STARTED WITH A SUBMARINE
Cairns-based Coral Expeditions was founded in 1984 by Captain Tony Briggs, who started off doing tours from Townsville, on the northeastern coast of Queensland, aboard a converted WWII submarine. The line built its first 42-passenger ship in 1988; it was sold to Singaporean investors in 2014.
In some ways, Coral is Australia’s equivalent to Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. An experienced expedition team leads excursions on the Xplorers and inflatable Zodiacs. Visiting experts lecture on their areas of expertise. There’s a partnership with the Australian Geographic Society. Coral also has the bonus of a dive team doing introductory sessions and dives, both complimentary. Coral’s loyal guests — you can expect many repeaters on board — are over age 60, predominantly Australian, and looking less for luxury accoutrements than the luxury that comes with intimate surroundings.
Coral Adventurer hits the sophisticated, modern mark. The ship feels spacious, with wide hallways and open spaces indoors and out, done up by a Brisbane-based decorator in muted tones, accented by African wood, Italian marble, and specially commissioned Australian and Papuan art. Windows abound; you won’t miss any views. The expansive deck space includes two outdoor bars. All but the top deck is accessible via the ship’s elevator.
While the bars are the venue for nightly pre-dinner soirees, the main hangout spots are the large windowed dining room, with open seating and tables outside for those who want to avoid the noise and don’t mind sacrificing air-conditioning for views of the stars; and a windowed, living room–like lounge, outfitted with banquettes and swiveling leather lounge chairs.
A fun feature in the dining room is a window into the galley, so guests can see what’s cooking. The buffet area presents a changing array of dishes for breakfast and lunch. Guests pour their own cappuccinos from self-service machines. Dinner most nights is a sit- down, three- course affair. Complimentary house Australian wines and beer flowed (a wine list has fancier selections), and the menus were international, a disappointment for those seeking Indonesian tastes.
A big selling point is the ship’s entire deck of cabins with balconies, plus two spacious suites with ocean-view bathtubs and outdoor day beds. Passengers without balconies still have views through picture windows or portholes.
All guests rest their heads in king- or queen-sized beds done up with crisp white linens and duvets. Showers always flowed with hot water — a particular necessity on a cruise that takes you close to the equator, and into temperatures that often topped 90 degrees. A small, nicely equipped gym saw little use.
Our charming crew hailed from Australia and New Zealand, and fit well with the casual milieu. While the ship’s dress code calls for “smart casual” at night, most passengers just put on something clean. Sometimes there were bare feet in the dining room.
The Asmat once were known as headhunters who practiced cannibalism, though that stopped for good about 60 years ago. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman did not linger, but we were expected and toured the village, witnessing a traditional canoe ceremony and buying sought-after wood carvings.