Coral Expeditions opens bookings for ‘world’s most advanced tropical expedition ship’

Australia’s own adventure line, Coral Expeditions has unveiled details of its new ship for launch in April, 2019 – and the Coral Adventurer is set to give the line a toe-hold in the luxury end of the market.

The three-ship line will expand with the Coral Adventurer, a Norwegian-inspired vessel being built by Singapore-listed Vard. The line is boasting it will be “the world’s most advanced tropical expedition ship”. She will be Coral Expedition’s biggest, carrying 120 passengers in outside-facing cabins, most of which have French windows and private balconies. Two 55 sq m suites will feature bathrooms with picture windows. There are multiple indoor and outdoor bars and a guest observation lounge on the bridge. The three-decades-old line, started by a fisherman in 1983 and based in Cairns, faces growing competition in its heartland Kimberley and southern SE Asia from the likes of French-line Ponant, the Italian expedition fleet of Silversea and other small-ship operators. Eight new expedition ships are due for launch in 2019 alone, sparking fears from some that expedition destinations may become overcrowded. Coral Expeditions carries some 5,000 passengers a year, and has a loyal following for its relaxed atmosphere and routes larger ships cannot replicate. Bookings are now open for Coral Adventurer. She will debut with a series of voyages themed “In the trail of Tasman”, that retraces the historic explorations of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, the first to map the coastlines of New Zealand, New Guinea and Northern Australia in the seventeenth century. The ship’s maiden voyage will be a 17 night cruise beginning in Singapore on April 24^th, 2019 and finishing in Darwin, Australia. The Coral Adventurer will disembark guests on Anak Krakatau, the famed volcanic island emerging from the middle of the ocean in the Sunda Straits.  Other highlights include Komodo Island, home of the famed dragons and the coral gardens of remote Pulau Alor, which offers some of the best snorkeling in the region. The Coral Adventurer will undertake two more 11 night cruises, both departing from Darwin in May 2019 following the trail of Tasman into the Gulf of Carpentaria, New Guinea and the Spice Islands and the Kimberley coast. She will then join the Kimberley season between Broome and Darwin, which Coral Expeditions has been operating for 24 years. For more details and pricing, see www.coralexpeditions.com.