P&O and Vanuatu authorities team up to restart cruise

P&O and Vanuatu authorities team up to restart cruise

P&O Cruises Australia has teamed up with authorities in Vanuatu to help enable a careful restart to cruising in Vanuatu.

Two P&O cruises from Australia in November will be used to test protocols and procedures in Vanuatu to allow for a broader restart of cruising to the archipelago.

The careful reopening of Vanuatu’s maritime border to cruise tourism builds on an association with the cruise line that has been built over decades and P&O’s 90-year history of cruising to the Pacific including, in more recent years, the employment of hundreds of Ni Vanuatu crew on its ships.

“Following on from the reopening of cruising to New Zealand, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu’s decision to reopen completes the network of cruise destinations that makes the Pacific one of the world’s most dynamic regions for cruise tourism,” said president of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald.

“We are grateful to the government of Vanuatu for placing their confidence in P&O Cruises Australia to help pave the way for the broader reintroduction of cruising to their country.

“We respect the government’s decision to reintroduce cruising in such a careful and respectful way and reaffirm our commitment to Vanuatu’s island communities for whom cruising is such an important part of their economic life.”

Two P&O cruises in November will underpin the staged reintroduction of cruise calls to Vanuatu.

Guests on Pacific Encounter, departing Brisbane on 5 November, will be the first to return to Vanuatu with a call to Port Vila scheduled on 9 November.

Pacific Adventure, departing from Sydney on 14 November, will be next with calls to Mystery Island on 18 November, Port Vila on 19 November and Santo on 20 November.

Vanuatu reopened its borders on 1 July and dropped its pre-arrival testing and vaccination requirements earlier this week.

Latest News

  • Aviation
  • Breaking News

35 per cent base salary increase part of Virgin Australia pilots new enterprise agreement

Virgin Australia pilots have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a new enterprise agreement that delivers substantial improvements to their pay and working conditions, following 15 months of negotiations. The new agreement guarantees a 35 per cent base salary increase in the first year, followed by 3 per cent annual increases and includes industry-leading lifestyle and […]

  • Conferences

Iconic ‘Spirit of Sydney’ artwork takes pride of place at ICC Sydney

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has announced the addition of the monumental artwork ‘Spirit of Sydney’ by renowned Australian artist Frank Hodgkinson to its collection. Normally reserved for event attendees, members of the community were able to view the iconic ‘Spirit of Sydney’ mural at the venue’s art tours, guided […]