Tried and Tested or Something New?

[Debsta]

Oh this makes me just a wee bit nervous, we just booked a cruise on the Pacific Pearl. Although I guess in a way it's good to hear as I have lowered my expectations and I'm trying to look at it like it's a new experience in countries we haven't visited.

 

This will only be our second cruise our first on the Diamond Princess couldn't be faulted, the service was impeccable, the food was just exquisite and the ship was awesome. We were so spoilt that when we left the ship in Melbourne we stopped in a cafe for a coffee and were so aware that ozzies have no customer service skills whatsoever I mean where was our lovely hello with a warm smile and friendly service! Also after the cruise we had a day to wait and needed to get our own lunch we did fast food and we ended up throwing most of it away as it was just not up to our new standards even our three year old turned her nose up at it lol.

 

Booking our next cruise was a hard decision to make especially not having experienced P&O before and hearing a lot of negative comments but the itinerary won out this time (28 days in the islands). Perhaps the laid back atmosphere will be great and I do hear P&O do great kids club? Mind you the kids club on the Diamond Princess managed to engage my shy 3 year old out of her shell, she loved it. Gawd I love that ship!

 

We have been home for long enough now that we are used to being treated like mere mortals again hehe so here's hoping we will love the cruise. I would really love to hear more positive comments about the P&O ships/experience. The negative comments against P&O seem to be mostly cosmetic? As long as it's not a drunken fraternity party I think we will enjoy it.

 

Haha perhaps "P&O Australia is the camping cruise co of the seas"?

 

I am up for it so long as I am on holiday and have great ocean views.

 

Silverwillow.

 

Actually editing this to say 'ok' the Diamond princess cruise could be faulted! The entertainment in my opinion was a bit fuddy duddy.

 

The days of the drunken frat party are well and truly over, especially on P&O.

 

My first cruise as a SKI (spend kids inheritence :D) was on the Diamond Princess last November 09. My second cruise was on the Sun Princess in December/January NYE 09/10. I had a sensational time on both....both different experiences but a brilliant time. In fact, I thought the dining room food on the Sun was better. I could have complained or found fault in small things.......plenty did.....but when you sit back and really listen to what people are complaining about or comparing about you realise that some people really need an attitude adjustment to life in general.

 

My third cruise is next week on the Pacific Jewel :eek:. Are my standards slipping? I thought looooooooooooong and hard about booking P&O, primarily due to the reviews and negativity in cyber world about P&O. But you have to remember, only a tiny percentage of the cruising population actually post on Cruise Critic and many have the herd mentality to post similar stuff. So I stepped back and looked at the negativity on just about every ship and cruiseline and decided what the heck.......life's too short to worry about people who have nothing better to do but complain about trivial crap and quite frankly, they're bored as well so will find fault in the salt not pouring properly out of a bloody salt shaker :rolleyes:.

 

Personally, this time I was limited to time and dates...........unless I flew to Europe/USA which I wasn't going to do for a 10 or so day trip, I had no choice. Well I did have a choice, and after researching every cruiseline and ship that was feasible (there was nothing else) I decided to give the Jewel a bash. Yeah, I take risks at the best of time haha

 

My expectations are set on an even keel. I don't believe P&O are of a similar standard to Princess, RCL, etc. but I am looking forward to it. But if the casino doesn't pay up you'll hear me complaining LOL

 

I must admit at this point in time, my heart lies with Princess (and attaining free laundry level :p), which P&O will help me do but it wouldn't stop me jumping on board any old ship :D

 

I may also eat my words in two weeks time :p

[dclayw]

I like the great outdoors and do a lot of hiking/backpacking with a tent, week long trips, that kind of thing. Never had any intention ever of going on a cruise, and certainly never thought I would enjoy it.

 

Well, that changed. Did a land trip to Alaska in Sept 2007 and needed to get from Anchorage to Vancouver. Flights were expensive so I looked at a cruise, and the cost wasn't all that different. We sailed on the Diamond Princess from Whittier to Vancouver, 7 days of pure bliss, not just the ship and the food etc. but the scenery too. What an experience that was. We loved every minute of it.

