Just 30 guests sail aboard the Paspaley Pearl into the Kimberley, Papua New Guinea and Raja Ampat, blending remote wilderness access with five-star boutique hospitality.
A new name has entered the world of small-ship expedition cruising, and it comes with serious pedigree. Pearl Expeditions is the venture of the Darwin-based Paspaley family, pioneers of Australia’s South Sea pearling industry, in partnership with cruise industry veteran Sarina Bratton AM, the founder of Orion Expedition Cruises (which was later acquired by Lindblad Expeditions).
Sailing aboard the purpose-built Paspaley Pearl, which welcomed its first guests in July 2025, the line has quickly established itself as one of the most exclusive ways to explore Australasia’s wildest coastlines.
Where Pearl Expeditions Sails
The Paspaley Pearl‘s core season runs through the Kimberley (one of my favourite expedition cruising destinations) from April to October, taking in the region’s dramatic tidal phenomena, including Horizontal Falls and the reef system at Montgomery Reef, which appears to rise from the sea as the tide drops. Guests also gain exclusive access to a working Paspaley pearl farm at Kuri Bay and to millennia-old Gwion Gwion rock art sites found nowhere else.
Beyond the Kimberley (one of my favourite cruising destinations), itineraries extend to Papua New Guinea, where voyages explore the fjords of Tufi and the remote Sepik River, with village welcomes and highland ceremonies rarely witnessed by outsiders. Further itineraries cover Raja Ampat and East Indonesia, home to some of the richest marine biodiversity on Earth, as well as Borneo, Rowley Shoals, Arnhem Land, the Torres Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Voyages range from five to twelve days, with fares starting from around US$8,995 per person for a five-night expedition.
What the Ship Is Like
At 53.5 metres, the Paspaley Pearl carries just 30 guests, cared for by 21 crew, making it one of the most intimate expedition ships in the region. The interior design nods to the golden age of grand touring, with rattan, linen and copper finishes lending a warm, contemporary Australian character rather than a formal cruise-ship feel.
Accommodation spans four categories across 15 suites and staterooms: the 27-square-metre Pearl Suite, six 20-square-metre Horizon Suites, both with private balconies, plus Ocean Staterooms and an Ocean Twin Stateroom.
Every room comes with Aesop toiletries, quality linen, individually controlled air conditioning and unlimited Wi-Fi, connectivity permitting. Communal spaces include an intimate 32-seat restaurant, an indoor lounge, alfresco dining areas and an eight-person jacuzzi on deck.
What to Expect Onboard
Life aboard Pearl Expeditions is built around immersion rather than sea days. Two purpose-built exploration vessels and a fleet of Zodiacs, each carrying up to eight guests, allow access to mangrove creeks, narrow waterways and beaches that larger ships simply cannot reach. Days might include fishing for barramundi, snorkelling coral reefs, kayaking mirror-calm lagoons or coming ashore for a beach barbecue and sunset cocktails.
Expedition guides, drawn from natural history, indigenous culture and regional specialisms, join guests for meals and downtime throughout the voyage, turning sightseeing into genuine understanding.
Cultural encounters, whether a traditional ceremony in Papua New Guinea or a rock art site in the Kimberley, are approached with an emphasis on respecting community protocols, and the line positions its low guest numbers as central to minimising its footprint in fragile environments.
Why It Matters
Pearl Expeditions arrives as a natural successor to Orion, the operator that originally set the benchmark for boutique expedition travel in Australasia before Bratton and the Paspaley family reunited to build something new. With Paspaley’s eight decades of proprietary navigational knowledge from its pearling operations and Bratton’s expertise in luxury small-ship cruising, the Paspaley Pearl offers access to genuinely remote corners of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, delivered with the polish expected of a five-star hospitality brand rather than a traditional expedition operator.
For travellers seeking the Kimberley’s tidal drama or Raja Ampat’s reefs without compromising on comfort, it is a serious new contender.
If you’re contemplating a Kimberley expedition cruise, be sure to check out our guide to the best Kimberley cruise lines as well as our adventures in the Kimberley aboard the National Geographic Orion.
