P & O Pacific Star SOLD

[Mandy Clancey]

Can anyone tell me why a cruise ship company such as P & O would spend an absolute fortune on advertising that they're going to be cruising out of Asia next year, and then turn around and sell the ship that was going to be doing it?

We had booked a cruise leaving from Singapore next year on the Pacific Star, only to be told yesterday by our travel agent that P & O has now sold the ship! Apart from the fact that I'm so disappointed and angry that we won't be going anymore, I cannot understand why they would do that. Or at least why not have another ship that could go instead?

I just don't understand.

 

[David G. Brown]

Mandy-- Economics are your answer. Not enough takers on the cruise compared to the money that could be realized from selling the ship. Follow the money and you'll find your answers.

-- David G. Brown

 

[Dave Gittins]

I wonder how P & O's reputation is faring in this part of the world.

A few years ago, one of its ships suffered a nasty hull failure after sailing from New Zealand. Later there was the scandalous death of Dianne Brimble during a particularly unsavoury cruise. This is the sort of publicity that P & O received.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/03/20/1142703287982.html

 

[Ellen Grace Butland]

I hope they cleaned up their act after that! Poor lady, all she wanted was a fun cruise with her daughter. There used to be a Sitmar ship sailing out of Sydney for years. The Fairstar. She was known as Fairstar the Funship but after P&O took over, she gained another less lovely name, with booze cruises for graduates etc. Was the ship suffering the hull fracture the Fair Princess? P&O's ship cruising around our waters this year is Pacific Sun, (so from dates on this thread, she is the replacement.)

 

[Mandy Clancey]

I was lucky enough to have been on the Fairstar once. It was the best cruise of my life! Yes it did have a slightly unsavoury reputation but if you're not into that kind of thing, you just don't get into it. The Fairstar was so beautiful; P & O have never had another ship quite so lovely.

The ship with the hull fracture and also the scene of the horrible Dianne Brimble affair, was the Pacific Sky. That ship was sold many years ago and the Pacific Sun and Pacific Star were the two new ships brought in to cruise out of Sydney and Brisbane. Then P & O sold the Pacific Star. The Pacific Sun is still doing the rounds. I've been on it once. It's great, but no Fairstar.

 

[Ellen Grace Butland]

Dear Mandy, I cruised in the Fairstar with my mother in 1988, when she was still owned by SITMAR. She was a lovely homely ship, no glitz whatsoever, but she had amazing port calls, lovely days at sea and entertainments that were very enjoyable. In my 2008 issue of Berlitz Cruise Guide, the Pacific Sun is listed as ex Carnival's Jubilee. She has had the wings on the funnel cut off. She was the third new ship for Carnival, built in 1986, but she has been refurbished for year-round cruises from Australia and New Zealand. Berlitz also lists the Pacific Sun, which is ex Carnival's Tropicale, their first new ship, built in 1982. She has now been given to Pullmantur Cruises. I was glad to hear the Fair Princess was NOT the ship with hull fracture, as she was another ex SITMAR ship, the Fairsea, ex Cunard's Carinthia, built 1956. Fairstar was ex Bibby Lines Oxfordshire, built 1957. They were classic ships which both had a second life as cruise-ships, alas both now scrapped.