P&O Australia's new 2015/16 itineraries

From P&O Australia:

P&O Cruises’ Latest Program Offers New Cruises Across Australia

Australia’s leading cruise line P&O Cruises has launched its most exciting program yet, offering more short itineraries from cities around Australia, visits to new regional ports and its first Melbourne Cup trifecta, with three ships cruising to the racing event.

 

The 2015-16 program is on sale from April 28 and offers cruises from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Auckland.

 

In response to strong demand, the program features the cruise line’s biggest and most diverse range of P&OSeaBreaks with itineraries spanning two to four nights including new sailings to Melbourne and more cruises to the Queensland ports of Mooloolaba and Moreton Island. P&OSeaBreak fares start from $549* per person quad share for four-night cruises from Sydney to Queensland.

 

In early 2015, the cruise line will also offer its first short cruises from Brisbane to New South Wales’ famous wine region the Hunter Valley, while beautiful Eden on the state’s south coast will receive its inaugural visit from P&O Cruises’ during longer sailings from Sydney to Victoria and South Australia.

 

Meanwhile P&O Cruises’ has boosted its Melbourne program to nine cruises during February and March 2016 including a new 11-night Pacific Islands cruise, short breaks to Tasmania and Sydney and a food and wine cruise.

 

Pacific Jewel will also sail on enhanced South Australia and Tasmania itineraries ranging from five to 11 nights and featuring visits to Kangaroo Island, Burnie, Port Arthur and Port Lincoln as well as a new port - the scenic fishing village of Portland on Victoria’s famed Great Ocean Road. Fares for Melbourne cruises start from $499* per person quad share for a three-night cruise to Burnie.

 

The cruise line’s expanded South Australian program will include a nine-night roundtrip cruise from Adelaide visiting Melbourne, Burnie, Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln and Portland, priced from $1199* per person quad share.

 

The offerings from Brisbane also feature a new P&OExplorer itinerary ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’, which will see Pacific Dawn cruise to Tonga and Fiji via the home of the Bounty Mutineers, Pitcairn Island, as part of a 14-night cruise priced from $1499* per person quad share.

 

As the cruise line expands its P&OMainEvents itineraries, the entire fleet will cruise south for the race that stops a nation, with Pacific Dawn offering its inaugural seven-night Melbourne Cup itinerary from Brisbane, with fares from $999* per person quad share, including two full days in Melbourne to soak up the carnival atmosphere.

 

Other event highlights include Australia Day cruises with Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel taking centre stage in Sydney Harbour and Pacific Dawn offering a scenic itinerary to the Whitsundays. Fares start from $579* per person quad share for a three-night cruise on Pacific Jewel or Pacific Pearl.

 

P&O Cruises will also offer a four-night itinerary to coincide with the 2015 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and will return to Victoria for its third Australian Open in 2016 with Pacific Pearl offering a five-night itinerary from Sydney to Melbourne including general admission to Melbourne Park, priced from $849* per person quad share.

 

P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Tammy Marshall said the cruise line was ramping up its offerings in 2015-16, with more choices and more local ports than any other cruise line.

 

“Our new program gives travellers from all over Australia the chance to explore some of the most beautiful corners of our country and the neighbouring Pacific and experience our nation’s world class events with a plethora of P&OSeaBreaks, P&OIslands and P&OMainEvents on offer in 2015-16,” Ms Marshall said.

 

“Whether travellers are looking for a few nights at sea or a longer escape, there are lots of new ports and exciting holiday options available so we’re looking forward to welcoming even more Australians onboard.”

P&O Cruises Offers Record Range of New Zealand Cruises

P&O Cruises is offering New Zealanders more ways to holiday at sea than ever before with its latest Auckland program featuring a record 12 cruises.

 

On sale from April 28, the program will see the cruise line’s popular Pacific Pearl based in Auckland for almost three months from April 2016, with new itineraries ranging from a three-night food and wine themed cruise to an 11-night voyage to the beautiful islands of Fiji and Tonga.

 

Reflecting the growing popularity of short escapes, the program features an unprecedented five P&OSeaBreak sailings, giving New Zealanders a chance to relax and unwind as they enjoy a few days at sea.

 

For the first time, the shorter cruises will include two food and wine themed escapes, with an array of culinary seminars and experiences giving passengers the ultimate “taste” of cruising. Fares start from NZ$579 per person quad share for the three-night cruises departing Auckland on April 15 and June 10, 2016.

 

The program also includes the Bay of Islands as a P&OSeaBreak option, with Pacific Pearl dropping anchor for a day in the beautiful region during a four-night cruise departing Auckland on May 26, 2016. Fares for the cruise start from NZ$699 pp quad share.

 

P&O Cruises is promising plenty of trans-Tasman laughter on two comedy cruises sailing between Sydney and Auckland. Departing April 1, 2016 from Sydney and June 23 from Auckland, the four-night cruises are priced from NZ$599 pp quad share.

 

For those looking to spend a little longer away, the 2016 program features five tropical cruises to the Pacific Islands visiting the colourful capitals Noumea and Vila as well as remote and exotic ports such as Mare in the Loyalty Islands and Pentecost in Vanuatu.

Fares start from NZ$1399 pp quad share for a nine-night Pacific Island Hopper cruise.

 

Also on offer are two P&OExplorer cruises to the beautiful islands of Tonga and Fiji, taking in ports from Port Denarau to Nuku’alofa. Fares start from NZ$1599 pp quad share for a new 11-night Tongan Discovery cruise which includes five ports of call and a cruise by the spectacular Tin Can Island, with a name which harks back to the early 20th century when its inhabitants used to swim out to meet passing steamers and give them their post in a tin can.

