Quicksilver Cruises Review

A wonderful way to see the barrier reef with this cruise wonderful staff who make sure you are safe but also enjoying yourself Highly recommended.

**** What a fantastic trip we had with Quicksilver to the Great Barrier Reef. Staff were so friendly and helpful - and so organised. Everything ran like clockwork. They picked us up from our hotel and fed and looked after us for the whole day. Well worth the trip! ****

First I want to say the staff has been great the whole day. However, a disappointing experience overall. The boat (filled with 250 people!) leaves Port Douglas at 10am, which is quite late, and takes you to a Quicksilver platform in the middle of the reef, that you reach an hour later or so. Which means you will dive/snorkel in only one spot for the whole day when other companies takes you to different spots. If you can call it a day since we were asked to get out of the water at 2.30pm to head back to Port Douglas. Seems an awfully short amount of time onsite for the price you pay. Their diving spot is disappointing, with lots of dead corals and their snorkeling spot is ok but not the best in the area. To sum up, I don't recommend this company. Just making more money with 250 people boats which requires more preparation from the company in mornings and evenings and negatively impacts the time customer can spend on the reef...

Did a trip to the Outer Reef with the Silversonic from Port Douglas. We were about 70 people on the boat, but it didn t feel crowded at all. Everything - pick up at hotel, (great) food, diving/snorkling instructions, gear, etc - was VERY well organised. Did 2 introductory dives and especially liked the second one: a lot more freedom, so would definitely recommend doing a second dive if you re going on this trip. You dont have to go through all the skills and tests etc, so you ll enjoy that one way more. In general, really enjoyed my day!

Just amazing! Spectacular reef.

If there s one trip you take when visiting the GBR, this is it! We took the trip with Quicksilver.It was amazing! Apart from Spectacularly colorful coral.!Opportunity of a lifetime. Would definitely recommend visiting during the July timeframe, though cooler, the crowds are smaller and the jellyfish are not around.

Amazing experience exploring the Great Barrier Reef.
Not only great boats, staff members are incredible.
We got a discount voucher, can t wait to use it ASAP with Quicksilver group.
Thank you again

Fantastic day out with great service staff and food. Weather wasn't the best that day but the catermeran and staff did well.

Comfortable boat, great food. Just a bit too crowded perhaps

Had an amazing day at Agincourt Reef! The staff were very helpful, knowledgeable and experienced. They ensured the day ran smoothly and that all customers were well informed and prepared for the tour. Plenty of addditional tours were made available to us throughout the day which was an added bonus. On board with us, we had a marine biologist who made the 1.5 hour trip out to the reef enjoyable and also extremely informative. Overall it was a wonderful experience that my partner and I would love to do again. Thank you to all the incredible staff who made our day so memorable!

If you are planning on seeing the Great Barrier Reef, look no further - this is the company you want to go with.

Alittle expensive but very well run had no concerns about safety during the reef trip

Please do NOT travel with Quicksilver or any of the large boats. If you care about the future of the reef, you ll read on.
They take HUNDREDS of people out per day on their massive boats that look like some kind of Death Star. Their pontoon has been there for YEARS & thousands of birds have now made it a resting place. Their poo is hosed off each morning and this concentrated acid is washed straight into the water, affecting the coral. What s left of the reef in that immediate area is dying or dead. I could not believe the difference I saw from over the years! It is terrifying!! Quicksilver didn t talk about that but alluded to the reef being okay. Well, it isn t. Everything I ve learned points to the reef being in massive trouble. I wish I had never gone on Quicksilver & added to their environmental impact.
Luckily, I was later recommended to see the reef again on a small, independently owned company run by marine biologists that have the reef s future firmly in their foresight. Only a few dozen go out at a time on this much smaller boat to different parts of the reef, instead of a few hundred to the same overused area. Being on Quicksilver was like being herded like cattle. It was awful. Everything on board was extra $$$ I didn t hear an open dialogue about the state of the reef.
I didn t hear open dialogue about promoting that they return profits into the care of the reef. I can t imagine why they re not openly promoting that they are petitioning the govt to do more to protect it. I haven t heard that they re openly boycotting mining that will affect the reef. I haven t seen them openly using their big brand to raise vital awareness?
It s frightening to see this monster ship devouring the very reef it promotes.
Please choose a small, independent eco-friendly company to see the reef & raise awareness about doing more to protect it. It s in dire straits. I truly hope Quicksilver will start to do far more openly to save the reef that gives it its livelihood.

