OVERVIEW

MICHAELMAS CAY
Michaelmas Cay is a picturesque reef sand island surrounded by magical coral gardens teeming with an incredible diversity of marine life. The Cay is a protected seabird sanctuary playing host to over 20,000 migratory seabirds ... one of the most important nesting sights in the Southern Hemisphere.

Michaelmas Cay offers a great day for SNORKELLING, DIVING & SAILING on Australia's magnificent Great Barrier Reef. Set Sail aboard our five star catamaran and enjoy a reef experience - a day to remember.

 

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:
* Four full hours on the reef
* Air conditioned coach transfers from your hotel (City & Cairns Beaches)
* Morning refreshments
* Superb hot & cold buffet (includes seafood)
* Afternoon tea
* Snorkelling demonstrations and tuition
* Use of all snorkelling equipment
* Use of flotation vests
* Informative ecological presentations by our qualified marine biologists
* Informative tours on our air-conditioned semi-submersible
* Guided bird tours
* Live musical entertainment on the homeward sail to Cairns
* A complimentary glass of Australian sparkling wine
* High crew to guest ratio (1:9)
* Return Coach Transfers from Cairns & Northern Beach hotels.

WHAT TO BRING:
* Towel, swimmers, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
* Cash or credit card for on board purchases

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
* Guided snorkelling tours with our qualified Marine Biologist
* Certified and introductory diving
* Drinks & snacks from the fully licensed bar
* Sunscreen lotions and underwater cameras
* Hire of wet/lycra suits
* Professional photographer on board
* A range of quality souvenirs and merchandise

Departure:
Boarding 8.00am for an 8:30am departure daily from Cairns Marlin Jetty.

OCEAN SPIRIT I
Technical Details - Schooner Rig Catamaran
Length: 32 metres
Beam: 12.8 metres
Draft: 1.8 metres
Displacement: 118 tonnes
Main Mast Height: 32.3 metres
Mizzen Mast: 32.9 metres
Fuel: 7330 litres
Fresh Water: 10,000 litres
Max Passenger Load: 135

Australia's magnificent marine park - the Great Barrier Reef for diving, snorkelling & sailing. Set sail aboard our 5 Star Catamarans & capture the spirit of the Great Barrier Reef. Try our Michalemas Cay Cruise, Oyster Reef & Upolu Reef Cruise, Sail & Snorkel Cruise experiencing the multi coloured coral and fish species.

Visitors & locals alike enjoy this Great Barrier Reef Experience of Australia second to none, with the best that nature has to offer. Snorkelling, Diving, Sailing - a day to remember on the Great Barrier Reef.

OR, for an outstanding evening adventure discover the delights of our Dinner Cruise, savouring the sights of the city lights set against the rainforest clad mountains, while enjoying an award winning gourmet tropical feast.

Standards for luxurious cruising to the Great Barrier Reef.

* Sailing to naturally formed islands on the Great Barrier Reef off of Cairns, Australia
* High crew to guest ratio of 9:1 - a limited number of guests on all of our cruises
* Informative and interpretive snorkel and dive tours conducted by our marine biologist
* Award winning gourmet cuisine on all our reef cruises and our dinner cruise with our chefs preparing the feast on board
* Live entertainment on board for two of our Great Barrier Reef cruises and the Dinner cruise along Trinity Inlet, Cairns
* 19 year record of quality & safety with highly trained crew and snorkel / dive instructors
* Multi lingual dive crew and instructors
* Semi-submersible vessel for coral viewing and glass bottom boat tours

Queensland’s GREAT BARRIER REEF has taken out the prestigious international Tourism for Tomorrow award for Best Destination at this year’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards held in Lisbon, Portugal. The award was one of only four issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) at its 7th Global Travel & Tourism Summit. The award was significant recognition for the combined efforts of governments, industry bodies and individual operators and others who continue to address the environmental concerns of the GREAT BARRIER REEF.

"TAKE ONLY PHOTOS AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS"

The Great Barrier Reef is made up of million upon millions of tiny coral polyps. The skeletons that they secrete are what make up the vivid and spectacular gardens of colour that amaze thousands of people each year. Approximately 500 species of coral are known in the Indo-Pacific region and 70% of these are found on The Great Barrier Reef.

An individual coral polyp consists of a fleshy sack topped with a ring of tentacles around a central mouth opening. Many corals have a brownish-coloured alga living within the polyp. The alga uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce food for the polyp and this may provide as much as 98% of its diet. Corals that don’t have a partnership with these algae rely on capturing prey with their stinging cells. This could include microorganisms, worms, urchins and even fish.

Coral grow at varied speeds with the quickest being the stag horn which can add as much as 15 cm each year to their branching tips. Due to its rapid growth it is very brittle and many years of growth can be broken off very easily if they are bumped or stepped on. Other corals such as the brain coral can grow into massive boulders nearly three metres high. Formation such as this may be nearly 1000 years old!

The Great Barrier Reef is a natural wonderland of fish and coral, and thousands of people travel here each year to marvel at its beauty. To preserve its beauty there are hefty fines for anyone who decides to take some of this living fossil home with them. Ocean Spirit’s fully trained biologists and naturalists on board are there for you to ask as many as many questions in your discovery of the Great Barrier Reef.

