Coral Princess II - Small Ship Great Barrier Reef Cruise Review

July 31, 2008

Cruise Review – Coral Princess II; Coral Princess & Captain Cook Cruises

4 day/3 night small ship cruise from Cairns, QLD to Townsville QLD (Australia) on the Great Barrier Reef.

Background – We were in Australia from mid-June to mid-July. We began our holiday in far north Queensland with a week in Palm Cove. We needed to be in Melbourne by July 1st for a large family reunion and 50th wedding celebration of my DW’s parents. We had a few days between our week in Palm Cove and our trip south to “wintery” Melbourne. In searching for something different for a few days, I researched small ship cruising on the Great Barrier Reef and found the Coral Princess Cruise Line that was offering 3, 4, and 7 day small ship cruises. Their 4 day cruise from Cairns to Townsville fit our schedule perfectly.

Day 1 – Saturday, 28 June 2008 –

We were advised to meet the ship at Trinity Wharf #2 in Cairns on the harbor and that boarding could begin around 10:30 AM for a scheduled 11:00 AM departure. Our driver from Palm Cove pulled onto the pier property around 10:10 and circled the pier buildings to the water side where we saw the CPII docked. She was rather small, just 115 feet in length with three passenger decks – a far cry from the typical Royal Caribbean ship of 1,000 plus feet and 10 or 11 or more decks. We unloaded our bags next to a group of about 15 or so waiting passengers. I went to the check in stand where one of the ship’s staff cheerfully welcomed us and helped us fill in our boarding pass information (no online check-in here). Our bags were promptly tagged and taken shipside where they disappeared onboard within a few minutes. We then waited as a couple of more taxis dropped off additional couples and families for check-in.

At about 10:25 there was a welcoming announcement stating that we were welcome to board at our leisure and to check with the purser to confirm our cabin assignments. The ship has a passenger capacity of just 46 and there were only 32 or so passengers on this trip. It turned out that there were a few passengers that were doing a b-2-b as they had done the earlier 3 day cruise that was just ended and they were staying onboard for our four days. At check in they explained the payment system (no cash or credit cards – all items would be charged to the room). The billing system was manual like many country club systems but the nice thing was that each time you purchased a chargeable item, the running total for your cabin was posted on the computer generated signature slip.

We had two cabins on the lower main deck. This deck also housed the galley and main dining room and lower bar/lounge. The 2nd deck was all cabins and the wheelhouse/bridge. The third deck was the upper lounge on the front half of the ship and a partly covered sun deck with a spa on the back half of deck. The layout was quite efficient and comfortable. The cabins were mostly two twin beds with a built-in luggage compartment and a large drawer under each bed – trundle style. The bedding was very nice and quite comfortable. The bathrooms were actually larger than many found on the large ships. Our cabins had big showers, full sinks with a vanity and a toilet.

The dining room consisted of four built-in booths on either side of the ship and several tables setup for six in the center. Meals were served buffet style but more on the food and meal service later.

Upon boarding there was morning tea service (remember – you are in Australia) that included tea, coffee, muffins and breads and some fruit. At 11:00 we gathered for a welcome by Captain Adam and his crew along with the mandatory safety orientation (muster drill) and then departed the port of Cairns on our way the Thetford Reef for our first day on the reef. The weather was fair with partly cloudy conditions. The biggest problem was that there was an onshore wind from the southeast that was averaging a steady 20 – 25 knots and had been present all week. We had been watching the weather and hoping for a drop in the winds by Saturday but it was not to be. Our trip to the reef was approximately 3 ½ hours and it soon became a rock and roll show. Lunch was served shortly past noon and most of the passengers were able to enjoy their meal. Following lunch there was a safety and information briefing about our first reef stop and in-water activities.

We arrived at Thetford reef and the activities began with a great snorkeling and swimming platform on the back of the boat. The platform served two purposes as it also housed the ships glass bottom boat/tender as well. After the first glass bottom tour left with the marine biologist, the platform was left in the lower position for the snorkelers and scuba divers. All equipment, including masks, fins, wet suits and flotation vests were provided at no cost. In addition to the snorkelers on board, the cruise also offered an intro to scuba program at no cost to all non-certified divers. About a dozen passengers tried the program and while a few dropped out during the skills orientation, there were six or seven of us, myself and DS (15) included, who went for our first dives. I must say that Olaf, our diving instructor, was very thorough and patient with everyone that wanted to try diving. He followed all of the PADI procedures and used their training and orientation aids in his introductory presentations.

