Great Adventures - Cairns City, Queensland

Caitlin

Amazing experience with the Great Adventure crew, awesome customer service, beautiful day out snorkelling, went to the outer reef as well as Green Island and loved every second, Green Island is better for snorkelling in non crowded areas but both areas were beautiful and very easy to snorkel around. Ice cream and cakes on board were delicious. 10/10 would definitely go again. Green Island itself does need a good hose/pressure wash of all the paths because of all the birds that are walking around, but other than that, it was perfect.

Miriam Woolner

Most excellent day out!! Great service by all staff. Great facilities and catering.
Snorkelling was a highlight. Coral and fish amazing. Semi submerged boat views not so much but a good option for those who don't want to snorkel.
Thanks!!

Aleksandra

Review of Barrier Reef Island Tour – 2/10

My recent experience with the Barrier Reef Island Tour was overall disappointing, and I would not recommend it, especially at the price point of over $300 per person.

The Waiting Game
The tour started with a lot of lines and waiting. Upon arriving at Green Island, almost everything was closed, leaving us with a 30-minute wait before getting our snorkeling gear. The disorganization continued throughout the day, as it was difficult to get clear answers from staff about the schedule for various activities, like the glass bottom boat and snorkeling.

Snorkeling: A Highlight
The snorkeling itself was the highlight of the day, with vibrant marine life. However, this is where the positives end. Everything on the island comes at an extra cost, from food and lockers to beach chairs and the glass bottom boat. While not surprising, none of this was mentioned upfront, so be prepared for additional expenses.

Boat Ride
The ride to the "reef" was extremely rocky, but I understand that's a weather issue. What bothered me more was the confusion around scuba diving. Although the tour description said it was sold out, they aggressively promoted excursions on the boat, which felt misleading. Most of the staff was quite nice though.

Semi-Submarine: Underwhelming
The semi-submarine experience was average at best. There wasn’t much to see, but it was still a somewhat cool experience for first-timers. The staff was friendly, but they often gave unclear or conflicting information, making it hard to figure out when we could participate in certain activities.

Facilities and Atmosphere
The boat itself was spacious, clean, and comfortable, though less of a cruise and more just a big transport. Complimentary coffee and tea were mediocre, though the small cakes were a nice touch. There was also a bar and snacks for purchase. However, the atmosphere was chaotic, filled with families and tourists, making it far from a relaxing or intimate experience.

Avoid the Diving
If diving is important to you, skip this tour. The dive felt like nothing more than a rushed photo opportunity. The briefing took longer than the actual dive, and the experience was underwhelming. My instructor barely communicated with me, and we spent the entire time linked at the arm. I saw nothing that I couldn’t have seen while snorkeling, and I deeply regret spending $200 on it.

Buffet Disaster
The buffet was atrocious. People were piling fruit and salads onto their plates, making a mess, and cutting in line. The hot food consisted of potatoes, rice, and a few unappetizing stew-like dishes. I ended up skipping it altogether because it looked so unappealing.

Poor Social Etiquette
Some of the people onboard lacked basic social awareness. For example, an older man aggressively pushed his way through the crowd when we docked. In another instance, a couple squeezed into a small space next to my brother rather than politely asking us to move over.

Final Thoughts
For the price, this tour felt like a huge scam. While the island itself had potential, many things were closed, and the overall organization was lacking. Unless you’re going for a chaotic family outing, I’d recommend skipping this tour.

Aisha Mughal

Wonderful experience with Great Adventure.?
Snorkeling , diving, scooba doo semi submarine everything top notch.
Morning afternoon tea and lunch also served . Professional staff explained everything from green Island to Barrier Reef.
We came from Nsw love the experience in Cairns. ?
We will definitely visit Great Adventure soon.?
Heads off to the staff who served us from morning to evening with Great smile and gather outside the vessel to say Goodbye. We appreciate you ^_^

Lee Jordan

Great day trip, Green Island and outer Reef platform.

Green Island 2hr stopover was great. Really helped my seasick prone dad by breaking up the full trip in to two 45 min chunks. Green Island is a proper ‘Castaway’ island I was half expecting Tom Hanks to stagger out of the sea with his beachball friend Wilson. However nice facilities, good snack bars, clean toilets, rainforest walkway, quiet sandy beaches. About 30-40 mins for gentle walk around full perimeter.

Reef platform also great, friendly and helpful staff meant I felt confident to snorkel and so pleased I did. Semi submersible also great. Informative marine specialists on hand. Nice food buffet on board. Recommended.

kristy o

We took the Green Island day trip with Great Adventures and it was great! You really need the day on the Island to not feel rushed.
We got the snorkel package and hired floatation vests to make snorkelung easier. It was amazing along the pier with beautiful marine life and coral. Highlight was a white tipped reef shark and Lion Fish, also a turtle seen from the pier.
We went to Marineland Melanesia which has an awesome display of tribal artifacts and to see Cassius, the world's largest captive crocodile, amazing! He truely is an ancient looking magnificent animal.
Beautiful beaches, great short walking track around the Island. Only let down was the overpriced tiny frozen "seafood" basket from the cafe.

Klaus Gottschalk

GREAT COMPANY - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
We always book and recommend Great Adventures for visiting family and friends because of previous wonderful experience.
In November we made a booking and had to, unfortunately, cancel with short notice due to a family emergency.
A full refund was offered without hesitation and the staff we dealt with were incredible friendly and compassionate.
We will definitely use Great Adventures again in the future and highly recommend the company to anyone!
Thank you.

Melissa Dor

We did the outer reef trip. Fabulous day out with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Great buffet lunch though more vegan options would have been good. The platform is huge and plenty of options to view the reef without getting wet in the semi submersible and underwater viewing area. Snorkelling is great fun and all the equipment was supplied. The reef is in a great state and I was surprised to see so many fish and corals.