Capt. Tony Briggs, founder of what is now Coral Expeditions, was awarded a Medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List.
Briggs and his wife Vickibegan operating what was then Coral Princess Cruises with overnight voyages from Townsville in a 24-passenger converted World War IIFairmile class submarine chaser in 1984.
In 1988 Briggs commissioned the twin-hulled, 50-passenger Coral Princess for Great Barrier Reef and ‘Across the Top of Australia’ itineraries and in 1996 his second purpose-built catamaran Coral Princess IIentered service.
Company sold
In 2005 Oceanic Discoverer was launched and in 2014 Kallang Capital Holdings of Singapore purchased the pioneering Cairns-based company that had expanded its operation to ports in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific.
Rebranded
Coral Princess Cruises was subsequently rebranded as Coral Expeditions in 2015.
Today the company has transitioned into a modern all blue water fleet of three expedition ships — Coral Geographer, Coral Adventurer and Coral Discoverer.
