sweetp12

There are no formal nights as such - the dress code is definitely casual although the staff love it when you dress up (the hubby always gets lots of attention in his kilt!) P&O want to be family friendly so they removed dress recommendations. On any given night you will see people wearing anything from jeans to a suit. Just go with what you are comfortable with and you will fit in just fine :).

They stopped making snifters a few years ago - movies have never been the same! I highly rate whittakers chocolate and if he is a fan of white chocolate I would suggest he try the L&P flavour. L&P is a local soft drink which stands for lemon and Paeroa (the town it was made in).

Pineapple lumps are sooo good. Buzz bars are also a favorite (and they do have a caramel layer) but they need to be frozen to be fully appreciated.

There has been a fridge the last two times I sailed on the jewel. Also in the email I received from P&O yesterday it lists the in room features and it outlines that there is a fridge.

No formal nights anymore but you could dress up any night and not be out of place. People did dress up vs theme if they didn't have a costume. My husband wore his kilt most nights and I dressed to match and the waitstaff really appreciated the effort - but nor did they even blink when the people at the next table are in shorts and a shirt.

I know off topic but just to let you know that Princess is no longer accepting P&O cruises as counting towards their rewards programme. Cruises prior to the date of the decision (sorry can't remember it but I think it was March?) will still count.

We have stayed in 8103 and booked into 8101 next cruise, we always book obstructed view for the price (albeit that we also book accessible rooms).

The bed is under the window unless you have as two singles. For us the location is great - it is not far away from the theatre and close to the central stairs. The muster station is in the casino so not far away at all.

The tenders do block the view but if they are used at ports they will be dropped around 7am and you may hear a winch noise. Then you get a unobstructed view for a cheaper price! You still get a good amount of light and apart from when you are at port the only thing you can look at is the blue sea. It gets a bit boring after a while as it doesn't really change.

On the plans it looks like your two cabins are at the end of the boats rather than in the middle - this will give you a bit better view.

Have a fantastic cruise :)

There is lots to do in the heart of Auckland. Right by the wharf is the maritime museum (opens at 10am), or a short walk to the silo park or art gallery. There are supermarkets within walking distance if you want to pick up anything prior to boarding (countdown queen street).

I agree with the suggestion to have a leisurely breakfast - and some of the best coffee in the world (ask for a flat white) before heading out to explore for a bit.

There is also no tip required - so the price is the price not the price + 20%

The anti straw movement seems to be gathering pace and having seen the you-tube clips I have jumped on board. I prefer to drink without a straw if possible. This doesn't work for drive thru purchases so I bought a cheap pack of paper straws. I am impressed, they certainly last for at least an hour in a drink. So if a straw is important and you know the policy, why not spend the $2 for a 20 pack and take your own.

OMG I found the review and just blown away! Talk about ignorance. I wonder who they requested the sunset view from?

No hope for streaming but you might be able to get it on the TV. You could also chat to one of the entertainment staff - while the ship subscribes to certain channels they try to do their best to cover big games so depending on what you want to watch they may be able to sort something out.

Oh and if you don't want to pay $30 a picture then just wave through the photography area

Relax and have a good time :)

Sea sickness -Can you prevent this with meds before travel or do you treat as it happens. What do you use?

In general you shouldn't bet sea sick as they have stabilisers and try to avoid rough seas, but if you are worried take some sea legs and take it at night (it helps you sleep and protects you the next day)

Insects- Is this a problem on board? I hate mosquitoes but they love me. Are they a problem in Noumea and Vila? If so I'll bring spray.

Not a problem onboard, but there is zika around the pacific. You should use insect repellent before you go ashore.

Money for stops- Can you use AUD$ in Noumea and Vila or do you have to exchange?

In general most of the stalls etc will take AUD - but they are not so great at giving change so you want lots of small notes. Also credit cards are accepted in all major shops etc so just let the bank know where you will be. Noumea only took AUD on the stalls at the cruise terminal. You can book a tour etc in AUD or cc ok.

