About Pacific Explorer

The Pacific Explorer started sailing in 1997 . Former names: Dawn Princess. The Pacific Explorer is registered in London, UK. The Pacific Explorer has 998 cabins. 41 percent of the staterooms on board have balconies.

You can expect between 1996 to 2395 passengers on a typical sailing. This means that at the higher number (usually peak and holiday sailings) Pacific Explorer has a space ratio of 32.3 . (A space ratio less than 33 means that you may find the ship crowded in areas. A space ratio greater than 39 means that there should be plenty of space for each passenger.) When this ship isn't sailing at capacity the space ratio can be as good as 38.8.

The Pacific Explorer has 924 crew members on board. There are 3 passengers for every crew member on board. There are self serve laudromats on this ship.

There are 14 decks on this ship. The highest deck number is 15. The number of decks with passenger cabins is 7.


There are 19 special needs cabins on this ship. These cabins have been modified for accessibility purposes.


The ship last drydock was in Apr 2022.

Most modern cruise ships need to be dry docked for inspection, maintenance and class surveys every five years and once they reach 15 years of age they need to be dry docked at least twice within a five-year period. Dry docks typically last up to 14 days at a cost of up to $2 million per day and involve regular maintenance including hull cleaning, exterior painting of the structure, inspection of pipes, restoration of exterior deck flooring, and installation of enhanced HVAC filter systems

This ship was called Dawn Princess and transferred to P&O Cruises AU in May 2017 from Princess Cruise. Maiden voyage as Pacific Explorer was on June 22, 2017.

There are 998 staterooms total, with the largest being the Balcony Suites.

Unique and fun activities on board include twin-racer waterslides, kids water park, extreme sports park, barefoot bowling, arcade, and a zipline. In addition to that are the fantastic relaxation options on board including a day spa, cabana-style pool deck, 4 swimming pools and 5 jacuzzis. The Spa itself consists of a pool, 2 jacuzzis, sauna, beauty salon, as well as a fitness center. There is also an adults-only sundeck with a swimming pool and full-service bar.

Kids and teens will have plenty to do at the youth centers and lounges which provide scheduled age-appropriate activities.

Dining options on board include:

Lukes Grill- new in 2017, poolside food bar/evening restaurant
400 Gradi- new in 2017, traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, lunch and dinner
Waterfront Restaurant- main dining room
Angelos- Italian specialty, reservations recommended
Dragon Lady- Asian specialty, reservations recommended
The Pantry- buffet restaurant and marketplace
Shell & Bones- ala carte

In the evenings, there are a few venues where guests can find entertainment. The Marquee Theater is the main theater for the ship and they offer daily and nightly productions, shows, bingo sessions, and trivia tournaments. Blue Room has its very own dance floor and live music entertainment, and also transforms into a disco club. Black Circus Theatre has a stage for mostly cabaret performances. For adults-only there is the Casino which offers gaming tables and slot machines and also hosts poker tournaments. Throughout the ship there are unique bars and lounges that guests can have a unique experience at each one of them.