In less than a week's time, P&O Cruises will welcome its latest ship to the fleet when Pacific Explorer arrives in Sydney following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment.
On Monday, June 19, the vessel will sail in to Sydney for the first time after spending 12 days in dry dock in Singapore.
Pacific Explorer was transformed into a P&O cruise ship with the help of more than 1,000 contractors who spent over 200,000 hours fitting 25,000 square meters of new carpet and painting 10,000 square meters of walls before installing over 3,000 items of new furniture and 1,200 pieces of artwork.
Similar to sibling ship Pacific Dawn, Pacific Explorer will be fitted with the longest and wildest waterslides at sea and an interactive water park. One slide is transparent so that spectators can watch guests shoot through its twists and turns, while the other slide is multi-coloured, with music pumping through it to give guests a high-impact ride to the bottom.
Pacific Explorer will also wear the signature Southern Cross livery emblazoned on its hull, which was also debuted by Pacific Dawn in March this year.
New and exclusive to Pacific Explorer are two new 'fast-casual' dining options: Luke's, a poolside grill by Australian chef and restaurateur Luke Mangan, and 400 Gradi, a traditional Neapolitan pizzeria by award-winning Melbourne chef Johnny Di Francesco.
Relaxation and good times will also be on the menu in Pacific Explorer's elegant new small bar, The Bonded Store, with a cocktail list created in partnership with Sydney-based award-winning Archie Rose Distilling Co, as well as whisky and gin-making classes.
Guests can also enjoy a cocktail or two on the upper deck playing outdoor lawn bowls – an Australian cruise ship first.
Offering something for everyone on board, guests will also be able to dine in the ship's Waterfront Restaurant, try a taste of la dolce vita in its Italian restaurant Angelo's, relax in the sultry atmosphere of the pan-Asian restaurant Dragon Lady or be spoilt for choice in The Pantry, an international marketplace of nine fresh food outlets already popular across the P&O Cruises' fleet.
P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said Pacific Explorer would be a fitting new addition to the fleet.
Pacific Explorer's cruises include an eight-night A Taste of New Caledonia cruise departing Sydney on July 20, 2017. Fares start from $835 per person quad share on the 3 x Free Sale.
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