Spoilsport Liveaboard, Australia

Name: Northern Exposure – Southbound (Horn Island - Cairns)
Start: 2026-12-03
End: 2026-12-10
Location: Australia

9.2 Superb

Nitrox available
Naturalist Guide
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers

from $ 405 / day Check dates

“Great crew who attended to every detail of comfort, safety and service with high professional standards.”
BRIAN D, Australia

Highlights

Australia’s most awarded liveaboard dive boat
Twin hull design to increase stability and reduce motion onboard
Swim with dwarf minke whales in June & July

The MV Spoilsport liveaboard is an award winning vessel which was custom built to explore the uncrowded dive sites of the Coral Sea. The twin hull design of the boat increases stability making for smooth sailing year-round. On board there are 4 cabin standards to cater to differing budgets, from the budget cabins with twin bunk beds to the premium cabins with double beds and ocean views.

The on board dining experience includes chef prepared meals with freshly sourced produce from sustainable resources from both land and sea. A wide variety of dietary requirements can be catered to, including vegetarian and vegan, which are served at the indoor salon and dining room. There is a large sun deck on the upper deck with a partially shaded area and comfortable loungers.

Guests can enjoy world-class diving on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea with the Spoilsport Australia. Itineraries include the 5-night Coral Sea & Cod Hole trip, the 6-night Yongala & Coral Sea trip for adventure diving the SS Yongala Wreck; Wheeler, Holmes & Flinders Reef, 3, 4 & 7 night fly dive expeditions as well as the limited minke whale trips.

Call us or book online today to start planning your Coral Sea dive liveaboard aboard the Spoilsport yacht.

Please note that the 3 and 4 night itineraries can be extended to 7 night trips.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

Select

17 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,047

FULL

17 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,466

FULL

21 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,808

FULL

24 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,047

FULL

24 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,466

FULL

28 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,808

FULL

01 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,047

FULL

01 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,466

FULL

05 Oct

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,808

FULL

22 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,503

FULL

29 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,047

FULL

29 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,466

FULL

Included: VAT, Port Fees, Local Flights, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Wine with Dinner, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Land Excursions, Naturalist Guide, Cabin Towels.

Required Extras: Fuel Surcharge (AUD20 / night), National Park Fees (AUD8 / day).

Optional Extras: Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox (AUD30 / day), Nitrox Course (AUD310 / item), Private Dive Guide (AUD350 / activity), Rental Gear (AUD44 / day), Scuba Diving Courses (AUD280-310 / item), Snorkel Gear.

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

Naturalist Guide
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Camera Station
Seaview Cabins
Non-Smoking Rooms
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Outdoor Dining
Observation Deck
BBQ Area
Available for Charter
Local & International Crew
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Leisure Deck
Daily housekeeping
Naturalist Guide

Food & Drinks

Free Wine w/Dinner
Vegan Options
Vegetarian Options
Beer available
Wine Available
Full-board Option
Fine Wines Selection
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food
Set Menu Dinner

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
Tech diving
Rebreather Support
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: 1990

Year renovated: 2014

Length: 30 meters

Beam: 10.5 meters

Top speed: 15 knots

Cruising speed: 10 knots

Engines: 2 x 354 KW Detroit 60 series

Max guests: 28

Number of cabins: 14

Number of bathrooms: 14

Tenders: 2 inflatables

Water capacity: 8000 liters

Fuel capacity: 12'000 liters

Freshwater maker: 10'00 liters per day

Boat navigation and safety

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

Spoilsport Reviews

9.2 Superb

Vessel

8.9
Crew

9.3
Food

9.8
Diving

9.4
Value

8.8

6.8 Review score
Marco C
Portugal

Interesting journey as a whole
Interesting dives but without having seen the Minkle whale and with previous liveaboards of great quality make it difficult to classify this trip as incredible. A curiosity... There are several dives that allow tourists to do unguided dives, that is, on their own!
Recommended for
Great Barrier Reef. Crew. Route boat trip.
18 Jul, 2026

Translated from Portuguese

8.8 Fabulous
Andrea R
Switzerland

It was great, gladly again!
A great safari with beautiful dives. We really appreciated always knowing what was planned. The briefings were very good, and in general very good attention was paid to safety. The team was very helpful. It was nice to see that everyone everywhere pitched in and supported each other,
Recommended for
Dive sites. Security. Communication.
24 Aug, 2026

Translated from German

10 Exceptional
Markus F
Germany

Can't get any better
Great dive sites with perfect care all around
Recommended for
Kindness. Comfort. Catering.
28 Sep, 2025

Translated from German

10 Exceptional
Bozena B
Poland

I was speechless in front of such amazing underwater life.
I was surprised that not every dive was guided, but it was nice to dive in my own speed and plan.
Recommended for
Selfnavigation undervthe water after exellent dive breefing. Food. Friendly atmosphere.
03 Oct, 2025

