Shortly after departing Los Angeles you will be served dinner and you will be given breakfast before landing.

Relax, watch some movies, and try to get some sleep!

Please confirm with the airlines at Check-in that they have all your Frequent Flyer information on record.

Travel by shuttle from the Cairns Airport to your vacation accommodation in Cairns, Australia.

Need to Know
Luggage Restrictions: 1 checked bag and 1 hand luggage is free of charge per person in the shuttle. Additional luggage is 10$ each. Strollers are free. Bikes need to be in a bike bag. Fishing rods need to be broken down and in a container.

Enjoy 1 night at your 4-Star CAIRNS accommodation.

Nestled in the tropical paradise of Cairns, this remarkable hotel captivates guests with its warm hospitality, exceptional service, and breathtaking views. The accommodations offer a harmonious blend of comfort and style, complemented by the hotel’s prime location near dining, shopping, and cultural attractions. From the inviting restaurant to the attentive staff, every aspect ensures an unforgettable stay. Discover a tranquil oasis in Cairns that promises cherished memories for discerning travelers.
 
Hotel Amenities
Free Wi-Fi, Swimming Pool, 24-hr Reception, Luggage Storage, Bar, Restaurant, Paid Parking, Room Service  
 
Preferred Room
Standard Room – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Private Balcony ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Smart TV.
 
Room Upgrades
Past T12-15 (Other Upgraded Room Types)
– Executive Room – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Private Balcony ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Esplanade, Trinity Inlet, or Ocean Views ; Flat Screen TV.
– Deluxe – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Private Balcony ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Flat Screen TV.
– Tropical Luxe – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Same level as the pool deck ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Pod coffee machine ; 42-inch Flat Screen TV.
– Tropical Luxe Premium – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Pod Coffee Machine ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Luxury skincare & Hairdryer ; Safe ; Located on Levels 2 & 3 ; Washer & Dryer ; 50-inch Flat Screen TV ; Two-person bath.
 
Need to know
Hotel subject to availability. If this hotel is not available, a similar hotel will be substituted. Room booked will be preferred unless otherwise listed on your quote.

The azure and fathomless water of the Coral Sea is a playground for sharks and big fish action in exceptional visibility. Huge soft coral trees, sea fans, and otherworldly marine life will impress on this 5-night Coral Sea & Cod Hole Expedition aboard the award-winning Spoilsport vessel. Experience up to 18 dives in the Coral Sea with superb Great Barrier Reef marine biodiversity.

Day 1: Check-in and Departure

Check in and make your way to Hemingway’s Brewery Cairns Wharf to meet your fellow passengers and prepare to board Spoilsport. Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your Trip Director provides a full briefing. Depart Cairns and begin your Coral Sea Safari!

Day 2: Coral Sea – Bougainville Reef

Start your day with a light breakfast before a briefing, then don on your gear and dive into the waters of the Coral Sea. Explore the wondrous sights at Bougainville Reef, where the Crystal Plateau reef top descends to a spectacular terrace of hard corals at 20-30m before edging over into an abyss hundreds of meters deep. Sea fans and soft corals adorn the reef wall where (friendly) sharks also patrol.

Days 3 & 4: Coral Sea – Osprey Reef

Cruise 100 miles overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. This site never disappoints with exciting fish action alongside colorful gorgonian fans, whips and soft corals. Resident barracuda and schooling big eye trevally make for great photo opportunities, and keep an eye out for cruising hammerheads out in the blue. At North Horn, you’ll watch a controlled shark feed with 10-30 gray reef, white-tip, and other friendly sharks. Then, enjoy a maze of huge towering bommies at Admiralty Anchor, home to plenty of fish and a delight to explore.

Day 5: Great Barrier Reef – Lizard Island & Ribbon Reefs

Enjoy diving at Ribbon Reefs before mooring off Lizard Island for the evening. The potato cod grouper at the Cod Hole are a highlight, however it is the rich biodiversity of fish species and coral that make this section of the Great Barrier Reef so incredible. Mid expedition you’ll disembark at Lizard Island, where you will have a few hours to relax. Step back in time at the ruins of Mrs. Watsons Cottage, or walk through the mangrove swamp on a boardwalk where a stroll up Chinaman’s Ridge yields magnificent views of the island and reefs below.

