Cairns Ocean Spirit Cruises has three well maintained boats, all of them sailing catamarans. They do two different trips daily, and with these cruises you get to see why the reef is so popular.

The first cruise goes out to Michaelmas Cay, on the very edge of the Cairns Great Barrier Reef.

This cay is a bird sanctuary, and hosts the 5th most important seabird rookery in the world. It is a beautiful place to experience, and scuba diving is also possible.

To start the day on both tours, you board at around 8am in the morning for a departure at 8. 30am. Coffee awaits you onboard.

On the way out you can sunbake as well as participating in the usual safety briefings and snorkel and dive presentations.

Once out at the reef, there are lots of great activities. There is fish feeding, semi-submersible rides(for those who don’t like getting wet!), guided snorkelling tours and even trying scuba diving. There is really something for everybody.

Lunch is a beautiful smorgasbord of delicious salads, cold meats and fresh fruit, and a fully equipped bar is onboard.

In the afternoon there is more time to participate in the activities that are available to you, including just relaxing on the cays and catching a few rays.

You depart the island at around 2. 30pm, and on the return voyage there is onboard entertainment by a bango player, as well as a complimentary drink. You arrive back in to Cairns at 5pm.

The boat is huge, with lots of room to spread out your possessions.

The interior is air-conditioned and a great place to get out of the sun if you get too much of it… And trust me, you can get too much of it in tropical north Queensland. There are many things to read on the boats so that you can educate yourself on what you may see while you are out there, and there are videographers and photographers as well who can help you take home some great memories of your time on the reef.

Transfers to and from yourresort in Cairns arecomplimentary.