Spirit of Freedom, Australia

Name: Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef Trip (Cairns - Cairns)
Start: 2026-10-01
End: 2026-10-04
Location: Australia

9.3 Superb

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

from $ 415 / 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

10 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,754

Select Cabin available

10 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,332

FULL

13 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,245

FULL

17 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,754

Select Cabin only 3 spaces left

17 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,332

FULL

20 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,245

FULL

24 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,754

Select Cabin only 3 spaces left

24 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,332

FULL

27 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,245

FULL

01 Oct

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,754

FULL

01 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,332

FULL

04 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,245

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 (10 AUD / day).

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
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

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

10 Exceptional
Jenny L
United States

Excellent experience and wonderful staff
We really enjoyed the beautiful reefs and the wonderful staff who helped provided us with a lovely experience.
Recommended for
Food, staff and dive sites.
31 Oct, 2022

8.0 Very good
Jack B
United Kingdom

Best liveaboard yet!
Possibly the best week of my life. The staff were fun and enthusiastic, the food was incredible, the boat was well equipped and the dives were amazing! So much variety in terms of diving and things to see on the GBR, I made lots of new friends and I also completed my Advanced OW on board. Fantastic trip all round.
Recommended for
Seeing Minke Whales. Great food. Amazing staff.
27 Mar, 2026

10 Exceptional
Gun L
Sweden

The best liveaboard ever great quality all the trip!
Osprey reef with the closeup with hammerhead, the Shark feeding, great coral gardens and drop offs. AMAZING TRIP!!!
Recommended for
The great crew team, the boat and food!
27 Mar, 2019

10 Exceptional
Marie-Pier B
Canada

Amazing
Everything was well organized and the staff was amazing. I had the best time on that trip
Recommended for
The staff, the dives, the food
29 Jan, 2020

10 Exceptional
Jill M
United Kingdom

Great diving experience made very easy by the great crew who were always helpful
Two Towers, Monolith and Vertical Garens .The corals and fishies The flight back from Lizard Island was great fun too, oh and the food was excellent also. The house staff were great
Recommended for
The dive managment was good especially as due to weather conditions some sites had to be altered from usual and Skipper had to do some great mooring to get us to the sweet spot., Dive staff really helpful when needed.
17 Mar, 2023

10 Exceptional
Robert B
Canada

overall amazing experience
The atmosphere of the overall boat was amazing and the wow factors of the Great Barrier Reef!
Recommended for
COD hole, Coral Sea and the Food!
04 Nov, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Nicholas W
United States

Amazing diving on a comfortable boat with a great crew!
The dives were even better than I expected and the boat was nice. Efficient dive process, great crew who were friendly and fun. Thanks!
Recommended for
1) Dive sites chosen 2) Crew was great/friendly 3) Food was delicious
06 Dec, 2022

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

320 reviews

9.3 Superb
320 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

10 Exceptional
Michael W
United States

Spirit of Freedom 3 night/4 day live aboard experience
I appreciate the, the helpfulness of each crew member in assuring our comfort and safety. I appreciated the readiness to be available to answer questions. I appreciated their expertise and knowledge. Not only were the dives great experiences the added value of being educated about the reef and marine life added to the experience.
Recommended for
Friendliness and professionalism of the crew. The absolutely amazing meals. The rich experience of the dive sites.
16 Oct, 2024

9.6 Exceptional
Rachel C
United States

Amazing
The dive guides were great and showed us all sorts of wonderful underwater highlights. We especially enjoyed seeing a cuttlefish, moray eel, stingray, pigmy seahorse, and shark!
Recommended for
Diving, food, staff
19 Oct, 2019

10 Exceptional
cedric C
Belgium

Great
Greeaaaaat! The crew was awesome. Rachel, Amy, Tamir, the wonderful cook Cassey, everybody was so helpful and we had a really great time. The food was really delicious and I had no issue at all with my allergies. The crowd on the boat was really pleasant, we had a very good time above the water too. The dive sites were just great, the coral was beautiful, the sharks were numerous, the passing hammer shark was unbelievable :-) Thanks to all of you! :-)
Recommended for
no stress, best rest between dives, friendlyness, excellent food
27 Jan, 2016

8.0 Very good
David GLENN W
Canada

I would book it again but maybe longer
Very enjoyable trip. The crew were excellent. Made sure all aspects of the Scuba Diving experience was safe and fun. The Diving was good , visibility could have been better. When the planed dive site was not good the Captain changed the plan, and we had 2 great dives at Cod hole. Maria worked hard to feed us good meals. The Crew were always willingly to help. Good time. We even got to explore Lizard Island with Dora the explorer. The flight back over the Great Barrier Reef was the icing on the cake. Thanks Guys
Recommended for
Organization. Communication. Great staff.
26 Feb, 2026

