Had a great 3D/2N live aboard with Reef Encounter. The crew were exceptionally friendly, helpful and accommodating. Availability of guides for dives was a huge plus for me. The crew made up for any shortcomings of the vessel, and despite those the bedrooms and en-suites were roomy and bed was comfy. Plenty of dive opportunities throughout the trip, and some nice sites. I look forward to coming back some time.
Those guys are just amazing, I had a great experience with them. My diving refresher with Jose was calm and nice, he was patient and sweet. My diving Guide Leif was awesome, she is calm and funny in the water! The board overview Augustina is sweet and helpful . The cook Brian is really a good one, the food on board was very enjoyable and I was grateful for a tasty vegetarian alternative. Gabriel is so useful with the overlook of all the divers, he helps and checks everything with knowledge and fun, he has such a nice energy. Liz is a great diver and I had a good time chatting about the health of the Reef! She can describe so much about the nature here. The captain was kind and asked us what we preferred to visit and involved us in the decision of the next site.
I truly recommend them!
You rock, love you guys xoxo
We did 3D/2N Open Water Diver Certification course with Top Deck Experience and it was totally worth it. The course is fast paced but the crew is fantastic so rest assured your instructor will help you through the finish line.
We were paired with Alexandra who was the best trainer that we could have asked for. She helped us at every step since the time she met us at Marina until we were dropped off at Marina. She was compassionate and helpful when we had a tough time in the water and helped us achieve our certification. She also took dozens of photos and videos of both of us and ocean life in our action camera.
Food: It was surprisingly good and beyond my expectations for being in the middle of the ocean. All the meals were freshly cooked and none of the main courses were frozen meals but real food. Plus desserts were the best.
Boat: Yes the condition of the boat is just ok, its old, but the rooms were not bad, just not updated to modern standards. I do see that they will be updating the boat in Feb'26 so hopefully it's as good as promised and maybe we'll come back again.
Reefs: We only went to Norman and Saxon reefs but there are different sides of the reef to explore so you won't get bored of them.
Saw tons of different fish like humphead parrotfish, sharks, nemo, turtles, stingray, and everything in between.
This will be a trip of your lifetime if you choose to go with them. The crew works very hard from cooking to cleaning, setting up gears to coaching people and I couldn't be thankful enough to all of them.
Bong bing
The experience of being on the Reef is not to be missed. A locally owned company that provides an incredible day at one of the
Organized, efficient, pleasant, professional + helpful staff . Great experience snorkelling with incredible views of reef fish + brilliant coloured coral . The trip was everything I had hoped it would be. 🙏
Sorry for writing a book but these guys deserve it.
Our trip from December 6th–8th was absolutely unforgettable, all thanks to the incredible crew on board. From the moment we stepped onto the ship, they made us feel like part of one big family. They didn’t just set up our scuba gear, they cooked, cleaned, laughed with us, played games, and genuinely shared their joy with everyone.
Every single person on that crew brought such warmth and happiness. Even when we weren’t diving, we were bonding, joking around, and creating memories that I’ll hold onto forever. It’s crazy how in just two short days, they made such an impact that I actually cried when it was time to leave.
I had the best experience learning to scuba dive thanks to Dylan. I was there to get certified, and he was unbelievably calm and patient with me, especially when I started to panic about getting into the water. Instead of rushing anything, he helped me relax, reminded me to breathe, and made me feel completely safe the entire time.
He went through every lesson with so much confidence in me that it actually made me believe I could do it too. That kind of support is rare, and it meant the world. Dylan is truly an all around wonderful guy, and I appreciate everything he did for me more than I can put into words. 🥹
Highly recommend him to anyone especially if you’re nervous. He’ll make you feel capable, calm, and proud of yourself oh and I did get certified by the way 💪 🥹
As we were departing, the crew set up a boombox and played a goodbye song, everyone waving and wishing us farewell. It was such a beautiful and emotional moment one I’ll never forget.
