ATM's

Hi All

Just read this on the P & O site how wonderful and handy this will be.:D

P&O Cruises Introduces ATMs at Sea

Date: 06 Feb 2009

Thanks for the update, that will make life a little easier.. was a bit worried about carrying so much cash on board but now dont have to stress :)

These were up and running on the New Years Cruise 27th December on Pac Dawn and i must say everytime i walked past they were alwasy utilised :D

How much is the extra charge to use them?

Just wondering that myself David.

And how much do they get refilled by the pursers desk staff:)

Just wondering that myself David.

And how much do they get refilled by the pursers desk staff:)

The other thing I wondered...

The machines must be linked up somehow with a very fast internet connection....

why cant they offer that to passengers in the Internet Cafe instead of the very slow and expensive service they have now?

Heres the full release ,

Fees and charges would depend on passengers’ individual financial institution. The ATMs would dispense Australian dollars with most South Pacific destinations accepting this currency.

P&O Cruises Introduces ATMs at Sea

Date: 06 Feb 2009

Passengers can now conveniently access their personal bank account while holidaying at sea after P&O Cruises’ introduced Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) across its fleet.

Two ATMs have been installed onboard Pacific Dawn with Pacific Sun to follow by the end of the month.

Jenny Lourey, Senior Vice President at Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises, said the introduction of ATMs meant passengers could retrieve cash before heading ashore.

Ships are already largely cashless with passengers using onboard account cards for any purchases and settling their bill at the end of each cruise.

"However, passengers still carry cash or travellers' cheques for any spending onshore," Ms Lourey said.

"The ATMs make it even easier for passengers to travel on a cruise ship without having to think ahead."

Ms Lourey said the ATMs were introduced to give passengers added convenience while holidaying.

Fees and charges would depend on passengers’ individual financial institution. The ATMs would dispense Australian dollars with most South Pacific destinations accepting this currency.

Sydney-based superliner Pacific Dawn features 11 decks with two swimming pools, a choice of five evening dining areas, nine bars and lounges, "The Dome" entertainment area, a two-storey show lounge and fitness centre.

Meanwhile, Australia’s favourite ship, Pacific Sun, now features a new child-free Oasis spa retreat, ocean-view gym and coffee bar, as well as five restaurants and cafes, multiple bars and lounges and two pools for the adults.

http://www.pocruises.com.au/html/p-o-cruises-introduces-atms-at-sea.cfm

A little off topic but can someone please advise. Do the cabins on the Pac Sun have safes?

A little off topic but can someone please advise. Do the cabins on the Pac Sun have safes?

Hi Dicky Beach

can answer this one, yes!

Regards Deb

A little off topic but can someone please advise. Do the cabins on the Pac Sun have safes?

As far I know Yes,

They call them safety deposit boxes.

They are not very big though.

Just an update on the ATM's on the Pac Dawn. A friend of mine who got off there a couple of weeks ago said they were out of service the last 4 days of the cruise. So maybe we shouldnt rely on them too much just in case.

Liz

A little off topic but can someone please advise. Do the cabins on the Pac Sun have safes?

Hi Frank,

The safes on the Pacific Sun are not as deep as those on the Sun Princess, but there is still plenty of room for passports, cash and jewellery. They operate the same way as those on the Sun Princess.

One main difference you will notice on the Pac Sun is that, in addition to the cruise card, you will have room keys (plastic cards a bit longer than the cruise card).

Have a great cruise. :):):)

Evon.

Hi Evon,

Thanks for that info' re' safes. Hope you had a good cruise. We are off on the Pac' Sun next Saturday. Anything we need to know?

Frank

Hi Evon,

Thanks for that info' re' safes. Hope you had a good cruise. We are off on the Pac' Sun next Saturday. Anything we need to know?

Frank

Hi Frank,

A few points that might be helpful -

We arrived at the terminal a bit after 10.30am and were given group G boarding cards. We boarded not too long after 11am. The dining room was open fur lunch and it was much more civilized than the mob scene at the buffet. The dining room lunch menu is excellent.

Arrival back into Brisbane - After the ship turned in the river, she docked before 5.30am and people were getting off shortly after 6am. Our disembarkation group was to be in the lounge at 6.35am, but apparently the group was called early. We sat for a while before there was another call for our group (and the earlier ones). We were through Customs and outside by 7am. We had requested 8.30am disembarkation.

There might be some hints in the first section of the review of the cruise that I have posted this morning.

I hope you and Mary have a fantastic cruise. :):):)

Regards to you both,

Evon.

 

Arrival back into Brisbane - After the ship turned in the river, she docked before 5.30am and people were getting off shortly after 6am. Our disembarkation group was to be in the lounge at 6.35am, but apparently the group was called early. We sat for a while before there was another call for our group (and the earlier ones). We were through Customs and outside by 7am. We had requested 8.30am disembarkation.