 

We enjoyed it so much we took a 2 week cruise to NZ on the Rhapsody of the Seas in January 09. Not the same scenery as Alaska ofcourse but we loved it just the same. The ROS is a bit older then the Diamond but it was just as enjoyable. I love NZ too, my favourite hiking destination, beats Nepal if you ask me.

 

It is my wife's 50th birthday next week and we are doing the 4 night Sydney-Brisbane Gourmet Food & Wine cruise on the Pacific Sun. Now I know the Pacific Sun is basically 3 star so we have set our expectations. I expect we will have as much fun on that ship as on the Diamond or ROS.

 

So we have only been on 2 cruises with the 3rd one next week, but for us it's all about the cruising rather then the line. The only thing I would say is that while most people seem to rate P&O as 3 star the prices don't seem to reflect that. So I could imagine people might only sail P&O if the price is right.

 

We intend to do a lot more cruising but the destination will come into play too.

[Sandielle]

I honestly can't understand why everyone says P&O is as expensive as the others. Every comparison we've done, P&O comes out much cheaper.

Maybe we've been lucky with our deals. We have another coming up - a 9 day cruise with $250 OBC, half deposit and cheap fare for an oceanview on C deck.

 

We had a balcony for $1449 on our last cruise to the islands with OBC as well.

We were checking Princess and RCL to try another ship and they weren't anywhere near, not withstanding free pizza and icecream and chocolates on pillows - which we don't want anyway.

[silverwillow]

You are so right Sandielle I stopped eating the chocolates after about the second day!

 

dclayw, ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm... highly offended, highly highly offended! :p

We enjoyed it so much we took a 2 week cruise to NZ on the Rhapsody of the Seas in January 09. Not the same scenery as Alaska ofcourse but we loved it just the same.

As a proud Kiwi :D I just hope your ROS cruise did not do the Fiords because surely they rate up there with Alaska????? If not I have made a huge mistake and must book an Alaska cruise immediately lol.

[Mothballs]

I find this thread very interesting.I haven't gone on that many cruises but the first thing I look at are the ports.Luxury is not a priority for me personally but I can understand that some people do want this.I have been on 2 P@0 cruises and enjoyed them thoroughly and we are booked on the Pacific Pearl next march.As long as I am not at work or doing housework I am happy.

I have a husband that does not like to travel but I can get him on a cruise.We are booked on RCCI travelling from Hawaii to Sydney next year and I only was able to talk him into this because he likes Hawaii.

Sandy,I hope you get to do the Indian Pacific.I went on it a long time ago and really enjoyed the trip.

Regards Elaine.

[cruisin-m]

Each to their own but I feel as though P&O Australia are better then Princess in everything other then extras and the ship itself. Service is pretty similar as well, both great.

At the end of the day the 'product' that all cruise lines offer is very similar, you could nitpick at all of them, what princess does amazing, p&o won't do so well and vice versa.

 

P&O actually cater for Australians whereas other cruise lines don't.

 

Pick a line that suits you, to the right places at the right price and you can't go wrong.

 

Forgot to mention, the one thing that really annoys me about P&O is that you feel like you are on big brother with the VERY excessive amount of CCTV cameras they have onboard, I appreciate security but to me its just way way way way too many. Princess definitely wins in that department.

[bazzaw]

it was like a RSL club

 

I believe this to be an accurate description of Australian P&O ships - BUT that is not a "put-down" or a negative. What are the one of the most successful operations in Australia?? - obviously loved by Aussies as they are always packed to the rafters. Answer --- RSL clubs and similar (football clubs, sports clubs, etc) . Not all Aussies are into them of course - probably mainly older ones - but one cannot dispute the popularity of RSL clubs all over Australia. In my view, P&O have done a BRILLIANT job of tapping into this market. They have also done a BRILLIANT marketing job - in that you can see that their cruises are always close to full. So - those out there who understand business practices will applaud P&O for their business acumen - they are onto a a good thing!!

 

Our next cruises will be on the UK P&O ships. I understand that they are VERY different to Aussie ones - both in terms of their clientelle and their operations. How many Aussie men out there want to wear a TUXEDO 2 nights a week of a cruise plus a suit on 2 other nights??? :p

 

Our first cruise was Brisbane -to- Brisbane - as were the next four . And now the next BIG one will also be (you guessed it) Brisbane to Brisbane.. It's surprising just how far you can get and what you can do without the need to fly anywhere :p

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

the VERY excessive amount of CCTV cameras

 

Hmmm - I've never ever noticed one. But perhaps that is because I couldn't care less about them, support their use and don't go looking for them.

