Spirit of Freedom, Australia

Name: Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef Trip (Cairns - Cairns)
Start: 2026-11-12
End: 2026-11-15
Location: Australia

9.3 Superb

Nitrox available
Free Internet
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Warm Water Showers

from $ 422 / day Check dates

“Amazing experience, the Reef was mind blowing and the team always made us feel safe and secure.”
Ashley M, United States

Highlights

Voted Best Australian Liveaboard
Diving cruises to Great Barrier Reef

M/V Spirit of Freedom is a 37m, state-of-the-art liveaboard, voted Best Australian Liveaboard by readers of Australasia Dive Log in 2015 & 2017. Spirit of Freedom offers year-round, 3, 4, and 7-day diving cruises to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea reefs, and special Far Northern expeditions to dive into the truly pristine and remote reefs. Diving amenities onboard MV Spirit of Freedom include a spacious dive deck, individual dry storage, Nitrox, rinse tanks, a small camera table, and freshwater showers. A camera workstation with power boards and converters for 110 volts is also onboard.

Topside, the Spirit of Freedom offers guests 11 cabins with a style and budget for everyone. All cabins have a private bathroom, wardrobe, ample storage, air conditioning, and housekeeping services. Guests will enjoy relaxing on the top deck between dives or in the evening, where it is a great place to unwind with a drink at the end of a day of fantastic diving. The forward lounge is perfect for chilling out and relaxing and has comfortable seating and beanbags. The dining salon has ample seating for all guests and is where a variety of quality healthy meals are available. Dinner is a set menu, and soft drinks, wine, and beer are included with dinner. The Spirit of Freedom must be notified of any special dietary requirements at least 30 days before travel.

The minimum age to travel on the Spirit of Freedom is 16, as the type of dives practiced requires experience. Snorkelers are welcome aboard the Minke Whale Trip (June and July) and the 3-Day Cod Hole trip. Please note that snorkeling can be restricted due to weather, tides, currents, and other environmental conditions, and snorkeling is only permitted on sites deemed safe. Passengers over 65 are required to supply a doctor’s medical statement confirming they are fit to dive.

Book online to reserve your Spirit of Freedom Australia liveaboard diving holiday.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

Select

24 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,780

Select Cabin only 2 spaces left

24 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,382

FULL

27 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,278

FULL

01 Oct

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,780

FULL

01 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,382

FULL

04 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,278

FULL

08 Oct

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,780

Select Cabin only 1 space left

08 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,382

FULL

11 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,278

Select Cabin only 2 spaces left

22 Oct

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,780

FULL

22 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,382

FULL

25 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,278

FULL

Included: VAT, Environment Tax, National Park Fees, Hotel Transfer, Local Flights, Alcoholic Drinks at Dinner, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Wine with Dinner, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Snorkel Gear, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, WiFi internet.

Required Extras: Fuel Surcharge (AUD10 / day).

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox (AUD120-289), Nitrox Course (AUD295-325), Private Dive Guide (AUD650-750), Rental Gear (AUD135-345), Scuba Diving Courses (AUD375-405).

Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.

* Extra fees are shown per person.

Pay by bank transfer or online with

Best Price Guaranteed

Boat features

Free Internet
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Camera Station
Seaview Cabins
Non-Smoking Rooms
Camera room
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Library
Outdoor Dining
Audio & video entertainment
Observation Deck
BBQ Area
Available for Charter
Local & International Crew
Snorkeling Equipment
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Outside Showers
Leisure Deck
Daily housekeeping
Bar

Food & Drinks

Free Wine w/Dinner
Al Fresco Dining
Vegan Options
Vegetarian Options
Free Soft Drinks
Beer available
Full-board Option
Fine Wines Selection
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food

If you have any specific dietary requirements whilst on-board your cruise, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. We advise limiting these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.

Diving

Nitrox available
Shaded Diving Area
DIN Adaptors
Rinse Hoses
Dive deck
Tenders for diving
Sidemount Diving

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English.