Very well managed professionally experienced organisers for visit to Great Barrier Reef. All four in one package. Lunch on board was sumptuous.

My wife and I did the Quicksilver cruise to the reef on March 15th/19. It was a great experience except that the female biologist I paid $82 to go out with was a waste of time and money. There were four of us and we found that she would start her dialogue while 2 or 3 of us were still swimming towards her with our heads in the water. When I spoke to her about this she replied that she didn't know if we wanted to listen to her. I said we didn't have much chance with our ears under water. Why would we spend that kind of money if were didn't want to learn something?

As far as life experiences quicksilver delivered. From pick up to drop off. Staff food snorkelling A1. Got helicopter back for the views and Mike our pilot did a great job pointing out the area.

I was fortunate to take my family on this cruise today to the outer Great Barrier Reef. I was honestly amazed by everything. To start with excellent receptionist who explained the tour to me and answered all my questions clearly. The team on the cruise were all polite. Five stars service & a good open buffet ( I love seafood hence I enjoyed this open buffet more than my family). Reasonable snacks. Cold water and juice are available all the time. Top quality snorkeling equipments. My kids loved the semi- submersible vessel. And my 7 year old son said this is the most enjoyable activity he has done so far.
The only down sides are, the lycra suit hiring should be free as part of snorkelling equipment , make the diving prices cheaper and provide a small swimming pool for the kids who are scared of snorkelling. Having said that I will give them 5 stars.

Silver Sonic cruise was brilliant. 3 snorkel sites. Over 4 hours in the water time... I was exhausted. Fun but knowledgeable staff. Top quality gear. Great food. High, high recommendation. If you are sea sick prone, just take your preferred tab before you go...

Great quality boat and facilities. I have visited the reef before with a much smaller operator. Going with quicksilver is much more comfortable and leasable day. The boat and pontoon are suitable for elderly, baby s and people in wheelchairs.

Quite the outfit. They have a visit to the reef figured out. Very enjoyable experience. Nice group of people.

Nice tour with a fast boat to a reef set up for tourist. There are no lockers for your things when you dive but we found out at the end of the day that you can make arrangements with a crew member. That would be nice to know going in. They provide lunch that is okay. I mention that as they made a very big deal about it and it was not good. Also no drinks were available.

I would highly recommend them to everyone. The staff were helpful, informative and very professional. The seas were rough on the both legs to and from the Low Isles, so the staff came around every 20 minutes to make sure everyone was fine. Thank you for the experience.

The experience with the sea animals is wonderful and worthwhile! Unfortunately, it is at the beginning and end of a mass tourism, which luckily when passing on the platform something passes, because then all the tourists have spread. The buffet lunch is delicious with enough choice (all inclusive). If you like to snorkel, it is best to go back in the allowed area at the back left, as there are few people and you can still see beautiful fish and corals.

Well managed, easier on a big boat Some visitors not very careful with coral, saw people standing on coral and taking it. Big boat reduces nausea.

What an experience and these guys have it perfected! An amazing experience and all staff are well educated and friendly! Definitely worth doing to experience all you can of the Great Barrier Reef!

We were lucky to get on board the quick silver cruise and be safely allocated our own seat/area during covid-19 times. We had great talks during the cruise out to Agincourt reef and morning tea was provided. Once out their we had a lovely made lunch (I have allergies, so specially made) ty as it was so fresh and well made. We then went on a semi submersible boat and had the most fab time listening to Glen talk about the reef, we saw a turtle lots of coral and fish and tons of information woohoo. For a little extra money we took a helicopter ride OMG the colours and view spectular ty Sean and Brandon. Finally decided to get wet and go for a snorkle and looked around the reef and as I am not a good swimmer or never snorkled the amazing Hayley had seen I still had dry hair and offered to help me. So amazing Hayley took me further out and I saw a turtle (Jeffery) ahhh clown fish bright coral and so many other amazing colourful fish. I can not believe what a wonderful experience we had 10 out of 10 to all staff Shan took beautiful photos and everyone was so helpful I felt like a VIP thank you thank you to Quick Silver staff.

