Ships from two Carnival Australia brands will return to Papua New Guinea after the country’s maritime borders have been reopened to ships in Milne Bay Province and the Conflict Islands.
As part of its inaugural season below, Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess will visit the Conflict Islands making her first call on October 4 during a 12-night itinerary from Sydney.
It is the first of a number of maiden calls Princess ships will make as part of the global relaunch of the fleet.
Three days later, P&O Cruises Australia’s Meeting in the Pacific will call at Alotau in Milne Bay Province during a 10-night cruise from the ship’s home port of Brisbane, which also includes calls at Kiriwina Island, Rabaul and the Conflict Islands.
Visitors sailing on the Encounter in the Pacific voyage are being advised that their sailing itinerary will now include a return to PNG.
Sister ship of P&O Cruises Explorer of the Pacific has already achieved a number of firsts in the reopening of sailing to traditional Pacific sailing destinations. The P&O flagship was the first cruise ship to Sydney and Brisbane and the first to travel to New Zealand and Fiji. And, as recently announced, Pacific Explorer will be the first cruise ship to return to New Caledonia.
“We are delighted that Papua New Guinea and its idyllic island communities in the Milne Bay Province and New Britain are ready to see the benefits of the resumption of cruise tourism,” said Marguerite Fitzgerald, president of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises. Australia.
“We are seeing ‘normal’ cruise operations steadily evolve by bringing together the elements and destinations that make Australia and the Pacific such a vibrant cruise region.
“We also know that our guests and crew are looking forward to reconnecting with the people of PNG and other island nations. With PNG coming on board, we can now look forward to Vanuatu becoming the next nation to reopen.
“Once Vanuatu comes back online, the full range of destinations that make cruising our region so special will be back.”
Image: View from the harbor towards the container port and cruise terminal (iStock/Kirsten Walla)
