Pacific Jewel - J125 - 15 Aug 11 REVIEW

[blueheeler18]

Embarkation: Smooth sailing here. We were sailing in the mini-suites so we had priority embarkation. Great first touch to the cruise. However one thing that annoyed me was the sheer ignorance of my fellow passengers trying to push through the line when their embarkation number was not even called. We actually had to push through all the people surrounding the area where you walk through to get to the customs area.

 

Islands: Unfortunately we missed Isle of Pines. The ship arrived here in minimal swell but little windy. We collected the pilot around 4am but we not granted entry into the bay where the ship was supposed to dock. The Captain was great with informing us of the progress, but the final decision was not to enter, therefore the ship slowly left around midday, dropped the pilot off and made our way travelling about 10 - 12 knots to Mystery Island. All the Islands were fantastic as usual, friendly locals, weather in Mystery Island was awesome, Wala was great too. Luganville became a little overcast and then some rain came over as we were due to depart. Vila was nice and warm, but then the dark clouds rolled over for our departure.

 

PLEASE bring back Ouvea.

 

The Ship and Crew: This was not the first time onboard the Jewel. There were some improvements and some disappointments compared to our last cruise 12 months ago. Let me begin with the staff. Not all were happy, but a majority were excellent and always happy and smiling. We managed to snag a great waiter and the same table every night in the Dining Room, however weren't so fortunate for lunch times. We would arrive at the entrance were we are told where we are to be seated. We would ALWAYS ask just for a table of 4 (2 couples we were) but somehow at the start of the cruise he would always put us on a large table (lunches only), not what we wanted. We sensed a little bit of frustration from the bloke who arranges the seating with us, I didn't think our request was unreasonable, but he would always manage to eventually get it right.

 

Our room steward was faultless. She was absolutely amazing, cool little Indian lady, but we mistaked her for a Philo, she thought that was funny. Every night we had a towel animal and chocolates on our pillows. We told her only to make our cabin up every second day, she was grateful for this, and so were we. They work so hard.

 

Now to the food. We always ate in the Waterfront. The food in the buffet was below my personal standards. The only good items I found in the buffet were the large range of herbal teas, the deserts were delicious and the cold salads, but the warm food was substandard. We would always go up there for breakfast, although the food was always cold by the time you waited in the queues and then find a table. I was a bit cheeky with the toast and would always grab my slices from the back so they were warm. On one particular occasion during lunch time, we had eaten in the Waterfront as usual, but I headed up to the buffet to grab some fruit to take back to the cabin and sit on the balcony. They had on a large platter next to the deserts chopped up fruit and skewer sticks. The purpose of this was to make fruit skewers, but instead I would pick up a piece of fruit and drop it in my bowl rather than eating the fruit from the sticks provided. This old fella walked up next to be, grabbed a skewer and pick up a piece of fruit and ate it, then used the same skewer he just put in his mouth to pick up another piece of fruit and again. I could not believe what I just saw, it sure as hell made me glad I was eating in the Waterfront every day. I was going to say something but decided to bite my tongue, but honestly I couldn't have expected anything less from a P&O passenger.

 

We had fun playing the morning trivia, always losing but we gave it a go. We are early thirties but I am pretty sure most questions are tailored to over 50's lol ....... anyhow the same groups appeared everyday. I had to laugh on the first day we went, the staff member running the trivia reiterated the rules and then said maximum 4 to a group. There was one group in particular who had 6 people, all over 50's. When we said this, they absolutely cut sick at him. They were like "We always have 6 on every cruise we have been on and bluh bluh bluh". It's the attitude like this that spoils it for everyone. Again, we knew we were sailing on P&O, but I just laugh it off and think here we go again. Trivia wouldn't be trivia without at least 1 whinging group. They finally got their own way after 10 minutes roughly of arguing.