Gear Rental

Equipment is available for rent on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. If the rental gear is not included in the price, you will need to pay for it on board the boat. Show prices

Drawings & Vessel Layouts

Cabin Types

Boat Specifications

Year built: 1992

Year renovated: 2023

Length: 37 Metres

Deck area: Expansive

Beam: 7.1 Metres

Top speed: 12 Knots

Cruising speed: 8 Knots

Engines: 2 x Rolls Royce C8M 410 249.8kw diesel

Max guests: 24

Number of cabins: 11

Number of bathrooms: 11 + 2 toilets on the dive deck

Tenders: 2 x Naiad RIB tender boats

Water capacity: 22000 Litres

Fuel capacity: 30000 Litres

Freshwater maker: 9000 litres per day

Boat navigation and safety

Radar
Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
E.P.I.R.B. Distress System
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
Oxygen
First Aid Kits
Fishfinder
Satellite & mobile phones
Bilge pump alarm
Search light
Crew trained in first aid
Emergency flares

Spirit of Freedom Reviews

9.3 Superb

Vessel

8.8
Crew

9.5
Food

9.7
Diving

9.3
Value

9.0

8.0 Very good
Ioana H
Romania

good choice
canins were comfy and food was great. chef took great care with my dietary needs
Recommended for
Interesting divesites. Only cruise going put even with cyclone. biggest coral ever.
26 Jul, 2026

10 Exceptional
Alicia R
Spain

Recommended
Highly recommended. Value for money a 10. Everything very well organized, everything dynamic and without any worries but to enjoy
Recommended for
Diving. Crew. Food.
04 Jun, 2026

Translated from Spanish

10 Exceptional
Joshua E
Australia

Absolutely awesome Live aboard
My wife and I had a trip on the Spirit of Freedom. Quite simply it was amazing. We went across two crews- both were brilliant teams who very clearly do a great job. Despite the bad weather the crew found great dive sites and made the trip unforgettable. Very clearly safety was a top priority. Food was absolutely delicious and they accommodated my wife's food requests. Accommodation was comfy. A little noisy down below (it's a running boat) but we always got a decent sleep. The diving on the ribbon reefs was amazing- so much coral and fish life. The night dive was out of this world. Non-diving highlights include the trivia night, engine room tour and the nighttime talks. Really good operation. Hope to come back in the future. Big thank you to the crews.
Recommended for
Diving- great sites and always safe. Food was unbelievable. Staff onboard- Absolutely great people.
15 Apr, 2026

10 Exceptional
Sandra S
Sweden

amazing trip
it was awesome.
Recommended for
diving, meeting people, fealing at home
06 Mar, 2016

10 Exceptional
Elizabeth P
United States

Fantastic time!
Our group had a great time on Spirit of Freedom. You start diving the day you get on the boat, which you don't do on every liveaboard. The crew was great and the food was amazing.
Recommended for
Diving, crew, and food
09 Jun, 2023

10 Exceptional
Melissa F
United States

Memories for a lifetime!
Truly one of the highlights during my trip to Australia. The hospitality, dives, and people are what made the trip so amazing.
Recommended for
Crew. Dive sites. Findarella service.
17 May, 2025

9.2 Superb
Matthew S
United States

Fun and memorable diving experience
3/5 dives a day, including two night dives across the trip. The crew was great and useful. The food was always amazing and provided lactose-free options. Other guests were fun and happy. The quad cabin was a bit tight when full.
Recommended for
The crew was fun and helpful. The food was great, and they catered to multiple requirements. The diving was easy and memorable.
16 Feb, 2026

8.0 Very good
Alessio M
Italy

Amazing week
The week on board of the spirit of freedom has been absolutely fantastic! The service and food were definitely spot on and I have really enjoyed this experience. I'm looking forward to join this liveaboard again in the future. Thank you!
Recommended for
Reef. Dive sites. Food.
19 Aug, 2026

10 Exceptional
Chun Yu Gary T
Hong Kong

Perfect ship and crew!
perfect ;)
Recommended for
1. The crew 2. The food 3. Dive site selections
06 Nov, 2015

9.6 Exceptional
Jan S
Germany

Once in a lifetime experience
Amazing diving, great food, great crew
Recommended for
Nightdive, Cod Hole, Google Gardens
15 Nov, 2022