Duty Free- Is it best value to buy duty free onshore at the stops or onboard?

It is much of a muchness unless you are going to port vilia. The best place in the south pacific is Kung Fuei in town - take the water taxi (or if you are doing a tour you are likely to end up at a duty free as they get a payment for everyone they bring)

Hair dryers and straightness - Are these allowed onboard?

Yes but there is a hairdryer rin your cabin

Irons- Are irons available for use on board?

Yes the laundry has these

Electrical Wall sockets - Are they Australian or do you need an adaptor?

You should be right with Aussie ones, but there is only one or two plugs so take a multi board (without a surge protector)

Hot and Cold Water- is there free water bubblers/taps available to fill bottles? Is there free hot water for flasks?

Yes, the pantry has both hot and cold 24/7. Every bar will have a water dispenser and glasses for passengers to help themselves.

Cafes - Is there always something open to grab a drink anytime day or night?

Room service (which has a fee) is 24/7 but the food venues close about 9.30 (except for the grill which is open till "late"). Breakfast starts about 6.30

WIFI- Is this available and is there a cost?

yes and yes - think slower than dial up and mortgage the house. It is a satellite service and the price depends on the cruise. You can normally get a discount on the first day.

Are there any shops on board that sell toiletries, confectionery and other sundry items?

Yes there is but at a considerable mark up (think at least 3 times more than you pay at home). If you do need something and can wait to a port there is a supermarket right across the road from the cruise terminal in Noumea (they also have an ATM if you want to get currency). They are called casino and take credit card. Most other main ports will have a shop you can make purchased from and it is fine to bring things back onboard.

We tend to take a little stash of medication and snacks – you can take commercially packaged food onboard.

Safety- How safe are the cruises in terms of theft, drunkenness etc? ie Is it entirely safe for the kids to wander around?

It is really safe and most kids wander around - but things do happen. They have lots of security around but there can be opportunistic thefts. But with general duty of care you will be fine. Most drunkenness is dealt with fairly promptly and they do cut people off to limit this.

Laundry- Is it expensive to use the washers and dyers?

It is $4 per load so it will cost $8 to wash and dry. Take your own powder - I tend to buy laundry pods to take as it is easier. You need $2 coins but reception will make change for you.

Embarkation Luggage- How soon is your luggage delivered to your room?

This is a hard question - normally by dinner. Sometimes it is at our room before we get there; sometimes you get it a bit later. The cabin stewards deliver it and embarkation day is super busy for them.

Disembarkation Luggage - Do you walk off with this or do they carry it off for you and you collect onshore?

Either - you can choose to self disembark which gets you off earlier, else you can put it out the night before. Just remember to put out any clothes you want to wear the next day and have a bag for everything (most people to walk off with one suitcase).

Noise - Are the rooms fairly well insulated for noise?

Again yes and no - you are likely to hear people (well kids) running up and down the hallway but you are unlikely to hear your neighbours TV.

Do you need to book tables at the restaurants or can you just walk in without a booking? If the latter how do you book?

So this one depends on what you want to do. We like to eat at the main dining room and have the same table each night. So to make this happen we go to the MDR as soon as we board to make a booking. There are two shifts 5.30 / 6 or 7.30 / 8 so if you have a preference again book. If you don't have a booking then it is fine - just rock on up and they will accommodate you.

If you have the same table your servers will get to know your preferences. It is courtesy to let the them know at the podium if you aren't going to be at the MDR if you have a saved table - that way they can use it for casual dinners.

If you want to go to a paid restaurant then you are likely to need a booking (there is tons of info on this when you get onboard).

Lunch at the MDR is only on sea days and like breakfast it is just turn up during the opening hours.

Bringing Drinks on board - I believe that alcohol is not allowed on board. Are cans or bottles of soft drink allowed?

You can take 12 cans (non alcoholic) per person, loosely packed in your hand luggage. You can take drink bottles but they need to be empty. We take a mix of soda and energy drinks. Of you could take powder like powerade or raro and mix it onboard.

