One of Australia’s most loved ships, P&O’s Pacific Pearl will be leaving the fleet in April 2017, it was announced today.
But who will sail her when she leaves Australia is a mystery. P&O refused to say who the new owners are under a commercial arrangement.
Messages started appearing early on Social Media. Cruise Passenger’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/cruisepassenger – has opened a Pearl pearlers page for fans to tell their favourite stories.
By the time of her farewell, she will have completed 294 cruises under the P&O banner and has carried more than half a million passengers over a period of more than five years’ service.
“In becoming a much loved passenger favourite, Pacific Pearl made a huge contribution to building the cruise category in the region particularly in New Zealand, introducing thousands of holidaymakers to the joys of cruising,” said P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell.
“In addition to a contribution to the growth of cruise in Australia, Pacific Pearl played a big part in growing the New Zealand season by more than 20 per cent over the past four years.”
Mr Myrmell said Pacific Pearl’s departure was part of the ongoing evolution of the P&O Cruises’ brand.
“Farewelling Pacific Pearl is a natural progression in which we are increasing the size of the fleet while redefining modern cruising in this part of the world. This is a very exciting time for P&O Cruises and our guests and is part of our long-term commitment to grow the cruise market.”
P&O have assured that most guests travelling on Pacific Pearl will not be affected.
But if they are, P&O will:
- Rebook on an equivalent or near equivalent cruise on another P&O Cruises Australia ship
- Offer a choice of alternative cruise on the other ships in the P&O Cruises Australia fleet where a near equivalent match is not possible
- Provide a full refund to guests for whom no alternative cruise choice suitable (any guest whose cruise is cancelled can choose to obtain a full refund)Visit pocruises.com.au/Farewell-Pacific-Pearl for more details including FAQs and a dedicated hotline for customer enquiries.
Check out the photo gallery of Pacific Pearl, image courtesy: P&O Cruises Australia
We are very disappointed to see the Pearl go, she was a beautiful ship and we will have fond memories of her! Our last cruise on her was last Christmas and New Year ( We did a back to back)!
We booked a future cruise to Fiji on the Pearl whilst onboard! Surely P&O knew in December/January that she was on the market to be sold! So we have to ask why was the booking made available in the first place and then taken? We have since been offered different dates on a South Pacific cruise on the Explorer! A cruise that not only doesn’t go to Fiji (Our reason to book in the first place), but is 10 nights instead of 14! We can accept this as a fact of life our main concern is that our grade of cabin and location booked on the Pearl does not exist on the Explorer! Currently we are facing a major downgrade or a major upgrade! Will P&O shaft all people booked on the Pearl or are they just happy playing with our money/deposits until they decide what will happen cabin wise or cruise wise for all of us unfortunate passengers! Information up to today suggests P&O have not allocated cabins to passengers on lost cruise’s! They can sell a ship in 6 weeks, but can’t find comparable cabins for those passengers affected by their decision’s in 8 week’s! We feel they intend to slot us into cabin’s anywhere on the ship that haven’t been pre booked! Extremely bad business P&O! Extremely bad!
Thanks Sean for sharing your memories aboard the Pacific Pearl with us and fellow readers.
Best
Cruise Passenger Team
My sister and I took a 4 night cruise from Auckland to Sydney in 2012 on Pacific Pearl. At the time I was disappointed that I had cancelled a longer cruise as I was on Long service leave. However this trip proved to be special in its own right and I was kind of glad I ended up on it. We stayed one night in Auckland at the Hilton which is shaped like a ship and is actually part of the ship terminal so we watched the pearl come into view as we were on our balcony.
Onboard we had a female captain, Sarah Breton, the food , service and facilities were good compared to more recent reports I have heard. I also met a very interesting and funny Japanese passenger whom I met up again with in Sydney and who remains friends with me though he now works on Costa cruises.When we docked at Darling harbour all my sister and I had to do was walk with our bags up the hill and jump on the bus From Wynyard to home
Farewell Pacific Pearl Ex Sitmar Fairmajesty, Star princess, Arcadia, Ocean Village.