Thank you all for the joy you brought to me and my boyfriend. You will be truly missed.
And a special shout out to Gabriel for that exceptional performance 🤣🤣 you were amazing! And my beautiful French cleaning crew manager ( I’m so sorry I forget her name 😭) but she was absolutely amazing!! She’s on the left of the group photo! So young but ran things like a gangster! Shout out also to the captain! Such a cool guy!!! Oh and let’s not forget my beautiful photographer (Gabriela) Gabriela was absolutely incredible during our scuba dive. From the moment we got in the water, she made me feel so comfortable, safe, and genuinely happy to be there. Her energy was so sweet and positive the kind of attitude that instantly puts you at ease, even underwater.
Not only is she a wonderful person, but she’s also an amazing photographer!!!. The underwater photos she took for us were stunning and captured moments we’ll never forget. She said I was a natural underwater which made me feel so good 🥹 You can really tell she loves what she does, and it shows in her work.
Thank you, Gabriela, for making our experience so special. I’m so grateful for your kindness, patience, and talent. 🤿💙
Last but not least Jennifer at the SSI office! Jennifer in the office was absolutely amazing. She was so helpful, sweet, and incredibly kind from the moment we walked in. Not only did she assist us with everything we needed, but she also shared the coolest ideas of things to do around the area!! Recommendations we honestly wouldn’t have found on our own.
She’s such a genuinely nice girl, and her warm personality made the whole experience even better. Thank you, Jennifer, for being so thoughtful and helpful.
You all made my time here so special thanks again and we hope to see you all very soon ❤️❤️❤️❤️🥹
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a beautifully detailed review, Danielle, we’re genuinely touched! 🥹 It means the world to our whole team to hear how memorable your trip was, and we’re thrilled that your time on board felt like joining a big Reef Encounter family, that’s exactly the kind of experience we hope every guest walks away with. 🫶
We’re especially happy to hear how supported you felt throughout your scuba certification. Dylan will be over the moon to know his calm, patient approach made such a difference for you and congratulations on becoming a certified diver! 🙌 That’s an amazing achievement, and we’re so proud of you!
Thank you as well for the special shout-outs to so many of our crew. From Gabriel’s entertainment to Captain Matt, our hardworking housekeeping team, and the lovely Gabriela capturing your underwater moments - they’ll all be smiling from ear to ear reading your kind words. ☺️ Jennifer in the SSI office was also absolutely delighted to hear she helped make your time in Cairns even more special! 🤗
It was truly our pleasure to have you both on board, and we’re so glad the farewell send-off left such a lasting impression. Creating unforgettable memories is what we love most, and knowing we succeeded for you makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Thank you again for your warmth, your energy, and your incredible review. We’d love nothing more than to welcome you both back to the Great Barrier Reef again soon! ❤️
Suzanne Lewis2025.12.01
What an amazing way to see the GBR. Staff were awesome, whether your an experienced diver or an anxious snorkeler they provide everything you’ll need to have a memorable experience. Eleanor, Gab and Terrance were just three of the many staff on board and were always approachable whenever you needed a question answered or help with any gear.
Boat goes in for updates soon so will be spruced up before long. Hot tub didn’t appear functional for many years however I wouldn’t deduct any starts for this as it seems unnecessary anyway and not something I would have used even if it worked.
This is both a trip I’d do again and any live aboard would be done with this company.
Thanks so much for your awesome review, Suzanne and great photos! 😃 We’re so happy you enjoyed your time on the GBR and that Eleanor, Gab, Terence, and the rest of the crew made your experience memorable. 😊
You’re right, Reef Encounter will be coming out of the water for a refit soon, we hope to be able to welcome you back again for an even better experience! 🌊💙
Silva Old2025.11.30
This is a combined review, as guest and as volunteer.
As a guest:
The pros: the crew!, the food, the dive sites
The cons: the state of the ship and also partly the gear.
The ship has a hostel vibe, which I didn’t mind but one should be aware of.
