By David Jones, who was Carnival Australia’s corporate communications manager from 2009 to 2022.
When the closure of P&O Cruises Australia was announced, its loyal staff promised to give the homegrown cruise line a send off that would be one for the ages.
Let’s hope it is, although it remains to be seen whether the promise can be fulfilled in the manner and style that this 92-year-old icon of Australian cruising should receive.
The prospect of this happening isn’t entirely propitious. Pacific Explorer was allowed to cruise out of its Sydney home port for the last time without a shred of fanfare.
And the “same cruise line, different name” mantra in the brand switch from P&O to its now dominant partner Carnival Cruise Line is a marketing constraint on a farewell salute to a storied brand.
But let’s work on the basis that come March and that last P&O-branded cruise, this grand shipping name will be given a rousing and emotional farewell. It deserves it since the P&O connection to Australia runs longer and deeper than the start of cruising in 1932.
A wharfside sandstone building, once P&O’s first Sydney warehouse and now home to the Harbour Pilot, is testament to the fact that the first P&O ship in Sydney was the Chusan way back in 1852.
If some ideas for a grand farewell spectacle are needed, please read on.
But first a recap to amplify some of the magic moments synonymous with P&O over more than a decade as the modern cruise line was built in Australia.
Spectacular events were always a big thing at P&O to reflect the excitement of its growth story.
None could be bigger and better than the emotional return of Pacific Explorer, escorted by water cannon tugs and with a huge WE’RE HOME banner across her superstructure, after the cruise ban was lifted in April 2022.
There were other high profile events including the 2015 five-ship spectacular with the entire P&O fleet sailing off Sydney and an in-harbour naming ceremony for Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden with junior godmothers who just happened to be named Eden and Aria.
And do you remember the naming ceremonies for Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, and Pacific Pearl and a birthday party for Pacific Explorer when Carnival Australia CEO Sture Myrmell good naturedly copped a bucket of green slime in a Nickelodeon themed event?
Or the night Pacific Pearl while berthed at the Overseas Passenger Terminal became the central feature of VIVID Sydney with a light show of maritime flags and Pacific island images projected on its big white hull. Plus having Governor General Quentin Bryce on board for Pacific Jewel’s naming, Cathy Freeman as godmother of Pacific Dawn and a food festival at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
So, let’s think about ways to make P&O’s farewell event a spectacular showcase that stays true to its very Australian personality — with a touch of Aussie cheekiness.
Therein is the clue. It’s all about the people who made the brand a national icon. When the last ship sails out in P&O livery, what about an honour guard of past passengers, the ones with a record-breaking number of P&O cruises under their belt.
For a little cheekiness and to reflect one of its most popular themed cruises, we could have a chorus line of Elvis Presley tribute artists serenading the departing ship.
Better still, encourage a flotilla of boat owners to get their cruisers and runabouts in the water to escort the last P&O ship out of Sydney Harbour along with as many tugs that can be mustered to give a welcome in reverse amid plumes of spray.
While we are on a flotilla roll, the Sydney Heritage Fleet could be coaxed into having their historic vessels out on the harbour to acknowledge P&O’s 172-year relationship with Sydney.
In short, let’s make it a vibrant and noisy well done to Australia’s favourite cruise line and have passengers on the last cruise out on deck to sound a hearty “three cheers to P&O”.
Now, I know that many will ask, what’s the big deal? The two P&O ships will remain as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter. But what we are doing here is seeing off an incredible maritime brand and showing it all due respect.
I’d like to see another of those giant banners on the departing ship’s stern saying “SEEYA SYDNEY”. Seeya because it’s not quite so final and you just never know what might happen in the future.
Down the track, unlikely though it might seem, someone might think scrapping a brand that was a household name in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific might not have been so clever after all.
Wouldn’t it be great to see the Encounter and Adventure sail together out of Sydney Harbour together ,I would even fly down from Qld for that.Just wishing.
Yes this will be a very sad day to see P&O leave our shores ,yes they will be back but under the banner of Carnaval , but don’t enjoy Carnival ships,I have sailed on all of the P&O ships even when the Sea princess was under P&O .I will miss you P&O. Hope Carnival don’t make to many changes ,a lot of Australians don’t like change when we love something we like to enjoy it I have been on all P&O ships. Bon voyage P&O love you.❤️
Yep! P&O gone but not forgotten! My family needed to fly to Sydney from NZ to cruise in the 1970’s. We always enjoyed our special cabin and dining room stewards from Goa in those days! I even remember when Arcadia was a class ship and other classes couldn’t visit first class areas! We also enjoyed the Canberra, Oriana (not the new big one!), Sun Princess and Explorer. Although we now cruise on smaller lines it’s P&O who began our love affair with cruising! Thank you for the memories xx
My wife and I are Canadian seniors and have cruised dozens of cruise lines over the years.
The one cruise line we’ve never done is P&O, but we had intended to try it.
Just learned this news and are sorry to know.
Wishing you all the best.