Day 6: Great Barrier Reef – Ribbon Reefs

Circumnavigate renowned dive sites at Ribbon Reefs including Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie, shrouded in fusilier baitfish. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic Minke whales are seen here in June and July. Rising from 80 meters the pinnacle of Andy’s Postcard is encrusted in corals, lion fish, nudibranchs, octopus, schooling trevally and barracuda. See spectacular giant clams at Clam Beds as well as caves, canyons and coral encrusted bommies awaiting exploration. Sheer walls covered in whip corals and sea fans brim the natural amphitheater of Vertical Gardens. Marine life varies from the many colorful nudibranchs to large schooling bump head parrotfish.

Day 7: Ribbon Reefs

Explore even more incredible underwater waters of Ribbon Reefs at Coral Kingdom and Steve’s Bommie. Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with diverse marine life. Bump headed parrotfish and inquisitive barracuda cruise the site along with schools of other reef fish, gliding above vast beds of staghorn and colorful giant clams. At Steve’s Bommie, hunt out such creatures as stonefish, scorpionfish, octopus, clown anemone fish and turtles, not to mention the many schools of fish that call this place home.

Day 8: Dock

Wake up with a light breakfast before disembarking at Cairns, where courtesy transfers await to take you to your next destination.

Operates
Departs every Thursday.

Need to Know
If weather forces an itinerary change, the crew will divert to the best, ‘safe, accessible sites’ to ensure you get the best scuba diving available. The Coral Sea may not be accessible in strong winds.

Hire gear is available at additional expense, however it is recommended to bring your own wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins.

Divers who have completed less than 15 dives, less than 5 ocean dives or less than 5 dives in the last 12 months are required to complete a complimentary onboard orientation dive. In addition, divers over 65 years old, who have completed less than 50 dives are required to complete the complimentary onboard orientation dive.

Diver Health: If you have a medical condition or are currently taking prescription medication, you will need a medical clearance. For further details refer to our Diver Information form or contact our Reservations team.

Room Types Available are: Premium – queen or double bed, private bathroom, ocean views. Standard – twin beds, private bathroom, ocean views. Club – twin bunk beds, private bathroom, no ocean view. Budget – twin bunk beds, share bathroom, no ocean view.

Note: Itinerary subject to change. Specific marine life sighting cannot be guaranteed.

Enjoy 1 night at your 4-Star CAIRNS accommodation.

Nestled in the tropical paradise of Cairns, this remarkable hotel captivates guests with its warm hospitality, exceptional service, and breathtaking views. The accommodations offer a harmonious blend of comfort and style, complemented by the hotel’s prime location near dining, shopping, and cultural attractions. From the inviting restaurant to the attentive staff, every aspect ensures an unforgettable stay. Discover a tranquil oasis in Cairns that promises cherished memories for discerning travelers.
 
Hotel Amenities
Free Wi-Fi, Swimming Pool, 24-hr Reception, Luggage Storage, Bar, Restaurant, Paid Parking, Room Service  
 
Preferred Room
Standard Room – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Private Balcony ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Smart TV.
 
Room Upgrades
Past T12-15 (Other Upgraded Room Types)
– Executive Room – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Private Balcony ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Esplanade, Trinity Inlet, or Ocean Views ; Flat Screen TV.
– Deluxe – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Private Balcony ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Flat Screen TV.
– Tropical Luxe – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Same level as the pool deck ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Hairdryer ; Safe ; Pod coffee machine ; 42-inch Flat Screen TV.
– Tropical Luxe Premium – 1 King or 2 Singles – Room Features: Mini Fridge ; Pod Coffee Machine ; Air Conditioning ; Shower Amenities ; Luxury skincare & Hairdryer ; Safe ; Located on Levels 2 & 3 ; Washer & Dryer ; 50-inch Flat Screen TV ; Two-person bath.
 
Need to know
Hotel subject to availability. If this hotel is not available, a similar hotel will be substituted. Room booked will be preferred unless otherwise listed on your quote.

Travel by shuttle from your Cairns vacation accommodation to the Airport in Cairns, Australia.

Need to Know
Luggage Restrictions: 1 checked bag and 1 hand luggage is free of charge per person in the shuttle. Additional luggage is 10$ each. Strollers are free. Bikes need to be in a bike bag. Fishing rods need to be broken down and in a container.

Travel within Australia by domestic air from Cairns to Brisbane.

Mid-day Departure from Brisbane, In-flight Dinner and Movie with arrival in the USA. Note: You will be traveling back across the International Date line so you will gain a day. You actually arrive in the USA on the same day you leave Australia.