Last night, Coral Expeditions celebrated the official launch of its fourth and largest expedition ship, 120-guest Coral Adventurer, at a ceremony in Singapore. 

Coral Expeditions’ senior management, key stakeholders and global media guests joined onboard.

Quek Peck Lim was named godmother of the new vessel and blessed her launch.

Following a welcome by Senior Master Gary Wilson and Executive Director Paul Chacko from Coral Expeditions, guests were given a walk-through of the ship.

Guests were also taken for a sunset cruise along the Singapore coast to experience first-hand the new ship at sea. Indigenous leader and performer, Dr David Hudson, presented a traditional gift to welcome her to the Australian fleet and entertained with Indigenous music during the evening.

“It has been a rewarding journey from the initial conception of Coral Adventurer to now seeing her embark on open waters. The build process tracked ahead of schedule and on budget. We have stuck to our conviction of a true expedition product, with capacity limited to only 120 guests so we do not dilute the guest experience,” said Mark Fifield, Group General Manager at Coral Expeditions.

“The future for Coral Adventurer is bright with unique itineraries planned to showcase her capabilities for extended expeditions in remote areas.”

The ship will set sail for Darwin today on its sold-out maiden voyage “In the Trail of Tasman”, an 18- day expedition cruise through the Indonesian Archipelago. The adventure will retrace the historic explorations of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who was first to map the coastlines of New Zealand, New Guinea and Northern Australia in the 17th century.

Following its inaugural sailing, the Coral Adventurer will arrive in Australian waters for the first time with an official ceremonial welcome in Darwin on May 12.

That evening, she will commence a 10-night venture through West Papua on its second itinerary, “Wildlife and Warriors”, before returning to Darwin to resume the Kimberley season.

Coral Expeditions Senior Master Gary Wilson added: “Our itineraries are like no other as the combination of expedition cruising in remote coastal waters, matched with our warm Australian hospitality and decades of expedition experience ensure guests enjoy pushing the boundaries and taking travellers even closer to places that haven’t been explored before.”