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P&O Australia
P&O Cruises - Princess Cruises - P&O Australia
 
This page is under construction!
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the P&O cruise ships running cruises from Australia. It does not include ships used on liner voyages to Australia, but does include UK-based P&O and US-based Princess ships which spent periods cruising from Australia in addition to the locally managed P&O Australia vessels.
 
P&O cruise ships had run occasional cruises from Australia for many years, and the Himalaya (3) of 1949 ran eight cruises from Sydney between July and November 1958. In 1976 the Arcadia (2) of 1954 was permanently based in Sydney. She was scrapped in Taiwan in 1979, and replaced in Australia by the Sea Princess for three years. The Oriana of 1962 spent the late 1970s cruising from Southampton in the summer, and Sydney in the (northern) winter, with positioning liner voyages in each direction via the Panama Canal. Oriana remained in Australia all year from 1981 until her withdrawal in 1986.
In 1988, P&O acquired Sitmar Cruises, consisting of the ex-Cunarders Fairwind and Fairsea (2) (later Fair Princess), the ex-Bibby Fairstar, the 1984-built Fairsky (3) (later Pacific Sky) and three new ships under construction, one of which became the Pacific Dawn. The Fairstar had been serving the Australian market for some years, where she had built up a dedicated following. Fairstar was the only Sitmar ship to retain her original name after the Princess takeover, and was operated by a separate office in Sydney. She carried the new Sitmar blue funnel colours, with a white swan symbol, which were to have replaced the famous yellow funnel and 'V'-symbol (for Vlasov) throughout the whole Sitmar fleet. She was marketed as P&O-Sitmar Cruises at this time. She later had the funnel colours reversed - blue swan on white background - and later still the swan was replaced with a dolphin symbol. Fairstar was scrapped in 1997, following numerous engine and boiler problems.
 
Sitmar Cruises' Fairwind and Fairsea (2) became the Dawn Princess (1) and Fair Princess within the Princess Cruises fleet. Both ships were eventually displaced by new tonnage, and Dawn Princess (1) was subsequently sold back to the Vlasov Group (owners of Sitmar) and operated as Albatros (1) until 2004. Fair Princess was moved to serve the Australian market, replacing the Fairstar which was scrapped in 1997. Fair Princess was in turn replaced by Sky Princess, ex-Fairsky (3), which was renamed Pacific Sky. She was joined in the Australian market in 2004 by the Pacific Sun, originally Carnival's Jubilee. They were then joined by the Pacific Star, previously the Tropicale and Costa Tropicale, in 2005. In 2006 Pacific Sky was sold to Pullmantur and renamed Sky Wonder. She was replaced by the Pacific Dawn, previously the Regal Princess.
 
Pacific Princess (2) of Princess Cruises has also been bsed in Australia for part of each year recently.
 
 
Ships on this Page:-
Arcadia (2) (P&O: 1954-1979)
Fair Princess (P&O Australia: 1997-2001)
Fairstar (P&O Australia: 1988-1997)
Himalaya (3) (P&O: 1949-1974)
Oriana (P&O: 1962-1986)
Pacific Dawn (P&O Australia: 2007- ) - ex-Regal Princess
Pacific Princess (2) (Princess Cruises: 2003- )
Pacific Sky (P&O Australia: 2000-2006) - ex-Sky Princess
Pacific Star (P&O Australia: 2005-2008 ) - ex-Tropicale
Pacific Sun (P&O Australia: 2004- ) - ex-Jubilee
Sea Princess (P&O/Princess - 1979-2002)
 
P&O Pages:-
P&O Header Page
P&O Princess Cruises - Page 1 - 1962-1988
P&O Princess Cruises - Page 2 - 1989-1999
P&O Princess Cruises - Page 3 - 2000-2005
P&O Liners - Page 1 - 1837-1899
P&O Liners - Page 2 - 1900-1914
P&O Liners - Page 3 - 1915-1939
P&O Liners - Page 4 - 1940-1961
P&O Australia - this page!
P&O Princess Cruises Photographs
P&O Princess Cruises Cards by Simplon Postcards
Ocean Village - P&O Subsidiary
Swan Hellenic - P&O Subsidiary
 
