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Expedition Cruise News & Views

Two FREE nights when you cruise the Great Barrier Reef

Posted by Andrew Castles on September 21, 2016

great barrier reef liveaboard cruises

 

We can't think of a better way to experience Australia's World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and tropical north than by small ship, and Coral Expeditions can take you to the best parts of the 'Reef, Rainforest and Islands' on their intimate 44-guest classic catamaran Coral Expeditions II.

Departing from Cairns, these 3, 4 and 7 night cruises provide ample time to swim, snorkel and dive at exclusive reef moorings away from the day tour crowds. A marine biologist leads included glass bottom boat tours and informative presentations about the myriad marine life that calls the reef home. You'll also enjoy plenty of time ashore exploring rainforests and pristine islands, including Lizard, Fitzroy and Pelorus. Back on board, the chef serves up fantastic dining experiences, including one of the best seafood buffets you're ever likely to encounter whilst the all Aussie crew take care of your every desire.

Cruises depart weekly, year round. Click here for more information.

 

Special Offer

Coral Expeditions has an incredible package on offer to ensure that you make the most of your stay in Tropical North Queensland. Book any 3, 4 or 7 night Great Barrier Reef cruise by 31 March 2017 for cruises departing until 30 June 2017 and enjoy 2 FREE nights at the renowned Reef House in the picturesque village of Palm Cove plus transfers to and from the ship.

 

great barrier reef hotels palm cove

 

During your stay at the Reef House, enjoy the Brigadiers Punch & canapés served in the Lounge Daily at Twilight; hosted by the General Manager, luxury concierge services and porterage, free Wi-Fi and use of DVD player and DVD collection. You will also have access to the Brigadier Lounge book exchange, secure car parking, bottled water in your room on arrival, as well as bikes, fishing gear and sketching kits. Book today on a 3 or 4-night cruise, or combine the two for the ultimate 7-night reef experience!

 

palm cove australia

Conditions: Special offer is combinable with Coral Expeditions 'Xplorers Club' past guest discount. Cruise & accommodation is subject to availability. Enquire for full details.

 

Five top tips to choose the perfect expedition ship

Posted by Andrew Castles on June 23, 2016

So you’re ready to sign up for that once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list expedition cruise you’ve had your eye on for years, but don’t know which ship offers the best experience? In this short guide we’ve pulled together our five best tips to help you sort the wheat from the chaff:

 

Tip 1.     Consider the cruising conditions

 

50 years of victory north pole cruise

 

Even if you’re a top-of-the-tree loyalty club member with a particular cruise line, make sure you don’t lock yourself in before doing the proper research. You’ll need to consider things such as tides and sea conditions to work out which ship best suits the destination. And don’t overlook smaller, local operators (rather than the major international lines), often they will have quite a few secret spots up their sleeves that the biggies don’t know about.

 

A few things to keep in mind:

  • Some choices are obvious; if it’s your ambition to reach 90 degrees north (otherwise known as the North Pole), then a powerful icebreaker will be your best bet. Other times the answer won’t be so simple and will require a bit of investigation.

 

  • Tides (yes really). Australia’s Kimberley Coast - one of the world’s hottest destinations for expedition cruisers - is renowned for its 13-metre tides (that’s over 40 feet!) governing access to rivers and tributaries, meaning that larger expedition ships offer more restricted itineraries than their smaller counterparts with shallower drafts.

 

  • An expedition that includes a lot of open-water steaming will be more comfortable on a larger ship, and definitely one with active stabilisers. Areas of the Drake Passage and Southern Ocean (for Antarctic expeditions) can be really hairy, and a bigger ship will offer a more comfortable crossing – just make sure it doesn’t have more than 100 guests though (see below).

 

  • If your preferred itinerary requires several ‘days at sea’ make sure your ship has enough in the way of entertainment or lectures to keep you amused on those days.

 

  • When cruising in the polar regions make sure the ship has individually-controlled heating so you can ‘set and forget’ your own comfortable cabin temperature (also applies in reverse for the tropics).

 

Tip 2.     Consider passenger numbers

Sure, bigger expedition ships are likely to offer more onboard dining and entertainment options, but sometimes more passengers can also hinder exploration. If you’re headed for Antarctica be aware that only 100 people are allowed to land in the same place at any one time. If you’re on a small ship of up to 100 passengers, then you get a chance to go ashore every time. If the ship is larger, sometimes you might miss out as others have ‘their turn’.  I know that would annoy me - so make sure you pick a ship that limits its passenger numbers to under 100 when travelling to Antarctica - even if it normally accommodates more.

 

antarctic cruise aboard sea spirit

 

Tip 3.     Check out the cruiseline’s demographic

Have a good look at the promotional photos issued by the cruiseline to get a feel for the demographics of their typical client. If you’re an active adventurer always champing at the bit to put on your shoes for a long hike, you might be disappointed if the activity levels are toned right down to cater for a not so young-at-heart clientele. Checking out photos from previous expeditions - and reviews on sites such as www.cruisecritic.com - will give you a good idea of what to expect.

 

Tip 4.     Find out the type. of excursion tenders used by each ship

 

whale watching on antarctic cruise

 

Zodiacs (heavy-duty inflatable dinghies) are the mainstay of the expedition cruise industry, but make sure your ship of choice has enough of them to be able to move travellers quickly! You don’t want to be sitting on board waiting for your turn to be ferried ashore while others are in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter. Some cruiselines have come up with ingenious inventions to move guests quickly and it’s also worth considering whether the ship offers use of kayaks, paddleboards, bicycles and other expedition equipment to allow you to get out and explore at your own pace.

 

Tip 5.     Make sure the expedition team is top notch

 

aboriginal art on a kimberley cruise

 

The best expedition teams can turn a good expedition into a life-changing journey. Not only are they responsible for ensuring day to day plans go off without a hitch, they will also be behind the scenes solving dramas (weather, technical malfunctions, unhappy locals) before you even know about them. Typically, the best expedition leaders spend their time working in one region - Alaska is a good example - which they know like the back of their hand, rather than following a ship on its annual schedule all around the world.

Also keep an eye out for guest lecturers, resident photographers and other experts joining an expedition team - they can really add a new dimension to the experience. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for more details about the expedition team - most cruiselines will be more than happy to provide you with their bios ahead of time.

 

So there you go - our five top tips to consider in choosing a ship for your next expedition. Contact our expedition specialists for more expert advice and top tips!

 

true north at king cascades on a kimberley cruise

New Website Launched!

Posted by Andrew Castles on June 13, 2016

We're excited to launch our new website www.expeditioncruisespecialists.com and we hope you love it as much as we do! It's been a very busy few months working with our web developers, and hand-picking all the product we think represents the world's best expedition and small ship cruises. 

Over coming days and weeks we'll be continuing to load more exciting expeditions, and if there is an expedition you think we've missed - maybe you've done it yourself - please be sure to shoot us a note and tell us why it should be added to our portfolio!

We hope you enjoy browsing the site and that it provides some great inspiration for your next expedition cruise. Of course you can reach our expedition specialists during business hours on freecall 1800 90 20 80 (within Australia), Skype (from the homepage) or by email on [email protected] - we're waiting to help you plan your next dream holiday.

If you have any comments about the website - or find any bugs (god forbid!) - please email us directly at [email protected]