First impressions of Pacific Eden

I'm lucky enough to be spending a night on Pacific Eden for a quick spin off the coast, and I have to say, I'm impressed! This is not like any ship P&O has operated before.

They've clearly spent a lot of time and money upgrading the ship and they've certainly taken the P&O product to the next level. The fit out of the public spaces is breathtaking.

I'll be posting a heap of pics tomorrow once I'm back on dry land. But early indications are that these ships are game changers for P&O. [emoji4]

That's great news, looking forward to seeing the pics!!

Thanks for posting:)

Chez

Heres some grabs of Pacific Eden leaving Fremantle..

Enjoy your overnight ...looking forward to the pics...:)

EAger to hear the feedback too.

Could you also let us know what the food is like too - in the MDR, and how the Pantry was. Thanks

I get on her in a few hours for the 10 day trip to Sydney. I'll post back with my thoughts on food from the MDR and Pantry. And other restaurants, but as long as I'm not cooking I'm not that picky :). Unless it's inedible.

Shall also give thoughts on rest of ship and how things are running onboard after her trial yesterday and last night with the lucky few.

I get on her in a few hours for the 10 day trip to Sydney. I'll post back with my thoughts on food from the MDR and Pantry. And other restaurants, but as long as I'm not cooking I'm not that picky :). Unless it's inedible.

Shall also give thoughts on rest of ship and how things are running onboard after her trial yesterday and last night with the lucky few.

Bon Voyage...:)

Thanks. That's great news. Look forward to seeing the pics.

Well, a great time was had on Pacific Eden. Embarkation went very quickly. The ship wasn't full so we went fro kerbside to onboard the ship within about ten minutes. We boarded into the lower deck of the atrium, on deck 6. It was a smaller atrium to what I'm used to on the other P&O ships. Where those ones feel like a public space that is used for trivia and other activities, this one seems more like a thoroughfare. There are lounge spaces around the atrium, and a central bar area which is home to a few computers, I don't see it being used like the atriums on the other ships.

I was on deck 6, midship in cabin 6166. It was a category OC oceanview cabin. It was a nicely appointed stateroom. Not as large as the cabins on the other ships, but it was laid out differently. The layout of the cabin is closer to the ones I've experienced on RCI ships. It was very comfortable, with lovely soft furnishings and a nice roomy bathroom. All bathrooms have bathtubs with a shower over the top and quite a bit of room to move. There was two Aussie power plugs in the room, which was a nice change to the usual single outlet. Each room has a flat screen TV and a DVD player, but I did notice there wasn't a fridge in these rooms (nor were there any in the balcony cabins either).

I went to explore the ship and it was apparent very quickly, that this isn't your typical P&O ship. I don't know if it's because of the ships they've inherited, or because they're taking the brand in a new direction, but there was a sophistication about the ship. You could see that it was still an older ship in some places (chipped skirting boards, a couple of scuffs here and there), but the public spaces were incredibly elegant. Most of the bars and lounges are on decks 7 and 8. The Ocean Bar is the equivalent to the Connextions bars on the other ships. A nice place to sit back and relax, with windows looking out over the water. They have a piano set up in there and I have a feeling, if they continue with the Karaoke and Pacific Popstars, this is where it will be held.

The Blue Room is a sophisticated bar with lush lounges, many coated in blue velvet. There is lots of room and I get the feeling this is the replacement for the Orient Pub. It's almost got a bit of a jazz feel to it and I could imagine a jazz band or pianist playing in this space.

There is also the Mix Cocktail bar that you'd be familiar with from the other ships, although this one is a lot bigger. The Salt Grill Cocktail bar is almost a waiting room for those before they head to dinner at the Salt Grill. This is stylishly decorated in bright red, black and white. Oversized furniture and lounges, making it a very comfortable place to relax, before or after a fabulous meal at Salt Grill. The Dome was at the very front of the ship, right on the top deck. It's not much different to the Dome on the Dawn or the Pearl. IT's a nice quiet space to relax during the day and then the dance floor comes alive at night.

Toward the rear of the ship were the two new specialty restaurants - Angelo's and Dragon Lady. These are probably two of the nicest spaces on the ship. They're surprising large but the way they've been laid out, you wouldn't feel like you're dining with a large group of people. They're very intimate, with lots of petitioning up for privacy. Dragon Lady is very dark and relies on mood lighting, while Angelo's is very light and airy. Angelo's has definitely got a 60's Italian vibe happening, complete with a Vespa. The cover charge is $10 for each of these restaurants which is incredibly reasonable. And the food on both of the menus look delicious (I have a pic of the Angelo's one in my photos).

Shopping wise, there is plenty of duty free to be had. Harrod's and Pandora are onboard, along with the usual suspects.

