Last Month Busy Cruise Ship Month

Last month, October 2024, had three cruise ships on the monthly schedule. As I am away during some of the visits, and finally I am updating the details of those scheduled cruise ship visits in November.

The local tourist workers were kept busy organising the buses, tours, food and sharing our love of our beautiful Norfolk Island. There were two large P&O cruise ships which use the Norfolk Island passenger transfer vessels at Cascade or Kingston Piers when disembarking the passengers. The other cruise ship was a smaller National Geographic ship which uses with own zodiacs to unload their passengers and crew.

At the beginning of the month P&O Pacific Explorer visited on 3 October 2024, with approximately 2200 passengers ashore at Cascade Pier. The cruise ship P&O Pacific Explorer known as Dora the Explorer, this P&O vessel has visited three times during 2024, following a successful 2023 season last year.

The National Geographic Orion visited on Sunday 20 October 2024, which is a regular visitor, a Lindblad Expedition cruise ship. This cruise has smaller numbers with up to approximately 100 passengers, plus crew.

The P&O Pacific Adventure visited on Monday 21 October 2024. Norfolk Island was the first stop on the Round Bounty Tour, 10days, departing Sydney 18 October, Norfolk Island, Tonga, Fiji, New Caledonia and returning to Sydney 2 November 2024.

The Pacific Adventure the P&O Cruise Ship is able to carry up to approximately 2636-3174 passengers. I was told 2600 or more came ashore at Kingston. The weather was settled last week, the P&O cruise ship will have anchored at Sydney Bay, Kingston and the passengers were able to disembark, they will be bused around the island and explored Kingston and enjoyed the World Heritage Convict Area, known as KAVHA, (Kingston Arthur’s Vale Historic Area). Others strolled along the wonderful lagoon shoreline or snorkel in Emily Bay. The shops and cafes were once again busy in town, as visitors were transported into Burnt Pine. Local tourist industries had a busy day welcoming and sharing our local hospitality.

The P&O Pacific Adventure is operated by P&O Cruises and sails under the flag of United Kingdon. Built in 2001, the ship is 23 years old. With 18 decks and 1316 cabins on 9 decks, the Pacific Adventure has 1100 crew and approx 2636-3174 passengers. The cruise ship’s length is 290metres and beam is 40metres and speed is 24kn.

The National Geographic Orion is a small vessel, which was built in 2003 and is 21 years old and they sail under the flag of Bahamas. The vessel carries 102-106 Passengers with 75 crew. There are 6 decks with 53 cabins on 5 decks. The cruise ship is a regular visitor to Norfolk Island.

The National Geographic Orion was on a 13 day cruise, departed Brisbane 12 October, flight to Honiara, then sailing the Soloman Islands, to Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island 20 October 2024, Bay of Islands, NZ and due to arrive in Auckland 24 October 2024.

• The last cruise ship P&O Pacific Explorer arrived the beginning of the month on 3 October 2024, with approx 2200 passengers disembarked at Cascade Pier. The visitors enjoyed their day exploring on Norfolk Island and sailed off into the South Pacific.
• The next scheduled cruise ship I have listed is due to arrive on 2 December 2024, Scenic Eclipse II with approx 228 passengers. Fingers crossed the weather will be calm on their arrival on Norfolk Island, allowing the passengers to come ashore. Next year the luxury cruise ship is scheduled to return approximately 9 March 2025.

Here are a few photos I have taken on previous visits of the P&O Pacific Adventure and National Geographic Orion. Please some great images from Baunti Tours and Pinetree Tours and a few others from Social Media.

We wish the passengers safe travels and hope they had a great holiday as they cruised the South Pacific. See you all again when you next visit to our friendly Norfolk Island shores.

Betty Matthews

22 November 2024