If you were a snorkeling couple thinking of taking a liveaboard next October, would you choose:
1. one that goes to Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs and flies back from Lizard Island,but is quite expensive
2. one that goes to reefs off Cairns within reach of their day boat, with day snorkelers on the boat, but is quite inexpensive
3. one that goes out of Airlie Beach to the Whitsunday reefs on the continental shelf and is comparable in price to #2

All have their advantages and disadvantages and convenience and inconvenience, but wondering if anyone has experience or opinions.

Thanks for your response.

Sally in Seattle, where it is trying real hard to live up to its reputation of being uncomfortably rainy

topping this thread, hoping that someone will chime in with opinions, even if not personal experience.
Sally in Seattle

Hi Sally,


I'm not sure of the relative merits of the Cod Hole/Ribbon Reef v's the Whitsunday reefs, but I think I'd take No. 3. Are they all roughly equal in accessibility for you?

The reason I'd go for this option is that I just wonder if it wouldn't be a bit distraacting (time & attention) for the operators with day trippers coming on & off each day.

I did a 5 day "live aboard" when I learnt to dive out of Cairns, but that was 20 years ago (!). Loved it and made some friends with whom I'm still in contact.

You don't say how many days each one is, and you might like to consider whether No. 2 could be a viable option (exit penalties etc) if you find it's too long/weather not good etc.

If Pat W's around, she will have some sound advice.

Good luck - it's a gorgeous part of the world.

Bokhara, I've already bashed Sally's ear about the first two options which I think are 1. Spirit of Freedom and 2. Reef Encounter. Neither take daytrippers, however Reef Encounter has a feeder vessel which takes liveaboard snorkellers/divers out daily from Cairns,and is also a daytripper boat. The daytrippers stay on Compass, the liveaboarders join Reef Encounter on the reef. Have explained to Sally that this feeder boat, Compass, is as slow as, still a small price to pay for a very reasonably priced liveaboard.

Sally, steve&andrea who post here have very recently taken a Spirit of Freedom trip, I think they took the 7 day one which includes Coral Sea as well as Cod Hole and Ribbon Reefs. Hopefully they'll see this post.

Greetings Sally

We are avid scuba divers and have gone out on Spirit of Freedom on their 7 day trip 2 years in a row now. We can't say enough about what a great crew, ship, (the best chef's in all of Australia) and the diving experiences.

If you were a scuba diver we would not hesitate to recommend both Coral Sea and Cod Hole.

As a snorkler you are limited to areas where the coral is near the surface.

There would be some opportunities for you to snorkel in the Coral Sea, but not many. You would be better off taking the trip to the Cod Hole and ribbon reef's where there are shallow reef's at almost every location.

The Spirit of Freedom is as luxurious as they get for live-aboard dive ships. However she is not the same as a cruise ship. The Spirit is equipped with tv's and dvd players in most state rooms and in the main salon. The Sun Deck is fantastic for those looking to enhance their tans.

But the ship is primarly a dive operation and caters to divers. If you are looking for some great scenery, great sun rises and sunsets, excellent company, great food, 3 days to just relax, and some very nice snorkeling opportunities, then Spirit is your best bet - as long as you understand that you may not get to see something on every dive location.

The Cod Hole Ribbon Reef trip is 3 days. That would give you more opportunity than a day boat with 2 or 3 stops on the GBR.

One other item we should mention. There would be places where the reef is shallow, but also where you could get near a drop off where all you would see is dark blue ocean. Some snorkelers find that a bit intimidating. If that would be an issue for you, just talk to the dive master before you jump in and they can advise you where to go to avoid those areas.

Sorry for the lengthly reply, just want to make sure we gave you all of the facts.

Cheers

Steve and Andrea

Steve - We too are considering a liveaboard, we are divers. My husband gets seasick - he does alright on a cruise ship with a patch, but I am wondering if you think he could handle a liveaboard on the GBR?

Hi Barbara

The Spirit of Freedom has active stabilizers which keeps the rolling down, but there will be more motion than a cruise ship.

It is always reasonably calm at the various reef sites as the reef breaks the swells. Your only real issue would be the transit out and back. That is done at night if you go out on Spirit.

My wife gets seasick and like most folks, does reasonably well with the Transderm patches.

The weather is also calmer Sept - Nov with late Nov early Dec turning into the rainy season. Oct probably has the best combination of warm water/air temps calmer weather.

It's hard to give advice regarding seasickness since everyone's susceptibility is different.

Our trip 2 years ago was in August and the weather was fairly rough on the transit, 4 or 5 out of the 23 divers got a bit sick. This past year we went in late Nov, and it was quite calm the entire trip, but the first night out a few still got sick.

I can say that all divers had no problems diving when we were at the various sites. That goes for both of our trips.

Hope this helps

Steve and Andrea

Thanks Steve and Andrea - that's encouraging. We were planning on coming in January for my husband's 50th birthday, but maybe we should switch it to Oct.

Hi Barbara

We were in Cairns from 17 Nov through 2 Dec and out on Spirit of Freedom from 24 Nov through 1 Dec.

It was rather warm, we are from Fl so it didn't bother us, just like being home. 85-90 almost daily, water temp was 80-82 even down to 125 feet. Very littl wind, in fact we kind of wished there had been a bit more of a breeze. Wearing a wetsuit waiting to get in the water with scuba gear, 90 and no wind...gets a tad warm....

We have never been to Cairns in Jan, others here might be able to give you some advice. You can also send an enquiry to the Spirit of Freedom. There staff are quite helpful. If you send them a note, be sure to tell Paula Steve and Andrea say hello.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks, Steve, on the info on Spirit of Freedom. That's the one we were leaning towards. I read with interest your info on seasickness since I tend to get it. We were planning on October, so hearing that was a good month (weather permitting) was reassuring. We are not cruise ship kind of people, so if the snorkeling, people, and sunsets are good, we're happy. Pat, thanks for the info that the day trip people don't go on the overnight boat. That was confusing on the website.
Sally in Seattle

ttt

What's up with bringing your own towels on these liveaboards? I've looked at a number of them, and we'll probably go on Reef Encounter as snorkellers for their 2 day/1 night trip, but these boats provide everything except towels. Is this an Aussie thing? I hate to haul a towel all the way from the US or to go buy one just for 1 night.
We'll be arriving in Cairns Nov. 14-will this week be a good time to do this trip?