Australian-based adventure line Coral Expeditions has a new ship on the way. The Coral Geographer which is being built in Vietnam will enter service at the end of the month.

The Coral Geographer has been tailored for personalised expedition cruises to remote destinations in Asia and Oceania.

The onboard environment is geared for daily shore expeditions, lectures, and briefings, while the ship is also outfitted to a high standard of comfort.

Measuring 307 feet in length, the Coral Geographer can cater for a maximum of 120 passengers although the cruise line currently markets the ship with a capacity of 99 guests.

The vessel features public areas with ample open deck space and large staterooms with private balconies. To emphasize the ship’s Australian operations, original artwork sourced from indigenous communities visited by the company’s fleet was used to decorate the interiors.

“This is the second ship we are building with Vard. We are pleased with the result,” said Mark Fifield, Group General Manager of Coral Expeditions. “We would like to place on record our deep appreciation for the professionalism and commitment of all the Vard staff involved in this project.”

The Coral Geographer was built at Vard Vung Tau, Vard’s shipyard in Vietnam. She was ordered in June 2019 as part of an ongoing fleet expansion program. Three months earlier, Vard had delivered the Coral Adventurer, the first of the exploration cruise ships for Coral Expeditions.

As an all-Australian firm, operating with an Australian crew, Coral Expeditions was permitted to resume cruise service in January 2021 with its Tasmanian summer season. The Coral Geographer will sail on her maiden voyage at the end of March with a 19-night cruise from Cairns to Broome. She will then be cruising in the Kimberly region of Australia along with her sister ship.