Coral Expeditions

Senior Cruises

Hobart

Darwin

Broome

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Australia & New Zealand

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Coral Discoverer

Coral Adventurer

Coral Geographer

Coral Expeditions I

We have always wanted to visit Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land, Torres Strait Islands and the tip of Australia.  This trip covered all these places and more.

Everyday was an adventure and gave us a greater understanding of Indigenous Australians, the environment and WWII history in this area. We were privileged to have guides onboard who have extensive knowledge of these areas and wonderful connections with the people as well.

We visited remote communities, deserted islands and swam and snorkelled in pristine areas of the Great Barrier Reef.

This was an exploration cruise, no pool, no shows, no bingo so not suitable for people who cruise for these services.  There were 40 odd guests and everyone made an effort to sit with different people at mealtime.  Cocktails/drinks watching the stunning sunsets were an afternoon ritual, nothing was too much trouble for the staff and the food was fantastic.

By the end of the cruise staff and guests were like one big family with shared experiences.  I have never experienced that on a cruise before.

I could go on and on about our wonderful experiences but there were so many.

We loved it so much we have put in an expression of interest for their Kimberley Cruises in 2020.  We do need to save as they are not a cheap cruise but worth every cent.  We could not have gained access to many of the places we visited otherwise.

Remote Australia

Friends had indicated a cruise down the Kimberley coast was one of their best holidays yet. This trip was booked as a round trip from Broome to Darwin by coach and back to Broome by boat through APT/Travelmarvel. Previous experience with this company had proven to provide first class guides, accommodation and travel by boat, coach and train without having to double check each component of my journey.

The harsh reality of my experience on Coral Expeditions was a continuous feeling of sleep deprivation and discomfort as a result of the unlivable cabin I had been allocated. (see critique of cabin).

At no time had the cruise been described as an Ecological Study Tour . Though the guides were excellent there was no escape from the bombardment of information on fauna, flora, topography, geology and indigenous art and history as day tours were complimented by evening lectures or documentaries on the same. As a result, there was no other form of entertainment or distraction if you chose to stay onboard.

I also suffered a fall down a cliff face after a swim in an elevated lagoon. Coral Expedition personnel were responsible for safety however were distracted at the time of my fall even though they were standing on the same ledge I was descending to. As a result I spent 36 hours on my back without any follow-up on my condition.

Very disappointing

When I look at any review of the Expedition 1, the word "amazing" is used countless times to describe the crew.   Thus I am going to mention the most amazing crew that looked after my old school friend Jenny and I on this recent expedition.   I do not use the word "cruise" as there is no swimming pool, spa, gym, massages, beauty salons etc. on board this catamaran - just good conversation, interesting lectures and presentations.

The 43 passengers experienced non-stop first rate service . So thanks to Master Joshua Coxall, First Mate -  Phil Andrew, Engineer - Heath Douglas-Geary, General Purpose Hand - Aidan Singh, Purser - Amy Rankin, Chef - Tom Giblin, Senior Cruise Attendant - Joel Smith and Cruise Attendants - Marion Grandi, Alison Roche, Kirralee Evans and Josephine Grimshaw, Expedition Leader - David Keech, Guest Lecturers - Tim Harvey and Michael Hermes.

David was such an enthusiastic leader, keeping us fully informed of the procedures of the day.  On his back he carried a heavy first-aid back pack wherever we went once off the boat.

Tim and Michael shared so much of their extensive knowledge of the Kimberley as we viewed awesome waterfalls, Montgomery reefs, pristine shorelines and lagoons, sunsets, turtles, a DC3 plane wreck, ancient Aboriginal rock art, boab trees, sunsets, bird life, sunsets, crocs, micro bats, helicopter ride, tawny nurse sharks, complex geology, quolls and rock wallabies, and sunsets.   Yes - I love sunsets and they must be seen to be believed. In addition we enjoyed skimming along the water in The Explorer which held us all. 

David, Michael and Tim worked so well as a team with great humour.  They encouraged us to ask questions. I think they could answer most of them.   They kept a close eye on the safety of the passengers.  We didn't mind how long it took them to check that the little lagoons we were anticipating swimming in were croc free!

