Legendary parties, exotic ports: What we'll miss most about P&O cruises

P&O was the first cruise line for many people - from last century's Ten Pound Poms and World War II troops to young Aussies partying on the Fairstar. The local brand of P&O Cruises Australia was created in 2000 after it split from the British P&O Group. This month it sails off into the sunset forever, leaving millions of memories in its wake.

I remember lots of good times from my six trips with P&O over the past two decades. Nothing has ever topped the sailaway parties blasting Aussie rock as 2000 Australians kicked off their summer holidays.

Back in the day, the old Pacific Pearl had a swim-up bar, and I am yet to find a better Mudslide cocktail. The wildest nights ended up on the dancefloor of the Dome nightclub.

At theme events, everyone would dress in white for Bianco or 1920s-style for Gatsby. On P&O's comedy cruises, the comedians were funnier than any venue on land. My all-time favourite show, on any cruise line, was P&O's adults-only Love Riot.

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On South Pacific cruises, I discovered dazzling destinations such as Vanuatu's Champagne Bay and New Caledonia's Isle of Pines. The most fun was a girls' getaway to Papua New Guinea. At the time, P&O was the only cruise line visiting the Conflict Islands, as beautiful as anywhere in the Maldives or Tahiti.

I enjoyed hundreds of delicious meals, notably at Luke Mangan's Salt Grill. Dragon Lady and Angelo's were two of the best free restaurants at sea.

In my job, I was lucky to attend the 2009 christening of Pacific Jewel, celebrating with circus performers, fireworks and concerts by Australian Idol singers. In 2015, I joined the five-ship spectacular in Sydney Harbour when the whole fleet united to welcome Pacific Eden and Pacific Aria. Jimmy Barnes performed onboard Eden on Australia Day 2017. And I met so many lovely passengers and crew.

Modern ships spend about 40 years in service, but they are not just sunk in the ocean. Cruise-ship scrapping is a highly regulated process. Retired vessels are typically dismantled in shipyards in Turkey, India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, where specialised facilities are equipped to remove any toxic materials before disposal. Some parts are recycled or sold, while sentimental items may be saved for museums or private collections. It can take months to carefully scrap one ship. An end-of-life alternative is to find a new home on land, such as the two classic Cunard cruise liners, the Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Mary, turned into hotels in Dubai and California respectively.