What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Bravo Ocean Freedom

  Donna A,Apr 17, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  There a lot of tour operators that offer the same thing. This one could not have been better. The crew was fantastic. They were sensitive to the needs of the individual. Experienced to novice! The interaction, passenger concern and knowledge of the crew impressed us. The glass bottom boat went out a number of times for those who chose not to snorkel or dive. Safety was paramount and guides in the water pointing out reef fish and coral added to the experience. All of this without turning it into focusing on the photo op to sell you. Bravo Ocean Freedom.

• Just OK

  hbhakh,Apr 16, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  3.00

  We recently spent several days in Cairns for the primary purpose of going snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. We have snorkeled at many places around the world over the course of 30+ years. Accordingly, we booked 3 consecutive trips with 3 different companies. Altogether, we snorkeled 7 different spots on the reef. The weather was challenging on all three days with high wind and scattered showers. We were prepared for this and managed to complete the trips without getting sick. Check in was very easy and they boarded ahead of schedule, which was appreciated since it had started to rain. Cubby’s were available to store personal gear but they were on the upper deck, which was a little inconvenient, particularly when items were wet. The boat is mostly open deck with a small cabin in the front. It had just returned from maintenance but there was still visible wear and tear in the passenger areas. It was pretty crowded. The ride out and back was very rough. Probably half of the passengers were sick. Unfortunately, air sick bags were not provided and several passengers didn’t make it to the outside. We stopped at two spots. Both were poor for snorkeling. While the weather conditions contributed to this, the coral seemed too deep at both locations for good snorkeling. It may have been better for the divers. The currents were strong but the boat was positioned so that the swim away was upstream. This made returning easier and safer. The food service was OK. There were snacks in the morning and on the return trip. The lunch buffet was all cold items and chicken was limited to 1 piece. The advertised seafood was chilled prawns, which were good. The strength of this trip was the crew. They were all great…..friendly and hardworking through the adverse conditions. If not for them, I would have rated this trip lower. The was advertised as a “luxury” excursion and was priced accordingly. I don’t think it lived up to the advertising. The boat could use some TLC and the food was average. It’s not a bad trip but there are better.

• Amazing!

  Craig M,Apr 16, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Great tour! Unlike most snorkel tours where you only get around 30-45 min in the water, this one you have 2hr and 2 spots! Great food, wonderful guides and a once in a lifetime experience! Saw turtles, starfish, giant clams and tons of fish. Definitely recommend.

  

  

• Amazing snorkeling trip on the Great Barrier Reef

  andrewtX5232PA,Apr 15, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  OceanFreedom run a fantastic trip to the reef! Great kit, and even better crew. You are really looked after, both in the water, and back on boat. The snorkelling itself is really safe and every opportunity taken to ensure that. On the boat there is plenty to eat and the boat was not overcrowded. Really enjoyed ourselves.

  

  

• Great experience

  T123194,Apr 15, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  A very well organised tour and felt they maximised your time in the water whilst keeping everyone safe and taking care of the reef and animals. There was also plenty of food.

• Amazing experience

  Lauren H,Apr 13, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Amazing experience! Me and my friend did the intro dive, we were both nervous but the crew are so encouraging and experienced. We snorkelled the rest of the time and over all such a great tour! Would recommend to anyone!

• Of the best excursions we've ever done

  Edgardo R,Apr 12, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Everything has been fantastic, from the boat, the attention on board and the places we visited. The snorkeling has been sensational!!!

• No barriers to a great reef time

  David F,Apr 11, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  10/10 amazing experience for all levels! The staff had an “all hands on deck” (pun intended) approach for all the activities, from fitting individual snorkel masks to leading snorkelers on a guide tour of both reef sites. Some people weren’t as confident or strong swimmers but the staff went above and beyond to make sure they could still enjoy their time in the water. The lunch buffet was also great. Would definitely recommend!

• Excellent small group experience

  Deborah O,Apr 10, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Despite starting off as a rainy and windy day the sun came out at times and we had a great day, Unfortunately the glass bottom boat did not operate due to the winds and the seas were a bit rough nd the current string BUT the excellent crew made sure we had a great day in the reef and saw lots of coral and a turtle. the turtle swam underneath me a few metres down - it was amazing, My sons were fine on their own but I needed some assistance being 70 and not uber confident in the water but the staff could not have been more helpful and when others needing assistance wanted to go in and I wanted to stay snorkeling they found someone else to assist me, The food was also quite good for a group of about 70 - fresh salads and lots of fruit in the morning and afternoon. I highly recommend Ocean Freedom.

• Recommended snorkel tour company: ocean freedom

  103cliffs,Apr 9, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The check-in is at the terminal port check-in, which the address provided into Google maps didn't resolve and I spent a bit of time looking for it. You have to go in to check-in to get a boarding pass, otherwise you'll be turned around to go get it at the boat. Make sure you've read and agree to the liability as they will ask you again at the boat to make sure you did. There is Danish and coffee and tea as you're heading out which is good if you're cramped for time. The first stop they went through a comprehensive briefing and fitment of equipment. The first stop was really good for coral and fish, a ray, a turtle. I think it was better for overall snorkeling experience. I dive while snorkeling and it was very cool to see the coral fingers moving up close and the many fish that you'd swim through. Lunch was a great spread, note it's cold, not hot, which was fine for me. Precooked prawns (with the head on but still quite big like size 10 or so), smoked salmon, cold cuts of two types of ham, beef, and salami, quinoa salad (I think), rigatoni, stir fried vegetables and potatoes, green salad, barbeque chicken legs, and fresh bread with butter. After snorkeling this really was appreciated and was quite tasty to me. The second stop is a bit further out and apparently less deep, which was pretty hard to tell, except I could swim to sand on the bottom. The coral was a bit more spread out this time and not all in one area like the first spot. There was still a ton to see, including a ray, a turtle, a few different types of fish (is saw clown fish here, but didn't spot one at the first area), a cave, a giant clam (which I missed at the first area, sea cucumbers, and more fan coral. It was pretty big swells and the staff tied a rope to the coral to make it easier to get to, and that helped a lot. The staff at both locations would provide guidance on what they saw and point it out, including the turtles, giant clams, rays, squid and cuttle fish (I missed) and the cave that you wouldn't know unless they pointed it out. I was snorkeling for about 1½ hours and was one the last people back, I think the swells were tiring people out. After snorkeling they brought out fruit plates with cantaloupe, honey dew melon, pineapple, apple, orange, watermelon, banana, all which were great taste and quality. A little later they brought out cheese and cracker plates. And then as we slowed down entering the harbour area three type of cake, banana, carrot, (both tasty) and some tri-coloured one (didn't try). The staff were amazing. They were relaxed, yet very professional and made sure everything fit and often checked on you to make sure you were doing well. Great experience and would recommend to anyone that is looking to snorkel in Cairns.

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