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laugh P&O

P&O Cruises Gives Aussies a Reason to Laugh Out Loud

Posted: December 18, 2022

Australia, Onboard Features, Press Release, ,

In the words of Dr Seuss “From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”  What’s more, there is maybe no better way to secure a much-needed laugh than on board a cruise ship.

P&O Cruises is giving Aussies a reason to laugh out loud with the launch of ‘The Big Laugh’ - the biggest comedy festival at sea - onboard Pacific Explorer in June 2018.

What do P&O Cruises Australia offer people with disabilities?

‘The Big Laugh’ will have a line-up of comedians to suit all tastes with fourteen major name comedians including , Matt Okine, Scared Weird Little Guys and Dave Callan will convey 36 shows and a combined 2,000 minutes of jokes at the jam-packed four-night festival leaving Sydney on June 20, 2018.

P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the introduction of the biggest comedy festival at sea aimed to build on the already extremely popular comedy entertainment offering.

“Aussies and Kiwis are renowned for their great sense of humour and our guests love comedy. It’s been a hugely successful part of our itineraries, with 650 shows now performed across our fleet each year. That’s nearly two comedy shows a day – a figure to rival comedy clubs around the country.  

“We’re always looking at ways we can push the boundaries on what our guests can continue to expect from our onboard entertainment. ‘The Big Laugh’ will serve up many different types of comedy genres every day and night, from big marquee performances right through to intimate gigs in our many stylish bars and lounges. There really will be something for everyone,” said Mr Myrmell.  

Well-known names Dave Hughes, Harley Breen and Claire Hooper will commence the laughs with a three-night comedy cruise on Pacific Explorer leaving Sydney on December 14, 2017.

A choice of additional celebrated comics will feature the 34 dedicated comedy cruises on offer in 2018 – a blend of two, three and four-night SeaBreaks leaving Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, and Auckland.

In 2019 the laughs will proceed with the biggest number of dedicated comedy cruises in P&O history and 38 itineraries running from January to October.

“Since 2009 we’ve delivered 99 dedicated comedy cruises with over 600 comedians, delivering more than 30,000 jokes and entertaining over 170,000 guests. By the end of 2019, we’ll have carried out close to 200 comedy cruises making P&O the biggest provider of comedy down-under,” said Mr Myrmell.  

P&O’s new season of comedy follows almost a decade of comedy cruises which began in 2009 with big names Tom Gleeson, Fiona McGary, Mick Meredith and Joel Ozborn.

P&O Cruises offers an extensive variety of comedy performances from Comedy Workshops, Comedy Gala Shows, the Comedy Gong Show where guests get judged by the crowd, and Cocktails and Comedy, a personal show to be delighted in as the sun goes down.

 

Pacific Explorer

The Final Countdown for P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer Is On

Posted: June 5, 2022

New Cruise Ship, Press Release, ,

The final countdown is on for the debut of P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer, and the long anticipated ship’s multi-million dollar transformation is currently in progress in Singapore.

During her drydock, the vessel – formerly sailing as Princess Cruises’ Dawn Princess – will undertake a colossal refurbishment which will see the addition of a variety of stimulating innovative features for Australian seafarers.

When she sails from Sydney on her maiden cruise on June 22, Pacific Explorer will wow Australian’s with two of the longest and wildest waterslides ever seen on an Australian-based ship - each stretching more than 80 metres – along with an thrilling waterpark and a barefoot lawn bowling green. Top-deck favourites P&O Edge Adventure Park and the Big Screen will also be mounted during the ship’s dry dock.

Pacific Explorer’s public spaces will get a total facelift, together with its multi-storey atrium, lounges, bars and restaurants, the introduction of the trendy Australian décor and quirky features which have become a trademark of the P&O fleet in recent years.

Keeping with P&O Cruises’ continuing food evolution, Pacific Explorer’s refurbishment will embrace the construction of new dining selections from fast-casual dining at Luke’s, a new poolside grill by Australian chef and restauranteur Luke Mangan to a traditional Neapolitan pizzeria called 400 Gradi, by award-winning Melbourne chef Johnny Di Francesco.

Guests will also be able to dine in the ship’s Waterfront Restaurant, try a taste of la dolce vita in its Italian restaurant Angelo’s, indulge your senses in the sultry atmosphere of the pan-Asian restaurant Dragon Lady or be spoilt for choice in The Pantry, an international marketplace of nine fresh food outlets popular across the P&O Cruises’ fleet.

The Bonded Store the place to unwind and relax with friends will also be added, featuring a cocktail list created in partnership with Sydney-based award-winning Archie Rose Distilling Co, as well as whisky and gin-making classes.

P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said Pacific Explorer was the perfect addition to P&O’s existing four-ship fleet.

“Pacific Explorer is the next stage in the evolution of P&O, building on our very popular modern Australian holiday offering with some exciting new features. We can’t wait to show her off to our guests,” Mr Myrmell said.

Pacific Explorer will set sail from Singapore on June 9.

Children in the Solomon Islands

P&O Cruises Announce Two New South Pacific Programs After $1m Raised in Contributions

Posted: March 28, 2022

Australia, Countries, Health & Safety, Onboard Features, Press Release, ,

Australian’s have shown their support onboard P&O Cruises’ five cruise ship fleet, by putting their hands in their pockets, and surpassed a milestone of one million dollars in voluntary contributions from special donations to the Save the Children fun in the South Pacific in only four years.