Things to know as a volunteer:
Work:
Be aware, that (unless you come in low season) you work a lot. And you spend almost the entire time in the kitchen, washing and drying dishes. If you are a vegetarian/vegan and sensitive to smelling or seeing (you don’t have to handle it) meat, than this is not ideal. Depending how many other volunteers there are, you can try to do the few jobs that are not in the kitchen (vacuum cleaning, wiping tables, cleaning windows) but the dishes need to be done and it’s the job of the volunteers. If there are no volunteers the crew has to do it and they are already up to their necks with work. When we volunteered the first time, the dish washer didn’t work and we spent 2-3 hours after ever meal to clean up. Even with the dish washer running it was around 2 hours.
Accommodation:
As volunteers you sleep under deck in a small room with 4 bunk beds. It’s very loud there (generator running) so bring ear plugs.
Food: same as for the guest - really great! :)
The fun:
There are 5 water sessions a day, of which you get guaranteed to go on two (~6:30 am and ~3:30 pm). If you work your share and there is enough gear, you might be able to go on more dives (also night dive). Be aware that the morning dive is ~50min, afternoon ~40min, night dive ~30min. But as volunteer your dives might be shorter, depending on work load. Most of the time you work right up to the dive and at least in the morning you have to hurry to be back in time to help with breakfast. Once you get the hang of it, you can have great fun. The crew is really great and besides the dives they are the reason why volunteering on reef encounter is a great experience.
Dear management,
you’re crew and staff are the one great thing about your company. Please make their life easier! There are many little things that could be improved that don’t require huge investments. Such as: buy more cups and little spoons. Just ask your staff what they need!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your detailed thoughts! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the crew, the food, and the diving experiences. 😊
We appreciate your honest feedback about the ship and volunteering experience. It’s true, Reef Encounter has been in high demand this year, and we’ve taken your comments (and others’) on board. The great news is that Reef Encounter will be coming out of the water for a scheduled refit from February to March 26, 2026. This will give us the chance to improve the vessel and make life easier for both our crew and volunteers, while keeping all the amazing experiences our guests love. 🪸🐠
Alex Natoli2025.11.30
We had a great time with reef encounter. Big love to Airy for being our guide for five days. She was amazing and we loved our experience with her ☺️
Thank you for the lovely review, Alex! 😃 We’re so glad you had a great time onboard and Airy will be absolutely chuffed to hear your kind words, she adored having you both out on the reef for five days! Big love right back at you, and we hope to see you again sometime! 🌊💙
Advertisement
Andrew Pantino2025.11.29
The overnight experience was one of the highlights of our trip to Australia. The rooms were comfy and the food was better than expected. However, what really stood out was the crew, who went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience. My fiance and I were not scuba certified, but we were still able to do four intro dives with our instructor, Tea, who was incredible! If you are on the fence about whether to do the overnight, do it if you can. You won't regret it!
Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Andrew! 😃 We're thrilled to hear your overnight stay was a highlight of your trip to Australia and that you enjoyed the comfy rooms, tasty food, and especially the crew, they’ll be stoked to hear it!
We’re so glad you and your fiancé got to experience four intro dives, and Tea will be over the moon to hear your shout-out! 😃
Thanks for the recommendation, it means a lot and we hope we get to welcome you back on board again one day! 🌊💙
Cristina Del Fresno2025.11.25
Hicimos la experiencia de buceo de 2 dias y una noche y fue excepcional! El equipo es profesional y amable, la comida excelente y, lo más importante, los buceos fueron increibles. Como punto de mejora me hubiera gustado variar más los lugares de buceo pero igualmente repetiría con ellos. Gran trabajo!!!!
