Visit Date: February 2010

I traveled to Cairns from the US specifically to go out to the Great Barrier reef and stayed for two days/one night on the Reef Encounter. I had never been scuba diving before and so I can't compare the experience to other companies or locations but I can tell you that it was absolutely, hands down one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. There were 10 guests on the boat and 15 crew members which meant that we got lots of individual attention. In addition, the crew was very friendly and enjoyable - they really seemed to be in love with what they were doing. I went on an introductory dive with Joel who was extremely patient and very good at teaching me everything I needed to know for a beginner. It was only a couple of minutes into the dive that I felt like I had been swimming underwater my whole life and allowed me to relax enough to really enjoy it.

One of the really nice things about this boat is that we always felt like we were the only ones in the ocean. We went to several different locations (unfortunately, I don't know the names of the places, but they are listed on the website). We saw sharks, giant turtles, cobalt blue sea stars as big as a child, and thousands of fish, coral, and other sea life.

Reef encounter is the only boat licensed to offer an introductory night dive and I went on that as well and it nearly convinced me to give up my job and move to Cairns to spend the rest of my life scuba diving. The boat was charming, the rooms comfortable, the food was not gourmet dining but certainly plentiful and decent. I even got my first taste of vegemite. There was plenty of water to drink and the view of the stars is incredible.

I'm not sufficiently expert to seriously evaluate the equipment that we had, but it certainly felt easy to use and did exactly what it was supposed to. There were plenty of people on the boat who were able to help me suit up and who were not only scuba experts but certified as search and rescue divers. Every time I got out of the water, they wanted to know what I had seen and really seemed to share in my excitement even though I am sure that they had seen all of that and much more.

In other words, I absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend the Reef Encounter.

Visit Date: May 2009

When you book with Reef Encounter you can rest assured that the time you spend aboard will be exactly like the reviews posted here. We book based on the reviews and sure enough it was exactly like the others, an A+ perfect experience.

One thing that is not mentioned and should be is the diligence the crew takes in making sure that all of your dives are safe. They will log your dives, sign you in and out, and keep watch from the upper deck of the boat. I have been out with some sketchy dive companies rest assured this is not one of them!

Equipment is well maintained and in good order, diving is scheduled and well organized, food is chef prepared and excellent, rooms are well kept and very functional. I can tell you our parting thought was we would have paid double for the experience we had. (but please don't raise you prices :) )

Visit Date: December 2008

We paid for the Top Deck experience as part of our honeymoon. We went to 5 locations as part of our honeymoon (South Australia, North and South Islands of New Zealand, and Fiji), and this was my favorite. The room was very nice and exceeded our expectations! The food was outstanding and included a nice variety. The staff put on an awesome New Year's Party for us. The boat is very well staffed and their dive guides are well trained and knowledgeable. It was very easy to get in and out of the water for our dives. We would love to stay with them again!