10 Exceptional
Clarissa Y
United States

Amazing service and amazing diving
Swimming with sharks, observing a cuttlefish, seeing turtles and other fish. Learning to identify more corals and fish. Improving my buoyancy with the help of the crew so I can stay underwater longer.
Recommended for
The night shark dive, the beautiful corals and marine life, and the service and amenities on the dive boat.
25 Oct, 2018

10 Exceptional
Tobias R
Germany

Great Vessel, Crew, and Dive Sites
Mike Ball Diving Expeditions puts great focus on keeping everybody safe and happy. The briefings before every dive were excellent and eased navigation during unguided dives a lot. The Crew is both highly qualified (in their particular field of expertise) and entertaining. The food was exceptionally good, the cabins and the vessels in general are clean and spacious, and the dive sites were just amazing. Certainly recommended!
Recommended for
Food, Briefings, Dives
14 Jan, 2016

10 Exceptional
Dana C
United States

Fabulous Experience
We had so gorgeous dives and were so happy with our experience. The crew took every step to go above and beyond and really made the trip a spectacular one. We will absolutely book with Mike Ball in the future.
Recommended for
Crew, Quality of Diving, Food
19 Jun, 2017

10 Exceptional
Kim E
United States

Fantastic!
Shark dive was amazing. Crew was wonderful, helpful and a lot of fun. June can cook up a storm even for someone that has dietary needs. I wish I was on a longer trip. I will be going back. A testament to the fact that over half of the divers had dove Mike Ball numerous times. They run a tight ship but very comfortable. Thank you all for making my first - but not last- Great Barrier reef trip absolutely amazing!!!
Recommended for
The crew, the dive sites and the food
16 May, 2023

7.2 Good
Boris Alexander G
Germany

All-round successful liveaboard
The diving spots are super beautiful and you are always completely alone with the spoilsport!
Recommended for
Exclusivity of the diving spots. No inexperienced divers on board. Marine biologist on board.
19 Aug, 2026

Translated from German

10 Exceptional
Henricus R
Australia

Exceptional live aboard trip
The relatively small number of divers meant that everyone got to know everyone else. Dive guides we available when needed, but not all dives were lead by a dive guide. I loved this: you and your buddy get to do your own thing at your own pace. Visibility was exceptional 30-50m on all dives, the water temp 29° and the sea life prolific.
Recommended for
1) The enthusiasm and professionalism of the staff. 2) The diving - they don't call it the GREAT barrier Reef for nothing. 3) The food; great variety and delicious throughout
31 Mar, 2022

229 reviews

9.2 Superb
229 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

10 Exceptional
SEULKY K
South Korea

Good to see minkies in season!
Playful Minkies! 🙂
Recommended for
diving, food, and Minkies!
12 Jul, 2023

9.2 Superb
Linda H
Australia

Thoroughly professional and enjoyable experience.
This was my first liveaboard experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The crew were so helpful and answered all my questions thoroughly. Nothing was too much trouble.
Recommended for
Safety and attention to detail.. Friendly and helpful crew. Great food.
03 Oct, 2025

10 Exceptional
Anonymous
United States

A once in a lifetime experience that far surpassed our expectations!
Each one of my family members has a different dive spot that they call their favorite. My husband thought the night dive was the best dive of his life! Each site has new coral and sea life that blows your mind.
Recommended for
The coral, the crew, and the food!
27 Dec, 2017

9.2 Superb
Martin C
Hong Kong

First time on a liveaboard
It was my first liveaboard experience, and I think I have been spoiled by the amazing trip: the crew were exceptionally friendly, the food was delicious, not to mention the amazing diving at the great barrier reef. My highlight was the shark attraction dive at Osprey reef!
Recommended for
Food, cabin crew, dive buddies
12 Jan, 2018

8.8 Fabulous
Thomas
United States

It was a great dive trip
It was a great trip. The crew did everything they could. The reefs are amazing there all the fish and the coral great time.
Recommended for
diving was amazing. Crew did an excellent job. Dining room was really loud. Boat is old..
11 Dec, 2025

10 Exceptional
Niccolo C
Switzerland

Can't wait to come back for another trip
Outstanding diving paired with a very friendly and cool crew. I very much enjoyed the diving as buddy pairs without guide. I would rate the diving on the outer reef sites slightly higher than on the ribbon reefs but both are very good. Another positive little detail is that dinner is served after the night dive so one can enjoy the outstanding food. The chef deserves an award for her cooking!
Recommended for
Food was outstanding. Friendly and very cool crew. Great diving on the outer reefs.
19 Nov, 2024

10 Exceptional
Mark M
United States

Excellent!
The dives and the friendly, efficient crew. The captain was excellent!
Recommended for
Dive sites, food, service
15 Jun, 2022

10 Exceptional
Christy R
New Zealand

Amazing
Would definitely recommend this to anyone to do. The Ribbon Reefs are a must see and Mike Ball expeditions and Spoilsport are the best way to experience it!
Recommended for
The diving, the crew, the reef
05 Sep, 2017

