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24 September, 2021

P&O extends Aussie cruise pause, as Pacific Adventure emerges from dry dock

By Alexandra Coulton

P&O Australia has extended its pause in operations for cruises departing from Sydney and Brisbane by a further month.

The cruise line said the extension, which is expected to last until mid-January 2022, will give passengers greater confidence in planning their Christmas and New Year holidays because of the uncertainty around the return of cruising.

Cruises scheduled to depart from 18 December through to 14 January 2022 (for Brisbane) and 18 January 2022 (for Sydney) will be cancelled.

P&O also confirmed it had cancelled its Melbourne summer season, which was no longer feasible to deliver because of the latest extension.

The line recently announced its intention to resume domestic operations with cruises for fully-vaccinated guests and crew.

“Governments have made it very clear that vaccination thresholds are the key to ending lockdowns, border restrictions and, ultimately, re-opening Australia,” P&O Australia president Sture Myrmell said.

“And part of returning to normal society is ensuring that the more than one million Australians who choose a cruise holiday each year have the opportunity to do so again.”

Pacific Adventure, the latest addition to the three-ship P&O Australia fleet, has emerged from dry dock showcasing the cruise line’s identity including its sweeping Southern Cross bow livery and host of exciting features on board.

The ship’s new look and feel illustrate P&O’s determination to continue its fleet transformation throughout the pause in operations, and in preparation for when cruising is approved to restart.

When cruising is approved to resume, the 109,000-tonne Pacific Adventure is planned to be homeported in Sydney.

The ship’s many public spaces now boast the P&O signature look, with the introduction of the Adventure Hotel and the Blue Room reflecting its vibrant nighttime venues featuring live music from some of Australia’s leading musicians.

In other P&O news, the cruise line’s ‘Fly the Flag for P&O’ campaign continues in support of a restart plan for cruising.

Melissa Yates (pictured below), one of P&O’s most popular onboard hotel directors, even took the flag to the top of Ben Nevis, the highest point in the British Isles, during a road trip in the Scottish Highlands.

And, closer to home, thousands of loyal P&O guests have made flying the flag part of their social media profiles as they look forward to again sailing with their favourite cruise line.

The ‘Fly the Flag for P&O’ campaign was inspired by long-time supplier Graeme Blackman, managing director of marine engineering company Inter Marine.

Blackman regularly flies the P&O flag on a flagpole outside his company’s workshop at Mortdale in Sydney, with his business is one of many suppliers affected by the suspension of cruising.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

brisbane melbourne Melissa Yates p&o P&O Australia Pacific Adventure Sture Myrmell sydney