We undertook our first ever cruise this month. It was with Ponant and the ship was L'Austral. We chose this cruise as the expedition to the Kimberleys appealed to us also the small number of passengers of around 230 people was perfect. It was Darwin to Darwin. The cruise was 10 nights 11 days. Being our first ever cruise we had no idea of what to expect but we were more than pleased with every part of this experience. We were on deck 4, cabin 431, which was perfectly located to access all other decks easily by the stairs or lifts if needed. Our cabin had a queen bed and separate toilet to the bathroom. We also had a balcony which had plenty of room. Our cabin steward was lovely and very efficient. Our cabin was always cleaned and tidied morning and night. The restaurants were on Deck 2, table service and deck 6, buffet. Both served great food with a French influence. The service in the restaurants was high quality. The French wines were more than enjoyable. Room service was also available and was quick and beautifully presented. The on board entertainment was entertaining. In the main theatre, there was always a recap of the expedition of that day and a run down of the next day's expedition.

The expeditions were great experiences. We went out in zodiacs most days to explore the breathtaking beauty of the Kimberley coast. There were always expedition team members on the zodiacs who were very knowledgeable and informative in their fields which ranged from geology, birds, sea animals and naturalists, to name a few.

Overall this expedition cruise was amazing and would highly recommend this Kimberley expedition. Brilliant.