Source: Cruise Junkie dot Com


Events at Sea by P&O Australia
Illness Outbreaks at Sea by P&O Australia

The events listed have been reported in the public domain or to cruisejunkie by passengers or crew members onboard.  The list is by no means comprehensive.  For that reason it is necessary to be cautious in drawing conclusions from the potentially limited data.  Keep in mind that some companies may be more transparent than others about things that go wrong; conversely, some companies may be better at concealing events and thereby project an appearance that is inaccurate.  With that said, the following list is still interesting, as are the patterns seen viewed separately by ship.
Date
 Ship
 2013
 Incident
January 30 Pacific Pearl Channel 9 (New Zealand) reports the ship has cancelled a Friday visit after extreme weather off Sydney.
Canceled port call
Date
 Ship
 2012
 Incident
August 21 Pacific Jewel Sydney Morning Herald reports a female cruise ship passenger is suing P&O for sexual harassment over comments and gestures made by the judge of a singing competition during a 10-day South Pacific cruise. Last November Kate Strahan, 50, took part in the "Popstars" contest final on the Pacific Jewel cruise ship, appearing in a leopard skin dress for an imitation of Tina Turner's River Deep Mountain High. I could not believe or understand how such a thing could happen. As it came to judge the performance, one of the judges, Rory Healey, allegedly told her he could see her underwear through her dress, commented on her breasts and suggested she could "cougar" him any time. Kate Strahan ... performing a Tina Turner hit in the "Pop stars" show on board Pacific Jewel. Kate Strahan ... performing a Tina Turner hit in the "Pop stars" show on board Pacific Jewel. After her performance she was interviewed backstage and the interview was screened on three large screens to the audience of about 1200 fellow passengers. Ms Stahan's husband, John O'Brien, alleges Mr Healey then touched the screen showing her image, fondling and kissing the screen image of her breasts. P&O is trying to have the sexual harassment case dismissed, arguing the incident took place outside Australian waters, therefore the sexual harassment laws do not apply. However, the couple's claim is also based on breach of contract and civil law, and Mr O'Brien said they would be seeking exemplary damages, designed to punish the company. It is understood the total claim exceeds $1 million, and a spokesman for P&O called it "excessive". Mr O'Brien said if the company was successful in getting the sexual harassment case thrown out it meant that passengers had no protection under Australian laws for most of the cruise. He said the case also raised important legal issues about maritime law and whether a screen image could be the object of sexual harassment. He said his wife, a nurse in palliative care, was so stressed by the matter, she has had to stop working. The Australian Human Rights Commission has been unable to resolve the complaint. The case returns to the Federal Magistrate's court on September 21.
Lawsuit for sexual harassment
July 26 P&O Australia ABC News reports the New South Wales Government has ordered an investigation into claims a P&O cruise ship ran an illegal floating casino off the state's south coast. Last weekend, a P&O cruise ship left Sydney on a three-night cruise, including a stop at Jervis Bay. Passengers say once at sea they could access up to $5,000 from their credit cards to gamble on games including blackjack, poker and roulette. Under state laws it is only legal to run casinos on ships that are at least 12 nautical miles offshore. NSW Gaming Minister George Souris says the waters around Jervis Bay are technically Commonwealth territory, but he has asked the Office of Liquor and Gaming to investigate. "If it turns out that gambling operations were being conducted in New South Wales territorial waters of the coast line then that is indeed a breach," he said. P&O says it has always worked to operate within the legislative framework.
Illegal casino
June 23 Pacific Jewel From a passenger: We lost 4 out of 7 of our original islands due to weather (the cruise began one day late). One island was delayed due to a tender being dropped while it was being raised to the ship (rumour has it a broken winch brake) it caused the tender to drop from high (with 3 crew members aboard) and also caught fire. We were re-emburserd $50 due to this causing us to miss another island stop. The islands we made it to were Port Denarau, Suva, Vila and a new port was added: Mare. We lost Noumea, Mystery Island, Dravuni Island and isle of pines.
Missed ports
June 6 Pacific Jewel From a reader:The current cruise is delayed arriving in Sydney due to bad weather, which is causing the next cruise to leave 24 hours late. P&O have reportedly told some customers there will be no re-imbursement for the cruise being a day shorter. Final itinerary to be announced on Friday morning. The next cruise is now due to depart Sydney?s Wharf 5 Barangaroo at 4pm on Saturday 9 June 2012. In its correspondence to passenegrs, the company stated, "P&O Cruises will not be offering any compensation as a result of this weather related delay, as per our Terms & Conditions."
Delayed arrival & departure / Itinerary change
February 10 Pacific Dawn ABC News Australia reports Queensland police are investigating a brawl involving more than a dozen people. Sixteen men were taken off the ship at Gladstone in central Queensland on Friday morning. About 2,000 passengers were on the second last night of a week-long Pacific cruise when police say a disturbance broke out. It is believed the brawlers were aged in their 20s or 30s and some had been arguing over a female passenger. One passenger suffered minor injuries in the fight which was brought under control by the ship's security. No charges have been laid and Customs officers are also looking into the incident.
Brawl - Pax kicked off
January 16 Pacific Jewel The Herald Sun reports an Australian cruise liner has turned back during a Pacific Islands cruise after a passenger went missing. A spokesman for P&O Cruises confirmed the Pacific Jewel had turned back after leaving Lifou, New Caledonia after an elderly woman was reported missing last night. “I can confirm the Pacific Jewel is currently searching for a female passenger reported missing last night,” the spokesman said. “A complete search of the ship was conducted but she was not found. “A review of all CCTV footage was conducted including footage of a balcony area and it became apparent a passenger had gone overboard,” he said. The spokesman said the ship was on day eight of a Pacific Islands cruise and was currently searching for the woman in the water between Lifou and Noumea. He confirmed the woman’s family was on board the ship.
