Destinations
Spoilsport has a superb dive deck with convenient entry/exit platforms and large sun deck with optional shade cover.
Spoilsport dive boat review
Photos: Mike Ball Dive Expeditions / LiveAboard.com.
MIKE BALL DIVE EXPEDITIONS · GREAT BARRIER REEF & CORAL SEA
Spoilsport: choose the route, then the cabin
Spoilsport is a custom-built, 30-metre liveaboard with a broad twin-hull layout, a spacious dive deck and a choice of cabins. The current accommodation layout is 14 cabins for 28 guests. It suits divers who want several days on the Ribbon Reefs or offshore Coral Sea reefs, with longer special expeditions reaching the Far North or Yongala.
June and July bring dedicated dwarf minke whale trips. Spoilsport is one of the vessels offering this experience; it does not hold the only permit. Choose a dedicated minke departure if whale encounters are your priority, while remembering that wildlife controls the schedule.
Which Spoilsport cabin should you book?
| Category | Beds and outlook | Bathroom |
|---|---|---|
| Premium · 4 cabins | One queen or double bed for two, with ocean views. Book as a whole cabin. | En suite |
| Standard · 4 cabins | Two separate beds on the same level, with ocean views. | En suite |
| Club · 4 cabins | Bunk beds, without an ocean view. | En suite |
| Budget · 2 cabins | Bunk beds, without an ocean view. | Shared shower and toilet facilities |
All guest cabins are air-conditioned and on the dive-deck level. For two friends wanting separate beds, Standard avoids the climb into an upper bunk; Club lowers the fare while retaining a private bathroom. Budget is the lowest cabin tier, but it is not an en-suite bargain. Solo travellers should compare a shared berth with a sole-use quote.
Spoilsport has a 10.5-metre beam. The partner vessel record lists construction in 1990 and renovation in 2014, while the operator records commissioning in 1989. These published dates differ; neither establishes the date of the most recent maintenance.
Life aboard, food and the dive deck
Large camera tables and dedicated camera rinse tanks are available for use. Between dives, choose the air-conditioned lounge, the bar area, the sundeck or outdoor seating. The twin hulls provide a broad platform, but do not eliminate motion on offshore passages.
The menu combines Australian and international cooking using fresh produce. Vegetarian and vegan meals can be arranged, and snacks help fill the gaps between dives. The sample menu ranges from curries and seafood to a barbecue evening; it is an illustration, not a fixed promise. Discuss allergies with reservations in advance. A wine or soft drink accompanies dinner; other bar purchases cost extra.
How diving works on Spoilsport
The boat operates an open dive deck format on suitable sites, allowing qualified and appropriately experienced buddies some flexibility within the crew’s briefing and surface procedures. Do not confuse this with unlimited unsupervised diving or a personal guide included on every dive. Request and price guiding before booking if you need it.
Read the requirements for the actual expedition. For example, Coral Sea Exploratory specifies Advanced certification or 15 logged ocean dives including five in the last year. Mike Ball also has orientation and refresher rules based on recent experience. Medical declarations can trigger a requirement for a doctor’s clearance; address them before arrival.
The operator recommends 24 hours between the final dive and an onward flight. Fly/dive transfers at Lizard Island have their own operating arrangements: follow the trip-specific instructions rather than applying a generic airport connection. Obtain diving and evacuation cover suited to the remote itinerary.
Itineraries: Cairns, Lizard Island, Horn Island or Townsville?
Short fly/dive trips use a Lizard Island air transfer to cover one portion of the programme. Five-night and seven-night Cairns departures spend longer at sea. Northern Exposure and southern wreck expeditions can finish in a different port from where they start, so check the endpoints before buying flights.
Spoilsport itinerary map
Overlay the route families to compare distances and joining ports. Numbered markers identify the principal stops; the crew decides exact dive locations.
- Coral Sea & Cod Hole · 5 nights: Cairns waterfront → Osprey Reef / North Horn → Cod Hole → Steve’s Bommie → Cairns waterfront.
- GBR & Ribbons · 5 nights: Cairns waterfront → Steve’s Bommie → Lighthouse Bommie → Cod Hole → Cairns waterfront.
- Fly Dive Cod Hole · 3 nights: Lizard Island → Cod Hole → Lighthouse Bommie → Steve’s Bommie → Cairns waterfront.
