P&O Cruises Australia is extending its rolling pause in operations in New Zealand to departures on and before April 25, 2021 as  the Carnival brand said it was working with government and public health authorities on the appropriate time to restart sailing.

The cruise line, which has based ships in Auckland for many years, will return to New Zealand for a dedicated 150-day season in July 2022, the company announced. 

P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell said the start of a new year brought renewed optimism and confidence but, at the same time, it was important to remain realistic about the more immediate future.

“We know that much better days lie ahead and we remain positive about the resumption of cruising. While we’ve paused operations, P&O Cruises together with the wider industry has been using the time wisely to plan for cruising’s return,” Myrmell said.

“As we work towards this goal, we wanted to provide our Kiwi guests with as much certainty as possible and flexibility around their 2021 bookings and an opportunity to reschedule their cruise holiday for 2022 or beyond.

“I want to thank our New Zealand guests for their loyalty to P&O Cruises Australia during this time and we look forward to welcoming them back onboard.”

Initially scheduled to start sailing from Auckland from Feb. 6 2021, Pacific Explorer’s operations were previously paused to March 4, 2021 and are now paused to April 25.

In Australia, Pacific Adventure is currently scheduled to begin sailing from Sydney on April 30 2021 while Pacific Encounter is due to call Brisbane home from May7, although additional voyages may be added earlier, depending on the timing of the return of cruising in Australia.