Two more iconic cruise destinations in Vanuatu – Mystery Island and Luganville – are reopening with P&O Cruises Australia’s Sydney-based Pacific Adventure on its current 10-night cruise to the South Pacific.
Amid a festival atmosphere, Pacific Adventure and its 2000 guests were today welcomed back to Mystery Island by the community of nearby Aneityum for whom cruising is the key economic driver.
A similar welcome is anticipated on Sunday when Pacific Adventure visits Luganville on the island of Espiritu Santo with a call to the Vanuatu capital Port Vila in between. Pacific Adventure visited Noumea in New Caledonia on the way to Vanuatu’s three signature destinations.
“Pacific Adventure becoming the first cruise ship to return to Mystery Island and Luganville completes the set of Vanuatu destinations that underpin our deep attachment to Vanuatu and its island communities,” said Marguerite Fitzgerald, President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia.
“As our international region’s main cruise organisation, we felt honoured that P&O was invited to be the first cruise line to return to Port Vila with Pacific Encounter’s recent visit. It is an additional honour for P&O to be the first cruise line to be invited to visit Mystery Island and Luganville in Vanuatu’s trial reintroduction of cruise tourism.”
Pacific Adventure’s visit to Mystery Island is being celebrated with a number of community initiatives. P&O had already been working with the Aneityum community for some time in preparation for today’s visit.
The initiatives being supported include:
- Contributing to the registration and safety training of 80 boat operators
- Sourcing 500 lifejackets for the boat operators to comply fully with national safety regulations
- Funding the reinstallation of marker buoys for the safe operation of ship tenders.
Further initiatives are planned over time to contribute to the economic life of the Aneityum community.
