Next year P&O will say farewell to their cruise ship Pacific Eden. The company announced that starting next year the vessel will be sailing under the banner of the cruise company, Cruise & Maritime Voyages. P&O Cruises Australia President Sture Myrmell announced Pacific Eden will leave the fleet in preparation for the arrival of the larger 2,600-passenger cruise ship Golden Princess in 2020. “While we are always sad to farewell ships, this is an exciting step forward for the brand and consistent with our comments over the past six months that the P&O Cruises Australia fleet was ready to be refreshed over time.” Mr. Myrmell added.

Pacific Eden, who was acquired from Holland America Line, had only recently joined P&O Cruises Australia, receiving an extensive dry dock before the introduction in November 2015. The 55,280 gross ton ship built in 1994 as the Statendam for Holland America Line will be sold to CMV –Cruise & Maritime Voyages. Pacific Explorer final voyage will be on March 16, 2019, before transferring to CMV in Singapore where the ship will enter dry dock the following month.

There are several name proposals considered by Cruise & Maritime Voyages including Vasco da Gama, Pytheas, Henry Hudson and Amerigo Vespucci.