Associated Pages:-
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page
 
References:-
Click on images for details
   
Australian Cruise Ships - Peter Plowman (published Rosenberg 2007)
 
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Himalaya (3)
(P&O: 1949-1974)
 
Himalaya (3) was the first post-war P&O delivery, starting her maiden voyage to Sydney on 6th October 1949. Problems with smuts on th afterdecks resulted in the fitting of a Thornycroft funnel top in 1953. In 1958 Himalaya did a return from Sydney to the west coast of the USA before her return voyage via Suez to the UK, the first trans-Pacific voyages by a P&O liner. On her next voyage to Australia, she ran eight cruises from Sydney between July and November 1958 (hence inclusion on this page), before turning to the UK. In 1959 she did another trans-Pacific voyage from Sydney, returning via Japan. In 1963 Himalaya was converted into a one-class liner, carrying 1416 passengers. In 1969, she was the last P&O liner to depart from Tilbury, followed by the move of P&O to Southampton. The early 1970s Himalaya was mainly used for cruising, between November to April from Sydney and from Southampton in the (northern) summer. In April 1974 she made her final liner voyage to Sydney, followed by another series of cruises there, before a final voyage to Hong Kong before being scrapped in Taiwan.
 
Complete history of Himalaya (3)
 
 
P&O official postcard of Himalaya (3).
 
 
Valentines postcard 1794 of Himalaya (3).
 
 
P&O official postcard of Himalaya (3) with Thorneycroft funnel top (added 1953).
 
 
J.Arthur Dixon postcard SS.2174 of Himalaya (3).
 
 
 
 
 
Arcadia (2)
(P&O: 1954-1979)
 
Arcadia (2) was built by John Brown of Clydebank in 1954. Her sistership was the Belfast-built Iberia (2) of the same year. They were easily distinguishable due to different funnel tops. Arcadia received full air-conditioning on a refit in Belfast in 1959. Arcadia operated on the UK-Australia passenger service, with increasing numbers of cruises. In 1970 she became a full time one-class cruise ship. In 1976, Arcadia (2) was permanently based out of Sydney. She was scrapped in Taiwan in 1979, and replaced in Australia by the Sea Princess for three years.
 
Complete history of Arcadia (2)
 
 
Postcard of Arcadia (2) at Sydney, posted April 1965.
 
 
Postcard of Arcadia (2) at Sydney.
Scan: John E Hoskin.
 
 
 
 
 
Sea Princess
(P&O/Princess - 1979-2002)
 
This ship was originally the Kungsholm, bought by P&O in 1979 to replace the aging Arcadia (2). She was given a major overhaul in Bremen, which ruined her classic liner appearance. Initially she was operated by P&O Cruises in Australia from Sydney (March 1979 to March 1982). She was then moved to the British market, returning to Australia on world cruises in 1983, 1984 and 1985. She was transferred to the US market in 1986 and appeared in Princess colours. She returned to P&O in 1991, and was renamed Victoria in 1995. In Winter 1999/2000 Victoria operated a cruise on charter to the Union-Castle Line, and received a red/black funnel. An official card was issued in these colours. Victoria was sold in 2002 sold to Leonardo Shipping, who chartered her to Holiday Kreuzfahrten as Mona Lisa. Holiday Kreuzfahrten failed in 2006, and she was used as an accommodation ship for the Asian Games in Doha. The owners then secured two 8-month charters in 2007/2008 with the Royal Caribbean-backed The Scholar Ship for use as a floating student study ship. Not surprisingly in view of the Royal Caribbean connection, a summer charter with Pullmantur was also arranged for 2007. Mona Lisa was renamed Oceanic II. She also had a brief charter with Louis Cruise Lines to replace the lost Sea Diamond, before moving to Pullmantur.
 
