Ally

Gavin Smith, P&O Cruises Australia’s md and president of Carnival Australia, has quashed industry rumours about the future deployment of the company’s resident ships.

Smith said a brochure will be released shortly for sailings from June 2006 until January 2008. The 1,900-passenger Pacific Sun will relocate from Sydney to Brisbane in November next year, to be replaced by the 2,050-passenger Pacific Dawn (currently Regal Princess) which will make her maiden South Pacific cruise in October 2007.

Smith said the 1,350-passenger Pacific Star will move from Brisbane to Auckland in November 2007 for a (southern) summer cruise season.

On March 21 Smith said Pacific Star would make a 29-night circumnavigation of Australia from Brisbane on November 3, 2007. His announcement was retracted in a press release issued the following day that said plans for Pacific Star’s round Australia voyage ‘have altered due to a cruise scheduling change’ and that ‘further information will be provided as soon as more details are available.’