While they ruthlessly enforce the empty drink bottle (they tip out anything) they don't seem to count the cans or care about the size. But they do need to be loose in the bag.

Any other tips for first timers?

Think about how you will hold your cruise card - lanyards are very common. The walls of the cabin are metallic so we not only take magnets but we also take a magnetic hook that we hang close to the door to hold our lanyards.

Check your balance on the self service kiosks regularly so you are not surprised if you forget that even though you aren't handing over cash things still come at a cost...

You don't need to spend money to have a good time

If you like the shows get there early - doors open 30 min before hand and it gets really full quickly. Do a recon to find seats in the theatre that work for you.

If you are going to catch a shuttle on your return make sure you book it prior - then you go to the head of the queue rather than waiting with the hundreds that didn't.

Hi, I can't answer all of your questions seen as we have never had priority boarding. However we do special assistance (wheelchair) and the boarding time isn't checked at all - although we do have an assigned time. There is a special line that they send the elderly, disabled etc through. The special assistance people are also very assertive when it comes to pushing through to the security / immigration people but I don't think you will have one assigned to you.

I hope you have a great cruise

There is a reasonable variety - they will have no issue if they like indian, chinese or mexican food. The salad bar has a good selection of legumes etc to add protein to salad. Also if you ask they have cheese and crackers under the counter at the kettle and bun.

On our last cruise (15 nights) we were waiting for formal nights but they never happened. We spoke to the Matire'd who said that P&O wanted to be more family friendly therefore got rid of the official formal nights but always enjoyed when people dressed up. There was a real mix of people who dressed for dinner or not even on the theme nights.

Some people can find the aircon cold so I always take a material wrap (even a sarong) as I can use it in a number of ways. I have put it over my shoulders when cold and over my arms and legs to cover up from the sun. It folds up small so easy to pack and takes up far less room than a cardy.

Sure can! We bring a media player loaded with movies and never had any trouble. We have had no issues on the pearl and jewel but not sure if the eden or aria is different.

Hi, I looked into something similar (apart from the city of residence!) and could not find good long term parking in the CBD. One of the options I had in the final mix was to park at the long term parks at the airport and then shuttle to the port and back. While not next to the port (a $10 taxi away) skycity has a very safe, well lit and huge camera car park but it is $50 a day.

Whatever you do decide if you are going to take a shuttle off the ship make sure you pre-book. If you do pre-book you go to the head of the line, but if you don't you get in the queue with hundreds of other people.

We were on a carnival cruise that stopped at Noumea and they had a wheelchair taxi at the port (no charge) to do the shuttle run from the port to the terminal. While this was with Carnival I would imagine this would be used for all the cruise lines but no harm in asking the special needs department.

I also echo the difficulty at other pacific island ports - however most of them are just beach ports so not really "sightseeing" places.

The Langham is lovely but the location is a bit on the outskirts of the cbd. If walking to restaurants (if you aren’t going to eat at the hotel) or wondering to the supermarket/ cinema etc is important the go for Sky city. If the location isn’t a deal breaker then the Langham is a worthy contender.

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As a kiwi I am rather biased and would say Picton, but I would also pick the trip in Feb because our weather is more settled in Feb then January. Not that you should go on this years forecast! Jan was the hottest in 150 years and Feb had a cyclone - but these are just aberrations. Feb is normally the better month weather wise.

Picton is a gateway for some amazing destinations - not far from vineyards if you like wine, or beautiful routes if you like to do a day tramp.

Not that it would be of particular relevance but most schools don't restart till early Feb. Whatever you choose will be amazing :)

We always stay at Sky City or Sky City Grand. They have loads of restaurants on site and the hotels rooms are large and quiet. Just a $10 taxi ride down to the wharf. They also extend check out to 12pm on request and have free unlimited wifi.

Cans are $2.75 a can - much better value to buy by the can than the soft drink package, but it is no drama to bring on your own cans.

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Hopefully this helps, I do have the full MDR wine list if you want it

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