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What is best Great Barrier Reef excursion on Princess


Shell43
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Help! We are going on the Queensland cruise from Sydney on Princess on Feb 23rd. There are 2 different ports that we can snorkel the GBR, which is the best excursion to do. Also if anyone else has been on that cruise, any other suggestions for the best excursions would be wonderful

Thanks in advance

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It would have helped if you had provided a link to the cruise and/or the excursions, but I found them.

 

The best spots for snorkeling at the GBR are either Cairns or Port Douglas. Because of the arrival times of your ship and the fact that tendering is required in Port Douglas, it’s not possible for you to book your own GBR excusion as the boats depart around 8:00 am. So, you will need to book one of the ship’s excursions.

 

There are two snorkeling excursions out of Cairns—CNS -002 and CNS-100. Do NOT take CNS-002 (Green Island Discovery). The coral at Green Island is in poor condition so there’s less sealife. It’s a waste of time and money. I can’t be sure of the boat for CNS-100 (could be Passions of Paradise), but it carries 100 passengers on a catamaran. That’s more people than I like on a GBR trip, but it’s not terrible. This would be a good option if you are a confident swimmer who wants to spend a lot of time snorkeling.

 

There is one snorkel excursion out of Port Douglas and I can tell from the description that it is Quicksilver. Quicksilver takes 300 passengers to a large fixed pontoon at the Reef. You can snorkel or dive or see the Reef without getting in the water via glass-bottom boat rides, semi-submersible rides and an underwater viewing area. This is a good option for non-swimmers, less confident swimmers or people who don’t want to be in the water all day.

 

So based on your own swimming skill level and interests, you can choose the best option for you in either Cairns or PD.

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Thank- you so much! That is very helpful. I am a frequent snorkeler, but often times the water pressure will bother my husband’s ears. The PD might be a good option so he just doesn’t have to sit on the boat if his ears act up

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  • 2 months later...

Shell43, I'll be on the same cruise! I'm also looking at the Port Douglas excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. My mom is in her 70s and definitely not into water activities but my sister and I would like to do some snorkeling without leaving her by herself, so we figured she could relax on the pontoon. Anyone have info on the boat ride out? I know conditions can change at any time, but is it generally a choppy ride? I've also heard that Nov-Mar isn't really a good time to visit and our trip would be at the tail end of this period. Any concerns?

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The boat trip from Port Douglas to the Quicksilver platform takes about 90 minutes.  Conditions depend on the winds, so it’s impossible to predict what conditions will be like in February.  However, having gone to the Outer Reef several times in somewhat choppy conditions, I was always fine by taking the seasickness remedy that works best for me (ginger tablets) prior to boarding.  

 

November - May is stinger (deadly jellyfish) season in the Cairns/Port Douglas area.  Stingers are found off the beach so you have to swim within the confines of a stinger net and, advisably, while wearing a stinger suit.  But stingers are rarely found off the Reef. Nevertheless, your boat will provide stinger suits for you to wear while snorkeling as a precaution. 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

We took the excursion out of Cairns last month.

 

The catamaran used holds about 300 people but Princess limited it to 100. Plenty of room to move around and be comfortable. Great crew. Delicious lunch and snacks.

 

I was lucky and the weather was perfect. The area we snorkeled had calm seas, clear water, and lots of coral and fish. They also offered a glass bottom boat ride.

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