From On Board: Seabourn Pursuit Kimberley Inaugural. Kuri Bay Pearls

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Location: Kuri Bay, East Kimberley WA
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cb51cA1zERKKSNyj7]

Vessel: Seabourn Pursuit 

Seabourn’s magnificent newbuild expedition cruise ship, Seabourn Pursuit, may have been on the water almost one year, but is only now sailing its inaugural season in Australia’s North West, home of the ruggedly beautiful Kimberley region.

Naming ceremony for Seabourn Pursuit in Kimberley

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Seabourn, a leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line, named Seabourn Pursuit in a unique and historic expedition naming ceremony at Ngula Jar Island, Australia, on June 29, 2024. With guests on Zodiacs alongside the ship and the onboard team lined up along the decks, the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners named Seabourn Pursuit, marking the first time Traditional Owners named a ship.

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji farewells Caledonian Sky after just one season

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Both past passengers and the travel industry were surprised by the sudden announcement from Captain Cook Cruises Fiji of the withdrawal of Caledonian Sky from their interisland small ship cruise itineraries after just one season.

Aqua Expeditions: Banda Secrets

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A rich tapestry of history and culture, the Spice Islands beckon with aromas of nutmeg and clove. Today, it’s as if time has stood still across this remarkable region, where relics of colonial Dutch forts continue to decorate the pristine landscapes. Alongside their remarkable history – of conquests and spice wars – the Spice Islands present a tropical Eden with rugged volcanic peaks draped in landscapes of emerald rainforests. Off the coast, azure blue waters harbor the Marine Superhighway, aptly named given the wealth of marine life found here.

Abercrombie & Kent’s Raja Ampat and Spice Islands

 

New for 2025: Raja Ampat & the Spice Islands: An Inspiring Expedition by Geoffrey Kent

Abercrombie & Kent Founder and Chairman Emeritus Geoffrey Kent has had the pristine East Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat in his sights since he began planning his first Inspiring Expedition by Geoffrey Kent® 10 years ago. 

Windstar Cruises Reveals New Ship, Star Seeker, Will Bring Back Popular Routes of Alaska and Japan in 2026

Small ship cruise line Windstar Cruises revealed today it's planning to send its newest ship, Star Seeker, cruising to Alaska and Japan when it joins the fleet in 2026. Windstar last sailed in Alaska and Japan in 2023 before it redeployed Star Breeze to be the year-round ship in Tahiti. 

PONANT taps Deb Corbett for CEO Asia Pacific

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PONANT has announced a number of changes to the Asia Pacific team, with Deb Corbett appointed to the position of CEO APAC. After seven years with PONANT and 30 years in the industry, Corbett is perfectly placed to take on the key role in the Asia Pacific region.

Deb Corbett will be ably assisted by the experienced PONANT management team, including Maxime Farrenq, who has been appointed COO; Julie Rogers, Director of Sales and whose sales portfolio has been extended to include Japan and Hong Kong; David Marionneau who has been appointed to the new role of Director of Maritime Operations; Charles Boutet, Director of Marketing & Communications; Mick Fogg, Director of Expedition & Destination Development; and Helene Delgado, Customer Engagement Director.

Abercrombie & Kent Expands Luxury Expedition Cruises Portfolio for 2025

Set sail for adventure with new voyages to the Galapagos, Iceland and the Faroes

With interest in expedition cruising growing stronger than ever, Abercrombie & Kent has unveiled an enhanced 2025 Luxury Expedition Cruise portfolio, featuring a broader range of destinations and experiences. The company now offers 24 cruises across seven continents and 33 countries. Headlining the lineup is the new Ultimate Galápagos Expedition aboard the adventure yacht Theory from Ecoventura, which is now part of A&K Travel Group, as well as a new island-hopping adventure to explore the wilds of Iceland, the Faroes, Scotland's Shetland Islands and Isle of Skye.