Best experience of the Great Barrier Reef is at quicksilver. The equipment and the guidance they provide is top-notch. They make beginners very comfortable and give ample space for experts. The only reason for a 4 star was the bad boat experience that we had. It s quite far away from port Douglas and requires 1.5 hours in a very fast boat. The sea was very rough the day we travelled and so quite a few people were sea sick.

(Boat crew racist Asian tourists) I joined the great barrier reef snorkling one day tour of Quick silver Cruises on October 2016. I brought my mom with me. There was a program where we can sit in the boat with the obersavatory chamber to watch the marine life in the sea. There was a English speaking tour guide that explained to us the marine life as the boar drove along the ocean. However, when he observed some sea cucumbers in the sea, he made a remark about the Chinese. He said that "the Chinese cook these for dinner you know, we don't eat marine life like they do". Everyone in the boat laughed, me and my mum were so only Asian people in that boat, my mum couldn't understand English, but I personally found the statement somewhat offensive and rasit. Frankly I've never eaten a sea cucumber in my life, but even if some Chinese do, it is nothing wrong and we didn't deserve to be treated like this. Franches eats snail , western people eats rare cooked steak which has blood in it. Every cult ure has some food that people from other culture may not found it acceptable. How dare this charter judge and humuliate their guests by their different culture? I wouldn't recoment Asian people join this tour unless you enjoy being racially desciminated.
I took my mother to this group's snorkeling day trip last October. During the event, the interpreter pointed at the sea cucumbers in the sea with a scornful tone and said to everyone, you Chinese eat this thing, we don't eat this kind of thing. Then Westerners from other countries on the ship laughed. I didn't do anything and didn't say anything, so I was unjustly humiliated by this company. I have never eaten sea cucumber, but even if Chinese people eat sea cucumber, there is no problem. The French like to eat snails, and the Westerners like to eat steaks with blood in the meat. Every culture has foods that other cultures don't like. Why does this company humiliate Asian tourists? Asian tourists are advised not to visit the services of this company unless you enjoy very much being humiliated by this company's unprovoked race during your vacation

One of the best without hesitation! Excellent sites to know the great barrier!

Great experience. The pontoon makes a huge difference because you have a base to work from and it caters to all sorts of abilities and levels of confidence. Snorkelling was fantastic, lots to see. The introductory dive program was awesome for someone without a dive license who wanted to try it out. Big shout-out to the lifeguards who went took extra care to keep an eye on a special needs kid.

The boat is comfy and fast which will take you out to their own pontoon in the outer reef. From which the snorkeling is amazing. Swim out a bit further and the reef is literally 1 meter beneath you, so gorgeous. The service is good but expected for the price you pay since it's one of the most expensive operators. The only thing we really disliked was the large amount of Chinese tourists who are pushy and rude at the buffet and toilets. Even saw some asian dude chucking his cig buds overboard in a world heritage area..

Sailing on this vessel was very enjoyable, we are not wonderful swimmers but the staff were so so helpful and seeing the fish and reef made our day. We did not bring hats, which was a mistake, the sailing back was a dream.

We found the ride to the reef very comfortable.
Morning tea was Arnotts assorted biscuits. (a bit poor for the price)
The area designated for snorkelling was small.
There was 400 on the boat and we were continually being hit by other snorkelers in the water. This became very frustrating.
Just before boarding the boat to return to Port Douglas there was a medical emergency. Whilst we appreciate the seriousness of the incident, the staff did not keep the passengers informed.
They did not take precautions to ensure everyone was out of the water, they did not provide adequate updates on what was happening.
We had to wait for care flight to arrive, some 2 hours after the incident. It was only then that a head count was conducted (twice) because they could not get the numbers right.
I think this could have been handled better.
What we saw on the reef was poor in comparison to what we had seen at Green Island 1 year before and what we saw at Low Isles.
Overall, I think the trip was very dear for what we saw and received.

Amazing Experience altogether. The staff was very friendly. I am a non swimmer/introductory swimmer and first timer snorkelling but still the staff made me very comfortable and I did 45 mins without any break. The lady Marine biologists was very informative and showed us interesting reefs and fishes. My family also enjoyed the submarine and snorkeling. Overall it was fantastic experience and money worth spent.

Awesome day out! HIGHLY recommend!! Very professional, couldn't recommend this company high enough! We went with them 10 years ago and again today AMAZING!!! You couldn't fault the service.