Translated from German

325 reviews

9.3 Superb
325 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

8.0 Very good
Sharon E
United States

A splendid, memorable week in the Northern Coral Seas beyond the Great Barrier Reef
We experienced a moment of perfect weather enabling us to visit all three Coral Sea reef systems: Osprey Reef-Holmes Reef and Bourganville(?). On one dive, visibility seemed forever--30 meters. Unbelieveably clear, brilliant sea swarming with schools of fusiliers, trevallies. Corals seem healthier, fish life was plentiful.
Recommended for
The dive sites. The guides and crew. The boat's amenities.
11 May, 2026

10 Exceptional
Caity S
United States

Amazing Experience
This was a great trip - We did the 5 day Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs Adventure and had a wonderful experience. The crew was amazing, the dive sites were out of this world, and the boat was great (food, bunk etc).
Recommended for
Crew, dives & food!
18 Sep, 2019

10 Exceptional
Kaitlin R
United States

Awesome experience!
The dives were amazing. So many fish and other creatures to see. The coral was bright and beautiful. An exhausting amount of diving, but the crew was there making every moment great. Highly recommend Spirit of Freedom!
Recommended for
Friendly/helpful crew, amazing dive sites, great food
25 Oct, 2018

8.8 Fabulous
Ken C
United States

Incredible diving and crew
Captain Tony, Leo, and the crew were all very receptive to our needs, and were willing to go the extra mile to make the trip a lifetime memory.
Recommended for
Crew. Dive sites were incredible. Organized schedule.
24 Oct, 2025

10 Exceptional
Phillip W
United States

Arizonan on the Great barrier reef
Incredibly professional and helpful crew. From top to bottom. The food was amazing, Andreas is incredible cook. The dives were well organized, changes were made as needed due to weather etc to keep us in the water and seeing cool things. The ship was well organized and the concern for safety both on board and well diving was impressive. Incredibly fun group of divers and crew.
Recommended for
professional dive crew. amazing food. well run dives.
26 Jul, 2024

10 Exceptional
Faith R
United States

Amazing Diving Experience!
The diving was absolutely amazing. Every crew member went out of their way to make sure it was a great experience.
Recommended for
The Crew, atmosphere, diving.
08 Feb, 2017

9.6 Exceptional
Irene A
France

A great adventure diving on the Great Barrier Reef
Varied dives on sites far from the Great Barrier Reef without other boats, it's incredible. Very good atmosphere between crew and divers we enjoyed it
Recommended for
The dives. The friendliness of the crew. The quality of the meals.
27 Jul, 2026

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Steven W
United States

An amazing few days!!!
Flying up the Australian coast at 1500ft in a small plane to Lizard Island to meet the boat was an excellent way to start the week. So beautiful. The boat and crew is awesome. Super comfortable boat with outstanding food! The crew is simply first class, truly professional with your safety and comfort always first in their minds. Incredible dive knowledge and knowledge of the dive sites. Might be the most professionally run live-aboard we've ever been on. Osprey Reef is an amazing spot to dive that few will ever get the chance to visit. We are so lucky to have been.
Recommended for
Crew, dive sites, and destination
01 Mar, 2017

10 Exceptional
Christian B
Belgium

Unique. Witnessed great teamwork from the young crew.
Seeing a fantastic crew at work with drive, professionalism and customer care.
Recommended for
Pace, Food & quality of vessel
01 Apr, 2018

10 Exceptional
Susan S
United Kingdom

Great trip to the Barrier Reef with a fantastic crew
The crew were fantastic, well informed; safety was paramount, but done so nicely. The diving was great, with plenty of sharks and well as lots of little fish and corals.
Recommended for
Diving; Food; Company
27 May, 2019

9.2 Superb
Stephen B
United Kingdom

Trip exceeded my expectations, absolutely fantastic
Fantastic diving, exceeded my expectations in terms of number of species seen, quality and beauty of coral etc. Staff onboard were very hard working and attentive to passengers needs and food onboard was excellent, plentiful and very tasty.
Recommended for
Underwater life and visibility underwater. Food. Overall ambience onboard.
07 Oct, 2025

9.6 Exceptional
Raian D
Italy

excellent liveaboard in amazing locations
The dive sites are unique. Nothing like I have ever seen before. Visibility over 50m, massive walls and beautiful topography.
Recommended for
dives, crew, safety
31 Jan, 2017

