P&O Cruises announced this week it was extending its voluntary pause in operations across Australia and New Zealand as the cruise line plays its part in supporting the global effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The details around the temporary pause are different for guests in Australia and New Zealand to reflect the different approaches from each government in managing the resumption of international cruising.

President Sture Myrmell said our approach was about making it as simple as possible for guests in both Australia and New Zealand to have confidence in booking future cruises.

“We’re living in a period of rapid change with governments having to make decisions each day that are dramatically changing the way businesses and broader communities are going about their everyday lives,” Myrmell said.

“We took this step today out of respect for our guests and to give them some certainty at a time when so much is shifting around them," Myrmell said on Wednesday.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for our guests to make their future cruise plans by updating our approach to reflect what is happening at the moment.”

Myrmell also thanked our passionate guests for their encouraging emails and calls of support because it showed we would be back stronger than ever at the right time.

“We are living through an unprecedented period in world history, which is making it challenging for all of us in many different ways,” he said. “However, we will come through this stronger than ever alongside you, our valued guests.”