P&O today announced the launch of a Conferences Division for the Australian market due to the addition of two new ships to its fleet.

P&O Cruises Director of Sales Ryan Taibel said, “The arrival of Pacific Eden and Pacific Aria also expands our itinerary offerings with 40 per cent of our cruises sailing for 2-5 nights – perfect for corporate meetings.”

The expanded fleet means that P&O will be able to sail from additional ports including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and Cairns, with Singapore and Auckland sailings also available.

The new division is aiming to attract an 12,000 meeting delegates onboard in 2016, with meetings of 100-200 delegates the prime target.

“Cruising in Australia is booming and in the same way that we have established ourselves as a leading holiday option for travellers, we want cruising to be high on the consideration list for the nation’s meeting organisers,” said Taibel.

A price comparison showed that a three-night meeting on land including all group extras would cost an estimated minimum of $1059 per delegate compared to $906 for a cruise with more extras.