During our trip David and Tim took incredible photographs which they shared on a website for us all to view.   Obviously they have "seen it all before" but one would think that it was their first encounter of the Kimberley as they were so enthusiastic. I might add 

that some of Tim's paparazzi photos were not too flattering.   No-one has sued him as yet.

Mention must be made of Tom the Chef.   We marvelled at how he managed to serve up endless gourmet meals from a small galley.  We also enjoyed appetising BBQs on the beach watching the sunset. I hesitate to tell you this, but one woman offered her daughter to Tom!

Ever smiling Amy and her staff were multi-tasking - taking orders, serving meals, clearing away, running the bar, cleaning and making up all the cabins and tending to all the endless requests from the passengers.  What a team.

When we disembarked in Broome, the staff lined up on the wharf to farewell us.   Seemed like we were saying goodbye to old friends and we felt sad.

Without a doubt this whole experience and every crew member involved was truly AMAZING.

NAME THAT AMAZING CREW

We wanted a smaller ship to be able to experience the wonders of the Kimberly by sea. We sure did. It was a fantastic trip. Crew and skipper were great. Ship was comfortable and provided excellent meals. Well done the chef and crew! We had daily excursions ashore as well as knowledgeable guides/lecturers. 

The cruise required a modicum of fitness with a few walks and scramble over rocks. they have a flat bottomed boat which they use for expeditions (fishing also). It fits everyone and is able to land on beaches and rocky shores.

The cabins (we had a suite) were fine with plenty of room and ensuite. The crew were very professional and appeared to be having fun along with the passengers. This makes for an enjoyable trip.

We chose to go from Darwin to Broome as I figured the prevailing wind would more likely be up our rear, which provides an easier ride. I was mostly right.

The Kimberly coast. An amazing coastline. An amazing experience

We had always wanted to see the areas of the Kimberley that can only be accessed by sea.  We chose the Coral Expeditions 1 mainly for the small number of passengers, (48 maximum).

The areas we saw did not disappoint. The rugged beauty, the amazing colours of the land and sea, the isolation and wilderness were amazing. The two guest lecturers aboard, Tim Harvey and Sandy Shaw made the journey so much more rounded with all the information that they imparted from their wide spread knowledge of the geology and flora and fauna.They accompanied all the shore trips in the tender and also gave talks and showed videos. The tender was on a hydraulic ramp that lifted it up to C deck and the passengers could then simply walk on for easy access. A great idea for those less nimble people. There were shore journeys every day sometimes twice a day when we got to the cruising areas after the first day sailing from Darwin.A few shore journey were strenuous but we were always advised as to the level and if you wanted to remain in the tender and have a cruise around then that was always an alternative.

All of the crew were very friendly and extremely professional.The food was excellent and plentiful. My request for fish instead of meat was met without any fuss. Diners moved around so you got to know your fellow passengers.

Most days were very full with some early starts to catch the right tide to see certain sights at their best. 

It's not a cruise to take if you just want to lounge around but other than that we highly recommend it.

Amazing scenery, excellent service in a relaxed atmosphere.

This was our first cruise in Australia and it did not live up to expectations.  We travelled Darwin to Broome over 10 days via many stops in the Kimberley.  At double the price of our other cruises (including with APT and Silversea) we were expecting a high standard.  Instead it was simply satisfactory to good.

Breakfast, lunch and some dinners were self-service from a cramped buffet.  At dinner we were called up by table and waits of up to 45 minutes were experienced.  The food was good but not exceptional.  The kitchen ran out of cream and ice cream early in the cruise and one could not get a cheese platter after dinner.  Except for the two official captain's functions, all alcoholic drinks were pay as you go.

The Kimberley scenery was great, especially the waterfalls and inlets.  Wildlife was scarce, except at the Lacepede Islands bird rookery.  Many of us remarked that it seemed strange to get excited at a wallaby sighting when we'd probably seen hundreds before.  The cruise did include two fishing experiences and they are to be congratulated for that, including their strict "catch and release" policy.

The cruise staff provided exceptional service - the most outstanding aspect of the cruise.

Overall it was a good experience, but not good value for money.

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