Pacific Sun PETIT ESCAPE N014N review

[Nazz]

This was the first cruise after dry dock and everything went smoothly. Staff were really happy and went out of their way to ensure a top trip.Too many activities to try them all so you can never be bored. The food choices are varied and plentiful.... Lots more vegetarian and healthy options than we had on our last cruise. Actually lost a few kgs but I did go to the gym this time and also used the stairs all the time... and walked for miles on all the shore tours.

 

The crew were really helpful and the entertainment first class.

 

Shore days were great....Loved Lifou.. had a long walk to the village on the far right of the dock.. took an hour but there was plenty to see on the way.

The snorkeling was amazing.. best I have done...even better than Tonga!

The local pastries "yum" after a long walk.

 

We called into a small school we found along the way to drop of some gifts and were made very welcome. Take francs for tips or things kids can use and pay it forward wherever you go. Smille and use some French!

 

Nouméa way better than expected.. took the number 1 bus to the bays, explored town and the local markets and got some great local chocolate and coffee to bring home.

 

It is expensive to buy clothes and tourist stuff but if you go to the local supermarkets and look in the back streets near the port it is way cheaper.

The Choo Choo trian is also a great way to explore.

 

Smile and use whatever French you have and all will be well!

 

Loved The Sun and don't know how anyone could complain when most on board paid about $100-$200/per day. It was the cheapest holiday ever! Can't wait to go again!!

[Sandielle]

So glad you enjoyed your cruise Nazz. It's such a nice change to hear something NOT negative about the Sun! :):):)

 

Thanks also for the useful tips on Lifou and Noumea.

[tassie cruiser]

This was the first cruise after dry dock and everything went smoothly. Staff were really happy and went out of their way to ensure a top trip.Too many activities to try them all so you can never be bored. The food choices are varied and plentiful.... Lots more vegetarian and healthy options than we had on our last cruise. Actually lost a few kgs but I did go to the gym this time and also used the stairs all the time... and walked for miles on all the shore tours.

 

The crew were really helpful and the entertainment first class.

 

Shore days were great....Loved Lifou.. had a long walk to the village on the far right of the dock.. took an hour but there was plenty to see on the way.

The snorkeling was amazing.. best I have done...even better than Tonga!

The local pastries "yum" after a long walk.

 

We called into a small school we found along the way to drop of some gifts and were made very welcome. Take francs for tips or things kids can use and pay it forward wherever you go. Smille and use some French!

 

Nouméa way better than expected.. took the number 1 bus to the bays, explored town and the local markets and got some great local chocolate and coffee to bring home.

 

It is expensive to buy clothes and tourist stuff but if you go to the local supermarkets and look in the back streets near the port it is way cheaper.

The Choo Choo trian is also a great way to explore.

 

Smile and use whatever French you have and all will be well!

 

Loved The Sun and don't know how anyone could complain when most on board paid about $100-$200/per day. It was the cheapest holiday ever! Can't wait to go again!!

 

Wow, thanks so much for posting. Was great to read such a positive review. Sounds like you had a great cruise and i bet you are looking at booking another asap..lol... There has been quite a bit of bad feedback for the Sun and getting bit sick of people moaning and whingeing about everything.. Good for you, any cruise would be a great cruise for me.... :)

Did you use the adults only area, sorry have gone blank, cant remember what its called..Is it Oasis??? if you did, how much was it and was it worth it.. Fiona :)

[Nazz]

TA for the question...looked in on the 1st day and it seemed like good value if you want more privacy/less people, bigger towels, magazines and snacks with no lines. We would have returned if we needed shade but actually found that there were heaps of places to chill out with shelter or sun if needed. Actually forgot about it after that as we were so busy relaxing or being entertained.

 

Theare is so you can be kid free but the kids were so well occupied that at most there were 5-8 max in the pool. The Spa on deck was busy but so were we so had no time to try it!! Found that swimming in the sea was so much fun we did not use the pool for 4 days as we were on shore snorkelling for so long we were wrecked when we got back and were ready to shower, eat some late afternoon snacks or find a cocktail to sip in the sun.

 

We did chat to some folk who used it most days as they wanted more space. My husband loves his chill out space to be large and I though he would use it but even he did not feel crowded despite the boat being really full.

[Bella cruiser]

Hi, Nazz, thanks for your great review,:) and very glad you had such a good time. It is a relief to hear possitive comments about the PS after all thats happened recently (hope all the bugs are really ironed out). I've been starting to get worried about our September cruise on her, and whether we've made the right decision.

