I'll be honest with you — the first time I looked up Kimberley cruise prices I nearly closed the tab. But after spending a week researching what's actually included and talking to people who'd done the trip, the numbers started to make a different kind of sense. Here's what I found out about Coral Princess Cruises specifically, so you can go in with clear eyes.
What Does a Coral Princess Kimberley Cruise Actually Cost?
Coral Princess Cruises operates small-ship expeditions along the Kimberley coast aboard vessels like the Coral Adventurer and Coral Geographer. For the 2024–2025 season, their Kimberley itineraries ranged from roughly $14,000 to $22,000 per person depending on cabin category, departure date, and itinerary length. Most of their core Kimberley voyages run between 10 and 14 nights.
That price point puts them in the premium-expedition tier — not ultra-luxury like Ponant, but well above budget-style barging. For Western Australia's remote northwest, where logistics alone are an enormous undertaking, it's a considered spend rather than a splurge for its own sake.
Cabin Categories and Price Tiers
- Twin Share Interior Cabin: Entry-level pricing, typically sitting at the lower end of the range. Smaller windows or portholes, but you spend very little time in your cabin on an expedition cruise.
- Twin Share Oceanview: A meaningful step up in natural light and comfort. Mid-range pricing, popular with couples and repeat travellers.
- Balcony Stateroom: The most sought-after category. Private balcony access in the Kimberley — where sunrises over red rock gorges are a daily occurrence — is genuinely worth the premium. Expect to pay in the upper range of the scale.
- Solo Cabins: Coral Princess has made an effort to accommodate solo travellers with dedicated single cabins. A single supplement applies but it's lower than on many comparable operators — typically 50–75 per cent rather than a full double fare.
Early-Bird and Loyalty Discounts
Booking more than 12 months out often unlocks a saving of 5–10 per cent on base fares. Coral Princess also offers a returning-passenger discount, so if you've cruised with them before — say, on their reef routes departing from Coral Bay — it's worth asking what loyalty pricing applies before you commit to the full published rate.
What's Included in the Fare
This is where the headline price starts to justify itself. Unlike ocean liner cruising, where onboard spending can easily double your costs, Coral Princess bundles most of the expedition experience into the base fare.
- All meals onboard, including a rotating menu with locally-sourced produce where possible
- House wines, beer, soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages with dinner
- All guided shore excursions — Horizontal Falls, Mitchell Falls, the Bungle Bungles fly-in (itinerary-dependent), and swimming in freshwater gorges
- Zodiac tender transfers to beaches, gorges, and rock art sites
- Snorkelling equipment
- Onboard expedition team, including a resident naturalist
- Port taxes and most national park fees
The Tourism Western Australia Kimberley guide gives a useful overview of just how inaccessible much of this coastline is independently — which helps contextualise why a packaged expedition fare reflects genuine logistical value.
What's Not Included
Premium wines and spirits beyond the house pours, any optional scenic flights (helicopter joyrides over the Horizontal Falls, for instance, are charged separately and typically run $300–$600 per person), laundry, gratuities, and pre- or post-cruise accommodation. Pre-cruise hotel nights in Darwin or Broome can add a few hundred dollars each, and it's worth building that into your overall budget from the start.
How to Budget Beyond the Cruise Fare
Most Kimberley cruises depart from either Darwin or Broome and return to the other. That means you'll need to factor in flights to your departure port and home from your arrival port, plus at least one night's accommodation at each end.
Getting There from Perth or Further South
If you're based in Western Australia's southwest — or planning to combine this trip with a visit to Perth — budget for internal flights to Broome or Darwin. Perth to Broome with Qantas or Virgin typically runs $300–$600 return depending on the season, though booking during the May–September Kimberley season means you're competing with high demand. Some travellers pair a Kimberley cruise with a stopover in the southwest wine country — Margaret River is well worth a few days before or after — which can make the overall trip feel more rounded and justify the long-haul from the eastern states.
Broome as a Base
Broome is the most common departure or arrival point for Coral Princess Kimberley itineraries. A single night at a mid-range property in Cable Beach or town will set you back $200–$350. If you arrive a day early — which I'd strongly recommend to avoid any flight-delay stress before embarkation — budget for two nights and use the time to explore Cable Beach at low tide or the pearl lugger museums on Dampier Terrace.
Is It Worth the Price? An Honest Assessment
The honest answer depends on what you're comparing it to. If you're a traveller who typically books independent itineraries and self-drives national parks, the price can feel confronting. But the Kimberley coast is a fundamentally different beast. The Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions manages vast sections of this coastline, and independent access to many of the key sites — particularly the offshore islands, the upper King George River, and the more remote rock art galleries — is either impossible without a vessel or subject to strict permit requirements.
For travellers who value remote wilderness, rich cultural context from the onboard guides, and the practical comfort of a small ship rather than camping rough, Coral Princess offers a well-run product in a genuinely extraordinary setting.
Comparing Value Across the Market
Coral Princess sits in a competitive middle ground. Their ships are newer and purpose-built for Australian expedition conditions, their itineraries tend to be slightly shorter than some overseas expedition operators (which keeps prices more accessible), and their crew-to-passenger ratios are reasonable. If budget is tight, their shorter 10-night itineraries offer a legitimate taste of the Kimberley without committing to a 14-night fare. The tradeoff is fewer remote sites and less time at each location.
Practical Tips Before You Book
Call them rather than booking online if you have specific questions about cabin allocation — the reservations team is generally responsive and can confirm what's in the specific cabin category you're considering rather than leaving you to interpret deck-plan diagrams. Also ask about the specific departure date's itinerary in detail, as Kimberley programs can vary slightly between sailings depending on tidal conditions and seasonal park access. Travel insurance with comprehensive medical and evacuation cover is non-negotiable for remote Australian expedition travel — standard domestic policies often don't cover helicopter retrieval from a vessel at sea off the Kimberley coast, so read the PDS carefully before purchasing. Finally, book as early as you can: Coral Princess Kimberley voyages regularly sell out 12 to 18 months ahead, and the cabin categories most travellers want — balconies and solo cabins — go first.
