Dundee's Restaurant on the Waterfront - 7 min walk
Howlin' Jay's - 2 min walk
About this property
Reef Encounter
Upscale cruise ship near Cairns Esplanade
Near Cairns Marlin Marina and Cairns Central Shopping Centre, Reef Encounter provides a free breakfast buffet, a terrace, and a bar. For some rest and relaxation, visit the spa tub. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Additional perks include:
Smoke-free premises, a TV in the lobby, and tour/ticket assistance
Coffee/tea in the lobby and luggage storage
Room features
All guestrooms at Reef Encounter offer comforts such as air conditioning.
Other conveniences in all rooms include:
Bathrooms with showers and free toiletries
Languages
English
Property amenities
Parking and transportation
No onsite parking available
Food and drink
Free buffet breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM
A bar/lounge
A restaurant
Coffee and tea in common areas
Things to do
Snorkeling
Spa tub
TV in common areas
Family friendly
Crib (surcharge)
Conveniences
Luggage storage
Guest services
No housekeeping service
Tour and ticket assistance
Outdoors
Terrace
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
No elevator
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
More
3 floors
Smoke-free property
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Crib (surcharge)
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Private bathroom
Shower
Towels provided
More
Air conditioning
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 7:30 AM; Check-in end time: 8:00 AM
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 8 AM
Special check-in instructions
There is no front desk at this property
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; your host will greet you
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 48 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
The property is a ship at sea. Guests must take the Reef Experience catamaran from Cairns Marlin Marina, A Finger, to reach it. The catamaran begins boarding at 7:30 AM, with check-in and breakfast on board. It departs for the ship at 8 AM. To return, guests will check-out at 9 AM and arrive in Cairns at 4:30 PM.
Access methods
Host will greet you
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are available for AUD 50.0 per night
Property payment types
Important information
Optional extras
Crib (infant bed) fee: AUD 50.0 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
Property is also known as
Reef Encounter Boat
Reef Encounter Boat Cairns
Reef Encounter Cairns
Reef Encounter Hotel Great Barrier Reef
Reef Encounter Cruise
Reef Encounter Cairns
Reef Encounter Cruise Cairns
Frequently asked questions
Is Reef Encounter pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking at Reef Encounter?
This property doesn't offer parking.
What time is check-in at Reef Encounter?
Check-in start time: 7:30 AM; Check-in end time: 8:00 AM. After-hours check-in is not available.
What time is check-out at Reef Encounter?
Check-out is at 8 AM.
Where is Reef Encounter located?
This vessel pulls anchor and sets sail from Cairns for at least part of your stay.
Reef Encounter Reviews
Reviews
9.0
Wonderful
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 32 out of 46 reviews" "
10 - Excellent
32
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 46 reviews" "
8 - Good
9
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 46 reviews" "
6 - Okay
3
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 46 reviews" "
4 - Poor
0
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 46 reviews" "
2 - Terrible
2
8.8/10
Cleanliness
9.2/10
Staff & service
8.0/10
Amenities
8.6/10
Property conditions & facilities
7.0/10
Eco-friendliness
Reviews
10/10 Excellent
Jane
Travelled with partner
Nov 26, 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Got us right out onto the reef multiple times per day!
Jane
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
8/10 Good
Michael
Travelled with partner
Oct 6, 2023
Disliked: Amenities
The ship was run down, a lot of signs that maintenance wasn’t a high priority. However if your goal is to dive and snorkel on the reef a “lot”, then you’ll be happy.
Great luxury live aboard adventure. Stayed one-night as it was our first time on a boat and found the 6 dives over 2 days was great and tiring. The "premium room" is their Top Deck package and the upgrade was well worth it to us though only 3 rooms were booked as this upgrade during our time there and everyone else had fun too.
Very overpriced trip. The yacht is very old. No cabin has lockers on the door - according to the stuff, that’s the policy on the boat. This mean that theoretically anyone can enter your room at any time. You can’t controll the conditioner in your room and in the dining area, it is freezing there. It’s a problem to get the fresh towel - you will be sent to use the only public dryer where everyone washed their stuff. The yacht has no shoe policy but the floor is pretty dirty. The wetsuits are literally tearing apart! I would say this is like a good friendly motel but they advertise and charge as 5 star hotel.
Fabulous trip out to the reef. The crew were extremely friendly and helpful, the food was great and the cabin was very comfortable.
We saw loads of fish, dolphins, turtles and baby reef sharks.
Excellent way to get closer to the reef.
This was an amazing experience! I recommend staying two nights. The staff was so accommodating and it almost felt like you were traveling with good friends! Food was delicious and beds were comfortable. Good sleep is very important to me,
We were aboard Reef Encounter for 3 nights & everything was lovely! Food was excellent, staff were young and delightful.
no complaints - would definitely return!
My family and I had an amazing 4 day, 3 night stay on Reef Encounters. The crew was terrific, food was great and the reef was incredible ... especially loved the night dives!
We booked 2 nights on Reef Encounter so we could snorkel and dive the barrier reef. We were super excited about the trip until the moment we boarded the transfer boat; Reef Experience. The staff were very young and everything was a bit disorganised and the safety briefing had lets say some crucial bits of info which were at best lacking.
The advert stated that we would be served breakfast during our morning transfer; if an unbuttered roll with a half cold veggie burger and some cut slices of watermelon, pinaple etc counts as breakfast then we got it. Maybe my expectations were a little high i thought, i'm sure the food must be better on Reef Encounter as that's the 'hotel' boat after all, whereas Reef Experience just the taxi boat.
On Reef Encounter, the departure was fine, the staff sorted out offloading our luggage. The welcome onto the boat was good and much better than the welcome we'd recieved on the transfer. We were shown up to our rooms. The bed was a good size and was comfy, the bathroom was normal size for a boat but there was a strange and unpleasant pong from the drains. Needless to say we kept the door closed on the bathroom as much as possible to stop the smell entering the bedroom.
The food was advertised as 'gormet', it wasn't. Portion sizes were good but the dishes lacked any kind of seasoning.
The snorkelling and diving provided was very enjoyable and the ships dive master was brilliant. The sites on the Reef we visited were amazing!
K
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017
6/10 Okay
Dawn, Calgary
Nov 15, 2017
Liked: Cleanliness
Was ok
Food was great and a lot of it. Some staff were nice. Some more abrupt. No free introductory dive as told. Ocean was rough so if you don't have a strong stomach, don't go. Didn't see many fish as it was cloudy. Need the sun to shine into the reef.
Highly Recommend "Hotel" on the Great Barrier Reef
A really fun place to stay if you want to be out on the reef for more than a few hours. We stayed 2 nights/3 days. The boat is large and comfortable and well-outfitted for diving & snorkeling. We had a decent-sized stateroom. The staff were enthusiastic and fun, from all over the world, and did a great job taking care of guests' needs. Staying out on the reef is the best way to get in a lot of time seeing marine life whether you are a snorkeler or diver -- if the weather cooperates. Even in the bad weather, the crew did their best to keep it upbeat and fun for all. They proved themselves to be skilled and kept everyone safe. Oh - and the food was very good, and lots of it! Just remember to take your Dramamine...
We did this to stay overnight on the reef. If you book through Hotels.com, you will still have to pay for the tax (per day that you are there) and any diving upgrades. This booking is only good for the snorkel experience but you can upgrade easily (you just have to pay the price difference between the snorkel and the diving trips). Overall the experience was great. The room was small but that's what you get on a boat. It was comfortable and clean. We spent all day diving on the reef. The employees were very courteous and helpful. We loved the whole experience!