P&O Cruises’ Pacific Eden to Debut in Australia

Australian P&O Cruises, brand of Carnival Group, is deploying its Pacific Eden cruise ship on a maiden voyage from Fremantle, Australia, on Sunday.

Western Australians will be the first to experience Australia’s latest ship during her inaugural 10-night cruise. The 55,820-tonne ship will now undergo final touches in Fremantle berth to prepare for her debut.

About ,1500 guests will join Pacific Eden’s first itinerary, which will see her call at Esperance (Nov 17), Adelaide (Nov 20), Kangaroo Island (Nov 21) and Melbourne (Nov 23) en route to Sydney.

The Australian debut of Pacific Eden follows a dramatic transformation of the ship during a two week dry dock in Singapore.

Pacific Eden is set to continue cruising from Fremantle for a season in 2016 and again in 2017.

After sailing from Fremantle this Sunday Pacific Eden will return in April 2016 to offer her first season of 16 cruises, which will include short breaks to Margaret River and Esperance and longer itineraries to Indonesia. The ship will be homeported in Fremantle again from April to June 2017, offering 10 cruises including a new nine-night itinerary featuring P&O Cruises’ first foray into scenic cruising along the Kimberley coastline.

P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Sture Myrmell said the addition of Pacific Eden and sister ship Pacific Aria had increased the cruise line’s fleet to five ships, enabling P&O to base a ship in Western Australia for longer periods of time.

“Western Australia is really coming into its own both as a cruise destination and a homeport, so we’re thrilled to have the capacity to be able to base one of our latest ships in Fremantle for the next two summers,” Myrmell said.

Pacific Eden will be christened by actress Kate Ritchie in a dual naming ceremony in Sydney Harbour on November 25 with sister ship Pacific Aria, which will be named by singer Jessica Mauboy. The ceremony will be a key part of P&O Cruises’ Five Ship Spectacular which will see its entire five-ship fleet meet in Sydney for the first time.