P&O Cruises Australia has confirmed that Pullmantur Cruises has bought Pacific Star and will take delivery of the 35,000gt ship in March next year.

Last year Pullmantur, which is owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, acquired another P&O Cruises Australia resident ship -- the 46,000gt Pacific Sky -- and renamed her Sky Wonder.

Pacific Star, the former Costa Tropicale, underwent a A$20m refurbishment at Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard before arriving in Brisbane, which has been her home port, in December 2005.

‘The sale of Pacific Star is part of our ongoing process of renewing our Australian fleet, while at the same time continuing to increase the capacity of P&O Cruises,’ sales, marketing and reservations president, Gavin Smith, said in a statement issued today.

The company’s new resident ship, the 70,000gt Regal Princess which will be renamed Pacific Dawn, arrives in Sydney in November.