Expedition Cruise News & Views

Now that the New Year's Eve fireworks are over for another year, it's time to decide which great adventures await you in 2018. To whet your appetite, we've put together 12 Months of Travel Inspiration, a calendar full of some of the very best expedition cruises departing each month during 2018. There's classics like Antarctica, Alaska and the Kimberley Coast on offer, along with brand new expeditions to emerging destinations including West Africa and Papua New Guinea.

 

JANUARY

New Zealand's Sub Antarctic Islands

7 Nights aboard Spirit of Enderby

From USD $5,000 per person

From Invercargill, tour the Auckland Islands, Snares and Campbell Island. Stunning Flora & Fauna.

 

 

FEBRUARY

Scouting PNG's Sepik River

7 Nights aboard Coral Expeditions I

From AUD $4,990 per person

Cruise Papua New Guinea's mighty Sepik River, discovering millennia old tribal cultures and fine artisans.

 

 

MARCH

Marine Mammals of Antarctica

10 Nights aboard Akademik Vavilov

From USD $10,295 per person

Join experts in cetaceans (whales) cruising to Antarctica to see Orkas & Minke and a host of marine life.

 

 

APRIL

Rivers of West Africa

7 Nights aboard Harmony G

From EUR €1,800 per person

A fascinating expedition on the West Africa Coast from Dakar, Senegal up the Gambia River, deep inside the heart of the African continent.

 

 

MAY

Peruvian Amazon Adventure

7 Nights aboard Aria Amazon

From USD $8,925 per person

Cruise in style deep into the heart of the Amazon in Peru's Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.

 

 

JUNE

The Polar Bear Special

7 Nights aboard Plancius

From USD $5,440 per person

Cruise the pack-ice of North Spitsbergen for the best opportunities to spot polar bears.

 

 

JULY

Southern Kimberley Quest

7 Nights aboard Kimberley Quest II

From AUD $10,933 per person

This eight day expedition on Western Australia's Kimberley coast offers a comprehensive experience between Broome and Mitchell Falls.

 

 

AUGUST

Iceland Fire & Ice

7 Nights aboard Panorama

From AUD $3,782 per person

A fascinating country with amazing landscapes, towering waterfalls and the legends of the Vikings & Norse.

 

 

SEPTEMBER

Treasures of the Inside Passage

12 Nights aboard Nat Geo Quest

From AUD $12,490 per person

Discover the breathtaking fjords and towering glaciers of Southeast Alaska and Glacier Bay National Park

 

 

OCTOBER

Abrolhos Islands Discovery

4 Nights aboard Eco Abrolhos

From AUD $2,058 per person

Western Australia's Abrolhos Islands offer spectacular scenery and amazing natural experiences.

 

 

NOVEMBER

Remote Fiji - Lau & Kadavu

11 Nights aboard Reef Endeavour

From AUD $4,500 per person

Discover Fiji "off the beaten track" in the Lau & Kadavu Islands. Cultures, scenery, snorkelling & more...

 

 

DECEMBER

Christmas in Antarctica

10 Nights aboard Akademik Ioffe

From USD $11,195 per person

Antarctica will likely be the most remarkable White Christmas you ever experience.

 

 

For bookings and more information give the expert team at Expedition Cruise Specialists a call today on 1800 90 20 80 (within Australia) or +61 7 4041 2101 if calling from overseas. For our full portfolio of the world's best expedition and small ship cruises visit www.expeditioncruisespecialists.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our good friends at Delfin Amazon Cruises have just announced a 'Buy One Get One Free' promotion on last minute Amazon River cruises departing between now and the end of March 2018.

There's departures on offer across the company's fleet of three small ships, from the intimate eight passenger Delfin I through to the newest ship operating on the Peruvian Amazon, Delfin III. Delfin is a true pioneer of expedition cruising in this part of the world, and a cruise on one of their small ships is sure to be a highlight of any South American holiday experience.

Deep in the Peruvian Amazon, Delfin Amazon Cruises will take you into one of the world’s largest protected flooded forests, the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Experienced guides will show you the immense biodiversity of the area. Voyages include visits to native villages, kayaking, swimming near pink river dolphins, fishing, daytime hiking, and night safaris. On board, guests can enjoy exquisite Amazonian cuisine in an authentic, intimate setting with the right amount of elegance and comfort.

