Cancellation Policy
A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required to re-schedule or alter all or part of a reservation.
Any changes to the booking (date, names, etc) incur a $20 administration fee.
We must notify the operator of any cancellations within the specified cancellation period. It is your responsibility to ensure you submit your cancellation request with adequate time, and during our standard business hours (9 am-5 pm), to allow us to contact the tour provider. All cancellation requests must be in writing and sent via email to [email protected]. Any emails received outside of these hours will be considered received the following day.
Cancellation fees are as follows:
- 20% cancellation fee 30 days or more prior to departure
- 50% cancellation fee if within 30 days prior to departure
- 100% cancellation fee within 14 days prior to departure
There will be no refund of any part of your tour costs should you fail to arrive at a scheduled tour departure time. Tour departures may not be delayed due to passenger circumstances - including events beyond your control, medical problems, airline delays, weather etc.
All passengers are strongly advised to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation insurance, evacuation and medical cover. Please read the wording of your insurance policy carefully and ensure it covers you for all potential activities. No refund or compensation will be issued for unused equipment, prepaid/pre-booked courses and/or Scuba dives, or guides if you cannot complete the entire tour. Please see Scuba Diving – Important Information below.
Terms And Conditions
This website acts as a booking agent only for the tours advertised herein. Although we endeavor to provide accurate information, we are not liable for inaccurate information concerning services.
Check-in: If you are Making your own way (no return transfers booked), please check-in and board at 7.30 am. Reef Experience is located on A Finger, at Cairns Marlin Marina.
Terms and Conditions:
- A minimum of 2 adults are required to book the Top Deck Club service, per booking.
- Children’s prices are from 4 to 11 years of age. If booking as a certified diver, adult rates apply.
- Open-Dated Ticket: In certain cases, Open-Dated tickets may be issued. These tickets are valid indefinitely but are non-refundable. Any fare increase must be paid at the time of rebooking. Once a customer accepts an Open-Dated ticket, the cancellation policy applicable to the original booking date will remain in effect.
- Schedules, vessels, dive locations, and itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances, with full consideration for your safety and enjoyment. We reserve the right to adjust tours, schedules, prices, and itineraries at any time without notice. We are not liable for any changes, cancellations, or delays, and we accept no responsibility for any loss, additional expenses, or out-of-pocket costs incurred as a result, whether caused directly or indirectly.
- Neither this site nor any associated company or agent advertised through this site is responsible for your costs or losses resulting from alterations, cancellations, any loss, any damage, delays, deaths or personal injury.
- All passengers are strongly advised to purchase Comprehensive Travel Insurance that covers personal injury and the events, including but not limited to your cancellation for any reason and the cancellation or alteration to the scheduled itinerary for reasons involving weather or passenger, crew or vessel safety. Please read your insurance policy's wording carefully and ensure it covers you for all potential activities. Please be aware that all travel insurance companies do not cover scuba diving and other in-water activities. In a medical emergency, any evacuation, vessel relocation, medical expenses, or other expenses are the passenger's financial responsibility.
- The passenger acknowledges and consents to Reef Encounter taking photographs or video recordings during the course of this activity/tour. The passenger acknowledges and consents to Reef Encounter receiving and using images of the passenger from third parties and using these images for marketing and promoting its services.
- Please inform us of any special requirements 48 hours before your travel date, such as dietary requirements, allergies, mobility and disability issues. This can be done in the ‘Booking Message’ section of your online reservation or by contacting our friendly reservations team.Scuba Diving – Important Information:
- All Certified Divers must present a valid Certification Card. Failure to present a Certification Card may result in the customer being unable to participate in scuba diving. They can enjoy snorkelling activities instead. No refunds would be offered.
- Minimum age for Introductory Diving is 12 years old. Minimum age for certified diving and Open Water Course is 10 years old. All junior divers must either be accompanied by a certified parent or guardian or must dive with a dive professional at an additional charge. If the diver is under the age of 18 years, parental or guardian consent is required for that diver to undertake a dive. The parent or guardian should sign the medical declaration as witness.
- Upon arriving at our vessel and before commencing any dive activities, all passengers must complete our liability forms. All information provided must be strictly accurate. If during the tour, it becomes apparent that a form has been incorrectly completed, either by omission or false statement, we reserve the right to prevent any customer from undertaking any scuba diving or snorkelling activities while on board our vessel. Any decision made in this regard will be at the absolute discretion of the Dive Crew aboard the vessel.
