General News
17 January, 2026
Horror Reef cruise
A MOTHER has raised safety, hygiene and communication concerns following a full-day Moore Reef tour with Sunlover Reef Cruises that was disrupted by rough conditions and mechanical issues last week.
Caroline (surname withheld) travelled on the Monday 5 January tour with her seven-year-old daughter Sylvia for her first experience of the Great Barrier Reef.
She said passengers were warned of worsening seas as the vessel departed Cairns and advised to take seasickness medication on board.
Sick passengers
“On the way out, conditions worsened and there were already people being sick,” she said.
On arrival at the pontoon, Caroline said strong winds meant planned activities, including the semi-submarine and glass bottom boat, were cancelled, leaving snorkelling as the only option.
“I’m not sure why the tour even went ahead considering the conditions,” she said.
Caroline said she and her daughter snorkelled for part of the afternoon but found the conditions difficult.
“I am a strong swimmer and at times I was nervous as we were pulled out further and needed to work very hard to get us back to the pontoon,” she said.
Poor pontoon conditions
She also raised concerns about conditions on the pontoon, saying her daughter described it “as a prison” and that the change area “smelled of urine”.
The tour was scheduled to return to Cairns by 5.30pm, however Caroline said passengers were told between 5.30pm and 6pm that another vessel would be sent from Cairns due to engine failure.
“There were a few sporadic updates from the captain, but communications were poor and lacking,” she said.
She said families with young children were forced to buy food and drinks while waiting, with one free drink per passenger only offered around 7pm.
Passengers were later transferred to a replacement vessel, Catalina, via a glass-bottom boat carrying about 40 passengers at a time after dark.
‘It was terrifying’
“It was terrifying,” Caroline said. “No life jackets were given to children.”
She said the transfer involved rough seas and collisions between vessels, with passengers physically helped aboard.
The group arrived back in Cairns at 10.30 pm, around five hours after the scheduled return time.
“No sorry, no communication, we just got off the boat and that was it,” she said.
Caroline contacted Sunlover the following morning seeking a refund.
Free return tickets
In a written response, the company said: “We understand why you’ve requested a refund given the experience you’ve described.
“As the full-day tour and reef time have been delivered, we’re unable to offer refunds for this incident.
“However, we can offer a complimentary return voucher valid for two years, so you and your daughter have the chance to come back and enjoy the day as it should have been.”
Caroline said she had requested a review of that decision and was awaiting a response. She also said she had not lodged a complaint with any marine authority and was unaware that such a complaint was an option.
‘Inconvenience regretted’
Sunlover said it regretted the inconvenience experienced by passengers during the delayed return to Cairns on 5 January and acknowledged it was disappointing when the company was unable to deliver the experience guests expected.
The company said a mechanical issue was identified during routine pre-departure checks, preventing one engine from starting.
Sunlover said the issue was not an emergency and that the vessel could safely return to Cairns at reduced speed.
“To minimise inconvenience to guests, Sunlover made the decision to deploy a second passenger vessel so passengers could return at normal cruising speed,” the company said.
A Sunlover spokeswoman said the transfer between the pontoon and the return vessel was conducted using established procedures, similar to those used for glass-bottom boat tours, and was carried out by trained crew with additional staff assisting.
Lifejackets were available
Lifejackets, including children’s sizes, were available on the transfer vessel in accordance with maritime requirements, the company said.
Sunlover said lifejackets were not mandated to avoid escalating anxiety in a non-emergency situation, but were available for any guest who wished to wear one.
The Sunlover spokeswoman said sea conditions on the day were within the season’s average and that other operators at Moore Reef also ran full-day trips.
The company said glass-bottom boat and semi-submersible tours were cancelled due to tidal timing and site assessments conducted on arrival at the pontoon, noting that its terms and conditions state refunds were not offered when certain activities were unavailable but the majority of the tour operated.
Refund not applicable
“As the full-day tour was delivered as advertised, a refund was not applicable,” a Sunlover spokeswoman said.
“However, in recognition of the inconvenience experienced, the guest and her daughter were offered complimentary return tickets valid for two years.”
