Pacific Jewel...drydock in 2015??

[Widebay]

Skyrules - I am glad you didn't say the stripe would look better in "pink".

 

I always think that any work or upgrade on "any" cruise ship is an improvement.

 

This cruise on the P&O Pacific Jewel is going to be "very interesting", as we have never cruised on P&O before, only NCL, Celebrity & Princess.

 

I am not sure just where P&O fit in on the grand scale of general cruising? We will certainly go with an open mind.

 

I read where other cruise critic members were critical of P&O for removing the buffet in main Dining Room. We always found the buffets to be a bit of a shamble, with so many people pushing etc, just to get that little bit of extra meat or sweets, etc on their plate. We made a point of eating in other dining areas of various ships, firstly, because some of the restaurants were almost empty, and it gave my wife & I some lovely quiet time together.

 

Because I don't lug around a dinner suit for formal nights, we tend to stay away from the main Dining Room when the formal nights are on, and instead we visited some of the Restaurants (for a fee) on those nights, and had the restaurant to ourselves almost, except for some of the officers who also frequented the restaurants (for a small fee)

[Taken666]

Hi we just returned from Pacific Jewel November 1, the ship is going into dry dock in Singapore. We were told by some crew who have resigned contracts purely for this reason.

[By The Bay]

Hi we just returned from Pacific Jewel November 1, the ship is going into dry dock in Singapore. We were told by some crew who have resigned contracts purely for this reason.

When I asked if a crew member would be have time off in Singapore during the Dry Dock, they said they would be staying on the ship with no air-conditioning!:eek:

In tropical Singapore.:confused:

For that reason she would be not be on contract during the Dry Dock.

[Skyrules]

Skyrules - I am glad you didn't say the stripe would look better in "pink".

 

Saw Pacific Dawn yesterday with the new paint job.. The stripe isn't too bad, but the "Like No Place on Earth" advertising tag line painted across the stern is a bit much.

 

I always think that any work or upgrade on "any" cruise ship is an improvement.

 

This cruise on the P&O Pacific Jewel is going to be "very interesting", as we have never cruised on P&O before, only NCL, Celebrity & Princess. I am not sure just where P&O fit in on the grand scale of general cruising? We will certainly go with an open mind.

We've mostly cruised on P&O, but we have done Celebrity & RCI & PO UK too. To us P&O is like an old familiar pair of slippers, great to come back to!

I read where other cruise critic members were critical of P&O for removing the buffet in main Dining Room. We always found the buffets to be a bit of a shamble, with so many people pushing etc, just to get that little bit of extra meat or sweets, etc on their plate. We made a point of eating in other dining areas of various ships, firstly, because some of the restaurants were almost empty, and it gave my wife & I some lovely quiet time together.

 

Because I don't lug around a dinner suit for formal nights, we tend to stay away from the main Dining Room when the formal nights are on, and instead we visited some of the Restaurants (for a fee) on those nights, and had the restaurant to ourselves almost, except for some of the officers who also frequented the restaurants (for a small fee)

You need to have a proper sit down restaurant, I wouldn't want to go on a ship where buffet (in whatever form) was the only dining option. In 21 cruises, nearly 150 days cruising, I could count on one hand the number of times we've eaten dinner in the buffet, and when we have it was usually out of necessity, mostly after a late shore tour. For us the buffet is there for Breakfast and Lunch. Dinner time is restaurant time, either the main dining room or the specialty restaurants.

[Hobart18]

Hi,

In answer to those people who have asked if the Pacific Jewel is in drydock.

There was a program on A Current Affair last night regarding the status of the Cruising Industry currently in Australia.

A representative of P & O stated that she is currently in drydock in Singapore undergoing a complete makeover of her dining facilities, they are totally getting rid of the buffet sections and replacing them with very upmarket venues for P&O considering that all their ships are the oldest on the Australian market. She is listed as sailing back to Australia (Brisbane) on 5th June. As stated on A Current Affair, Australia is way ahead of their expected number of cruisers before their goal of 2020.

If you don't like sailing on P&O why not give Princess or Carnival a go.

Princess has a refurbished Golden Princess heading our way from September to 2019 so far and the beautiful Dawn Princess will be sailing from either Fremantle or Sydney.

 

Regards,

Happy Cruising:):)

[Aim1]

Cruise J521 is indeed dry dock, my husband is working on the ship at the moment and I've seen a picture of his pass with that number on it.

 

No air con is not fun, he said think of when your car has been in the sun all day and you open the door to that wave of heat? Yeah, that's what it's like going back to his cabin when he's finished for the night!