- The dangers and risks associated with scuba diving in an open ocean environment under variable conditions apply to our tours. We reserve the right to prevent any customer from participating in scuba diving if we determine that they are physically or medically unsuitable to do so or if it is in the best interests of our crew or other scuba divers. Our crew are trained professionals, and it is up to their sole discretion who they take diving and/or snorkelling. No refunds would apply.
- Please remember you must allow 24 hours from your last dive before flying.
Medical Conditions & Medications:
Queensland, Australia has some of the strictest scuba diving rules in the world but also the safest scuba diving record. We are regulated by the Queensland Government Code of Practice and comply with all rules including medical as is the law.
- All passengers participating in any Scuba activities must complete a Medical Questionnaire. If you’ve answered yes to any questions or take any prescribed medication, you will need further medical clearance. This must be arranged prior to your day of departure.
- Medication: DO NOT presume that by taking medication is controlling your medical conditions, and you should be fine to scuba dive, as it is the medication that can be the problem when scuba diving. Particularly prescribed medication may require a medical clearance.
- The medical certification should be provided in English, preferably by a medical practitioner with experience in diving medicine, within 90 days prior to the scuba dive. The certificate must state that the person is medically fit to dive.
- No refunds on uncompleted dives due to medical conditions and/or prescribed medications or change of mind.
- If you do have any pre-existing/existing medical conditions or are taking any medication whatsoever and are not sure whether you will be deemed medically fit to Scuba Dive, please get in touch with our Office at 07 4037 2700 or email us at [email protected], we will be only too happy to help you if we can. Alternatively, the best thing to do is to consult your own Doctor for a medical clearance to scuba dive.
Peak Season Surcharge - To be paid onboard on the day of travel:
➢ A Surcharge of $100 per person applies to 25 December 2024 & 2025 – Christmas Day
➢ A Surcharge of $50 per person applies to the following days:
• 26 December 2024 – Boxing Day
• 18, 19, 20 & 21 April 2025 – Easter weekend
• 26 December 2025 – Boxing Day
Add your review for Top Deck Club Day Tour
Tania
5Had an absolutely wonderful day!! I’ve waited 37 years to see the Barrier reef and it was everything i dreamed it would be. Kate, our Valet, made the experience that little bit more enjoyable. Being able to retreat to the cabin for served meals and chats with the staff or Captain added to the experience just that little bit. We were able to Snorkel & Dive on our own which helped with the experience & was it was just perfect. My partner and I enjoyed the day immensely. Thank you everyone xxx
michelle Y.
5The best day tour we had. We couldn't ask for a better concierge/guide than James. From the food service to the privately guided snorkeling, it was worth every penny and more. Thanks again James.
Brandon murphy
5Leroy and jade were fantastic! As our top deck people they made sure we had plenty of food and drink and then guided us through the water ensuring we had the best possible experience
Kaitlin Diaz
5The Reef Experience was hands-down a bucket list experience for me! I visited Australia for the first time with my parents and knew I wanted to swim in the Great Barrier Reef. We opted for the Top Deck upgrade which was definitely worth it! We sat in the wheelhouse of the boat with the Captain and had our own personal guide. It was definitely a VIP experience worth the price! Our guide was there for any questions we had and brought us a fantastic Aussie breakfast and amazing chicken/steak lunch! We had our own private comfortable table which made us feel safe with our belongings. Our guide got our equipment ready for us and made sure we were the first ones in the water at both stops. I opted to do the "resort" scuba dive, as I am not certified, and snorkeling. Having our own personal guide for just the 3 of us was perfect for this experience! As I have never scuba dived before it was amazing having him there with me and helping me through the experience. If we had not done the Top Deck upgrade, I would have been place with 10-15 other un-certified divers and would have been very overwhelmed. Since we did have a personal guide, I was able to scuba dive for 30 minutes at 24 feet! The Reef Experience was just amazing! The boat was beautiful and the staff were so friendly. Both of our reef spots were stunning with a gorgeous reef and sooo many fish! Highly recommend the Reef Experience and the Top Deck upgrade!!
Ron & Sue
5The Top Deck was really worthwhile to make our day amazing. We had unbelievable weather and visibility, but the flexibility of this company to anchor in different locations enabled the best advantage to be taken of the conditions. On Top Deck, we had our own guide so could maximise the time for snorkelling and diving. We have had nearly 50 years snorkelling and diving experience, much of this on the GBR, and still rated this as a fabulous day. Lots of good coral and reef fish. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the food and service on board. Thanks to Boris for looking after us so very well.
