Agents welcome Pacific Explorer

LAST night key trade partners were given a sneak peek at P&O’s new Pacific Explorer which heads off today from Sydney for her first voyage to the South Pacific.

Joining the P&O fleet from her former iden ty as Dawn Princess, the event last night showcased a range of signature P&O features, with the line’s president, Sture Myrmell, telling CW today the makeover was “extremely well received” by those on board.

He said the arrival of Explorer was the culmina on of 18 months of work for the P&O team, with the new public areas, food and ac vi es on board all receiving favourable comments.

“We are very proud and very happy,” he said.

Myrmell also highlighted the key role travel consultants con nued to play in P&O’s distribu on.

“Travel agents are by far our most important distribu on channel...they always have been, and as far as I’m concerned they always will be,” he said.

Myrmell noted that P&O now carries more than 50% of all Australians cruising from local ports ‐ and about one third of all Aussies cruising worldwide.

MEANWHILE Myrmell also commented on Sydney’s infrastructure challenges, no ng that having five ships in its fleet that can all fit under the Harbour Bridge actually gives P&O a “huge compe ve advantage”.

The flexibility afforded by having more berthing op ons gives P&O the ability to create departures that really suit the market, rather than being constrained by availability at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Myrmell said.

He said it was s ll vital that another berth be added east of the bridge to handle bigger ships, but for P&O currently its fleet was ideal to make the most of the exis ng situa on.

More from Pacific Explorer on page three of today’s CW.