From the moment I stepped onto this ship I was impressed by the friendliness and professionalism of the wonderful crew. Safety was paramount, both on and off the ship. I remember during one of the earlier safety briefings thinking, 'if someone were to get into difficulty on this cruise, they couldn't be in more capable hands'. Little did I think that I would be that 'someone'.

I was setting out on the seven night cruise from Cairns, combining the three night cruise going south with the four night cruise going north. I had chosen Coral Expeditions because there was no single supplement for solo travellers, like myself, and with only forty (or less) passengers and open seating in the dining room I felt it would be easy to get to know my fellow cruisers. I was not wrong. Everyone, both crew and passengers, were looking out for each other, but not in an intrusive way. If you wanted some 'me' time, just to take in the magnificent views, read a book or stroll along a deserted beach, you could do this.

The crew were incredibly well organised, but the organisation was low key – you never felt regimented. You could do as much or as little as you wanted. There were activities for different ability levels. There were many opportunities to view different reefs either by glass bottom boat, snorkelling or scuba diving. Kristen, the marine biologist, and Lex, who was clearly passionate about this marine wonderland, made the glass bottom boat tours so enjoyable. Kristen's presentations in the ship's lounge on the Great Barrier Reef were informative and interesting, the touch tank was a great experience, especially for the children, the fish feeding off the back of the boat was another memorable activity. Read more