A few questions

[hungryhippo]

Hi all, I am due to go on my cruise on the Pacific Jewel this Saturday :D and have a few questions I was hoping I could get some answers for.

 

1. If I go early and check in my luggage, what it the latest time I can go on board? I have family dropping me off, and I want to have lunch with them before the ship departs.

 

2. Using cash on board - do I take cash with me to put on there, or can I use a key card and tell P and O how much to take off. I am thinking the earlier would be better, but am interested in other peoples ideas/thoughts

 

3. Laptops - I am taking my laptop on board so I can uplaod my photos on there daily to ensure I don't run out of memory on my card. Do I take this on as carry on luggage or is it better to check it in with my suit case? I am just worried about breakages etc etc.

 

I think that is all at the moment, I will post again if I think of anything (which I probably will) :p

[Aus Traveller]

I hope I can help.

1. departure is at 4pm. Usually boarding would be by 3pm, but check with the staff at check-in.

2. I would use cash on board. You have a day or so after you board to actually pay the money at the pursers desk.

3. There is no way I would put a laptop into my check in luggage.

[Sandielle]

I have a great backpack with a special padded pocket for my laptop. It was specially designed for cruising and is ideal for taking ashore at ports. I have seen other backpacks in luggage stores with laptop pockets.

 

With one of these backpacks you don't need to take a laptop bag - thus saving one extra piece of luggage.

[rugbypopsie]

Bags frequently end up at the bottom of a very large and heavy stack...be very careful about packing anything fragile in your suitcase.

 

Usually no problem checking in and then going ashore.

 

Cash or card is fine just make sure it is not going via the UK for processing! If using cash I think there is a minimum that has to be deposited up front..not sure.

 

You can get a print of your account and pay as you go if that helps budgeting.

[Aus Traveller]

Cash or card is fine just make sure it is not going via the UK for processing! If using cash I think there is a minimum that has to be deposited up front..not sure.

 

You can get a print of your account and pay as you go if that helps budgeting.

We have used a credit card on many cruises. Ours is ANZ gold Visa and there are no fees for the international transaction. I have heard of several people with National Bank cards who get slugged with a fee. By the way, when we have used our card to buy something overseas (duty free, or jewellery) there is a currency conversion fee. This is different from the fee to have your on-board outlays processed by P & O through their UK office. This needs to be checked with the bank if you want to use a credit card, although I have to wish you luck in getting an answer from the bank.

 

P & O usually ask for $300 in each account. On our last cruise (5 nights) we knew we would not be spending that much so just put $150 on each of our cards. The staff queried it, but accepted it. It doesn't matter if you put a bit extra on the card because it is refunded at the end.

[jeep-kk]

Hi all, I am due to go on my cruise on the Pacific Jewel this Saturday :D and have a few questions I was hoping I could get some answers for.

 

1. If I go early and check in my luggage, what it the latest time I can go on board? I have family dropping me off, and I want to have lunch with them before the ship departs.

 

2. Using cash on board - do I take cash with me to put on there, or can I use a key card and tell P and O how much to take off. I am thinking the earlier would be better, but am interested in other peoples ideas/thoughts

 

3. Laptops - I am taking my laptop on board so I can uplaod my photos on there daily to ensure I don't run out of memory on my card. Do I take this on as carry on luggage or is it better to check it in with my suit case? I am just worried about breakages etc etc.

 

I think that is all at the moment, I will post again if I think of anything (which I probably will) :p

 

 

Hello Hungryhippo

 

Hope I can help clarify a few things for you.

 

1. It does not matter what time you get to the wharf and check in. Check in normally commences at 12:00pm, however dont get there at 12:00pm because you will be lining up for at least 1 hour just to get to the check in counter. I suggest getting there around 10:30 - 11:00 and just line up. When you get to the check in counter you will be given a boarding number. When your number is called that means they are ready to have you board the ship. Boarding normally commences just after 1:00pm, so if you can get to the front of the check in line (get there extra early and just line up) you will have time to go for your meal and then come back ready for them to call your number to board the ship.

 

2. I always recommend taking cash. DO NOT take a DEBIT CARD as P&O will not accept this, however there are ATM facilities onboard for your convenience and you can use your DEBIT CARD in the ATM, just not able to register it towards your onboard account.

 

3. Take your laptop on with you and do not put anything fragile like that in your suitcase. You will notice they tend to throw your suitcases around.

