Australian cruise brand P&O is being axed and will cease to exist next year as part of a "strategic" move by its parent company Carnival Corporation & plc.
The P&O Pacific Explorer, which operates for some months of the year out of New Zealand, is being retired in February and refunds are being offered to customers booked on subsequent trips.
P&O Cruises Australia's other two cruise liners - the Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure - will be transitioned to Carnival Cruise Line branding.
Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein blamed the move on "the strategic reality of the South Pacific's small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs".
P&O is a highly recognisable Australian brand that has been operating since 1932.
The Pacific Explorer's maiden voyage with P&O Cruises was in 2017 and it is set to return to Auckland next month, where it will be based until October.
When it was here last year, cruise director Damian Hewitt said it was a special ship that was a great option for first-timers.
"There's just something about this ship. It's got heart to it - it's not huge but it's not small either," Hewitt told Newshub at the time.
"The crew feel like family. They see the guests a lot more, they want to spend time with them and you want to spend time with them because all you're doing is walking past them and you're with them. You see them a lot more. There's something about that that makes this ship a bit more relaxing, a bit more like home and a bit more comfortable."
For customers booked on Pacific Explorer cruises before March, 2025 the company says those will operate normally.
Currently, the final-ever Pacific Explorer sailing to depart Auckland is set to do so on October 30 for a five-night one-way cruise to Melbourne.
New Zealand customers affected by the cancelled sailings will be contacted directly, the company said in a statement on its website.
"In early 2025 P&O Cruises Australia brand will be sunset and its operations integrated into sister line, Carnival Cruise Line. As a result, all itineraries on Pacific Explorer scheduled to sail after March 2, 2025 are being cancelled," the statement reads.
"If you are booked on one of these itineraries you will be contacted by guest services in the coming days with refund details. We apologise that this change has been necessary.
"If you are booked to cruise before this date, your itinerary is unaffected and we look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.
"We are all immensely proud of P&O Cruises Australia's 90-year heritage of dedicated operations in the region and Carnival Cruise Line are honoured to carry forward its storied legacy and continue to deliver the same onboard experiences and itineraries."
