Nothing concentrates the mind of a cruise “tragic” as the news that an iconic cruise line like P&O Australia — their cruise line — is to be shut down.
Devotees of the wonderful P&O Cruises Australia brand are doubtlessly currently navigating the familiar stages of grief — anger, denial, bargaining and, still to come, acceptance.
Count me among the “tragics” but one who had the honour of working on the inside of Australia’s main cruise organisation and experiencing its value system, and who also enjoyed the product.
News of P&O’s demise brought memories flooding back, mostly about people, that make it easier to understand what made this special cruise line tick.
Thoughts immediately concentrated on an image from Pacific Dawn berthed at Port Vila in 2015 with passengers lining the top deck peering over the side.
Pacific Dawn was the first ship back to Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam devastated the archipelago. It was still a disaster recovery zone so the passengers weren’t allowed to get off, but none uttered a word of complaint.
Instead, they watched as humanitarian aid came pouring out of the ship onto the wharf before going to a special fundraising concert onboard, donating thousands of dollars to cyclone relief.
Another memory, same ship, rescuing three shipwrecked sailors in a life raft in rough seas off New Caledonia. Once on dry land the trio sent a video showing their delight and relief as the big white P&O ship came over the horizon to rescue them.
And the time P&O flew a group of its Ni Vanuatu crew to the Gold Coast to see the Vanuatu women’s beach volleyball team in action at the 2016 Commonwealth Games. The ladies won bronze, the first-ever team medal won by Vanuatu in an international competition. P&O has supported the team for years.
What P&O Australia was all about
So, what has P&O been all about in its contemporary incarnation in Australia cruising? It was always about the people and making cruise holidays affordable to the masses. The nearest equivalent is how the Boeing 747 jumbo jet made international air travel accessible to a huge new group of travellers.
P&O was the line that said in word and deed that cruising was for everyone, not just the holiday pastime of the well-to-do.
Under Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry and later Sture Myrmell and Marguerite Fitzgerald, P&O sought out and won over the family market.
As a family man, I’ve always been aware that family holidays are special events where parents can relax from the day-to-day working grind, and the kids can soak up memories to be cherished for a lifetime.
It was always a pleasure to see the kids enjoying themselves often with three generations of one family travelling together. There might even have been four-generation families holidaying on the high seas.
Churlish critics
The churlish cruising critics, who wrote off cruise ships as floating RSL clubs at sea, missed the point. That’s exactly why P&O was so successful. Passengers including the multi-generation families felt right at home, just as they did at their local club.
I’ve always thought the critics couldn’t understand P&O’s democratisation of cruising. The critics had probably never cruised, were unlikely to ever do so but liked to look down their noses at the people who did. Snobs!
P&O certainly went out of its way to offer passengers a good dollop of affordable luxury. When Pacific Explorer, Pacific Eden and Pacific Aria joined the fleet, P&O commissioned an interior design genius, Petra Ryberg, to update the look and feel.
The results were magnificent. Affordable luxury looked like classy opulence thanks to Petra’s creativity. So glowing was the new look that while onboard Pacific Eden, I asked Sture Myrmell if P&O was going upmarket. Sture looked shocked. No way! P&O’s loyal mob were just getting the best.
P&O was always approachable. When it was announced Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden were transferring from Holland America Line to P&O, a Sydney mum called the media line on a Saturday morning. Would P&O be interested in a coincidence that she had two daughters and they were named Aria and Eden? Of course — Aria and Eden became the ships’ junior godmothers.
When Australians travel, they bring their egalitarian spirit with them and in the vast majority of cases they treat the crew with great respect taking an interest in their lives and families back home. The crew responded in kind to their warmth.
Looking back on P&O’s more than 90 years of cruising from Australia, there’s no getting away from it. Erasing the brand in 2025 is going to leave a very big hole in the Australian cruise market. There is already talk of capacity plunging as a result.
It’s no small thing to do away with the region’s foundation brand — the one that resonated most with everyday Australians wishing to enjoy their taste of affordable luxury.
David Jones was Carnival Australia’s corporate communications manager from 2009 to 2022.
What an excellent tribute (and obituary) for P&O Australia. They served Australians and the SW Pacific and made Australia home. Proud to have been part of this organisation back when Pacific Sky and Pacific Princess were sailing out of Sydney.
