Your Travel Checklist

If your travel date is more than 90 days away, you will be required to pay a deposit of 20% of the fare to confirm your booking. You can make this payment via our website if you make an online booking. By making your deposit you will be agreeing to and accepting our Cruise Ticket Terms and Conditions.  This deposit is not refundable.

If you prefer, you may contact our reservations team to hold a reservation for you for up to 7 days. If the deposit is not received within the 7 days, we will release the stateroom held for you.

The remaining balance of the fare is due ninety days prior to the departure date. If you make a booking for a departure within 90 days, then the full cruise fare will be due on booking.

To prevent losing your non-refundable deposit, Coral Expeditions provides the option of Deposit Protection. This protection will enable you to make a date or name change once only should some unforeseen circumstance prevent your travel plans.

Deposit Protection is optional and can be purchased for $110 AUD per person at the time of deposit payment.

This would need to be activated no later than 90 days before the departure date, allowing you to transfer your non-refundable deposit payment to a future Coral Expeditions voyage. Terms and conditions apply, read more.

We are pleased to confirm that all Australian state and federal government COVID-19 requirements on cruise have been removed, effective 28 August 2023. 

This includes removing requirements for all guests over the age of 12 to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations before boarding. 

As a result, Coral Expeditions will remove the mandatory requirement for COVID-19 protocols effective immediately. 

Our company SailSAFE process will now adapt and revert to pre-pandemic settings. We always prioritise the health and safety of guests and crew and we will continue to maintain our focus on prevention and control protocols for communicable diseases across our fleet. 

Even though it is no longer required, we will continue to encourage guests to remain current with vaccinations for COVID-19 and influenza. Any guests showing symptoms of respiratory illness within 5 days of embarkation, should test for Covid and stay home if they are positive. 

Travel Insurance is not included in your cruise fare. We require all guests to obtain comprehensive travel insurance that covers (without limitation) the cost of your cruise, medical expenses, loss of luggage, cruise and land content, and any airfare charges resulting from cancellations, unexpected events, or the inability to perform, including but not limited to frustration, disruption, loss of deposit, or strikes.

Due to the remote nature of our expeditions at sea, we highly recommend that you include remote area evacuation coverage in your policy. If you encounter difficulties obtaining remote area evacuation insurance, you may provide us with a signed authorization indicating that you acknowledge responsibility for all expenses associated with an emergency evacuation.

Coral Expeditions does not endorse or recommend particular insurance providers. However, our guests have had success with the following insurance companies:

• CGU
• Cover-More
• Medibank Private
• Fast Cover
• Global Response

You may also find more information through the Smart Traveller resource.

For all International travel with Coral Expeditions, guests will need to provide a scanned colour copy of a valid Passport with at least 6 months validity (photo & details page only).

This must be emailed to [email protected] no later than 45 days prior to the departure date for submission to immigration authorities.

Any guests with an expired passport should allow at least 6 weeks to get a new passport application processed. Some countries require blank pages in your passport for visa requirements.

Please bring your physical passport with you on all international departures.

Guests are also required to check Visa information via the link below, as some international destinations require a government-issued International COVID Vaccination Certificate.

MORE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INFORMATION

Once you are booked, you will receive a confirmation email with your booking number.

All travelling guests will need to provide their passenger information using the designated Personal Link. Instructions on completing your personal link will be included in the confirmation email, and troubleshooting can be found HERE. While it is not necessary to complete all of your personal link questions until 90 days prior to departure (such as flights and accommodation details), it is recommended that you review to make sure we have the correct phone number and spelling of your name, as well as review the upcoming details we will be collecting closer to the voyage.

YOUR PERSONAL LINK

Our full terms and conditions contain details about our cancellation policy, transfer fees, passenger health requirements and more.

Terms & Conditions

For all International travel with Coral Expeditions, guests will need to provide a scanned colour copy of a valid Passport with at least 6 months validity (photo & details page only).

This must be emailed to [email protected] no later than 45 days prior to the departure date for submission to immigration authorities.

Any guests with an expired passport should allow at least 6 weeks to get a new passport application processed. Some countries require blank pages in your passport for visa requirements.

Please bring your physical passport with you on all international departures.

Guests are also required to check Visa information via the link below, as some international destinations require a government-issued International COVID Vaccination Certificate.

MORE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INFORMATION

If you wish to undertake any level of scuba diving,  you should have your appointment booked with a registered physician to undertake the Divers Medical Questionnaire.

Email this to [email protected] four weeks prior to your cruise, to allow time for assessment.

This is reviewed and based on this information, our onboard Dive Instructor will make the ultimate determination of a person’s condition and suitability to dive. Failing to advise us of your plans to dive may result in disappointment and non-inclusion in these activities as we need to roster, and provision based on registered number of participants.

We recommend any guest who has any symptoms of respiratory illness in the 5 days leading into your cruise undertake appropriate testing. Any guest who tests positive is recommended to not undertake travel. Please contact our reservations team for assistance. 

