Following successful delivery of the sister ship Coral Adventurer in 2019, Australia-based Coral Expeditions ordered a second VARD 6 01 Expedition Cruise Vessel as part of its fleet expansion. 

The brand new Coral Geographer is now ready to sail, arriving from Vard Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam. Unlike many of the cruise ships that have been delivered in the past year, due to its size and unique operations, the new ship will be able to enter service at the end of this month. Its first maiden voyage with passengers will start from Cairns, Queensland, at the end of March.

The vessel’s VARD 6 01 design was developed by Vard Design in Norway in close cooperation with the customer. It has been specially tailored for personalized expedition cruises to remote and exotic destinations in Asia and Oceania. Coral Geographer is 93.7 metres long in total, with a beam of 17.2 metres. It has accommodation capacity for 120 guests. The on-board environment is geared for daily shore expeditions, lectures, and briefings, while finished to a high standard of comfort.

The vessel features public areas with ample open deck space. Staterooms with generous, open balconies occupy over half of the total vessel area. Original artwork sourced from indigenous communities in Australia visited by the company’s fleet grace the interiors. 

“This is the second ship we are building with VARD. We are pleased with the result. We would like to place on record our deep appreciation for the professionalism and commitment of all the VARD staff involved in this project. » commented Mark Fifield, Group General Manager of Coral Expeditions

Fredrik Hessen, General Manager of VARD’s Offshore and Specialized Vessels business unit said: “We highly appreciate the great cooperation between Coral Expeditions and VARD. Together we have developed two excellent vessels for exciting adventures. We wish Coral Expeditions all the best and look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.”

Photo: Vard