We're eager and an hour early at Cairns Trinity Wharf for our three-night Great Barrier Reef cruise. A fit young man in marine uniform greets us. "Hi, my name is Doug, and I'll be your captain." His informality is a surprise, but that's the Australian way. Doug grabs our luggage and carries it aboard the 35-metre, 730-tonne Coral Princess, a 50-passenger ship designed for tropical cruising. The vessel looks spiffy despite her 20 years of service. There are upholstered cane chairs in the dining room and two...
photo: Creative Commons / Jenny (JennyHuang)
