REEF ENCOUNTER

(5 customer reviews)

35m / 116ft MAX 40 NITROX SSI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 175

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE

At a glance:

Visits Cairns' Great Barrier Reef every day
All cabins with ensuite bathrooms, TV, music
Hot tub Jacuzzi
Get dive-certified onboard
VIP Top Deck Club upgrade option
Large boat

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Reef Encounter is a 35 metre long steel hull catamaran (and 13 metre wide) designed foremost with stability and safety in mind, but also for your diving pleasure and fun. Permanently stationed on the Cairns Outer Barrier Reef, the Reef Encounter is reachable in a flash by the speeding Reef Experience shuttle boat or, if you just can't wait, you can request a helicopter transfer.

On-board luxuries and creature comforts abound for the capacity of 40 guests. The roomy cabins in twin and double bed configurations all have en-suite bathrooms and ocean views. The cabins, dining area, fully licensed bar, and enclosed recreational areas are all air-conditioned, yet there is a heated spa is at the ready for all guests at any time you feel like a relaxing soak. Other onboard activities include a sun deck with sun loungers, and TV and games in the lounge.

Speaking of luxuries, the Top Deck Club is something a little extra for the VIP diver. As a Top Deck Club member you will be assigned a dive or snorkel guide who will act as your personal valet in and out of the water. You will enjoy benefits such as a personal crew member for private scuba/snorkel guided tours, late check-out times, Australian Sparkling wine upon arrival, evening turndown cabin service (complete with a chocolate on your pillow), luxury 3 course evening meal served under the stars. All guests who join the Top Deck Club are assured of the best top deck cabins with splendid sea views.

All diving operations are conducted from the mothership and a hydraulic diving platform makes getting in and out of the water effortless. You will dive at some of the 5 best Outer Great Barrier Reefs. And with 5 snorkel sessions per day, Reef Encounter offers superb snorkel experiences to people of all ages and abilities too. With the daily transfer service, you have maximum flexibiity with travel dates since you can come when you want and stay for as long as you like.

One unique feature of this Cairns liveaboard is that guests can get certified onboard without the need for class and pool time. Simply complete the e-learning pre-study then finish off all the other course components onboard during your dive trip. Reef Encounter is an SSI Diamond Dive Centre which is the highest achievable level worldwide and it is Australia’s Number One SSI training centre, making it an ideal choice for novice and less-experienced divers.

Reef Encounter has 21 cabins, one of which will be reserved for luggage storage. 14 of the cabins are on the upper deck, including 6 double bed and 8 convertible double/twin bed cabins. On the main deck there are a total of 7 cabins, including 4 convertible double/twins and 3 twins. All cabins have ensuite bathrooms and ocean views. All are the same price unless you elect to join the Top Deck Club.

All the cabins have:

Air-conditioning
En-suite bathroom with hot water shower
Hand basin, towels and toiletries
Seaview window
Reading lamp

Mirror and shelves
Bedding and luggage space
24-hour, 240v electricity supply with Australian power outlets
Intercom fire warning system
Life jackets

No. of bathrooms / showers - 20 / 20 - unlimited hot water

Cairns Barrier Reef (2 Days / 1 Nights - 5 Dives)

Cairns Barrier Reef

Trip highlights: turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity

Diving environment: beginner divers, very popular, wall diving

Dive sites and activities: Cairns Outer Barrier Reef: Breaking Patches, Saxon, Norman, Hastings reefs, Jorgensen Patch

Day 1
Your liveaboard adventure on the Reef Encounter begins bright and early at Cairns’ Marlin Marina. After boarding the transfer vessel Reef Experience, you’ll enjoy a light breakfast as you cruise toward the outer reef. By mid-morning, you’ll arrive at the Reef Encounter, your floating home on the Cairns Outer Great Barrier Reef. After a warm welcome and orientation, your luggage will be taken to your stateroom while you settle in and get ready for the day’s activities.
Your first session is a relaxed guided snorkel tour, ideal for getting comfortable in the water and soaking in your first glimpse of the famous coral gardens. In the afternoon there will be 2 dives or 2 further snorkelling sessions. Then a night dive - this is the reef like you’ve never seen it before, creatures emerging from the shadows, parrotfish tucked into their sleeping spots, and the quiet hum of the ocean under the stars.
All meals are provided onboard, starting with lunch shortly after arrival. Dinner is served after your final dive, a satisfying way to close out your first day on the reef.

