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Reef Encounter

4.0 star property
Cairns cruise with restaurant and bar/lounge

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Reef Encounter

Boating
Terrace/patio
Standard Twin Room | Cots/infant beds, bed sheets
Bar (on property)
Hallway

Reviews

9.0 out of 10

Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Free breakfast
  • Bar
  • Non-smoking
  • Air conditioning
  • Restaurant
Main amenities
  • Restaurants and bar/lounge
  • Hot tub
  • Terrace
  • Coffee/tea in a common area
  • Air conditioning
  • Luggage storage
  • Tour/ticket assistance
  • TV in a common area
  • Snorkelling
Feel at home
  • Cots/infant beds (surcharge)
  • Private bathroom
  • Terrace
  • Free toiletries

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 4 of 4 rooms

View all photos for Standard Double Room

Standard Double Room | Cots/infant beds, bed sheets

Standard Double Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Private bathroom
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Superior Twin Room

Cots/infant beds, bed sheets

Superior Twin Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Bathrobes
Private bathroom
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 2 Single Beds

View all photos for Superior Double Room

Cots/infant beds, bed sheets

Superior Double Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Bathrobes
Private bathroom
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Standard Twin Room

Cots/infant beds, bed sheets

Standard Twin Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Private bathroom
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 2 Single Beds

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8.4 out of 10, Very good, (999)
The price is ฿4,477
฿4,477 total
includes taxes & fees
10 Jan - 11 Jan 2025
Mantra Esplanade
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About the area

Map
Cairns Marlin Marina - Marlin Jetty A, Boat: Reef Experience, Cairns, QLD, 4870

What's nearby

  • Cairns Marlin Marina - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Esplanade Lagoon - 5 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Cairns Esplanade - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Reef Fleet Terminal - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Cairns Central Shopping Centre - 13 min walk - 1.1 km

Getting around

  • Cairns, QLD (CNS-Cairns Intl.) - 9 min drive
  • Freshwater Station - 12 min drive
  • Redlynch Station - 14 min drive
  • Cairns Station - 17 min walk

Restaurants

  • ‪Rattle N Hum - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Salt House - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Flynn's Italian by Crystalbrook - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Howlin' Jay's - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Hilton Executive Lounge - ‬5 min walk

About this property

Reef Encounter

Reef Encounter offers a fantastic location, putting you a short five-minute walk from Cairns Marlin Marina and Cairns Esplanade. The restaurant is a perfect spot to grab a bite to eat, and you can unwind with a drink at the bar/lounge or visit the Hot tub for a relaxing end to the day.

Languages

English

At a glance

DONE

Hotel size

    • 21 cabins
    • Arranged over 3 floors
DONE

Arriving/Leaving

    • Check-in start time: 7:30 AM; check-in end time: 8:00 AM
    • Minimum check-in age – 18
    • Check-out time is 8 AM
DONE

Special check-in instructions

    • There is no front desk at this property
    • Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; your host will greet you
    • This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
    • To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 48 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
    • For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
    • The property is a ship at sea. Guests must take the Reef Experience catamaran from Cairns Marlin Marina, A Finger, to reach it. The catamaran begins boarding at 7:30 AM, with check-in and breakfast on board. It departs for the ship at 8 AM. To return, guests will check-out at 9 AM and arrive in Cairns at 4:30 PM.
DONE

Required at check-in

    • Credit card, debit card or cash deposit required for incidental charges
    • Government-issued photo ID may be required
    • Minimum check-in age is 18
DONE

Pets

    • Pets not allowed
LOCAL_PARKING

Parking

    • No on-site parking
DONE

Other information

    • Smoke-free property

Property amenities

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast each morning 7 AM–8 AM
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/lounge
  • Coffee/tea in a common area

What to do

  • Snorkelling

Services

  • Tour/ticket assistance
  • Luggage storage

Facilities

  • Terrace
  • Television in common areas
  • Hot tub

Room amenities

Home comfort

  • Air conditioning

Sleep well

  • Cot/infant bed (surcharge)
  • Bed sheets provided

Freshen up

  • Private bathroom
  • Shower only
  • Free toiletries
  • Towels

Special features

Dining

On-site venue – Overlooking the ocean, this restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Fees & policies

Children & extra beds

  • Cots/infant beds are available for AUD 50.0 per night

Policies

Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
This property does not have lifts.
This property accepts credit cards. Cash is not accepted.
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property. The policies listed are provided by the property.