Aranui Cruises Celebrates 40 Years of Adventure in the Marquesas [video]

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A special anniversary sailing || Milestone merchandise || The chance to win a cruise

Aranui Cruises has announced it will mark its 40th anniversary of cargo cruising this year with a series of celebrations culminating in a special birthday cruise in November.

From on Board: Croc spotting in the Kimberley

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Veteran travel journalist and world traveller, Jeremy Bourke, makes his Kimberley debut in style aboard Scenic Eclipse II.

Crocodile or 'logodile'? That is the question on the lips – and the eyes – of everyone in our Zodiac as we focus our attention on a long, dark form floating in the waters of Porosus Creek, in Western Australia’s vast Kimberley region. Unless they’re going in for the kill, these apex predators don’t necessarily show themselves. However, they do like to get some sun on the mudflats in front of the mangroves. But the tide is rising this morning so it’s a race to get far enough up the creek – an odd designation for a body of water that would put most of Australia’s major rivers to shame – to maybe catch one or two napping.

PONANT heading to French Polynesia

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Ponant will offer French Polynesia cruises onboard the 184-passenger Le Jacques Cartier from September 2026 to March 2027. The ship will offer a new 14-day cruise around the region, with details to be announced in due course.

Deepak Chopra aboard SH Diana in New York as Swan Hellenic Announces Two New “Explore & Restore” Cruises in Brazil

Deepak Chopra aboard SH Diana in New York as Swan Hellenic Announces Two New "Explore & Restore" Cruises in Brazil

Swan Hellenic and Chopra respond to accelerating demand and sold-out cruises by launching two new exclusive "Explore & Restore" voyages set to sail the coast of Brazil.

Two dead five missing in Danube river boat collision

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A collision between a river cruise vessel and a private pleasure craft on the Danube River near the town of Verőce, near Budapest, has resulted in the confirmed deaths of two, while another five are listed as missing.

In a report published by ABC News, citing Hungarian public television station M1, it stated that the cruise boat, the 109m 110-passenger Heidelberg, did not stop after the collision and police are trying to determine if it was aware of the collision with the smaller pleasure boat.

The deadly accident comes five years after at least 27 people were killed in Budapest when the river cruise boat, Viking Sigyn, collided with a smaller tourist vessel, sinking it in seconds.

Image: Heidelberg cruising near Budapest in 2012 (Kereszturi Lászlóné photo - CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED)

 

Abercrombie & Kent Launches Peru Riverboat

Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group today announces the launch of its new Peruvian riverboat. Set to embark on its maiden voyage in April 2025, the boat is the company's first riverboat in South America, offering guests an extraordinary journey onboard an elegantly designed vessel into the region's most secluded wonders. The name of this special vessel will be announced shortly.

Swan Hellenic Cruise Guests Among First to Experience 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

 

Guests aboard Swan Hellenic's boutique expedition cruise ship SH Diana were among the first in the world to witness the 2024 total eclipse of the sun. Grouped in the comfort of spacious decks, they enjoyed an immersive private experience with open views across the Gulf of California.

Yesterday at just past 11 o'clock PDT, as the Swan Hellenic boutique expedition cruise ship SH Diana was sailing down the Gulf of California, it's lucky guests were immersed in one of the longest total solar eclipses in recent years. At approximately 4 minutes and 25 seconds, today's total eclipse was almost double that of The Great American Eclipse of 21 August 2017, and the last visible from the USA until 2044. What's more, SH Diana's guests were quite possibly the first people in the world to see it.

Aurora Expeditions adds third small ship, Douglas Mawson

Aurora Expeditions, the award-winning Australian-owned expedition travel company, is excited to announce that it will soon welcome its third purpose-built small expedition ship, Douglas Mawson to its family of pioneering vessels.