Core Days
There’s something special about waking up on the Great Barrier Reef. The day begins early, with the sun just rising as you slip into the water for your first dive or snorkel. It’s calm, peaceful, and full of life, like the ocean is slowly stretching awake. You’ll spend the day exploring a variety of dive sites, each with its own personality. Glide through soft coral gardens alive with colour, where sweetlips, butterflyfish, and parrotfish dart between bommies. At Hastings and Breaking Patches Reefs, you might spot reef sharks resting on sandy bottoms or rays sweeping gracefully by.
In the afternoon, the boat may take you to Norman Reef, perched on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. With its dramatic drop-offs, tunnels, and even a tiny wreck to explore, it’s a diver’s dream. Visibility here is often crystal clear, perfect for spotting bronze whalers, Maori wrasse, and curious groupers. You may also visit Saxon Reef, known for its towering boulder corals and patchy bommies that are home to barramundi cod and clouds of tropical reef fish. The whole day is a kaleidoscope of colour, movement, and discovery.
As evening arrives, you’ll gear up for another night dive, quieter, darker, and full of surprises. The reef at night is a different world altogether, and it never gets old.

Final Day
Your final morning on the reef begins early with a light pre-dive breakfast, followed by 2 morning dives or snorkels. Whether it’s snorkelling or scuba diving, there’s still time for some unforgettable encounters - a giant clam glowing in the sunlight, a nudibranch showing off its colours, or a turtle cruising by as if to say goodbye.
A full cooked breakfast is served between dives, and you’ll have time to rinse off, relax, and prepare for departure. Late morning, you’ll transfer back to the Reef Experience vessel for the return trip to Cairns. Lunch is served onboard during the cruise back to Cairns Marina. And you won’t be leaving empty-handed - you’ll take with you vivid memories, new friendships, and a deep connection to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

Enjoy delicious meals onboard the Reef Encounter liveaboard, served in the air-conditioned dining saloon. Guests who book the exclusive Top Deck Club option may also enjoy breakfast delivered directly to their cabin. Each day features hearty and satisfying dishes designed to keep you energised between dives.

Breakfast (7:30 am):

Hot and cold buffet breakfast featuring a selection of cereals, bacon, eggs, toast, fresh fruit, hash browns, mushrooms, and roasted tomatoes..

Lunch (12 pm):

Buffet-style lunch with a rotating menu that may include make-your-own burgers with fries, fresh salads, stir-fry dishes, pasta, pizza, curry with rice, and more. Salad options include Rocket, poached pear, ricotta, lime and chilli salted cashews with lemon and honey vinaigrette, and Papaya, lime, mint, chilli and peanuts.

Dinner (6 pm):

Plated dinner service featuring a protein such as steak, chicken, or fish, paired with vegetables and a choice of rice or pasta.
Alternative mains may include dishes like lasagne or curry with vegetables and rice.
Top Deck Club guests enjoy an additional entrée such as bruschetta.

Dessert (8 pm):

Complimentary dessert served after dinner, including options like pastries, pannacotta, meringue, cheesecake, or ice cream.

Snacks:

Complimentary fresh fruit available throughout the day.
Additional snacks such as crisps, cookies, and chocolate bars are available for purchase.

Complimentary Beverage Selection:

Tea and instant coffee are available throughout the day.

Available for Purchase:

Espresso coffee;
Soft drinks and fruit juices;
Alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails.
Top Deck Club guests receive a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine.

"Our family of 3 reserved 2 rooms on the top deck and were assigned a wonderful host named Sofi. She made sure we were comfortable throughout our 3 day - 2night trip. She was very patient during the scuba dives, escorting, coaching, and encouraging throughout every dive. My daughter and I were already open water certified, but we both increased our skills under the support of Sofi. When my wife wanted to see the reef but lacked the swimming skills, Sofi pulled her 80 yards against the swift current just so she can see the corals and some fish. Sofi also arranged special picture time with the professional camera person, Kelsey. Kelsey took the most amazing photos. The type of pictures seen in scuba magazines, over 300 pictures. She was the one that pointed out a huge school of large fish which made for a perfect backdrop for my daughter as she was as scuba diving. Truly breathtaking photos. Thank you for the experience, well worth it, these 3 days were the highlight of our vacation. Sofi is the best - Friendly, encouraging, patient, and very caring. We had nothing to worry about, she took care of everything. " - Stan Lehrman, USA, 30 June 2025 ...

