MV Coral Expeditions I

The 1988-built MV Coral Expeditions 1 cruise ship (previously named "Coral Princess I") is a purposely-built catamaran cruising the Great Barrier Reef (Coral Sea, Australia). This Australia-built ship is ideally suited to cruise the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Marine Park. The catamaran design handles perfectly the choppy waters. The ship's small size (draft of only 2,5 m / 8 ft) enables it to visit reef regions that larger vessels simply can't.

The vessel (IMO number 8804696) is currently Australia-flagged (MMSI 503091000).

Coral Expeditions itineraries feature sailing around deserted islands and pristine reefs beyond the reach of day-trippers and larger ships. The company's Great Barrier Reef (Coral Sea) cruise itineraries depart from the Queensland ports Darwin to Cairns, each offering a snapshot of the diverse ecosystem of the marine park.

The travel company Coral Expeditions (fka Coral Princess Cruises/fleet) was established in 1984 by Captain Tony Briggs. His first ship was an ex-World War II Fairmile-class submarine chaser. The vessel was converted to carry up to 24 passengers on short overnight trips to the Great Barrier Reef from the company's base in Cairns. All Coral Expeditions' ships are Australia-flagged, Australia-based, and employ all-Australian crew, which makes them one of the several truly Australian cruise companies. Coral Expeditions' field of operation includes New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Kimberley and Northern Australia, Tasmania and South Pacific. The 3-ship fleet includes Coral Discoverer, Coral Expeditions 1 and Coral Expeditions 2 (sister-ship by design, formerly "Coral Princess II").

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

Shipboard facilities

Coral Expeditions 1 has 4 decks and 25 staterooms. The catamaran carries its own small-sized exploration vessel (named The Explorer) for wharf and beach landings in remote areas. Itineraries are well designed, including a wealth of out-of-the-way places, and are also very flexible: the Captain can change direction in order to explore other areas in case the weather and sea prove unsuitable. Like all ships in the fleet, Coral Expeditions 1 features an open bridge policy, which allows passengers to enter the Deck A navigation bridge area at any time, watch the Captain and his crew at work and ask questions.

While Coral Expeditions voyages are best suit travelers who love sea adventures and are fit, there is no age requirement for joining shore excursions. They normally take place twice per day. Guest experts and lecturers are onboard on each voyage. These may be geologists, national parks rangers, marine biologists or others with specific knowledge. A journey aboard MS Coral Expeditions I is focused on the destination. Few onboard activities are available beyond the video presentations and port talks taking place in the lounge. However, most of the real action happens on land, in the water or even under it. There is really no nightlife onboard the cruise ship and evenings are spent enjoying drinks at the bar and chatting over dinner.