P&O Cruises Australia has provided a variety of updates about the brand’s sunsetting and absorption into Carnival Cruise Line, scheduled for early 2025. This includes which cruises are now cancelled and how refunds will be processed as well as when each of the three ships will be out of service.
Carnival Corporation & plc announced just days ago that the P&O Cruises Australia brand would be dissolved, with two out of the line’s three vessels transferred to Carnival Cruise Line. The remaining vessel, Pacific Explorer, will be retired after her February 7, 2025 departure – an 11-night sailing from Fremantle to Singapore.
Guests booked on P&O Cruises Australia sailings in the time leading up to the rebranding are understandably concerned about their cruise vacations and how the experience may change as Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter are moved to Carnival Cruise Line.
“We are all immensely proud of P&O Cruises Australia’s 90-year heritage of dedicated operations in the region and Carnival Cruise Line are honored to carry forward its storied legacy and continue to deliver the same onboard experiences and itineraries with the benefit of Carnival Cruise Line HUB app and loyalty program,” the new FAQ page reads.
To bring the two remaining P&O Cruises Australia ships into the Carnival fleet, extensive renovations and rebranding will be necessary. To do this, several voyages are cancelled for each ship.
Pacific Adventure now has four cruises cancelled, while Pacific Encounter has just three cruises cancelled. Both ships will resume operations with Carnival Cruise Line from April 2025. P&O Cruises Australia is reaching out to guests on the now-cancelled sailings with refund details. The cruise line is offering both future cruise credits as well as onboard credit as incentives to rebook on different sailings.
The cancelled sailings are the March 14, 18, 22, and 25 departure dates for Pacific Adventure, as well as the March 15, 18, and 22 departure dates for Pacific Encounter.
Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment after June 30, 2024. With the volume of refunds to be processed, however, it may take up to 20 business days for full processing, depending on different individual financial institution’s policies. All add-on packages and pre-paid expenses will also be refunded.
Read Also: All Carnival Cruise Ships By Age – Newest to Oldest
From April 2025, both Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter will be sailing their already planned itineraries from Sydney and Brisbane, respectively, but will be operated as Carnival Cruise Line ships.
The vessels will still maintain the high service standards of P&O Cruises Australia, however, as well as honor the line’s legacy alongside popular Carnival Cruise Line favorites.
What Will Change Onboard?
No details have yet been released about what enhancements, upgrades, or rebranding will be brought to Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter. Those announcements will likely be made by Carnival Cruise Line in the coming months as details of the cruise line merger are further refined.
Travelers can likely expect similar changes onboard the two ships as has happened aboard the “Carnival Fun, Italian Style” renovations that were made to Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Venezia, and Carnival Firenze. Those ships were moved from Costa Cruises into Carnival Cruise Line in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.
The former Costa ships still maintain their original vibe and much of their Italian-inspired décor. They have incorporated a variety of Carnival Cruise Line favorites, however, including select dining venues, entertainment, activities, children’s programming, and more. The ships do remain distinctive, however, and offer a unique experience for travelers who love Carnival Cruise Line.
Undoubtedly, the former P&O Cruises Australia ships will likewise retain their unique personas, and will bring a new and culturally-rich experience to Carnival Cruise Line for new travelers to enjoy.