Passenger missing
Date
 Ship
 2011
 Incident
December 20 Pacific Sun
P&O Australia		 News Australia reportsthe ship's last cruise - a seven night cruise of the Pacific Islands - will depart Brisbane on July 1. P&O said travellers booked on Pacific Sun cruises after July 8 will be re-booked on equivalent or near equivalent cruises on other P&O Cruises ships or offered a choice of alternative cruises on other ships in the fleet where a near equivalent match is not possible. It will provided refunds to passengers for whom no alternative cruise choice is suitable. The ship is believed to have been purchased by a Chinese company, which is likely to launch new cruises out of China towards the end of next year.
Ship sold
February 28 Pacific Sun The ship, which is currently positioned in Newcastle, is heading back to her home port from a 14-night ‘White Cloud Wonders’ voyage to New Zealand after missing a call at Dunedin and also missing Fiordland National Park because of a "technical fault" with an engine. The company has announced the ship is operating safely, but at a reduced speed which is further hampered by a northerly swell in the Tasman Sea and is now due to arrive in Newcastle around 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Her late arrival, combined with the need to complete the engine repair, will delay the departure of a scheduled four-night cruise to Melbourne by 24 hours. Instead, she will make a three-night coastal cruise. Passengers will receive a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit if they do not choose to take the revised cruise. Update March 1: The Newcastle Herald reports the ship has been delayed 24 hours despite leaving New Zealand ahead of schedule to return to Newcastle on time. Pacific Sun is now expected to dock in Newcastle Harbour at 7am on Thursday. The ship left New Zealand ahead of schedule, missing two destinations, after a ‘‘technical fault in one engine’’ was found.
Engine problems
February 3 Pacific Jewel Otago Daily Times reports it was to have been the biggest week on Dunedin's cruise ship calendar, but the late cancellation yesterday has left a tourism operator reeling. The 2000 passengers were scheduled to arrive at Port Chalmers yesterday morning, but strong gusty winds at the entrance to Otago Harbour prevented the ship entering the harbour for its scheduled 6.45am berthing. The visit was cancelled at 10.30am. The cancellation could not have come at a worse time for an already struggling tourism industry, Taieri Gorge Railway chief executive Murray Bond said. A Taieri Gorge excursion train was scheduled to pick up 350 passengers, but its cancellation cost the company "tens of thousands of dollars". "We will take a massive hit from this," he said. In addition to cancelling catering orders, dozens of volunteers were sent home early, he said. Monarch Wildlife Cruises and Tours owner-operator John Milburn said one pre-booked vessel had to be cancelled, during what is traditionally the busiest month for tourists. "The down-side is that we had to turn other business away for the scheduled cruise ship trip." Larnach Castle marketing manager Deborah Price said the company was "disappointed" by the cancellation, which impacted on revenue and made it difficult for staff and management. "We hate it when this happens." P&O Cruises spokesman David Jones said the Port Chalmers visit was called off solely because of the strong prevailing winds. The vessel's management, in consultation with the Port Otago pilot, made the decision to cancel after facing 30-knot winds, with gusts between 40 and 50 knots. A 25-knot maximum was the safest level a vessel could enter the harbour, he said.
Canceled port call
February 3 Pacific Pearl The New Zealand Herald reports broken toilets, faulty latches on cabin doors and leaky ceilings are among new complaints by passengers on the ship. Walter Florussen said he was appalled by the facilities on the P&O ship - which recently underwent a $100 million refurbishment - during a three-night trip with his wife, Jeanette, that left Auckland last Thursday. He said that for five hours there was no running water in their suite or in the public areas after the ship encountered stormy weather on the third day of the cruise. The water failure followed a night when toilets were not working. "No information was forthcoming from any staff member." Mr Florussen said they were not offered drinking water and could not have a coffee at the cafe because water reserves had been used up and it was impossible to refill the coffee machine. The bad weather also caused water to leak through ceilings in their suite and in the ship's main stairwell. He said he understood weather was out of P&O's control but the poor quality of facilities and their inability to stand up to the elements was unacceptable. The latch on the balcony door of their cabin was also broken and would stay open only if a chair was jammed up against it. "Our travel agent explained that despite the fact the ship was 25 years old, the suites had undergone a major refurbishment. Obviously I'm unhappy with what should have been a wonderful travel experience," said Mr Florussen. P&O spokesman David Jones said the company had investigated complaints of toilet blockages and found cases where objects such as paper towels, tampons and hand towels had been flushed. "When a blockage such as this happens, it can have a knock-on effect elsewhere on the ship." Mr Jones said it was unlikely bad weather caused the toilet failures.
Lack of running water and more
February 2 Pacific Pearl The New Zealand Herald reports the ship's owner is investigating how a large chandelier fell three storeys into a cafe area on a cruise last week. The 3m-wide chandelier fell through the ship's open atrium at 2.30am last Thursday, crashing onto tables. No one was injured, but just hours earlier the room had hosted guests at a champagne waterfall event. Passengers commenting on online forums said it was lucky no one was killed. "There are a lot of risks in life, and a few risks in cruising. I didn't expect falling chandeliers to make the list. A very lucky escape for P&O," said one. P&O spokesman David Jones said the company was investigating how the chandelier broke from the ceiling. "The reassuring thing is that there were no passengers or crew anywhere near it when it happened." The chandelier was installed during the Pacific Pearl's recent multi-million-dollar refit. It previously sailed as Ocean Village.
Chandelier falls 3 storeys
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2010
 Incident
2.11.10 Pacific Sun Lloyd's List DCN reports a fault in the propulsion system of P&O cruise liner Pacific Sun caused the vessel to be 10 hours late in its Melbourne Cup voyage from Sydney to Melbourne yesterday. Carnival Australia, P&O's owner, has apologised and offered compensation after the vessel which was to have arrived yesterday morning failed to turn up until evening.
