The continuing uncertainty around the cruise industry in Australia and the government’s lack of action has forced P&O Cruises to make a massive cancellation on more voyages for the next year. The cruise line confirmed it had been forced to cancel its homeporting to three majour ports Adelaide, Fremantle and Cairns, at least for the first half of 2022. Sture Myrmell, the President of P&O Cruises Australia is hoping that the government will engage more with the cruise sector on a pathway for the staged resumption of domestic cruising. 

“As the homegrown cruise line with about 90 years of history sailing in this region, P&O Cruises Australia has prided itself on being the cruise line that has ships based from all mainland cities,” Myrmell said. “We are naturally disappointed our guests in Adelaide, Fremantle and Cairns will be unable to cruise from their doorstep until 2023. However, they are all extremely popular ports of call for ships on coastal or around mainland Australia itineraries and will benefit from a resumption in cruising when approved by governments,” he added.

The following cruises are cancelled until the next year:

• •Adelaide: departing 18th of February, 2022, to 28th of March, 2022. 
• •Fremantle: departing 2nd of April, 2022, to 25th of April, 2022. The changes also mean the Fremantle-to-Singapore cruise scheduled to depart on 25th of April, 2022, will also be cancelled.
• •Cairns: departing 2nd of June, 2022, to 29th of June, 2022. 

The borders of New Guinea will remain closed, which is stopping all the cruises that include the calls in Papua New Guinea. The changes also mean the cruise due to repositioning from Singapore to Cairns will be cancelled. The cruise was scheduled to depart Singapore on May 19, 2022.

The biggest challenge for P&O Cruises Australia is to proceed asking the federal and state governments to provide a clear pathway for resuming the cruises in Australia for fully vaccinated guests and crew.

“With more than 80 percent of Australia’s adult population fully vaccinated, society is rapidly reopening and travel is progressively resuming. There is a need for governments to engage with the cruise sector on a pathway for the staged resumption of domestic cruising.”

The guests who had booked some of these cruises will be informed about this decision personally or via travel agents.