10 Exceptional
Michael F
Austria

Spirit of Freedom amazes in every aspect
Watching the feeding session of the potato cod. Interesting and professional dive briefings.
Recommended for
The crew, the dive sites, and the food.
16 May, 2022

10 Exceptional
Phillip M
United States

The entire experience was extraordinary!
The rich variety of fish- and creature- reef life throughout of trip was striking, especially the dives at Steve's Bommie and Snake Pit, as was the good condition of the reefs. The coral formations at the sites we visited were still relatively vibrant and colorful. And the dive staff were uniformly knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.
Recommended for
The friendly and helpful service of the staff, the critter-finding skills of Rachel and the dive masters, and the excellent food prepared by Rodrigo.
12 Sep, 2016

10 Exceptional
Alice T
United Kingdom

Had a fantastic time on Spirit of Freedom!
Great
Recommended for
The food, the organisation of the crew, the variations of types of dives
27 Oct, 2015

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
Sandra S
Sweden

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

10 Exceptional
Zachary J
United States

Fantastic trip that truly maximized our time on the GBR
Diving at the Cod Hole- not only to see the friendly potato Cod but for the incredible corals! The night dive was also the best I’ve done. The whole trip was a highlight, we wished we could stay for more days.
Recommended for
The Cod Hole dive site, the excellent service and assistance from the crew, and the food!
21 Mar, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Sarah B
United States

Best dive trip of my life! My expectations were high because I learned to scuba to dive the GBR! Expectations EXCEEDED!
It was amazing and truly a trip of a lifetime!! We went to multiple sites and not only was I able to see SO MUCH health vibrant coral, but the host prepared us for the types of sea life to look for. I felt fully prepared to navigate each site with my buddy, and knew that the staff was watching closely if we needed support. I was well fed, hydrated, and encouraged to ask questions and learn from the reef experts on board! I even got free professional photographs. I would 100% recommend Spirit of Freedom to anybody passionate about an incredible dive experience at the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea!
Recommended for
The variety of dive sites. The safety. The expertise of the crew.
20 Jun, 2025

10 Exceptional
Kevin C
United States

Great trip!
The trip was fantastic; well worth the money, and we had 11 amazing dives in our brief trip.
Recommended for
Dive sites. Boat staff. Food and drink.
12 Oct, 2024

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

9.6 Exceptional
Larry B
United States

Great adventure.
Enjoyed dives. Great last meal. Crew was very attentive.
Recommended for
Dive Sites. Food. Friendly crew.
26 Mar, 2025

9.6 Exceptional
Loredana C
France

Would highly recommend. Really amazing dive sites& crew
Genuinely really lovely crew, great dive briefings, food really was brilliant, lots of variety. Dove equipment was really good too - very high standards. Would highly recommend to book one of the itineraries to go to Osprey reef. But to be aware that it’s all down to weather conditions if you do get to go there, I did and it was genuinely phenomenal. I’ve dived in Galapagos, Maldives, thailand… the shark dive here and night dives are just brilliant.
Recommended for
Crew, diving, food
27 Jul, 2023

10 Exceptional
Jun G
China

Amazing 3days Great Barrier Reef diving trip aboard the Spirit of Freedom
My highlights revolve around the amazing underwater sceneries, fauna and flora encountered during our dives. Specifically: spotting a Minky whale, seeing several sharks, sea snakes, etc.
Recommended for
1/ Super friendly team, 2/ Comfortable boat and 3/ Amazing dive sites
01 Aug, 2017

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

9.6 Exceptional
Helena C
Australia

Absolutely spectacular dive holiday... how I wish I had booked a longer trip !!
The dive locations in the Coral Sea were phenomenal. Certainly some of the best marine life I have seen in thirty years of exploring the oceans. A hammerhead shark cruising past me will certainly never be forgotten. Nor the other sharks species, turtles, cuttlefish, gorgonian fans along with corals and fish of so many varieties. The underwater topography is also spectacular and varied, with wall dives and swim thru's the highlight for me. However it was really the staff that made the trip so memorable, welcoming us from the moment we boarded MV Spirit of Freedom. Diving operations were professionally and smoothly conducted, with our every need met. Freshly prepared meals, great company, fun entertainment and a clean comfortable vessel and cabin will see me returning again soon ..!!
Recommended for
Excellent dive sites, well trained terrific crew that ensured a safe enjoyable trip, and delicious meals and service.
23 Feb, 2024

10 Exceptional
Jodie P
United Kingdom

A great experience
This was an incredible trip that I feel so grateful to have experienced. Even though the weather conditions were undesirable, the crew ensured we still had an incredible trip. Each meal was delicious, the cabins were comfortable and crew were fun, knowledgeable and reassuring. I’d rebook this trip again in a heartbeat!
Recommended for
Dive sites. Crew. Food.
01 Jul, 2025

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