Pacific Encounter Movements

[arxcards]

After previously languishing at anchor off Cyprus for several months, Encounter's call there this time was just a brief service call.

 

All aboard towards the Suez Canal. Brisbane, your only scheduled full-time ship is on the way

 

[arxcards]

And even though they announced the delay to bringing Encounter down when the ban was lifted was due to the water slides not being fitted, she is headed this way now without them anyway. There is now an extra comment at the bottom to the deck plan page - water slides to be fitted in March 2023.

 

Sorry for the disappointment.

[Aus Traveller]

5 hours ago, arxcards said:

And even though they announced the delay to bringing Encounter down when the ban was lifted was due to the water slides not being fitted, she is headed this way now without them anyway. There is now an extra comment at the bottom to the deck plan page - water slides to be fitted in March 2023.

 

Sorry for the disappointment.

We have two cruises booked on the Pacific Encounter. I recall that many months ago we were advised that the waterslides won't be fitted in time for our cruises this year. It doesn't bother us.😁

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

We have two cruises booked on the Pacific Encounter. I recall that many months ago we were advised that the waterslides won't be fitted in time for our cruises this year. It doesn't bother us.😁

They initially said that Encounter and Adventure weren't ready to come down when the ban was lifted, as they still needed work done, especially the water slides. Well, at least that was the line from their social media posts.

 

Glad it isn't a deal breaker for you 😁

[Kiwi_cruiser]

I just posted a update on Pacific Encounter in my Cruise Ship Locations - During the cruise ship ban of 2020/2021/2022 thread 🙂

Edited July 4, 2022 by Kiwi_cruiser

[Kiwi_cruiser]

After leaving Trieste, Italy, Pacific Encounter had a quick visit to Limassol, Cyprus:

 

 

Pacific Encounter left Limassol, Cyprus and is on her way to the Suez Canal:

 

 

Pacific Encounter is now in the Suez Canal!

[arxcards]

Through the canal. Next stop Singapore on 18th July.

No arrival date set for Brisbane yet. Her first port entry shows her arriving at noon on the departure date of the first cruise - 22nd August.

 

[woodscruise]

Geoff, I read somewhere that she was coming to Sydney prior to going to Brisbane.

 

[arxcards]

16 minutes ago, woodscruise said:

Geoff, I read somewhere that she was coming to Sydney prior to going to Brisbane.

 

Seems fair. 😁

Take the long way home!

[arxcards]

I wonder if our cricketers are hitching a lift back from Sri Lanka?

 

 

Also spotting that Sapphire Princess is entering the Suez. She was supposed to be spending some time in WA, but is now being deployed to LA for some Mexican Riviera itineraries in September.

[SuitesRbest]

Getting exciting now!!!

[arxcards]

Singapore tomorrow. Not sure how long they plan to stay, but they have plenty of time up their sleeves.

 

[Balsam12]

6 hours ago, arxcards said:

Singapore tomorrow. Not sure how long they plan to stay, but they have plenty of time up their sleeves.

 

From memory, Explorer spent about a week in Singapore before heading to Australia....

 

One would think that they will pick up the rest of the crew there, and would not want them arriving in Singapore before the ship arrives so they don't need to pay for accommodation on land. Personal experience has been fly to Singapore, get picked up at Changi and taken directly to the ship. Admittedly that was a few years ago and on a different cruise line, but it would still make sense.

[arxcards]

29 minutes ago, Balsam12 said:

From memory, Explorer spent about a week in Singapore before heading to Australia....

 

One would think that they will pick up the rest of the crew there, and would not want them arriving in Singapore before the ship arrives so they don't need to pay for accommodation on land. Personal experience has been fly to Singapore, get picked up at Changi and taken directly to the ship. Admittedly that was a few years ago and on a different cruise line, but it would still make sense.

Explorer was only at anchor off Singapore for a day. Gee, that seems so long ago.

 

At this stage, here earliest entry for Brisbane ports is 20th August, the day of here first departure. That is still a month away, and hard to know how much of that time will be spent in Singapore and how much in Brisbane. I guess we will know for sure when the AIS updates whenever they depart Singapore.

[Balsam12]

8 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Explorer was only at anchor off Singapore for a day. Gee, that seems so long ago.

 

At this stage, here earliest entry for Brisbane ports is 20th August, the day of here first departure. That is still a month away, and hard to know how much of that time will be spent in Singapore and how much in Brisbane. I guess we will know for sure when the AIS updates whenever they depart Singapore.

I would suggest more in Singapore if they had to have a layover for any length of time. The costs to be tied up alongside vs at anchor would say they would be at anchor. I'm not overly familiar with Brisbane, but would think Singapore would be better water for that?

