P&O reaches charter agreement
P&O has reached agreement with All Gay Cruises on a charter arrangement for the Pacific Sun cruise in March.
Organisers All Gay Cruises initially booked 300 places on a scheduled cruise, prompting P&O to begin negotiations to allow the company to charter the entire ship.
P&O suspended sales in May and struck a deal on Friday to charter Pacific Sun, with families who had booked before May told they needed to choose another cruise.
“There was confusion in the market regarding what the cruise was. At that stage it was just a normal three-night cruise,” a P&O spokesman said.
“If a particular group wants to be dominant we would prefer a charter because we don’t wish to have people who may have booked a particular cruise thinking it is just a normal product when it isn’t.”
The spokesman said it was the first all-gay ship charter in Australia.
Families have been contacted by P&O, alerting them to the changes.
All Gay Cruises’ Dave Drummond said the gay community would promote a caring environment on the ship and would welcome straight passengers.
Mr Drummond said he hoped the cruise would help repair the sleazy image of the industry following the death of Dianne Brimble on the Sun’s predecessor, the Pacific Sky.
He said most passengers would want to “relax and enjoy the cruising experience, like fine dining” rather than partying non-stop.
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