Also known as

Reef Encounter Boat
Reef Encounter Boat Cairns
Reef Encounter Cairns
Reef Encounter Hotel Great Barrier Reef
Reef Encounter Cruise
Reef Encounter Cairns
Reef Encounter Cruise Cairns

Frequently asked questions

Are pets allowed at Reef Encounter?
Sorry, pets aren't allowed.
Is parking offered on site at Reef Encounter?
Sorry, there's no on-site parking at Reef Encounter.
What are the check-in and check-out times at Reef Encounter?
Check-in start time: 7:30 AM; check-in end time: 8:00 AM. Check-out time is 8 AM.
Is there an on-site casino at Reef Encounter?
No, this cruise ship doesn't have a casino, but Reef Hotel Casino (5-min walk) and Cazalys Cairns (6-min drive) are both nearby.
What is there to do at Reef Encounter and nearby?
Have fun during the warmer months with activities such as snorkelling. Reef Encounter also has 1 hot tub.
Are there restaurants at or near Reef Encounter?
Yes, there's an on-site restaurant that offers ocean views.
What's the area around Reef Encounter like?
Reef Encounter is a short 3-minute walk from Cairns Marlin Marina and 5 minutes' walk from Cairns Esplanade.

Reef Encounter Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Exceptional

Got us right out onto the reef multiple times per day!
Jane, 2-night romance trip
Verified Orbitz guest review

8/10 Very good

The ship was run down, a lot of signs that maintenance wasn’t a high priority. However if your goal is to dive and snorkel on the reef a “lot”, then you’ll be happy.
Michael, 4-night romance trip
Verified Expedia guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Deborah, 1-night trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Awesome trip to the famous Barrier Reef.All was well organised, comfy, bed, lovely people around, amazing diving. Waiting for my next trip!
2-night romance trip
Verified Wotif guest review

8/10 Very good

2-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Great luxury live aboard adventure. Stayed one-night as it was our first time on a boat and found the 6 dives over 2 days was great and tiring. The "premium room" is their Top Deck package and the upgrade was well worth it to us though only 3 rooms were booked as this upgrade during our time there and everyone else had fun too.
BrosonTravel, 1-night romance trip
Verified Orbitz guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Tang, 1-night romance trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Awesome stay and a great staff :) Memorable for years to come!
Amy, 1-night romance trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

6/10 Good

Very overpriced trip. The yacht is very old. No cabin has lockers on the door - according to the stuff, that’s the policy on the boat. This mean that theoretically anyone can enter your room at any time. You can’t controll the conditioner in your room and in the dining area, it is freezing there. It’s a problem to get the fresh towel - you will be sent to use the only public dryer where everyone washed their stuff. The yacht has no shoe policy but the floor is pretty dirty. The wetsuits are literally tearing apart! I would say this is like a good friendly motel but they advertise and charge as 5 star hotel.
Diver, 2-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Super stay
Fabulous trip out to the reef. The crew were extremely friendly and helpful, the food was great and the cabin was very comfortable. We saw loads of fish, dolphins, turtles and baby reef sharks. Excellent way to get closer to the reef.
Jacqueline, 2-night romance trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

The hot tub is great and was very often in use. Great stay!
Stefanie, 4-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

