Expedition Cruise News & Views

 

 

Already, many of our most-popular Kimberley cruising small ships are nearing capacity for the 2023 season, meaning that operators are now starting to release their 2024 schedules to cater to the high demand. One of our favourite Kimberley small ships is the stylish 36-passenger Reef Prince, and with 2024 cruises now available you can secure your spot. Reef Prince’s ‘State Class’  and ‘Class 1’ cabins are always highly sought-after, so it pays to get in early to secure one of these cabins before they sell out.

When looking at Reef Prince’s 2024 schedule, perhaps the first thing you will notice is that the cruise duration for the Broome to Darwin and vice versa itinerary has been extended from 11 to 12 days, with the extra day to be spent exploring the magnificent Berkeley River in the northern Kimberley. While the extra day accounts for much of 2024’s price increase, who would complain about an extra day in the Kimberley aboard a fabulous vessel such as the Reef Prince?

 

 

An intimate and Stylish Experience

With no more than 36 travellers on each expedition, the small-ship Reef Prince offers an unforgettable Kimberley cruising experience. Reef Prince’s new 2024 itinerary operates over eleven nights between Broome and Darwin and vice versa, with all the highlights included, such as King George Falls, Montgomery Reef, King Cascades and Horizontal Falls. You’ll also discover a several secret swimming, fishing and Aboriginal art sites that Reef Prince’s expedition crew like to keep close to their chests!

The atmosphere on board Reef Prince is decidedly relaxed an Australian. Service is unobtrusive yet professional, and meals in the light and airy dining room constantly receive the very highest of praise. Menus make use of the best local produce, supplemented by freshly caught seafood – if you manage to ‘land a barra’ during a fishing expedition there’s no doubt your efforts will be lauded over dinner!

 

 

 

2024 Reef Prince Kimberley Schedules & Prices

Reef Prince’s Kimberley Cruising schedule for 2024 has just been released, and we encourage you to book early to secure your preferred cabin type on your preferred cruise date.

 

Broome to Darwin – 2024

Click here to see the Broome to Darwin Itinerary

23 March – 03 April
19 April – 30 April
15 May – 26 May
12 June – 23 June
08 July – 19 July
06 August – 17 August
02 September – 13 September

 

Darwin to Broome – 2024

Click here to see the Darwin to Broome Itinerary

06 April – 17 April
02 May – 13 May
29 May – 09 June
25 June – 06 July
22 July – 02 August
20 August – 31 August
16 September – 27 September

 

2024 Cruise Fares

Click here to see the Reef Prince Cabin descriptions

State Class: $17,495 per person
Class 1: $15,995 per person
Class 2: $15,595 per person
Class 3: $14,595 per person
Class 4: $13,595 per person

Single travellers might like to note that they can secure sole use of Class 2, 3 or 4 cabins with just a 20% single supplement!

 

Your cruise price includes:

·       Accommodation in selected room grade for 11 nights

·       Transfer from CBD hotels to Reef Prince

·       Cruise transportation to your post-cruise hotel or Airport

·       All meals on board

·       Fast boat ride through the Horizontal Waterfalls

·       Facilities, port & handling charges

·       Excursions and tender transfers as described in the itinerary

·       Government Fees & Taxes.

 

Please note that Aboriginal Native Title Fees are additional to the fare - allow approximately $300 per person.

 

 

As mentioned earlier, if you’re after one of the most popular State Class or Class 1 cabins it does pay to reserve your place early to secure your preferred cruise date. You can lock in your Kimberley cruise with a 20% deposit within seven days of booking, with final payment not due until 60 days prior to your cruise date.

So, what are you waiting for? Call the expert team at Expedition Cruise Specialists today on 1800 90 20 80 or email us to reserve your Kimberley cruising holiday of a lifetime! And don’t forget to ask us about our ‘Booking Bonus’ accommodation deals when you book your 2024 Kimberley cruise.

