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Sunlover Reef Cruises

Sunlover Reef Cruises

Sunlover Reef Cruises
4.5
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Play in the world’s best natural playground, the Great Barrier Reef or Fitzroy Island, with Sunlover Reef Cruises. Join our eco-certified tours to our pontoon at Moore Reef on the outer reef, which is custom designed & perfectly positioned & equipped so that any age or ability can fully experience the magic of the reef with its abundance of brilliantly coloured coral, masses of fascinating fish, turtles & more! Included activities include snorkeling, glass bottom boat and semi-submersible tours, underwater observatory, fish feeding, ocean enclosed kids pool & delicious packed lunch, as well as spacious sun deck to relax and take in the 360 degree views. Moore Reef pontoon also features the famous Sunlover waterslide– the only waterslide on the reef! Optional extras include SCUBA diving, Seawalker helmet diving, guided snorkel safaris, & scenic heli flights. Our friendly crew will ensure you depart with memories to last a lifetime.
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,011 reviews
Excellent
600
Very good
227
Average
84
Poor
39
Terrible
61

Kelshaw
Pottsville, Australia40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2021
What a great tour! Our family of 4 (two children aged 6 and 10) had the best day out on the reef. We definitely recommend that you have some Kwells tablets at least 1/2 an hour before the trip as they will save you from feeling seasick. They worked great as our trip out was quite rough due to wind and none of us felt unwell (however others on the boat were very sick).

All of the staff were soo lovely and knowledgeable and no request was too hard. The equipment was all very clean and in good condition, and we were able to hire wetsuits which we needed as it was a little windy the day we went out.

The reef itself was great and we saw soo many fish and swam with the local sea turtle. The glass bottom boat was also very good for seeing turtles and the reef once the kids got a little too cold in the water.

The only downside to the trip was the food. We found it to be inedible, particularly the curries. My kids only ate bread rolls and as I am coeliac, I just had some plain rice and fruit. We heard a lot of people complaining about the food during our trip, so we know we aren't the only ones that felt that way. A suggestion would be bbq lunch and a range of salads, or burger patties and make your own burgers.

All in all, the trip was very professional and enjoyable and we would highly recommend Sunlover to all of our friends visiting Cairns in the future. Thanks for a great day out!
Written 7 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travelmiamor
Wisconsin494 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
So much fun! We saw some sea turtles, squid, jelly fish and lots of fish! We also did the helicopter ride which was great.

There were a lot of people that got sea sick on the way out to the reef. It was pretty disgusting. But the crew did a great job of managing it.