 

Barry

[The_Big_M]

the VERY excessive amount of CCTV cameras

 

Hmmm - I've never ever noticed one. But perhaps that is because I couldn't care less about them, support their use and don't go looking for them.

 

I wasn't looking for them either, but the frequent black blobs from the ceiling stood out to me.

[rugbypopsie]

Got a good news today, friends son just did his first cruise on the Salsa Cruise on P & O (I think it was the PAC SUN) anyway he told his Mum he had a fabulous time and is now a convert...I am going with his Mum on the Volendam in January so we can confidently expect another convert.:)

 

He did say in relation to the security cameras that there were some gooses onboard who got into drug taking on the first night....they must have tracked them down because they weren't seen anywhere for the rest of the cruise...do they still have the "brig". Good to see idiots are getting what they deserve before they can spoil anyone else's good time.

[dclayw]

dclayw, ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm... highly offended, highly highly offended! As a proud Kiwi I just hope your ROS cruise did not do the Fiords because surely they rate up there with Alaska????? If not I have made a huge mistake and must book an Alaska cruise immediately lol.

 

My apologies. As we were talking about cruising I kind of downplayed NZ as a destination. Didn't mean it to come across that way. This is going to get a little off-topic so others, please bear with me.

 

Let me clarify. I have travelled quite a bit and NZ is most definitely my favourite destination. A small part of that is due to it's close proximity, 3 hours from Brisbane.

 

I have done at least one 2 week tramping trip to NZ every year for about the past 10 years. Just spent a couple of weeks this past February in a tent enjoying all the side trips off the Routeburn; Rockburn Valley, Valley of the Trolls, the North branch of the Routeburn etc. most enjoyable. The last 4-5 trips I have done with a kiwi from Auckland who I met in Tongariro (another of my favourite places) 5 years ago.

 

And yes the ROS cruise did do the fiords, albeit in misty weather. I rate both NZ and Alaska very very highly. Quite different places ofcourse but much of the scenery is similar, especially when you get right into the mountains. Alaska is just a bigger version of NZ, a grander scale if you like, but with scary animals (bears, wolves and even moose).

 

If you have not been to Alaska you must go. Cruising Alaska is the bees knees. It is pretty much the only way to get to some of the most magnificent places on this planet. I'm talking Glacier Bay and the like here. And if you are able, get out into the coutryside. Denail NP provides the most magnifcent back to nature experience, if you're that way inclined.

 

Have a look here and you will get a taste of what I'm talking about: Alaska

 

If you go back one level from the above album you will see some pics of that other magnificent place, New Zealand (including the the ROS cruise). :D

[bazzaw]

What is a Salsa cruise???

 

 

Barry

[rugbypopsie]

Salsa is that sexy latin dancing style...not doritos and dip:p

[kazzacruise]

Oh, no..............is the Sun Princess cruise we plan on taking next year around Oz going to be a let down compared to RCI and Celebrity? It will be the most expensive cruise we've taken, are you saying we're going to be very unimpressed:(? Now I'm concerned, are we making the right decision as we could easily cruise to the US for considerably less:eek:.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi

Just wanted to let you know we had a great time on the sun princess circumnavigation a few years ago. Not everything was perfect but Id do it again in an instant. My review is still around just search if you are interested. Kerrie

[bazzaw]

I know what Salsa is -- but what is a "Salsa cruise"??? :confused:

 

 

Barry

[rugbypopsie]

Salsa cruise, Salsa dance clubs booked the ship for dancers from Australia and NZ. They ran Master Classes, competitions etc. etc. onboard and generally had a great time. I believe cruises in states do similar things for Irish Dancing etc.

[bazzaw]

Interesting -- thanks

 

 

Barry

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Salsa cruise, Salsa dance clubs booked the ship for dancers from Australia and NZ. They ran Master Classes, competitions etc. etc. onboard and generally had a great time. I believe cruises in states do similar things for Irish Dancing etc.

 

Also , if there are enough passengers with a special interest, the Cruise Director will organise something for them....if approached to do so.