Hi Lorraine,
Sorry to hear about that.
Best
Cruise Passenger team
Hi Gloria,
Check pocruises.com.au/Farewell-Pacific-Pearl for more details on your cruise. You can claim for a full refund.
Best
Cruise Passenger team.
Thank John, for sharing your experience aboard the Pacific Pearl.
Best
Cruise Passenger team
Thanks for sharing your personal experience aboard the Pacific Pearl; while there will always be some cruisers who didn’t like it, nevertheless, Pearl has been one of the favourite P&O cruise ships amongst Aussies.
Best
Cruise Passenger team
@Larry My partner and I took our first cruise last year and we were so excited to be experiencing everything the Pacific Pearl had to offer for the first time. Unfortunately, our cabin was next door to two people like you. Let’s call them Bob and Susan. Bob and Susan, like yourself had done a million cruises and were now “self proclaimed experts on everything about ships” … sorry, I meant to say “miserable whingers who were determined to complain about everything to anyone who’d listen”. And they weren’t the only ones. The ship was FULL of people like them. Boring, sad little people who had nothing better to do with their time but to jump from ship to ship, springing into action like cruise inspectors determined to find every flaw or imperfection. Worst of all, the way Bob and Susan spoke to the staff was disgusting. Staff who clearly worked very hard for very little while living on board the ship for long stretches of time away from loved ones just so their children could get an education. The Bob and Susan’s on board were determined to make others see how “horrible” everything was. Big adult sized babies. So Larry, forgive me when I roll my eyes at your comment and assure anyone who read your “warning” to take it with a grain of salt. The Pearl is a lovely ship with an even more lovely staff who will do everything to make your journey as pleasant as possible.
The Pacific Pearl is a very nice cruise ship. when we travel P&O we travel on the Pearl. It is sad to see it going
I am booked for a cruise 4th to 14th April 2017, will this still be happening. My last cruise on this ship was May 2015, was told that she was going to refitted then, has/did this happen?
She will always be remembered as our first cruise and to make it even more harder our honey moon cruise … I then later learnt that’s she is younger than me by a mth .. To many amazing memories she will be missed princess pearl
I lost my mother to a leg infection she contracted on Pacific Pearl five years ago. I could never sail on this ship so looking forward to a replacement.
Sailed on her once. The obstructed view cabin was very nice. Unfortunately the rest of the ship was old and tired. I’m afraid some new paint and decor did not disguise the old girl from what she was…..a bucket!
With the upcoming renaming of “Dawn Princess” to “Pacific Explorer” and joining the P&O fleet, in 2017, I am sure many past passengers will be very satisfied with her. She is a MUCH better designed ship and will do very well for the company.
I have been on 3 cruises and the last was on the Pearl with my cousin and we absolutely loved it. The service, staff , shows and experience was fantastic so sad to see her go 8-(
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for sharing your experience of the Pacific Pearl.
Best
Cruise Passenger Team
Hi Victor,
Thanks for sharing your experience of the Pacific Pearl.
Best
Cruise Passenger Team
Hi Larry,
Thanks for your comment. Keep visiting Cruise Passenger to know more about this story.
Best
Cruise Passenger Team
This is great news, I have to add that in my 31 cruises the Pacific Pearl was the worst ship I have sailed in.I would lve to know the new owners so I can keep clear
We have done 2 cruises both on the Pearl she will be missed
My husband and i went for a 3 day cruise on the pacif pearl. The food was great and the service was excellent. She will be sorely missed
Thank goodness – that ship was on junk heap well before P&O took her over. There have been tales of woe about that ship from Day 1 – toilet issues, water leaks in public places etc – I witnessed it and experienced it myself.
Our first cruise on the Pearl was our last cruise with P&O … yes it was that bad – it was the cruise from hell.
Good riddance to bad rubbish is what I say.