P&O cruises will be missed. I took my first cruise on the Oriana in 1985. Had an absolute ball. Have since been on the Jewel twice and Explorer on the first cruise back from Covid out of Adelaide. Have seen some amazing places in the south pacific, and met some wonderful people. Loved the edge activities that were introduced on the Jewel, especially the Segways, they were so much fun, along with the other activities. The crew were all amazing, and did a wonderful job.
I’m very sad that P & O is closing shop.
My first trip was on Fairstar in 1975, and since then, I have been on 15 other voyages. Luckily for me I have 2 cruises in August, back to back from Auckland.
I had one trip on Princess and one on Norwegian line, but P & O is my absolute favourite.
Sad to see P&O Australia unceremoniously dumped. Carnival Corporation controls too many cruise lines from its US head office and the bean-counters have “thumbs down” to our “small market” operation. No matter that every ship that cast its lines here in Australia/New Zealand were full to the gunnals of excited passengers – with passengers from all around the world.
Carnival Corporation had deliberately run down the Aussie experience alot by constantly reducing the inclusions and adding pay-for extras and many, like me, had avoided P&O for the last few years.
Now we’ll have just their own Carnival brand ships with their scary garish decors and “American experience” to serve us and I’m sure the price increases will become obvious. Not at all appealing really.
After 90 years, sorry to see you go P&O.
I had the privilege of going on Pacific Explorer in April 2023 she was my first cruise ever, I had an incident in a small dingy many years ago coming face to face with a big shark and vowed that was my warning to not go back in the water, from then on (Jaws ) didn’t help lol, I stayed on dry land, until my two daughters booked a cruise with P&O on Pacific Explorer, my grandaughter who also had booked needed an adult, I put aside my fears and decided for her sake I would go. That was the best choice I have made, the trip from Fremantle to Exmouth was amazing,to look out from my balcony and see the splash of waves coming from this amazing giant yet such a beautiful elegant ship she is, I felt I’d found my happy place,
The crew where very informative, the captain always giving interesting information the shop staff from all countries so polite with there never ending stories of their lives working on board to the beauty that the ship had to offer transporting you into a different world of elegance in every detail the decks where we spent many fun times dancing with the crew to the music, who were amazing might I say , the service from the staff continual always with a smile and conversation was amazing the food was wonderful and the cabins kept amazingly clean by the staff. I am sad to see The Pacific Explorer go it gave me such joy and happiness to stare out into the sunset and look at the stars at night and the beautiful blue skies through the day even though it was a short cruise to Exmouth, the children catered for in the kids club the arcade games to keep them amused I felt I’d been transported to another world. I was so impressed by this cruise my family booked to go for the comedy cruise and take my mum who will be almost 91, this was sadly cancelled due to this amazing ship stepping down in 2025, but we did however manage to get booked on her second last trip to Exmouth again in February 2025 I can’t wait for my beautiful mother and my sister also coming too experience this amazing ship and everything she has to offer.i found my happy place, I only hope that Carnival will take into consideration all the people that have also had the opportunity to do the same from western Australia, I hope they keep the cruises from Fremantle so people like myself and others who possible can’t fly to the other side to cruise can still enjoy these special special holidays that have brought so much joy to so many, P&O is and has been a great cruise line and Pacific Explorer just an amazing experience. Thankyou to P&O for there great service can’t wait to go in Feb and I hope the amazing crew are integrated into other positions with Carnival.
Sad to hear. !! I bet there will be no more cruises from Adelaide!!
As an ex Assistant Purser with the real P&O back in 1958 Carnival’s P&O was not the same. Here is an opportunity for an Australian to build or buy a ship for Australian cruising. Knowing the salaries on the Australian coast are so exorbitant the ship would have to be crewed from overseas or it would be uncompetitive.
What a chance for an entrepreneur- form a Company and finance it with Shares. Perhaps make sure the vessel chosen would fit under the Sydney harbour bridge to overcome the difficulties of berthing in Sydney centre. The mind bogles.
Well I would just like to say a big thank you to the p&o crew and company,my wife an I took our first cruise together in 1984 aboard Oriana and again a few years later,then aboard Fair princess, Pacific sun,Dawn and jewel, followed by our most recent aboard Pacific adventure, always enjoyable and a pleasure to have the experience onboard there ships,and it’s sad to hear there coming to the end of a well established company,on behalf of Paul an Carola,