¡Muchísimas gracias por acompañarnos en una aventura de 2 días y 1 noche y por tomarte el tiempo de compartir tus comentarios! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste de la tripulación, la comida y, sobre todo, del buceo. 😃
Agradecemos tu comentario sobre la variedad de sitios. Rotamos entre varios lugares hermosos, pero las condiciones y la seguridad siempre influyen en nuestras elecciones ese día. Aun así, tus comentarios son valiosos y nos ayudan a seguir mejorando. 🪸🐠
¡Nos encantaría darte la bienvenida de nuevo para disfrutar de más inmersiones increíbles la próxima vez que estés en Cairns! 🌊💙
Amy Whittaker2025.11.23
*Bing Bong* My husband and I did the 3 day/2 night dive option on Reef Encounter and had the best experience. The divemasters were phenomenal, the experiences were incredible, and the food / accommodations were great. We were especially grateful to Gabriel, Liv & Gaia for such fun dives -- the night dives were especially stunning. And to Dylan and Augustina on the boat for keeping things running smoothly with a smile and great sense of humor. Zara and the photographers with Scubaba did an amazing job of capturing the experience too. I highly recommend to anyone who wants a true GBR experience, a cohort of others passionate about diving, and professional but fun guides. *Bong Bing*
Hi there Amy! Thanks so much for the awesome review, Bing Bong/Bong Bing made our day 😄
We’re thrilled to hear you loved your 3-day/2-night stay on Reef Encounter! Gabriel, Liv, Gaja, Dylan and Augustina will be stoked to know they helped make your trip something special, and Zara and the Scubabo team will be delighted their photos captured the magic. 🪸🦈
Night dives, great food, fun company, sounds like you squeezed every bit out of the experience, and we’re so happy it all hit the mark. 😃
Thanks again for diving with us and for the wonderful recommendation. Hope we see you back on board for more underwater adventures! 💙🌊🐠
Diego “DIRKSS” Roman Urdiales2025.11.23
Amazing crew! Night diving was gorgeous! Sharks everywhere!
Thanks so much for your awesome feedback, Diego! 😃 We're stoked to hear you had such a great time on Reef Encounter and especially enjoyed the night diving! 🦈🦈 Thanks for traveling with us! 🙏
Advertisement
Susan W2025.11.22
Verified
Disappointing
A bit disappointing. Only stopped at one spot, not two, with no explanation as to why. A person in our group took the scuba dive, but was in the last group in the afternoon and photographer only took photos in the morning. Price of photos was over the top - $35 for one digital photo. Boat was overcrowded with no space to put belongings - snorkels, stinger suits, flippers all got mixed up as everything was piled on top of one another. Not enough space to sit outside. Food was average.
I had the best time on the reef encounter! Met some amazing people, did some beautiful dives and loved waking up and watching the sunrise on the boat. I went with my dad for his 60th birthday and he achieved his OW certification on the boat - he had lovely instructors. I seriously did not want to leave and am excited to get back on the boat hopefully sometime soon! Shoutout to Jaz, Elea, and Rodrigo!
Thanks so much for your wonderful review, Rumi! 😃 We’re thrilled to hear you and your dad had such a memorable time onboard Reef Encounter, and we’re especially happy he got to celebrate his 60th birthday with us! 🎂 A huge congratulations to him as well on achieving his Open Water certification! 👏🏻
It’s great to know the sunrise mornings, diving, and our amazing crew, especially Jaz, Elea, and Rodrigo, helped make your trip so special. 🪸🐠 We’ll be sure to pass on the shoutout!
We loved having you both onboard and hope to welcome you back again soon for more unforgettable moments on the reef. 🌊✨
Molly Corrigan2025.11.13
I honestly cannot say enough good things about this trip! There were a few small mishaps along the way, but the staff went above and beyond to make the best of every situation. The boat itself fosters such a wonderful sense of community — I felt so lucky to meet so many amazing people from all around the world.
Originally, I joined as a solo snorkel passenger, but the crew kindly found room for me to join an introductory scuba diving briefing. The instructors were incredibly patient with my initial discomfort and gently encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone. Their passion and support inspired me to keep pushing myself to grow.. I’m so grateful for that encouragement!