Following the completion of the water activities, we departed the Thetford reef around 4:30 PM and headed for the ship’s overnight anchorage area further south in the reef system. Unfortunately, with the winds and see swells of nearly 3 meters (10 feet) about half of the passengers didn’t make it to the captain’s seafood buffet dinner at 7:30. Perhaps the complimentary champagne served to all on the upper deck prior to dinner contributed to the fallout. To their credit, there were cups of motion sickness pills and ginger lozenges sitting on the Purser’s counter available to all at any time.

Dinner was a seafood buffet that was good as anything I’ve experienced on a large cruise ship. The fare included split rock lobsters, pacific oysters on the half shell, large fresh prawns (shrimp), along with a medley of cold salads and vegetables. Dinner started with the staff serving a bowl of pumpkin soup with garlic croutons and cream and then the passengers were invited to the buffet on a table-by-table basis. Drinks and a small selection of very acceptable Australian wines were readily available at a reasonable extra cost.

We anchored near Nathan Reef about 9 PM. The overnight anchorage helped to diminish the rocking motion to a very relaxing and sleep inducing gentle motion.

Day 2 - Sunday, June 29, 2008 –

Continental breakfast was available in the dining room at 7:30 and a full hot buffet breakfast was available at 8:00 AM. The buffet included 4 types of cereal. 3 breads for toast, 5 juices, fried eggs, bacon, baked beans, hash brown potato squares, pancakes and sausages plus hot tea and coffee.

At 9:00 AM the day’s activities started with Trip/Cruise Director Denis taking the first group of passengers on a glass bottom boat tour of the reef area where we were moored. Olaf, the Dive Master and Instructor, coordinated the certified divers and the first-timers on the back deck. He had held an orientation session for first-timers the prior afternoon. Following about two hours of in-water activities, Denis brought a tank of animals and corals onboard for a close-up view and touch experience. There was also a fish feeding off of the dive platform which brought hungry fish by the hundreds for a free meal, including Wally, a very large Hump Nosed Maori Wrasse who reportedly comes to the ship every week when it’s at the reef. Based on the size of Wally, he never seems to miss a free meal! By noon, all of the divers and snorkelers were back onboard and we headed south for Dunk Island.

During our cruise to Dunk, we enjoyed another great luncheon buffet and Denis presented a slide show about a lot of the marine life we had seen or would see during the cruise. Olaf reviewed the morning’s diving with everyone and addressed questions and issues from all of the passengers. We arrived at Dunk Island around 4:00 PM and anchored a couple hundred yards off shore. The glass bottom boat became our tender ashore where we took a short bush walk through the rainforest to the Dunk Island resort where we had an hour or so explore and have a drink at the resort’s open air bar.

The glass bottom picked us up on the resort beach around 5:30 and everyone was back onboard in two trips. Following our return everyone freshened up and met on the upper lounge for pre-dinner drinks. At 6:45, Denis gathered all of us to recap the day and outline Monday’s activities. It was nice to have the crew join us for a libation and to talk one-on-one with us. At 7:00 PM, we were invited to the dining room for another mouth watering dinner by Chef Gael.

Day 3 – Monday, June 30, 2008 -

We spent the previous night anchored in the Hinchinbrook Channel where the water was very flat and calm. It almost seemed as though we were on land it was so quiet sleeping while at anchor. Denis provided an early morning brief for the early risers and continental breakfast was offered at 6:30 AM. The anchor was raised at 6:00 AM sharp as we needed to clear a sandbar at the south end of the channel by 7:00 AM. Being on the lower deck and forward, we did get to experience the wake-up call of the anchor being raised each day. After the second day, however, it became more bearable and we were able to continue sleeping for another hour or so. The Channel separates the island from the continent is more like a river than an ocean channel according to the Captain. Hinchinbrook Island was reportedly used for some background scenes in the Jurassic Park movie.

Our destination for the day was Pelorus Island, the northernmost island in the Palm Island chain and just a stone’s throw from the very exclusive and private Orpheus Island. We were anchored by 9:00 AM and the transfer to the island was completed in about a half hour. The crew went first as they took all of the supplies for our barbeque lunch ashore first, along with several of the crew. Our BBQ chef for the day was not Chef Gael, but Captain Adam!

We were scheduled to stay on the island until 2:30 PM. There was snorkeling from shore and diving from shore. In addition to the glass bottom boat, the crew also maintained a zodiac which was used to monitor everyone in the water. The safety precautions and sign-in/sign-out process when leaving or re-boarding the ship were excellent.

Captain Adam’s BBQ lunch was served around noon and was a great feast. We enjoyed grilled fish, kangaroo skewers (delicious – less fat than beef!), beef steaks, Aussie sausages, salads, rolls, roasted potato wedges, and more, including free sodas, beer and wine for the day while on the beach.