The main pool deck and adults only Oasis are beautiful! I think having a pool in the adults only area is a great idea. That being said, the main pool deck reminded me of a Celebrity ship. It's a tropical resort style pool, with comfortable lounges and a couple of whirlpools. The retractable roof came in very handy when we received some rain a few hours after sailing.

The Pantry is a really nice space as well. In terms of seating, there is a few different seating options. High bench seats, and lower, more traditional tables and chairs. We didn't have any problems getting seats. There was never any waiting for food. Gone are the days of helping yourself (which should limit noro outbreaks and people putting their hands in the food). It's more of a food court sort of style, with the various food types in the different areas. The food was fresh and hot, and very tasty. Gone are the days of taking your tray from station to station. You could essentially have something different everyday of your cruise.

We had dinner and breakfast in the Waterfront Restaurant. Once again, they have completely changed the style from their previous ships. This was a very elegant space and once again, reminiscent of a Celebrity ship. The decor was beautiful and the service was excellent. There were a few teething problems as new staff found their feet, but for the most part, the experience was great. I have posted dinner and breakfast menus in my photos, along with some food porn.

We had the opportunity to see the brand new show that's being introduced to the fleet - Sideshow. It was a quirky kind of show, along the same lines as "Escape to the Circus" which has featured on other ships. However, this one only consisted of music and didn't really have any storyline. I must admit, that while the cast were great, I lost concentration a little bit during the original songs. I much prefer when they use songs I know and work them into a story line. There were a few songs later in the show that were popular, well known songs. The cast were very good though. Full of energy, well rehearsed and pretty to look at.

The final event of the night was the Bianco Party (or White Party). Because we'd had rain, they had closed the roof over the main pool area. As a result, it got very hot and humid in that area (plus there were a lot of people). It's a great concept though. The band they had playing were fantastic, and they then had a DJ (complete with lights and smoke machine), which totally added to the ambience. It was a great atmosphere, but getting drinks became a little difficult due to their only being the one bar. The good thing about this was that you could go to any other bar on the ship and pretty much have it to yourself (in air-conditioned comfort).

All in all, I think P&O have outdone themselves. I'd be very curious to know what they will end up doing with the other ships in the fleet. I know they're updating them but they would need to make some serious changes if they're going to be anything like Eden and Aria. This isn't the old P&O that we all knew (or thought we knew). I heard the term "affordable luxury" thrown about last night and I would definitely agree that this is a great term to describe these ships. These ships aren't suited to the typical "bogans" that many people associate with P&O. They are elegant, modern and sophisticated. I think they know they can't compete with the likes of RCI, so they'll leave that to Carnival. But I think P&O have found a nice little niche for themselves. If you've sailed with P&O before, I would urge you to give these new ships a go. I was pleasantly surprised and will definitely be going back on the ships for a longer stint.

If you'd like to see a heap of photos, you can see them on my Facebook album...

Enjoy!!!

Thanks Mason for such a comprehensive review and great photos and well done P&O. Would be happy to cruise on Eden after seeing this review. Love the smaller ships and P&O look like they have stepped up a notch or two here.

WOW I love the photos of the ship. I can see why it reminds you of Celebrity.

It looks very sleek and modern.

I'm off to check out future cruises on her.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a great review and for posting all the photos. It is appreciated.

Karryl

I've boarded and am in a balcony room. I do have a fridge and it was cold, it was in a different place to the usual on Princess. Have done a little exploring and as stated it is quite beautiful. There is shampoo and conditioner , not the all in one stuff. Will report back on how it is once I use it on my coloured hair.

I've booked the thermal suite in the spa, so am looking forward to the ceramic lounges there, plus there is a hot tub there with bromine as the mineral in it , not chlorine. ( good for the skin).

Curry for lunch in Pantry was very nice about to do muster soon. Thought I'd check in here first :).

Any questions I'll see how I go answering them.

Room has a couch and balcony bigger than typical Sun/Sea etc which is my comparison for this trip. My other balconies have been aft so not comparable.

Just a question, who are the senior staff onboard. Are they from P&O, Princess or HAL? Are the crew (stewards etc) transferred from HAL? And how many times a day do they service the stateroom. On my last Pacific Jewel cruise it was only once a day.

My understanding is the senior staff are a mixture of P&O and HAL staff. The HAL staff won't be staying with the ship though, it's just a handover period. The stateroom attendants were all P&O staff (new and transferring from other ships). We were only onboard for one night but they did a turn down service in the evening, and then a service in the morning as well.

Looking at the deck plans, it would seem the cabin you had, had a window onto a 'promenade' type area , ie it wasn't a balcony? Would it be annoying to see people walking past your window? But then there were a couple of other photos that showed different layout and balcony with chairs.

