Cruise Ship P&O Pacific Encounter July 2023

This week the cruise ship P&O Pacific Encounter is due to visit Norfolk Island on Tuesday 18 July 2023. This cruise is a 14-day voyage, commencing from Brisbane stopping at Norfolk Island and exploring the Pacific as a scenic cruise of the Mutiny on the Bounty, visiting Nuku’alofa, Tonga, then onto Suva and Dravuni, Fiji followed by Port Vila, Vanuatu and then returning to Brisbane, Australia.

Passengers on-board the Bounty Adventure cruise will not only learn about the history of different islands they will also be able to explore six different islands on foot, enjoy the sandy beaches, the local culture, and attractions, and even do some shopping. There will be a guest lecturer who will bring history to life, telling the story of this famous seafaring saga. The voyage will travel past Nomuka Island where Blight visited the day before the Mutiny occurs. The journey will also cruise past Tofua Island where Bligh and his loyalists landed. And for the non-history buffs? There are beaches to lie on, islands to explore, and no shortage of South Pacific shops to visit!

I have checked out details regarding this cruise, the passengers depart Brisbane on Saturday, 15 July, they arrive here on Norfolk Island on Tuesday, 18 July, and later in the day the cruise ship will depart our shores on their adventure of the cruise of the Pacific, returning to Brisbane on 29 July 2023.

Brisbane - Norfolk Island - Nuku'alofa, Tonga –

Mutiny on the Bounty (scenic cruising) –

Suva, Fiji - Dravuni, Fiji - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Brisbane

The Pacific Encounter can carry up to 2600 passengers and let’s hope the weather is kind this week so these travellers can come ashore and enjoy a day exploring our beautiful Norfolk Island. The island population would more than double for the day, bring $$$ into our local tourist industries, local shops, and cafes.

It will be interesting to see which side of Norfolk Island the cruise ship will anchor, Kingston or Cascade? The new passenger ferries will be set up at Cascade Pier, ferrying the travellers from ship to shore and returning back to their P&O cruise ship at the end of the day.

This web page has information and updates of the current position of the vessel.

Pacific Encounter Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review | CruiseMapper

• Since Covid-19 closed our Norfolk Island borders, only four cruise ships have been able to unload passengers during their Norfolk Island visits. The Lindblad Expedition Cruise ship visited Norfolk Island on 27 December 2022. This was the first cruise ship passengers to visit Norfolk Island since the M/S Maasdam anchored at Kingston on the 23 January 2020 and the visitors came ashore, then within two months Covid closed borders on 16 March 2020.
• The next cruise ship which was able to unload passengers was on 3 March 2023. The National Geographic Orion, passengers disembarked at Kingston on zodiacs and had a lovely afternoon exploring Norfolk Island hosted by Baunti Tours. This was the first cruise ship to successfully come ashore this year, with approximately thirty passengers.
• The cruise ship Heritage Adventurer visited Norfolk Island on 24 March 2023. The passengers were able to disembark on tenders, the ship’s zodiacs, at Cascade Pier and the cruise ship sat out in the bay as the travellers enjoyed their day on Norfolk Island. This was the third cruise ship to disembark since Covid 19 closed our borders.
• Last month, June 2023, the Pacific Explorer P&O Cruises approximately 1700 passengers disembarked and had a great day exploring Norfolk Island. This was the first P&O Cruise ship to come ashore this year.

The next scheduled cruise ship I have listed at the end of the month on Friday 28 July 2023, P&O Pacific Explorer returns with up to 2272 passengers.

If you would like to learn more about this week’s P&O Pacific Encounter P&O Cruise. Follow this link to read more. Pacific Encounter - Care 2 Cruise

FLASH SALE "Bounty Adventure" Cruise from Brisbane (Jul 2023) - Travel at 60

Checking out my cruise ship photos, but I could not find any images of the P&O Pacific Explorer but have found images on the internet.

Betty Matthews