P&O delays New Zealand cruise return as rival Ponant sails on

The travel plans of thousands of cruise passengers are in disarray following P&O Australia’s decision to abandon its New Zealand cruise itineraries for at least 18 months.

The P&O Sapphire Princess sailing through Milford Sound in New Zealand. Picture: Supplied

The travel plans of thousands of cruise passengers were in disarray on Wednesday following P&O Australia’s decision to abandon its New Zealand cruise itineraries for at least 18 months.

The cancellation of nine cruises on P&O’s Pacific Explorer visiting ports around the Land of the Long White Cloud comes just weeks after luxury French line Ponant heralded its plans to operate seven cruises around New Zealand from early next month.

In late December Ponant said it had won conditional approval to sail with Kiwi passengers in New Zealand waters adding that its seven New Zealand voyages had almost sold out.

“Following months of engagement with New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, Ponant … has received conditional approval for their small luxury expedition vessel, Le Lapérouse, to recommence operations exclusively in New Zealand waters, for New Zealanders from February 2021,” Ponant said in a statement.

P&O Cruises president Sture Myrmell. Picture: James Croucher

It is understood the New Zealand government has applied an open-ended suspension, but cruise lines can make separate applications to cruise its waters.

P&O Cruises had initially planned to return to New Zealand’s idyllic cruising scene from February 6, but in a statement on Wednesday the line said it had cancelled nine Pacific Explorer cruises.

P&O Cruises Australia president Sture Myrmell declined to be interviewed. But a spokesman for the line said it had “unfortunately had to cancel its 2021 New Zealand cruise season due to the operational pause and, with itineraries planned up to two years ahead, July 2022 is the next opportunity for P&O Cruises to home port a ship in Auckland for a New Zealand cruise season”.

Mr Myrmell has invited his New Zealand guests to reschedule their cruise holiday for 2022.

“As we work towards this goal, we wanted to provide our Kiwi guests with as much certainty as possible and flexibility around their 2021 bookings and an opportunity to reschedule their cruise holiday for 2022 or beyond,” Mr Myrmell said in a statement.

The cruise line, which has based ships in Auckland for many years, will return to New Zealand for a dedicated 150-day season in July 2022.

Mr Myrmell said the cruise line and the winder industry continue to work with government and public health authorities on the appropriate time to restart sailing.

Meanwhile, in Australia, P&O Cruises Pacific Adventure is presently scheduled to begin sailing from Sydney on April 30, while Pacific Encounter is due to call Brisbane home from May 7 - although additional voyages may be added earlier, depending on the timing of the return of cruising in Australia.

The Australian Government recently extended its ban on cruising by another three months to March 17. The ban has been in place since March 18, 2020 having been introduced under the same biosecurity laws which have also restricted international flights into Australia.