Click here to find out more about M/V Reef Prince

 

 

 

These days, as expedition cruises become more and more mainstream, you could say that the new breed of expedition ship is more akin to a mini cruise-liner, where the ship itself is the destination. But that doesn’t mean true adventurers need to miss out, as there’s some great options available for the most intrepid of travellers who wish to experience all that Antarctica has to offer. 

If you’re more interested in experiencing what’s off the ship, rather than on, Basecamp expeditions are designed for more active adventurers seeking a range of included activities. Departing from and returning to Ushuaia (southern Argentina), 13-night Basecamp cruises are offered aboard your choice of four ships operated by our partners Oceanwide Expeditions. You can choose to explore aboard the new Hondius and Janssonius, or the classic polar-ships Ortelius and Plancius.

Each expedition uses the mothership as a main hub, and from there, travellers are able to choose their own adventure each day from a variety of included activities, all of which are included in the cruise fare. After anchoring in the heart of the action, Basecamp travellers will have easy access ashore aboard the Zodiacs and it’s up to them as to how they want to spend their days. On each activity you will be ably led by certified experts in that activity, so if you’re a novice they will be on hand to provide training and advice. 

Keep reading to find out more about included Basecamp activities, and get a glimpse of what’s on offer by checking out the video below. 

 

 

Zodiac cruises and ship-to-shore transfers

A staple of expedition cruises, Zodiacs are rubber tender boats that are used for two major purposes on Basecamp expeditions. The first use is for exploration of the shoreline. These durable and agile tenders are able to zip along the edge of the ice, giving you the chance to take in icebergs and land-based wildlife.  Zodiacs are also used to transfer travellers from their Basecamp mothership to the shore. All the activities you are able to enjoy ashore are made possible by these boats!

 

Photography Workshops

Whether you’re a keen Instagrammer wanting to make your friends jealous, or a seasoned photographer, Antarctica Basecamp cruises offer a panorama of beautiful landscapes and wildlife to capture. Onboard your ship, you will be joined by photo experts for photography workshops, teaching you how you can maximise your skills. Then, once ashore you will have ample time to put what you have learned into practice! Each photography excursion is limited to just 20 travellers, allowing the photo guides to provide personalised attention and advice when teaching camera mechanics and shot composition.

 

Snowshoeing and hiking

If you’re looking to be a little more physically active on your Antarctic cruise, walks of different levels and required endurance are on offer. In Antarctica, each day two landings of between two and three hours in duration are generally on offer during Basecamp.  If you’re joining an early-season expedition (November / December departures), there may still be some deep snow to traverse, making it necessary to break out the snowshoes! Snowshoes are very easy to use, they fit your pre-issued rubber boots, and they’re a fun alternative to slogging through shin-deep snow.

 

 

Kayaking

On Basecamp expeditions, typically two kayak excursions are offered a day (while anchored in Antarctica), each limited to 14 travellers at a time, ensuring that the safety spotters can keep an eye on everyone. You’ll be provided with a double-seated kayak, a neoprene wetsuit, and a life-jacket. You will need to provide the muscle yourself!

 

 

Mountaineering

Mountaineering excursions are offered for the most active adventurers who really want to get their hearts racing. Each qualified mountaineering guide leads as many as 12 expeditioners per excursion (up to six mountaineers per rope lead) on glacier walks to mountaintops that reward you with stunning views across the ice. Mountaineering experience isn’t essential, but you will want to be in fairly decent shape for this activity as it can be quite taxing. If you do choose to take part, you will be provided with the necessary mountaineering gear including ropes, carabineers, harnesses, helmets, ice axes, and crampons.

 

 

Antarctic Camping

After an action-packed day full of exciting adventures, you’ll surely be looking forward to a good night’s sleep! On Basecamp expeditions, you can get that sleep under the open polar skies! Say that again -  we have a beautiful, warm ship and you want us to camp overnight on the ice? Why not, it’s all part of the adventure and a completely unique experience. During the expedition, up to four nights are dedicated to overnight camps ashore. After dinner, those who choose to camp will be ferried ashore in the Zodiacs (where tents have already been set up for you) and you will be provided with windproof and waterproof bivouac bags, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads to keep you warm, dry, and comfortable. After a restful night ashore, you will return to the mothership the next morning, just in time to join your fellow travellers for breakfast!