The highlight of the day (or so we thought at the time) was a couple of whales that were spotted in the distance when the morning beach walk took place. A couple of humpback whales were observed in the distance heading to the easterly side of the island. Unfortunately, we were on the westerly side facing the channel between Pelorus and Orpheus Islands. Later that morning, as the first diving group was at water’s edge getting suited up, a pair of humpbacks breached several times in the channel just off the beach. They couldn’t have been more than 150 feet from shore and immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. Since I was suiting up to dive, I didn’t have my good camera with me but I took a couple of shots with the underwater camera that I had for diving. I’ll know if I got the whales after the film is developed (yes, they still make film cameras!!!).

We finished the afternoon on Pelorus Island and returned to the Coral Princess II around 2:30 – 2:45 PM. We cruised the rest of the afternoon to our overnight anchorage near Rattlesnake Island. The day concluded with a pre-dinner drink on the upper lounge and a fabulous dinner from the galley wizard, Chef Gael. This was roast night and the offerings included four roasts – turkey, pork, lamb, and beef. Add to that the veggies, potatoes and sauces and it was a real feast. Add soup and salads along with dessert and some wine and the dinner service was one to remember.

Following dinner was the post-dinner discussion by Denis along with his cruise quiz for all of us. The questions were about the topics discussed during the bush and beach walks along with the fish feedings and marine life presentations. The quiz ended in a dead heat and it took three tie-breakers to determine a winning team. Following the quiz, it was time to organize the luggage (packing up) and settle the accounts with Purser Vicki.

Day 4 – Tuesday, July 1, 2008 –

This morning we cruised past Magnetic Island on our way to port in Townsville. The island gained its name when Captain Cook sailed past it in the 1770’s and his compass reacted to the direction of the island. Legend has it that the compass anomaly was most likely caused by a crewman’s steel sword or cutlass.

The continental breakfast was served at 7:30 and the full buffet was available at 8:00. All of our bags were to be in the hall outside our cabins by 8:00 AM and were moved to the rear deck while we enjoyed breakfast. At 9:00 all passengers were invited to the upper deck for a group photo. The crew happily took everyone’s camera and took group shots of those who ventured up to join in the fun.

We docked in Townsville around 9:30 and by 9:45 all of the bags were off the ship and on the pier. The cruise included a bus shuttle to the airport or to the center of town or to a local hotel for those staying on in town. As we got off the ship, the entire crew of 12 was there to thank us, shake our hands, and wish us well in our future travels.

Summary and Comments –

Small ship cruising is very different from large ship cruising. The environment is obviously much smaller. While the amenities are less than the bigger ships, the personal interface and interaction with the crew on a small ship is great. Other than the rocking and motion we encountered the first day, the ship was very comfortable and accommodating.

The food service was well above average and given the small number of passengers and crew, the chef did a fabulous job with all the meals. While not gourmet fare, I rate the food way above average in quality, variety and ingenuity and outstanding regarding quantity. Soft drinks, beer, wine and all alcoholic drinks were extra. Everything else was included. Tea and coffee were always available.

The cabins were roomy and comfortable. Those on the lower decks definitely heard the anchor in the morning but that was the only distraction or complaint we heard about. Rooms were made up daily but no towel animals, LOL. There are no TV’s in the rooms. There is one set with a DVD player in the upper lounge. The most unusual items with all of the cabins was the no key/no lock system. While at first this seemed strange and caused mild concern, it proved to not be a problem for anyone as there was a safe at the Purser’s desk and for those other things, we lust locked the luggage that was either stored under the beds or in the closet.

The diving and snorkeling was excellent. The rates for diving ranged from $50 to $75 per dive depending upon whether you were certified or not. The price decreased as the number of dives increased. There was no charge for any snorkeling equipment, vests or even wet suits. Being winter in northern Australia, the water temperature was in the 21 – 23 C range (70 – 74 F). While not overly cold, the wetsuits made it much more enjoyable.

There is no entertainment other that the Marine Biologist and Trip Advisor presentations and talks. Also, there are no kid’s programs but there was a great selection of board games in the upper lounge that most of the kids used and played. Also, there is no internet access. Cell phone service came and went depending how close to shore or larger islands we were at any given time. I had a multi-band phone and I had service access about 60 – 70% of the time.

The passenger mix was primarily Americans and Australians. There were 3 or 4 families onboard with kids from around 5 up to teenagers. There were also several couples onboard including an elderly couple in their late 80’s along with a honeymoon couple from Spain. There were also a couple of single women cruisers onboard who appeared to have a wonderful time.

