Spoilsport Liveaboard, Australia

Name: Ashmore Exploratory (Horn Island - Horn Island)
Start: 2026-11-19
End: 2026-11-26
Location: Australia

9.2 Superb

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

from $ 409 / 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

10 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,460

FULL

17 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,043

FULL

17 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,460

FULL

21 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,804

FULL

24 Sep

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,043

FULL

24 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,460

FULL

28 Sep

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,804

FULL

01 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,043

FULL

01 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,460

FULL

05 Oct

4 Days / 3 Nights

$ 1,804

FULL

22 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,497

FULL

29 Oct

5 Days / 4 Nights

$ 2,043

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

8.8 Fabulous
Alexander W
United States

Excellent diving trip with mix of inner and outer barrier reef dive spots!
Very well-run and efficient crew! Exceptional dive sites, accommodating crew, and good food. Quarters were comfortable. They had the small extra features that make the trip better - water showers off the stern, and compressed air nozzles to dry camera gear after washing.
Recommended for
Quantity and ease of diving. Knowledgeable dive guides. No additional passenger pick-ups or drop offs - trip fully dedicated to diving.
06 Sep, 2026

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

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
Rowen T
Australia

World class diving
Excellent trip on Spoilsport - diving was amazing, crew was awesome and food was beautiful! Loved that there was an ecologist on board and BBQ night
Recommended for
Diving. Food. Crew.
23 May, 2026

8.4 Very good
Alan Y
Canada

Enjoyable gateaway
Enjoyed my 5 day liveaboard, although it was a bumpy ride on the first and last day of the trip. The boat is old although it is kept in a good shape and you can tell that it is properly maintained. There was always plenty of food and it was fairly tasty. We had 4-5 dives per day which is more than enough.
Recommended for
Reefs. Night dives. Dive Instructor.
21 May, 2026

10 Exceptional
jennifer L
United States

Amazing trip
I loved that we got to do night dives. One of them I saw a cuttlefish. The other I saw swimming flatworm and teeny crab. So many things happen at night.
Recommended for
Coral reefs, crew, breakfast
07 Jun, 2023

10 Exceptional
Felix G
Switzerland

Best Dive trip ever
Best Dive trip ever
Recommended for
Crew, Food, Professionalism
05 Dec, 2015

10 Exceptional
Anne D
United States

Amazing first time liveaboard experience!
We loved the advanced course with Joe. Our diving greatly improved! Will was a great trip director - made it all fun, safe and easy. Bobbie is an amazing chef - the food variety was hard to believe. Julie’s photography and fish lectures were fantastic bonuses! We hope to return!
Recommended for
Dive sites, crew and food
07 Dec, 2019

9.2 Superb
Russell H
United States

Spoilsport crew took great care of us!!!
The variety of each of the dive sites. The night dives were fantastic with lots of sharks and trevally coming out to feed. The vast diversity of the fish and coral species.
Recommended for
Helpfulness of the crew, amazing dive sites and the boat's amenities.
13 Dec, 2016

10 Exceptional
Mitchell G
United States

Mitch & Mimi's GBR Dive Experience
We loved the Dive director and Crew: Jelle, Kerrin, Kiana, Olly, Justin, Jemma, Derren, Trevor, Julia, and two vounteers Brian and Phil! Jelle was very organized and knowledgeable. The crew were so helpful and always busy. The food was amazing! The other divers on board were wonderful to get to know and have made some very good friends even though we had only been together for 3 days. And the dives were AMAZING! We saw so many beautiful fish, turtle, octopus, manta ray, cuttle fish, stone fish, giant clams, tiny nudibranchs, and beautiful corals! Words can't describe! Luckily we have some awesome pictures that Julia took! I highly recommend the SpoilSport Liveaboard! Thank you!
Recommended for
The dives, the crew, the organization, the food! (sorry that's 4)!
08 Feb, 2017