The planning, the management, the crew, the instructor and the facilities was good. Their lunch was also quite a treat. Would highly recommend the excursions planned by them.

Professional cruise operation to the Outer Great Barrier Reef. Recommended for the novice scuba diver, snorkeler or tourist wanting to experience the beauty.

My kids had lots of fun for the Great Barrier Reef cruise.

this was the perfect cruise for my family of 6 (no children). there was enough for all of us to do. my parents were able to see the reef from an underwater sub and underwater deck, and the rest of us went snorkeling (and also the underwater sub and deck). needless to say, the great barrier reef is amazing. the boat was very comfortable. they took good care of my needs (as i mentioned i had severe allergies to several foods) and set aside a special plate of food for me. highly recommend!

A really enjoyable day out! The entire experience was wonderful, from the boat ride to the platform to the numerous activities available when you arrive, and even a hot buffet lunch. The staff were all friendly, enthused, and helpful. The boat and all facilities were well maintained and comfortable. We loved the glass-bottom boat - were able to see some amazing coral reefs in blues, reds, and browns, as well as hundreds of fish and even 2 turtles! We did the helmet dives, which were ok, but very expensive - probably wouldn't do that again - was probably the low point of the day. The snorkeling was fun, and were able to see many fish just meters from the platform. Overall it was very enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone wanting a good experience on the Great Barrier Reef.

They are very friendly and nice food.
Good service and Great Barrier Reef is a must-visit place you guys should go

We had a great time trying both wavedancer and sonic to explore the reef. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable. The whole day out was very well organised. The diving was amazing and very relaxing as the divemasters took us on a great tour and pointed out the best features and marine life. Great Value for money.

wow this was just the best, the staff on the boats were very helpful and friendly, probably the friendliest Australians we met the entire vacation and that's saying something. the marine biologist was a font of knowledge it was so good to see the great barrier reef like this, we couldn't have asked for more.

Other than smoking allowed on pontoon!! Awesome place to visit the great barrier reef.

Was disappointed with the barrier reef itself, expected to see all the wonderfull colours you see on tv. Quicksiver cruises was very good.

Phenomenal. Highly recommend. Amazing crew. Well organized.

My partner and I spent my birthday on the reef yesterday with Quicksilver. We had an incredible experience. Great amount of activities and the buffet was great. Did have a few issues with organising the bus transport. A lady said she d booked it but last minute I found out it wasn t. Got it sorted eventually thankfully. Most staff were helpful but there were a few with an attitude on them. For example, my partner and I, a lady and a man had gone up the the cheese and cracker platter just as we boarded to go back to Port Douglas (around 3pm). Some rude woman (worker) pushed in front of ALL of us to rearrange the cracker baskets as we were ALL mid pick. She could obviously see our confusion and shock and did not apologise or say a word as she just slid in front of us. I then said to my partner just go in beside her and just grab some don t worry about it and she said I m just cleaning up I said you re being rude and she just ignored me and had a smirk on her face as she continued to make the others wait. I highly recommend you find out who it was if there are cameras (bar level of boat opposite of entrance door) to see and have a chat with her as she put an extremely foul taste in our mouth after the trip. Also, the amount of spare seats that were available but people weren t bunching up or left there bags on seats so no one else could sit during the trip was ridiculous. Would be great if staff got involved and took charge by getting people to fill all seats so we don t have to hold the hand rails the whole way up and back.. other than that. Brilliant trip. Wish we were there longer.

Good experience great friendly staff and all the activities were well organised

If it is a tourist resort that you are looking for, Quicksilver will delight you.
Busloads of noisy Chinese tourists, an atmosphere not at all friendly, combis not provided and that we must pay while in the office we are confirmed that all is included, the food given to the fish on the reef (what a scandal) ...
A positive point however: the snorkel spot is super beautiful with coral trees of an amazing size!

A fantastic day on the Outer Barrier Reef. Snorkeling, diving and semi-submersible boat trip. Good buffet lunch provided. Tea, coffee and water available all day (plus bar). Recommended

Felt like sardines in an aluminium can. Jam packed and expensive. Now I know why people go international for holidays. The only saving grace was that I found Nemo. The rest was fairly ordinary.

