb 2024
The trip was fabulous and the crew was outstanding. Alexa and T went above and beyond expectations. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you Kayla for your lovely review! We are so glad that you had a great time diving with us (Alexa) on Ocean Free! We wish you all the best on the rest of your Australian Adventure!
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