Quicksilver Connections

Great day on the reef. For 9 hours from check-​in to return home, 3 hours at the pontoon seemed a little short. We spent most of our time in the water snorkeling. Saw a turtle, clams, loads of fish and coral, and even a shark from the underwater tour. Didn’t get any add-​ons. Just be aware they push them hard and you’ll be fine

We did the big Quicksilver 400 people boat to the outer reef 26 years ago, so we’re looking for a more relaxing day of snorkelling and a more intimate experience.
Wave dancer was recommended by staff in our lodge, and we loved it. It carries about 90, there were 62 on our cruise. A couple of families (although I would not want to recommend this vessel for small children and toddlers in rough weather), and lots of couples.
This trip goes to the low isles, and you get to snorkel from the beach of the small island with the lighthouse on it. There is a free intro to the day by a marine biologist, and she also did an hour guided snorkelling trip upon arrival.
The trip out is an hour, and as the wind picked up we sailed back (awesome!). Leaving Port Douglas at 10, arrive at the reef just after 11. Snorkel tour, buffet lunch on board of the Wave Dancer, and then another 1 ½ hrs snorkelling off the beach (I skipped the free island walkabout and the glass bottom boat). Before heading back.
Great day, saw lots of fish (incl Nemo), turtles, a reef shark, and liars of hard and especially soft coral.
Professionally run, friendly staff, focus on safety (ensured end of day headcount tallied up).

Loved, loved, loved the Quick Silver Cruises tour to the Great Barrier Reef! It was a fantastic day with lots of activities for everyone to explore. The jet boat travels out to a platform where you get off and hang out for the day doing whatever you want to do. The boat is fast and the staff use the time wisely while se are traveling to give an overview of safety items, the layout of the platform, when lunch is available, where to get wetsuits, snorkels, showers, restrooms, etc…
Prices may change, but here is what we were offered:
— Intro-​Marine Biology Snorkel ($ 45) — 45 minutes and you can use a float device if you wish. or
— the Experienced-​Marine Biology Snorkel ($ 60) where you have to have snorkeled before and be comfortable with being out for 60 minutes. The crew will help you figure out the best one for you. I loved this tour by the Marine Biologist –they led us to areas away from the group and pointed out specific corral and animals for us to see. If was very informative. The current was a bit strong the day we were out and I was quite tired from swimming when we got done.
— Helicopter Reef Flight ($ 165) for 10 – 15 min)
— Intro to Scuba Diving — 1 dive $ 100 or 2 dives $ 150
— Ocean Walk — hard to explain but you won’t get your hair wet $ 139
— Snorkling — FREE
— Semi-​Submersible, an underwater viewing vessel departing every 25 minutes — FREE
— Underwater Observatory — FREE
If you are expecting to see LOTS of colorful corral, then I will warn you — I was personally disappointed however I learned that 70% of all corral are the color of white to brown — WOW! I’m glad I didn’t waste money on a disposable camera or a GoPro — to get the really great pictures you see in some photo’s you have to have an expensive camera with strobe lights and it is best to do it at night. Best to buy pictures from the guy on the platform — who will take your picture underwater and it is a great/​colorful shot.

This is the best tour I did and it’s highly recommend.
Quicksilver has it all:
— easy Check-​in and boarding
— tea/​coffee upon arrival with snacks (also at tea time)
— safety instructions and plenty of well informed staff answering all your questions
— a biologist explaining everything you can find at the reef
— all equipment you need for Snorkelling (okay, you need to bring swimsuit, towel, hat and sunscreen)
— glass window submarine tour at the reef
— underwater channel for walk through
At least you can also add some more to do at the platform for additional charge:
— a kind of helmet diving
— diving
— scenic heli flight (even back to Port Douglas if you want)
Over all it was a extraordinary tour. We had a great day and best weather conditions. The reef is just amazing! Such a variety of corals and fishes!
Just enjoy — even you’re not a good swimmer you can have a great time out there!

