Tag Archives: Brisbane

Pacific Encounter Sets Sail on Maiden Cruise for P&O Australia

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Another cruise ship is resuming service in Australia today as the Pacific Encounter welcomes guests onboard for its maiden voyage for P&O Cruises Australia, a Carnival Corporation brand.

Formerly operated by Princess Cruises, the 2,600-guest vessel is kicking off its first sailing for P&O Cruises Australia in Brisbane.

A seven-day voyage, the “Barrier Reef Discovery” cruise features a visit to two different destinations in Northern Australia, including Cairns – where the Encounter is set for a long, 48-hour stop.

Before returning to Brisbane, the 109,000-ton ship will also sail by the remote Willis Island.

According to P&O, the scenic cruising around the uninhabited small islands and islets of the region allows guests to contemplate and marvel the nature and its sights.

Continuing its inaugural season, the Pacific Encounter will offer additional departures from Brisbane through December.

While several domestic ports are included in the itineraries over the next few months, the vessel will also offer international cruising starting in October, with cruises visiting Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and more.

Originally named Star Princess, the Pacific Encounter was built in 2002. Transferred to P&O Australia during the pandemic, the vessel was subjected to a major refurbishment before arriving in Australia.

According to its new operator, the work included important technical upgrades as well as other enhancements such as upgraded hotel facilities and interior furnishings.

During the refit, most of the public areas have also been redesigned, receiving what P&O calls a “stylish modern Australian décor with quirky features.”

Popular dining outlets have been added as well, including the Waterfront Restaurant, the Dragon Lady and Angelo’s – an Italian venue that sports iconic Sophia Loren artworks and beautiful drapery.

On the external side, the vessel received P&O’s iconic red, white and blue bow livery depicting the Southern Cross.

Following the Pacific Explorer, which welcomed guests in May, the Pacific Encounter became the second ship to resume service for P&O Australia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launching service on October 22, the Pacific Adventure will mark the restart of the company’s entire three-ship fleet.

Carnival Launches Special Website and Updates for Carnival Luminosa

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Carnival Cruise Line fans can now register to be the “first to know” about Carnival Luminosa’s itineraries and special sale promotions at www.carnival.com/carnivalluminosa.

The Costa Luminosa will join the Carnival fleet in September and will start guest operations as Carnival Luminosa in November 2022 from Brisbane, Australia.

The Carnival Luminosa will operate seasonally from October through April from Brisbane, then reposition to Seattle, where it will sail Alaska itineraries from May through September, before returning to Brisbane, according to a press release.

Cruises out of Brisbane will be announced shortly, and Carnival will sail a variety of itineraries that will initially include visits to Australian favourites such as the Great Barrier Reef and Airlie Beach, and, as destinations open over time, ports of call such as Noumea and Lifou Isle in New Caledonia, Port Vila and Mystery Island in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

The Luminosa is a sister ship to the four other Spirit-class ships that already sail for Carnival. Given the short timeline to get the Carnival Luminosa ready for service, the ship will go through some modest updates to change over from Costa to Carnival over the next few months ahead of the November service start-up.

P&O Australia Extends Pause in Operations Until March 3, 2022

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P&O Paciffic Exprorer

P&O Cruises Australia has extended its pause in operations until March 3, 2022.

“Despite tentative signs of a restart to cruising in Australia, uncertainty continues on the timing of when federal and state governments will allow cruising to resume. Given this difficult situation, P&O Cruises Australia has decided to further extend its pause in operations to March 3, 2022,” P&O Cruises Australia’s President Sture Myrmell said, according to the cruise line’s Facebook post.

According to the statement, the extended pause applies to cruises scheduled to depart between Feb. 15, 2022, and March 3, 2022, from Sydney and Brisbane.

According to him, the complex logistics necessary to have a ship back in Australian waters will take several months for once a return to service and accompanying protocols become clear.

“We are sorry for this disruption to your holiday plans. Our team will make contact with all guests whose cruises are affected by the pause extension,” Myrmell noted. “In the meantime, we want you to have certainty in relation to your holiday plans and to limit any inconvenience as much as we can. We hope that the pathway for the resumption of cruising becomes clearer as society continues to re-open and other forms of travel are able to resume.”