Pacific Pearl Cruises From Sydney With Humanitarian Aid to Help Vanuatu Rebuild 

P&O Cruises’ Sydney-based superliner Pacific Pearl will sail for Vanuatu tonight with a precious cargo of humanitarian aid to help the region rebuild following Cyclone Pam. 

The 10-night cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu will now double as a humanitarian aid mission with 

the equivalent of two full shipping containers worth of vital supplies being loaded onto the ship in Sydney and handed over during a brief call to Port Vila on Saturday (March 28).

As requested by the Vanuatu Disaster Recovery Centre and in conjunction with Save the Children, supplies include:

* Food including long life milk, rice, sugar and flour

* Thousands of bottles of water to address the continuing need for fresh and clean water 

* Clothing, children’s toys and safety gear including vests, glasses and gloves 

* Hygiene products including 3500 toothbrushes, 4000 units of toothpaste and 200 cases of shampoo and conditioner

* 200 sheets of corrugated iron to repair schools and homes 

* 700 packs of batteries

* Four chainsaws, which will play a vital role in the clean-up and rebuilding process

Brisbane-based Pacific Dawn will become the first cruise ship to call at Port Vila in the wake of Cyclone Pam, with supplies including tarpaulins, tents, bottled water, canned food and industrial mulchers, set to be delivered during a brief call on Wednesday. Carnival Legend, from Carnival Australia sister brand Carnival Cruise Line, became one of the first ships to arrive in Vanuatu last week, delivering bottled water, a generator and other humanitarian aid to Santo. Carnival Spirit departs Sydney on March 30 carrying another shipment of aid.

P&O Cruises Spokesman David Jones said the cruise line would continue ongoing aid shipments as long as it was needed.

“The people of Vanuatu have been welcoming us to their islands for decades so we’re honoured to be able to play a part in the rebuilding process. We look forward to resuming regular cruise calls when the time is right and continuing to assist in the long term reconstruction of the country through the valuable contribution of cruise tourism to island communities,” Mr Jones said.

As part of Pacific Pearl’s humanitarian mission, guests have been invited to bring canned food, insect repellent and personal hygiene products for distribution in Vanuatu, as well as taking part in special Unite for Vanuatu fundraising concerts onboard. 

Pacific Pearl’s visit to Port Vila will be limited to the few hours needed to unload the shipment of humanitarian aid. Passengers will not disembark given the state of emergency on the ground.

As part of the 10-night Pacific Islands itinerary, Pacific Pearl will make her scheduled cruise calls to Noumea, Lifou and Isle of Pines and depending on an assessment of Mystery Island, may become the first ship to call at the southern Vanuatu island since the cyclone. 

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Information supplied by: P&O Cruises Australia.

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