I’m so glad we booked with this company. I had no idea what to expect since my sister arranged everything. We were taken from Port Douglas on an amazing 2 story yacht for a very pleasant 2 hr ride to the Great Barrier reef. The staff was extremely attentive and helpful. They gave us clear instructions on the way to the reef. I recall there was always someone around whenever we had questions. The whole excursion lasted pretty much all day and it still seemed to have ended too soon. I can’t really complain about the price since I honestly don’t know how much it cost. Without a doubt, I would do this all over again but judging on the price of the add ons, I’d guess the overall price was costly. The snorkeling & food/​lunch & equipment were included in the price. Everything else was extra. They provided scuba diving, ocean walk (walking on a platform below water), snorkeling. I don’t recall them mentioning a helicopter ride like other reviewers mentioned but they might have and I missed it. I am not giving this 5 stars due to the cost of add ons plus I wish they had taken us to a part of the reef where the water was not 400M deep when jumping off the boat.

They offer accommodation pick-​up
Off to the Outer Reef when went. Magic. Haven’t snorkeled for years. Can’t remember how old I was back then. Quicksilver connections have everything. Tea, coffee and cold drinks on board. It’s an hour and a half cruise out to the Outer Reef. On the way out all the safety instructions are taken care off not just about being on the boat but out on the reef as well and the pontoon. They have lifeguards/​life savers. They are very up with passenger and staff safety which I was impressed with. A Marine Biologist also talks about what you’ll find on the reef and what you may find. Not just coral but the marine life as well.
Just to the Outer Reef pontoon and there is so much to do. They supply ‘stinger suits’. So many activities like swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Scuba diving is for the experienced as well as the first timers. Full instructors for the first timers. I better not forget the ‘Semi Submersible subs’ where you can very the reef without getting wet for those who wish to stay dry. There is even an opportunity to take a helicopter over the reef. Naturally scuba diving and the helicopter is an additional cost if you are interested.
Great experience. I little on the pricey side but I can understand where a lot of the cost would go, there is plenty of staff around, the platform/​pontoon itself and the boat, not to mention the up keep of the stinger suits etc

I used Quicksilver Connections for 2 different trips in November 2013. Below are the individual reviews and the 3 star is the average.
1. Quicksilver to Agincourt Ribbon Reef (outer reef) to their platform. I would not recommend this trip as it was very disappointing. The platform sounds nice, but it is somewhat run down and in the event there are few fish (which is what happened with us) you have no freedom to move to a new spot. The platform is also VERY crowded (and was only at ²⁄₃ capacity when we were there) and is tailored to people who have no experience diving or snorkeling. People are herded into either a snorkeling or diving area, and both are so crowded that one is constantly being kicked, hit with a swim noodle and/​or being run into by people who don’t know how to snorkel. The fish, if there were ever any, take off when people hit the water. The underwater boat is nice (as long as you don’t have a screaming toddler which we did for the duration) as was really the only time we saw fish or turtles. The lunch was also decent. The boat is good, but grab an inside seat early and SAVE it or you will never find a place to sit! I would not recommend this trip if you really want to snorkel or dive, want diversity in what you see and/​or are adverse to crowds. I think they hold ~350 to 400 people at peak. There were also A LOT of kids under 4 and the platform is not really kid friendly. If you do not snorkel or dive there is nothing to do as it is too deep to just relax in the water and the entrance/​exit areas were pretty much clogged with kids who were afraid of the water and did not want to go in.
2. Low Isles Inner Reef cruise. This was a much more enjoyable experience. The island is nice — allows you beach time and a pretty large snorkel area. The fish were amazing and I saw several turtles. The island is small, and several other tour companies park at it was well as private boats, but it does not get crowded. The island has a lighthouse and some nice birds, and it is a quick hike around it. The downsides were Quicksilver is again targeted toward people with little to no experience with water. I had to argue with them that no, I did not need a swim noodle and yes, I am an experienced swimmer and snorkeler. They were the only tour company on the island I saw that a-«required» noodles and b-​would not let you swim off their large boat. The island really is what made the experience, and I would recommend the cruise, but look around at other operators.
Both times we were overwhelmed with the «upsell». Rent a suite; buy your picture; helicopter tour; snorkel «class»; DVD’s; nature walk etc… It would have been more enjoyable if they spent less time on trying to get you to buy add-​ons.

