"Cardigan Bay" then sailed for Australia, calling at Townsville, Queensland, then Nouméa, New Caledonia, Suva, Fiji and Apia, Samoa before refuelling at Pearl Harbor on 9 January 1961.She then sailed for San Francisco, and called at San Diego, Manzanillo, Mexico, and Puntarenas, Costa Rica before transiting the Panama Canal on 23 February.