This will be my wife and I first and last P&O cruise , never liked carnival, we have been on Royal Caribbean twice and wanted to give P&O a go now if the ships don’t have a over done carnival make over we will hop on Pacific Adventure after the change to see if she is still the same . we are sailing on her 3rd last cruise a 10 day to the south Pacific . This is a sad day for Australian cruising to lose such an icon ,and I agree I believe carnival has made a very large mistake in doing what it has done.
I sailed on the Oriana in 1983 it was great went around Australia up to Bali and hopped off in Singapore. I mentioned this recently while on the Pacific Encounter and the person next to me said ” I wasn’t born then” I laughed.
I will be on the cruise out of Brisbane early March 2025 so I really hope there is alot of fan fare I’m expecting it.
It’s ashame. Carnival should keep than as P&O. They have a great reputation. I love travelling with them. I feel carnival making a big mistake. It’s seems to be more about money than people.
We’d love to see them Anne – can you take as picture with your phone and send it to us? I’m sure everyone would be very interested. Peter
Farewell P@O a much loved Australian Cruise Company I had my first Cruise 45 years ago ,I loved the days when guests could come on board and have a Farewell drink the good old days it was so special, Farewell P@O
My family and I will sorely miss P&O.. especially my partner and I dubbed th hip-hop couple from many of the staff .. Our first cruise was on The Pearl in 2014 and we were all addicted from there. Zoltana J is, was and will always be the best cruise director ever!!! We got engaged on the Aria had our honeymoon on the Explorer and hate the fact that we’ll never see the P&O brand again sooo many memories… thank you P&O.. to all the staff & crew
Hi I have 2 dinning room menus from 1934 & 1937 from my Grand mother. Mary Kathleen Kelly
I sailed from Tilbury docks to Fremantle as a 21 year old briclayer starting off to a new life in Australia aboard the SS Orcades a P and O liner which took over 7 weeks as we had to go around the cape in South Africa. It was packed on board with 1,000s of people but the crew were very patient and curteous and the food was great. My Father was an ex merchant seaman who advised me to travel on a P and O liner and not one of the other companies.
I have only ever done P.O cruising and about to go on my last one 11th January 2025 total of 11 cruises and loved everyone one of them.
Thank you for wonderful memories xo
What an excellent article David, and all great suggestions, albeit a couple of them tongue in cheek! As an ex P&O/Carnival employee myself of almost 2 decades, I was heart broken to hear that Australia was losing her home brand. So, yes, let’s put on a show, send P&O out with a rip snorting bang, not a whimper.
Carnival Corporation Head Office in the US don’t seem to give a damn about the long history of P&O Australia, obviously. Its all about building their own brand.
Sadly the demise of P&O Australia has been obvious for years now. Buying old second-hand ships, tarting them up with flashy decors whilst under the lipstick the mechanics were crumbling. Every cruise however sailed away with a full compliment of loyal passengers while fare inclusions were slowly whittled away, the Carnival way to boost profits. Big corporations backed to the hilt by shareholder expectations have no time for tradition or history or loyalty. And thats whats happened. I hope for a big send-off but won’t be surprised if its a fizzer. I’ve done a couple of Carnival cruises out of Sydney but their garish ships with money spinning extras at every turn themed for the American way of cruising doesn’t suit me.
Times change and this change is a sad but its seems inevitable way of the world. Bon Voyage P&O its been good to know ya.
We all know carnival own the lot but Australian icons are slowly disappearing everywhere. We won’t have any identity in a few years. We may even be known as the country that let’s everyone take over. Sad but true. The P&O name will be truely missed. There goes another bit of our history.
I have loved sailing with P & O quite a few times on the Pacific Jewel the Pacific Explorer the Pacific Encounter and the Pacific Adventure. Had plenty of fun and entertainment. The P & O name will be missed so will their service
I’ve been on both cruise liners in past 12 months and Carnival needs to lift its game if it wants to match P&O in the entertainment stakes, Sophie had adventurer beating to her drum and it was top notch better then I expected, then Carnival to NZ was disappointing ! Let’s judge in 2 years time !
Woweeee, yes, imagine tugs old & new & ferries too Something no less than an Australian Day sort of Harbour event. You made me cry
Bye P&O,we had some good times,very sad to see go….
Having been on many P&O cruises, the last being on Pacific Explorer, I would like to wish her a fond farewell and I hope she enjoys her new career. I think your ideas for a great goodbye for the last ship to sail as P&O are excellent. Do we know which ship this will be and when she will sail. Would love to be in Sydney to wave goodbye before (in June) I board Carnival Adventure to continue my love of cruising.
Where do i start.
We were on the big launch of the new ship aria and have been p&o travellers since my kids were small.
we also were on the first ship to sail post covid boy o boy we were expecting a celebration of the return to cruising for australia
NOTHING so i feel the whimper will continue really i would have been happy with a sparkler and a tug spraying water
that day but was less of a celebration than a funeral wake
I first started cruising with P&O 2014 and have cruised every year apart from coved stopping me done two or three a year first one was with PACIFIC Dawn staff was always beautiful my last one 2024 August PACIFIC Adventure/ENCOUNTER sadly missed ❤️