 

Delfin's Buy One Get One Free Promotion

Visit the Amazon in style with our buy one get one free promotion on the following cruise dates – for availability and bookings please call the team at Expedition Cruise Specialists on 1800 90 20 80 (within Australia) or +61 7 4041 2101.

Sample pricing: Delfin I four night cruise - was USD $4,700 per person, NOW USD $2,350 per person!  

Call for pricing details on your preferred departure date.

Available departure dates

DECEMBER 2017 
Delfin I (3 Night) – December 4th
Delfin I (4 Night) – December 14th 
Delfin III (4 Night) – December 15th
Delfin III (3 Night) – December 19th

JANUARY 2018 
Delfin III (4 Night) – January 16th
Delfin III (3 Night) – January 27th

FEBRUARY 2018 
Delfin III (4 Night) – February 6th
Delfin III (3 Night) – February 17th

MARCH 2018 
Delfin III (3 Night) – March 3rd
Delfin III (4 Night) – March 20th
Delfin III (3 Night) – March 31st

 

Read our two-minute guide to Amazon River cruising

Discover the Amazon's three most luxurious cruise suites

 

 

Australia's Coral Expeditions recently announced that they had signed an agreement with renowned Norwegian shipbuilder Vard to launch a brand new, state-of-the-art expedition ship. Now, more details have emerged about new specialist vessel, including the name - Coral Adventurer - along with schedules and pricing for the inaugural 2019 adventure cruising season.

According to Coral Expeditions, the Australian-flagged Coral Adventurer will be the ‘world’s most advanced tropical expedition ship’ when it launches in April 2019, and certainly the plans and artist impressions seem to back that claim up.

At 93.50 metres in length, Coral Adventurer will accommodate just 120 travellers in 58 Staterooms and two stunning suites measuring 55 square metres. Over half of the ship’s accommodation will feature private balconies. There’s also multiple bars and lounges, a spacious dining room accommodating all guests in one sitting and a light-filled lecture room for expert presentations. The ship will also carry specialist equipment for scientific research.

 

 

Of course, a big part of expedition cruising is being able to get ashore and experience places beyond the reach of other travellers. Coral Adventurer has got that covered as well. On her stern she will carry two Xplorer excursion tenders, each accommodating 60 passengers in individual seating, along with six Mark V Zodiacs, a glass bottom boat (selected itineraries) and a fleet of kayaks. It’s the flexibility of the Xplorer tenders that really set the Coral Expeditions fleet apart however. Cradled on a hydraulic platform on the ship’s stern, guests easily step aboard before the platform lowers into the water, eliminating the need to get your feet wet when trying to jump into a bobbing zodiac.

The 2019 schedule features some interesting journeys. The inaugural voyage will ‘blow the cobwebs out’ from Singapore to Darwin, followed by a short hop into West Papua. From there, the ship will join her sister-ships Coral Discoverer and Coral Expeditions I on Western Australia’s Kimberley coast, operating 10 night itineraries between Darwin and Broome and vice versa. Kimberley cruises are scheduled between May and October, and will give a welcome capacity boost for Coral Expeditions, who’s two current ships run full in the Kimberley, often selling out months in advance.

At the conclusion of the Kimberley cruise season there’s an ‘Across the Top of Australia’ voyage to Cairns, followed by a circumnavigation of Papua New Guinea.

Beyond 2019, we can expect to see the ship also spending part of the year in the South Pacific and New Zealand, along with selected itineraries further afield in Asia.

For more pictures and information about this exciting new expedition ship call the team at Expedition Cruise Specialists on 1800 90 20 80 or visit https://www.expeditioncruisespecialists.com/ships/coral-adventurer

 

 

There’s soon to be more choice for fans of small ship cruising, with Australia’s pioneering expedition cruise company Coral Expeditions announcing that they have signed a contract to add a new, state-of-the-art expedition ship.

Due to launch in mid 2019, the yet unnamed 93.50 metre ship will be built in Vietnam by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard and will join Coral Discoverer, Coral Expeditions I and Coral Expeditions II in the Coral Expeditions fleet.

Plans for the luxury ship show 60 large staterooms, ranging in size between 17 and 43 square metres, over half with their own private balcony. There’s also a single-seating dining room, a light-filled lecture lounge and multiple indoor and outdoor bars.

