The start of the Kimberley Cruise

19th June 2026
The Reef Prince at Darwin Wharf

I was in the foyer awaiting pick up at the appointed time and met my first fellow passenger. 

Almost an hour later all passengers had been collected and we were headed for the Reef Prince. 

 We boarded the Reef Prince and were given very thorough briefings and shown to cabins. My cabin is very cosy; not a lot of space but it's adequate 

And then we were given a tour of the boat as we were underway. 

Communal lounge

Dining room

Conversations with the chef established that he's reasonably across what I can and can't eat ... but initial meals suggested maybe not. 

So the first day is pretty much just travelling to get to Berkley River in the Kimberley. It's a remote area so travelling to it takes a while. The weather is what it chooses to be and we had a little bit of rocking, rolling ride to begin with; that calmed down but then picked up again around dinner time and was forecast  to pick up even more later. So after dinner, a book and my bed with a cup of tea sounded like a good idea since moving around the boat was a little bit hazardous. 

Our route for Day 1: the straight line was the plan but was altered for comfort

I got to know a few people. There seem to be some very nice people on board and a few who might be faintly irritating but that's pretty much the mix anywhere. 

Today was warm and because it was windy and a bit rough, the foredeck outdoor furniture was not set up, but I found some comfortable furniture on the top deck and settled down with my book and a few bottles of water. 

We ate dinner as the sun set, braised beef with mashed potatoes was rather yummy. I had my own version of the braised  beef, and it was quite tasty.

We are transiting onto West Australia time overnight so we get extra sleep. 

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