• Our liveaboard dive boat has more reef mooring location permits than any other dive boat in Cairns. We have 29 reef moorings and 9 coral reefs we can dive and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. 
• Book your own private charter yacht from Cairns for an extended 2- 5 day charter (maximum 12 guests)
• Let us create a personalised dive and snorkel tour itinerary just for you to really explore Australia's outer Great Barrier Reef

Design your own private charter yacht cruise from Cairns for 2 - 5 days, with up to 12 guests. Enjoy a personalised itinerary and quality time with your family, or have a holiday of a lifetime with your friends. Snorkel and dive the Great Barrier Reef.

What to Expect

Private Charter Yacht Dive & Snorkel Cruise from Cairns

We craft your perfect getaway with a private charter boat cruise from Cairns, tailored to your desires for 2 to 5 days. Whether you're seeking quality time with family, an unforgettable adventure with friends, or a luxurious escape on the Great Barrier Reef, this dive and snorkel tour offers it all. Enjoy a personalised itinerary designed just for you and your group of up to 12 guests. Dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef or spend your days snorkelling, exploring, and relaxing on board the yacht.

Features and Highlights

• Customisable Itinerary: Design your own private charter boat adventure, choosing from a variety of activities and destinations on the Great Barrier Reef.
• Diving and Snorkelling: Scuba dive enthusiasts can enjoy up to 5 nights exploring the depths of the reef, while snorkellers have unlimited access to vibrant coral gardens.
• Luxury Yacht: At 16 meters, this charter yacht provides a comfortable and intimate setting for up to 12 guests, making it perfect for small groups seeking a private, luxurious Great Barrier Reef tour experience.
• Diverse Reef Sites: Access exclusive moorings across 30 reef locations, including famous spots like Milln Reef, Norman Reef, and Flynn Reef, ensuring a diverse and exciting underwater experience for both snorkellers and divers.
• Onboard Comfort: Relax in air-conditioned cabins, enjoy hot showers, and unwind in spacious communal areas, including a saloon, galley, and sundeck.

Accommodation and Facilities

Comfortable Cabins

• 3 Private Cabins: Double beds for couples or individuals seeking privacy.
• 1 Shared Cabin: 4 Single Bunk beds, ideal for groups or families.
• 1 Shared Cabin: 2 Single Bunks for additional guests.

The yacht accommodates a total of 12 guests overnight, with separate quarters for the 3 crew members. Please note, storage space is limited, so guests are advised to bring only one soft bag. Additional luggage can be securely stored in our Cairns office.

Onboard Amenities

• Air Conditioning: Enjoy a comfortable climate throughout the charter yacht.
• Hot Showers: Refresh with hot showers, plus an extra freshwater shower at the rear of the boat.
• High-Quality Dive Equipment: Dive with confidence using SCUBAPRO and AQUALUNG gear, including dive computers.
• BYO Drinks: Guests are welcome to bring alcoholic beverages, with the caveat that no in-water activities are permitted after consuming alcohol. Cans are required, not glass.

Onboard Activities

Certified Scuba Diving

Explore the Great Barrier Reef with expert guidance from our dive crew, who will lead you to the best dive sites based on the day’s conditions. Expect to see a variety of marine life, including pelagic fish, turtles, reef sharks, and vibrant coral formations. 

Please Note: Certified divers must bring their certification and pass a medical questionnaire before diving.

Introductory Scuba Diving

If you're new to diving, this is your chance to experience the underwater world. Our dive instructors will ensure you feel comfortable and confident as you explore the reef at a depth of up to 5 meters. Additional dives can be arranged based on your interest.

Night Diving

For an exhilarating experience, try night diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Witness the nocturnal marine life as they emerge to hunt and explore the reef under the cover of darkness. Our dive sites are perfect for night dives, offering a completely different perspective on the underwater world.

Snorkelling

Snorkellers are free to explore the reef at their leisure, with unlimited access to the best snorkelling spots on the Great Barrier Reef. Our crew provides snorkelling instruction and equipment, including wetsuits, Lycra suits, masks, fins, and flotation aids. Guided snorkelling tours with a marine naturalist are available upon request.

Other Activities

In addition to diving and snorkelling, guests can enjoy a variety of onboard and onshore activities:

• Fishing: Help the skipper catch dinner between dive sites.
• Stand-Up Paddleboarding and Kayaking: Explore the reef and nearby islands at your own pace.
• Sailing: Learn the ropes with our experienced yacht crew, or simply relax and enjoy the journey.
• Private Beach Time: Spend a lazy afternoon on a sandy cay, complete with umbrellas, deck chairs, and an esky full of refreshments.