New Small-Ship Cruise Itineraries and Charters in Alaska

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New Small-Ship Cruise Itineraries and Charters Offer Extraordinary Exploration Opportunities in Alaska

AdventureSmith Explorations is offering new experiences in rarely visited areas for travelers to have diverse wildlife encounters and view dramatic scenery

From On Board Reef Prince: Water, Water Everywhere

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To the sound of a dozen jet engines on full throttle, I look up almost 100 metres vertically to see thousands of tonnes of water crashing down onto the rocks almost at my feet. The water hits the bottom with such force, it generates a wind tunnel of supercharged mist blasting out across the surface of the King George River, creating its own micro-climate within the ancient sandstone amphitheatre.

From On Board Reef Prince: The Way of the Wandjina

The Kimberley is full of surprises, mysteries, tragedies and more than a few controversies.  

One of the persistent debates is that which concerns the abundant rock art that proliferates throughout Australia's North West. Is it the oldest rock art in the world? Is it all of the same origin? What art was produced by which ethnic groups? The arguments continue.

From On Board Reef Prince: Under a watchful gaze

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(c) Silvia Furtwangler

Like a stealthy submarine running at periscope depth, he eyes us suspiciously. All we see from the front of the tender are two yellow baubles and a slender trail of spiny scales receding into the murky water. Then, just as surreptitiously, he slides silently below the surface and is gone. Gone, to our gaze at least.

From On Board Reef Prince: Atlantis Rises

As the enormous tide falls, the structure appears to rise like the lost Atlantis. Water cascades down channels formed in the coral substrate over millennia creating a sight not repeated anywhere else on the planet.

Turtles, sharks, rays and predatory fish congregate in the gutters while wading birds gorge themselves on the sealife momentarily left stranded by the receding ocean.

Montgomery Reef is truly one of the wonders of any Kimberley cruise and regardless of who you choose to cruise with, this amazing disappearing reef will be a feature of that itinerary.

Our expedition leader aboard Reef Prince, Paul Hogger, has chosen a dawn exploration of the reef due to the rare coincidence of a full moon to complement the rising sun, creating a superb pastel hue on the facing escarpment.

Montgomery Reef was named by that hero of Australia's Northwest, Philip Parker King, in honour of his ship's surgeon, Dr Andrew Montgomery, who was speared in the shoulder during an interaction with the Worora people. Despite his grave wounds, Montgomery survived.

"Montgomery Reef is the largest inshore reef in the southern hemisphere," Paul tells us, "Sixty kilometres by forty kilometres with a total area of 550 square kilometres. That's at low tide. But at high tide, it's just 40 square kilometres."

This phenomenon occurs because way back when sea levels were much lower, the reef was actually a flat top mesa. When sea levels rose, the level perfectly aligned with the top of the mesa.

By the way, an enigmatic tribe of about 300 individuals once lived on the small islands within the reef complex itself. Known as the Yawijibaya, they were genetically distinct from mainland Aboriginals and adults of the tribe were known to be more than seven feet tall. Contact was first established in the 1920s, but within the decade they had vanished leaving behind their implements and dwellings. A mystery that persists to this day.

Ruby Falls (RE)

The balance of the morning was spent exploring the idyllic Ruby Falls, a favourite freshwater swimming hole and photo opportunity accessed via a spirited tender ride along Red Cone Creek.

I'm aboard the 36-passenger Reef Prince, the sole vessel of Kimberley Expeditions, for their 12-day Broome to Darwin itinerary.

For more details on cruising in the Kimberley, contact Kimberley Expeditions. 

Main Pic: Paul Hogger / Kimberley Expeditions

From On Board Reef Prince: Fish On!

"I'm on!" comes the cry from Polly, as the tip of the fishing rod bends violently towards the water. It's a big fish and Polly, all 63 kilograms of him, strains at the reel as the prize catch tries to pull him into the turbid waters.

From On Board Reef Prince in the Kimberley

Followers of this blog will know I have travelled with several of the best-known small ship operators in the Kimberley and even worked as an expedition guide for part of the 2022 season.

Win a Wendy Wu Mekong Cruise

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Picture yourself indulging in breathtaking riverscapes as you cruise down one of Asia's most vibrant waterways.

