Aqua Blu, Raja Ampat ex Sorong Harbour Return

7 Night cruise departing roundtrip from Sorong Harbour onboard Aqua Blu.

Sailing towards the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the Raja Ampat 7-night cruise expedition is a visual spectacle with unmatched marine diversity on show at the best dive and snorkel sites on Earth.

Day 1 Indonesia Sorong Harbour
Arrive at Sorong to a warm welcome. Board Aqua Blu and cruise to Mioskon Island as dinner is served.

Day 2 Indonesia Mioskon Island & Kabui Bay
Awake to the beauty of Mioskon Island. Take an easy dive and snorkel excursion. Afternoon tour on tenders or kayak of ‘The Passage’ – a narrow passage between Waigeo and Gam Island that Alfred Russell Wallace travelled through in 1860. Enjoy the mangrove views and catch sight of saltwater crocodiles, hawksbill turtles and hornbills before returning to Aqua Blu for sundowners and dinner.

Day 3 Indonesia Cape Kri & Yangeffo Island
Rise in the morning to birdsong for an early tender tour of the magnificent karsts around Kabui Bay. Enjoy breakfast while cruising to Cape Kri. Snorkel or dive at Cape Kri – a dive site which holds the world record for most species spotted in a single 90-minute dive. Arrival at Yangeffo Island, with an exhilarating afternoon dive excursion at the Mayhem reef or a sunset cocktail tender tour of the mangroves. Dine underneath the stars back onboard.

Day 4 Aljui Bay & Wofoh Island
Early departure to Aljui Bay and an eye-opening visit to a pearl farm before cruising to Wofoh Island for diving, snorkeling and water sports in the afternoon. Lay back and enjoy Aqua Blu’s Beach Club on a private beach, sipping on bespoke cocktails and frolicking family fun as the sun sets.

Day 5 Indonesia Wayag Island
Watch the magnificence of Wayag Island’s limestone islets and lagoons unveil before your eyes as the sun rises. Jump in for a refreshing early morning swim and listen to the sound of the surrounding nature. Attempt to spot rare birds of paradise before a hearty breakfast back onboard and diving at Figure Eight Rock or snorkeling at the Ranger station to spot black tip reef sharks. Spend the afternoon exploring hidden lagoons aboard kayaks from “Castaway” beach.

Day 6 Indonesia Dayang Island & Birie Island
Early arrival at Dayang Island, known for its plethora of marine life, especially Reef Manta Rays and occasionally Oceanic Manta Rays. Both snorkelers and divers alike will revel in the close presence of such majestic creatures at the Manta Cleaning Station. Cruise to Birie Island to indulge in a cultural excursion at the Papuan village of Yensawai for traditional dancing. Return onboard to dine beneath the stars.

Day 7 Indonesia Mayalibit Bay
Rise before the sun to embark on a spectacular nature excursion on tender, local canoe and a hike to spot the rare birds of paradise on the island of Waigeo. Test your sense of adventure before a refreshing swim down the shimmering blue Kali Biru river. The afternoon brings a relaxed snorkel excursion at Friwinbonda Island, before departing for Sorong for your last night.

Day 8 Indonesia Sorong Habour
Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast onboard in Sorong before your outbound flight.

Presenting a new cruise experience in the pristine East Indonesian Archipelago, Aqua Blu is a long-range explorer yacht sailing the region’s most prized destinations, including Komodo National Park, Spice Islands and Raja Ampat on unforgettable 7- and 12-night itineraries.

Where modern luxury meets naval heritage

With a grand legacy as the former British Naval Explorer HMS Beagle and later as the private yacht of a European aristocratic family, Aqua Blu is a compelling maritime statement. A 2019 refurbishment overseen by Dutch yacht design maestro Cor D. Rover brings the vessel to world-class cruising specifications. Guests can expect to embrace an distinguished sense of history and seafaring evolution when they set foot on this one-of-a-kind cruise ship.

Inside the four-deck, 15-suite Aqua Blu, Cor has tastefully paired with a brass-and-ivory interior theme with generous and inviting indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a sun deck.

Unlocking access to the Earth’s most intriguing destinations

Faster, further, greater safety and comfort — Aqua Blu’s naval pedigree makes it the perfect candidate to navigate East Indonesia’s vast seas. Having attained the highest international classifications (RINA, SOLAS, ISM) in safety, the vessel is additionally equipped with Quantum Zero Speed stabilizers for optimal comfort at rest or while sailing.

Aqua Blu’s range stands heads and shoulders above that of its peers in East Indonesia. Able to cover vast distances in a short span of time — and in any sea condition — the vessel enables explorers on board to experience the most varied, enjoyable and rewarding coastal cruise itineraries in this wild and stunningly beautiful region of the world.

Aqua Blu will set sail on its inaugural voyage on 16 November 2019. Be among the first to cruise East Indonesia like no ship has ever done before.

Aqua Expeditions was launched in 2007 by founder and CEO, Francesco Galli Zugaro, to fulfill his dream of bringing unparalleled travel experiences, in the utmost comfort, to modern-day adventurers cruising the world’s greatest rivers.

Beginning with the Peruvian section of the Amazon River, one of the world’s last great unexplored regions, Galli Zugaro commissioned the custom design of the Aqua Amazon, the first cruiseship to set sail on this stretch of the Amazon.

Increased demand for Aqua Expeditions uniquely intimate, life enriching river safari led to the launch of a second custom designed vessel, the Aria Amazon in 2011, with 16 suites designed by Puig with a similar five-star boutique hotel sophistication, and cruising the same captivating stretch of the Peruvian Amazon amidst equally thoughtful comforts and fascinating wildlife. With hand-crafted Amazon River itineraries from and to the remote Amazonian city of Iquitos, the Aria Amazon carries travelers to the source of the Amazon and the remote Pacaya Samiria Reserve. Expert professional naturalist guides lead guests in small groups by skiff up Amazon River tributaries to first-hand encounters with Amazon wildlife from pink dolphins and piranha, to capuchin monkeys and three toed sloth hiding in the rainforest canopy, and hoatzin, toucans and macaws gliding seemingly effortlessly across the cloudless, cerulean sky.

Success on one of the world’s great rivers encouraged Galli Zugaro to set off across the continents in search of the next once-in-a-lifetime luxury river experience for Aqua Expeditions. On the Mekong River between Cambodia and Vietnam, he found that elusive journey, one that would capture imaginations as profoundly as did the Peruvian Amazon. In October 2014, Aqua Expeditions launched a third luxury vessel, the 20-suite Aqua Mekong on the historic Mekong River between Siem Reap, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Floor to ceiling picture windows aboard Aqua Mekong allow guests to enjoy captivating panoramas of emerald flooded forests, colonial churches and stilt villages in the privacy of their suite. Guided shore excursions include enlightening visits to remote Buddhist temples and onto Cambodia’s vast Tonle Sap Lake before continuing on to Angkor Wat.