"Loved it. Too bad that 4 out of 5 dives included were in the same place where visibility was bad and the coral was not the greatest. The second day we moved to Norman Fingers and it was wayyy better.
Very well organized; the Scottish guy works very well along with the other people. Captain was very polite and helpful and some open water diver like Eleanor very, very friendly and helpful. Didn't like the fact we had to vacate the room early on the second day and not be able to rest after a the last dive. But I will def be back if I have the chance." - Elliott Bolivar, United States, 26 April 2025 ...

"Excellent food, diving, and crew!
Everything was exactly as described by Dive The World. I appreciate how everything was handled. Definitely a top company to work with." - Tina Stanco, United States, 10 March 2025 ...

"The trip was great, organization very good, crew - wonderful people. The only problem was with my course. I booked to upgrade to Open Water Diver and I needed only 2 dives with the instructor. Unfortunately they didn't understand my certification and made me do 5 dives with all the exercises that took 2 days - almost the whole trip." - Daria Chrzczonowicz, Poland, 9 January 2025 ...

"The crew were super helpful and friendly.
Dive The World helped find me an operator and time that fit my schedule." - Matthew O'Malley, United States, 21 October 2024 ...

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

MORE TRIP DETAILS

Notes: Top Deck Club: This is a VIP upgrade which guarantees you: own personal dive/snorkel guide and valet, top deck cabin, deluxe 3-course evening meal with private dining under the stars option, continental or cooked breakfast prepared to your specifications, breakfast in bed option, sunset cocktails, evening turn-down service, late check-out. It is designed for people who want to enjoy the best of the Great Barrier Reef in style.

Dive experience: Scuba divers simply need to be certified Open Water Diver level or higher and bring proof of their qualification with them to be checked by the Dive Supervisor. All divers in Queensland must submit a medical questionnaire and seek medical clearance where necessary.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinking water, hot drinks, port and park fees, dive briefings, scuba equipment (except wetsuit, incl. dive computer), wetsuit (Top Deck Club only), private guide (Top Deck Club only), tanks (12 litre, DIN and yoke), weights, weightbelt, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Dives (Standard cabin: 1 night: USD 81, 2 nights: USD 146, 3 nights: USD 211, Top Deck Club: 1 night: USD 81, 2 nights: USD 146, 3 nights: USD 211), wetsuit (USD 3 per day) payable on board, peak season surcharge (USD 65 per person) is applicable for all travel from the 23 Dec - 1 Jan 2025. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid in advance.

Optional extras: Snacks, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, return transfers to the port from Cairns city hotels (USD 13 per person), nitrox fills (USD 10 per tank), guided dives (USD 6 per dive, max. 6 divers per guide) to be paid in advance, dive insurance, underwater camera rental, prescription mask, helicopter transfer. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash AUD or Visa/Master credit card with surcharge). Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: Daily sea transfers to and from Reef Encounter are provided by its sister vessel, Reef Experience, from Cairns Marlin Marina. Please be at the marina 'A-Finger' at 7:30 am on the morning of the tour to check in. Reef Experience will take you directly to Reef Encounter. Land transfers from the outer suburbs, northern beaches and Port Douglas to Marlin Marina are all available at additional cost. A helicopter transfer option is also available upon special request.
The final dive of the tour will be at 10:30 am on the last day. You will depart the reef at around 3 pm, arriving back in Cairns at 4:30 pm. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.
For more information on getting to Cairns, including airlines, see our How to get there section.
Note: Guest needs to call to reconfirm their trip 48 hours prior departure. Please ask us for more details.

Non-diver rate: Displayed prices are non-diver (snorkeller) prices. Costs of diving are disclosed in the 'Prices exclude' section.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional (in Standard cabin only) - single travelers may choose to share a cabin (no guarantee of same gender sharing) or pay a 100% supplement for their own cabin. This is a compulsory additional charge on single travelers for the sole occupancy of double/twin accommodation in Top Deck Club.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 10 cabins and 1 extra cabin (2 persons) can join the cruise free of charge.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Please contact us to enquire for a full charter.

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