The ecological crisis no one is talking about

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Unless you’ve you been tuning in to some of the more erudite media channels, you probably have no idea about the crisis unfolding in polar and sub-polar regions. The cruise companies certainly are not talking about it.

Hurtigruten goes all-inclusive

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HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions), announced plans to further enhance their onboard guest offering. As part of a phased approach, starting with Antarctica and Galápagos expeditions in October 2024, they will be introducing an 'all-inclusive' offering as standard across the whole fleet from November 2024, covering all destinations.

Journey with one of the world’s smallest cruise lines through the wild isles, lochs and canals of Scotland

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One of the world’s smallest cruise lines, Lord of the Glens, which operates an elegant, boutique vessel of the same name inspired by the Royal Yacht Britannia, offers lovers of ‘slow travel’ an intimate journey through the wild and far-flung isles, lochs, canals and highlands of Scotland. And to help more Australians get onboard the classic, 52-guest Lord of the Glens, for the unique experience, Australian small ship cruising specialist, Cruise Traveller, is offering a saving of £200 British pounds per person for bookings made by September 6, 2024.

Albatros Expeditions to christen Ocean Albatros

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Albatros Expeditions, a leading name in polar exploration and adventure travel, proudly announced the christening ceremony of their latest state-of-the-art vessel, the Ocean Albatros. The event is taking place on 7 May 2024 at Nordre Tolbod, in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Swan Hellenic Announces Deep Arctic Northern Lights Specials

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Swan Hellenic continues to entice adventurous, curious minds with its expert-curated, cultural expedition cruises, this time announcing details of four exceptional “Northern Lights Voyages” across the Arctic aboard its luxurious ice-class vessel SH Vega.

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji Offers Early Bird Savings on Unforgettable Expeditions to Tonga and Samoa

Expedition cruise specialists of the Pacific Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has launched limited time early bird savings on its highly sought after voyages to Tonga and Samoa onboard small ship MS Caledonian Sky set to depart in August 2024 and March 2025. 

AdventureSmith's New Indonesian Sailing Route

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A new sailing route in Indonesia offered by AdventureSmith Explorations, the leader in small-ship adventure cruising, is giving expedition travelers more opportunities to explore and immerse themselves in Indonesian culture and its distinct wildlife experiences. Aboard either the 24-guest Ombak Putih or 12-guest Katharina traditional Indonesian sailing vessels, the 9-day trip sets sail from and returns to Flores Island between April and August. The perfect introduction to Indonesia, the compact yet robust itinerary gets active travelers up close and personal with Komodo dragons, whale sharks and volcanic islands, while also connecting them with the people living and working in local villages.

Cruising the Mekong with Jayavarman

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The Mekong has nourished Southeast Asian civilisations for millennia. Roderick Eime traces the course of history.

Considered by many early explorers to be among the wildest rivers on the planet, the 4350km Mekong (Mother of Water) is the 12th longest river in the world and the seventh longest in Asia. Its daunting rapids and narrow, raging gorges thwarted the colonial French as much as the turbulent politics that festered along its banks.

APT and Seabourn enter new charter agreement

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Seabourn and APT will enter into a "multi-year partnership" and will charter two ships next year saying they will expand focus on expedition cruising.

New vessel annouced for Antarctica21

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Antarctic expedition cruise line, Antarctica21, will construct a new vessel to be called, Magellan Discoverer, and will join its fleet for the 2026-27 Antarctic season.

Heritage Line to pause operations on Upper Mekong

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Heritage Line’s much anticipated Upper Mekong itineraries aboard the brand new luxury vessel, Anouvong, launched in August, have been interrupted due to “demanding conditions”.

Travel Advisors: Win a FAM Place to Antarctica with Quark Expeditions

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Quark Expeditions, the Leader in Polar Adventures, is taking 10 dedicated Travel Advisors on an all-encompassing Antarctic FAM trip as part of its Great Polar Sweepstakes, which runs February 1 to May 31, 2024. Winners of the points-based incentive will join the 11-day Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent voyage in November 2024.

