Expedition Cruise Specialists winners at 2025 NTIA Awards

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Expedition Cruise Specialists has been named the winner of the 2025 NTIA Escape People’s Choice Award, announced at a gala ceremony in Brisbane on Saturday, 18 October.

New look Yasawa Princess resumes Maldives cruises

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Yasawa Princess’s return to cruising the waters of the Maldives is drawing closer, and Expedition Cruise Specialists has released a teaser as to what guests can expect from the refurbished small ship upon her return to service on 10 November this year. The series of renders, provided to ECS by the ship's owner Deep Blue Holidays, showcase a completely re-imagined vessel that is sure to deliver a real 'wow' factor to guests embarking in Malé at the start of the coming season.

Expedition Ship Review: Swan Hellenic Diana

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In November, we were fortunate to be invited to review Swan Hellenic's newest expedition ship, SH Diana, on an outstanding voyage from Seychelles to the African coast, the ‘Paradise Isles of the Indian Ocean’ . You can read the semi-daily posts below and this ship review for Expedition Cruise Specialists  

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Want to know about small ship cruising in New Zealand?

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Family-owned and operated Expedition Cruise Specialists know New Zealand like nobody else.

Read this story for further information on cruising New Zealand by small ship.

Yasawa Princess to cease operations from May 2025

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The former Blue Lagoon Fiji vessel has been operating in the Maldives for several years and has apparently come to the end of its journey.

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.

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.

Coral Expeditions founder, Tony Briggs, presented with Order of Australia Medal

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Expedition Cruise Specialists' Chairman Tony Briggs OAM received his Order of Australia Medal from Her Excellency the Hon Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM at today's Investiture Ceremony at Government House in Brisbane. Tony was joined at the event by wife Vicki and son James. Congratulations Tony!

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Expedition cruise market powers ahead, says expert, but choosing can be confusing

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Expert analysts and strategists are predicting, or perhaps more accurately 'reinforcing', what the small ship cruise sector has known for years, namely that expedition cruising is arguably the most exciting development in the travel industry right now.

Hurtigruten's new hybrid powered vessels are revolutionising the expedition cruise segment (supplied)

"While nothing lasts forever, the cruise industry – and particularly the ‘expedition cruise' sector – remain on a historic run with no indication of a near-term slowdown," says maritime business strategist, Barry Parker in an article on MarineLink.

Why Small is Big in Antarctica

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Are you ready for your big adventure cruise?



You must be sick of hearing about your friends’ fantastic Antarctic adventures by now, so isn’t it about time you had your own?

Yes, it’s true, there are adventure cruises all around the world now but for most people, it’s Antarctica that sets the heart racing and is your first taste of true wilderness. The great empty white continent is the coldest, windiest, driest, least inhabited continent on the planet and hardly seems like an ideal holiday destination. Well, I’m about to tell you Antarctica is the sort of place you DON’T go for a holiday - but instead, for the most rewarding, enlightening and enriching adventure experience you will ever have.

READ FULL STORY AT: Expedition Cruise Specialists

Oceanwide launches Polar Class 6 Hondius

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 It's been a very exciting week for polar cruising enthusiasts, with the launch of the the m/v Hondius. Two years in the making, Hondius recently sailed from the Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia to her Dutch homeport of Vlissingen, home of her owner Oceanwide Expeditions. After a gala welcome ceremony on 03 June 2019 it was time for the inaugural guests to board before setting off on her maiden voyage to the Arctic.