Propulsion problems
18.10.10 Pacific Jewel Tomorrow’s 11-night ‘Pacific Sunsets’ round voyage from Sydney to Vanuatu and New Caledonia has been canceled due to a fault in the propulsion system. The 70,310gt former Ocean Village Two, which entered service as Pacific Jewel in Sydney last December, is currently heading back to Sydney from Noumea at reduced cruising speed. As previously reported, the company had cancelled the ship’s November 5 cruise from Sydney for it to go into drydock at Garden Island to repair a stabiliser. Passengers are being offered a full refund plus a 25% credit on a future P&O Cruises Australia voyage before March 31 that is booked by December 31. UPDATE October 26: The ship's departure from Sydney on November 13 on a 14-night ‘Fiji Adventure’ has also been cancelled.
Propulsion problems -- canceled
27.9.10 Pacific Dawn Radio New Zealand reports Kava farmers from Pentecost island in Vanuatu have taken issue with a newsletter issued by the cruise ship operator, P&O, which they say warned visitors that Vanuatu kava is spiked. The farmers have called for a ban on the importation of Australian wine in retaliation. Vanuatu’s Independent news paper says the warning on kava is in the "Pacific Daily", the newsletter for the passengers on the P&O Pacific Dawn cruise ship, which is a regular visitor to Port Vila. It says kava is spiked and may cause unpleasant side effects. But Pentecost farmer, Jean Baptiste Buleben, says that claim is an insult. He says kava use is a sign of respect and peace, which until recently was the preserve of high ranked chiefs.
Local insult
27.8.10 Pacific Sun News 3 in New Zealand reports a woman injured when the ship struck bad weather off the Northland coast in 2008 is taking P&O to court. She argues her enjoyment was ruined by what happened after she was hit by a trolley and wants damages for the injuries she suffered. The woman was one of 77 passengers and crew injured when the boat rolled. She suffered a cut foot, broken ribs and a ruptured kidney. She had a week in hospital and six weeks off work, and she's angry. She says P&O ought to have had heavy items secured. She is taking legal action against the company in Australia, wanting it to admit it made a mistake and pay her damages. A British maritime safety report confirmed there was a problem. "It was pure good fortune that some passengers and crew were not more seriously injured or killed by the unexpected movement of supposedly fixed heavy items," it found. P&O says it has now secured heavy objects on the Pacific Sun and checked the rest of its fleet. The woman says the accident was made worse by what happened afterwards. When the ship docked in Auckland she and other injured passengers were kept on board until journalists and their cameras left. "It should be injured passengers before the media," she says. "You need to get injured people to hospital."
Lawsuit
21.4.10 Pacific Sun The New Zealand Herald reports the ship will be tied up in Auckland for at least another week while a faulty engine is repaired. The ship, which should have left last Thursday, has had to stay at Wynyard Wharf after a fault was found in one of its two engines. Work to repair the engine has been going on since then and it will be up to 10 more days before it can leave. Several cruises have had to be cancelled, and all passengers who were to sail on those trips are to get a full refund. A spokesman for P&O Cruises said a decision was made to keep the ship in Auckland after it looked as if any continued travelling would have long-term and potentially dangerous effects on the ship.
Canceled cruises - Engine problems
10.4.10 Pacific Dawn The Herald Sun reports a pilot averted a possible disaster by bringing the out-of-control ship to a stop before she reached Brisbane's busy Gateway Bridge. The ship lost all power and steering just 700m away from the six-lane bridge over the Brisbane River. Two tugboats got the Pacific Dawn under control, bringing her to a complete standstill 70m shy of the bridge. The ship's captain is investigating what caused the fault, saying he believed a fuse had been affected by a saltwater leak. A spokesman for Carnival Australia, which operates the Pacific Dawn, said the ship had suffered power problems but it was not a major fault and it would set sail again on Saturday afternoon. NOTE: This is not the first time there have been engine problems. See February 15th below.
Near miss - Engine problems
13.3.10 Pacific Sun Fiji Times reports the ship's scheduled for arrival in Suva on Sunday and Denarau on Monday has been cancelled. ATS Pacific's destination management company manager Sally Cooper said the trip had been cancelled because of mechanical problems on the ship. The cruise is ending early and passengers are being given full refunds plus 25% off a future cruise.
Port call canceled
15.2.10 Pacific Dawn

From a passenger: I was a passenger on the ship,when it left Brisbane on the 30th January 2010. We encountered several problems with the ship. There were divers in Hobart when we arrived to undertake ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. We were meant to leave Hobart at 12am and when we awoke the next morning we were still in Hobart. Lack of communication from the Captain as to what was happening was very frustrating. We missed the scenic tour of Coles Bay, Wineglass Bay, due to our very late departure. There was never an apology for that. We had an all day tour booked to Cradle Mountain which we had never been to before. Awoke early had breakfast then an announcement was made that due to our late departure from Hobart we would be arriving late at Burnie. All day tours were cancelled. Very disappointing, but we were fortunate to purchase tickets on another tour. We left Burnie to cross Bass Straight and we were looking forward to our Puffing Billy Train Ride to the Dandenong Ranges the next day. Once again we awoke early, had breakfast and surprise surprise, the Captain made another announcement that during the night there had been an electrical fault in the propeller and the ship had to slow down dramatically. Once again our tour was cancelled, we then had to line up for ages to get a ticket to disembark the ship, what a joke, we were in dock with gang planks. Can you imagine 1700 people all trying to catch a tram into Melbourne to find something to do. Passengers were very angry whilst lining up for their ticket and lots of stories were floating around as to what had actually gone wrong with the ship, they all told me not to be put off by this experience, but to try other Cruise Liners in future. We came back to our cabin one night to find a letter from the Captain, informing us that a $25 credit had been made to our accounts for the inconvenience. Why bother. I had been to Tasmania when I was 19, the 3 places I had not visited were Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain and I had never been to the Dandenong Ranges, so I missed out on all 3. I was not impressed. This was my first cruise, I loved the entertainment at night, the food and service was good but the lack of communication from the Captain was disgusting. If he kept us informed of what was happening I think the passengers would not have been so angry. Friends had their toilet overflow, how disgusting, our toilet stopped flushing, and throughout the ship at nightime there were out of service signs on doors all over the place. I don't know if this is normal or not, but hygiene is imperative on a cruise ship. We were told by room stewards that routine maintenance was being performed on our floor that was the reason the toilets were not working. No message was placed in our mail slot to notify us of this. Common sense doesn't seem to be used by those in charge. With reference to the breakdown in Hobart, we were told by staff, SAME PROBLEM AS LAST MONTH IN NOUMEA. A friend has recently been out to the Islands, the ship couldn't come into the dock, the passengers were bused out to Fishermans Island to board, they were told that it was because the steering was broken.
