‘It’s more than two years since we have delivered a commercial cruise but, on our recent three-night test sailing from Sydney, Pacific Explorer’s onboard team performed brilliantly,’ Marguerite Fitzgerald, president of P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia, said.
Emotional moment
‘Today is an emotional moment in time for so many people who have looked forward to the resumption of cruise operations in Australia and the rebirth of the A$5 billion a year cruise industry,’ Fitzgerald said.
During the first four-night round cruise to Brisbane, Pacific Explorer will berth on Thursday at the A$177m Brisbane International Cruise Terminal which was to have opened in October 2020, but lay dormant during the pandemic.
90th anniversary
Her arrival marks the 90th anniversary of P&O’s first cruise in Australia, made in December 1932 by the mail steamer Strathaird which made a seven-night round cruise from Sydney to Brisbane.
In mid-June sister brand Princess Cruises will homeport Coral Princess in Brisbane, followed by P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Encounter in August.
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