The Pacific Jewel has begun a drydock which will bring a fresh and modern look and feel to the ship’s popular public spaces and venues, according to P&O Australia. 

Over the next 10 days, the 70,310-tonne vessel will be fitted with a range of new features and furnishings including an outdoor barefoot lawn bowling green first introduced on Pacific Explorer last year, the company said. 

Shell & Bones (pictured) will also make its debut on Pacific Jewel serving up locally sourced seafood, grill and vegetarian dishes.

The ship’s public areas will be redesigned “to mirror the striking contemporary look which has become a trademark of the P&O fleet in recent years,” the company said. 

Orient Bar continues as a live-music venue with new soft furnishings made from luxe fabrics for guests to sit back and enjoy live jazz and blues as well as comedy shows. 

Connexions Bar takes on a summer-inspired pub theme with custom-printed fabrics and botanical patterns inspired by The Explorer Hotel on Pacific Explorer.

Close to the pool area, Pacific Jewel’s café adopts a light, bright and beachy feel for the perfect morning coffee and poolside Spanish-style snacks; while child-free retreat The Oasis will showcase new nautical-inspired lounge-beds.

At the heart of the ship, the Atrium will be revamped to exude a high-end residential feel thanks to new soft furnishings and coral-inspired artworks and accessories.

The makeover will be carried out in the privately-managed drydock at Garden Island in Sydney.  It is the last dr-dock able to accommodate large ships in Australia, P&O said. 

The refit comes as P&O prepares for its biggest year of New Zealand cruising, with Pacific Jewel undertaking 22 roundtrip cruises from Auckland between March and August 2018, up from 15 in 2017.