Propulsion and maintenance problems
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2009
 Incident
10.11.09 Pacific Sun
P&O Australia		 The company announced todaythat the ship's ‘Week Fantastique’ round cruise from Brisbane next Saturday has been canacelled. The ship has been delayed at the Forgacs Cairncross Dockyard on the Brisbane River where she has been undergoing routine maintenance. A replacement part for the propulsion system has to be custom-made and fitted before the ship is able to leave drydock. Passengers will receive a full refund, plus a discount of 50% of their cancelled cruise fare for a future sailing. Pacific Sun is scheduled to operate another seven-night ‘Week Fantastique’ cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu from Brisbane on November 21. Cancelled cruise
10/10/09 Pacific Sun The Courier Mail reports police boarded the ship when it docked in Brisbane after they were notified of an alleged sexual assault while the ship was cruising near Noumea last week. The alleged victim was believed to be a juvenile. A police spokeswoman said allegedly involved in the incident had been spoken to by officers, but no one had been arrested or charged. She refused to say how many people were involved in the incident, or where they were from. A spokeswoman for P&O said when officials on the ship became aware of the allegations on October 6, they immediately notified police. UPDATE October 18:The New Zealand Herald advises Kiwi cruisegoers have been warned to watch their backs after an alleged sexual assault on "New Zealand's favourite cruise ship". Detective Sergeant Andy King, who heads Auckland's adult sexual assault team, said cruise ship passengers needed to watch out for themselves. "The same rules apply as if they were going out drinking. Look after each other, take care of your drinks," he said. "Quite often cabins close by make it more convenient for people to get into situations that might be compromising. People should use their common sense. Where people are socialising and drinking, issues will always arise." Sexual assault of minor
22.6.09 Pacific Sun Fiji Times reports five passenger that arrived in the Northern Division yesterday were not allowed ashore on the orders of health officials. Officials who are part of the quarantine team at Savusavu port requested that the five remain in their cabins after they showed symptons of seasonal flu. Health inspectors from the Savusavu Hospital awaited the arrival of the cruise liner to check passengers. A health official said the team had already known of the five cases before the cruise liner docked. Ministry of Health spokesman Iliesa Tora said a team was at the port in the morning to carry out necessary inspection on the 1600 passengers that disembarked. Passengers quarantined
21.6.09 Pacific Star Fiji Village reports all arriving passengers were screened for swine flu. Health Ministry officials looked for any symptoms of Influenza A H1N1 amongst the 1,600 passengers of the Pacific Star which docked at the Savusavu whalf at around 8:30 this morning. Passengers screened
27.5.09 Pacific Dawn The Australian reports the ship will be quarantined off Willis Island, east of Cairns, tomorrow after three crew members tested positive for swine flu. The crew have been isolated and medical samples will be sent to Brisbane laboratories for testing. The ship has missed scheduled stops in the Whitsundays. It had been cleared Monday by NSW Health to sail on a scheduled 10-night cruise to Queensland, but today NSW announced it would treat all cruise ships arriving in NSW waters as if swine flu were onboard. Eighteen cases of infection have now been recorded from the cruise ship. Three crew members on the present cruise have been confirmed to have the illness. UPDATE: The ship's port call at Cairns and Port Douglas have been cancelled by the government in its effort to prevent spread of swine flu. The ship will call at Brisbane Saturday and return to Sydney Monday (three days ahead of schedule). UPDATE: Bloomberg News reports 53 passengers and crew have tested positive for the H1N1 virus after two voyages. Most were diagnosed after they disembarked in Sydney May 25. Cases among people on board the ship have been found in Canberra and the states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, the nation’s health department said by e-mail today. The infections contributed to a more than twofold increase in Australia’s swine flu tally to 164 since early yesterday. Swine flu
25.5.09 Pacific Dawn The Daily Telegraph reports a second case of swine flu outbreak. The paper said Monday that Sydney Harbour was in lock down with two children aboard the cruise ship believed to have tested positive for swine flu. The two passengers have been quarantined in their cabins. Test on four suspected cases came back positive at 6pm revealing two passengers were infected with the H1N1 virus (another 170 passengers show flu-like symptoms). Passengers were apparently allowed to disembark, however asked to remain locked indoors at home. The two children (confirmed cases) were isolated on board the cruise ship two days after it left Sydney for the South Pacific on May 16 with what they thought was the influenza A virus. Swine flu
13.1.09
 Pacific Dawn The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a 22 year old man has been rescued after jumping from the ship when it was 20  miles off Vila, Vanuatu at about 5am. The man, who had been in a restricted area, was seen by a staff member who raised the alarm. A life buoy and smoke flares were deployed. He was rescued within 45 minutes. A P&O spokesman said the ship "was travelling at half-speed, about 12 knots, and able to stop and then use the bow thrusters to turn around, without having to do a Williamson manoeuvre [which would have required the ship to complete a circular loop to turn around].'' Some reports say the man was drunk following an all night party.
