- P&O Cruises beloved Australia ship Pacific Explorer has been sold
- The ship will now sail as Star Scorpio for Resorts World Cruises
- Pacific Explorer was a favourite ship amongst Aussie cruisers – sailing all around the country
P&O Cruises ship Pacific Explorer, loved by many Aussies and Kiwis, has been sold to Resorts World Cruises. The ship will operate as Star Scorpio, sailing out of Singapore from March 2025.
The ship will receive a US$50 million makeover, to convert the ship, which was made in 1997, into a Resorts World Cruises ship.
Pacific Explorer being removed from the Carnival fleet, as Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter transfer to the Carnival brand, has been mourned by Aussie cruisers around the country.
Pacific Explorer would sail all-around Australia and New Zealand, running turnaround cruises out of places like Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, New Zealand and much more. On finding out P&O Australia and Pacific Explorer would be ceasing operations, many cruisers around Australia also found out they’d now need to fly domestically if they wished to cruise.
Many cruisers felt disappointed that not only a beloved ship that has been in and out of Australian waters since 2008, but also a ship that visited ports all around Australia, will no longer be sailing in Australia.
Previously to its time with P&O, the ship sailed as Dawn Princess.
The ships new life as Star Scorpio
As a new ship for Resorts World Cruises, the ship will sail three, four and five-night itineraries out of Singapore, visiting countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and more. The structure of the itineraries will also allow guests to board the ship in Jakarta, Bangkok, Melaka and Ho Chi Minh City.
For Vietnam, Star Scorpio will be the first cruise ship to homeport in Ho Chi Minh City, allowing Vietnamese to enjoy affordable cruises to Singapore and Melaka. For Singapore passengers, the 14-hour Jakarta port time will allow passengers to go to the historic city of Bandung using the new high-speed rail, which travels at a speed of up to 250 km per hour with the rare chance to also visit a live volcano.”
Resorts World Cruises is a new cruise line, which began operations in 2022, currently operating Genting Dream and Resorts World One. The line is based in Asia and focuses on itineraries in Asia and the Middle East.
“We are pleased to introduce Star Scorpio as the third cruise ship for our fleet and to kick start her maiden deployment in Singapore. Star Scorpio’s dual homeport in Singapore with different countries in Asia will offer Indonesians, Thais, Malaysians and Vietnamese round-trip cruises from their ports during their peak holiday periods without the need to fly to another country”, said Mr Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises.
“For Vietnam, Star Scorpio will be the first cruise ship to homeport in Ho Chi Minh City, allowing Vietnamese to enjoy affordable cruises to Singapore and Melaka. For Singapore passengers, the 14-hour Jakarta port time will allow passengers to go to the historic city of Bandung using the new high-speed rail, which travels at a speed of up to 250 km per hour with the rare chance to also visit a live volcano” he added.
Prior to commencing operations in 2025, Star Scorpio will undergo a US$ 50 million renovation and upgrade in Singapore and will feature many restaurants, bars, showroom and other recreational facilities. Like other Resorts World Cruises ships, Star Scorpio will have amazing entertainment, parties and activities onboard the ship.
thats fantastic that the ship is not being scrapped, and millions of dollars are going into giving dora a new lease of life. i hope they love her as much as we do