Madelyn O’Mally
5The crew were very friendly, nice and happy to help. They were absolutely amazing! Aisah looked after me so well and helped me snorkel. She pointed out stuff and if she wasn't there I would probably miss stuff, she was so welcoming. Thank you Aisah and Thank you for the great day!!!
Nadine O’Mally
5Aishah was so welcoming and her service was above expectations. She was wonderful with my daughter snorkelling. The crew were absolutely Awesome! So friendly and happy to help. Great sense of humour too. The best part of the day was All of it!!!! I will definitely recommend this to others.
Tracy Westerfield
5This was the best part of our trip to Australia from the United States. The staff were exceptional and we were so cared for the entire day. TOP DECK is the way to go, I would do it again for sure! Val was our guide for the day and she was a real gem, and made me feel safe in the water.
Deb and Rebecca
5Worth the extra fee for Top Deck! This was such a fun day! Shinee was our attendant and her positive attitude, good sense of humor and desire for us to have an amazing adventure made our first visit to the Great Barrier Reef and our first snorkeling and scuba experiences better than we could ever have imagined. Also Martin was there with the other two up top with us, and he was great as well. We would go with this company again. Thanks so much to Shinee!
Gareth and Helen
4Fab day out with good food and great crew would highly recommend diving great experience, thank you all for making a great day
Carole Richings
5We all had one of the best days of our lives , the reef experience was amazing, thanks especially goes to shinini who was with us throughout the day . She helped me , complete a dream to dive on the Great Barrier Reef , thank you x
Annabel
5We had an amazing experience in top deck when we went out on the reef. Shinee was so lovely and made sure our family had a great time.
Ming
5We had an amazing experience in top deck when we went out on the reef. Shine looked after our entire family and made sure we all had a great time.
Colin K
5The crew is AMAZING! Everyone is friendly and has a passion for their job. Shout out to Shinee for looking after us. There was such friendly service -- seeing the GBR in person and trying scuba diving for the first time were amazing! We would definitely recommend this 10/10 5 stars!!!
Kurt & Sarah
5Can’t recommend this package & crew enough. Not having to wait for anything meant we had more time enjoying the reef. Val was awesome, as was the rest of the team. It was fantastic having VIP access to our own area & to be so well looked after on & off the boat. We even got to meet Frank the fish! The reef was spectacular & can’t wait to do it again in the future!!
Jill N Lord
5We had a fantastic day from start to finish with Reef Experience. The Top Deck experience was amazing, felt like VIP's all day. Shinee took care of everything and made it a great day. The barrier reef was spectacular.
Stephanie Davison
5The crew were very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef was the very best part of our day. Everyone was great. VIP package well worth it for us. It really helped to have a private instructor for someone who was never dived before.
Josh Foster
5The crew were amazing and very attentive to any needs. Diving the Great Barrier Reef was of course the best part of the day. Sea turtles, plethora of fish and even a school of small jellies made today and experience Ill never forget. Shinee is an incredible asset to your team! She was accommodating to any situation even when my wife's nose started bleeding. I would definitely recommend Reef Experience to anyone looking to dive the Great Barrier Reef
Anna Zarb
5AMAZING! Everyone was incredible. We had Nikki as our person today but all the guys downstairs - incredible - thank you. The best parts of the day were seeing a turtle, being looked after so well by Nikki, the vibe of the whole tour, intro dive with Nikki and the marine biology tour. We loved it and would recommend Top Deck Tour to everyone
Lalani and Dan
5We couldn't recommend the Top Deck experience more highly! As a nervous beginner wanting to try an intro to scuba diving my partner was so well looked after and attended to! We also enjoyed extensive guided snorkelling, a very informative talk by a Marine Expert and delicious food and beverages all day. The cheese and fruit platters and wine on the return trip were just perfect. The top deck experience was the highlight of our holiday in Cairns. Thank you so much guys and girls and especially Niki our instructor who made Dan feel much more confident!
Shane
5We booked Reef Experience for the one on one attention! the crew were amazing, super friendly and courteous! Went above and beyond to make of our trip a truly VIP experience. They all seem to love their jobs, and it shows in the care with the customers! The entire VIP experience was exactly what we were looking for, the staff, food, and service exceeded our expectations. The second dive for the day was the best! Thanks to the entire staff, specially Michelle, for taking care of every step of the day, and making sure we had everything we needed and more! Thank you so much! the food was terrific!
Karen L.