Fans who have travelled on the Coral Expeditions fleet previously will immediately notice the company’s distinctive style flowing through the new ship, highlighted by the modern Australian-designed interior with the colours and textures of tropical Queensland, the birthplace of the company.  They can also expect to encounter the same professional and laid-back Australian service for which the company’s crew are renowned.

 

 

The new ship will also be fully-equipped for adventure. Twin hydraulic platforms will house two unique 60-passenger ‘Xplorer’ excursion tenders, along with a fleet of inflatable zodiacs and kayaks. There’s also facilities on board to host scientific research missions.

Expedition aficionados can expect itineraries focused on adventure cruises in Australia, the South Pacific and Asia, with a major deployment on Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast between March and September each year. Whilst details of the Kimberley cruise schedule haven’t been announced as yet, we can expect that the company’s iconic ten-night itinerary between Broome and Darwin (and vice versa) will be on offer, featuring all of the highlights of the Kimberley coast including Mitchell Falls, King George Falls, King Cascades, Montgomery Reef, Horizontal Falls, Aboriginal art and much more.

Other destinations being looked at for the new ship include Indonesia’s Raja Ampat and Spice Islands, Papua New Guinea and the Islands of Melanesia.

Schedules for the new ship are expected in coming weeks, sign up to our newsletter to receive details of the new schedule as soon as it is announced.

 

 

Several weeks ago we told you about Canadian polar operator One Ocean Expeditions, and their exciting plan to add a third expedition ship to their fleet, the RCGS Resolute.

Just this week, schedules for the new ship landed on our desk, and there’s some exciting opportunities for travellers to experience the best of the white continent and surrounds.

Resolute’s inaugural voyage for One Ocean Expeditions (she previously operated as the award-winning Hanseatic for Hapag Lloyd) commences on 6 November 2018, with a ten day Antarctica Peninsula Adventure. Over the following five months she will operate a total of 12 voyages to the Peninsula, some including exploration of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

There’s also a special ‘Antarctica Off the Beaten Track” expedition, which – as the name suggests – takes in some of the lesser-known parts of the seventh continent, along with a Christmas in Antarctica voyage.

 

 

Resolute’s 2018/19 southern season concludes with a unique 13 day voyage exploring Chile’s Fjords between Ushuaia and Valparaiso.

Here’s your first look at Resolute’s full schedule for the 2018/19 Antarctic season:

 

2018 / 19 Dates	Itinerary	Nights
November 6 - 16	Antarctic Peninsula Adventure	10
November 16 - 28	Antarctic Off the Beaten Track	12
November 28 - December 10	Antarctic Peninsula Explorer	12
December 10 - 20	Antarctic Peninsula Adventure	10
December 20 - 30	Christmas in Antarctica	10
December 30 - January 17	Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica	19
January 17 - 30	Journey Below the Antarctic Circle	13
January 30 - February 17	Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctica	19
February 17 - March 1	Antarctic Peninsula Explorer	12
March 1 - 11	Antarctic Peninsula Adventure	10
March 11 - 21	Antarctic Peninsula Adventure	10
March 21 - 31	Antarctic Peninsula Adventure	10
March 31 - April 12	Chilean Fjords Adventure	13

 

Introducing RCGS Resolute

Resolute is modern, well appointed, safe and ice-strengthened to 1A classification. Accommodating just 146 expeditioners, there are spaces ideally suited to every need throughout the ship. Spacious outer decks provide stunning 360 degree viewing platforms perfect for photography, wildlife watching, birding and appreciating expansive views.  The salt water plunge pool, large relaxation deck, hot water jacuzzi are all located aft of the wellness centre (massage therapy, Finnish Sauna, steam room) and well equipped exercise room. Inside there are multiple areas to explore ranging from the well-appointed theatre-style presentation room, aft observation lounge and bar, forward observation lounge and bar, and both dining rooms. Add in the One Ocean Expeditions multimedia room, and mobile laboratory and the opportunities are endless. 

RCGS Resolute joins Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Sergey Vavilov under the One Ocean Expeditions banner, to offer one of the most capable, safe, and exclusive expedition cruise fleets in the industry.

To book your Antarctic expedition cruise aboard RCGS Resolute contact the polar cruise experts from Expedition Cruise Specialists on 1800 90 20 80 or email [email protected]