First ever new build cruise ship for P&O Australia, set to sail in 2019, will be transferred to Carnival Cruise Line fleet reports Cruise Critic. Instead Carnival Cruise Line ship, Carnival Splendor will join P&O Australia in 2019 as a seventh cruise ship to its fleet.

This is big disappointment for Australia cruisers, since P&O Australia fleet currently  consists of five cruise ships from the early 90’s, all of them transferred from Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. Pacific Explorer another new-old ship transferred from Princess Cruises will join P&O Australia in 2017.

P&O Cruises Australia president Sture Myrmell welcomed a transformed and re-named Carnival Splendor to the P&O Cruises’ fleet in 2019 cementing their position as Australia’s leading cruise line and the only true home grown Australian brand. However even if refurbished, the fact remains that old ship is old ship, and Australia is not some third world destination where people don’t mind sailing on refurbished cruise ships. P&O Australia might be the only true home grown Australian Cruise Line, however other cruise lines are deploying new cruise ship to the Continent. 

Royal Caribbean send their new build cruise ship Ovation of the Seas to Australia.  Explorer of the Seas launched in 2000, Radiance of the Seas built in 2001, Voyager of the Seas built in 1999 and Celebrity Solstice built in 2008 will be sailing in 2017 from Sidney Harbor as their homeport.

Here are the statistics of P&O Australia Cruise Ships.

Is P&O Australia Becoming the junk collectors of the cruise line industry?