5We came on Reef Experience to see the reef and cross at bucket list. The crew were fantastic! The best part of our day was learning to Scuba dive to experience the reef. Awesome trip! I will recommend it and I will do it again :)
Jodie & family
5We loved our Top Deck experience. Michelle took great care of us with everything we needed. It was so reassuring to have a snorkel guide and Michelle pointed out lots of things of interest to us. We felt special being in the Captain's wheelhouse, with so much room to relax and be comfortable. What a wonderful day!
Julia
5I forgot to add the stars with my review, Sorry bout that :)
Julia
5My husband, son and I decided to book the Top Deck option with Reef Experiences. The beautiful Shinnie met us as we arrived and the start of our amazing day began. We were taken to the top deck of the boat where we were seated in a reserved area. We were sized up for our wetsuits etc and then presented with a large plate of fresh fruit and a delicious breakfast. As I was not diving, Shinnie organised for me to do some snorkling with another group, before she head off with my husband and son for their dive. We had a beautifully prepared and delicious lunch as well as another large plate of fruit in the afternoon. The Marine Biologist Michelle was fantastic and we were able to go snorkeling with her during the afternoon, which was amazing, As far as the staff went, they were energetic, helpful and fun, Informative and patient. Everything we hoped for. Thanks to Shinnie, McKenzie, Michelle, Skipper Jason and all the staff for an amazing day and helping us make some beautiful family memories. We will definitely be back.
Sean Satterwhite
5The entire crew was very welcoming and made sure we were comfortable throughout the whole experience. Mackensea was super friendly and a great guide in the water! The food was exquisite, the reef was beautiful, and finally got the chance to swim with a shark. Would highly recommend this for anyone.
Kathy Gray
5Amazing day out. Meg as our host. Highly recommend.
Kim Dandy
5We highly recommend the TOP DECK cruise, worth every extra cent! We were welcomed with friendly smiles and fantastic meals and snacks throughout the day. The breakfast and lunch were better then ever expected. Throughout the day our personal valet Michael helped us to feel comfortable in and out of the water. As a non confident swimmer with a huge fear of sharks and deep water, I never expected to scuba dive in my life but he made me feel at ease to give it a go and I ended up purchasing the second dive at the next site, I loved it!!. Because of the Top Deck package Michael stayed with my husband and myself only under water giving us a comfortable and fantastic experience seeing fish, turtles and more. For anyone feeling nervous about experiencing the great barrier reef or wanting the best experience, The Topdeck is the only way to go.
Sylvia Z
5Sorry. It was a typo in my last review . I was trying to give 5 stars. Now here we go!
Karen
Thank you so much Sylvia - we are so thrilled that you enjoyed your Top Deck experience so much - we think it is pretty special too. We will pass on your thanks to Michael too. Hope we have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future.
Sylvia Z
5This a wonderful experience with Top Deck package. It is a very customised and VIP service. I have to say a great thank to our personal valet - Michael who is very friendly, supportive and patient and gave us an unforgettable and amazing reef experience . I will come again with Reef Experience next time with my hubby. Hope we can meet Michael again ! I will recommend reef experience to my friends.
Lorna Conaghan
5Wonderful day out. Picked up from our hotel, breakfast on the boat. Great motoring out for one and and a half hours then the water fun began. You can get help with snorkelling, scuba or diving for a couple of hours then lunch. Repeat for the afternoon. Almost nine hours of excellence from a warm, friendly,knowledgeable crew. Well worth the trip.
Kenneth Bihn
5We did the Reef experience with VIP Top Deck on the Sea Quest boat on May 21, 2018 and we highly recommend the package. We where seated in the second deck wheel house, got a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, croissants and more!! Steak and chicken for lunch with salad and rolls, Tons of fruit plates and even crackers and cheese and chocolate - all topped off with champagne for the ride back. We had our own personal instructor (Michael) who was very hands on for the beginner scuba experience - made is so fun and easy. We also got to snorkel at the second location with Michael as our private guide explaining what we where seeing and answering all our questions. He even towed us around when it got choppy. I would HIGHLY recommend the VIP Top Deck package and the Reef Experience charter service - from the biologist to the photographers to the many helpful staff members in and out of the water. We went in to the adventure a little intimidated by the ocean - we came out big fans!!! Absolutely beautiful way to experience the Great Barrier Reef. Five star service!!!
Laura Alexander
5Our highlight of visiting Cairns, amazing to get that bit of extra touch to your day trip. Lovely staff, great food and we have been lucky enough to tick turtles, a nemo and mantra ray from our list amongst all the other beautiful fish.