Beloved cruise line ends as Australian-based ships are reborn

Those lamenting the demise of P&O Cruises Australia will find two of its ships sailing onwards and retaining some – but not all – of the familiar features.

Last June we reported that Carnival Corporation would be retiring the P&O Cruises Australia brand and absorbing two of its ships, Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure, into the Carnival Cruise fleet.

Fairstar, on location in paradise.Credit: Fairfax Archives

That became a reality this month, with the two ships reemerging as Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure. A third, Pacific Explorer, has been sold to Resorts World Cruises and will be renamed and rebranded Star Scorpio, slated to operate out of Singapore from late March 2025.

It’s an ignoble end for the P&O brand here. The company first based a permanent ship (Fairstar) in Australia in 1988. In 2000, a company restructure saw the creation of P&O Cruises Australia and millions of Australians will have happy holiday memories of sailing on board ships such as Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, Pacific Sky and Pacific Star.

P&O’s exclusive Byron Beach Club retreat will remain a fixture.

The question on the minds of P&O fans is whether the reincarnated ships will maintain their distinctive vibe and product – such as its edgier entertainment – oriented towards Australian passengers.

That remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely that the corporate stamp of the world’s largest cruise company won’t eventually prevail. For the moment, Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, says the two ships will provide “much of the same experiences”, dining options, entertainment and itineraries as previously.

Yet as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter set sail this month, they already have additions that bring them in line with Carnival Cruises’ other ships, such as Build-A-Bear workshops, the Conga for Kids dance party, and 80s Rock and Glow nights.

The Fairstar (then run by Sitmar Cruises) on her maiden voyage into Melbourne, 1964.Credit: Fairfax Archives

Carnival’s Fun Squad will be hosting deck parties, trivia, comedy shows and games. New child-care program Turtles Kids Club will cater to children under two with story times, arts and crafts and dancing.

None of that is a bad thing and, for diehard P&O enthusiasts, all isn’t lost. The rebranded ships will retain Edge Adventure Park, the exclusive Byron Beach Club retreat, much-loved show Blanc de Blanc, and Aussie chef Luke Mangan’s speciality restaurant Luke’s Bar & Grill, as well as other dining venues.

Carnival Corporation has a big commitment to Australia and will certainly be hoping that the two ships continue to be successful. Almost 600,000 passengers are expected to sail from Australia on Carnival Cruises ships in 2025.

Carnival Adventure will sail year-round from Sydney, joining sister ship Carnival Splendor. Carnival Encounter will home port year-round in Brisbane, with Carnival Luminosa joining it over summer.

Itineraries will take in destinations such as Moreton Island, the Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific.

By the 2026-27 season, Carnival Cruises will have ramped up the number of Australian sailings, in particular sailings of between two and four days, for which there is increasing demand.

Carnival will offer 78 short sailings from Sydney and 43 from Brisbane, more than double current numbers. Both ships will also offer cruises to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup.