Sailaway 1 Day Outer Reef From Port Douglas

Bookings and payments

You can book your Sailaway tour online and receive an immediate confirmation. Our reservations system offers live availability to help you secure your preferred date of travel. You are required to pay for your tour in full at the time of booking and this can be done by credit card via our secured payment site. We accept VISA or MASTERCARD. To use AMEX you need to choose the PayPal option. Your booking confirmation will provide you with your date of travel, a booking code, pickup details from your accommodation if required and check in details. Please check the details carefully and contact us if you need to make any changes. Check you have booked your tour on your correct date.

Cancellations and refunds

Due to our limited capacity and small passenger groups, Sailaway has a strict 24-hour cancellation policy. This means there will be no refund with a 100% fee if cancelled within 24 hours of travel. If you choose not to travel due to unfavourable weather, personal illness or change in travel plans, unfortunately there will be no refund. We would be happy to provide you with a letter to claim the cost of your tour on your travel insurance. If you cancel your tour with plenty of notice, you will be entitled to a full refund.

Change of date of travel

The same policy applies to change your date of travel. If you give more than 24 hours’ notice, you are welcome to change your date of travel, providing we have availability. If you ask to change your date of travel within 24 hours of your tour departure time, unfortunately this is considered a last-minute cancellation and you will not be able to reuse your ticket, as we have held those seats for you on your chosen date.

It’s important for us that our Sailaway guests can use their tickets and enjoy our experience, so please contact us at any time if you have any concerns or change of plans and we can work with you to find a compromise that suits us both.

Bad weather

If you choose to cancel your tour on the day of travel if the sun is not shining or feel it’s too windy, this is your choice, however our cancellation policy will apply.

We rely on our guests having a wonderful time on the Great Barrier Reef. We watch the weather carefully, to determine if the weather is suitable to travel. We aim to be as reliable as possible to ensure our guests get to the reef and enjoy their tour. Having luxury sailing catamarans, our vessels are comfortable and stable and enjoy a bit of breeze so we can provide a pure sailing experience. Our average wind speed here is 18 knots primarily from the South / Southeast, so it’s very unusual that we cancel a tour due to strong winds. The tides will also impact the snorkel sites. Check the tide charts or discuss with our office for the best opportunities.

If the forecast predicts extreme winds and issues a strong wind warning, we may decide its best not to sail on that day. In this instance we would contact you to change your tour to a more suitable day, or offer a full refund. With regard to rain, we don’t cancel our tours if its forecast scattered showers. We may cancel in the event of extreme rain forecast which would impact our activities and effect the water visibility. In our wet season we will have rain around, but this generally remains closer to the coastal mountains and its often much clearer on the reef. During this time the water is warm, so you can still enjoy snorkelling as the marine life is beautiful under the water.

Snorkelling activity

To participate in the activity of snorkelling, you must be confident in the water with the capacity to swim unassisted. If you are a poor swimmer, you may not be suitable to snorkel in the open water. Not all passengers will be suitable to snorkel, and our experienced crew have the discretion to advise against snorkelling if deemed “not suitable for the activity”. This is for the safety of the passenger

Please be advised snorkelling can be a strenuous physical activity, even in calm water and that older people are at an increased risk of death and/or injury due to a higher incidence of medical conditions made worse by physical exertion, such as heart disease and stroke. All passengers intending to snorkel will be asked to complete our Medical Declaration for Snorkelling form.
Our experienced crew will discuss any issues relating to medical conditions and swimming ability. Sailaway reserves the right to decline any passenger from participating in snorkelling if we are concerned about your health condition and/or swimming ability. This is for your own safety, please listen to the advice of our experienced snorkel guides to ensure the safety of our guests. There are other coral viewing activities available for you to enjoy such as the glass bottom boat as well as the island heritage walk and visit to the sand cay.

Passenger mobility

Our Sailaway vessels are luxury sailing catamarans and we offer a pure sailing experience. This means the vessels travel in open seas and will move around whilst under sail. The decks of the vessels are multi levels and can be slippery when wet.

Passengers must have good mobility to safely move around the vessels, step onto the glass bottom boats and get in and out of the water via the ladders on the back of the vessels. Our tours are not suitable for older guests with mobility issues. Unfortunately, we do not offer wheelchair access due to the layout of the decks and saloon areas.

Our tours are adventure experiences for active travellers. Please choose your tour carefully to ensure it is suitable for your experience, age and physical health.

Enquiries

Our office is open 7 days a week from 7am to 7pm so you can call us to check the weather reports and make a change, with plenty of notice.

Sailing with us is voluntary, and we will endeavour to give you the best experience possible, with our very experienced and dedicate crew.

Thank you.

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