 

Launching the program, P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Tammy Marshall said the range of cruise options was the largest ever offered in the New Zealand market.

 

“Whether travellers are looking for a short getaway with friends or want to spend some time away exploring different cultures, we think they’ll find the right cruise in our latest offering,” Ms Marshall said.

http://www.pocruises.com.au/AboutUs/News/Pages/po-cruises-offers-record-range-of-new-zealand-cruises.aspx

I'm excited to see what cruises they will be offering, we're planning to go again late 2015/ early 2016, hoping there is a 10+ night to soth pacific somewhere in there!

Just looked up the new itineraries from brisbane, disappointing :(

I love the christmas/new year itineraries but they don't offer them at any other time. We are a family of 7 and its way too expensive for us to go during peak times. I don't want to do png but there is only one other longer cruise, mutiny on the bounty for 14 nights, but again I think it will be too expensive.

Why couldn't they do a few more for 9 or 10 nights around south pacific??

Oh well, guess it will be another island hopper for us

Also disappointed in their offerings from Melbourne in Feb/March 2016. They have an 11 night islands cruise, presumably to see if it's popular enough to warrant doing more in the future. Only problem is it departs on the fourth day of the 2016 school year. Most parents wouldn't take their kids out of school then and for our family it's almost impossible - my husband is a teacher and whilst he did take long service leave for our last cruise (which was in August/term 3), he's highly unlikely to get the first few weeks of school approved.

It's like they're scheduling very ordinary itineraries and dates from Melbourne so they can say "well, we tried but there just isn't the demand for us to base a ship in Melbourne". I'm fairly confident if they tried offering better itineraries at a different time of year, they'd make a killing - we'd be much more likely to cruise if we didn't have to fork out for airfares too.

Also disappointed in their offerings from Melbourne in Feb/March 2016. They have an 11 night islands cruise, presumably to see if it's popular enough to warrant doing more in the future. Only problem is it departs on the fourth day of the 2016 school year. Most parents wouldn't take their kids out of school then and for our family it's almost impossible - my husband is a teacher and whilst he did take long service leave for our last cruise (which was in August/term 3), he's highly unlikely to get the first few weeks of school approved.

 

It's like they're scheduling very ordinary itineraries and dates from Melbourne so they can say "well, we tried but there just isn't the demand for us to base a ship in Melbourne". I'm fairly confident if they tried offering better itineraries at a different time of year, they'd make a killing - we'd be much more likely to cruise if we didn't have to fork out for airfares too.

princess will have the Golden Princess cruising out of Melbourne late october 15- march 16 so see what their itinerary's are....should be out about the 20th may

Has anyone actually tried booking any of the new sailings?

I've been trying yesterday and today to book the Feb 2016 PNG while the half price deposits are still valid but it keeps returning an error when I put in payment details. (and I've tried 3 different cards - AMEX, VISA, Mastercard)

REALLY want this date as I'm starting a new habit of cruising on my birthday which this voyage covers and I'm booking a solo so definitely don't want the price to be going up! (I'm assuming that with the refund/cancel policy that if fares drop I'll have no hassles rebooking? :o)

Has anyone actually tried booking any of the new sailings?

I've been trying yesterday and today to book the Feb 2016 PNG while the half price deposits are still valid but it keeps returning an error when I put in payment details. (and I've tried 3 different cards - AMEX, VISA, Mastercard)

REALLY want this date as I'm starting a new habit of cruising on my birthday which this voyage covers and I'm booking a solo so definitely don't want the price to be going up! (I'm assuming that with the refund/cancel policy that if fares drop I'll have no hassles rebooking? :o)

Maybe try giving P&O a phone or talk to a travel agent?

I wonder how this is going to change things when the Old Holland America Line ships come to Australia in NOV 21015. That they have emphasized 5 ships for the summer of 2015/16 we may even see a disposal of one of the older P&O ships - perhaps the Jewel based on opinions of this board. I dont think they could maintain 5 ships in the winter?

Has anyone actually tried booking any of the new sailings?

I've been trying yesterday and today to book the Feb 2016 PNG while the half price deposits are still valid but it keeps returning an error when I put in payment details. (and I've tried 3 different cards - AMEX, VISA, Mastercard)

REALLY want this date as I'm starting a new habit of cruising on my birthday which this voyage covers and I'm booking a solo so definitely don't want the price to be going up! (I'm assuming that with the refund/cancel policy that if fares drop I'll have no hassles rebooking? :o)

We booked this cruise yesterday. We didn't do it directly with P&O but with a well known online travel agency that was offering $100OBC and the price for our cabin was $200 less than what P&O were quoting.

I have no idea about the half price deposits, we paid $400 each so am not sure if they were half price or normal.

Jennie

We booked this cruise yesterday. We didn't do it directly with P&O but with a well known online travel agency that was offering $100OBC and the price for our cabin was $200 less than what P&O were quoting.

 

I have no idea about the half price deposits, we paid $400 each so am not sure if they were half price or normal.

 

Jennie

Oooohhh!! Thanks for the heads up! I'm off to have a nosy around the internet :D

Given I'm sailing in a fortnight I figured I'd just try and book onboard.

I did ring them when I first posted the question and the girl on the phone gave me some bull about my name being in the system wrong but yet it's fine on all my paperwork.

As for the half deposits - it was quoting me $100pp for interior/OV. Don't know if it's higher for suites or not - never bothered to look at those categories!