10 Exceptional
Keith B
United States

Amazing trip
The coral reefs were incredible, the instructors and crew were very helpful and friendly, and the food was fantastic. This was an incredibly well run program. Everything was impeccable. It far exceeded our expectations!
Recommended for
Dives, food, people
14 Jan, 2018

9.2 Superb
Mark H
Canada

Tremendous supportive environment for divers of all levels
Seeing giant clams, see snakes, sharks, groups of cuttlefish, large schools of barracuda. Renewing my confidence about diving in an unfamiliar environment with highly knowledgable staff including Rachel, Sarah and Angus. Angus had a great sense of humour which was contagious. Sarah's in depth knowledge of the reef biology was key. Rachel was an excellent role model in and out of the water for all divers
Recommended for
Dive staff safety and fun emphasis, hosting staff was friendly and we got personalized attention, knowledgable dive staff
28 Sep, 2016

10 Exceptional
Gerald S
Austria

Incomparably great trip
It's indescribable how great the Lievaboard is! The crew is highly qualified, friendly, sociable and funny! No matter what problem there was, it was solved. The dive sites were fantastically chosen, you always felt safe and in good hands, among other things thanks to the detailed briefings. The dives are usually done in a buddy team, but crew members are always underwater to track down the highlights of the colorful underwater world. Luckily, we could head for both Osprey and Bougainville Reef! Breathtaking!The sometimes 5 dives a day are also very exhausting, so it's great when you are cooked so deliciously that your mouth is already watering under water! We had an unforgettable time on board and would love to come back anytime!
Recommended for
The crew, the food, the perfect selection of dive sites
28 Oct, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Namrata B
India

Would dive with Spirit of Freedom anyday again!!!
The locations we covered were gorgeous. Even though 15 dives in 4 days may sound strennous the way the dives were organised made it very comfortable for all divers. We had lovely food, comfortable cabins and dive gear etc for rent are in great shape too. Felt very safe at all points in time.
Recommended for
The exotic dive locations, the professional, helpful and friendly crew and the comfort of the liveaboard
14 Feb, 2018

10 Exceptional
Matthew R
United Kingdom

You won’t be disappointed, it’s incredible
Probably the best thing I’ve ever done, the diving was so much fun, the crew and other guests were all on the same level having great conversations over food and between dives. The trip was so good I’m going back on the boat a week after I got off it!
Recommended for
The diving was unbelievable. The crew and hospitality was perfect. The food was incredible and so much of it!.
03 Apr, 2025

10 Exceptional
Justin Y
United States

Spirit of Freedom is one of the best dive experience in Cairns
Highlights - STAFF. They went above and beyond in taking care of each diver and ensuring that we have the best experience. They make sure you have a great vacation experience. Super friendly and knows how to have fun - FOOD. Eating 4-5 delicious meals a day. Different cuisines. Will accommodate to your dietary needs. Chef was incredible. - DIVE. They pick the best dive spots in the Great Barrier Reef, considering the weather. They will help you if you need a refresher. They will take great photos for you (although you can bring your own gopro/camera). All the gear is great quality. I can't praise Spirit of Freedom enough for an amazing experience. Here's a video of my trip- https://youtu.be/3pBSBrvAIpo
Recommended for
Friendly Staff who care about your experience. Best dive spots. Amazing food.
30 Apr, 2018

10 Exceptional
Andrea Y
United States

Thank you so much for such a great first liveaboard experience!
The overall experience was very positive, I really cannot emphasize how wonderful the crew was and they worked hard to give us the best experience possible while having fun!
Recommended for
The crew! So friendly and helpful and fun to dive with. The food! So nice to have amazing food waiting for us after dives. The dive locations! The crew did their best to take us to the best locations possible and they were all wonderful..
10 Feb, 2025

10 Exceptional
Joshua N
Australia

Highly recommend
Weather was too rough to head out to osprey reef but the staff went above and beyond to make dives enjoyable. Food was excellent in general and the stay was very comfortable.
Recommended for
Friendly staff. Great food. Comfortable accomodation.
12 Jul, 2024