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New Ships For P&O

P&O Cruises Australia has announced plans to extend its fleet with the addition of two more ships over the next two years. The first of the two ships will be named Pacific Jewel and will sail from Brisbane in December 2009. Pacific Jewel will become the sister ship to Pacific Dawn. The second of the two ships will arrive late in 2010 and will sail from Auckland. Both superliners will carry approximately 2000 passengers. The two ships will be deployed to P&O Australia from Carnival UK following the phasing out of Ocean Village Cruises. For the full press release see The Cruise News.

Ocean Village Cruises Closed

Ocean Village Cruises is to be closed as the Carnival Corporation rearrange their UK based operation. Even though Island Cruises has been sold by Royal Caribbean, this was not enough to save Ocean Village Cruises and they will be run down with both ships switching to P&O Cruises Australia. According to Carnival Corporation, the UK market will be better served with the current P&O Cruises fleet which is set to expand when Azure joins them in March 2010. Cunard, one of the other Carnival Corporation owned cruise lines are also set to get a new ship, the Queen Elizabeth in 2010.

P&Os Newest Addition Azura

P&O Cruises have announced that a ceremony will be held to mark the keel-laying of the newest superliner which is to be named Azura. She will be one of the largest ships ever built for P&O Cruises and the British cruising market. Azura will cater for 3,100 passengers on fifteen passenger decks. The decks will play host to 11 restaurants, 5 boutiques, 4 swimming pools, 2 lounges and more than 900 private balconies. Her float out is scheduled for summer 2009 with her maiden voyage scheduled for late spring in 2010 after being delivered to the cruise line. For the full press release see The Cruise News.

P&O Add Australian Cuisine

P&O Cruises Australia have launched a new range of cuisine onboard both Pacific Sun and Pacific Dawn. P&O are to launch a new range of fresher, locally-grown ingredients on a range of new menus, international wine brands will be replaced with a selection of Australian and New Zealand wines as well as adding specialist onboard coffee ambassadors to coincide with the Australians love of coffee. For the full press release see The Cruise News.

Easier To Stay Connected

P&O Cruises Australia has now launched a new and advanced wireless network which allows passengers to make and receive calls from their own personal mobiles.

The launch of this network means that passengers onboard will find it a lot easier to stay in touch with their loved ones back home.

Access will be made available throughout the staterooms and in many public areas onboard both Pacific Sun and Pacific Dawn.

For the full press release see The Cruise News.

P&O Cruises Drugs Raid

A drugs raid onboard P&O Cruises’ Arcadia saw seven people arrested whilst she was docked in Southampton.

More than £1million worth of drugs were seized by HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Agency during the raid with four of the seven arrested in possession of 30kg of cocaine strapped to their bodies.

All of the arrested are said to be from the Birmingham and Manchester area and it is assured that none of these were crew members of P&O.

Upgrade To Premium Package

P&O Cruises Australia is offering guests who travel in the luxurious suites and mini-suits an upgrade to the new premium suite package.

This package allows guests to benefit from priority check-in and preferential boarding. They will find flowers and fruit baskets in the cabins on arrival as well as a welcome glass of sparkling wine.

Other added extras for those booked in the larger suites include complimentary room service, pre-loaded Apple IPOD Nanos, coffee machines and an invite to an exclusive cocktail party.

For the full press release see The Cruise News.

P&O Add New Cruises

P&O Cruises Australia have announced the introduction of new cruises for 2010 onboard Pacific Sun and Pacific Dawn.

The new cruises will last two to three nights and are to be themed sampler cruises that offer wine tasting and cooking classes.

The sampler cruises give guests who want to experience cruising the chance to experience it for the first time and see what they think.

Another 24 new cruises have been added to the 2010 itinerary.

For the full press release see The Cruise News.

Cruise Holiday Prices Down

P&O Cruises has carried out research on Cruise Holidays. P&O have found that Cruise holidays, once the preserve of the wealthy have become more affordable and accessible. They found that a two week Cruise holiday for summer 2009 in an ocean view cabin costs £1579 per person whereas ten years ago it would have cost £2520. P&O Cruises managing director, Nigel Esdale said: “The cumulative inflation rate between May 1998 and May 2008 is 32%*, so if cruise holidays had increased accordingly, then our prices should be more than double those in this summer’s brochure. In actual fact, this year’s prices are more than £900 cheaper per person, almost £2,000 cheaper for a couple than ten years ago.” “Compare that to a loaf of bread, which cost 48p and is now £1.08, or a pint of draught bitter which cost £1.70 ten years ago and is now around £3 a pint or even the well documented price of a litre of unleaded petrol which cost 67p per litre in 1998 and is now £1.12. Household expenditure on everyday items has practically doubled, whilst cruise holidays have become more affordable than ever.” As a whole Cruise holiday prices have been decreasing over the years, making Cruise holidays more affordable than ever, whereas our everyday essentials have done the complete opposite. For full quotations visit the Cruise News website The Cruise.

P&O introduce new Shore Excursions

P&O Cruises is offering a new collection of shore excursions for holidaymakers setting sail in 2008/09.

Designed to meet and exceed the needs of new and more adventurous cruise passengers, the programme offers a range of ‘must do’ activities and experiences on land, sea and in the air.

P&O Cruises managing director, Nigel Esdale, said: “We are now attracting more new to cruise passengers than ever before and these holidaymakers are looking for something a little different to do on shore than a guided coach tour.

“We can now offer them experiences that simply would not be possible on any other type of holiday. In a two week Mediterranean cruise they could charter a private yacht, go zip-wiring, learn to cook an authentic Italian specialities and make their very own fragrance.

“It is this breadth of choice that sets our holidays apart from any other.”

Highlights of the Mediterranean shore excursion programme are:

• Driving a red Ferrari F430 for the day through the streets of Italy, from the port of Livorno.
• Creating a personal fragrance with master perfumers in The Galimard Studio in Grasse, from port of Cannes (from 2009).
• Learning how to make fresh Tuscan specialties in a farmhouse overlooking the Alps, from the port of Livorno.

In the Caribbean, highlights include:

• Zip wiring through the rainforest, in Jamaica
• Racing a private Beneteau 40 yacht, in Antigua.

Highlights in the Baltic / Northern Europe are:

• Exploring glaciers and ice-fields on a snow truck, from Reykjavik.
• Floating downstream on the River Suldalslågen, for a 2km ‘Salmon Safari’, from Stavanger.

Extracts from Official P&O Cruises press release Posted 31 Jul 08

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