 

So, what will it be? Kayaking through the morning, followed by an afternoon of photography? Or maybe an easy hike followed by an overnight campout is more your speed.

It’s all up to you.

 

Basecamp Expeditions depart throughout the season between November and March each year. They are incredibly popular, and tend to sell out quickly, so you do need to book early. Prices for 2023 departures, including Basecamp activities, start at USD $9,100 per person in a quad share cabin, or USD $11,200 per person in a twin share porthole cabin. For bookings, or more information, contact the expert team at Expedition Cruise Specialists on 1800 90 20 80 (+61 7 4041 2101) today.

See the itineraries and departure dates by clicking on each of the ships below.

Hondius

Ortelius

Plancius

 

 

 

 

UPDATE - Tony Briggs presented with Order of Australia Medal - 17 May 2023

 

 

Expedition Cruise Specialists' Chairman Tony Briggs OAM received his Order of Australia Medal from Her Excellency the Hon Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM at today's Investiture Ceremony at Government House in Brisbane. Tony was joined at the event by wife Vicki and son James.  Congratulations Tony!

 

******

 

 

We’re proud to announce that Tony Briggs, our Chairman and pioneer of expedition cruising in Australia, has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to Tourism in The Queen's Birthday 2022 Honours List.

Originally from the small Tasmanian town of Bridport, Tony began his marine career in the Whitsundays, where he operated ferries to Hayman Island. Then, in 1983 he purchased 

his own Fairmile class submarine chaser and founded Coral Princess Cruises. For the next 30 years, under Tony’s leadership, Coral Princess Cruises (now Coral Exped

itions) pioneered adventure cruising on the Great Barrier Reef, Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast, Australia’s Top End and further afield to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Islands of the South Pacific and New Zealand. Over those years Coral Princess Cruises received a number of state and national tourism awards, and Tony himself was honoured with an award for Most Significant Contribution to Inbound Tourism.

 

Throughout his career, Tony has contributed to the tourism and maritime industries in Australia through his service on boards including the Association of Marine Park Tour Operators, the Cooperative Research Centre for the Ecological Sustainability of the Great Barrier Reef (now known as the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre) and more recently the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Australia’s national regulatory body promoting the safety and protection of our marine environment.

We’re proud that Tony’s contribution to Australian tourism has been recognised today with such a well-deserved honour.

Congratulations, Tony Briggs OAM.

 

 

With international travel firmly on the horizon again, we’re starting to receive a lot of inquiry from travellers looking to book that ‘bucket list’ expedition cruise down to Antarctica. And, there’s plenty of exciting options for travellers to consider given the multitude of new polar expedition ships launched during the Covid hiatus.

Over the past two years we’ve seen new, state-of-the-art expedition ships launched by the likes of Lindblad Expeditions (National Geographic Endurance and sister-ship National Geographic Resolution), Quark Expeditions (Ultramarine), Aurora Expeditions (Sylvia Earle – sister ship to Greg Mortimer), Oceanwide Expeditions (Janssonius – sister ship to Hondius) and the Ocean Victory, the first of two new ships to be delivered to Danish polar expedition company Albatros Expeditions.

Constructed to the highest possible Polar code (6) and Ice class 1A regulations, the 185-passenger Ocean Victory features the latest X-Bow technology, providing high stability in rough weather and allowing for the smoothest movements on high waves, ideal for those sometimes bumpy crossings of the legendary Drake Passage separating South America and the Antarctic continent.  

 

 

 

 

When you travel with Albatros Expeditions you will note their ships are fitted out with true Scandinavian flair. Sumptuous meals are served in the stylish Beagle and Panorama restaurants, while the Albatros BBQ Deck allows for a more casual, al fresco dining experience. Below the BBQ deck, guests will find the stylish Midnight Sun Pool Deck, replete with swimming pool and jacuzzis – a sure-fire way to warm up in the chilly polar air. Back inside, travellers will be able to join lectures in the spacious Shackleton Lecture Lounge, while the Knud Rasmussen Library houses a range of non-fiction and fiction resources in a comfortable and quiet environment.

