P&O Australia’s ship Pacific Encounter on Monday, January 30th, became the fleet's first to visit Darwin since the restart of cruising.
The maiden call of the Brisbane-homeported boat is part of a 14-night "Indonesian Explorer" relocation voyage (RepositionCruises.com) ending in Singapore, where Pacific Encounter will undergo a 3-week drydock refurbishment.
Highly anticipated additions during the drydock include the installation (on Deck 17) of a 142-m-long/16-m-high Twin-Racer waterslide and P&O Edge Adventure Park, designed for thrill-seekers, and featuring a 55-m-long Zipline, Cargo Net, Walk the Plank, Beam Walk, and Rock Climbing wall; each sitting 10 m above Deck 16.
The drydock next month follows the major transformation of the vessel last year, which unveiled P&O’s Luke’s Bar & Grill, Byron Beach Club concept, and 400 Gradi celebrity Chef restaurants, Black Circus Theatre, an F45 Fitness Studio, along with contemporary bars/cafes including Altitude nightclub, Encounter Hotel, and Bonded Store.
The initial work was completed ahead of the ship's return to Australia in August 2022, where Pacific Encounter made history as the first to return to Brisbane to restart year-round cruising and home-porting at the brand-new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal. The 1730 passengers currently onboard the 14-night voyage will join the Encounter in celebrating history-making moments as she becomes the first cruise ship in the fleet of P&O to complete further maiden calls into Lombok and Benoa/Bali in Indonesia, prior to arriving in Singapore on Monday, February 6th.
For the exact location of all venues and facilities see the ship's new deck plans.
Pacific Encounter is expected to recommence ex-Brisbane itineraries in March 3023, visiting a total of 24 ports and destinations within the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.