PASPALEY PEARL by PONANT open for business

The newly announced collaboration between PONANT and PASPALEY have announced their dedicated website and booking centre are officially open for their 2025 inaugural year of sailing.

Expedition Cruising News from Atlas Ocean Voyages

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Atlas Ocean Voyages , the leader in yacht expedition cruising, is excited to highlight the 2024 Arctic Season featuring two yachts in the region for the first time. World Traveller and World Navigator will sail 11 expeditions ranging from 7 to 12 nights, exploring the captivating Arctic region with departures from Tromso, Oslo , Longyearbyen, Reykjavik , and Kangerlussuaq. Enjoy the convenience of inclusive charter jet air service from either New York John F. Kennedy International Airport or Oslo Gardermoen Airport on select expeditions.

Swan Hellenic unveils 2025 worldwide expedition cruises

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New itineraries bring rich cultural and wild ecosystem discovery opportunities across West Africa, the Mediterranean and Latin America, as well as the Arctic and Antarctic.

Tick off your Bucket List with Aurora

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Aurora Expeditions is excited to share the 2024 'Go Wild With Your Bucket List' e-book, created to inspire travellers to seek out new and exciting experiences as they plan their upcoming adventures.

National Geographic Orion Returns to the Mediterranean in 2025

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Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic says National Geographic Orion will return to the Mediterranean in 2025 with four brand-new expeditions that explore this storied region like never before. Aboard this elegant, 53-cabin ship, travelers will discover familiar destinations like Turkey, Greece, and Croatia from a new perspective as they visit historic islands and lesser-known ports of call alongside a renowned team of naturalists, historians, and photographers. Learn more about these vibrant voyages that strike the ideal balance between iconic sights and quieter coastal gems.

New for 2024 are these Ultra-luxe, seven-night Kimberley expedition cruises

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Book by the cabin or charter the whole yacht

Launch savings of 15 per cent – book by February 29, 2021

Australian superyacht specialist, YOTSPACE, has announced the debut this year of the first catamaran to cruise in the Kimberley – a brand new, ultra-luxe vessel carrying just eight guests that can be booked by the cabin or as a private charter.

Explore The Coast of West Africa

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Anyone who has done some travel throughout the African continent knows well how difficult visiting multiple countries can be. Unlike the Americas or Europe, intercontinental travel in Africa is typically not only much more costly but also ill-fated by inconvenient and lengthy flight options. Imagine my surprise (and delight) when I discovered a unique, new way to add a few African countries to the ‘done’ list with the HX Hurtigruten Expeditions West Africa Archipelago Cruise.

100 Years of #ExpeditionCruising for One Remarkable Small Ship

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Spectacular slow cruise voyages to Baja California and Alaska with AdventureSmith Explorations offer unmatched experiences and a chance to be part of 'Westward's' history

Bookings to open for overnight cruises on Australia's first five star riverboat

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Bookings to open early February for the launch in 2025 of Australia’s first five-star overnight river cruises

Savings and bonuses for earlybird bookings made by February 29, 2024

PODCAST: #ExpeditionCruising on ABC Radio

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Expedition Cruising editor, Roderick Eime, is back on air talking about his favourite subject with guest presenter, Dominic Knight on the nationally broadcast program, Nightlife. Tune in now:
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/nightlife/nightlife-travel-expedition-cruising/103311226

PONANT opens Kimberley 2025 season with 18 departures from May to September

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PONANT, a world leader in luxury expeditions, has launched their 2025 Kimberley season with 18 departures available to book between May and September 2025. PONANT promises an added layer of enrichment with Le Jacques-Cartier returning to the region in 2025 for the second year after her inaugural season in the Kimberley in 2024, alongside renowned sistership Le Soléal sailing 10-night ‘Australia’s Iconic Kimberley’ itineraries between Broome and Darwin.

Save up to $2000 on your Kimberley cruise expedition

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Expedition Cruise Specialists is offering savings of $2,000 per couple on Reef Prince’s Kimberley Waterfalls expedition, departing Broome on 23rd March 2024.