 

Anything else just let me know...... :eek:

[jeep-kk]

Hi all, I am due to go on my cruise on the Pacific Jewel this Saturday :D and have a few questions I was hoping I could get some answers for.

 

1. If I go early and check in my luggage, what it the latest time I can go on board? I have family dropping me off, and I want to have lunch with them before the ship departs.

 

2. Using cash on board - do I take cash with me to put on there, or can I use a key card and tell P and O how much to take off. I am thinking the earlier would be better, but am interested in other peoples ideas/thoughts

 

3. Laptops - I am taking my laptop on board so I can uplaod my photos on there daily to ensure I don't run out of memory on my card. Do I take this on as carry on luggage or is it better to check it in with my suit case? I am just worried about breakages etc etc.

 

I think that is all at the moment, I will post again if I think of anything (which I probably will) :p

 

 

Hello Hungryhippo

 

Hope I can help clarify a few things for you.

 

1. It does not matter what time you get to the wharf and check in. Check in normally commences at 12:00pm, however dont get there at 12:00pm because you will be lining up for at least 1 hour just to get to the check in counter. I suggest getting there around 10:30 - 11:00 and just line up. When you get to the check in counter you will be given a boarding number. When your number is called that means they are ready to have you board the ship. Boarding normally commences just after 1:00pm, so if you can get to the front of the check in line (get there extra early and just line up) you will have time to go for your meal and then come back ready for them to call your number to board the ship.

 

2. I always recommend taking cash. DO NOT take a DEBIT CARD as P&O will not accept this, however there are ATM facilities onboard for your convenience and you can use your DEBIT CARD in the ATM, just not able to register it towards your onboard account.

 

3. Take your laptop on with you and do not put anything fragile like that in your suitcase. You will notice they tend to throw your suitcases around.

 

Anything else just let me know...... :eek:

[hungryhippo]

Thanks everyone, that is great help! Now that I read my post, it seems silly I would even consider putting the lap top in my luggage :p

 

I am sure I will have more questions before Saturday as the day comes up!

[hungryhippo]

Thanks everyone, that is great help! Now that I read my post, it seems silly I would even consider putting the lap top in my luggage :p

 

I am sure I will have more questions before Saturday as the day comes up!

[The_Big_M]

This is different from the fee to have your on-board outlays processed by P & O through their UK office. This needs to be checked with the bank if you want to use a credit card, although I have to wish you luck in getting an answer from the bank.

 

This has been a long-standing part of NAB's terms and conditions, so the difficulty is not in getting the information from the bank.

 

The surprise comes because P&O are processing your charge off-shore when they have not declared that they will, and there is no reasonable expectation that they would or should.

[The_Big_M]

This is different from the fee to have your on-board outlays processed by P & O through their UK office. This needs to be checked with the bank if you want to use a credit card, although I have to wish you luck in getting an answer from the bank.

 

This has been a long-standing part of NAB's terms and conditions, so the difficulty is not in getting the information from the bank.

 

The surprise comes because P&O are processing your charge off-shore when they have not declared that they will, and there is no reasonable expectation that they would or should.

[horrie33]

Folks, you are on HOLIDAYS. Leave your laptop at home with your mobile and mother in law. Thats why we have holidays.

Horrie

[Cruisequeenoz]

Hi all, I am due to go on my cruise on the Pacific Jewel this Saturday :D and have a few questions I was hoping I could get some answers for.

 

1. If I go early and check in my luggage, what it the latest time I can go on board? I have family dropping me off, and I want to have lunch with them before the ship departs.

 

2. Using cash on board - do I take cash with me to put on there, or can I use a key card and tell P and O how much to take off. I am thinking the earlier would be better, but am interested in other peoples ideas/thoughts

 

3. Laptops - I am taking my laptop on board so I can uplaod my photos on there daily to ensure I don't run out of memory on my card. Do I take this on as carry on luggage or is it better to check it in with my suit case? I am just worried about breakages etc etc.

 

I think that is all at the moment, I will post again if I think of anything (which I probably will) :p

 

1. They normally request you are on board 1 hour before sailing time.

 

2. You can use cash , but you cannot use an ordinary keycard that you would normally use at an atm to withdraw cash from your account. I have used my Visa and Mastercard Debit cards on various ships as they are classed as a type of credit card. Hopefully you could use one of those if you wanted. If you decide to use cash the cruiseline will require you to put on a deposit and to top up your account whenever your account is down to a certain amount.

