After an amazing 16 years carrying passengers from Brisbane, P&O Cruises Australia is on the threshold of carrying two million guests from the Queensland capital with the biggest ever new program of itineraries on sale from today.
P&O Cruises' summer 2021 program features 30 itineraries from Brisbane including longer cruises to idyllic South Pacific islands and Papua New Guinea and themed Short Breaks for a taste of the joys of cruse holidays.
Thousands of guests will be welcomed onboard P&O flagship Pacific Explorer, which will be based in Brisbane from October 2020, continuing more than a decade of enabling Queenslanders to cruise from their doorstep in one of Australia's fastest growing cruise markets.
Along with the enhanced variety of cruise itineraries from Brisbane, P&O's 2021 Queensland season will contribute an estimated $40 million to the state economy with guest and crew spending, ship supplies and port charges.
Highlights of P&O Cruises' summer 2021 season departing from Brisbane include:
• A new 7-night cruise to the Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam with a two-day overnight stay in Melbourne.
• Three new 10-night Papua New Guinea Island Encounter cruises calling at five ports and a visit to the Conflict Islands, one of the most remote and beautiful locations in the Coral Sea.
• A revamped Pacific Island Hopper itinerary with two departures visiting Noumea in New Caledonia for a half-day afternoon call followed by full-day calls to Mystery Island and Port Vila in Vanuatu.
• One 12-night Fiji Adventure cruise calling at Port Vila, Suva, Port Denarau, Dravuni Island and Mystery Island.
• Ten of the popular 7-night Pacific Island Hopper and Barrier Reef Discovery cruises which depart on a Saturday.
• One P&O 'Voyage' 14-night Bounty Adventure itinerary.
• Fourteen 3-and 4-night Short Breaks including six 3-night Comedy themed Short Breaks, one 1980's Tribute Cruise and seven 4-night itineraries to Airlie Beach.
P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell said the program's attractive mix of itineraries reflected the growing passion of Queenslanders for cruise holidays and P&O's long commitment to Brisbane and the state.
"Cruising represents a great success story in Queensland tourism and it is exciting to know that the new program will take P&O to the threshold of carrying two million passengers from Brisbane over 16 unbroken years of home porting ships there," Mr Myrmell said.
"P&O's cruising connection to Brisbane can be traced back more than 85 years with Strathaird's inaugural cruise visit in 1932 but the future is even more phenomenal. The deployment of Pacific Explorer and the introduction of the city's new international cruise terminal is set to take Brisbane into the big league of cruising.
Mr Myrmell said the new itineraries departing from Brisbane offered something for everyone.
"P&O's latest program features cruises to New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Tropical Queensland. There are also Main Events to the Melbourne Cup and Australian Open Tennis plus a variety of weekend cruises themed around comedy, 1980s, country music and plenty more Short Breaks," he said.
Highlights of P&O Cruises summer 2021 from around the country include:
Sydney
P&O Cruises first Grand Class ship Pacific Adventure home ports from Sydney, offering 29 round trip cruises ranging from 3-to-13 nights including:
• A new P&O 'Voyages' 13-night Kiwi Adventure cruise
• A 12-night Fiji Adventure itinerary also calling at Mystery Island and Isle of Pines
• A 10-night Discover Vanuatu cruise visiting Lifou and Port Vila
• New Main Event cruises including a 5-night Australian Open Tennis itinerary and a 3-night Australia Day cruise
Adelaide
Pacific Aria will call Adelaide home for a two month season, offering 14 round trip cruises spanning 3-to-10 nights with highlights that include:
• Two new 10-night Southern Discovery cruises to Western Australia with calls to
• Albany, Busselton, Fremantle and Esperance
• Five new 3-night Comedy themed Short Breaks and one 1980's Tribute Cruise
Melbourne
Fleet favourite Pacific Dawn will offer 16 cruises from Melbourne ranging from 3 to 14 nights:
• A 4-night Main Event Australia Day cruise
• Three 11-12 night South Pacific Island itineraries, with two in the school holidays (January & April) and one in March 2021
