In a statement released today, citing the absence of an agreed restart plan for cruising in New Zealand, P&O Cruises Australia today announced the cancellation of NZ plans and its 2022 Auckland cruise season.
The company commented that while it had useful discussions with New Zealand officials and expects to have further contact, uncertainty remains as to when cruising is likely to resume there. This has made the 2022 Auckland cruise season unsustainable this year
P&0 Pacific Encounter routes disrupted.
The previously named Star Princess was purchased by P&O Australia in December 2019. She was renamed Pacific Encounter and intended to homeport in Brisbane beginning in November 2021, rescheduled to November 2022. Her itineraries were to include New Zealand, the Queensland coast and Melanesia islands. Her current location is at East Mediterranean (coordinates 34.69699 N / 33.16178 E) cruising en route to MONI ANCHORAGE.

21 cruises cancelled as ‘pause’ runs into third year…
The cancellation affects 21 cruises that were scheduled to depart from Auckland from July 5, 2022 to November 27, 2022, and is in line with P&O Cruises’ pause in operations that began in March 2020.
“P&O Cruises looks forward to returning to New Zealand next year for an Auckland cruise season beginning in June 2023. P&O Cruises and sister brands also remain hopeful of being able to cruise to New Zealand from Australia later this year,” the company said, in a press statement. “It acknowledges the understandable disappointment of guests whose cruises have been cancelled and apologizes for the disruption to their holiday plans.”
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