A P&O cruise ship which was set to carry hundreds of Kiwi passengers on holiday this summer has been dropped from the fleet, as a deal to sell the 1546-passenger ship fell through.
The Pacific Dawn which operates between Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific was set to be sold to Cruise & Maritime Voyages at the end of 2021 season. However, following the collapse of CMV in late July the deal was sunk, and P&O were left trying to find a new buyer for the 70,000-ton ship.
On Monday P&O said that the ship would be leaving their fleet ahead of schedule.
"It was originally planned for Pacific Dawn to leave us in February next year but this has now been brought forward to facilitate the sale we've announced today," said the cruise line.
However the unwillingness to name a specific buyer for the ship and the abrupt termination of the ships service has led some to speculate on the fate of the ship. It is not clear if the new owners intend to place the dawn back into service or sell it for scrap.
It will now be leaving service on December 17, with all sailings after this date cancelled.
P&O says it will be offering assistance to passengers affected by this decision, many of whom are based in Australia and New Zealand.