Wavepiercing Catamaran? Yes please. It’s obviously either one badass boat or a fad that quietly slipped away after short-​lived (but intense) fame on Clarissa Explains It All. And either way, I was interested.
Let me help breakdown what took me a bit of research to figure out: the Quicksilver Group operates a few different trips out of Port Douglas:
1. A trip on the Quicksilver to Agincourt Ribbon Reef (outer reef), where you can hang out on a platform (I believe the technical term is a «stable reef activity platform»), snorkel, dive, or even fly around on a helicopter like the baller that you are.
2. A trip to the Low Isles on a 30 metre luxury sailing catamaran called Wavedancer, which is more for those interested in a lazy day of relaxing and island hopping with a bit of snorkeling.
3. A trip on the Silversonic, which is an all-​day diving and snorkeling extravaganza that visits 3 different sites in the Agincourt Ribbon Reef.
Silversonic was the pony we choose, and for the objectives we had (get there early before anyone else and dive as long as possible), I definitely think we won. It was like the Southwest Airlines of GBR cruises — happy employees, tons of customers in and out, and lots of streamlined efficiencies that made the entire process run like a well-​oiled machine. While there was nothing luxurious about it, it was definitely great value for money and something I’d recommend for anyone visiting — especially if you’re looking to book an intro dive or two!

This appears to be the premier service to use when visiting the great barrier reef.
When I went they had these large tri-​hull aluminum jet boats that got you there much faster than the other charter services. The boats are big, very big. They have their own little permanent dock structure on the reef itself where you can snorkel, scuba, ride around in a glass hulled boat to view the reef without getting wet or just sit and enjoy the view. The lunch was very good with seafood and sandwich stuff. Very friendly crew, worth the money.

For the Outer Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise from Port Douglas:
Very nice and helpful crew! Went during low season and felt that it was just enough people. Couldn’t imagine the crowds (up to 500) during high season. Areas roped off for snorkeling: wide enough area to explore but still felt safe with lifeguards monitoring. Optional add-​on experiences, ranging from diving to a helicopter ride, are VERY expensive. Most guests, it seemed, do those because it’s a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience. I elected not to buy any add-​ons. Total time on the pontoon is just over 3 hours, so snorkeling and lunch was just fine. Lunch is alright and had more variety than expected. Underwater cameras available for rent ($ 25 – 75) if you don’t have your own. Overall a very wonderful experience! Tons of fun for first-​timers and more experienced alike.

Did the quicksilver silverswift tour from cairns. The silver series is more expensive than other tours you can get from cairns (i.e. $ 180 for snorkeling + more if you are diving). The reason why i opted to pay more for this trip was that this boat takes you closer to the continental shelf to reefs that are further away than most other boats go which usually translates to better diving. This wasn’t the case. Weather was bad so that likely had to do with it but i didn’t see much marine life which was disappointing (still expected the captain to pick somewhere decent despite it raining). Visibility was great which means as a snorkeler you could see 30−50ft down. Coral was well preserved despite the fact that lots of boats visit. I saw a shark, quite a few different types of fish and lots of coral but not much else. Definitely disappointing as a diver to come all the way to great barrier reef and not see much. They say they take you to several locations but each reef was pretty close to the next so we barely had a 5 min boat ride between locations and i didn’t think there was a big difference between each place in terms of fish, coral was different.
Things i liked
–Lunch was actually good –they had a wide spread of salads, meats, cheese, tea and soda
–Very professional company, responsive, efficient
–Big boat, lots of space for everyone to fit
–They separate the snorkelers from the certified divers from the intro divers which makes things run more efficiently. The certified divers go before the intro divers then come snorkelers which means there is no one in your way when you are getting into the water
–They are really good if you are doing an intro dive. Keep you on a separate floor, walk you through a video, separate you into small groups for your dive, they take a lot of care and caution which is important if you have never dived before
–Good equipment, wetsuits — definitely well maintained
The boat gets very rocky when weather is bad and waves are big, would recommend bringing sea sickness pills but they sell them on the boat if you forget. Bring a thick towel and a jacket, it is cold
Overall thought it was a good company and boat but i was disappointed with the reefs themselves and lack of marine life. For snorkelers, think you can find a cheaper boat