I have seen this done on one cruise with Line Dancing. One of the passengers acted as the instructor and taught seveal dances, and then they put on an appearance at the passenger Talent Show.

[Frederick43]

Hi all,

Interesting to read the varied comments on different cruise ships.

I have been cruising since the sixties (thats half a century)and have been on big and small and even a few passenger/cargo cruises.

I just enjoy cruising and take each day and ship as it comes...its all part of the wonderful adventure called travel. Each experience simply adds to your life experience.

I have long since given up stressing about life on board....I just lie back and enjoy and think about all those freezing back home, or going to work, or cooking and cleaning while I am having a total relaxing holiday.

 

To paraphrase 'Forrest Gump" 'Cruising is like a box of chocolates'

 

Happy cruising to all

[silverwillow]

dclayw :) You have probably seen much more of NZ than me!

I have done at least one 2 week tramping trip to NZ every year for about the past 10 years.

 

Thank you for sharing those beautiful photos of Alaska. We would love to go and did consider it for next year but will have to put it off for a while, but it is up there on our bucket list.

[bazzaw]

Hi Frederick

 

To paraphrase 'Forrest Gump" 'Cruising is like a box of chocolates'

 

I like your attitude !! :)

 

Also, if you go an a cruise and everything is wonderful and nothing goes wrong ---- you haven't got anything to talk about when you get home!! :p

 

Barry

[cruisin-m]

the VERY excessive amount of CCTV cameras

 

Hmmm - I've never ever noticed one. But perhaps that is because I couldn't care less about them, support their use and don't go looking for them.

 

Barry

 

Yeah, they are like black blobs on the ceiling, I didn't go looking for them at all I just found it was hard not to notice them everywhere. I'm all for having them at the bars and nightclub etc, but putting them on deck watching people sunbake and in every hallway seems over the top in my opinion.

[sherri3802]

Hmm, I've only been on one cruise and that was on Sun Princess.

How did we make our decision?

We were joining 2 other couples.

 

I looked at online travel agents and drew up a table on a word document. It included all the cruises to the Sth Pacific during the summer school holidays January 2009. I listed the date they left, their port, and the cost pp. In other words, I was looking at destination and dates, and of course price.

At that stage I had no idea of ships, so I also noted ship size/number of passengers.

 

What decided us? We went for a slightly longer holiday-12 days, and we also chose one that left from Melbourne. The serious competition was a P&O ship leaving from Sydney almost the same date. The price difference wasn't enough to persuade us to pay extra in air fares.

 

We found the Princess line pretty good, we enjoyed ourselves. It seemed aimed at what I would call the average person, if there is such a thing. Good service, nicely presented dining room and afternoon teas, but not overly formal on the whole.

 

We are all off on Pacific Dawn next month. I am hoping that it will be a similar standard but after reading all the posts, I do get worried.

 

One thing that may affect people when re-booking is the loyalty rewards. I suppose if you had eg 150 days of cruising behind you, you might be tempted to go Princess again just for the free laundry and free internet time. It would influence me, anyway.:D

 

I think that personally, I am someone who is willing to try different lines if the destinations/times/prices are right. One factor in booking the Pacific Dawn was it will be fun to explore a ship with a different layout.

 

But everyone is different and it doesn't worry me what other people choose. If they enjoy the same ship because it is familiar, then that's fine too. As long as everyone gets the most out of their cruise, that's all that matters.

[Guest012]

John and I find that after 3 cruises on the same ship, no matter what the destination we are ready to move on......price and the ability to swap and change without penalty also plays a big part with what we book and whilst we are speaking of price..3-4 cruises a year in an inside cabin instead of one in a balcony suite for us is great value..the inside cabin blackouts are fantastic for that must have nana nap in the afternoon....

When it comes to reviews i read them but don't take them entirely to heart..... i take what i need and hope the negatives don't appear on our cruise...cheers Shiona

[bazzaw]

Hi Shiona

 

Great to hear from you again. We are getting closer by the day to heading off on Oriana - AND we have jagged a short 5 days Sydney to Auckland on QM2, sailing only 5 days after we get back from the UK on Arcadia. Some cruisers (more "in the know" than me) thought that a short sector may open up in the QM2 World Cruise - so we put our names down over 12 months ago with a TA on the off-chance that it may happen - and it has!! :p

 

Barry