P&O Cruises: Famous cruise ship brand is to be shut down just weeks after Daily Mail Australia revealed how one passenger plunged to his death after running up huge casino debt on board
Iconic cruise line brand P&O Australia is closing just weeks after Daily Mail Australia revealed a passenger jumped to his death after racking up a huge casino debt during a trip.
On Tuesday P&Os parent company Carnival Corporation has announced that the famous brand will close in March next year after 90 years of sailing from Australia.
In a statement, Carnival Corporation said it will “disappear” the P&O Cruises Australia brand and merge its Australian operations into Carnival Cruise Line, which it claims is “the most popular cruise line in the world.”
The closure is attributed to “the strategic realities of the South Pacific’s small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs.”
Carnival Corporation said the closure of P&O Australia is the result of a strategic move “intended to increase guest capacity for Carnival Cruise Line, the company’s flagship brand and the highest-grossing brand in Carnival Corporation’s global portfolio.”
P&O Australia passenger Shane Dixon, 45 (pictured) fell to his death after racking up huge gambling debts on board a cruise
The P&O Australia ship Pacific Explorer will leave the fleet in February 2025
P&O Cruises’ Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure cruise ships will be rebranded and operated under the Carnival Cruise Line brand.
Pacific Explorer will leave the fleet in February 2025.
Carnival Corporation said current itineraries will operate as usual and passengers will be notified of any changes to future bookings in the coming days.
Following the closure of P&O Australia next year, Carnival Cruise Line will have four ships in the market, including Sydney-based Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa sailing seasonally from Brisbane, in addition to their new sister ships Encounter and Adventure.