Do the cabins on decks 9 & 10 have the 'traditional' balconies? It is a bit difficult to work out.

What type of restaurant is the Waterfront? Is the MDR The Marquee? Is there a bar where you can sit and watch the sea, as some ships have at the front of the ship? ( a real annoyance of mine is that some ships, as this one has, have the FITNESS CENTRE at the front of the ship where the best views are!!!!!!! Much rather have a lounge bar/ seating area there, surely)

It will be nice to have a smaller ship on the Australian cruise routes.

Looking at the deck plans, it would seem the cabin you had, had a window onto a 'promenade' type area , ie it wasn't a balcony? Would it be annoying to see people walking past your window? But then there were a couple of other photos that showed different layout and balcony with chairs.

Do the cabins on decks 9 & 10 have the 'traditional' balconies? It is a bit difficult to work out.

What type of restaurant is the Waterfront? Is the MDR The Marquee? Is there a bar where you can sit and watch the sea, as some ships have at the front of the ship? ( a real annoyance of mine is that some ships, as this one has, have the FITNESS CENTRE at the front of the ship where the best views are!!!!!!! Much rather have a lounge bar/ seating area there, surely)

It will be nice to have a smaller ship on the Australian cruise routes.

Hi handp, I was in an oceanview on deck 6, which has picture windows facing out onto the wrap around promenade. As a result, people can walk past your window, but I didn't see it as a problem. During the day, there is a shear sort of curtain, so no one could see in. And at night, the heavier curtain is drawn. I didn't hear any other passengers out there. Only the oceanview cabins on deck 6 have this feature. Those on 4 and 5 don't.

I did also show pictures of the balcony cabins (individual balconies like we traditionally know), and they were a decent size. I also took pics of the suite and penthouse.

The MDR is the Waterfront Restaurant. It's ala carte service. The Marquee Theatre is the main show lounge.

There is a bar at the very front of the ship on deck 14 (the highest deck) called The Dome. It's a lovely place to relax with around 270 degree ocean views. Otherwise you can see the ocean from the Ocean Bar, but not as big a view as The Dome. :)

Good to hear the revamp has been taken well.

They are doing similar planning for when Dawn Princess comes onboard; it isn't just planned to be a simple re-brand.

As for the gym at the front of the ship, many of us love that! The worst and most unappealing I've ever seen is on Deck 2 inside of Pacific Pearl where you feel you're tucked away as an afterthought - it's really unpleasant.

Good to hear the revamp has been taken well.

 

 

 

They are doing similar planning for when Dawn Princess comes onboard; it isn't just planned to be a simple re-brand.

 

 

 

As for the gym at the front of the ship, many of us love that! The worst and most unappealing I've ever seen is on Deck 2 inside of Pacific Pearl where you feel you're tucked away as an afterthought - it's really unpleasant.

It's funny actually. People complain about the Dome on the Jewel, but it's probably a good balance between the gym and the other side being a bar. That way everyone has a "piece of the action" so to speak. The Dome on the Pearl was originally the gym when she was Ocean Village.

Thanks for the review, makes me feel so much better for my Aria cruise.:D

You will be very pleasantly surprised for Aria cruise. There are some minor things with their computer systems and general maintenance issues , but nothing that doesn't happen on any cruise :) Happy so far , 8 days left .

You will be very pleasantly surprised for Aria cruise. There are some minor things with their computer systems and general maintenance issues , but nothing that doesn't happen on any cruise :) Happy so far , 8 days left .

Being on the smaller side how does she fare in choppy/rough seas?

It's funny actually. People complain about the Dome on the Jewel, but it's probably a good balance between the gym and the other side being a bar. That way everyone has a "piece of the action" so to speak. The Dome on the Pearl was originally the gym when she was Ocean Village.

....and before that the Dome on the Pearl was The Horizon Lounge when she was Arcadia, and before that , Windows on the World when she was Star Princess.:)

Things do have a habit of changing to suit what is in vogue at the time.:D

Being on the smaller side how does she fare in choppy/rough seas?

She is still a fair sized ship. When we crossed the Tasman on her as Statendam , there was a bit of movement but she coped very well.:)

You will be very pleasantly surprised for Aria cruise. There are some minor things with their computer systems and general maintenance issues , but nothing that doesn't happen on any cruise :) Happy so far , 8 days left .

Good to know. Enjoy.:D

....and before that the Dome on the Pearl was The Horizon Lounge when she was Arcadia, and before that , Windows on the World when she was Star Princess.:)

Things do have a habit of changing to suit what is in vogue at the time.:D

Each cruise line has their own preference to fit with their designs.:D