If you are planning to do a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef please consider this wonderful company - not only are they locally owned, they are committed to ecotourism and sustainability. After a wonderful sail on a beautiful catamaran (make sure you take some seasickness tablets beforehand if choppy seas make you queasy) you get to explore two reef locations by snorkelling and if you wish to, an introductory scuba dive. I decided to try a scuba for the first time in my life even though I was a bit apprehensive and my diving instructor Simon was very supportive and encouraging. It was definitely an experience to remember. My husband was so enamoured he has decided to get his scuba licence. The food on board is delicious, there are options for vegans, vegetarians and all other folk. Options on board to buy extra drinks and snacks are very affordable. All equipment for snorkelling and diving is provided. You can also buy waterproof cases for your phone on the boat. There is also a crew member dedicated to taking photos of everyone in the water. Speaking of the crew, they’re all amazing!!! Highly, highly, highly recommended experience.

One of a kind experience. A must do when in Cairns. Everyone in Passions of Paradise was so friendly. Phoebe was a standout for me. So Genuine, informative. Helpful and so passionate about her job. Safety was her priority. Went out of her way several times to make my experience awesome. I also witnessed how she helped others. She made me feel a valued customer. Helped me took amazing videos. Thankfully I did not run out of battery as I was trying to rent an underwater camera just in case. Introduced me to unfamiliar underwater species. She’s very familiar of the reef and shared her knowledge which was cool! I was meant to do the Scuba but someone told me I could not coz of lacking medical clearance due to my medication which was understandable. How I really wished to do the Scuba dive as I did a few before. Maybe next time. Another thing that amazed me with this team was their constant communication and they were well coordinated. They know their priorities. Teamwork was very evident. Once again, Phoebe thank you for making my Great Barrier Reef experience a very memorable one. You’re a gem. Keep up your enthusiasm at what you do. Oh and thanks to Jorge too as my first guide.

Great crew- all staff are very attentive to ensuring people on the boat have the best experience they could. The wetsuit and snorkel gear was of good quality and snorkel guides were knowledgeable and respectful of sea life at the reefs. The guides 'walked' us through the reefs and living creatures, what to look out for and showed us when they found something interesting to spot. The boat was a two decker and was rather fantastic to charter on a sunny day (bring sunscreen). The trip to the reef does take around 2 hours but the seating and tables were comfortable and the food was decent all around.

I'm so excited to write this review and that's because I don't have anything bad to say and they absolutely deserve it! The whole team was amazing, everyone was very approachable, relaxed and professional. Thank you one of the girls for letting me borrow your hair tie! They were all very knowledgeable about the reef and you can tell they all care very much about this ecosystem. We snorkled on two beautiful locations, the first one was to die for and I was sad that my camera broke, but they have cameras for hire on board, so I managed to get some beautiful pics on the second location. Seen plenty of little critters, giant clam and a reef shark! Sadly we didn't see a turtle, even though it was around somewhere. The lunch was delicious and there's plenty of food for everyone. It was nice to finish a day with cold beer on a relaxing cruise back to Cairns. Thank you so much team, this has been on my bucket list since I was a little girl!

First time on the Great Barrier Reef, and I loved it. Passions III is a comfortable catamaran with 2 levels and a bar downstairs. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea was provided as well as drinks and snack to purchase on the return trip. The staff were extremely helpful, entertaining, lively and really made the experience enjoyable. They definitely have a passion for their job and the conservation of the reef. Our dive instructor Max was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and made the whole experience perfect. He was patient and ensured we felt safe to continue during the entire dive. Even underwater Max’s personality could be seen as he continued to encourage and cheer us on. We stopped at two dive/snorkelling locations and even though the weather was overcast with rain the experience was not one to forget. The crew was always lively and ensured everyone had a smile on their face. A highly recommended locally owned and operated business that know what they are doing and provide a service with smile. If you are planning a trip that includes diving/snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef I wouldn’t look past Passions of Paradise as they are a 10/10 experience.