Passengers directly contribute to the work carried out through an automatic $1 donation to their onboard account. This donation is for guests over the age of 18 on all cruises. Guests can choose to opt out of the program if they wish – or donate more, through the onboard donation boxes.

In addition, the Navigational chart from each voyage is auctioned at the end of every cruise with all proceeds also going to Save the Children.

This show of support has given P&O Cruises’ the opportunity to increase its Pacific Partnership in the South Pacific with two new community programs.

“Launching two new projects in the P&O Pacific Partnership is testament to the support and engagement of the thousands of guests who sail with us each year. It’s thanks to our passengers that we’re able to assist even more communities that we visit,” P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said.


“The voluntary one dollar contributions made via passengers’ onboard accounts are relatively modest but when these contributions are combined they become a powerful force to make a big difference where it matters most.”

Building on previous funding of health posts and kindergartens in Vanuatu, the two new projects are aimed at assisting women and young children in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, working in conjunction with Save the Children Australia.

P&O Cruises’ regularly call into Papua New Guinea and the Solomons, and in 2017 alone, 11 P&O cruises will visit Papua New Guinea, with three of those cruises visiting Gizo Island and Honiara in the Solomons.

Mother and child in Papua New Guinea

Predominantly in Papua New Guinea, there is a persistent need to improve health consequences for mothers and children.

The maternal mortality rate there is 30 times greater than in Australia with its highly developed health services. Only 40 per cent of newborn deliveries are assisted by a skilled birth attendant in Papua New Guinea, with the rates declining further in more rural areas of the country.

The new Newborn Baby and Birthing Kits Project in Papua New Guinea encourages mothers to deliver their babies at health centres by assisting with cover health facility medical fees and providing vital provisions such as infant care items and mosquito nets to combat the transmission of malaria to newborn babies.

In the Solomon Islands, P&O Cruises is now supporting the Solomons Early Childhood Development Project, which integrates child protection with community-based early childhood involvements to guarantee children grow up in caring surroundings that allow them to realise their full potential.

Many children in the Solomon Islands do not have access to early childhood education and development services, and enter school underprepared, often leading to longer term issues.

“Since the partnership began in 2013, P&O passengers have helped to construct two new kindergartens and build or rehabilitate six health posts in Vanuatu, significantly improving the educational and health outcomes for many children and their families,” said Save the Children’s Vanuatu Country Director Georgia Tacey.


“The latest fundraising projects will help to make a huge difference to the lives of pregnant women and provide primary and secondary aged school children with opportunities for a brighter future.”

Refirbished Pacific Dawn

Delays for the Start of Pacific Dawn’s First Post-Refurbishment Cruise

Posted: March 5, 2022

Australia, New Cruise Ship, ,

Delays due to “technical work” has required P&O Cruises’ Pacific Dawn to stay in port in Singapore as the ship’s dry dock taking longer than expected.

Pacific Dawn set sail on an adjusted 13-night Indonesian Explorer itinerary, she will bypass the port of Dili in Timor-Leste so that she can arrive on schedule in its Brisbane homeport on March 16.

A P&O spokesperson provided Cruise Critic the following statement: “P&O Cruises has apologised to Pacific Dawn guests that they have to wait a day longer than planned to see and experience the results of [the] ship’s major refurbishment and the addition of new features during dry dock in Singapore.


“Guests were advised of the changed arrangements. Following normal check-in at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, today a shuttle service has operated to overnight guest accommodation that has been organised in Singapore by P&O. Guests are being advised directly of refund arrangements for the loss of a day from their cruise experience. We have done everything possible to make guests comfortable in Singapore and to minimise any inconvenience. Today’s shuttle to local hotels has gone smoothly and we thank guests for their understanding.”

Pacific Dawn’s multimillion-dollar nip/tuck will bring a new kids-only waterpark, two waterslides, a new seafood restaurant called Shell & Bones, The Pantry food court and a modernised Dome nightclub.

Photos Credit : Mark Harrison.
Original article published by Cruise Critic
new-carnival-cruise-ship

New 133,500-Ton Vista Class Ship To Join Carnival Cruise Line Fleet In 2019

Posted: December 16, 2022

New Cruise Ship, Press Release, ,

A new 133,500-ton cruise ship which was initially chosen for the P&O Cruises Australia brand, will be the third vessel in the company’s Vista class series, and will join the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in late 2019.

The ship, under contract with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, was originally designated for the P&O Cruises Australia brand. In conjunction with this change, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor will be transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in late 2019.

The ship will compromise numerous Carnival’s most popular guest features, a wide range of accommodation categories and a number of new novelties exclusive to this vessel. The ship’s name, homeport and itinerary details will be announced at a later date.

“We are truly thrilled to have another Vista class ship joining our fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Vista, which was named the best new ship of 2016 in the Cruise Critic Editors Picks awards, has proven to be the most innovative and popular ship we’ve ever introduced. Consumer, travel agent and media reaction to the Vista class design has been extraordinary and we are elated to have two additional ships in this spectacular series now joining our fleet – Carnival Horizon, which is scheduled to be delivered in March 2018, and now a third in 2019.”

Duffy added that the introduction of these ships to the Carnival fleet provides the opportunity to offer the Vista class experience from a variety of homeports in addition to creating exciting new itinerary options across the balance of the Carnival Cruise Line fleet as this additional capacity is integrated into the deployment mix.