First time to Great Barrier Reef and hotel recommended this place and trip. Crew were brilliant, very knowledgeable and informative. Takes a while to get out to the reef, then an hour snorkeling- the equipment is very good quality and new-looking. Then a nice lunch with salads, sliced chicken, roast beef, prawns and sauces. Then onto a sand cay for a visit, then another hour snorkeling at a different reef. Def do the 2nd session, it’s NOT just more of the same. Sadly our boat broke down on the way home, so we sat in the water half an hour while they tried to fix the sail. These things happen. Ok the negatives : no free drink from the fridge ( beer wine) included in the package. They do not display their prices and it’s $10 for a can of beer —ouch. And even when they tried fixing the boat while we all just waited, it would been good customer service to comp us a drink ! They lost a start for that. Book via your hotel, not direct, as Reception will probably get you a discount if they book it.

This was such a great tour. Really relaxed vibes and stunning views from start to finish. Snorkelling was incredible. The abundance of beautiful fish was amazing! The coral has lost colour which is sad, but the guides showed us how they are trying to generate growth via the glass bottom boat. We were a small tour of around 14 people, so had lots of room on the boat. I noted that the boat can hold a lot more people which I think would have hindered my experience as you have to get changed on the boat and need all the space you can get wriggling in to your wetsuit. Lunch was delicious although I wouldn’t describe it as a seafood buffet…more just a general buffet lol. Staff were nice and knowledgeable, pointing out things whilst snorkelling such as the reef sharks and turtles. We had a great day, thank you!

Yesterday we went with Sailaway to Mackay reef. It was a full days outing and so enjoyable. The group was really small (17 passengers). We traveled on Sailaway VII which is a big spacious, luxurious catamaran. It was a sunny day with calm sea and little wind, so perfect conditions. McKay Cay is a small sandy bank ‘island’ surrounded by coral reef. It’s about 150 ft long and has absolutely nothing on it! The waters around are crystal clear. So picturesque! We set off at 07:45. Sailed 2 hours to McKay. We snorkelled from the boat for an hour then had a nice lunch on the boat. We then had opportunity to go on the Cay itself in a glass bottomed boat to spend a brief time there. Enough to get some glorious pictures. Then back to VII for another hours snorkelling at another nearby location. The reef was as so beautiful. Colourful with abundant sea life. Swam with a green sea turtle. Lots of giant clams! Then the 2 hour return. The are lots of areas to chill in or out on the boat. So the journey out and return passed quickly. Lovely views of coastline. The crew were all super friendly and helpful. There was a great talk on GBR by the on board marine biologist too. We had a simply fantastic day. Sailaway is a slick, professional company and I’d happily do it again (also went on the Sunset Cruise with them). Highly recommend this tour!

Fantastic experience doing the full day Low Isles snorkeling in mid-November. It was a great intro to snorkeling the GBR. The crew took excellent care of us, and I felt very safe. We brought our own stinger suits, masks, and snorkels, but they will provide them (along with fins). The sailboat was wonderful because there were no diesel fumes other than during docking. The water was a comfortable temperature. A bit murky but we saw lots of colorful fish, a few sea turtles, and massive corals. Highly recommend Sailaway.

Really wonderful day out. Very comfortable boat and great lunch. Fede gave excellent talk about the marine life on the reef. Good long snorkelling opportunities. Highly recommend.

Highly recommend Sailaway Port Douglas, Low Isles tour, from the get go, staff were very experienced and full of knowledge , every question was answered with full info. The snorkeling tour was amazing, and our guides were so professional. We had the experience of full sails too amazing again . Excellent equipment, well maintained. Came back to a selection of nice wines and beer and canapés Thanks so much to the crew fond memories

I have no complaints about the trip but be aware the coral is mostly dead. We did see turtles and reef sharks and beautiful fish as promised but note the absence of coral. The inner reefs of gbr are devastated and it was depressing. I was told it was the latest cyclone by the staff but was here four years ago and it was as dire - last time was told it was natural bleaching. From what i hear outer reef is still good as not impacted by urban and rural runoff so suggest you take the longer trip.

