Good 3-4 day liveaboard Great Barrier Reef

[DennisC]

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Australia next summer. We want to dive great barrier reef and would like to do a liveaboard for at least 3 days maybe 4. There are a lot of options from just googling boats so I was wondering if anyone had some advice as to which ones are good and which to stay away from. Also when to go would help. We are currently looking at March or April but that is just due to when our work bonuses are given.

Thanks!

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

Mike Ball charters and the Spirit of Freedom offer great trips. I have had divers on both and no complaints. Shoot me a note if I can assist. These charters do fill up.

 

[jmsenger]

I did a trip with Pro Dive a few years ago. Not the fanciest boat but good crew and good diving.

 

[DennisC]

How quickly do they usually fill up? There are still 8 months or more until we go.

 

[Study Joe]

Hello,

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Australia next summer. We want to dive great barrier reef and would like to do a liveaboard for at least 3 days maybe 4. There are a lot of options from just googling boats so I was wondering if anyone had some advice as to which ones are good and which to stay away from. Also when to go would help. We are currently looking at March or April but that is just due to when our work bonuses are given.

Thanks!

I second Pro Dive Cairns. I would go with them again.

Pro Dive was my first live aboard and first real diving. I did my advanced open water with them August 2012. The crew were great. I felt very safe as an inexperienced diver. A physician in Cairns recommended them as a safe company when I got my dive medical approval. Now that I have been on a few more trips I realize the Pro Dive boat is not as fancy as the T&C Explorer, T&C Aggressor, or Cayman Aggressor with respect to food or indoor setup as it probably catered to shorter trips and less experienced divers. I had more beginner divers than experienced divers on my trip which was perfect for me. There was an entire Japanese group completing their open water cert on the trip. My dive instructor on that trip remains the best I have had to date, except for one on T&C Explorer. He was pretty great too. Pro Dive set the standard for me early. I recommend.

 

[Hintermann]

Mike Ball charters and the Spirit of Freedom offer great trips.

But those boats are horribly expensive. 4 days on one of them costs more than a week in most other liveaboard boats.

For a 4-day liveaboard cruise of the GBR at a reasonable cost, check out MV Kangaroo Explorer. I did a trip with them a few years ago and had no complaints.

 

[Centrals]

Dived with TAKA II many yrs ago and it was good. Should be using different boat by now.