10 Exceptional
Eli R
United States

Superb diving on a boat made for diving that allows you to dive to your heart's content.
Spoilsport is a boat made for divers. The open deck dive policy is one of the best I've seen where you can go and explore with your buddy on your own dive plans and dive durations. The crew goes out of there way to make the experience pleasant. All this on top of fantastic diving in well flourishing sparsely visited portions of the Great Barrier Reef.
Recommended for
Open deck self guided diving. Really great trip leader organization and super attention to detail. Exploratory sites, didn't know what to expect.
12 Dec, 2025

9.2 Superb
Kenneth F
United States

Great Trip
Relaxing attitude, great dive sites, very attentive staff.
Recommended for
The crew, the Captain and my fellow divers.
27 Jan, 2023

10 Exceptional
Zachary R
United States

Exceeded expectations and the absolute best way to experience the Great Barrier Reef.
The night dive in Gotham was unreal, so much activity and so many sharks made this the best night dive I have ever been on. Everything about the trip was perfect, from the low altitude plane ride over the reef to the food served constantly throughout the day. One of the best parts was the fact that they catered to my party's different levels of dive experience and did everything imaginable to make the trip a one of a kind experience. Furthermore, the personalty of the crew was top notch as they knew when to be serious, but more importantly, they were extremely laid back and helped remind us that we're in one of the best spots in the world to go diving and diving should be fun.
Recommended for
The a sheer number of dives, the biodiversity, the one-on-one expertise given by the crew
03 Apr, 2017

10 Exceptional
Albert T
United States

Outstanding Adventure
The plane ride over the reefs was cool, but the fun began once on the boat. Although scuba diving was our main focus, the crew, particularly Ollie, Jeanna, Nicole and Capt. Peter made you feel at home and well informed about every aspect of the trip, safety and the boat's functions.They also did a great job of taking 28 strangers, and in less than a day, made them all friend. Hats off to Mike Ball and his crew on the SPOILSPORT.....
Recommended for
Diving, meeting new friends and ......Diving
28 Sep, 2016

9.2 Superb
FATEN N
Jordan

Best trip ever
For me the reason I enjoyed so much and made everything else so good is Marita the dive trip director I can’t say anything bad about this trip because of her she is perfect The way she put things together and the way she explained everything was just too good , I never seen a leader that is so informative so knowledgeable and so loving and kind and so professional in what she does her diving skills her knowledge is just wow the way she describe the dive site is exactly what we get !! And the kindness that she has and her passion to diving is just too good and she influenced me big time the whole crew to tell u the truth are the reason for me enjoying , pablo , Rickardo , Blair , wow wow these people are so born to do this , Blair was just too kind and fun and awesome also the diving was wooooooooow best dive of my life but I can actually say Marita pablo rickardo and Blair made the dive better and Captin was so good and nice and understanding I had a situation as I can’t share the room with a man as am conservative Marita and Captin Peter were so understanding and tried to help so much , Captin sang for us and that was super wow and fun god bless all the team also I want to mention Annabel she was too kind and very professional and helpful
Recommended for
1 Marita 2. Diving 3 location
30 Dec, 2023

10 Exceptional
Colin Z
United States

Excellent Trip in Maldives with Scubaspa
the small crew and passengers on the boat which made it great to make new friendships. the diving team was great and thorough with their itineraries. saw amazing aquatic life and sceneries there. highly recommended!
Recommended for
friendly crew, best dive team, and great food!
06 Dec, 2017

10 Exceptional
Trang N
United States

Outstanding crew
The most attentive and hardworking crew you could ever ask for.
Recommended for
Outstanding crew. Amazing food. Great dives.
10 Jan, 2026

8.8 Fabulous
John P
United Kingdom

Great experience
Overall excellent. One surprise was no on deck toilet and shower which is normally seen on all the live-aboards i have been on. This would have made things a little more convenient. Other than that the trip was superb.
Recommended for
Great food. Shark Dive. Low level flight back to Cairns.
30 Sep, 2025

10 Exceptional
Brooke B
United States

Amazing
I loved the crew! They were very friendly! The food we had on board was also great! The dives were always exciting and we always had a guide available if needed!
Recommended for
The dives, the living space, and the crew
16 May, 2024

9.6 Exceptional
Sherry W
United States

The minke whales made for an unforgettable trip.
The minke whales coming so close and spending so much time with us was absolutely the highlight. The crew was really good at spotting them and immediately altering plans/dropping the float lines. The crew was always helpful and friendly. It was a fun trip
Recommended for
Whale encounters, informative evening presentations, flying back to Cairns.
06 Jul, 2016

10 Exceptional
Corey O
United States

Stellar Crew and Diving
The crew was really the best I've ever dived with, the boat is nice and the dive sites are glorious
Recommended for
Crew, diving
25 Oct, 2018

10 Exceptional
Roy H
United States

Best of the Best!
The small plane flight to Lizard Island was awesome! The top notch sites were thrilling. Spoil-Sport was designed for divers and was so easy to use. Night dives were amazing. All the Sharks, and other incredible fish. Bring your camera. Going back again.
Recommended for
STAFF! STAFF! STAFF! I received more scuba training from our guides than in certification classes. The hostesses and helpers would not let us lift a finger. Dive master always on helpful lookout.
17 Mar, 2018