Complete history of Sea Princess - Victoria
 
 
An early official card is shown below, before the black top was added to the funnel to hide the effects of soot.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Oriana
(P&O: 1962-1986)
 
The first Oriana was built in 1960 by Vickers-Armstrong's, Barrow. Ordered by, and registered to the Orient Steam Navigation Co, she was delivered to P&O Orient Lines with the distinctive Orient Line corn-coloured hull. She served on the route to Australia from Southampton (unlike earlier Orient Liners which sailed from London). In 1962 she collided with the carrier USS Kearsarge between San Francisco and Los Angeles in fog. Her hull was repainted white in 1965, when she was transferred to full P&O registry. As time past, she spent more and more time cruising, so that during the late 70s she cruised from Southampton in the summer, and Sydney in the winter, with positioning liner voyages in each direction via the Panama Canal. Her final Southampton season was 1981, after which she stayed in Australia until sold for stationary use in Japan in 1986. She was later sold to China, were she still existed until 2006 when she was scrapped after being damaged in a storm.
 
Complete history of Oriana
 
 
A Mobil Oil advertising card of Oriana at Sydney.
 
 
Postcard of Oriana, at Sydney.
Scan: John E Hoskin.
 
 
Enlarged view from the postcard above of Oriana.
Scan: John E Hoskin.
 
 
Postcard of Oriana, at Sydney.
 
 
A late P&O Lines official card of Oriana, issued after her move to Australia.
Scan: Ken Murayama.
 
 
Postcard of Oriana, in Australia.
 
 
 
 
 
Fairstar
(P&O Australia: 1988-1997)
 
In 1988, P&O acquired Sitmar Cruises, consisting of the ex-Cunarders Fairwind and Fairsea (2) (later Fair Princess), the ex-Bibby Fairstar, the 1984-built Fairsky (3) (later Pacific Sky) and three new ships under construction, one of which became the Pacific Dawn. The Fairstar had been serving the Australian market for some years, where she had built up a dedicated following. Fairstar was the only Sitmar ship to retain her original name after the Princess takeover, and was operated by a separate office in Sydney. She carried the new Sitmar blue funnel colours, with a white swan symbol, which were to have replaced the famous yellow funnel and 'V'-symbol (for Vlasov) throughout the whole Sitmar fleet. She was marketed as P&O-Sitmar Cruises at this time. She later had the funnel colours reversed - blue swan on white background - and later still the swan was replaced with a dolphin symbol. Fairstar was scrapped in 1997, following numerous engine and boiler problems.
 
 
P&O-Sitmar Line postcard of Fairstar.
 
 
Card back from the P&O-Sitmar Line postcard of Fairstar above.
 
 
David Messent postcard 478 of Fairstar at Sydney.
 
 
David Messent postcard 478 of Fairstar at Sydney.
Enlarged image from the card above, with QE2 in the background.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fair Princess
(P&O Australia: 1997-2001)
 
Sitmar Cruises' Fairwind and Fairsea (2) became the Dawn Princess (1) and Fair Princess within the Princess Cruises fleet. Both ships were eventually displaced by new tonnage, and Dawn Princess (1) was subsequently sold back to the Vlasov Group (owners of Sitmar) and operated as Albatros (1) until 2004. Fair Princess was moved to serve the Australian market, replacing the Fairstar which was scrapped in 1997. Fair Princess was in turn replaced by Sky Princess, ex-Fairsky (3).
 
Complete history of Fair Princess
 
 
Fair Princess received a P&O buff funnel when moved to Australia, replacing the Fairstar which was scrapped in 1997.
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific Sky
(P&O Australia: 2000-2006)
 
Pacific Sky was built as Fairsky for Sitmar Cruises by Chantiers Navales et Industrielies de la Mediterranee, La Seyne Sur Mer (near Toulon), in 1984. She was yard number 1436. Unusually for a ship this new, she had steam turbine machinery, the last large turbine passenger ship built. She became the Sky Princess in the Princess fleet. She replaced Fair Princess in the Australian market in 2000, and was renamed the Pacific Sky. In 2006 she was sold to Pullmantur and renamed Sky Wonder.
 