Ah, Evon you made the same mistake we did. We requested 8am disembarkation thinking that's when we would leave the ship.... But they interperated 8am to be the time we wanted to be off the ship, through all the formalities and in the terminal (ready to get bus, be picked up etc), so we ended up in the 3rd or 4th group to disembark, at 6.30am!! We were off the ship and at home having a coffee by about 7.45 am!

yes if you ask for a 8 am disembarkation you will in the first group off the ship yes you could get a 6.30 am disembarkation that is how if works you can get off earler if you have a plane to get

yes if you ask for a 8 am disembarkation you will in the first group off the ship yes you could get a 6.30 am disembarkation that is how if works you can get off earler if you have a plane to get

Normally when we've disembarked in Brisbane and we've nominated independant travel we haven't had to nominate a time, as normally independant travellers get nominated a group towards the end of disembarkation. As we just have to get a taxi home it doesn't really matter when we we get off. So when I completed our disembarkation form, I didn't nominate a time on form, expecting to just get an 'indepandant traveller' group some time late in the disembarkation process. But when I handed the form in they said, no, you have to nominate a time you want to leave the ship.... Which is why I said 8am, beacause that's what I thought 'leaving the ship' meant, and I wanted to stay on as long as possible!!

Normally when we've disembarked in Brisbane and we've nominated independant travel we haven't had to nominate a time, as normally independant travellers get nominated a group towards the end of disembarkation. As we just have to get a taxi home it doesn't really matter when we we get off. So when I completed our disembarkation form, I didn't nominate a time on form, expecting to just get an 'indepandant traveller' group some time late in the disembarkation process. But when I handed the form in they said, no, you have to nominate a time you want to leave the ship.... Which is why I said 8am, beacause that's what I thought 'leaving the ship' meant, and I wanted to stay on as long as possible!!

Wo thanks guys, i hadnt even thought of that stuff yet..I would be happy to disembark at 10am... more time on the ship.

We put down 8.30am and got 6.35am to meet to leave the ship. Our friends put down 9.30am and their time was about an hour after ours. They had time for a lovely leisurely breakfast in the restaurant while we had to jostle in the buffet.

Evon.

We put down 8.30am and got 6.35am to meet to leave the ship. Our friends put down 9.30am and their time was about an hour after ours. They had time for a lovely leisurely breakfast in the restaurant while we had to jostle in the buffet.

Evon.

I think why rush if you dont have too.. Thanks i will be looking at the lates option. So from meet time to disembark time to all done ready to go home takes about 2 hours? :)

Cheers

Sonia

I think why rush if you dont have too.. Thanks i will be looking at the lates option. So from meet time to disembark time to all done ready to go home takes about 2 hours? :)

Cheers

Sonia

Hi Sonia,

Meeting time to disembarkation can vary from no wait at all (on this cruise) to a half hour or longer wait. Just depends how disembarkation is going.

The question on the disembarkation form is (if I remember correctly) "What time do you want to disembark the ship?" I would rather have had a later disembarkation time so we didn't have to rush getting ready and having breakfast, or maybe not got out of bed at 5am. I suggested to Peter that we could ask to have a later disembarkation, but he wouldn't do it.

After actually leaving the ship, it takes only 15 minutes or so to get your luggage and go through Customs - provided you haven't been naughty and have things you shouldn't.

The main message is that if people need to catch flights late in the morning there would not be any problem. They will probably be sitting at the airport for at least a couple of hours.

Evon.

i wander what the atn charges are going to be now all the banks and atm are now going to charge more and have to show some of the charges up front?

I think why rush if you dont have too.. Thanks i will be looking at the lates option. So from meet time to disembark time to all done ready to go home takes about 2 hours? :)

Cheers

Sonia

If things are running well, from being called to leave the lounge you're waiting in to gettting into a taxi/bus/shuttle from the terminal would be no more than an hour. It really depends on what's happening shoreside, how much duty free/quarntine you have to declare, how quickly you can identify you luggage in the rows of bags, etc.

For us, we were at home having a coffee within about 1 1/2 hrs of being called to disembark. But we do live only a 15 min cab ride from the terminal.

We were standing outside the terminal within 30 minutes of leaving the lounge on the ship. That even included time to have one of our suitcases searched - nothing found!:D I was glad I had packed neatly and not just tossed everything in.

I agree that it is usually a bother to find your cases in the line-up of bags for your colour group. This time our group went early and we inadvertently missed the first call and went 10 minutes later on the second call. When we got to the Customs hall to pick up our luggage there were only about 15 cases there so it was very easy. If you are not in a rush to get off, take your time and when you get to the line-up of luggage there will only be a small group of cases to look through.

Evon.