Coral Adventurer, built for adventure and crafted for comfort
Coral Adventurer launched in May 2019, the-state-of-the-art Coral Adventurer is the latest addition to the Coral Expeditions fleet and delivers a uniquely Australian expedition experience. Arrived in April 2019 to homeport in Darwin, Coral Adventurer is specially designed for expedition cruising. The Coral Adventurer provides a very comfortable base for exploration. The ship also has dedicated to scientific research facilities and equipment. Her stabilizers ensure smooth sailing, whilst her shallow draft and advanced navigation and propulsion systems allow access to areas that are simply unreachable by larger ships. The vessel is a new expedition cruise ship being built by Norwegian company Vard. It will be the fourth expedition cruise ship to join the Coral Expeditions’ fleet, which also includes Coral Discoverer, Coral Expeditions I and Coral Expeditions II. Vard was awarded a contract for construction of the vessel in September 2017. Being constructed at Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam, the Coral Adventurer is the result of a happy marriage of modern shipbuilding technology and cruising, Australian style.
Coral Adventurer was purpose-built for the Australian cruise market. Coral Expeditions pioneered Kimberley Cruising back in 1996, and even now, over twenty years later, their ten night Darwin to Broome (and vice versa) expedition remains one of the most comprehensive adventures on the Kimberley Coast. Utilizing Coral Adventurer’s flexible range of excursion craft, passengers can expect to see all of the region’s highlights, from Montgomery Reef and world-famous Horizontal Falls through to King George and Mitchell Falls and Aboriginal art on Bigge Island and Raft Point. Coral Expeditions’ leaders and lecturers are acknowledged as some of the ‘best in the businesses and guests will appreciate their engaging personalities and outstanding local knowledgeable. These experts in their fields will ensure guests to truly know the Kimberley, its history, geology, wildlife and legends.
As a newest addition to the Kimberley cruising fleet, this 120-passenger ship is a culmination of two years of design and three decades of passion for expedition cruising Coral Adventurer delivers on the latest trends in expedition cruising, whilst maintaining Coral Expeditions’ unique blend of Australian-service and laid-back onboard atmosphere. At an overall length of 93.4m, a draught of 4.5m and gross weight of 5,536t, the Coral Adventurer offers all the flexibility and accessibility of much smaller ships, along with amenities and comforts anyone would expect to find on much larger vessels. Its interior spaces have been designed by Brisbane-based design firm Arkhefield, which drew inspiration from the company’s Australian roots and the exotic locations the ship will visit. There is also a wide selection of specially commissioned indigenous artworks in the ship’s common areas.
The ship Coral Adventurer was designed for ocean cruising to more isolated and shallower tropical destinations. The boat conforms to the highest maritime standards for operational redundancy, build quality, environmental compliance and safety. One of the unique features on this shallow-drafted ship is its tendering system, allowing passenger tendering (embarkation or disembarkation) within just 20 min. Through hydraulic lifts, tenders (aka “Xplorer” / 65-passenger aluminum boats) are lifted out of the water, making boarding/de-boarding operations more efficient, without the need of gangways, ramps or stairs. Built for discovery, the shallow draft of the ship enables the ship to go closer to shore in comfort and with no difficulty. Another best feature on the vessel is the elevator. The elevator accesses the main decks of the vessel comfortably, accommodating four to six people. These two features ensure that everyone can move about the ship and join in on all the activities with ease.
Travelers interested in Coral Adventurer’s inner workings are invited to take an engine room tour. On select Indonesia and Pacific Island departures, those interested in the native cuisine may accompany a chef on a market tour. Coral Adventurer’s six Zodiacs are raised and lowered from the Bridge Deck, enabling more intrepid exploration. On select Indonesia and Pacific Island departures, kayaks and/or a glass-bottom boat are also on board.
Cabins and Deck Plan Aboard
Coral Adventurer’s 58 staterooms and two suites are a spacious and stylish ‘home away from home’, with more than 50% featuring their own private balconies. No matter which stateroom grade is selected, passengers will enjoy a choice of Junior King or twin beds, a comfortable sofa, air-conditioning and well-appointed private en suite. Coral Adventurer features one suite category and four stateroom categories, all outside and above deck with portholes or view windows and en suite bathrooms. All cabins are serviced daily with optional laundry service available at an added fee. All staterooms are twin share and feature Australian decorations that complement the informal yet upscale atmosphere found throughout the ship. Common to all cabins are a wardrobe, desk, arm chair and ample storage space.
Entertainment facilities on Coral Adventurer
Coral Adventurer will feature a large dining area as well as multiple bars. The full-capacity (single-seating) dining room restaurant is furnished with communal “wine table” topped with Australian stone. The restaurant serves buffet breakfast and lunch, along with multi-course table d’hote dinners. Meals are prepared with Australian produce and many locally-sourced (itinerary-based) ingredients. Dietary requirements or restrictions are catered to with 2 weeks’ notice. The wine list is an abbreviated selection which reflects the variety of Australian wine. Australian and New Zealand spirits are also offered, including barrels of slowly ageing Tasmanian single-malt whiskey.
A lecture lounge will be available with multimedia systems presenting daily expedition updates, tour briefings and media presentations. The vessel will also have an onboard library with materials about the destinations and wildlife. All off-ship excursions are accompanied by the expedition team. A navigator lounge in the bridge deck will serve as a good viewpoint of the ship operations for the guests.
A multipurpose space, the Barralong Room, will operate as part of an ongoing partnership with the Australian Geographic Society and institutional partners to host interpretive activities and projects that connect guests in an engaging format throughout their cruise.
Coral Adventurer itineraries
Coral Expeditions itineraries feature cruises around deserted islands and pristine reefs in destinations not popular for day trippers and large liners. Company’s Great Barrier Reef (Coral Sea) itineraries depart from the Queensland ports Darwin to Cairns. The cruise ship embarked on her inaugural voyage from Singapore on 24 April 2019. It initially sailed on a 19-day voyage from Singapore to Darwin, followed by an 11-day journey in Darwin. It then sailed on a 26-day voyage between Cairns and Darwin, where passengers had an option to disembark in Wewak. It also sailed on an 18-day voyage from Darwin to Singapore, covering popular destinations such as the Thousand Islands, and national parks Karimun Jawa and Pulau Moyo. MS Coral Adventurer itinerary program is based on Asia-Pacific cruises to Kimberley region, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and South Pacific Islands.
Ship’s itinerary program for 2020 includes Spice Islands, Komodo and Krakatau (Indonesia), Pulau Alor. Two transition cruises leave from Darwin (17-day to Singapore, January 15) and the reverse from Singapore (18-day to Darwin, departure February 2).
In the Coral Expeditions 2021 program were added new Coral Adventurer itineraries visiting the East Indies (Southeast Asia). New destinations included Indonesia’s Misool Island (Raja Ampat), Alor Island (Lesser Sunda Islands), Buton Island (Sulawesi), Lamalera (Lembata Island, East Nusa Tenggara), Kelimutu volcano (Flores Island, Indonesia), Banda Neira (Banda Islands), Lembeh Island (North Sulawesi), Bunaken Island (Bunaken National Marine Park). Some of the itinerary options included:
• 10-day “Island Realms of the East Indies” (Darwin NT Australia to Benoa Bali)
• 10-day “Ancient Kingdoms of the East Indies” (Benoa Bali to Singapore)
• 12-day “Raja Ampat and Spice Islands”
• 14-day “Into the Wilds of Borneo”
• 14-day “In the Wake of the Makassans”
• 20-day “Circumnavigation of Sulawesi”