10/10 Exceptional

This was an amazing experience! I recommend staying two nights. The staff was so accommodating and it almost felt like you were traveling with good friends! Food was delicious and beds were comfortable. Good sleep is very important to me,
Debra, 2-night romance trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Scuba/snorkeling
We were aboard Reef Encounter for 3 nights & everything was lovely! Food was excellent, staff were young and delightful. no complaints - would definitely return!
Karen, 3-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Highly recommend!
My family and I had an amazing 4 day, 3 night stay on Reef Encounters. The crew was terrific, food was great and the reef was incredible ... especially loved the night dives!
Sarah, 3-night trip
Verified CheapTickets guest review

6/10 Good

Tired and in need of a good clean
We booked 2 nights on Reef Encounter so we could snorkel and dive the barrier reef. We were super excited about the trip until the moment we boarded the transfer boat; Reef Experience. The staff were very young and everything was a bit disorganised and the safety briefing had lets say some crucial bits of info which were at best lacking. The advert stated that we would be served breakfast during our morning transfer; if an unbuttered roll with a half cold veggie burger and some cut slices of watermelon, pinaple etc counts as breakfast then we got it. Maybe my expectations were a little high i thought, i'm sure the food must be better on Reef Encounter as that's the 'hotel' boat after all, whereas Reef Experience just the taxi boat. On Reef Encounter, the departure was fine, the staff sorted out offloading our luggage. The welcome onto the boat was good and much better than the welcome we'd recieved on the transfer. We were shown up to our rooms. The bed was a good size and was comfy, the bathroom was normal size for a boat but there was a strange and unpleasant pong from the drains. Needless to say we kept the door closed on the bathroom as much as possible to stop the smell entering the bedroom. The food was advertised as 'gormet', it wasn't. Portion sizes were good but the dishes lacked any kind of seasoning. The snorkelling and diving provided was very enjoyable and the ships dive master was brilliant. The sites on the Reef we visited were amazing!
K, 2-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

6/10 Good

Was ok
Food was great and a lot of it. Some staff were nice. Some more abrupt. No free introductory dive as told. Ocean was rough so if you don't have a strong stomach, don't go. Didn't see many fish as it was cloudy. Need the sun to shine into the reef.
Dawn, 1-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

8/10 Very good

Highly Recommend "Hotel" on the Great Barrier Reef
A really fun place to stay if you want to be out on the reef for more than a few hours. We stayed 2 nights/3 days. The boat is large and comfortable and well-outfitted for diving & snorkeling. We had a decent-sized stateroom. The staff were enthusiastic and fun, from all over the world, and did a great job taking care of guests' needs. Staying out on the reef is the best way to get in a lot of time seeing marine life whether you are a snorkeler or diver -- if the weather cooperates. Even in the bad weather, the crew did their best to keep it upbeat and fun for all. They proved themselves to be skilled and kept everyone safe. Oh - and the food was very good, and lots of it! Just remember to take your Dramamine...
Kim, 2-night romance trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

It was great to have stay overnight on the reef, and we enjoyed the multiple opportunities for diving. definitely worth the experience.
1-night romance trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Awesome
Great staff, awesome snorkeling. You'll get tonnes of water time.
1-night trip
Verified Expedia guest review

10/10 Exceptional

2-night family trip
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Diving and food provided was very good.
Verified Hotels.com guest review

8/10 Very good

CIO
Amazing time and amazing food!!!
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

As Advertised
Great service. Price on hotels.com was for snorkeling option only. Time of our lives. Great service and accommodation. Everything as advertised.
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

Awesome experience for Great Barrier Reef
We did this to stay overnight on the reef. If you book through Hotels.com, you will still have to pay for the tax (per day that you are there) and any diving upgrades. This booking is only good for the snorkel experience but you can upgrade easily (you just have to pay the price difference between the snorkel and the diving trips). Overall the experience was great. The room was small but that's what you get on a boat. It was comfortable and clean. We spent all day diving on the reef. The employees were very courteous and helpful. We loved the whole experience!
Verified Hotels.com guest review

10/10 Exceptional

So much fun. They staff take good care of you and the food is pretty tasty
Verified Hotels.com guest review