Small ship cruising is somewhat more expensive than big ship cruising but you have a much more hands-on situation. While we will continue to cruise large ships in the future, I would definitely consider another small ship cruise as you can really get up close and personal with the stops and the environment all along the way.

Coral Princess II (from their website) www.coralprincesscruises.com

Very interesting review OHCruisinDad. Snorkling and diving in the Great Barrier Reef - I'm jealous. Looking forward to seeing the pictures Hmmm.... real film, I remember that :eek: !!! Are you having prints made ... or just getting them put on a CD-Rom? :p ;)

Being impatient, and not knowing what the heck a Hump Nosed Maori Wrasse was, I Googled it and Wally's name showed up. So I googled Wally Maori Wrasse and wouldn't you know, he has a web page or two and some

Nice review. Thanks for taking the time to write and post it.

Cheers !!

OMG! I was so excited to read your review. We went on Coral Princess II from Townsville to Cairns while on our honeymoon years ago. The Captain also cooked us a BBQ.

Thanks for the memories!

thanks for that great review! I am dying to do this cruise the next time we go to Australia.

I'm a bit confused on the duration of your cruise. We took the CPII in 2004 from Townsville to Cairns and it was 3 nights. The Cairns to Lizard Island trip is 4 nights. You seem to have them reversed. I recently checked the schedule and it is still 4 nights north to Lizard and 3 south to Townsville.

Our cruise was in March and sadly we really have to say it was a flop. The boat, the crew, the food and everything was great. The Reef - well, we didn't see much and many on the cruise went up to Port Douglas and took a day trip on Quicksilver.

Our problem was weather - very rough seas (and it had been the same for the group that went Cairns to Townsville. The only real calm period was at Hinchinbrook. The final morning we were hoping to see a lot of the Reef from the glass bottom boat but the Honda engine failed and the Zodiac had to be used to push the glass bottom boat into position to be lifted by CPII. It was a very difficult job and the Captain had to do it himself. Of course, as we got back to Cairns the weather suddenly changed and the Ocean was like a sheet of glass it was so smooth.

We are hoping to get back again in the next couple of years and this time might take the 4+3. Our tastes are a bit different I guess. We much preferred the smaller boat to the larger boat. Our only other cruise was on the Statendam to Alaska. While we had a full sized suite we still really enjoyed the environment on the smaller CPII much more. Our 34 year old son travels with us (he has Down Syndrome) and the CPII was able to provide a cabin with a pullman bunk and we were very pleased with it.

We recently noticed that HAL has a repositioning cruise (they don't call it that of course) from Sydney to Vancouver (26 days) and DW thinks it would be great to take it back to Canada. This came about after I tried to sell her on a b2b (that term threw me because in other things I've been involved with it means "business to business") - around AU for 34 days and then on the same ship (Volendam) Sydney to Vancouver. She thinks 60 days would be a bit too much (time and dollars). No doubt her views will win the day. :)

Best regards

GR

I'm a bit confused on the duration of your cruise. We took the CPII in 2004 from Townsville to Cairns and it was 3 nights. The Cairns to Lizard Island trip is 4 nights. You seem to have them reversed. I recently checked the schedule and it is still 4 nights north to Lizard and 3 south to Townsville.

 

Our cruise was in March and sadly we really have to say it was a flop. The boat, the crew, the food and everything was great. The Reef - well, we didn't see much and many on the cruise went up to Port Douglas and took a day trip on Quicksilver.

 

Our problem was weather - very rough seas (and it had been the same for the group that went Cairns to Townsville. The only real calm period was at Hinchinbrook. The final morning we were hoping to see a lot of the Reef from the glass bottom boat but the Honda engine failed and the Zodiac had to be used to push the glass bottom boat into position to be lifted by CPII. It was a very difficult job and the Captain had to do it himself. Of course, as we got back to Cairns the weather suddenly changed and the Ocean was like a sheet of glass it was so smooth.

 

We are hoping to get back again in the next couple of years and this time might take the 4+3. Our tastes are a bit different I guess. We much preferred the smaller boat to the larger boat. Our only other cruise was on the Statendam to Alaska. While we had a full sized suite we still really enjoyed the environment on the smaller CPII much more. Our 34 year old son travels with us (he has Down Syndrome) and the CPII was able to provide a cabin with a pullman bunk and we were very pleased with it.