229 reviews

9.2 Superb
229 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

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

9.6 Exceptional
Mei G
Australia

Most amazing trip ever!
I can’t put into words how amazing this experience was. It was my first liveaboard and it was so incredible! Everything about it. The crew were so fantastic. They were absolute pros and the focus on safety was second to none.
Recommended for
Amazing crew. Food. Great group.
23 Sep, 2025

9.6 Exceptional
Jörg A
Germany

The best liveaboard experience I've ever had.
The crew was very friendly und highly professional. The daily schedule on board, including the preperation and support during the dives, was perfectly organized. High safety standards, excellent food, and fantastic dive sites made this liveaboard an unforgettable experience.
Recommended for
Great Dive Sites. Perfect Organization. Crew Service and Food onboard.
24 Aug, 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

9.6 Exceptional
Maximilian David C
Switzerland

An asolutely perfect trip z
It was a great trip for us!The crew is just not only good, they were fantastic. Familiar, friendly and uncomplicated.The lowest cabin category is so-so, but all the higher categories are wonderful.The diving is a little different than on other boats. You often dive without a guide. No problem for experienced divers. Great explanation of the dive sites. SAFETY IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR THE OPERATOR! :-)
Recommended for
The staff was great. Thanks to the catamaran, it is a quieter boat. Dive sites in the Coral Sea.
26 Jan, 2026

10 Exceptional
Daniel T
United States

Best way to dive the reef!
Couldn't have asked for a better trip. Definitely the best way to experience the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
Recommended for
Diving the Coral Sea in addition to the Great Barrier Reef. Night Dives. Helpful, knowledgeable, friendly dive masters.
04 Nov, 2024

8.8 Fabulous
Kirk L
Australia

Trip was awesome
Too many to mention but dive locations, the dives themselves , the whole crew were awesome we had so much fun and they were so professional, I was super impressed The food was to die for . And all this under trying conditions My dives were so good due to good locations great crew Loved every bit of it Thanks
Recommended for
Diving locations all staff food
02 Jun, 2021

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

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

10 Exceptional
Desmond M
Canada

Expensive but worth every penny; I will remember this forever.
superb
Recommended for
sites, staff, food
13 Jan, 2016

9.6 Exceptional
James S
Canada

he boat has plenty of space and nice accommodations and the crew was excellent and met all of our requests.
The diving was great and the crew went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a great time and was comfortable in the water.
Recommended for
Excellent dive sites, great crew, awesome food.
21 Nov, 2019

9.2 Superb
Pauline G
Australia

Underwater adventure
We did a lot of exploratory diving, they offered night dives or transition dives which is uncommon from my experience. It gave me the opportunity to build more confidence doing night dives. On the last night we had a bbq, champange and live music, perfect way to end the trip. The crew were also friendly, professional and helpful.
Recommended for
Dive sites at Osprey, the shark feed, and crew.
30 Dec, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Erin O
Canada

Perfect once in a lifetime Minke Whale trip
The Minke Whales were the highlight of course. But I also enjoyed the BBQ on the last night and how organized and smoothly everything ran.
Recommended for
Beautiful Diving. Amazing staff. Great food.
15 Jul, 2025

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
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
Robert E
United States

Amazing
The dives were amazing and could not have had a better crew. They were informative and friendly as well as skilled in all aspects of diving. The shark dive was phenomenal, the flashlight fish completely remarkable and the wall dives beautiful. The reef was in great shape from our perspective, the colors, the variety and the condition all amounted to an absolutely memorable trip. Be happy to recommend Mike Ball to all who are curious. Although the seas were rough enough to disrupt your sleeping, that is living in the open seas. Learn to snuggle and hold each other together! Figured that out the last few hours of the last night.
Recommended for
Dives, Crew, Food
01 Nov, 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

9.6 Exceptional
Norman D
United States

Everything you could ask for!
The crew was extremely helpful and friendly. The food was amazing and the chef was extremely accommodating for allergies and special diets. The diving was top notch with everything you could ask for
Recommended for
The crew, food, and diving were all amazing!
14 Jul, 2023

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