P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer celebrated her first birthday in Sydney Harbour with a spectacular party featuring the cruise line’s biggest birthday cake at sea.
Standing more than three metres high on the top deck of the 2000-guest cruise ship, the first-of-its-kind cake surprised guests when acrobats, jugglers and dancers from Love Riot, the ship’s explosive production show, emerged from beneath the layers of “icing”.
Love Riot is a cabaret-style act more commonly found in a spiegeltent than a cruise ship and features world-class dance, comedy, circus and acrobatics created by internationally acclaimed Australian director Scott Maidment, the brains behind Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour.
It has been turbo-charged to mark Pacific Explorer’s first birthday and includes a new and impressive world-class line up of elite artists and contortionists that dangle from silk sheets and trapezes, unicycle through the audience and perform awe-inspiring acts.
P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said Love Riot had been one of the flagship’s many success stories since its debut in July 2017 and had captured the imagination and hearts of thousands of guests.
“Since we launched Pacific Explorer 12 months ago, we’ve entertained nearly 25,000 guests with our signature Love Riot performance. The hilarious and high-energy circus-style production has proved so popular that we wanted to celebrate the ship’s first birthday with an exciting new cut of the show and a new line-up of international artists,” Mr Myrmell said.
“Love Riot is like no other entertainment at sea and is more in keeping with the spectacular aerial artistry found at major festivals around the world. We wanted to challenge the conventional production shows found on cruise ships and offer our guests a premium experience that would really get people talking.”
Since Pacific Explorer’s arrival she has taken more than 137,000 Australian holidaymakers on 61 cruises to 28 destinations close to home and overseas.
In a record year of comedy for the home-grown cruise line, Pacific Explorer has played host to more than 45 comedians who have told over 10,000 jokes during 9,000 minutes of comedy.
The ship’s new fast-casual dining options have proved a treat, with 50,000 pizzas served at the traditional Neapolitan pizzeria 400 Gradi from Johnny Di Francesco and 40,000 burgers made at Luke’s grill founded by Luke Mangan.
More than 310,000 flat whites and lattes have been consumed along with 300,000 cocktails, and in true celebratory birthday style, more than 500 litres of Champagne and sparkling wine.
To mark Pacific Explorer’s first birthday, P&O Cruises is offering one lucky person and a guest the opportunity to win a three-night cruise. To enter visit www.pocruises.com.au before July 20, 2018.
For more information visit pocruises.com.au, call 13 24 94 or see a licensed travel agent.
SOURCE: P&O Cruises