The first Coral Expeditions cruise has departed for the Great Barrier Reef according to a statement from the company.

Forty-six passengers and 20 crew members are aboard the Coral Discoverer that departed from Cairns, Australia, on Oct. 14. The ship is carrying only residents of Australia.

The itinerary includes Australia’s Cooktown, Lizard Island, Osprey Reef, Ribbon Reef, Daintree River and Mackay Reed, Fitzroy Island and Sudbury Cay. The seven-night cruise ends back in Cairns on Oct. 21.

“We hope that our successful return to operations gives confidence to travelers and authorities that small-ship expedition cruising with a local Australian operator is a logical and prudent point of a restart for the marine expedition industry,” said Mark Fifield, the group general manager and director at Coral Expeditions.

According to the press release, the resumption of cruising signals the culmination of “months of preparation, effort, and initiative by the Coral Expeditions team who has worked in partnership with Dr. Ian Norton from Respond Global.”

Together they developed the SailSAFE plan that was approved by the state and is now being used by other travel sectors in the world. The program involved pre-boarding screening, onboard mitigation process, and “authorized response control.”

According to the press release, there was a “palpable level of excitement” onboard, and guests were “overwhelmingly positive” regarding the new health and safety procedures.