PenelopeGS

Thanks Royalty X.

You have been most helpful.

Well, a great time was had on P&O Australia's 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 there 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!!!

What an awesome write up on the P&O Pacific Eden.

We are a family of four who are booked on the P&O Pacific Eden for a trip to New Caledonia (our first cruise holiday). As such, the review and FB photos provided are very informative.

By chance do you know the extra costs associated with the premium restaurants like Dragon Lady and Angelo's? Additionally, are room service dining available at extra costs?

A huge thank you for the review. :)