P&O Australia’s Pacific Dawn has departed the cruise operator’s fleet five months early after the ship’s previous buyer, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, went insolvent earlier this year.

“We wanted to let you know that our beautiful Pacific Dawn will be leaving us in the coming weeks,” the statement read on P&O Australia’s Facebook page on September 28. “It was originally planned for Pacific Dawn to leave us in February next year but this has now been brought forward to facilitate the sale we’ve announced today.”  

The cruise operator did not disclose who the new buyer is.

The 1991-built ship, which has capacity for 1,590 guests, was acquired by P&O Cruises Australia in 2007 and has since carried.2 million guests and sailed 2.2 million kilometers, the company said.

The latest announcement comes almost a year after the cruise operator stated that the Pacific Dawn would depart to Cruise & Maritime Voyages in February 2021. They even announced the itinerary for her last cruise departing from Melbourne on February 8 and going to Singapore via Brisbane.

But as Cruise & Maritime Voyages failed to stand up to the COVID-19 pandemic challenges and went insolvent, Carnival Corporation announced that it would be getting rid of 18 of its “less efficient” ships.

“In total, the 18 ships represent approximately 12 percent of pre-pause capacity and only three percent of operating income in 2019,” Carnival said, in an SEC filing. “The sale of less efficient ships will result in future operating expense efficiencies of approximately two percent per available lower berth day (“ALBD”) and a reduction in fuel consumption of approximately one percent per ALBD.”

In the September 28 statement, the operator apologized to those who planned on sailing the Pacific Dawn before the February deadline and said that all the cancellation arrangements will be dealt with shortly.