Latest P&O Program Offers Longer Voyages, New Destinations

Date: 22 Apr 2008

Strong demand for longer cruises has prompted P&O Cruises Australia to offer new journeys to the Northern Territory, Tonga and Tahiti on its superliner Pacific Dawn and sister ship, Pacific Sun, next year.

The voyages feature in P&O Cruises Australia’s latest program, which offers 46 cruise holidays from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland from May 2009 to January 2010 on the two popular ships. Fares start from $945 per person quad-share for a seven-night South Pacific cruise from Brisbane or $1261 for a nine-night cruise from Sydney, including a 35 per cent Pricebreaker discount*.

The program also includes the debut of a new P&O Cruises Australia’s destination, Port Denarau in Fiji. Adjacent to the Fijian mainland, Denarau Island is home to magnificent resorts and a range of exciting activities, from scuba diving to world-class golf.

Announcing the new itineraries, Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia which operates P&O Cruises Australia, said there was a growing interest in longer cruise holidays among Australians.

"Our recent Explorer series of cruises to Tahiti and Asia has been incredibly popular, prompting our decision to introduce some new two-three week voyages in our latest P&O Cruises Australia program," Ms Sherry said.

The new itineraries represented the company’s biggest program of longer cruise offerings in 20 years, she said.

The new voyages include:

• A leisurely 17-night roundtrip voyage to Darwin from Brisbane on Pacific Sun. Departing August 12, 2009, passengers will enjoy overnight calls at both Cairns and Darwin, as well as day visits to Cooktown, Townsville, Port Douglas and the Whitsundays. Prices start from $2336 per person quad-share and $3649 per person twin-share*.

• A relaxing 16-night cruise from Sydney to Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia on Pacific Dawn. Departing September 9, 2009, the ship will visit Noumea, the beautiful Tongan ports of Nuku’Alofa and Vava’u, renowned for their clear waters as well as the languid Fijian ports of Savasavu, Suva, Lautoka and Port Denarau. Prices start from $2203 per person quad-share and $3623 per person twin-share*

• A magical 21-night roundtrip voyage from Auckland to Tahiti, departing June 4, 2009, with visits to the azure waters of Raiatea, Papeete, Moorea and Bora Bora in Tahiti as well as Apia in Samoa, Nuku’Alofa and Vava’u in Tonga, Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and Port Denarau and Suva in Fiji. Prices start from $2754 per person quad-share and $4521 per person twin-share*.

The program also includes popular week-long, Saturday-to-Saturday South Pacific cruises from Brisbane on the 47,000-tonne Pacific Sun, which sports its own 35-metre water slide.

Meanwhile, Australia’s first superliner Pacific Dawn will continue to offer a range of 8-11 night sailings to tropical ports throughout the South Pacific from Sydney.