Coral Adventurer

Coral Adventurer current position

The current location of Coral Adventurer is in West Australia (coordinates -14.53500 S / 125.42500 E) cruising en route to SWIFT BAY. The AIS position was last reported 50 minutes ago.

Current Position

Specifications of Coral Adventurer

Year of build2019  /  Age: 6
Flag state Australia
BuilderVARD Vietnam Shipyard (Vung Tau, Vietnam)
Building costUSD 75 million (EUR 67 million)
Speed14 kn / 26 km/h / 16 mph
Length (LOA)94 m / 308 ft
Beam (width)17 m / 56 ft
Gross Tonnage5536 gt
Passengers120
Crew48
Decks7
Cabins60
Decks with cabins4
Last Refurbishment2024
Sister-shipsCoral Geographer
Christened byQuek Peck Lim
OwnerKallang Capital Holdings (Singapore) via Coral Princess Cruises (Australia)
OperatorCoral Expeditions Australia

Coral Adventurer Review

Review of Coral Adventurer

The 2019-built MS Coral Adventurer cruise ship is the fourth fleetmate and the newest expedition vessel of the Australian cruise company Coral Expeditions. The vessel was constructed at VARD’s Vung Tau Shipyard in Vietnam and delivered in April 2019. In May 2019, the company exercised its option to build a second ship of the same design — the sistership Coral Geographer (2021).

The vessel (IMO number 9838644) is currently Australia-flagged (MMSI 503000129).

History - construction and ownership

Coral Expeditions (formerly Coral Princess Cruises/fleet) was founded in 1984 by Captain Tony Briggs. His first vessel was a converted ex-World War II Fairmile-class submarine chaser, adapted to carry up to 24 passengers on overnight trips to the Great Barrier Reef from the company’s base in Cairns, Queensland.

MS Coral Adventurer cruise ship (Coral Expeditions)

On December 15, 2014, Tony Briggs, founder and Managing Director of Coral Princess Cruises Pty Ltd, announced that Singapore-based Kallang Capital Holdings (part of PrimePartners Group Pte Ltd) had acquired a majority stake in the company.

All Coral Expeditions vessels are Australia-flagged, Australia-based, and crewed entirely by Australians. The company operates in regions including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Kimberley and Northern Australia, Tasmania, and the South Pacific Islands. The fleet also includes Coral Discoverer and two catamarans (sisterships by design), Coral Expeditions 1 (formerly "Coral Princess I") and Coral Expeditions 2 (formerly "Coral Princess II").

MS Coral Adventurer was designed for ocean cruising to remote and shallow tropical destinations. The ship meets the highest maritime standards for redundancy, build quality, environmental compliance, and safety.

One of the ship’s key features is its shallow draft (4.5 m / 15 ft), paired with a unique tendering system that enables passenger embarkation/disembarkation within 20 minutes. Using hydraulic lifts, the ship’s tenders — known as "Xplorers" (aluminum boats with 65-passenger capacity) — are raised from the water, allowing efficient operations without the need for gangways, ramps, or stairs.

MS Coral Adventurer cruise ship (Coral Expeditions)

The ship is also equipped with scientific research facilities and active stabilizers that reduce roll in various sea conditions.

Decks and Cabins

Coral Adventurer staterooms (60 total) are all outside-facing, with over 50% featuring private step-out balconies. Each cabin has an en-suite bathroom (toilet, shower, mirrored single-sink vanity) and ample storage space. Cabin sizes range from 17 m² (183 ft²) on Promenade Deck 4 (with a large window) to 56 m² (600 ft²) for the Balcony Suites. Balcony cabins measure 22 m² (230 ft²), while Promenade and Coral Deck cabins are 17 m² and feature 1 window or 2 portholes, respectively.

The ship has 7 decks, 5 of which are passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

Suites include outward-facing bathrooms with Horizon tubs. Both Balcony Suites (named after Cairns QLD and Darwin NT) offer a separate lounge (with an L-shaped sofa and armchair with footstool), sleeping area (2 king-size beds), coffee machine, minibar (replenished daily), and a larger balcony (8 m² / 85 ft²).

All standard cabin balconies are 4 m² (40 ft²) and furnished with 2 armchairs and a coffee table. Bridge Deck Suite balconies also feature an outdoor daybed and a two-seater lounge chair. Cabin amenities include a king-size bed (convertible to two twins), bedside cabinets with reading lamps, wardrobe, mirrored vanity (desk with armchair), electronic safe, handmade artwork, and no HDTVs.

MS Coral Adventurer cruise ship (Coral Expeditions)

MS Coral Adventurer includes 2 Bridge Deck Balcony Suites, 2 Bridge Deck Balcony cabins, 28 Explorer Deck Balcony cabins, 16 Promenade Deck staterooms (with windows), and 12 Coral Deck staterooms (with portholes).

The Captain’s and Expedition Team’s cabins are located forward on Deck 6, adjacent to the Wheelhouse. Crew accommodations are available for up to 48 staff members.

The ship has 7 decks, 5 of which are accessible to passengers, and 4 feature cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The full-capacity, single-seating Dining Room Restaurant features a communal "wine table" topped with Australian stone. Guests enjoy buffet-style breakfast and lunch, and multi-course table d’hôte dinners. Meals are prepared using Australian produce and locally sourced ingredients, depending on the itinerary. Dietary needs are accommodated with two weeks' notice. The wine list showcases a variety of Australian wines. Spirits from Australia and New Zealand are served, including barrels of slowly aging Tasmanian single-malt whiskey.