Sample 2 Day 1 Night Private Charter Yacht Itinerary

Day 1

• Morning: Depart Cairns Marlin Marina at 7:45 am, greeted by the crew with morning tea. Enjoy a comfortable cruise to your first Great Barrier Reef dive and snorkel destination.
• Mid-Morning: Arrive at Flynn Reef, offering depths of 5 to 28 meters. Spend the morning snorkelling or diving, spotting pelagic fish, turtles, and reef sharks.
• Afternoon: After lunch, move to a second location such as Milln Reef or The Three Sisters. Enjoy more diving or snorkelling before settling down for dinner.
• Evening: Experience the thrill of a night dive, exploring the reef’s nocturnal marine life.

Day 2

• Early Morning: Start the day with a sunrise dive or snorkel, followed by a hearty breakfast. Keep an eye out for dolphins playing in the morning light.
• Mid-Morning: Move to another Great Barrier Reef location for more exploration before lunch.
• Afternoon: Begin the return journey to Cairns, sailing (weather permitting) and soaking in the last moments of your Great Barrier Reef adventure. Arrive back at Cairns Marlin Marina in the late afternoon.

Please Note: Pre-book your unlimited scuba diving package and ensure you bring your scuba diving certificate. A medical questionnaire must be completed prior to diving.

Book Your Private Charter Yacht

Create unforgettable memories with a personalised yacht charter on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns. Whether you're a seasoned scuba diver or a first-time snorkeller, this private charter yacht cruise offers the perfect blend of adventure, relaxation, and luxury. Book now to secure your sailing dates and start planning the trip of a lifetime!

See all charter boats in Cairns and Port Douglas and luxury yacht charters. 

Learn more about the best things to do on the Great Barrier Reef on our blog.

Cairns Private charter yacht accommodation

The private charter yachts sleeping options vary and can accommodate the following:

3 x Private Cabins with Double beds
1 x Shared Cabin with 4 Single Bunk beds
1 x Shared Cabin with 2 Single Bunks

Total 12 guests (overnight)

The 3 crew are accommodated in their very own bunk style accommodation

Being a mono-hull yacht each cabin is a fairly typical basic layout so there is not too much space for storage and guests may only bring one soft bag with personal items for the length of your private charter sailing tour.

Your other luggage and suitcase can be stored in our Cairns offices until we return from your Great Barrier Reef liveaboard sailing tour.  

She is equipped with 2 separate toilets and a separate hot water shower and an additional fresh water shower located at the rear of the boat.

All of the scuba diving equipment is SCUBAPRO and AQUALUNG (including computers) and we have a Bauer 3200 dive compressor to fill the tanks whilst on the Great Barrier Reef. 

There is a saloon and galley downstairs with plenty of seating should the weather become inclement and there is also room on the forward deck for some private time in the sun.

On Board Activities

Certified Scuba Divers

Our yachts dive crew will take you for an exhilarating dive at any of our numerous and famous dive sites.

Our guides know these coral reefs intimately so you can be assured you will only be taken to see the best coral reef landscapes and underwater marine life at each site.

Our dive sites vary in depth, visibility and structure, and our dive master will always select the best option on the day given the weather conditions.

However you can expect to see visibility 15 – 30+ metres, depths 5 – 30m for advanced divers and lagoon areas, or walls, or bombie fields, or endless coral gardens.

Non-guided dives will only be permitted to suitably skilled divers and must be with a buddy of similar skill.

Please Note: You must bring your scuba diving certificate and be able to pass a Medical Questionnaire prior to diving. We recommend you visit a diving medical professional if in doubt prior to scuba diving at all times.

Introductory Scuba Divers

This is your opportunity to try diving for the first time.

Our dive instructors will take you to 5m and teach you how to blow bubbles with no troubles. Once you are comfortable underwater you can decide if you would like to do more dives (optional extra).

With small group numbers we can ensure you will receive personal training at your pace, no rush this is your adventure and we are here to help you get the best out of it! 

Night Diving on the Great Barrier Reef

Night/ dawn dives are our speciality. This is one of the best ways to see some of the reef's nocturnal marine life that only come out to hunt in the dark of night on the Great Barrier Reef.

Many of our boat moorings are perfect for night and early morning dives with large coral bombies close to the reefs edge.

Sit back with your torch in hand and watch the night show unfold. Absolutely thrilling and a must do!

Upgrade Your Dive Skills - On-board Dive Courses

As a PADI Retail & Resort Member we offer Advanced and Specialty Courses whilst at sea to expand your scuba diving certifications

We offer both PADI and SSI

• Advanced open water - 2 days
• Open water referral - 4 ocean dives
• Refresher - 
• Introductory diving courses 

Note: Prior to diving you need to pass a dive medical for your safety and the safety of others

Snorkelling

Snorkelling on our private charter boat tours are unlimited as long as you are a good swimmer.

We provide you with snorkelling instructions and provide you with information about the best spots to snotkel on each reef.

We provide wetsuits, lycra sun suits, quality masks and fins as well as floatation aids and a rescue tender. 

All our Great Barrier Reef sites are perfect for snorkelling with our reef moorings all located close to the reef's edge.

Other Activities

In between scuba diving and snorkelling guests can relax on the sundeck, swing in a hammock, read a book or spend some quality time with your family & friends.