 

The other activities onboard again we kind of tailored to the older generation of people. Honestly who wants to learn how to make flowers when on a cruise ha ha. They had other fun activities on but nothing that appealed to us, so most of the time we spent sun baking, the casino etc.

 

On that note, the casino, machines are rigged ha ha, nuh just kidding, but I didn't win another substantial, but this one lady was in there the minute it was opened, on the same machine, we would go for lunch and then walk through the casino, she was still on the same machine, then even at night time after dinner, we would go in their for 15 - 20 minutes throw a few bucks in and she was still on this one particular machine. We worked out going by the points she had accumulated by the last night of the cruise she had actually put in over $10,000 OUCH. Her and her husband never spoke, always on separate machines hehe was kinda funny but sad. The tables hardly ever got used.

 

Cruise director was disappointing. He was the most unexciting, unenthusiastic cruise director I have ever experienced. It was funny, he was always trying to get people involved when he was holding activities around the pool but people were just not interested. His strong canadian accent with no personality became over bearing. Funny how you get talking to fellow passengers and they say the same thing. Bring back Zoltina, they need to clone that woman haha.

 

Weather: Mostly beautiful, but coming back we experienced 1 full day and 2 nights of 8m swells. This was great, the Waterfront tables were mostly empty, the Casino was quiet and in general it kind of felt like we were travelling alone. I can only assume most were sea sick during this time. It was funny watching people run to the bath rooms, then they would stand at the door way, the ship would roll and the people would disappear into the toilets again hehe, I'm cruel.

 

Overall the cruise was fun as usual, I never come off complaining about things. You give and take the good and the bad, but when you witness things that could potentially interfere with your experience such as grotty people being completely un-hygenic in the food areas or fellow passengers disrespecting crew members, this can be annoying, but at the end of day, when I'am onboard, I treat the crew like royalty, and I am very respectful of fellow passengers. Pacific Jewel is a great ship, and I am looking forward to my Pacific Pearl cruise next year.

[blueheeler18]

Sunrise 1st day at sea from our mini suite balcony

 

 

 

 

Mystery Island

 

 

[blueheeler18]

Entree Salt Grill

 

 

 

 

Mains Salt Grill

 

 

 

 

Desert Salt Grill

 

[Debsta]

Great review flame. Thanks for taking the time to post it. I agree, PJ has the tightest casino on the high seas LOL

[Brossy]

Hi Flame

 

Loved your review, thanks for taking the time to write it :).

 

Was Sandy your Cruise Director? I've had him twice now but only for 4 night cruises but gotta agree - Zoltina is the best :D. Her ship is now Pacific Pearl and is highly unlikely to be CD on another ship now unless she is filling in as she loves the Pearl.

 

Lol about your trivia experience. We had a similiar problem when we cruised on Princess - now those passengers really take their trivia seriously ;). We were a group of 12 that split into 2 groups but we were chatting and laughing with each other through out the trivia. One of our groups won and all the old passengers said we cheated because we were such a big group. I told them all to come and compare our answers and they'll find that we didn't cheat as both teams had some very different answers. That was the only time I played on that cruise :rolleyes:.

 

You will love the Pearl. I think she is a nicer ship than the Jewel (Although I don't like the position of the casino :p).

[blueheeler18]

Hi Flame

 

Loved your review, thanks for taking the time to write it :).

 

Was Sandy your Cruise Director? I've had him twice now but only for 4 night cruises but gotta agree - Zoltina is the best :D. Her ship is now Pacific Pearl and is highly unlikely to be CD on another ship now unless she is filling in as she loves the Pearl.

 

Lol about your trivia experience. We had a similiar problem when we cruised on Princess - now those passengers really take their trivia seriously ;). We were a group of 12 that split into 2 groups but we were chatting and laughing with each other through out the trivia. One of our groups won and all the old passengers said we cheated because we were such a big group. I told them all to come and compare our answers and they'll find that we didn't cheat as both teams had some very different answers. That was the only time I played on that cruise :rolleyes:.

