Spirit of Freedom, Australia

Name: Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef Trip (Cairns - Cairns)
Start: 2026-05-14
End: 2026-05-17
Location: Australia

9.3 Superb

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

from $ 372 / day Check dates

“Famous boat on the Great Barrier Reef, excellent crew care, diverse and interesting dive sites, balanced and varied meals, well-es…”
Corinne T, France

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

02 Apr

4 Days / 3 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 1,576 Deal %

FULL

02 Apr

8 Days / 7 Nights

$400AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,981 Deal %

FULL

05 Apr

5 Days / 4 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,056 Deal %

FULL

09 Apr

4 Days / 3 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 1,576 Deal %

Select Cabin only 2 spaces left

09 Apr

8 Days / 7 Nights

$400AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,981 Deal %

FULL

12 Apr

5 Days / 4 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,056 Deal %

Select Cabin available

16 Apr

4 Days / 3 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 1,576 Deal %

Select Cabin available

16 Apr

8 Days / 7 Nights

$400AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,981 Deal %

Select Cabin available

19 Apr

5 Days / 4 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,056 Deal %

Select Cabin available

23 Apr

4 Days / 3 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 1,576 Deal %

Select Cabin only 4 spaces left

23 Apr

8 Days / 7 Nights

$400AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,981 Deal %

Select Cabin only 2 spaces left

26 Apr

5 Days / 4 Nights

$200AUD OFF! Summer Splash Special! Rates include discount. Valid until April 30, 2026.

$ 2,056 Deal %

Select Cabin available

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.

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox (120-289 AUD), Nitrox Course (295-325 AUD), Private Dive Guide (650-750 AUD), Rental Gear (135-345 AUD), Scuba Diving Courses (375-405 AUD).

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 with table and charging point
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Library
Outdoor Dining
Audio & video entertainment
Observation Deck
BBQ Area
Available for Charter
Dedicated 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

9.8
Diving

9.3
Value

9.0

10 Exceptional
Eric L
United States

Great liveaboard
Great liveaboard. The crew is accommodating and extremely knowledgeable. We had some weather that prevented us from being able to go to Osprey Reef, but the crew did a great job coming up with an itinerary that scratched the adventurous itch for us. Definitely recommend.
Recommended for
Crew is excellent. Guides are knowledgeable. Great vibes.
05 Mar, 2026

8.4 Very good
Dan B
United States

Great trip!
Great trip. The boat is a little cramped but overall ok. Crew did a great job getting us out to osprey ahead of bad weather.
Recommended for
Staff. Food. Diving.
23 Mar, 2026

9.6 Exceptional
Phil D
United States

Sleep, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, and dive and eat some more.
This was an exceptional experience. Great value for the money in the sense that the boat, crew, food, diving, and the whole experience was top-notch. They delivered exactly as promised, which was sleep, eat and dive.
Recommended for
Crew. Diving. Food.
05 Nov, 2025

8.8 Fabulous
Ernesto R
United States

Do not pick another boat. For the price point is perfect.
The diving was spectacular. The boat quarters are tight but clean. Minke whales were awesome. You should do the trips with more nights.
Recommended for
Minke Whale. The staff's professionalism and warmth. Food.
14 Nov, 2025

10 Exceptional
Brigitta L
Hungary

Best diving trip ever
Our 3 day trip on the spirit of freedom was amazing. The crew was awesome, helping with everything, entertaining us, cooking delicious food. Best memories! I really recommend the scenic flight back to Cairns to everyone! Big thanks specially to Leo and Ryan. Cannot wait to come back for another trip!
Recommended for
Crew. Sites. Food.
12 Oct, 2024

10 Exceptional
Bill G
United Kingdom

Liveaboard at it’s best!
5 days of great diving on a great boat. The crew were brilliant, the food was delicious, the service was outstanding. Thank you Spirit of Freedom for giving us such a fab time!
Recommended for
The crew, the diving and the fun
06 Oct, 2023

10 Exceptional
Svetlana K
Japan

Incredible
Absolutely incredible! A well-organized itinerary and a fun crew made this trip an amazing experience. Fascinating dive sites, loads of food, sharks feeding… Definitely worth going for 7 days.
Recommended for
Crew. Dive sites. BBQ.
21 Feb, 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

10 Exceptional
Enrique H
Spain

100% recommended
Amazing organization, amazing food, very professional set-up. Is the best liveaboard I have done so far. Really recommended.
Recommended for
Crew, food and diving
21 Aug, 2016

9.6 Exceptional
Julia S
Australia

An unforgettable adventure!
The crew truly made this trip an unforgettable and special experience. Having a master reef guide like Jamie was fascinating, he pointed out so many magnificent creatures and his knowledge was incredible. The Finnderella service was fantastic, it made entering and exiting the water a cinch. The food was fantastic, the crew were lots of fun and full of enthusiasm.
Recommended for
Amazing diving & the ability to self guide the diving. The crew - they were lovely, kind and fun. The Great Barrier Reef.
11 Jan, 2025