Ocean Victory’s 93 staterooms are spread across nine accommodation grades, from spacious (18 sqm) Category G Single Staterooms through to the ultra-stylish 45 square metre Premium Suite. The most popular grade however is the 24 square metre Class C Balcony State Cabin. There’s 57 of these rooms on offer, all featuring a private balcony, a double bed or two single beds, a sofa that can be used as a bed for a child (if travelling as a family) and a well-appointed en suite.

 

 

 

Ocean Victory operates in Antarctica between November and March. Itineraries range from 9-days for the ‘fly in’ express programme, while a 22-day expedition takes in the best of Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Expeditions depart from Ushuaia (Argentina) and Punta Arenas (Chile).

Click here to see some of Ocean Victory’s upcoming expeditions.

 

To book your Antarctic Expedition cruise aboard Ocean Victory, contact the expert team at Expedition Cruise Specialists today on 1800 90 20 80 or email [email protected]

 

 

 

Ocean Victory Features

Ocean Victory is part of a brand-new generation of low-energy, environmentally-friendly vessels, with four diesel engines and two electro engines, all controlled electronically to optimise speed and fuel consumption.

Features of Ocean Victory Include:

 

· X-Bow for more stability and comfort

· Highest Polar code Class 6

· Highest Ice Class 1A

· 4 diesel engines and 2 electro engines

· Solas 2012 classification

· Environmentally friendly in all matters

· Green initiative program 

· Albatros Nordic Bar Lounge

· Albatros Ocean Shop

· Albatros Observation Lounge

· Observation Sliders

· Polar Spa / Wellness Area / Gym

· Modern lecture lounge

· 93 spacious comfortable staterooms 

· Dedicated single state rooms 

· All staterooms with Ocean View

· 90% of all staterooms with Panoramic Balcony

· Restaurant on Deck 5

· Observation Speciality Restaurant on Deck 9

· Swimming Pool, jacuzzies and Pool Bar

 

 

 

 

 

As the original cruise company in French Polynesia, Aranui Cruises has been introducing the enchanting Marquesas Islands to avid adventurers for more than 30 years.  Aranui 5, a custom-built passenger-freighter which launched in 2015, is unique in every way. Combining the comforts and modern conveniences of a cruise ship while providing a cargo service to remote areas, the ship acts as a lifeline for tiny communities far removed from civilisation. This boutique vessel accommodates just 230 passengers, offering an intimate and casual setting for guests to explore French Polynesia.

 

 

 

 

Aranui 5 is a drawcard for adventurous travellers from right around the world, appealing to those intrepid explorers who don’t just wish to sit on the beach at Bora Bora, but rather visit remote islands and interact with communities well off the regular tourist trail. Given the ship’s popularity it always pays to book this experience early, and if you reserve and deposit your 2023 Marquesas Islands cruise before 31 December 2021 (or until the ship fills) you can SAVE 15% off the prices for all departures between 21 January and 17 June 2023.

In 2023 there’s several itineraries to choose from. The classic 12-day Marquesas Islands journey takes you into the heart of the Marquesas chain, where you will enjoy a range of tours and cultural events while the ship unloads its wares to the excited locals. For something a little different – or perhaps if you’ve undertaken the Marquesas Islands journey before, there’s three Discovery Voyage itineraries available during 2023; two to the Pitcairn Islands and one to the Cook Islands. These Discovery Voyages always sell quickly so they are best booked as far in advance as possible.

 

 

12-Day Marquesas Islands Cruise

Papeete to Papeete

 

Mythical and mystical. A land that has attracted explorers, writers, painters and artists. Breathtaking landscapes of mountains, valleys, plateaus and cliffs. A nation of former warriors, with their own language and culture. For more than 30 years, Aranui, as the main carrier of goods to the Marquesas, has maintained a vital link with its inhabitants and the outside world.

