Tag Archives: Mr Myrmell

Steve Price, Brad Fittler and Steve Menzies onboard Pacific Pearl

P&O Celebrates Its First Year as the Official Cruise Line of the NRL

Posted: February 3, 2023

Australia, Onboard Features, Press Release, , ,

P&O Cruises has kicked off its first year as the official cruise line of the NRL with an action-packed schedule of rugby league cruises from Sydney earlier this week with rugby league personalities Brad Fittler, Steve Price, Steve Menzies and referee Bill Harrigan entertaining guests onboard Pacific Pearl on a four-day voyage to Auckland.

Guests who booked Sportsnet packages receiving entry to Eden Park for two days of Nines action as part of their cruise holiday..

“Many of our guests are big fans of the game, so it’s fantastic to be able to offer such an exciting line up of rugby league action this year,” Mr Myrmell said.  

The next rugby league cruise will be in May and June with P&O offering two State of Origin cruises, together with its maiden itinerary from Sydney to Brisbane for the series opener at Suncorp Stadium. Departing on May 26, 2017, the seven-day cruise includes calls to Gladstone and Moreton Island.

The second seven-day State of Origin cruise departs Brisbane on June 18, and includes calls to Moreton Island and Newcastle with all guests receiving entry and transfers to ANZ Stadium for game two on June 21.

Maroons and Blues greats including Steve Price, Steve Mortimer and Steve Menzies will join the Sydney departure, while Petero Civoniceva, Matt Cooper and Paul Sironen will cruise from Brisbane.

Both itineraries will feature a ship load of footy-themed activities including:

  • Rugby League trivia hosted by Fox Sports News Rugby League Insider Steve Hart
  • A meet-and-greet; and
  • Q&A sessions with the former players.

P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the cruise line was thrilled to be bringing more rugby league action onboard.

“With transport, accommodation and meals all included in the cruise fare plus transfers and entry to the game, cruising to the State of Origin with P&O is a great value and easy way to experience one of the biggest games on the rugby league calendar.” Mr Myrmell continued

One Year On…P&O Celebrate Almost Half A Million Guests

Posted: November 26, 2022

Australia, Press Release, ,

In the year since Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden debuted in the P&O fleet as part of an unparalleled five-ship spectacular on Sydney Harbour, the cruise line’s passengers have surged by 55 per cent with more than 460,000 guests welcomed onboard its five ships.

Australia’s leading cruise line P&O Cruises has had an illustrious record year of local cruising with its expanded five ship fleet carrying almost half a million holidaymakers in its first year.

P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the addition of Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden marked a new era for Australian cruising.

Since joining the P&O fleet, Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden have carried a total of 160,000 guests from seven regional ports - Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Cairns and Singapore - with the growth of the fleet paving the way for the cruise line to pioneer new itineraries and destinations.

The introduction of the two ships permitted P&O to open Cairns as a homeport for the first time in September and saw the return of Asian cruise holidays with Pacific Eden offering a season from Singapore.

In 2016 alone, P&O cruised to 17 new ports with Pacific Eden making the bulk of the maiden calls including the first visits to Honiara and Gizo Island in the Solomon Islands; Sabang, Ujung Pandang, Jakarta and the fascinating volcano port of Probolinggo in Indonesia; Langkawi in Malaysia; Phuket, Krabi, Ko Chang and Koh Samui in Thailand and Cambodia’s Sihanoukville. P&O now visits more than 90 ports in the region.

The historic year kicked off on November 25 last year when Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden were welcomed into the fleet in a dual naming ceremony at Fort Denison, with thousands of Sydneysiders looking on as godmothers Kate Ritchie and Jessica Mauboy named the pair in a world first social media christening. The event brought together a record number of cruise ships from one fleet on Sydney Harbour with celebrations continuing throughout the day and night including live concerts from more than 25 music acts and a special fireworks display.

With entertainment required across five ships, 365 days a year, P&O hires 520 bands annually, making it one of the biggest employers of Australian entertainers.

“As Australia’s only homegrown cruise line, P&O is proud to be leading the way in local cruise innovations. Not only did Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden introduce a new contemporary look and feel for our cruise line, their arrival made it possible to extend our itinerary offering like never before and build a wide range of new destinations into our schedules,” Mr Myrmell said.

“It was a big leap to expand our capacity by more than 50 per cent but we knew the demand was there and as Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden have cruised from ports right around Australia, their stylish look and exciting itineraries have helped to entice more Australians to take a cruise holiday.”