Where are we – a ship inspection on board the Coral Adventurer (Port Melbourne)
Suitable for – the average age on board ranges from around 55-60yrs. An intrepid kind of traveller, seeking an authentic experience on board a comfortable small ship with a friendly Australian crew.
It was really great to get on board the Adventurer while she was in town (on the way to Tasmania and the South Australian coast for Christmas.) The small ship is a true expedition vessel, purpose built for the Australian shores - but now cruising on some pretty special itineraries further afield; including Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan (though undoubtedly their key focus remains the Kimberley and sailing closer to home.)
Built to access remote regions that are often out of reach for larger ships.
Launched in 2019 she’s still looking great, with some relaxed communal spaces and spacious rooms. The ship carries just 120 passengers (with a crew of 48) so the vibe on board is informal and unstuffy - a real benefit are the young Australian crew, that offer a refreshing and warm standard of hospitality.
There are no “bells and whistles” that you would find on a larger ship, but the roof deck plays host to a lovely BBQ in warmer climes. And the main lounge area, with adjoining deck, was a lovely spacious area to relax in. Being expedition focussed, you won’t really have all that much down time…so they don’t really have a need to pack their small ships with additional diversions.
One of their major selling features and points of difference is the accessibility they offer - with 2 Xplorer expedition tenders on board, which can be raised up and down hydraulically to access every deck and allow for walk-off disembarkation onto remote shores. They also have zodiacs If you can climb up and down from a chair, then you will be able to get in and out of a zodiac.
And the cabins are large, clean and comfortable. Those on the lower Coral deck have a porthole window. On the Promenade they have boast a much larger picture window - and this is the only deck that has a wraparound ‘Promenade’ so you can leave your cabin and stretch your legs. On the Explorer and Bridge decks, the cabins come with a private balcony (and the “Cairns” and “Darwin” suites also have a much larger bathroom with bath and separate shower.)