See the 12-Day Marquesas Islands Itinerary

 

 

2023 Sailing Schedule

 

Departs: 21 January 2023

Arrives: 01 February 2023

 

Departs: 04 February 2023

Arrives: 15 February 2023

 

Departs: 04 March 2023

Arrives:  15 March 2023

 

Departs: 18 March 2023

Arrives: 29 March 2023

 

Departs: 01 April 2023

Arrives: 12 April 2023

 

Departs: 06 May 2023

Arrives: 17 May 2023

 

Departs: 20 May 2023

Arrives: 31 May 2023

 

Departs: 03 June 2023

Arrives: 14 June 2023

 

Departs: 17 June 2023

Arrives: 28 June 2023

 

 

Departs: 01 July 2023

Arrives: 12 July 2023

 

Departs: 15 July 2023

Arrives: 26 July 2023

 

Departs: 29 July 2023

Arrives: 09 August 2023

 

Departs: 12 August 2023

Arrives: 23 August 2023

 

Departs: 26 August 2023

Arrives: 06 September 2023

 

Departs: 21 October 2023

Arrives: 01 November 2023

 

Departs: 04 November 2023

Arrives: 15 November 2023

 

Departs: 18 November 2023

Arrives: 29 November 2023

 

Departs: 02 December 2023

Arrives: 13 December 2023

 

2023 Fares, Per Person in Australian Dollars

*** Deduct 15% off all departures between 21 January and 17 June 2023 when you book by 31 December 2021 ***

See descriptions and photos of cabin types

 

Presidential Suite: $14,193.00

Royal Suite: $11,220.00

Premium Suite: $10,269.00

Junior Suite: $9,866.00

Superior Deluxe: $9,446.00

Deluxe: $8,752.00

Stateroom: $7,560.00

Class 4 (multi share dorm): $4,635.00

 

 

 

11-Day Pitcairn Island Discovery Cruise

Papeete to Papeete

 

This special cruise will head south to Pitcairn Island via the Gambier Islands. Following in the footsteps of the famous Bounty Mutineers, the Aranui 5 will take you to the most beautiful and unspoiled islands of the region, via three Polynesian archipelagos.

See the Itinerary

 

 

2023 Sailing Schedule

 

Departs: 18 February 2023

Arrives: 28 February 2023

 

Departs: 07 October 2023

Arrives: 17 October 2023

 

2023 Fares, Per Person in Australian Dollars

See descriptions and photos of cabin types

 

Presidential Suite: $15,954.00

Royal Suite: $12,602.00

Premium Suite: $11,530.00

Junior Suite: $11,075.00

Superior Deluxe: $10,602.00

Deluxe: $9,819.00

Stateroom: $8,476.00

Class 4 (multi share dorm): $5,178.00

 

 

9-Day Cook Islands Discovery Cruise

Papeete to Papeete

 

Ancient stories tell of the migration of Polynesians from the Society Islands and even as far as the Marquesas to Rarotonga. Bora Bora, the high island; is one of the best-known islands of French Polynesia. If the spectacular landscapes of the white sandy beaches and the beautiful blue and green lagoons will seduce you, the different degrees of development, the different dialects and customs from one island to another will offer you a whole range of Polynesian culture, from the old to the new.

See the Itinerary

 

2023 Sailing Schedule

 

Departs: 17 April 2023

Arrives: 25 April 2023

 

2023 Fares, Per Person in Australian Dollars

See descriptions and photos of cabin types

 

Presidential Suite: $15,954.00

Royal Suite: $12,602.00

Premium Suite: $11,530.00

Junior Suite: $11,075.00

Superior Deluxe: $10,602.00

Deluxe: $9,819.00

Stateroom: $8,476.00

Class 4 (multi share dorm): $5,178.00

 

 

To secure your place aboard the legendary Aranui 5 contact the expert team at Expedition Cruise Specialists today on 1800 90 20 80. Don’t forget that Earlybird fares on selected departures are only available when you book and deposit by 31 December 2023, so don’t delay!