P&O Cruises has announced a new cruise ship built specifically for the Australian market. The yet to be named passenger ship to be launched in 2019 will be more than twice the size of the largest ship currently homeported year round in Australia. At a whopping 135,500 tonnes and carrying 4200 passengers, P&O are dubbing it a “game changer”.
Royal Carribean's Explorer of the Seas is currently Australia's largest ship, but this will be overtaken by Ovation of the Seas when it arrives in December 2016.
The new P&O mega ship is set to sail on 3 to 10 night itineraries around the region. The new vessel will bring P&O Australia’s growing fleet to seven, following the addition of Pacific Explorer in May 2017. As announced previously, “Pacific Explorer” will be the refurbished “Dawn Princess” currently within the Princess Cruises fleet.
The investment by P&O shows the increasing interest in the cruising sector by Australian and international travellers and will eventuate in economic benefit to the region.