 Person overboard - rescued
8.1.09
 Pacific Dawn From a reader: The ship was due in Sydney this morning (around 7am, Sydney time) however it is experiencing engine trouble and will not arrive in Sydney until at least 5pm ... some ten hours late.  The next cruise was due to depart Sydney at 4pm,  however passengers are being told to not turn up at the wharf until 9pm.
 Engine problems
--
Delayed debarkation
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2008
 Incident
November 08
 Pacific Dawn (5)
 From a reader: The crew recently removed a party of 8 men in Vila and a mother and daughter in Ouvea. It appears that the group of 8 men were being generally silly, including climbing over the rails...warned a few times then offloaded. The mother & daughter were ejected due to apparently destroying their cabin. Added to the above another couple of people were offloaded at Noumea for reasons unknown. All incidents are from one cruise on each ship, not over several cruises!
 Ejections
31.7.08
 Pacific Sun
 The New Zealand Herald reports forty-two passengers (TV 3 in New Zealand reports the number is fifty-seven) were injured after the vessel rolled in seven metre swells 600 kilometres off New Zealand's North Island. The ship was returning to Auckland from Vanuatu. The injuries to four of the passengers have been described as serious by Carnival Australia. Part of the ship's interior was also damaged. Carnival says the captain had planned to avoid the forecasted storm and they will conduct a full investigation to find out what happened. The ship is expected to dock in Auckland Harbour tomorrow evening (August 1), one day later than scheduled. Severe Roll
3.5.08
 Pacific Sun
 The ship was on its way to Noumea (from Brisbane) when it was forced to drop anchor in a shipping channel near Moreton Island due to engine problems. The ship remained anchored overnight (while repair crew tried to fix the problem) and resumed its voyage the following morning (after being stationery for more than 15 hours). It is not known how the delay will affect the itinerary.
 Engine problems
22.1.08
 Pacific Star The ship returned one day late from an 8 day cruise from Auckland to Vanuatu and Mystery Island after confronting high seas (7 metres) associated with Cyclone Funa. According to the New Zealand Herald, five passengers reported injuries. The ship sailed into the worst of the storm on Sunday night (January 20), which smashed glasses, moved furniture, and caused the cruise ship to issue warnings asking passengers to take care around the ship and avoid exposed decks. An announcement at 10.50pm asked passengers to return to their cabins or remain seated, explaining that the "rolls" the ship was experiencing were due to two swells coming from different directions. Extremely  heavy seas
 --
Delay
8.1.08
 Pacific Sun Another pedophile has been evicted from a P&O ship. According to the Daily Telegraph, "In relation to the latest paedophile ... the company had become aware of his prior offence and exercised their right to disembark him from the Pacific Sun cruise ship in Noumea." According to Radio New Zealand International police in New Caledonia deported the man after he and his family were taken off the ship -- he was believed to pose a risk to the 250 children on board.
 Passenger evicted / deported
5.1.08
 Pacific Star According to TV New Zealand, French police were called to the ship during a stopover in Lifou Island, in New Caldedonai's Loyalty Islands group where they removed and sent home a 37 year old Australian man who allegedly attacked a 46 year old New Zealander. The woman was found in a state of shock and and suffering bruises in the early hours of the morning of New Years day. She told police in New Caledonia she had been raped in the man's cabin while the ship was docked, but said she was too drunk to recall all the details, local sources said. It is understood the Australian man said he had engaged in consensual sex with the woman. Police are also investigating accusations of drink-spiking during the cruise (see Daily Telegraph). Rape
4.1.08
 Pacific Dawn Radio New Zealand reports French police in New Caledonia on December 22 deported an Australian citizen with a paedophile history who was on board the ship.  The 43-year-old was arrested during a stopover in Noumea after police received information from their Australian federal counterparts, that the individual was a high risk repeat offender, and had served 18-months jail in New South Wales in 2004. At that time he was found guilty of disseminating paedophile pictures and indecent assault on minors. This brings to four the total of arrests of Australian citizens with a paedophile history since October last year. Passenger deported
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2007
 Incident
20.12.07
 Pacific Star Hundreds of passengers are demanding compensation after two of five ports were missed on the 11 night cruise to Tonga and Fiji that ended today -- ports missed were Vava’u in Tonga and Yasawa-i- Rara in Fiji for which passengers were given a A$100 onboard credit. There were apparently engine problems that contributed to the problem; the engines should be repaired sometime during the next cruise, (TV story is available here), an eight-night Christmas cruise that will also skip a port -- Ouvea in the Loyalty Islands. This is to allow for an unscheduled overnight in Noumea on Sunday where she is to undergo repairs; passengers will receive a A$50 shipboard credit. Engine problems
--
Missed ports
13.11.07
 Pacific Dawn Two Australian citizens (aged 40 and 42) with a paedophile history were refused entry to New Caledonian by police in Noumea when they arrived on the ship. Noumea's daily newspaper says the two men from Perth were classified as possible re-offenders and put on a plane to return to Australia.  On October 23, New Caledonia deported another Australian man who had been convicted on multiple counts of raping minors in Australia.  The ship left Sydney November 9 on a two-week cruise of the South Pacific.
 Passengers deported
23.10.07
 Pacific Star A 43-year-old man was arrested on the island of Lifou (New Caledonia) and deported because he was on a list of sex offenders provided to border police in the territory.  The man been convicted in Australia on a dozen counts of raping and fondling children; he did not alert Australia authorities upon leaving Australia, as required by law.  The ship was on a seven day cruise from Brisbane -- it had visited Noumea (New Caledonia) the day before and was enroute from Lifou to Vanuatu.