MS Coral Adventurer cruise ship (Coral Expeditions)

The Galley (kitchen) is located next to the restaurant and includes a small viewing window.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The ship features interiors inspired by Queensland and offers over 1000 m² of open-deck space, including a wraparound Promenade Deck. Two Xplorer tenders are located aft and seat all passengers (60 seats each), facilitating efficient tendering to shore. Additionally, six large Zodiacs are used for landings and close-to-shore excursions.

Onboard amenities include a reference library and a multimedia lecture lounge used for daily briefings and presentations by Coral Expeditions experts. The ship maintains an "open bridge" policy, allowing passengers to visit the Wheelhouse on Deck 6 and interact with officers. The Navigator Lounge is part of the Navigation Bridge. Indoor and outdoor bars offer a variety of wines, beers, and other beverages. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in all cabins and public areas.

Located midship on the top Vista Deck, the spacious Xplorer Bar is an outdoor lounge with a large canopy and panoramic views.

MS Coral Adventurer cruise ship (Coral Expeditions)

The ship offers 5 passenger-accessible decks (out of 7 total / 4 with cabins) and 1000+ m² (~10,800 ft²) of open-deck space, including the wraparound Promenade Deck (Deck 4). Complimentary Engine Room tours are available. The Gym (Deck 5 midship) features panoramic windows and modern fitness equipment. A midship-portside elevator connects all decks.

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Coral Adventurer ship related cruise news

Coral Adventurer Wiki

On December 8, 2018, the vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) at VARD's Vung Tau Shipyard in Vietnam. It took two days to relocate the ship from the shipbuilding yard to the floating dock for outfitting, which included machinery installation, stonework, wood paneling, and the completion of public areas and staterooms.

 

Sea trials were conducted between February and March 2019. The ship was scheduled for delivery on April 1, 2019. The official launch and christening ceremony took place on April 24 in Singapore. The inaugural cruise, an 18-day itinerary themed "In the Trail of Tasman," sailed from Singapore to Darwin, Australia from April 24 to May 12. The vessel’s godmother is Quek Peck Lim, one of the co-founders of Prime Partners Group, a private equity investment firm focused on Asia-based food and distribution businesses.

During the drydock in April 2024, Coral Expeditions Australia contracted GIT Coatings (Graphite Innovations & Technologies Inc) to treat the ship's underwater areas, including the hull and propellers. GIT Coatings, based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, specializes in manufacturing graphene-based coatings. Coral Adventurer’s hull was treated with GIT’s XGIT-FUEL, a hard foul-release coating, while the propellers received XGIT-PROP, a more durable coating. These graphene-based coatings provide an ultra-low friction surface using patented XGIT technology to deter biofouling. The coatings offer extended lifespan, reducing maintenance intervals and enhancing performance. They are also environmentally sustainable, as they do not release harmful toxins like copper or silicone oils into the water.

Australia Circumnavigation Cruise 2025

The following table shows the 60-night "Australia’s Coastal Legend" itinerary with all scheduled ports of call and visited destinations.

The full Australia Circumnavigation voyage, roundtrip from Cairns, includes 48 days of shore excursions.

DayDate (2025)Port of Call
1October 17Cairns
2October 18Lizard Island
3October 19Stanley Island (Yindayin) & Davie Reef
4October 20Restoration Island
5October 21Thursday Island (Waiben)
6October 22Badu Island
9October 25Yirrkala Art Centre (Gove Peninsula) & Bremer Island (Dhambaliya)
13October 29Darwin
14October 30Bathurst Island
16-17November 1-2 (overnight)Prince Frederick Harbour & Hunter River
18November 3Ashmore Reef
19November 4Montgomery Reef (Yowjab)
20November 5Talbot Bay, Horizontal Waterfalls (Garaanngaddim)
21-22November 6-7 (overnight)Lacepede Islands
23November 8Rowley Shoals
24November 9Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef
25-26November 10-11 (overnight)Batemans Bay
27November 12Denham
28November 13Abrolhos Islands
29November 14Busselton - Leeuwin Estate Winery Of Margaret River
30November 15Augusta
31November 16Abrolhos Islands
32November 17Fremantle-Perth
33November 18Cape Le Grand National Park - Lucky Bay
34November 19Bunda Cliff West & Bunda Cliff East
35November 20Albany
36November 21Woody Island, Recherche Archipelago
37November 22Coffin Bay
38November 23Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
39November 24Bunda Cliff West & Bunda Cliff East
40November 25Flinders Island
41November 26Apollo Bay & 12 Apostles
42November 27Phillip Island (Millowl)
43November 28Adelaide
44November 29Port Davey
46December 1Phillip Island (Millowl)
47December 2Launceston
49December 4Trial Bay
50December 5Sydney
55December 10K'gari (Fraser Island)
56December 11Tangalooma
57December 12Scawfell Island
58December 13Funnel Bay / Whitsundays
59December 14K'gari (Fraser Island)
61December 16Scawfell Island
58December 13Funnel Bay / Whitsundays
59December 14Townsville
61December 16Cairns

The voyage encompasses a range of experiences, including cultural festivals, culinary events, and visits to remote communities. Notable highlights are a cultural festival on Thursday Island (Torres Strait), a 4-course winemaker's lunch (at Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River region) and a charter flight to Longreach (Queensland) for an outback experience at Rosebank Station.

Throughout the voyage, guests will have opportunities to engage with Indigenous communities, explore natural landmarks, and participate in activities such as snorkeling (Lizard Island), observing marine life (Ashmore Reef) and visiting historical sites along the southern coast.