P&O Cruises Australia’s newest ship Pacific Encounter arrived in Brisbane on 20 August to a ship’s whistle welcome as she sets up base in the Queensland capital after making a splash in Sydney en route from Singapore earlier in the month.
Pacific Encounter will play a big part in the revival of the Queensland cruise market, which has more cruise destinations than any other state, as well as shoring up Australia’s $5 billion cruise industry and enabling year-round cruising to the South Pacific and Papua New Guinea.
The new P&O ship was greeted on arrival at Brisbane International Cruise Terminal by an enthusiastic group of Queensland tourism business owners.
The welcome party included Brisbane-based coach operator Darren Webster of Kangaroo Buslines; Dan Russell, head of specialist cruise travel agency Clean Cruising; Nikki Giumelli, owner of Cairns’ Bad Fishy Jetboat adventure; Riverlife Brisbane owner John Sharpe, Bob Wood Cruise Group CEO and owner Jay McKenzie and Tina and Rory Murphy of Cairns-based Hummers & Harleys.
P&O Cruises Australia President Marguerite Fitzgerald said Queensland was a vital element to rebuild cruise tourism in Australia and the region.
“It is fantastic that Queensland again has its own P&O ship to carry on a long tradition of having a ship based year-round in Brisbane,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“Brisbane has always been a great turnaround port for cruises to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea and will be again as P&O’s horizons grow.”
Clean Cruising’s Dan Russell said: “We know Queenslanders can’t wait to cruise from the new terminal and travel agents like us are in hiring mode again to keep up with the booking demand. Welcome back P&O!”
Ms Fitzgerald said Pacific Encounter will make 24 cruises from Brisbane between now and the end of the year on a variety of itineraries in Queensland and the Pacific with another 54 cruises in 2023.
“We are looking forward to a near-normal summer cruise season around Australia in 2022-23 and Pacific Encounter will be a big part of that ongoing success story here in Queensland,” she said.
For more info, head to pocruises.com.au