 Passenger deported
October
 Pacific Star
 There was apparently a small fire in an electrical panel that caused a mustering of crew to prepare for a possible emergency. The source of the smoke/fire was located and brought under control. (See You Tube)
 Fire
8.8.07
 Pacific Star Hundreds of passengers are stranded at Auckland's Princes Wharf and the plug was pulled on its planned departure on Tuesday (August 7) afternoon.   P&O says the ship has been delayed due to maintenance work (a corroded ventilation pipe) and that it will depart Wednesday evening (30 hours later than planned). Because of the delay a call at Mystery Island in Vanuatu has had to be cancelled.The company is apologising for the late departure and says every passenger will receive an on-board credit as compensation.  UPDATE 5AM August 9 (NZ time):   According to the New Zealand Herald, as of 12:30AM the ship has still not departed.  There have also been problems with toilets not working.  Update 7AM August 9 (NZ time):  The cruise has now been cancelled.  Passengers will receive a full refund and a 25% credit toward a future cruise.  The cruise was to have ended in Brisbane.  Delayed departure
--
Cancellation
7.8.07
 Pacific Sun A 31-year-old man was found unconscious in a toilet cubicle in the early hours of the morning while the cruise ship was at sea.   He was removed and treated by medical personnel but could not be revived. The ship returned to Noumea, where New Caledonian authorities boarded and began investigating. A spokeswoman for the New Caledonian Police Aux Frontieres (PAF), or border police, said they were not ready to release the results of their inquiries.  Local media reported the PAF had interviewed three passengers who had spent the night with the man.  New Caledonian authorities carried out an initial post-mortem examination, but a further autopsy will be conducted when the vessel returns to Sydney, the NSW police spokeswoman said.    Pax death
13.7.07
 Pacific Star According to New Zealand Herald, passengers were so ill as the ship was battered by storms off Auckland that they have been given free doctors' visits and $100 vouchers. About 1000 passengers left Auckland on Tuesday for an eight-night cruise and were hit by the atrocious conditions. People on board reported passengers being sick and damage to the boat by swells of up to 10m.  One passenger said the dream trip to Vanuatu had started like the holiday from hell. P&O Cruises spokeswoman Sandy Olsen said some of the ship's external windows and doors, as well as its television satellite equipment, were damaged in the storm. Conditions were so bad the ship has cancelled a planned stopover in Lifou, New Caledonia, and will head straight for Vila to make its scheduled Friday night stopover.  UPDATE July 15:  The ship has arrived in Vanuatu and a decision made to cancel the remainder of the cruise.  Some of the ship's windows and external doors were damaged along with it's satellite equipment during the unusually bad weather conditions encountered.  The Pacific Star will sail to Brisbane without passengers onboard and be put into dry dock for further inspection and repairs.  Passengers will receive a full refund plus a 25% discount on a future cruise.  The cruise scheduled for July 18 has also been cancelled and the same compensation provided to affected passengers.
 Sail into Storm
---
Cancelation
14.4.07
 Pacific Star Sixty-fice passengers were denied boarding of the a cruise for which they had confirmed reservations because the comapny had overbooked the ship.  The cruise left for Brisbane with calls at New Caledonia and Vanuatu.  A company spokesperson said all would have their fares refunded and had also been offered a free seven night cruise anytime in the next 12 months along with a $500 onboard credit.  A reader of this page has offered the following:  The overbooking for the Pacific Star was the result of a failure of one of the tenders (life boat) on the previous cruise ... They have to have a minimum of 25% spare capacity on life boats when they sail (IMO Regulations, SOLAS regulations) so the company had to reduce the souls on board figure from both passengers and crew. 
Overbooked -- Pax Asked to Leave
29.3.07
 Pacific Sun According to Australian News (see here)  five passengers were detected by the drug dog squad in possession of illicit drugs -- four were charged with possessing prohibited drugs (includiung LSD, GBH, speed, and cannabis).  This is particularly relevant given the inquest (presently in recess) into the death of Diane Brimble, a woman who was drugged, raped, and apparently murdered on a P&O Australia cruise in 2002.
 Drug Bust
25.1.07
 Pacific Star A 16-year-old girl claims she was sexually assaulted (presumably by another passenger) onboard the ship.  The police are investigating.  Unrelated, during the investigation a 23-year-old Australian man was arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous drug.
 Sexual Offense (Pax on Pax)
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2006
 Incident
13.11.06
 Pacific Star (1)
 The Sunshine Coast Daily reports taxi drivers in Vanuatu went on strike, refusing to transport the ship's passengers and forcing them to walk 5 km to town, after it was leaned that government is investigating the illegal dumping of 500,000 litres of oil on the island.  Apparently deep holes were dug, lined with thin plastic, and then filled with oil and raw sewage.  The site is within 1 kilometer of a village and school, and is just above a river used for drinking, washing, and swimming.  The motivation:  it would cost US$30,000 to appropriate dispose of the waste at apporved facilities in the region whereas dumping illegally cost less than $200.  The company faces a potential fine of $35 million.
 Environmental
31.3.06
 Pacific Sun (2)
 The ship returned to Sydney several hours after leaving in order to evict a 29 year old male passenger who had "assaulted a female staff member and a male security guard."  The man was issued with a criminal infringement notice and fined $400.  The ship is on a fully-booked three day "Runaway to Sea" cruise to nowhere.  While P&O says it doesn't  do booze cruises, passengers describe the cruise otherwise:  "Three days on the piss," said one. "Just a grogfest, isn't it?" said another. "Like a floating RSL," reckoned another. Passenger evicted
Pacific Sky sold to Pulmantur Cruises -- renamed Sky Wonder
6.3.06
 Pacific Sky (3)
 Five hours after leaving Singapore the ship experienced engine problems, came to a shuddering halt, and sat anchored in the Malacca Strait for 30 hours while crew tried to fix the problem.  The cruise finally resumed on one engine and the ship is en route to Port Kelang (Malaysia) for repairs, expecting to arrive Monday night (missing the first port: Malacca).  Ironically, some passengers  were on this cruise as a "freebie" as compensation for a previous cruise that experienced problems.  Repairs were completed while passengers were offered complimentary trips to Kuala Lumpur.  The ship was expected to leave Tuesday evening and continue a revised voyage at reduced speed, omitting Phuket and arriving in Singapore as scheduled on March 11.   Passengers will each receive A$350 compensation for the changes to the itinerary. Repairs are expected to be completed in time for Pacific Sky's scheduled departure at 10pm Saturday on a seven-night round cruise to Thailand and Malaysia.
