Yahoo Finance Iconic cruise company's cruel blow for Aussie family 'collecting cans' for $4,000 holiday
Passengers booked on P&O Cruises have been devastated by cancellations, with one Melbourne mum revealing her family's angst.
Aussies’ holiday plans have been thrown into disarray after P&O Cruises Australia announced major cancellations. The beloved brand announced it would be folding into parent company Carnival next year in the face of “significantly higher” costs.
Mum-of-four Jemma Dwyer told Yahoo Finance she was devastated when she found out her family’s four-night cruise from Melbourne to Kangaroo Island had been cancelled. The Melbourne mum said the cruise would have been a “once in a lifetime” holiday for her family.
“Disappointed is an understatement,” Dwyer said. “This was going to be our first cruise … It was the cheapest cruise I could afford as I am on a low income and I booked the cruise for next year so I had time to pay it off with Ezypay.”
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Passengers whose itineraries have been given the option of a full refund or a Future Cruise Credit with onboard spending money, but Dwyer there are now no alternative cruises that are within her budget and that leave and return from Melbourne.
Dwyer said her family recently found out they would have to move homes due to their landlord selling their rental. She said the cruise was the one thing her family had been looking forward to.
“I told my kids it doesn't matter, we have our cruise to look forward to, it will be our reward for needing to pack up and find a new place and all the stress,” she told Yahoo Finance.
“My kids and I have been collecting cans and returning them and putting the money into a tin and that was going to be our spending money.”
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Dwyer believes P&O Cruises should be doing more to support travellers impacted by the cancellations and questioned why travellers were allowed to book cruises that were going to be cancelled.
“I had to break the news to my kids and I had one in tears,” she said.
Other Aussies have shared their disappointment over the cancellations online.
“Just a week ago they still processed a shore tour payment on our now cancelled cruise. Very disappointed in the communication, or lack thereof, from P&O,” one wrote.
“I just purchased a cruise for March next year, last Friday. Why do a flash sale knowing you are selling?” another said.
P&O Cruises Australia responds
In a statement to Yahoo Finance, P&O Cruises’ parent company Carnival Corporation said it apologised for disrupting the holiday plans of guests.
“While there are no changes to itineraries until early 2025, some cruises set to sail from March will regrettably be cancelled as part of this transition. We sincerely apologise for this disruption of their cruise,” a spokesperson said.
“All guests affected by this are receiving direct communication from us and will be offered full refunds, or, we hope many will take us up on our enhanced special offer and rebook a new cruise with Encounter or Adventure, and let us show them the improvements along with the same great crew, entertainment and dining that our guests love.”
P&O Cruises Australia will fold into Carnival Cruise Line from March 2025, meaning the nearly decade-old brand will no longer exist in the Aussie market.
All Pacific Explorer cruises scheduled to set sail after March 2, 2025 have been cancelled. Certain Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter cruises due to depart after April 2025 have also been cancelled.
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