We encourage safe practices of hand sanitisation and physical distancing throughout your voyage.  If any guest shows symptoms of COVID, they should remain in their cabin and contact the purser via the in-room phone. Any symptomatic guests are encouraged to isolate themselves in staterooms and where not possible, to wear masks and practice physical distancing around the vessel. 

To make the most of your expedition, all guests should be in good general health, be able to walk reasonable distances over sometimes uneven terrain and stand during excursions. Should you have any physical limitations, please notify us in advance of your departure. Some physical and mental conditions are not suited to safe travel on small ships and our crew leaders have ultimate authority deny boarding to anyone who they deem may be a safety risk to themselves, crew, and other passengers.

We also advise that guests carry a current record of allergies or any chronic medical issues and the telephone number for their physician’s 24-hour answering service. As our itineraries cover remote regions and are active by nature, they may not be suitable for those with serious medical conditions. It is important that known medical conditions and treatments should be disclosed to reservations staff at the time of booking. In the event of a remote area emergency, medical history can be essential information for our team.

We do not travel with a doctor or nurse on our domestic voyages. Our crew are medically trained as a requirement of their roles to meet Australian Maritime Safety Standards. We also have remote support from specialist organisations like the Royal Flying Doctor Service and various state and territory health facilities.

We have more details in our Terms and Conditions https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/terms-conditions/

On international voyages with more than 100 persons onboard, either a medical doctor or a Nurse Practitioner will be travelling with us. They will be on hand to attend to COVID-related testing and monitoring and to assist with any illness or injury experienced on the voyage. They will not be available for general or non-voyage-specific health consultations.

When it comes time for the exciting time of packing for your cruise, our packing lists are available to assist you. More specific information regarding weather conditions in your destination is included in your Cruise Documentation which you will receive prior to your cruise. Find your expedition packing list below.

• Kimberley Packing List 
• Cape York & Arnhem Land Packing List 
• West Coast Packing List
• South Australia Packing List
• Great Barrier Reef Packing List
• Tasmania Packing List
• New Zealand Packing List
• Japan Packing List

Laundry services are available onboard.  Please note that these services are limited to basic laundry only.  Laundry bags and forms are stored in your wardrobe for collection by your cruise attendants. Charges for this service will be posted to your onboard account. As the service is for laundering only, please ask the hospitality staff if you require an iron and ironing board.

Coral Expeditions has satellite broadband connectivity across our fleet as from April 2023.

Complimentary Wi-Fi: As part of the new service, all guests are provided complimentary access to standard wi-fi as part of the fare inclusion. Complimentary Wi-Fi is ideal for text-based communications (200Kbps speed).

Premium Wi-Fi: Guests are also able to purchase package upgrades enabling access to higher speed bandwidth if they wish. Premium Satellite Internet is ideal for media applications and video calling (5Mbps speed) and can be purchased onboard from the Pursers Desk for $180 per voyage.

Though our ships have state-of-the-art hardware connecting to Starlink and 4G networks, remote area connectivity is not completely reliable.  We advise you to download your favourite shows prior to embarkation.

No. We have a no drone policy onboard owing to the impact on the ship’s electronic and navigation equipment, permit restrictions and remote area safety considerations.

Your cruise fare includes:

• Expert Expedition Team and Guest Lecturers (Learn more about Our Crew)
• An authentic, flexible expedition itinerary
• Comprehensive and fully guided sightseeing in each destination
• Lectures, workshops and demonstrations onboard
• All meals, chef-prepared on board (Learn more about Cuisine & Wine)
• Selected beers, wines and house spirits and soft drinks with lunch and dinner service
• Captain’s welcome and farewell events and open Bridge Access
• 24-hour barista style coffee and tea
• Use of all onboard facilities, including a reference library
• Snorkelling equipment (on applicable voyages)
• Daily guided excursions on Xplorer and Zodiac tender vessels and kayaks where conditions allow
• All entrance fees to National Parks and Ports
• Tips and gratuities
• Photos of your cruise captured by the Expedition Team
• Wifi Access – Standard speed connectivity ideal for text-based communications (200Kbps speed)

What’s Not Included:

• Travel insurance
• Alcoholic drinks outside of lunch and dinner service

• “Wine Selections” optional packages (Learn more about Wine Selections)
• Optional Premium Satellite Internet - ideal for media applications and video calling (5Mbps speed), $180pp per voyage
• Laundry service (available at a cost)
• Entry visas or travel permits
• Items of a personal nature including but not limited to laundry charges and souvenir purchases
• SCUBA diving
• Optional Extra’s available on some departures (Eg. Mitchell Falls Helicopter Flight).

Following your expedition, you will receive a link by email to free download the images taken throughout your voyage by our Expedition Team. Please make sure that you have provided our reservations team with your relevant email address.

These photos can often take up to 4 weeks to receive and be sent. If you don’t see your voyage on our Guest Image Gallery page, that means it hasn’t been emailed yet.