 Engine failure
---
Stranded 30 Hours in Malacca Strait
5.2.06
 Pacific Sun
 While docked in Sydney, a crew member was pasting rust protection on the ship's bridge area when he fell about 23 metres (70 feet) to the wharf below.  He sustauined massive head injuries and multiple fractures and died on impact.
 Crew Accidental Death
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2005
 Incident
25.11.05 Pacific Star
The maiden voyage of the ship has been cancelled because the ship's refurbishment has been delayed.  Passengers on the 10 day cruise from Brisbane to New Caledonia and Vanuatu scheduled for December 18 will receive a full refund and a 20% discount on a future cruise.  The ship -- the former Costa Tropicale and Carnival Cruise Line's 1982-built Tropicale --  is expected to make its scheduled cruise December 28 from Brisbane. Cancelation
Oct.05
 Pacific Sky
 A former employee has alleged that he witnessed the dumping of oil at sea, leaving a 3km oil slick.  He said that from the casual nature in which the dumping was carried out, it appeared that the practice was not uncommon.
 Environmental
4.9.05
 Pacific Sky
 The ship suffered engine problems and drifted onto the reef of Bayonnaise near the isle of Pines (New Caledonia) on Sunday.  Police divers found it suffered no damage.  Two tugs arrived on Monday from Noumea to free the ship and a Lloyds surveyor is en route from Brisbane to certify the ship is fit to sail. The incident occurred in calm conditions and all on board are safe.  Grounded on reef
23.6.05
 Pacific Sky
 The 8 night South Pacific cruise scheduled to depart from Sydney on June 25 has been canceled because repairs of the ship are still not completed.  (The ship has been at a Brisbane dry-dock for the past 3 months).  Passenegrs were notified less than 48 hours before the planned departure that the cruise was cancelled so they could make "immediate alternative holiday arrangements."  The will receive a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit.
 Cancelation
31.5.05
 Pacific Sun
Pacific Sky
 The date for completion of repairs has again (for a third time) been extended.  As a result, the Pacific Sun will replace the Sky for a two-week charter on June 21 in Auckland.  Consequently, Pacific Sun's 11-night round cruise from Sydney on June 14 will be cut to seven nights and will terminate in Auckland and her 10-night round voyage from Sydney on July 4 will be replaced with a seven-night cruise from Auckland to Sydney on July 7. Cancelations
4.5.05
 Pacific Sky
 Two additional cruises have been cancelled to accommodate repairs to the ship's gearbox.  The cancelled cruises are a four-night cruise from Brisbane to Aukland departing June 4 and a 13-night "Samoa Sunrise" cruise from Aukland departing June 8.
 Cancelation
30.3.05
 Pacific Sky
 Two cruises were canceled earlier in the month because of mechanical problems (see March 19).  The company today announced cancelation of five more cruises.  The vessel will be out of action until June.
 Cancelations
20.3.05
 Sapphire Princess

 The ship is "limping" to Malaysia after a malfunction in an engine turbine between Darwin and Indonesia on Tuesday -- a scheduled stop in Bali was canceled in order that the ship arrive in Thailand on time.  P&O Cruises spokesman John Richardson said crew members were having trouble starting one of the gas turbines used to boost the ship's speed from 17 to 22 knots. "The gas turbines operate separately to the diesel engine, which is fine, and they allow the boat to perform high speeds." A technician is due to join the boat in Singapore on Tuesday morning.  The 19-day cruise began on March 9th in Sydney. Engine Problems

Canceled port
9.3.05 Pacific Sky
 The ship was forced to abort a cruise 6 days into a 12 day cruise because of mechanical problems with the ship's starboard gearbox.  Passengers were offloaded in Noumea and flown back to Brisbane by charter flight.  Passengers received a full refund and a 25% credit on a future cruise.  The following cruise was also canceled because repairs would not be completed in time.  Those passengers received a full refund and a 20% futurer cruise credit.
Engine Problems

Cruise Canceled
16.2.05
 Pacific Sun
 Only weeks after being christened Pacific Sun will be met by water police when it docks at Darling Harbour tomorrow. A passenger died when the ship was off Vanuatu on an 11 day cruise from Sydney.  It is believed the man died of natural causes, but there hasn't been a post-mortem so all that is know for sure is that he is dead. Passenger death
8.2.05 Pacific Sky
 A 24 year old man is believed to have jumped overboard while returning from a 10-day cruise to the South Pacific Islands. The ship was bound for Brisbane. The man "had been drinking all night and he ran outside and then jumped off the side of the boat."
Suidide
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2004
 Incident
14.11.04
 Pacific Sky
 The ship was taking on passengers when the engines' water intake became clogged with jellyfish and the engines automatically shut down.  The ship was waiting for delivery of 60 tons of water before the engines could be restarted.  It was expected to depart from Brisbane on its seven day cruise up the Queensland coast the next morning, 15 hours late.
 Engine Problems / Delay
3.11.04
 Pacific Sky
 The ship turned back to Brisbane from a 12 day South Pacific cruise after it developed engine problems that prevented it from operating at full speed.  The departure of the cruise had been delayed for more than a day after it was discovered the ship had a faulty boiler, and was further delayed to repair a damaged gearbox in the starboard engine.  The problem causing the ship to abort the cruise was also with the starboard engine.
 Engine Problems / Cancelation
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2003
 Incident
28.12.03
 Pacific Sky
 The previous cruise was marked by a rowdy bunch of  high school graduates who, by passenger accounts, were drunk and disorderly, harrassed and disregarded the staff, threw deck chairs overboard, called 'man overboard' the night before arriving in Sydney -- the captain stopped the ship, ordered a headcount and sent a boat down to the water, only to discover that it was a hoax.  This cruise had its departure delayed 3.5 hours.
