Coral Expeditions is building a sister ship to the recently launched Coral Adventurer. The new vessel, the Coral Geographer, is under construction at VARD in Vietnam, according Paul Chacko, managing director of the Australian expedition brand.
Delivery is scheduled for December 2020, Chacko told Cruise Industry News.
“By 2021, Coral Expeditions will transition to a modern, all blue-water fleet of highly capable expedition ships,” he noted.
The company welcomed its new 120-guest ship, the Coral Adventurer, in April, taking delivery on April 1, with a first cruise departing from Singapore on April 24.
The newbuild joins the company’s existing three-ship fleet, including the 72-guest Coral Discoverer, 46-guest Coral Expeditions I and 42-guest Coral Expeditions II.
The Coral Adventurer, built at VARD in Vietnam, was ready ahead of its delivery date.
Built for 120 guests, the Coral Adventurer is the biggest ship in the company’s fleet, but the guest number was said to be the perfect balance, based on deployment and the guest experience.
Also playing a part are the Xplorer boats, the company’s unique tenders. The fast boats can each take 60 guests and five expedition team members, and sail at speeds over 20 knots. The open air boats feature bathrooms, comfortable seating and refreshments aboard. Guests board the smaller boats on the main deck of Coral’s cruise vessels, and the boats are then are lowered in the water via a complex hydraulic system.
The Coral Adventurer was built with a shallow draft for its South Pacific and Australia deployment profile, as well as with 1,000 square meters of open deck space including a wrap-around promenade deck with panoramic views.
Guests can look forward to an intimate experience aboard the newbuild, even including engine room tours. There is also the Navigator lounge adjacent to the bridge which gives passengers a glimpse at ship operations.
Single seating dining includes a communal wine table, while the galley is of the showcase variety, allowing guests to view the chefs in action.