It was a fantastic day out, mainly because the crew were so professional, friendly, knowledgable and fun, and the catamaran was beautiful. It’s a great shame, however, that despite having hoisted full sail in a nice 10-15kt wind, both engines were kept running at high power whenever underway. That is not what I call a sustainable experience, and was not as relaxing as I’d hoped. The only place to escape the noise of the engines was on the foredeck. As a sailor myself I would have loved at least some pure sailing, and I’m sure others,who had perhaps never sailed before, would have absolutely loved the exhilarating experience of pure wind power. Please switch those engines off when there’s a bit of wind if you want to give a more enjoyable and sustainable experience and exhibit best practice and protect the environment, as stated in your brochure.

Please please please double check your booking date - an easy mistake to make a booking for the wrong day and the office at Sailaway will not change your booking or be flexible in any way. The crew on board did their jobs well but my whole experience was affected by the mistake that I made and the way the office handled it. Either be there or you’ll lose your $1000

We were kept informed of everything coming up at every step. The crew was always friendly and able to assist and accommodate all abilities throughout the sail. The waves were a bit rough on the way out, but the crew looked after everyone to ensure we made it to the island with no fuss. The snorkel and glass bottom boat trip was amazing. The coral is so close to the island that you don't have to go far to see the beautiful fish. We even were taken on a tour of the island and saw a turtle swim by in the shallows. The cruise home by sail was perfect and easy with the crew ensuring we were being looked after with snacks and drinks along the journey.

A perfect day on the reef. The catamaran was a great size for the amount of guests on board, it felt like a day out with friends. The lunch was delicious and plentiful! The crew were very attentive, especially Conor who helped a lady snorkel for the first time. She was initially nervous about being in the water and was absolutely thrilled that he gave her the confidence to give it a try. The highlight of my day was when Conor led me to where a turtle was swimming amongst the coral. An amazing experience! The entire crew [Damien (Skipper) Erin, Peter,Diego & Conor] were friendly, enthusiastic and very respectful to all the guests swimming abilities. I would highly recommend Sailaway to anyone wanting to explore the reef.

It was a very nice tour where the crew take care of us, guided us in the sea and serving good lunch and afternoon tea incl drinks. Unfortunately was the water not as clear as I thought but that’s nothing they could be responsible for. Overall was it much better than I expected 👏🏼👏🏼👌🏻👌🏻

We were picked up from our hotel and taken to the marina and quickly boarded the catamaran. It’s a barefoot cruise so they take your shoes before you walk on there were snacks and non-alcoholic beverages available as we made our way to the island. It was about an hour each direction on the boat and we had a very smooth ride and calm seas. Once we arrived, we did snorkeling first because the conditions were fantastic. After a short tutorial, we snorkeled with guides (equipment provided) for 45 minutes and saw several turtles, black tip, reef sharks, several types of tropical fish, giant clams, and lots of different types of coral. After re-boarding the catamaran, we had a couple minutes to dry off and transfer to a glass bottom boat for a very short ride to an island with a lighthouse - where a tour was offered. After about 30 minutes, we re-boarded the glass bottom boat back to the catamaran. Once we were underway, alcoholic drinks, and additional snack snacks were served and we headed back to the harbor during the sunset great views and smooth sailing. It was just the right amount of time for every activity.

Professionalism at its best from the moment we boarded. Captain Tom and his crew were so knowledgeable and their attention to detail and safety was excellent. About 25-30 on board nice size. Food was excellent, snorkelling supervision great plus a glass bottom board trip. Loads of reef vision.

Amazing day out in the outer reef! I am VERY picky when it comes to choose a tour company, which is why I spent a day in advance just to figure out which of all the 100 companies doing tours to the outer reef, I should choose. I hesitated as they run a sailing catamaran which takes a bit longer time to get out to the snorkling spot but it was worth every minute. Service and staff were top notch, food was great, snorkling site.. just us! It is like a five star hotel compared to the others. Yes, I can compare as I did go for another one the day after as it suited my schedule. It was a half day tour to Lower isle. That company (does not matter which one because they all have the same standard and prices) was not bad at all but just average good. Sailaway cost approx. 20 AUD more than the others for a full day tour, but worth every AUD. / Anders from Sweden