 Rowdiness
23.3.03
 Pacific Sky
 Repairs are taking longer than expected so the March 23 cruise is cancelled.  It was announced March 31 that the ship should be ready to sail on April 2.
 Cancelation
15.3.03
 Pacific Sky
 The ship had to turn back to Auckland on an 11 day cruise to Fiji that began March 12.  The ship took on 17 tonnes of water after it sprang a leak through cracked and corroded plating on the side of the 19-year-old ship.  Cracks in the same area had reportedly been repaired prior to the ship's departure from Aukland.  Cruise cancelled.  Associated Press reported that the ship has been impounded because safety inspectors found serious rust in its hull.  P&O is confident that the ship will be repaired in time for its March 23 departure.
 Cracks in hull/ Cancelation
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 2002 and earlier
 Incident
24.9.02
 Pacific Sky
 		A 42 year old woman was stupefied and sexually assaulted by fellow cruise passengers who considered throwing her body overboard after she died in their room, a Sydney inquest was told on March 8, 2006. Mother of three Dianne Brimble, 42, set out on the holiday of a lifetime aboard the P&O cruise ship Pacific Sky on September 23, 2002. The following morning she was found dead, apparently of an overdose of the date rape drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate, otherwise known as GBH or fantasy. Mrs Brimble's body was found in a cabin belonging to four men she had met at a disco on the ship the previous night. Rape
--
Murder (?)
9-18.1.02
 Pacific Sky
 Two passengers admitted to hospital with the meningococcal virus several days after cruise -- one man (21 years old) dies.  P&O Princess stressed that the infection was not related to the ship but to individual contact.
 Illness / Death
Jul.01
 Pacific Sky
 Hits major storm,  Cuts and bruises to passengers.  Docks 36 hours late.
 Weather - Delay
22.09.99
 Fair Princess
 While serving as a floating hotelk for journalists at the Sydney Olympics, there was fear of an outbreak of Legionnaire's.  Dozens of passengers had become ill on a 12 day cruise that preceded the Sydney assignment.  Several were hospitalized in Noumea; two have since died.
 Legionnaire's Disease
18.2.97
 Fair Princess(4)
 There were problems on the ship's inaugural cruise, including electrical, plumbing, and air comditioning problems as well as a burst pipe that caused flooding in one restaurant and some cabins.  As well, a fire broke out in the casino, sending passengers to muster stations.  No one was injured and things were brought under control.
 Fire


(1) Pacific Star: ex-Costa Topicale, ex-Tropicale (Carnival)
(2) Pacific Sun: ex-Jubilee (Carnival)
(3) Pacific Sky: ex-Sky Princess (Princess), ex-Fairsky (Sitmar)
(4) Fair Princess: ex-Carinthia (Cunard), Fairland (Sitmar), Fairsea (Sitmar), Fair Princess (Princess)
(5) Pacifc Dawn: ex Regal Princess



Illness Outbreaks at Sea by P&O Australia
dd/mm/yy
 Ship
 Reported Illness Outbreaks
30.8.10
Pacific Sun
 From a passenger: WE DID NOT ENJOY OUR 4 DAY SAMLPER CRUISE SYDNEY TO SYDNEY ON 22ND AUGUST – 26TH AUGUST 2010. MY SISTER CONTRACTED THE NOROVIRUS. PREVIOUS CRUISE HAD AT LEAST 60 NOROVIRUS PATIENTS AND WE WERE PUT IN A CABIN WHERE PEOPLE WERE SICK BEFORE US. THE CABIN WAS NOT CLEANED ON ARRIVAL AND WE COMPLAINED, THEN FELL SICK STRAIGHT AWAY. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY ALTHOUHJ WWE WER PROMISED THAT MEDICAL CENTRE DOES NOT BILL NOROVIRUS PATIENTS, WE STILL GOT IN LATER. NO WAY WILL WE PAY THE BILL.
18.10.07
 Pacific Sun According to ABC News in Australia,  A teenage girl is in a stable condition in a Hunter Valley hospital with a suspected case of meningococcal disease, which she may have contracted while on a Pacific Islands cruise aboard the ship from October 1 to 11. Close contacts of the girl believed to be at highest risk of contracting the disease have been contacted, but the risk to other cruise ship passengers is believed to be very low.
7.6.06
 Pacific Sun
 Shortly after leaving May 30 for a 10 day cruise up the Queensland coast to Port Douglas and Willis Island, gastrointestinal illness (believed for be norovirus) spread around the ship.  The cruise line said 60 passengers were quarantined; passengers onboard said the number ill could be in the hundreds.
20.5.04
 Pacific Sky
 The ship returned from a 12 night South Pacific cruise.  It was confirmed by a NSW Health spokeswoman that 32 passengers and 24 crew members had been ill with gastroenteritis.
9.5.04
 Pacific Sky
 140 passengers reported illness consistent with norovirus during an 11 day cruise from Sydney.  The cuise line was quoted as blaming poor personal hygiene among some passengers for the outbreak.
7.1.04

 Pacific Sky
 60 passengers reported affected by gastro illness on the New Year Follies' cruise.  There had also been an outbreak on the previous cruise.
28.12.03
 Pacific Sky
 Up to 200 passengers suffered nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea which last up to 3 days -- most likely the result of norwalk-like virus. The previous cruise was marked by a rowdy bunch of  high school graduates who, by passenger accounts, were drunk and disorderly, harrassed and disregarded the staff, threw deck chairs overboard, called 'man overboard' the night before arriving in Sydney -- the captain stopped the ship, ordered a headcount and sent a boat down to the water, only to discover that it was a hoax.  This cruise had its departure delayed 3.5 hours.