 

3. Rather than taking your laptop and risking losing/damaging it, why don't you buy a second (larger?) memory card for your camera? Much smaller and lighter, and leaves more room in your luggage/backpack for souvenirs.

 

Whatever you eventually decide to do, i hope you have a fantastic trip!

[hungryhippo]

Thanks for the great answers!

 

Just another question - Where can I get coffee on board? Like a cappucino or flat white etc? I am not a real fan of instant coffee, and much prefer to get a proper coffee in the mornings

[hungryhippo]

Does anyone know how many formal nights and what themed nights will be on a 10 night cruise?

[Aus Traveller]

You can order specialty coffees from the Lido Cafe on Deck 12 and I think also from the coffee shop Charlie's on deck 5.

 

There will probably be two formal nights (now called "cocktail nights") and theme nights would be island night, country night and probably pirate night.

 

Have a great cruise.

[hungryhippo]

Thankyou!

[AUSTRALIAN CRUISER]

Hello Hungryhippo

 

Hope I can help clarify a few things for you.

 

1. It does not matter what time you get to the wharf and check in. Check in normally commences at 12:00pm, however dont get there at 12:00pm because you will be lining up for at least 1 hour just to get to the check in counter. I suggest getting there around 10:30 - 11:00 and just line up. When you get to the check in counter you will be given a boarding number. When your number is called that means they are ready to have you board the ship. Boarding normally commences just after 1:00pm, so if you can get to the front of the check in line (get there extra early and just line up) you will have time to go for your meal and then come back ready for them to call your number to board the ship.

 

2. I always recommend taking cash. DO NOT take a DEBIT CARD as P&O will not accept this, however there are ATM facilities onboard for your convenience and you can use your DEBIT CARD in the ATM, just not able to register it towards your onboard account.

 

3. Take your laptop on with you and do not put anything fragile like that in your suitcase. You will notice they tend to throw your suitcases around.

 

Anything else just let me know...... :eek:

Hi, do you know for sure if you can't use a DEBIT card on Pacific Jewel? We have used one on Royal C and no problems at all. I telephoned P&O Australia and they said it was ok?? Maybe I didn't talk to the right person over there?? We leave in two weeks and I would hate to arrive and find we can't use our DEBIT cards!!

Thanks so much,

M

[Wilkono]

Hi, do you know for sure if you can't use a DEBIT card on Pacific Jewel? We have used one on Royal C and no problems at all. I telephoned P&O Australia and they said it was ok?? Maybe I didn't talk to the right person over there?? We leave in two weeks and I would hate to arrive and find we can't use our DEBIT cards!!

Thanks so much,

M

 

I don't speak from experience, but I have heard/read that not every debit card will be accepted. It all depends on the process that the bank uses to withdraw your funds for P&O. I would talk to your bank before you leave, and confirm with them that the card can be used on a cruise. From the FAQ on the P&O website:

 

When using credit cards, we obtain pre-authorisations and some banks hold these for up to 30 days. Debit cards, Pre-paid VISA cards and Travelex VISA cash passports are not accepted onboard

 

Maybe some debit cards use pre-authorisation techniques that allow them to be used? In any case, I will be cruising with cash for as long as I possibly can. It's a great way to manage your spending during your cruise. You can either deposit it all onto your cruise account in the first few days, or ration it out over the length of the cruise. I'm fairly sure that both the Jewel and the Dawn have onboard ATM facilities, but I wouldn't rely on them as they are prone to malfunctions.

 

Folks, you are on HOLIDAYS. Leave your laptop at home with your mobile and mother in law. Thats why we have holidays.

 

While I agree that the mobile should be left at home, my trusty netbook on my last cruise came in handy. It's a fantastic way to back up all your cruise photos and videos, and for writing journals/logs of your trip. If you feel as if you may become attached at the hip to your laptop, ration your time on the machine by leaving the power-cable at home.

[azcruiser64]

3. Laptops - I am taking my laptop on board so I can upload my photos on there daily to ensure I don't run out of memory on my card.

 

I would think about buying another memory card since they're pretty cheap now a days and leave the laptop home.

[AUSTRALIAN CRUISER]

Thanks so much for all the great information. On your advice, I will give my Bank a call and confirm those details. If we can't use our Debit Card, we will take cash and try to limit our spending!!!

Thanks again,

Mandy