- Fly Dive Coral Sea · 4 nights: Cairns waterfront → Osprey Reef / North Horn → Cod Hole → Lizard Island.
- Coral Sea Safari · 7 nights: Cairns waterfront → Osprey Reef / North Horn → Lizard Island → Cod Hole → Lighthouse Bommie → Steve’s Bommie → Cairns waterfront.
- Minke season · Ribbon Reefs: Cairns waterfront → Steve’s Bommie → Lighthouse Bommie → Cod Hole → Cairns waterfront.
- Coral Sea Exploratory · 7 nights: Cairns waterfront → Holmes Reef → Bougainville Reef → Osprey Reef / North Horn → Cod Hole → Steve’s Bommie → Cairns waterfront.
- Northern Exposure · 7 nights: Cairns waterfront → Cod Hole → Raine Island reef → Great Detached Reef → Horn Island.
- Ashmore Exploratory · 7 nights: Horn Island → Great Detached Reef → Raine Island reef → Ashmore Reef, Coral Sea → Horn Island.
- Yongala & Coral Sea · 7 nights: Townsville · Breakwater Marina → SS Yongala → Flinders Reef, Coral Sea → Holmes Reef → Cairns waterfront.
- Coral Sea Odyssey · 10 nights: Townsville · Breakwater Marina → SS Yongala → Flinders Reef, Coral Sea → Holmes Reef → Bougainville Reef → Osprey Reef / North Horn → Cod Hole → Steve’s Bommie → Cairns waterfront.
These are indicative principal-stop sequences, not guaranteed daily schedules or navigational tracks. Northern Exposure also runs southbound. Minke departures spend flexible time in the Ribbons; confirm whether your four-night or seven-night date includes a flight. Fly/dive air transfers are not sea legs. Raine Island and Ashmore are reef references, not promised shore landings.
Principal dive-site references
- Steve’s Bommie: Ribbon Reef pinnacle, known for concentrated fish life and smaller reef creatures.
- Lighthouse Bommie: Ribbon Reef pinnacle; seasonal minke encounters are never guaranteed.
- Cod Hole: Northern Ribbon Reef site associated with potato cod. Follow the dive briefing and wildlife rules.
- Osprey Reef / North Horn: North Horn reference at the northern tip of Osprey Reef. Offshore access depends on weather.
- Bougainville Reef: Reef reference from published survey coordinates; not a guaranteed entry point.
- Holmes Reef: Reef reference from published survey coordinates; actual dives depend on conditions.
- Flinders Reef, Coral Sea: Offshore reef reference, distinct from Flinders Reef near Brisbane.
- Raine Island reef: Offshore reef reference. A dive visit does not imply permission to land on the nesting island.
- Great Detached Reef: Far Northern Reef reference; exact dive sites are chosen aboard.
- SS Yongala: Wreck reference; weather and currents control access. No penetration of this protected wreck.
Map references checked 9 October 2026: Standard programmes; Special programmes; Published reef survey coordinates; Cod Hole; Steve’s Bommie; Lighthouse Bommie; Ashmore Reef; Lizard Island; Horn Island; Townsville marina; Yongala. Positions are for trip planning, not navigation.
Spoilsport prices and extras
| April 2026–March 2027 · AUD/person sharing | Budget | Club | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral Sea & Cod Hole · 5 nights | 3,430 | 4,025 | 4,607 | 5,017 |
| Fly Dive Cod Hole · 3 nights | 2,504 | 2,899 | 3,266 | 3,574 |
| Fly Dive Coral Sea · 4 nights | 2,835 | 3,255 | 3,602 | 3,945 |
| Coral Sea Safari · 7 nights | 4,802 | 5,635 | 6,450 | 7,022 |
Fares checked 9 October 2026; Premium prices are per person but the cabin must be booked together. Accommodation, meals, tanks, air and weights are included. Equipment hire, Nitrox, guiding and applicable charges add to the fare.
Ask for a written total: the operator’s current notice adds AUD 20 per person per night in fuel surcharge from May 2026, while an older table on the same page still says zero. Environmental-charge figures also differ between sections. Until clarified for your departure, budget the stated fuel notice and obtain the exact park charge rather than assuming it is included.
Compare Spoilsport departures and cabins
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Travelling with a non-diver?
