Pacific Encounter, the latest addition to the P&O Cruises Australia fleet, today sailed from Singapore on her way to Australia, another step in the revival of Australia’s 5 billion a year cruise industry.
Pacific Encounter will sail into Sydney Harbour on August 2, where flagship Pacific Explorer is already home ported, having become the first of Australia’s home-grown cruise line to return home after more than two years. Encounters time in Sydney will be a relatively brief encounter before heading to Brisbane, where she will continue the long tradition of basing P&O ships at the epicentre of the Queensland cruise market. President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald said Pacific Encounters’ arrival would be another step towards rebuilding Australia’s cruise industry.
Knowing that we have a second PO ship only weeks away reminds us all that cruising is making a return to normal scheduling, Ms Fitzgerald said. It is hard to believe that Australia is on the way to having a near-normal 2022-23 summer cruise season as warmer weather returns. This is a testament to our onboard and shoreside teams and to the many P&O passengers who were patiently waiting during the pause for the opportunity to cruise again.
We can’t wait for Pacific Encounter to depart on her first guest cruise from Brisbane on August 20, a 7-night Barrier Reef Discovery Cruise. This itinerary will include Pacific Encounters’ maiden call to Cairns, helping to bring cruise tourism back to Far North Queensland.
Written by: Jill Walsh
