INSTANT BOOKING OPTIONS
Ocean Freedom Info
OCEAN FREEDOM
Cruise to Upolu Cay Reef and the outer edge of Upolu Reef.
Ocean Freedom's 20m luxury cruising catamaran travels at 23 knots, reducing travelling time to the Great Barrier Reef to just one hour, taking a maximum of 75 guests.
Departs: (Daily)
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Check-in from 7.15 am at the Reef Fleet Terminal at Ocean Freedom desk. After check-in proceed to boarding location from 7.30am
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Boarding location: A Finger No.5 at the Marlin Marina, Cairns (near Reef Fleet Terminal) for an 8.00am departure.
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Returns back to Cairns approx 4:30pm
Included in your day:
- Coffee & tea, fruit and Danish pastries on boarding
- 6 hours at 2 reef destinations including Upolu Cay Reef & Outer Edge Upolu Reef
- Snorkelling tuition and snorkelling equipment: masks, fins, snorkel, buoyancy snorkel vests, lycra suits /or wet suits (depending on the season)
- Adventure Drift Snorkelling tour with Marine Naturalist
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour with informative reef talk
- Large smorgasbord lunch: smoked salmon and prawns / mixed meat platter / chicken platter / 3 salads and assorted breads
- Tropical fruit platter, cheese & crackers served on the cruise home
- Environmental Management levy
Upolu Cay is a naturally formed coral cay situated 30 kilometres from Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef. Its protected shallow waters make it the perfect location from which to explore the reef, for both snorkellers and scuba divers. As it is a natural pontoon - the cay size and visibility is subject to conditions on the day but the clear shallow blue waters surrounding the cay (whether visible or not) are always there.
Adventure Drift Snorkel Tour:
For the more adventurous, a drift snorkel tour is included in your day. Get in a dinghy to the edge of the wall and learn about the reef as you drift snorkel back to the boat under the guidance of your very capable crew.
Whale Watching:
Humpback Whales migrate to the warmer waters of the Great Barrier Reef from July to September and are often seen frolicking in the waves from Ocean Freedom. An unforgettable experience.
Additional Costs:
- Coach transfers from your Cairns or Northern Beaches (Trinity Beach, Palm Cove) accommodation
- Scuba diving ? Introductory/Certified (1-2 dives)
- Refreshments/drinks
- Underwater cameras
- Range of quality merchandise
Scuba Diving:
Introductory Diving is for guests who have never dived and wish to try it, no previous experience necessary.
Introductory Dive includes:
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Scuba Diving Lesson / Tuition
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Top quality scuba diving equipment (including Wet / Stinger Suit)
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30 minute hand-held, fully guided scuba dive. Maximum 2 divers to one instructor for your first dive
Certified Dive includes:
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Detailed Dive Brief on location and procedures
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Certified Dive Guide (Dive Master or Instructor)
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State of the art diving equipment (Aqualung / Scubapro)
Please Note:
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Scuba Diving: If a diver has any history of asthma, heart conditions, epilepsy, diabetes or any other medical conditions or are taking any medication may prevent you from diving ? all potential divers will need to fill out a diving medical questionnaire onboard to assess suitability to dive.
GREAT NEWS! All payments made to Travstar do not incur a credit card surcharge.
Guest Reviews
It was great for my family
It was great for my family. My children (7 and 10) had a great time. The staff were all friendly and taught them how to snorkel. They can swim but are a bit scared. Eventually they were snorkelling and swimming freely. Also the meals were all delicious! Thank you so much!(Arigatou!)
Posted By SF
An incredible day-book it!
An incredible day-book it!
Posted By Laura Heiskell
The staff were all friendly
The staff were all friendly efficient and made a great trip for all.
Posted By jeralyn Jacobs
Many happy memories have been created
We had a fabulous time. All the crew were very friendly yet very professional. They got across the serious information in a very user friendly way. We all felt well cared for and the whole experience was unhurried but they had a schedule to stick to. We never felt any crew member was clock watching or bored on the day. Our two girls had an amazing experience on the reef. The food was fabulous and plentiful. Lots of photo opportunities. It was a nice touch at the end of the trip to shake hands with all the crew was we left the wharf. Many happy memories have been created by a great bunch of people, who clearly love their jobs. Thank you and we have already been recommending you to anyone we know travelling. We hope to see you again in the future!
Posted By Sally Carton
fantastic experience !
fantastic experience ! really nice staff, really enjoyable
Posted By Darren Shui
highlight of our week
Overall Rating: Excellent
Value for Money: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Quality of Facilities: Excellent
This was our first trip out and remains the highlight of our week in Tropical North Queensland.
At our initial on-board familiarisation we were told that the crew would make our day a 'Day to Remember'. Whatever the crew are 'on', I would have loved some to take home with me. Their enthusiasm for ensuring we had a good time was boundless. They had us 'oldies' doing things we thought that we were incapable of doing years ago, and, all the while, quietly ensuring that we were supervised and never out of our depth. The Great Barrier Reef, by the time we got there after many 'whale-watching' stops, was a great adventure made even more enjoyable by our crew-member, detailed as our snorkelling buddy, who took us to see coral, clown fish and various marine life that we would usually only see on 'docos'. Such was her skill at diving and pointing us to items of interest that she even attracted the attention of a curious sea-snake who came our way for a quick 'look-see' before moving on, much to the relief of those of us who were unaware that they present little or no threat to humans.
The food on-board was great but eating and drinking took a back seat to the location, atmosphere and the inter-action between the crew and a great group of tourists, many of them young Americans over here for a wedding. Ocean Freedom ticks all the boxes but the crew get an additional Gold Star from us, they are the best!
Posted By Ray Doyle
I could not fault them.
My travel companion was injured on our day on the reef. The staff were excellent in ensuring that she was well taken care of both on the boat and when we returned to shore. I could not fault them.
Posted By Melissa Mason
Staff helpful with diving
I opted to try the introductory dive and found it at first a difficult experience. The crew saw I was challenged and took the time to encourage me and set me up one-on-one. It helped me get over the initial fear and made that (and a second dive) amazing! I would not have tried again, or got to a point where I now want to get certified, without the encouragement and attention of an amazing crew. Thanks Mick- you rock! I encourage anyone who wants to try a dive to utilize this company!
Posted By Jodi Slick
made the experience memorable
Our day trip to the Great Barrier Reef on Ocean Freedom was one of the best activities we did in Australia. The crew was exceptional and really made the experience memorable. Thank you!
Posted By Neena Rahemtulla
Such a beautiful day
We had a really relaxing day, the crew really make the difference on this trip. They were fun and looked after us. Vlasoff Cay was just magical, the water was crystal clear, the sand pure white, it was a little piece of paradise!
Posted By Emma @ travstar.com
We loved Ocean Freedom
We loved Ocean Freedom and wished we had another day in Cairns to go back to the reef on their other boat. The staff was great. I was a bit fearful of snorkeling at first but they were really helpful and made sure that I felt confident and even took me around the reef and pointed things out. Fantastic!!
Posted By Christina Edleman
Had an absolute ball
Had an absolute ball the staff are very friendly and you can have lots of fun with them definitely going back
Posted By Rhonda Channell
will recommend this to everyone
I will recommend this to everyone!!!
Posted By Christy Wetzel
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