Investor Relations

P&O Cruises Offers Winning Trifecta of Guest Talent as Entire Fleet Races to the Melbourne Cup

With its entire fleet cruising south for ‘the race that stops the nation’, P&O Cruises is offering a winning field of onboard talent to ensure guests have the ultimate Melbourne Cup cruise experience.

For the first time, all three P&O ships will dock at Station Pier for this year’s Melbourne Cup, with Pacific Dawn offering its inaugural Cup cruise from Brisbane.

With close to 6000 punters to entertain, the cruise line is upping the odds across its three ships with popular Australian personalities including Carmelo Pizzino (Pacific Jewel) from Dancing With The Stars, author and radio personality Bianca Dye (Pacific Pearl), and tv presenter Zoe Sheridan (Pacific Dawn) joining their maiden Cup cruises to host P&O Cruises’ Myer Fashions at Sea events.

Fashion designer and stylist Katie Perry (Pacific Pearl), stylist Noami Bell (Pacific Dawn) and Kylie Sultana from the Style Vine (Pacific Jewel), will also sail on their first Cup cruises, offering styling workshops and taking part in the onboard fashion parade.

Fascinator-making classes will be hosted by award-winning milliner Kathleen Watson (Pacific Dawn), Melbourne Cup Ambassador and renowned Australian milliner Kim Fletcher (Pacific Jewel) and Serena Lindeman (Pacific Pearl), who created the infamous “million-dollar hat” which took out the inaugural Fashions on the Field.

Other special guests include legendary Melbourne Cup jockeys John Marshall and Michael Clarke (Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel), owner of Cup winning horse Rogan Josh, Wendy Green (Pacific Pearl and Pacific Dawn); and Bart Cummings’ Flemington track rider Joe Agresta (Pacific Dawn).

Meanwhile Aussie entertainers Normie Rowe (Pacific Dawn), The Glenn Shorrock Band (Pacific Jewel) and The Tap Pack (Pacific Pearl) will perform onboard.

P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Sture Myrmell said ships had been cruising to the Cup since 1969 and they remained one of the cruise line’s most popular annual offerings.

“Australians love cruising and sports and by combining the two, we know we’re backing a winner - that’s why we’re sending our entire fleet to the Melbourne Cup. For the first time, the race that stops the nation will also bring P&O to a historic standstill in Melbourne,” Mr Myrmell said.

“On top of our great program of onboard talent, we are excited to be partnering with Myer again with the Spring Carnival experts providing style inspiration for all our guests including fashion parades of the latest racing trends and Myer gift card giveaways,” Mr Myrmell added.

With its 6000 guests accounting for about 5 per cent of punters on the day, P&O Cruises is again offering its own VIP area at Flemington - the P&O Cruises’ Lawn.

Pacific Pearl and Pacific Jewel will depart Sydney on October 31 on their six-night Cup cruises, while Pacific Dawn’s seven-night maiden Cup cruise will depart Brisbane on October 31.

To join the cruise race to the Cup next year, fares start from $999* per person quad share on Pacific Dawn’s seven-night cruise departing Brisbane on October 31, 2016, including transfers and entry into Flemington on Cup day, plus onboard meals, entertainment and activities.

For more information visit www.pocruises.com.au  
*subject to availability, conditions apply, and valid for sale until November 26, 2015.

About P&O Cruises: The region’s largest and longest-serving cruise operator, P&O Cruises Australia leads the way in cruising as Australasia's only 'home brand' and its favourite cruise line. P&O Cruises has been sailing the region for more than 80 years, and has pioneered new destinations around Australia, the Pacific and Asia including Papua New Guinea, as reported in the New York Times’ 52 top destinations for 2015. On November 25, 2015, P&O Cruises will welcome two additional ships to its current three-ship fleet becoming the nation’s largest cruise line with five ships cruising from eight home ports in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. The addition of Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden has paved the way for exciting new cruise options including deployments from every mainland state in Australia and an extended deployment from Auckland. The pair herald a new era for P&O Cruises, as reflected in its new brand repositioning - P&O Cruises, Like no Place on Earth.