Pacific Explorer dropped anchor in New Caledonia on 4 October to be the first cruise ship back to the South Pacific nation following the recent reopening of maritime borders to cruise tourism.
The P&O Cruises Australia ship sailed into Noumea for an overnight stay, which President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald said was an exciting development in the resumption of South Pacific cruising.
“P&O Cruises has been sailing to New Caledonia for many decades, and so we are thrilled to return to this beautiful nation,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
The call is the latest in a series of milestones for P&O’s flagship, which was the first cruise ship to return to Australia in April this year as well as the first ship to visit New Zealand and Fiji in August.
P&O Cruises Australia and Vanuatu authorities will work together to resume cruising to the island paradise, starting with two P&O cruises from Australia in November to test protocols and procedures for the safe rollout of cruising to Vanuatu.
Ships from across Carnival Australia’s family of brands will make more than 20 visits to New Caledonia for the remainder of 2022 with more than 150 calls scheduled for 2023.
Ms Fitzgerald said Carnival Australia’s cruise lines were looking at scheduling longer days in Noumea, an initiative made possible by the recent opening of the new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal.
“Thanks to the location and the design of the new Brisbane terminal, we can now reach Noumea faster than we used to, so we can spend more time visiting the city,” she said. “That’s a real win-win development for New Caledonia and for our guests.”
For more info, head to pocruises.com.au
