P & O Cruises has teamed up with Hollywood star Owen Wilson to showcase its two latest ships — Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden — which will join the cruise lines fleet in November this year. Courtesy P & O.

P & O Cruises has teamed up with Hollywood star Owen Wilson to showcase its two latest ships — Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden — which will join the cruise lines fleet in November this year. Courtesy P & O.

EXCLUSIVE

THE homely sister of schmick cruise ships Pacific Eden and Aria is getting a multi-million dollar makeover that will put her well and truly in the same league.

Pacific Dawn, which sails out of Brisbane, will be dry-docked from next February for around the clock cosmetic surgery, re-emerging in March as good as new.

The 2000-guest ship which turns 25 this year, last underwent a major refurbishment in 2010 and had new activities added in 2014.

The 2017 spruce up will include the addition of two waterslides, an interactive kids-only play area and The Pantry — which is P & O’s modern take on the traditional ship buffet.

Several public spaces will be redesigned to mirror the swanky contemporary look of Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden unveiled to cruise-goers last year.

P & O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said the refurbishment would kick off a big year for the cruise line in Queensland.

“With the new waterpark, dining options and a refreshed interior design, we’re creating a great new look for Pacific Dawn which will combine some fun innovations with the winning features of our existing ships,” Mr Myrmell said.

“There’s no question that Queenslanders love holidaying at sea, so we’re very excited that our Brisbane guests will soon be able to enjoy a stylish new Pacific Dawn as part of their cruise holiday experience, alongside one of our latest ships, Pacific Aria.”

The latest Cruise Lines International Association report showed Queensland to be the nation’s cruise capital with almost six per cent of the state’s population setting sail in 2015.

The 5.9 per cent penetration was just ahead of New South Wales’ on 5.5 per cent and the ACT on five per cent.

P & O was the first cruise line to base a ship out of Brisbane but now has competition from Royal Caribbean.

Legend of the Seas is scheduled for one more season out of Portside at Hamilton before heading to Europe in 2017.

The infrastructure limitations of the port mean most super cruise liners arriving in Brisbane have to dock at the very basic Fisherman’s Island cruise terminal.

Plans are afoot to develop a new mega ship terminal at the mouth of the Brisbane River by mid-2019.

The Port of Brisbane Corporation project would potentially triple the size of the city’s cruise industry in the next two decades, and bring in 766,260 domestic and international passengers.