I was really unsure what to expect from a "mass tourist" tour operator. However Quicksilver were without flaw from start to finish. The boat and pontoon were great and for older people the pontoon and semi-sub provided a great way to see the reef without snorkeling. Lunch was great with plenty of food. The staff was also extremely helpful and professional. Recommend the biologist reef tour for extra $50. Defo would go again with this company

I greatly enjoyed my tour. Apart from the actual navigating - I love boats - I think the all-Aussie crew made a difference. They were very polite, relaxed, smiling and helpful at the same time. This stood out for me because I've noticed that tourism & hospitality services have declined in quality for a while now.

Had a great time. Reef was beautiful with many fish and the occasional turtle, even saw a shark.
Semi submersible is a nice way for lesser able-bodied people to see the reef, but if you can snorkelling/scuba is superior.
Food was decent but nothing spectacular.

3rd time (in 20 years), excellent staff, good sport for snorkeling and the semi subs are a brill addition for a dryer vantage point. All with a well deserved lunch. This was the outer reef trip.

This will be a different kind of review. I have actually not used Quicksilver s services, although my in-laws did. The reason I am writing this review is to praise and express my gratitude to this company for saving my mother-in-law s life. Back in January 2020 my in-laws decided to go to the barrier reef and thought Quicksilver would be a good company to use. They were a little more expensive than the smaller outfits, but nonetheless they went with them. As it turns out my mother in law had an underlying heart condition that she was unaware of. When she and my FIL were out in the water with their guide, my MIL suddenly felt she couldn t catch her breath. The guide had earlier gave instruction to the group of what to do if they were in distress. Thankfully, my MIL remembered the signal and the guide recognized she was going into shock. Quicksilver has little zodiac boats that cruise around and check on all the groups (is how it was explained to me) and the guide quickly waved down the zodiac and got my MIL into the boat. The sped off to the floating dock/platform and immediately began CPR on her. This went on for FOUR MINUTES! They finally revived her and kept her stable until the medical helicopter could come and take her to the hospital. This would have never happened she felt, had she gone with a smaller outfit that did not have the expansive support as Quicksilver does. The doctors she saw in Caines and in the US told her how lucky she was that she survived and that only 6% of people receiving CPR that long survive. (Turned out she had a pulmonary embolism.) This is a TESTAMENT to the professionalism, skill, and determination of the staff at Quicksilver Cruises. They literally saved her life and for that, I cannot thank them enough. As for my FIL, they made sure he got to the hospital and paid for his ride over as he did not have his wallet on him (naturally) and delivered outstanding post care and follow up after such a traumatic event. I m sure the snorkeling would have been an amazing experience and I am sure that if you chose Quicksilver you d have an amazing time, but most importantly, you will be in good hands. Well worth the money!!!! (Whatever they paid!)

Loved our tour to the New Isles today.Nothing to fault, endless food, clean expansive toilets, amazing and informative guides. Very organised. The live music and free champas topped of the trip home.

Best day out ever. Fantastic people. Well organised outing. Must see and do

Cookie Cutter reef experience. You will get to see everything but this is a slick machine

I travel the world quite a bit and try lots of stuff ( for my age ) and this is one of the best things I have done. The day was perfect, the snorkeling was fantastic and even the buffet lunch wasn't bad. Very well run operation wuth great staff. I will do this aging next time I am in town ( Port Douglas )

Amazing boat, crew, food, and oh yeah the diving was also amazing. Saw tons of fish and huge barracuda school. We really liked the small groups and individual attention. Overall fantastic experience and I would recommend to all no matter your level of experience!

Annie and her staff truly rolled out the red carpet for my daughter on her Make A Wish trip. They threw in a free helicopter ride and several great family photos to undeniably make this the trip of a lifetime! Bring them your business ... they are the best!

Great, friendly service. Nice platform. Wonderful snorkeling!

To start off I love the crew, the service, and the sitings. This cruise is worth every penny. Highly recommend the boat. If you don t have snorcal gear they have it in use, but bring towels and dry clothes. You also have a wounderful camara guide named Dave on silver sonic on Quicksilver (highly recommend buying the photos).

Very crowded, a couple of staff were rude. Good once on pontoon and lunch was fine. Get there early to get a decent seat

Very well organized. Great service! They even have marine biologists on board to explain everything. The vegan food we ordered ahead of time was disgusting and freezing cold. Other than that we very much enjoyed the tour of the great barrier reef.

Friendly outgoing staff with a range of options to make your vacation a memorable one