Michaelmas Cay Sailing Tour: Luxury Catamaran Experience with Snorkeling and Diving

Embark on a luxury catamaran sailing tour to Michaelmas Cay, a stunning sand cay on the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel, dive, and explore the vibrant coral gardens and encounter Green Sea Turtles and Blue-Spotted rays. Indulge in delicious meals and enjoy complimentary bubbles while immersing yourself in this unforgettable experience.

Duration: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ocean Spirit Cruises - Arrive to the Reef Fleet Terminal from 07:30am and check-in at the Ocean Spirit counter. Obtain your boarding passes and be directed to the vessel boarding area at the marina.
    Boarding commences from 08:00am. Enjoy Muffins and Focaccia on your journey to Michaelmas Cay. Complimentary Tea & Coffee served prior to departure….
What's Included
  • Ecological presentations by qualified marine biologists
  • Lunch
  • Use of snorkel equipment and lyra suit
  • Roundtrip cruise from Cairns to Michaelmas Cay
  • Coral viewing in air-conditioned semi-submersible
  • Environmental Management Charge
  • Morning and afternoon tea
What's Not Included
  • Drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Depart from Cairns on a high-end sailing catamaran headed for Michaelmas Cay, an idyllic sandy cay in the Great Barrier Reef. The cay is surrounded by a distinct fringing reef featuring stunning coral gardens inhabited by vibrant fish, curious Green Sea Turtles, and Blue-Spotted rays. It also serves as a crucial bird sanctuary for migratory seabirds….

Location
1 Spence St
Spence Street
Important: Please check-in & collect your boarding pass at the Ocean Spirit counter inside the Reef Fleet Terminal at 7.30am. Boarding commences 8:00am, vessel departs 8:30am.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(144 Ratings)
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Jan_h
Feb 25, 2025
Great trip! - It’s a large catamaran which caters well for everyone! Snorkelling was frustrating as weather dictates and we saw nothing. It’s a long trip so be prepared for ever changing conditions. We had a great time in spite of the fish not turning up ! The submersible is an interesting experience! Crew were knowledgeable and efficient! Only sadness is that we didn’t sail!
Review provided by Viator
Nadialx5293na
Feb 21, 2025
Great, must do! - The staff was super friendly. While it was a big group, only 1 other person did the snorkel option so it was an intimate experience. The submersible was interesting, the food was good, but more importantly I got to see a sea turtle, parrot fish, giant clams, and saw very colorful corral.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U7752zwkieranc
Jan 31, 2025
Amazing intro dive - We did this tour with the intro dive and it was amazing. The staff were extremely helpful so everyone felt at ease and fun to work with. The food provided was fantastic we got to see some cool wildlife
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vanessasx2843xz
Jan 10, 2025
You Must Do This When in Cairns - Absolutely epic day on the Great Barrier Reef aboard Ocean Spirit!! Beautiful boat, very spacious and stunning reef. Loved being able to go onto the Cay and check out all the birds too. Matt, Nico and Scotty put in the extra and made our day on the way home
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeanjean67
Dec 26, 2024
Best for the Barrier Reef - A hyper qualitative cruise from start to finish: perfect equipment and briefing, exciting conferences, a unique spot with only our catamaran on site, exceptional wildlife to observe. The boat is very comfortable and we have space, not the feeling of being crowded, quality meals and even champagne on the return after diving (included) very nice and neat staff. High quality excursion
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annazf9730sy
Jan 20, 2025
excellent tour - loved the tour. Stunning part of the world. Tour guide staff were excellent and informative. The only slight disappointment would have to be the food quality offered on board (no proper coffee-only instant coffee, dry unappetising cold chicken, two curries to choose from) not 5 star as written in your brochure. . . . I would loved to have more photos taken of me as I was travelling solo and my own phone overheated. Other than that highly recommend it and would attend again any day. Good value too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wahaejock
Feb 25, 2025
Average. - We did our trip with this company as it was included in holiday. Boat out to reef all equipment provided a couple of talks about the reef feeding fish etc. You could walk around worship the sun. We out to Michaelmas Cay which is just a sand bar with half cut off due to birds being there. You were ferried there and back for your snorkel trip over the reef. We got morning coffee/tea lunch afternoon tea. As much coffee tea water to drink for free cold drinks extra. I wouldn't have picked this company [price] i would've picked one with a lot more to offer. The crew were good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jisu_p
Feb 20, 2025
Good excursion - We went on the Ocean Spirit in mid February during wet season after big washout in Northern QLD. It was such a hot and humid days in Cairns, and we were so glad that we booked this to get away from the CBD to ocean. The boat ride was pleasant. No rough surf and was very enjoyable sailing, within a very small group. Everyone enjoyed their personal space on the boat. They made 2 hours ride interesting with briefing of the day and marine biologist’s informative talk. The staff was all professional, friendly and helpful. They all are cautious about safety and look after their guests. Also the food was good, variety on the menu, including fresh salad and prawns. Afternoon tea was good too, with complimentary bubbly after swim. Because of the weather and season, snorkeling was ordinary. Visibility was bad that you couldn’t see much, and they made me wear a life jacket because of strong current, which I have never done before, made me not to go down deeper. There is still plenty of marine animals and coral including turtles and clownfish - but it wasn’t as good as my other experiences in cairns because the water wasn’t clear from rainwater and the color of coral was not vivid, due to overcast weather. Michaelmas cay - I have been on other similar snorkeling trips to much better snorkeling spots. 2 hours sail out and still not super excellent corals…. One thing I wouldn’t recommend is the submersible boat, and we got so seasick. It was very claustrophobic to start with and stank from (probably) vomit, and we weren’t able to see much because of bad visibility, which made us feeling like being badly rocked in a very small space, looking at the green window. Should’ve gone out to snorkeling instead. Overall, it was still enjoyable trip but would have been excellent if the weather was better and if we picked the right season.
Review provided by Viator
Jet61348066402
Jan 13, 2025
Quite ok - Super beautiful and a lovely boat However, it was a bit difficult to snorkel from the beach as the reef was a bit out. Was over a bird sanctuary on Sandön with squealing birds Didn't feel like the staff on the boat were happy and annoyed when you needed help
Review provided by Tripadvisor
469yanad
Dec 28, 2024
Too crowded to be enjoyable - I recently went on the Ocean Spirit day tour and, unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. The boat was extremely crowded, with around 120 people on board, which made it difficult to find a comfortable seat. If you needed to get up for any reason, such as going to the bathroom or getting a drink, there was a high chance that you would return to find someone else in your spot. The availability of stinger suits was also a concern. There weren't enough suits in common sizes, and I was offered a suit in my size that was covered in mold. I declined to wear that due to health concerns. The alternative options were either wear two sizes smaller or three sizes larger, which were not ideal. Same went for my child - who is 7. We both ended up in suits that were too tight and of course that dampened the whole snorkelling experience due to lack of comfort. The overall experience felt chaotic, with long lines and waits for everything, and the staff appeared overwhelmed, which diminished the atmosphere of the tour. The food provided was average, and while the destination itself was beautiful, the large crowds made it challenging to fully enjoy. Having been on various excursions with different companies in the past in the region this particular tour was not my favorite. It may be a better experience for those who don’t mind the crowds, but personally, I wouldn’t choose to do it again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 9 guests
1 Adult
March 2025
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