 

My memory must be going with old age... you are 100% correct with the one day in Singapore for Explorer 😀

Edited July 18, 2022 by Balsam12

[Ondine]

35 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Explorer was only at anchor off Singapore for a day. Gee, that seems so long ago.

 

At this stage, here earliest entry for Brisbane ports is 20th August, the day of here first departure. That is still a month away, and hard to know how much of that time will be spent in Singapore and how much in Brisbane. I guess we will know for sure when the AIS updates whenever they depart Singapore.

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Pacific Encounter would call into Sydney first.  Explorer was only in Singapore a day but it then took several weeks to get down here.  How long do the repositioning cruises from Au to Singapore usually take?

 

Found it.  It was a Carnival announcement.

 

30 June 2022 – P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Encounter is sailing home to Australia after a spectacular overnight encounter with sister ship Pacific Adventure while berthed side-by-side in Trieste Italy exemplifying the transformation of Australia’s homegrown cruise line fleet.  
 
It was also a case of back-to-back visits to the shipyard for Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure as ‘wetdock’ preparations continued for their return to cruising from Brisbane and Sydney respectively.  
 
Their return to service signals yet another landmark in the resumption of cruising in Australia and P&O’s growing part in the revival of Australia’s $5 billion a year cruise industry.  
 
Pacific Encounter will initially arrive in Sydney before heading for her new cruising home in Brisbane, which has been host to P&O ships throughout the line’s 90-year cruising history in Australia.  
 

[Balsam12]

22 minutes ago, Ondine said:

 

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Pacific Encounter would call into Sydney first.  Explorer was only in Singapore a day but it then took several weeks to get down here.  How long do the repositioning cruises from Au to Singapore usually take?

 

 

Explorer sailed from Singapore on the 6th, and arrived in Sydney on the 18th, so 12 days.

 

I double checked before posting this time 😁

Edited July 18, 2022 by Balsam12

[arxcards]

A relocation is usually 17 or 18 nights, but stops at ports along the way. 

 

For any shakedown, P&O's head office is in Sydney, and by a quirk of the port charges in Sydney, they shouldn't be paying much more than pilotage - based on a per head passenger tax.

 

There is still the possibility that Encounter will also pick up crew in Manila. Explorer had a bit more urgency in getting here for plenty of eyes on Easter Monday, while Encounter doesn't have that sort of deadline.

 

Whichever way, she should be in Sydney in early August, and we will find out if they have any intentions of trying to squeeze her under the bridge. Some are saying that both Encounter and Adventure have been modified to fit under the bridge, but from the images I have seen, Adventure is the only one with a shortened funnel.

[Balsam12]

6 minutes ago, arxcards said:

A relocation is usually 17 or 18 nights, but stops at ports along the way. 

 

For any shakedown, P&O's head office is in Sydney, and by a quirk of the port charges in Sydney, they shouldn't be paying much more than pilotage - based on a per head passenger tax.

 

There is still the possibility that Encounter will also pick up crew in Manila. Explorer had a bit more urgency in getting here for plenty of eyes on Easter Monday, while Encounter doesn't have that sort of deadline.

 

Whichever way, she should be in Sydney in early August, and we will find out if they have any intentions of trying to squeeze her under the bridge. Some are saying that both Encounter and Adventure have been modified to fit under the bridge, but from the images I have seen, Adventure is the only one with a shortened funnel.

I would agree with your observations on funnels... nothing seems to have been done to Encounter in that area.

 

[woodscruise]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Some are saying that both Encounter and Adventure have been modified to fit under the bridge, but from the images I have seen, Adventure is the only one with a shortened funnel.

Geoff, with the shorten funnels do you think it will fit under the bridge?

 

[Balsam12]

1 hour ago, woodscruise said:

Geoff, with the shorten funnels do you think it will fit under the bridge?

 

I'm not an expert on the subject, but I can't think of any other reason for them to go to the trouble and expense of shortening the smokestack other than going under the Sydney Harbour bridge....

 

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, woodscruise said:

Geoff, with the shorten funnels do you think it will fit under the bridge?

 

Well Michael, I would have said not a chance in hades a couple of years ago. In that time though, the quoted shipping clearance has increased, and Pacific Adventure has had a haircut. We have seen an evolution of what would fit through various harbourmaster permissions (Sun/Dawn/Sea Princess then Ooster/Noor/Westerdam). P&O head office is insisting it will fit, and they continue to hold bookings with Sydney Ports for White Bay. So, against my better judgement, it is looking as if it will fit.

 

It would be a shame to miss the tide though, and have to wait till the next day to depart.

Edited July 18, 2022 by arxcards

[Balsam12]

....and she has made it to Singapore 🙂

 

[arxcards]

If they are going to Sembawang, they could be there for much longer than a day.

[arxcards]

Docked at Sembawang shipyard, although not in the drydock.