Bye bye Pacific Pearl

The heart-wrenching aria, Time to Say Goodbye played as Pacific Pearl, one of Australia’s favourite ships left Sydney Harbour earlier this week. She’s en route to New Zealand for her last season of cruises from Auckland before she leaves the cruise line. The Pacific Pearl joined P&O Cruises in December 2010 and she will be joining the Cruise & Maritime Voyages fleet. She has carried more than half a million passengers over five years.

P&O announces NRL cruises

P&O Cruises is kicking off its first year as the official cruise line of the NRL with an action-packed schedule of rugby league cruises, starting with the Downer NRL Auckland Nines. Rugby league personalities Brad Fittler, Steve Price, Steve Menzies and referee Bill Harrigan were onboard Pacific Pearl when she sailed from Sydney earlier this week on a four-day voyage to Auckland, with guests who have booked Sportsnet packages receiving entry to Eden Park for two days of Nines action as part of their cruise holiday.

Crystal Cruises to sail the Northwest Passage

Adventurers who missed the inaugural Northwest Passage with Crystal Cruises, the line announced it would be sailing the itinerary again this year. Aboard the ultra-luxury vessel will be a comprehensive team of Arctic experts from Canada-based Arctic Kingdom, global leaders in Arctic travel, who will share their knowledge and passion for the region’s unique culture, wildlife and geography with guests onboard, as well as lead discovery expeditions ashore. The 32-day voyage departs Anchorage/Seward, Alaska for New York City on August 15, 2017, and sails through some of the most spectacular, remote areas of the previously unpassable polar region. Crystal Serenity’s 2017 Northwest Passage Explorer will mark the final voyage for a classic Crystal ocean ship to sail through the Arctic region.

Passengers hit with gastro on Sun Princess

Around 90 guests onboard the Sun Princess have been hit by a gastro outbreak. The ship underwent a prolonged disinfection ahead of a departure on a 14-day trip from Brisbane to New Zealand. The ship was coming back from a voyage from Papua New Guinea. There were reports of gastro outbreaks on the Sun Princess last year.

Dame Joan Collins announced as the Godmother for new Uniworld ship

The funny and fabulous Dame Joan Collins has been chosen as the new godmother the Uniworld’s S.S Joie de Vivre. A spokesperson from Travel Corporation said that it was her personality and vigour for life which made her a very befitting godmother for the line’s latest ship. “It seemed fitting to invite Dame Joan Collins to be the godmother of Uniworld’s French-based S.S Joie de Vivre knowing she also is a great supporter of the majestic city of Paris where the ship will regularly sail from,” the spokesperson said. She’ll be able to accommodate 128 passengers, the vessel will feature two royal suites, eight junior suites and 54 staterooms with marble-lined bathrooms. The ship will be furnished with French furniture, art and antiques.