Coral Expeditions

Cairns, Broome and Darwin, depending on the voyage. The Kimberley season runs between Broome and Darwin roughly March to October; the Great Barrier Reef, Cape York and Arnhem Land sail from Cairns; and there are seasonal departures to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and New Zealand. All three ships move between these regions across the year rather than staying in one place.

All meals, house wines, beer and spirits with lunch and dinner, and barista-style coffee and tea all day. Daily shore excursions led by the expedition team are included, along with the Xplorer tender, Zodiacs, snorkelling gear and kayaks. Gratuities are not expected of Australian guests, though tipping the crew is optional if you choose to.

Coral Adventurer and Coral Geographer are near-identical 120-guest sister ships with balcony staterooms and Bridge Deck Suites, built in 2019 and 2021. Coral Discoverer is the original, smaller 72-guest ship, refurbished in 2025, and reaches narrower waterways the bigger two cannot. All three carry an Xplorer tender and run a similar programme; the ship on your dates usually decides the choice for you.

Couples, solo travellers and small groups who want to see the Kimberley or the Great Barrier Reef properly, with a real expedition team rather than a cruise director. It suits early starts and a daily excursion over sea days and stage shows. It is not aimed at young children: there is no kids’ club, and most guests are travelling as couples or in pairs of friends.

The Xplorer tender lowers from the ship’s side and carries every guest ashore together, usually once or twice a day; Zodiacs cover places the Xplorer cannot reach. An expedition leader, guest lecturers and sometimes a marine biologist or Indigenous guide join every landing. There is no assigned seating or dress code onboard, and no set daily routine: excursions shift with the tide and the weather.

The Kimberley season runs roughly March to October, timed to the dry season and the tides that expose Montgomery Reef and power King George Falls. Coral Expeditions’ 2026 to 27 season is already on sale across all three ships. Outside that window, the ships move to the Great Barrier Reef, Cape York, Papua New Guinea and other Australian and Pacific destinations.

Tell us the region or dates in the enquiry form on this page, or call 1300 214 840. We are an independent Australian cruise agency: we confirm which ship is sailing your dates, price the total for two in AUD with taxes and fees included, and one specialist looks after the booking from quote to homecoming.