Complete history of Pacific Sky
 
 
Official P&O Cruises postcard of Pacific Sky.
 
 
Official P&O Cruises postcard of Pacific Sky.
 
 
The back of the official P&O Cruises postcard of Pacific Sky shown above.
 
 
Enlarged image from the official P&O Cruises postcard of Pacific Sky shown above.
 
 
Official P&O Cruises postcard of Pacific Sky.
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Official P&O Cruises postcard of Pacific Sky.
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Pocket Guide to Pacific Sky.
Click to open larger images in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific Princess (2)
(Princess Cruises: 2003- )
 
Two of the bankrupt Renaissance Cruises fleet, R3 and R4, were acquired for the Princess fleet (plus Swan Hellenic chartered a further ship as Minerva II). R3 became Pacific Princess (2), and R4 became the Tahitian Princess. Pacific Princess (2) has been based in Australia for part of each year.
 
 
Official Princess postcard of Pacific Princess (2).
 
 
An advance Princess publicity image of Pacific Princess (2).
 
 
Photographs of Pacific Princess (2) on her inaugural call at San Francisco, 29th May 2003.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
 
Photographs of Pacific Princess (2) on her inaugural call at San Francisco, 29th May 2003.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
 
Photograph of Pacific Princess (2) at San Francisco.
Photo: © Marvin Jensen.
 
 
Photograph of Pacific Princess (2) at Sydney, Australia.
Photo: © Gary Horner, December 2003.
 
 
Photograph of Pacific Princess (2) at Sydney, Australia.
Photo: © Gary Horner, December 2003.
 
 
Photograph of Pacific Princess (2) at Sydney, Australia.
Photo: © Gary Horner, December 2003.
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific Sun
(P&O Australia: 2004- )
 
Jubilee was built in 1986, and remained in the Carnival fleet until 2005, when she became the Pacific Sun of Carnival's P&O Australia subsidiary.
 
 
Official Carnival postcard of Jubilee.
 
 
Official postcard as Pacific Sun with P&O Australia
Scan: John Thomson.
 
 
Official postcard as Pacific Sun with P&O Australia
Scan: John Thomson.
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific Star
(P&O Australia: 2005-2008)
 
Pacific Star was built as the Tropicale, the first purpose-built Carnival cruise ship, delivered in 1981. She was transferred to subsidiary Costa Lines as Costa Tropicale in 2001, the first of the purpose-built Carnival ships to be transferred. In 2005 Costa Tropicale moved to P&O Australia and was renamed Pacific Star. In 2008 she was due to be based in Singapore. However, in a surprising move, she was sold to Royal Caribbean-owned Pullmantur, for 2008 delivery. The big cruise groups do not usually sell ships to their rivals. She will be renamed Ocean Dream.
 
 
Official Carnival postcard of Tropicale.
 
 
Costa Tropicale was the ex-Carnival ship Tropicale which had been transferred.
A scan of an official slightly oversized Costa postcard is shown below.
 
 
Pacific Star on first visit to Sydney with P&O Australia
Scan: Michael Kenyon, November 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Pacific Dawn
(P&O Australia: 2007- )
 
Pacific Dawn was one of two sisters that Sitmar Cruises had on order from Fincantieri in Italy when the company was taken over by P&O Princess. These were completed as Crown Princess and Regal Princess but were essentially Sitmar designs. Both ships were later planned to transfer to a new P&O Cruises company aimed at the German market called A'ROSA. Crown Princess moved in Summer 2002 as the Arosa Blu. Regal Princess was due follow in 2004, but this was cancelled. She was then due to join Ocean Village in November 2006, but this was also cancelled, and she passed to P&O Australia as the Pacific Dawn, replacing the Pacific Sky which was sold to Pullmantur and renamed Sky Wonder.
 
Pacific Dawn at Sydney with P&O Australia
Scan: Michael Kenyon, Janauary 2008
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Pacific Dawn at Sydney with P&O Australia
Scan: Michael Kenyon, Janauary 2008
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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