 

You will love the Pearl. I think she is a nicer ship than the Jewel (Although I don't like the position of the casino :p).

 

Sandy was our cruise director. I was on the last Pa Jewel cruise Zoltina was on, that was a sad moment.

 

Yeah I have heard Pearl is much nicer, more compact. I saw a few youtube videos of her inside and she looks great. Shame about the casino not having the windows, or correct me if Im wrong. It's nice playing the machines and being able to look outside.

 

What type of cabin were you in on the Pearl? Im eager to find photos anywhere on the net of Mini Suites onboard Pearl. :D

[cruisin-m]

Sandy was our cruise director. I was on the last Pa Jewel cruise Zoltina was on, that was a sad moment.

 

Yeah I have heard Pearl is much nicer, more compact. I saw a few youtube videos of her inside and she looks great. Shame about the casino not having the windows, or correct me if Im wrong. It's nice playing the machines and being able to look outside.

 

What type of cabin were you in on the Pearl? Im eager to find photos anywhere on the net of Mini Suites onboard Pearl. :D

 

Zoltina actually went on break after the tahiti cruise in July from the Pearl, so not sure if she'll still be on there for your cruise next year, fingers crossed for you.

 

The casino doesn't have windows and it is in a kind of awkward spot but it is much more snazzy and upbeat looking then any of the other P&O casinos, it actually has a casino vibe to it, albeit small.

 

The mini suites on Pearl are actually the only rooms that P&O completely refurbished so they also look quite modern and snazzy. Reminded me more of an apartment/hotel room as oposed to your traditional cruise room so to say.

 

The standard rooms are old fashioned yet comfortable.

[blueheeler18]

Zoltina actually went on break after the tahiti cruise in July from the Pearl, so not sure if she'll still be on there for your cruise next year, fingers crossed for you.

 

The casino doesn't have windows and it is in a kind of awkward spot but it is much more snazzy and upbeat looking then any of the other P&O casinos, it actually has a casino vibe to it, albeit small.

 

The mini suites on Pearl are actually the only rooms that P&O completely refurbished so they also look quite modern and snazzy. Reminded me more of an apartment/hotel room as oposed to your traditional cruise room so to say.

 

The standard rooms are old fashioned yet comfortable.

 

Great thanks for the additional information. Some people have said Zoltina will be returning to the Pearl, so yep fingers crossed.

 

Pity about no windows in the casino but judging by the images I have seen and people like yourself comments, I think it will be great.

[Brossy]

Great thanks for the additional information. Some people have said Zoltina will be returning to the Pearl, so yep fingers crossed.

 

Pity about no windows in the casino but judging by the images I have seen and people like yourself comments, I think it will be great.

 

Zoltina is only on holidays at the moment. I'm hoping she'll be back for my cruise next month.

 

Sorry I only stayed in an inside cabin (would loved to have been upgraded to a mini suite though ;)).

[blueheeler18]

Was anyone else on this cruise on this forum?

[oshy]

Thanks for posting your review....

enjoyed reading it...

we have just come back from 2wk Fiji cruise on the Pearl & have booked again for next Sept on the Jewel...

Mystery Island left us both awe struck by the sheer beauty of the Island....

Love the Sunrise photo, they never dissapoint, came back & uploaded our photos to find 50% were of sunrises & sunsets...

again many thanks for your review struck a few chords lol....

 

[oshy]

Wow just noticed in your 2nd photo how did they manage to get so close to the Island, the Pearl was anchored way out past the point in your 3rd? photo??

[blueheeler18]

Wow just noticed in your 2nd photo how did they manage to get so close to the Island, the Pearl was anchored way out past the point in your 3rd? photo??

 

I'm glad you liked the review. I have no idea how the ship got close, or how I got close to the ship, either way, very impressed with the pictures :D

 

We are planning on the Pearl in April next year.