 

We recently noticed that HAL has a repositioning cruise (they don't call it that of course) from Sydney to Vancouver (26 days) and DW thinks it would be great to take it back to Canada. This came about after I tried to sell her on a b2b (that term threw me because in other things I've been involved with it means "business to business") - around AU for 34 days and then on the same ship (Volendam) Sydney to Vancouver. She thinks 60 days would be a bit too much (time and dollars). No doubt her views will win the day. :)

 

Best regards

 

GR

GR - Our cruise was 4 days and 3 nights from Cairns to Townsville. It's possible that they have changed their itineraries around since you were on the CPII. Sorry to hear of your troubles with the weather. We were also concenred as we had been in Palm Cove for a week prior to our cruise and the onshore winds just wouldn't stop due to a stalled high pressure system off the coast. As indicated, the first day and eveing were farily rough but things did get better as we got into our 2nd day. By the time we got to the Hinchinbrook Channel, it was like being on a small river or lake.

We really enjoyed the small ship and the relaxed and friendly atmosphere on board. Even our kids had a good time as there were a few others on board and there was plenty of activities in the water and onshore for them.

Hope the weather is better if you go it again. The Sydney to Vancouver cruise sounds fabulous. Maybe when the kids are out on their own and we don't have to deal with their school and activitiy schedules we can take a longer cruise holiday.

Cheers, OhCruisinDad

Halfway through a four-day trip on the Coral Princess II it's appropriate to jot down some impressions which might help future guests adjust their expectations.

The staff is very friendly, but oddly enough quite a few of them seem a bit amateurish - and although some of them are trainees, this is no excuse for what becomes a dent in the overall experience. At dinner on the first evening, a fellow guest inquired to one member of staff whether the tap water is drinkable, and he wasn't able to verify before asking a colleague. At lunch on the second day, we were asked to pick from two alternatives for dinner (which was then noted) but when we sat down for that same dinner, we were once again asked to choose?

Until now the dinners have been good: fresh seafood buffet and tasty lamb, but the overall impression does not compare to the fare. Lunch yesterday could have been from a German autobahn cafeteria, and that is simply not accebtable at these prices.

The ship's condition is in serious need of maintenance. The interior look and feel also makes one think of rather old and used highway diners from too many years ago - both in the cabins and the public areas. Once again, at these prices, one would expect higher standards. Especially when comparing to Seabourn, Seadream or Silversea, which are all high-priced cruises, but there everything far exceeds this. Not least the fact that on the Coral Princess II, you are charged for not just wine and beer, but even soft-drinks. Talking about drinks, we were served a most peculiar Dry Martini yesterday evening. At first the friendly guy standing behind the bar apologized for not knowing how to mix it, as he wasn't a bartender (!) and then he fetched a female colleague who seemingly dumped a lot of salty olive preserving liquid into the mix, which didn't exactly improve the outcome.

When signing for these drinks, the tab did not state any prices, so we'll need to double-check our statement at the end of the trip - another small, but irritating detail.

The activities naturally include snorkelling, diving and this morning an offer to join a two-hour walk on Lizard Island. It was advertised last night as very strenuous and would commence at 5:40am - with breakfast at 5am. At first we kind of thought this was a joke, but curiously there were actually a few guests who did go out even though it was pitch black for most of the hard walk. One should definitely not sleep in at any rate - if you arrive at the more "normal" time of breakfast (7:15am) and are half an hour late, they're already clearing out the food.

Two more days at this point, and although we're somewhat surprised at the above mentioned issues, let's see what the final verdict will be when we have been here another couple of days...

Final afternoon, about half an hour after lunch. Sitting in the upper indoor salon and am able to follow the conversation from the downstairs dining room through the PA-system, which somebody forgot to turn off. The amateurs strike again, but at least it's beginning to be entertaining. Lunch was ok - they have been serving different themed menus, and today's Indian inspired chicken with steamed rice was tasty, but again: at these prices, one would expect more to choose from, or at least something that might be slightly more sophisticated. Yesterday's lunch was traditional fish'n'chips; dinner was BBQ with grilled fish, pieces of steak without much taste and kangaroo.

All in all, the impression stays the same. Way overpriced compared to what you can do in the same amount of time for the same amount of money. When hearing from the staff that they are used to having only 20-25 passengers at a time, and even down to just 10-12, it makes me think the management should consider major changes to their plan, if they want to stay in this business. The ship's capacity is 46 pax. So, either lower the fare or improve a whole lot on some of the points mentioned above. On this particular trip, we were 19 guests and I doubt there is going to be any return visitors among us, unfortunately. At least if things continue as now. But who knows? Maybe upcoming reviews following this will prove me wrong. But there's no doubt that choosing between CP II here in the GBR or any of the ships from Seabourn -anywhere- is a very simple calculation if you want value for your money.