Great Barrier Reef Day Trip

From where? Will you be in Cairns? The Sunshine Coast? Brisbane?

There are lots of options from Cairns, but I can't comment on a specific one, since we did an overnight on Lady Elliot Island, flying on a small plane out of Redcliffe (near Brisbane), instead. It was amazing--supposed to be among the best snorkelling on the reef--but it's not cheap. Day trips to LEI are also an option, but I imagine they'd also be pricier than trips out of Cairns, due to the need for a flight. https://ladyelliot.com.au/day-visits/

Sorry... to clarify: we'll be staying in Palm Cove. Quicksilver has said they can send a shuttle to pick us up and take us to the dock in Cairns, so I'm hoping that's the case with whichever company is highly recommended.

My trip was 2019, so factor that into my comments below. I am a certified SCUBA diver, experienced snorkeler, and strong swimmer including open water.

I looked at Quicksilver - it caters to folks with many different interests beyond snorkeling and diving. It is one of the larger boats (or was when I was looking). I know it was (perhaps still is) the carrier often booked by guided tours that take their guests on a GBR boat tour. A large crowd of travelers - 20 at least as I recall - were picked up at my hotel for their day out as I was waiting for my Port Douglas shuttle into town. I decided not to go with Quicksilver as it seemed too "touristy" to me, but might be just fine for many others.

I used a company called Wavelength out of Port Douglas which took a smaller number of people out. They still get good reviews: https://www.wavelength.com.au
I thought the boat was run very professionally. I, personally, was disappointed by the reef sites they used back then - bleached. Many others on my tour did NOT feel that way - a lot of first timers who were blown away by the experience. I wanted to compare the GBR with the Caribbean from decades back which isn't fair. The GBR was never that vibrant - my prior experience distorted the GBR, I'm sure. I did have a better cruise out of Cairns a few days later with a small company that didn't survive Covid. The snorkel sites were better, a bit more isolated.

For visibility, It all may be a bit luck of the draw with bleaching and the possibility of murkiness due to weather conditions. I was pleased I had two chances!

Thanks, ORDtraveler. Your comments about Quicksilver reflect my first impression of them---large, touristy and somewhat gimmicky (probably to keep the kids enthralled). We're retired and my husband is a geologist with an interest in marine biology, so I think Wavelength might be a better fit for us. Will definitely look into them. Thanks again!

Will you have a car while you are in Palm Cove? The reason that I ask is that I think that you will have many more choices from Port Douglas. Our first reef trip was with Quick Silver from Cairns, it was a good introduction to the reef but we enjoyed the trips that we have taken with the smaller companies from Port Douglas much more. Although I visit Port Douglas each year, I am not sure about how easy, difficult or expensive it will be to arrange transfers from Palm Cove. The drive to Port Douglas takes about 50 mins, it is winding in parts but quite picturesque. Another tip, many companies will allow and even suggest a change of trip date if the weather looks a bit rough, something that you can take advantage of if you have plenty of room in your itinerary. When will you be in Far North Queensland? Unless you are there in the peak season, roughly June - August you won’t need to book ahead.

I went out to the reef with Wavelength in 2019. They were excellent. It was a smallish boat so not tons of people and the crew was excellent. Unfortunately, I can attest that they are prepared if you get seasick. We left from Port Douglas, which is a delightful town.

"We left from Port Douglas, which is a delightful town."

That it is. That's where we stayed in Far North Queensland.