Quicksilver Cruises — Attraction in Port Douglas

Pros: Boat was smooth sailing and pontoon was well equipped with stinger suits, life vests, fins, snorkel masks and was well organized. Lunch was good, easily accessible and they have shower off areas and changing areas on the pontoon. Cons: Lower level had fans of the Quicksilver had no A/C, only upstairs. We chose lower level because well, heat rises so we thought that we were choosing a cooler area. We're in a heat wave of 87 degrees and high humidity, it was like being in a sauna for 90 min each way, people were falling asleep or balmy or both. No, they do not provide even a drinking fountain the Quicksilver, you must buy drinks. (Celebrity told us to bring towels said nothing about bringing our own hydration) No drinks offered on the pontoon but I did see a water fountain. Did I mention we're in a heat wave? Oh yes, and this is an excursion with 400+ other people which means crowded in the water. The area where you snorkel is roped off which is good, we had a lot of big waves today so no idea for viewing, just moved along the rope with hundreds of other snorkelers. The coral and fish were not very visible...quite a ways below us so unless you want to dive down and take a look, it was not tolerable. The way to do this is to fork out another $150 and dive. We got out. No thanks, ever, ever again. Hawaii snorkeling is much less crowded, easier access, and well traveled beaches have water fountains and showers. The only, only reason we booked this excursion thru Celebrity cruises is that Celebrity docking times into both Cairns and Port Douglas were too late to go independently to another snorkel experience (which usually requires you arrive at the snorkel center by 7-7:30a...so shame on Celebrity for cheating its patrons as well). Hindsight, we should NOT have done a GBR cruise and just flown to Cairns or Port Douglas and stayed for a few days and found a good dive center to do it thoroughly. This was a bucket list item....I'll take full responsibility for choosing to experience the GBR thru a cruise with our group of older friends. We're much happier in Hawaii and much more real aloha, not fake customer service. Celebrity and these tour operator owners need to re-experience their tours, see its mega flaws not just opt for mega money. They knew there was a heat wave, have chairs to people waiting to board in the sun and high heat, hand out water, ADAPT!!!! instead of pasting these fake smiles etc and standing there clicking your people counter (yes, there were 4 people side by side counting us with clickers) like cattle. Four...really? They must be...

So disappointed with the trip up, and back. We went on the Quicksilver cruise on Monday 16th Dec after our original booked date the week before had been cancelled due to mechanical problems.

Well clearly there are problems with their boats. We boarded the boat along with 400 other guests only to find it uncomfortably hot inside as if the air conditioning wasn't working and with that many people on board it only got worse. There were far too many people and the pontoon and in the water it just felt crowded and cramped.

When it was time to leave there was a medical emergency, however we were made to board the boat and sit in stifling heat on the boat as the air-conditioning was now NOT working at all. 400 boiling hot customers left to sit on a boat that only had a few doors open while staff tended to the medical emergency, 30+ degrees outside we sat inside the boat sweating from head to toe for over an hour docked to the pontoon before we proceeded to make the hour and half trip back.

I understand the extra hour wait was not something we could control or change and I wish the outcome had been better for all involved, however I feel we should have been let back out onto the pontoon where it was a little more comfortable instead of being shut inside a boat with no air-conditioning. The staff did an amazing job under the circumstances and I'm sure quicksilver made a ton of extra $ when customers had to buy drinks and Icecream just to try not to pass out and attempt to cool off which didn't really help, the complimentary iced water and iced cordial became cold water and extremely diluted cordial before it just became warm water as obviously they ran out of ice too. I'm actually surprised there weren't more medical situations arise from the heat inside the boat, everyone just looked exhausted and drained from the heat.

Quicksilver knew they had aircondioning problems before we left but continued with the trip even though they knew they were at full capacity.

We saved hard for this trip and for our reef experience but we can't help but feel disappointed and let down that a company would think its okay to to have their paying customers made to travel in these uncomfortable circumstances and we can't afford to go again out to the reef to give our kids the experience and positive life long memories they should have had the first time. I would not recommend...

Not a great experience. The Quicksilver was probably filled to capacity, or very near it, with people from a cruise. We nearly went a couple of days before, when fewer people were booked, but there was a technical problem and that trip was cancelled, unfortunately, as it would have been a lot more pleasant due to fewer people being on board. The trip out was fine. We went on the semi-submersible when we first arrived at the platform. It was OK, but the reef was dull to look at and we saw just a few fish. We had a buffet lunch which was a bit of a scrum, and inconsiderate people had parked their belongings on the dining tables, leaving no tables free to eat at, instead of leaving their things within very easy reach on the boat. Quicksilver - you must sort this very annoying issue out so that people can have a table to eat at... We then got suited up and got into the water. I found walking on the metal grids around the area where you choose your equipment very painful. I assumed that flippers were obligatory, and as I had never used them before, just couldn't manage with them and almost immediately came out of the water. It was far too busy and crowded and not a nice experience at all. I would imagine that all that mayhem in the water would have scared away the few fish that may have been around. Just as we were about to leave at 3pm, there was a medical emergency on the platform to which the staff reacted very quickly (why no defibrillator on board?). We had an hour long delay while we waited for a helicopter to arrive and evacuate the casualty - no complaint about that, the casualty was the priority, not us. However, the air conditioning was very ineffective and we got hotter and hotter and passengers had to be supplied with iced towels to keep cool. I suppose that I've been spoiled by having snorkeled in the Maldives, amongst the most colourful and vibrant coral imaginable, and teeming with shoals and shoals of a huge array of fish species. From what I saw, the GBR is not a patch on that, and to my mind, not...