Record Week as P&O Cruises Puts Three Regional Towns on its Cruise Map

In an historic week of cruise firsts, Australia’s leading cruise line P&O Cruises is poised to make its maiden visits to Eden, Portland and Mornington as part of a new itinerary featuring regional Aussie gems.

During an eight-night roundtrip cruise which departs Sydney on Saturday (February 21), Pacific Pearl will make P&O Cruises’ inaugural visit to Eden on NSW’ South Coast on Sunday (February 22), before becoming the first cruise ship to call at Mornington Peninsula (February 24) and Portland (February 25) in Victoria’s south.

Rounding out the food-lover’s itinerary, the cruise will also include a call at Kangaroo Island, where guests can sample the island’s famed produce as part of a mini FEASTival, which will be laid out during each of P&O Cruises’ five visits to the South Australian port this year.

P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Tammy Marshall said the cruise line had been pioneering cruising from Australia for more than 80 years and was proud to be introducing its guests to some special new ports.

“We’re thrilled to be taking our guests to some of Australia’s most beautiful coastal areas, while also spreading the valuable cruise dollar further in what is sure to be a boon for these regional towns,” Ms Marshall said.

Over the next 12 months, P&O Cruises will make five calls to Victoria’s picturesque Mornington Peninsula, seven to Portland on the Great Ocean Road and five to Eden, injecting almost $7 million into the regional communities. Esperance and Busselton in Western Australia will also join the growing line-up of regional ports in the months to come.

The regional cruises are in line with recent research undertaken by peak national industry body Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) showing that 85 per cent of Australians planning to take time off over summer intended to have a domestic holiday.

The addition of two more ships – Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden – in November will take P&O Cruises’ fleet to a record five ships and pave the way for more itinerary options.

Other regional ports to benefit from P&O Cruises visits include South Australia’s Port Lincoln, Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Burnie and Port Arthur in Tasmania.

Notes to editors: The region’s largest and longest-serving cruise operator, P&O Cruises Australia leads the way in cruising as Australasia's only 'home brand' and its favourite cruise line. P&O Cruises has been sailing the region for more than 80 years, and has pioneered new destinations around Australia, the Pacific and Asia including Papua New Guinea, as reported in the New York Times’ 52 top destinations for 2015. On November 25, 2015, P&O Cruises will welcome two additional ships to its current three-ship fleet becoming the nation’s largest cruise line with five ships cruising from eight home ports in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The addition of Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden has paved the way for exciting new cruise options including deployments from every mainland state in Australia and an extended deployment from Auckland, New Zealand. The pair herald a new era for P&O Cruises, as reflected in its new brand repositioning - P&O Cruises, Like no Place on Earth.