Australia’s pioneering small ship cruise line, Coral Expeditions, confirms operations will restart in Western Australia this month, its 25th year of continuous operations in the state. The company has attained all required state and federal approvals including the endorsement of their travel industry leading SailSAFE plan. The announcement marks another significant milestone for the Australian expedition cruise industry. Coral Expeditions has been continuously operating incident-free in the Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania since October 2020 and have just completed a very successful inaugural voyage in South Australian waters last week.
The company’s 2021 voyages include new itineraries exploring the coastline and rarely visited islands off WA, as well as its celebrated Kimberley voyage between Broome and Darwin – a slice of classic Australian heritage.
Coral Adventurer, the company’s state of the art expedition ship delivered in 2019, is currently en route from Adelaide to Fremantle. On 10 March 2021, she will sail from Fremantle to Broome calling on the Houtman Abrolhos group, Ningaloo and Shark Bay, the Muiron and Montebello Islands and the Dampier Archipelagos. In another milestone for the company, the brand-new vessel Coral Geographer (to be delivered March 2021) will depart on her sold-out Maiden Voyage on 31st March. The expedition “Across the Top of Australia’, a 19-night expedition exploring remote regions of WA including Ashmore Reef, Scott Reef, Adele Island and the Lacepedes.
Coral Adventurer and Coral Geographer have been designed and built specifically for extended expeditions along the rugged Australian coast.
In the current environment, the company has a clear vision to provide Australians with more unique opportunities to explore and discover the coastal wilderness regions of Australia. Commercial Director, Jeff Gilles comments: “Our sailing schedule celebrates the vast magnificence of Australia’s coastal shores and we are privileged to be able to take guests on adventures to places that simply cannot be accessed by road, rail or even air”
The resumption of the companies’ cruise schedule in Western Australia will involve more than forty-five departures in 2021 with expected passenger numbers to exceed 4000 guests. It is anticipated that it will create a positive contribution to regional tourism at a time of great challenge, without compromising health outcomes.
As with other domestic itineraries, guests will be drawn from the Australian market and capped at under 100 per departure. Operating an Australian flagged fleet, with an all-Australian crew and guest base, Coral Expeditions’ proven SailSAFE health protocols have been fully approved by all state authorities. To assist guests and the broader travel industry in this time of uncertainty, Coral Expeditions will continue offering flexible booking and deposit protection terms and will have special local offers available for early season voyages in March and April 2021.
Coral Expeditions complete expedition series in Western Australia involves over 45 varied departures in 2021 and includes:
Abrolhos Islands & the Coral Coast – Departing SOON
12-nights | Fremantle to Broome departing 20 March 2021, 1 March 2022
Staterooms from $9,290 per person twin share, all-inclusive
Ningaloo & the Bluewater Wonders of Australia’s West
10-nights | Broome to Broome departing 7 May 2021 > 28 May 2021 > 16 May 2022 > 27 May 2022
Staterooms from $11,990 per person twin share, all-inclusive
The Definitive Kimberley
10-nights | Broome – Darwin or v.v. departing April to September annually
Staterooms from $10,990 per person twin share, all-inclusive
