Which style of Kimberley cruise is right for you?

If fishing is something you’re excited about, tell us from the beginning.

Not every Kimberley cruise offers fishing, and on the ships that do, how much you’ll get to fish can vary.

Some of the smaller vessels make it quite a big part of the expedition experience. If conditions are right, you might head out with a guide and try your luck for barramundi or some of the other species found in these waters. On other ships, fishing may be offered occasionally rather than being a major focus. And some don’t offer it at all.

So if you’re imagining yourself catching a barramundi while you’re in the Kimberley, don’t assume you’ll be able to do it on every ship. For a keen angler, this could be one of the first things I’d use to narrow down the options.

Read our guide to fishing on a Kimberley cruise.

Every Kimberley expedition will have guides, but expedition teams aren’t all the same. Some ships travel with specialist naturalists, marine biologists, geologists, historians and other experts who can add another layer to what you’re seeing.

And in the Kimberley, there is so much to understand. You can stand in front of an extraordinary rock formation and think it’s beautiful. But when someone explains how it was formed, what the tides are doing around you and why the landscape looks the way it does, you start seeing things differently.

The same applies to wildlife, plants, history and culture.

If you’re naturally curious and love coming home from a holiday feeling as though you’ve learnt something, I’d pay quite a bit of attention to the expedition team when choosing your ship.

For many people, seeing the Kimberley’s ancient rock art is one of the experiences they’re most looking forward to.

But simply seeing “rock art visit” on an itinerary doesn’t tell you very much. The Kimberley is home to extraordinary Gwion Gwion and Wandjina rock art, and the sites you visit can vary between ships and itineraries. Access can also depend on tides, conditions and local permissions. So if this is particularly important to you, I’d want to know more than whether rock art is included.

Which sites might you visit? Who will be guiding you? And what will the experience actually be like?

Having someone knowledgeable there to explain what you’re looking at can make an enormous difference.

Yes, you can swim in the Kimberley. No, you can’t just jump over the side of the ship whenever you feel like it!

It’s an important distinction.

This is a remote, wild environment with enormous tides and marine wildlife (crocodiles), so your expedition team will always determine when and where it is safe to swim.

Depending on your itinerary and the conditions, there may be opportunities to swim in beautiful freshwater pools and waterholes. 

And on a hot Kimberley day, they can be absolutely glorious.

But if swimming is one of the experiences you’re really looking forward to, tell us. Other cruise companies do not offer swimming opportunities at all, so it’s important to understand what is available to you.

Read more about swimming on a Kimberley cruise.

I love a balcony. But I also don’t think everyone needs one.

When we first started specialising in the Kimberley, balconies on genuine expedition ships were pretty unusual. Today, there are more options, including smaller ships with private balconies. There are definitely times when they’re lovely to have. If you’re sharing with a friend, the extra space can be fantastic. And there’s something very special about stepping outside first thing in the morning with a coffee and seeing the Kimberley right in front of you.

But here’s the thing. You’re probably not coming to the Kimberley to sit in your cabin. You’ll spend a lot of time exploring, and when you’re onboard there are usually plenty of outdoor spaces to enjoy the scenery.

So unless private outdoor space is really important to you, I’d put a balcony in the “lovely to have” rather than “must-have” category. If it is a must-have, that’s absolutely fine — it just helps us narrow down the ship choices straight away.

This is another one where I’d ask yourself how much you’re actually going to use it.

Some of the newer Kimberley ships have beautiful pools. Others have plunge pools or spas. Many of the smaller vessels don’t have one at all.

Would I reject an otherwise perfect Kimberley ship because it didn’t have a pool? Personally, no.

If I had to choose between a pool and a ship that gave me the expedition experience I really wanted, I’d choose the expedition.

But that’s my priority.

You might love the idea of coming back from a hot morning exploring, jumping into the pool and spending the afternoon cooling off with a drink nearby. If that’s part of how you picture your holiday, then a pool suddenly becomes much more important.

Now we’re getting to one of my favourites. Seeing the vastness from the ship is one things, but Seeing the Kimberley from a helicopter is extraordinary. 

One of my favourite Kimberley memories is a heli-picnic from True North. We flew into this wonderfully remote spot where the crew set up a barbecue beside a waterhole. We swam, explored and spent the afternoon somewhere that felt completely removed from the rest of the world. I’ve never forgotten it.

It’s also why we include a minimum $500 per person helicopter credit with our True North bookings (on select itineraries). If you’re going all that way, I really want you to have the opportunity to see the Kimberley from the air.

Not every ship has helicopters, of course, and helicopter excursions are generally an additional cost. But if they’re on your wish list, tell us. It’s another very easy way to start narrowing down your choices.

This might be essential to you. Or you might be reading this thinking, “Please don’t tell me there’s Wi-Fi.”

Starlink has made internet access much more common on expedition ships, although availability and charges vary. But you’re still travelling through one of the most remote parts of Australia. And some areas are less connected than others. Personally, I quite like that.

There aren’t many opportunities anymore to sit outside with a drink, watch an incredible landscape drift past and have a very good excuse not to check your phone.

Of course, if you need to stay connected for family or work, we’ll look at which ships are going to make that easier. And regardless of guest internet access, the ships have the appropriate communication systems they need for operational and emergency purposes.

We get asked this one surprisingly often.

The Kimberley is not a destination I’d choose specifically for snorkelling.

The tides are enormous, the currents can be powerful and there is marine wildlife to think about (again, crocodiles), so swimming from the ship in coastal waters isn’t generally part of the expedition experience.

There are exceptions on some longer itineraries.

For example, cruises that extend beyond the traditional Kimberley coast to places such as Ashmore Reef may include opportunities to snorkel when conditions allow.

So if snorkelling is high on your list, don’t rule the Kimberley out – but make sure you’re choosing an itinerary that actually offers it.