You could also help the skipper to catch a fish for dinner in between dive sites, or try stand-up paddle boarding, or kayaking.

The possibilities are endless! Just let us know what your private yacht charter ambitions are on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and we will make them a reality!

Sample 2 Day 1 Night Private Charter Boat Itinerary

Day 1

Your private charter boat itinerary starting in Cairns allows for certified scuba divers to enjoy unlimited dives (optional extra price - unlimited scuba dive package) including night dives as well as introductory scuba divers.

Please note for the non-divers you may snorkel at all times during the day.

If the winds are a little strong the boat will head north to some protected reefs and in lighter winds, we will head south.

We have the choice of 9 reef systems with 30 different reef mooring locations.

Leaving Cairns Marlin Marina early at 7.45am you will be greeted by t your yacht crew hosts with a nice morning tea to get everyone comfortable and acquainted before motoring off for your private live aboard snorkelling and scuba diving adventure on the Great Barrier Reef.

Whilst motoring along to our first reef destination the crew will discuss the introductory and certified scuba diving procedures and the activities and events over the next few days and get you comfortably accommodated.

If your first Great Barrier Reef destination is Flynn Reef you can expect depths of 5 to 28 metres where you can either snorkel or scuba dive to see pelagic fish, turtles, black or white tip reef sharks and lots of other exciting things under the water.

Spend the whole morning in the water before lunch and afternoon tea before we head off to our second location for the day and our overnight mooring at either Milne Reef, The Three Sisters or at The Whale.

The diving depths at one of Cairns most famous dive sites The Three Sisters ranges from 6 to 36 metres offering some of the most amazing underwater sites for day and night diving that you may ever see.

Spend the afternoon doing whatever you feel like be it snorkelling or scuba diving before settling down to dinner before experiencing the excitement of your first night scuba dive adventure.

On a night dive, you will see marine creatures that you never see during the day as they go about the business of finding food and other marine creatures like themselves.

Day 2

If you/re an early morning riser make sure you have your camera as you will be greeted with a spectacular sun rising from the east across the ocean and you may even be lucky enough to be greeted with pods of dolphins as they begin their day of foraging for foods and playing in the ocean before you.

Jump in the water for your early morning dive and see all the activity going on down below before you tuck into breakfast as the boat makes its way to another diving location.

Mid-morning we will be on the move again to another spectacular reef system for you to enjoy for a few hours before we set up lunch and then begin our sailing journey (subject to weather conditions) back to Cairns Marlin Marina 

You will have seen a lot and experienced a lot of the best snorkelling and scuba locations over the last 2 days and you will go home with memories and images that will last a lifetime.

Please Note:

• BYO Alcoholic drinks (please note no in water activities after consuming alcohol).
• We recommend you pre-book your unlimited scuba diving package at the time of booking your private boat charter.
• You must bring your scuba diving certificate and be able to pass a Medical Questionnaire prior to diving. We recommend you visit a diving medical professional prior to scuba diving at all times.

For more Great Barrier Reef private charter boat options please see here

See more luxury private charter tours.

Departs From

Cairns

Departure Time

8:00am

Departure Instructions

• Boarding on boat from 7:45am with departure at 8:00am
• Berth 2, A Finger Marlin Marina, Spence Street, Cairns
• Return to Cairns is around 4:00pm
• As it is a private charter tour times are flexible to suit your schedule

Destinations

• Great Barrier Reef
• Outer Great Barrier Reef - Cairns - Queensland - Australia

Months of Operation

January - December

Days of Operation

Daily

Duration

1 Day up to 5 Days

Available for Purchase / Hire

• Unlimited certified and introductory diving packages (includes night diving) - please enquire
• Advanced dive course
• Guided dives
• For other water activities such as stand up paddle boarding - please enquire
• Merchandise: T-shirt, hats and more
• We cater for special dietary requirements - please advise at time of booking

Fitness Level Required

Low, Medium

IN-WATER RESTRICTIONS

Scuba Diving Restrictions

• Certain medical conditions and medications may preclude some people from scuba diving.
• Participation is subject to a medical questionnaire completed on board with the tour operator
• Minimum age for scuba diving is 12 years.
• Flying after scuba diving: a wait of 12 hours is recommended after one dive, 18 hour after 2 dives and at least 24 hours after multiple dives, before ascending to an altitude of 300 metres or greater.

Read more about Diving Safety on the Great Barrier Reef.

Additional Information

Please ensure you plan logistics for flying and diving as a minimum of 24 hours is required from the end of your last dive (multiple dives) before flying or 12 hours for single dives. The last dive is completed by 8:30pm on the first day and 12pm on the second day

• Sunglasses, hat, sunscreeen & camera 
• Swimwear & beach towel (bath towel supplied) 
• Long pants & jumper during cool months 
• Small soft overnight bags, (additional luggage can be stored)
•  BYO alcohol (no glass)
• Logbook for certified divers

Not suitable for children under 4