The pictures they take of you and sell you at the end of the are really expensive.
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lynden S
Brisbane Region, Australia99 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Couples
We had an awesome day out at Moores Reef. We chose this one as we preferred to snorkel from a pontoon.
Thankfully we had amazing sunny warm weather, although the water was still a little cool (we’re Queenslanders !?) even with thick stinger suits on. The coral & the fish are just beautiful. Some snorkelers even saw a reef shark (harmless).
The whole day ran smoothly as far as getting snorkelling gear & stinger suits, going on the semi submarine & glass bottom boat. There’s even a water slide for the big & little kids. We had a delicious boxed lunch (no buffet atm - that ‘C’ thing) & the staff were friendly & helpful. The underwater observatory is fabulous too especially after about 2.00pm as the fish know they’ll be fed from the pontoon near that area about 3.00pm.
Numbers were restricted, obviously due to the ‘C’ thing, however I think that made the day even better, with more room to move about on the ship, on the pontoon & in the water.
Written 11 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time out at Moore Reef! We are so proud of our team, who work so hard to deliver an incredible experience on the Great Barrier Reef, even with that "c" thing wreaking havoc. Feedback like this is invaluable and it means a great deal to us. We love our location at Moore Reef and agree that the coral and marine life are out-of-this-world, and its incredible that you saw a reef shark - what a wonderful memory to take home with you. We hope to see you again soon! Best wishes, Amy
Written 7 December 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mason Jago
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Couples
My wife and I were booked in for the Sunlover Cruise out/Fly back tour to the Moore Reef pontoon. The tour was a week after a cyclone had been hovering around the area which had caused structural damage to the pontoon. The cruise company had not operated since the cyclone and had not checked the pontoon for any damage prior to taking 100 guests out there. After travelling for two hours on the boat to get out to the reef and another hour circling the pontoon to assess the damage, it was decided that it was not safe to board. We then spent the next two hours on the boat travelling back to Cairns. I would of thought that considering there had been a cyclone in the area that it would be expected that there would possibly had been some damage and it was have been checked prior to taking all the guests to the pontoon. It was extremely disappointing as it was our only day we were able to visit the reef and would have booked a different reef tour had we known. The company at least provided everyone with full refunds and a tasty lunch.
Written 6 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Mason We understand how disappointed you are and as mentioned previously the hard decision was made on the weekend not to dock and return to Cairns. This was due to submerged infrastructure damage that wasn't visible when the team made the initial aerial inspection after the weather event. Safety is our number one priority and if we had any inclination that we weren't able to tie up and give you the Great Barrier Reef experience you and your wife deserved then there is no way we would have gone out. The entire team are disappointed as making lifelong memories is what we do on a daily bases. All we can do is offer the full refund and apologise that you will remember Sunlover for the wrong reasons and a situation that was outside our control.
Written 7 March 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Suzanne M
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2023 • Family
We were picked up by bus from our accommodation in the late afternoon & taken to the river to board the boat. We started down the river with the boat captain offering commentary along the way. We enjoyed beautiful scenery along both sides of the river but the best was yet to come as we returned back the spectacular sunset we witnessed was breathtaking, picture prefect.
When we returned to shore the dinner was well underway & we were able to buy drinks & acquaint ourselves with our fellow tablemates. It was no time & our table called to be served a scrumptious meal & not long after we started to eat, our show began.
Our entertainer was Owen Blundell, who is an extremely talented musician who offers one of the best shows of seen. He plays many interesting instruments perfectly, offers an array of songs, characters & plenty of comedy in the mix. From the reaction of the audience I think he was a big hit!
At the end of the night we were returned to our accommodation. We had an excellent experience on this tour, we thoroughly enjoyed the service offered, the food, the river cruise and the show. I definitely highly recommend this activity to anyone.
Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leo De Sousa
Brisbane, Australia89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2020
The perfect holiday dream (bucket list) is done and I couldn’t have been more perfect without a trip to the Great Barrier Reef with Sunlover at the Moore Reef. Perfect weather (yes in winter) 25 degree c water, glass bottom boat for those who don’t swim but want to experience, all snorkels washed and disinfected, and of you forget you camera they have GoPros you can use to capture your life changing experience. The pictures I attached looks are so amazing they look fake. Believe me they are very Real. I highly recommend doing the Reed with Sunlover Cruises
Written 27 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travelling0987
Queenstown, New Zealand13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Snorkelling by the pontoon far exceeded my expectations. Even though tourists go to this spot often, the reef looks untouched with fish of all kinds, and beautiful coral. I learnt a lot about the reef system thanks to the marine biologist talk on the way to the reef, and the snorkel tour was well worth the upgrade to learn more about sea creatures with the marine biologist, Chris. I'm so keen for tourists to learn about the reef to inspire conservation and Sunlover blend fun with education for an amazing and comfortable day out. Great for all ages, and plenty of shade on hot days!
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SophieT1
Sydney3,611 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Family
We had a great day on the reef apart from one of the staff, continually yelling at people in the water to “stop treading on the reef” we were yelled at and where we were the water was so deep we could not have possibly even been able to stand on the reef. It was so off putting not just to our group but also others who were also being told to get off the reef when they weren’t standing on it. It ruined my time in the water as you didn’t know when she would yell at you again for doing something you weren’t doing! I didn’t spend nearly as much time as I would have liked in the water due to this which was very disappointing. Quite a few people were saying the same thing.
It was a great day otherwise but the reason for going to the reef is to go in the water so I felt this woman really ruined the day to an extent.
Written 24 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Neil_A1974
Valentine, Australia24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
We took a trip out to Moore Reef and had a wonderful time with the family. 9 of us, we used sunk over for the value and range of activities. Whether us was my 70 year old mum using the glass bottomed boat And semi-submarine or my 11 year old on the scuba tour of the reef, they all had a great time. I would highly recommend this, great value, perfect facilities and terrific experienced staff. A big thank you to Pablo, his tour with my dad and kids made their day. He even had energy enough to go around and check on his tourists right up until we undocked, well done that knowledgeable and hardworking guy!
Written 21 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jaymiee-leigh
Gold Coast, Australia33 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Me and my partner did 3 different pontoons while staying in cairns, sunlover reef cruises were by far the best experience out of them all, the outer reef was absolutely incredible. We were snorkelling for the entire 4 hours and it was the most amazing experience we have ever had. We saw so many different species of fish, marine life, lots of colourful corals, star fish & green sea turtles. The staff were all lovely and very helpful. Special shout out to Pablo (Master Reef Guide and marine biologist on board). He was truly so wonderful and such a pleasure to meet. It was an unforgettable day and we are already planning our next trip back to moore reef in the near future.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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