A special thank you to the incredible marine biologist on board for sharing her brain's fascinating knowledge, and to the entire staff from 10.11.25–11.11.25 for making this experience unforgettable.
Thanks so much for your wonderful review, Molly! 😃 We’re thrilled to hear you had such a memorable time on Reef Encounter and that the crew were able to turn those little mishaps into positive moments. Creating a welcoming sense of community on board is something we’re very proud of, so it’s lovely to hear you felt that connection with fellow guests. ☺️
That's great you were able to join the introductory scuba briefing, and even more special that our instructors helped you feel supported as you stepped outside your comfort zone. 🪸🐠 We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to them and to our marine biologist .
Thank you again for choosing to spend your time on the reef with us. We’re so glad the team from 10–11 November made your trip unforgettable! 🌊💙
Mcx Marttin2025.11.03
We had amazing time exploring Great Barrier Reef on our 3 day reef encounter. Instructors were very helpful and always available to accommodate our needs. Food was pretty good too but condition this boat is in wasn’t good enough. It’s way too old, dirty, visually not appealing at all and should be replaced by something more modern.
Thank you for your review, we're really glad you had an amazing time out on the reef and that our crew took great care of you. 🪸🐠
While Reef Encounter’s a spacious vessel with good bones, she is ready for some updating and after being on the waitlist for quite some time, she’s booked in to come out of the water for a full refit early next year -we can’t wait to give her a well-deserved refresh.😃
Advertisement
Sandra R2025.11.03
Verified
Nice boat/snorkel tour
Beautiful boat/snorkel tour to the Great Barrier Reef.The boat or group was very large. The organization was good, though somewhat impersonal (numbering and division into groups, which are then called).The inclusive scuba dive for people without a diving license was very short (felt about 20 minutes) and you were only allowed to dive a few meters deep. Afterwards, it was advertised that another dive could be booked at a high price, during which the dive would be longer and deeper.I was very pleased that food intolerances were asked at the time of booking. In my case celiac disease/gluten-free, not even anyone on board knew which food could at least be gluten-free.The food was too little overall and was not enough for all persons.
Vielen Dank für Ihr Feedback. Wir freuen uns, dass Ihnen das Riff gefallen hat und Sie die Organisation des Tages geschätzt haben. Es ist sehr ungewöhnlich, dass es an Bord Unklarheiten bezüglich der Verpflegungsmöglichkeiten gab. Wir werden dies umgehend mit dem Team besprechen. Was die Tauchgänge betrifft: Unser Schnuppertauchgang ist als sicheres erstes Erlebnis für nicht zertifizierte Taucher konzipiert. Optional bieten wir einen längeren zweiten Tauchgang zu einem sehr günstigen Preis an. Wir bieten tatsächlich die besten Tauchgänge am Riff zum besten Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis, damit jeder die Möglichkeit hat, dieses Erlebnis zu genießen. Wir schätzen Ihre Anmerkungen und werden sie berücksichtigen, um zukünftige Reisen zu verbessern.
suttosnax2025.10.31
Verified
Great day diving on GBR
Had a fantastic day, 2x adults 1x 3yo.We both got a chance to scuba, while the other looked after our little girl, which was great. Thank you so much to the crew for making this possible. Everything about the dive was great, from the friendly comms with the staff in office, to the crew on the boat. Food was delicious. Honestly couldn't fault the whole day. Thank you so much. Especially dive leader Jasmine and Team captain Cisco.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! 😃 We’re thrilled you all had a fantastic day on the reef and that you both got the chance to dive. Jasmine, Cisco, and the crew will be delighted with your kind words! 🙏 We really appreciate your feedback and hope the rest of your time in Cairns is just as enjoyable!
Remie is the best tour guide
This is an amazing tour! We loved green island so much, what made our experience so much more special was the lovely staff member named Remie! Absolutely darl with so much knowledge!! Remie is an amazing tour guide!! 10/10 would recommend.
Verified
Verified Company