Mike Ball publishes a 10% adult non-diver discount on the cruise fare, excluding minke expeditions. For example, 10% off the five-night Budget fare above gives AUD 3,087 before applicable extras. This is not a discount on every onboard purchase. Confirm acceptance, cabin sharing and snorkelling arrangements for the specific route; an offshore dive programme can leave a companion with substantial time aboard. A minke trip has a different focus and discount policy.
What guests loved — and what could be better
The reviewed departures show the appeal of Spoilsport’s organised dive operation and open-deck format. Guests also describe the two compromises worth weighing before booking: the cost of a cabin to yourself and the exposed sea passages.
What guests loved
Christopher P’s LiveAboard.com review of 28 September 2026 praised the organisation, patient guides and meals. He also acknowledged the cost of a solo cabin, a useful distinction between enjoying the service and finding the trip inexpensive.
Shayne W, on 25 September 2026, enjoyed the open-deck format and a memorable night dive at Gotham City. A break in the weather allowed the trip to reach Osprey Reef; his account captures the attraction of the offshore itinerary without making that access a certainty.
What could be better
Alan Y, writing on 21 May 2026, described bumpy travel at the beginning and end of his trip. He considered the older vessel well maintained and enjoyed the food and diving, but the passages were still part of the experience. His comments concern that particular departure, not a prediction of the conditions on yours.
When another boat might suit you better
A shorter outer-reef stay may suit you better if exposed passages would overshadow the holiday. For two friends who want separate beds at the same level, Spoilsport’s Standard cabin is more suitable than the bunk arrangements in Club or Budget. Divers who need a guide for every dive should have that service agreed and priced before choosing the open-deck programme.
Spoilsport and the Coral Sea
A past-voyage film showing the boat and diving; it does not promise current conditions. Watch on YouTube
Spoilsport FAQ
Does every cabin have a private bathroom?
No. Premium, Standard and Club are en suite. Budget cabins use shared facilities.
Which cabin has separate beds without bunks?
Standard offers two single beds at the same level with an ocean view. Club and Budget have bunk arrangements.
Is Spoilsport the only boat permitted to swim with minkes?
No. Other permitted vessels also offer seasonal minke trips. Choose the departure and programme rather than relying on an exclusivity claim.
Is a dive guide included on every dive?
Do not assume so. Open-deck buddy diving is central to the operation. Ask reservations to confirm the guiding arrangement, availability and any extra cost.
Will the trip definitely reach Osprey Reef?
No. Strong winds can prevent Coral Sea access. The skipper chooses safer alternatives and the operator says an itinerary change alone does not generate a refund.
Can a beginner join?
Requirements differ by expedition, certification and recent ocean experience. Tell reservations your actual history and obtain acceptance before paying, especially for exploratory routes.
Are hire equipment and Nitrox in the advertised fare?
Tanks, air and weights are included. Other gear and Nitrox are priced separately; request an itemised quote.
Where do I fly in and out?
Cairns for many standard trips, with Lizard Island transfers on fly/dive departures. Northern Exposure and Yongala routes may use Horn Island or Townsville. Follow the specific booking endpoints.
Can I cancel without losing the fare?
Direct booking conditions list different consequences more than 60 days, 60–30 days and within 30 days before departure. Read the current terms and any agent conditions before committing; do not assume a weather diversion is a cancellation.
Been aboard? Share your experience
Your travel date, cabin and route help other divers put a review in context. Tell us what you enjoyed and what could have been better.
Editorial details checked 9 October 2026. This is a source-based guide, not a new firsthand inspection aboard.
Where does this liveaboard dive boat go?
Check out the fabulous places where this dive boat travels to.
Note: some destinations may not be listed below, please enquire for more details.
Cairns
Cairns is a practical base for Great Barrier Reef day boats, learn-to-dive courses and liveaboards. Depending on your time, your budget, and your diving certification you can dive in many places around Cairns. Choose nearby outer reefs for a short visit, or a northern Ribbon Reefs/Coral Sea itinerar
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is a long reef system off Queensland, not a single dive site. Choose Cairns for the largest range of reef boats and northern liveaboards, Port Douglas for Agincourt day trips, Townsville for MOUA and Yongala access, or the Whitsundays for island holidays and Hardy Reef.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, please share your review and let us know what you thought. Please post your comments in the review section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next diving trip
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Have a great day! Mckerley
I’ve not been able to book on this boat yet but hope to