Your day on The Great Barrier Reef will be one that you will never forget, but remember our motto:
"TAKE ONLY PHOTOS AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS"

Payment Policy
A deposit is payable upon confirmation.
The balance of  payment is required in full upon arrival for your departure.

Cancellation Policy
The initial deposit paid is non-refundable. In addition to forfeiting your deposit, the following charges also apply:
Cancellations received within 3 days prior to travel will be subject to a 100% cancellation fee.

Cancellation Policy – Groups
The initial deposit paid is non-refundable. In addition to forfeiting your deposit, the following charges also apply:
• 50% of full value if cancelled 10 days or less prior to sailing
• 100% of full value if cancelled 5 days prior to sailing

All trips are subject to weather/tidal conditions. All prices and times quoted are subject to change without notice. Trips may be cancelled at the discretion of the Operator.

Group Booking Policy
1 x FOC Tour Guide or Tour Escort per 15 full paying passengers with a maximum of 3 FOC Guides or Escorts per group. Group numbers less than 15: Tour Guide or Escort travels at 50% off retail rate.

DISCLAIMER
The above information including the rates, itinerary or other services are correct at the time of issue. The Operator Reserves the right to alter or amend the rates, itinerary or other services without notice and without incurring any liability.

Please note: The Operator operates Non Smoking Cruises.

Terms of booking on this website

Information disclaimer
The rates on this website are often heavily discounted. This is due to our negotiated rates and bulk buying power. On very rare occasions, a rate may be displayed incorrectly due to our, or a supplier's error. In such a case, if you book with us at a quoted rate that is incorrect, we will notify you of any price change and give you the option to proceed or cancel. We make every effort to keep information on our site up to date, but we cannot guarantee this website is free of errors or omissions and retain the right to update or change the information published at any time.

Liability
To the extent permitted by law we/the owners of this website will not be liable to you or to any third party (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage (including but not limited to any accident, injury, delay or loss of enjoyment) arising out of your reliance upon information contained on this website, including but not limited to your use (or inability to use) any products or services described or procured through this website.

On departure day, before you commence your trip, you may be required to sign a rental agreement (in the case of boat charters) with the supplier of the vessel. Your rental and use of the vessel will be governed by the terms of the rental agreement and any other documentation or information provided to you by the supplier at the time you pick up your vessel. The rental agreement is between you and the supplier and we will not be liable to you or to any third party in relation to the terms of the supplier rental agreement or any other documentation provided to you by the supplier at the time of pick up.

While we will make reasonable efforts to ensure we are representing only reputable suppliers, we make no warranty about the fitness or suitability of any third party (supplier) product or service and will not accept responsibility for the quality or fitness of any vessel. We welcome feedback from our customers on their experience with our suppliers. We may, at our discretion, provide you with reasonable assistance in resolving any dispute you may have with a supplier.

Our total liability to you in relation to your use of this website and the information contained on this website will not exceed the dollar amount of the deposit we have received from you in relation to your booking/rental. Refunds will not be made for bookings cancelled due to inclement weather. Again, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance. Your use of this website is governed by the laws of New Zealand and the jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

Booking information
To make a booking, you must complete our no-obligations reservations enquiry form which is easy to follow and secured with the latest encryption technology. Once we receive your enquiry, we will contact you via phone or email, to advise of availability and confirm the final price is correct - and discuss payment options. A booking is confirmed when you have been emailed a confirmation notice and at this stage the deposit is processed on your credit card and becomes non-refundable and any cancellation fees stated in the terms apply. Upon receipt of your confirmation, please check your details carefully and notify us immediately if there are any incorrect details, as it may not be possible to make changes at a later date.

Please note we accept Visa and Mastercard and the credit card fees are: 
1) 1.75% for the deposit amount.
2) 1.75% for the balance of payment.

If you are booking via phone, please first make sure you have read the terms and conditions of your selected sailing adventure. Our reservations consultant will ask you if you have read the terms and agree to them before proceeding. The onus is always on the renter to ensure they make themselves fully aware of the terms displayed on our website.

Information disclosure
In booking on this website you acknowledge that we disclose your information to your selected Supplier in order to provide the requested rental, trip or charter services.

Amendments
Please check the terms of each vessel to see whether amendment fees apply. Please also note that for some vessels an amendment is treated as a new booking and the rate current at the time the amendment is made to recalculate the entire booking amount (not just the days changed). In the case of boat rental/yacht charter, if the hire or number of days is increased, an additional deposit may be required, while reduction in rental periods or price may reduce the total, but the deposit amount will remain unchanged.

Vessel Capacity and fitness to charter (for Bareboats only)
Under no circumstances are you permitted to carry more passengers than the vessel you charter is legally registered to carry, and if you do your insurance may be invalidated. The number of passengers allowed is indicated next to each vessel on this website. It is your responsibility to choose a journey that is within your capabilities. A boat or trip supplier can refuse to hire a vessel to any person who is in their opinion unfit to skipper or does not meet eligibility requirements. In such circumstances we will have no further liability to you.