Contact Us
Our reservation staff are available Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 5.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.
A: Coral Expeditions returned to operations in October 2020. Since then, we have operated over 40 incident-free voyages in Australia. We have an all-Australian Crew and domestic guest base. We have all approvals in place from federal, state and territory. Our SailSAFE Plan is tested and successful and is now being used as the benchmark for the cruise industry on a global level.
A: We are focussing on Australia’s domestic coastline for the foreseeable future and are operating voyages in the Kimberley, Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, Cape York and Arnhem Land, the Torres Straits, South Australia and the West Australian coastline. A number of these are new destinations so we are discovering more of our home shores than ever before.
A: Yes, there is. We have a Kimberley availability tracker on our website where you can see voyage by voyage availability by stateroom categories. We have limited staterooms between May and August, and we have extended the season to offer more sailings in the months of September and October which coincides with the annual humpback whale migration. There is strong demand so please contact us if you are seeking to travel this year. We have opened all of our 2022 sailings with 52 expedition dates currently available to book between March and October. See the availability tracker >
A: There remains ongoing uncertainty with the environment for international travel of either an outbound or inbound nature. The Australian Government and major airlines have been quite clear that it may not be until mid-2022 that international travel is possible. Travel bubbles with safe regions like New Zealand and the Pacific are possible before that. At present, we are working towards attaining approvals to operate in New Zealand in December and January 21/22 and are hopeful that this will be approved. We have not scheduled any other international travel destinations until December 2022. In early 2023 we intend to return to destinations such as Papua New Guinea, the Spice Islands and our series Small Islands of the Indian Ocean.
A: We understand that there is uncertainty for travellers with regards to border closures and health concerns. If your cruise is unable to depart or you cannot join due to Covid-19-related circumstances or government travel restrictions, you will be guaranteed a 100% future cruise credit with protection against extra fees and rate increases. The use of this credit is subject to availability and does not have an expiry date. Read our Ticket Terms & Conditions
A: Yes, Coral Expeditions has operated continuously for over 35 years through various crises and remains on a sound financial footing with support from our Australian bank and shareholders. We have returned to full operations since our successful restart in October 2020.
A: It is true that some remote indigenous areas in the Northern Australian region are currently closed to visitation. We are in regular weekly contact and are updated with the most current status. Coral Expeditions will always comply with federal, state and territory law and will comply with the wishes of local communities and landowners. As an expedition company, we have alternate itinerary options available to us in the event of weather interruptions or local community issues. As it is an evolving environment, we commit to guests that we will update them with the current status of planned itineraries no later than 4 weeks from their departure date.
A: Travel Insurance is not included in your cruise fare. We ask that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes (without limitation) coverage for the cost of your cruise, medical expenses, loss of luggage, cruise and land content and airfare charges that may occur due to cancellation, the impossibility of performance or unexpected events including other frustration, disruption, loss of deposit or strikes. This is a policy that protects you.
Due to the remote nature of our expeditions at sea, we also strongly encourage you to include remote area evacuation in your policy. If you do not have remote area evacuation insurance or have difficulty obtaining it, you may provide us with a signed authorisation that you accept all costs associated with an evacuation.
Coral Expeditions does not endorse or recommend particular insurance providers. However, our guests have had success with the following companies, which have been able to provide insurance for expedition cruises within Australia at this time.
> CGU
> Cover-More
> Medibank Private
> Fast Cover
> NIB
> Global Response
You may also find more information through the Smart Traveller resource.
A: We encourage anyone seeking information on arrivals or departures from Australia to access information from the Department of Home Affairs website at the following link
Coming to Australia | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Border information for both domestic and international is subject to change at any time and guests should be monitoring key information related to their voyage destinations. We will publish the latest updates related to voyage on our website at Your Upcoming Voyage.
A: To secure a booking on our expeditions, guests are required to make a 20% non-refundable deposit within 7 days of booking. Final payments are due 3 months prior to your voyage departure, as per our Ticket Terms & Conditions.
A: Once you make a booking, our team will send you a confirmation that outlines key information about your voyage. Along the way and in the lead up to your departure date, we will also send you or your travel agent important information including.
Our website is a rich source of information and the webpage for your itinerary contains pre-and post-cruise recommendations and links to packing lists and travel insurance assistance. Other resources, including SailSAFE FAQs, PCR Test Guide, and updates to Your Upcoming Voyage can be found at their respective links.