 

Thanks again

Jenny

[k1mmi]

This was the first cruise after dry dock and everything went smoothly. Staff were really happy and went out of their way to ensure a top trip.Too many activities to try them all so you can never be bored. The food choices are varied and plentiful.... Lots more vegetarian and healthy options than we had on our last cruise. Actually lost a few kgs but I did go to the gym this time and also used the stairs all the time... and walked for miles on all the shore tours.

 

The crew were really helpful and the entertainment first class.

 

Shore days were great....Loved Lifou.. had a long walk to the village on the far right of the dock.. took an hour but there was plenty to see on the way.

The snorkeling was amazing.. best I have done...even better than Tonga!

The local pastries "yum" after a long walk.

 

We called into a small school we found along the way to drop of some gifts and were made very welcome. Take francs for tips or things kids can use and pay it forward wherever you go. Smille and use some French!

 

Nouméa way better than expected.. took the number 1 bus to the bays, explored town and the local markets and got some great local chocolate and coffee to bring home.

 

It is expensive to buy clothes and tourist stuff but if you go to the local supermarkets and look in the back streets near the port it is way cheaper.

The Choo Choo trian is also a great way to explore.

 

Smile and use whatever French you have and all will be well!

 

Loved The Sun and don't know how anyone could complain when most on board paid about $100-$200/per day. It was the cheapest holiday ever! Can't wait to go again!!

 

 

I have to agree with all of this, this was also my first cruise and i had the best time, the staff and entertainment were great, food was good and so many options, something for everyone i think! i would go on the Sun again without hesitation! Best holiday in a long time!

[Ripeka]

HI Nazz; we were on that cruise too. I did find the crowds pretty overwhelming for first 2 days so escaped to the Oasis which was a haven for me. Its very interesting this whole cruising thing. My assessment is that it depends on the type of person you are and also what you look for in a holiday as to how much a person enjoys it. I am quite the introvert in that I am not re-energised by meeting new people; rather I am energised by having some space and quiet time. Also, I dont need a lot of variety. So overall, the cruise didnt really appeal to me, but it wasnt anything specific about the Pacific Sun; more the whole cruise culture. I love to be able to take my watch off on holiday and go with the flow. I found that impossible to do as I was always clock watching, in order to make sure I didnt miss out on doing something on the programme, and always having to plan eating times around what I was trying to do. Also, I felt pressured by having to make decisions all day about what to do next! lol. However interestingly, I have come home more relaxed and rested that I would have thought. It must be the break from cooking, cleaning and tidying up after myself; that was pretty awesome. The staff were pretty amazing as they work such long hours and are on their feet the whole time.

 

I did find the Lido deck/buffet area quite "hi-di-hi campers" kinda thing along with the Cruise Director and some of his staff. I thought it was quite obvious that many of them(Cruise Activities staff) didnt understand the general kiwi culture/psyche (it seemed that the boat was about 80% kiwis?) Also there was a Sports Memorabilia Auction in which 80% of the items were Aussie sports legends - hubbie was not impressed (that ole Aussie/Kiwi sporting rilvary!). Bet the auction didnt sell much that day lol.

 

Probably another thing that would really affect enjoyment would be how you cope with not only sea sickness but the whole continual motion and noise of the boat. I managed my queasiness quite easily but at times the squeaking and rattling of doors in cabin at night was something I got a bit weary of. Again though strangely, last night I had trouble getting to sleep without a moving bed LOL. Also, today at work, everything has been constantly moving. QUITE FUNNY.

 

I think that you would have a different cruise too depending on who you go with. If I went with girlfriends,then we would do a whole heap of boat activities than what hubbie & I did and that would change a person's experience.

 

I was so glad I had an outside cabin with a window. Loved watching the sea and enjoyed just being in the cabin sometimes to rest up before the next activity.

 

Final comment - I thought the dining was a bit shambolic. Staff would tell you one thing when you rang to book for dinner, then if you queried them they would give in and let you book a time, even though they had just finished telling you that they didnt do bookings. Some people did manage to secure regular table booking with one waiter but most of us were not. It felt a bit like there was one set of rules for some people, and another set of rules for others. Then on formal nights, they changed their tune again. - "no bookings tonight". As for "Anytime dining" - we turned up twice without a booking at 6.30 and 7.30pm and both times were turned away and told there were no tables until the "next session at 8pm" I really didnt get it worked out the whole cruise and as a Admin Mgr, I let it frustrate me (which I shouldnt have:rolleyes:).

 

Overall, it was a great value for money for 8 nights and there were lots of great things (i.e. entertainment was spectacular, food was pretty yum, service was generally excellent, kids programme really impresssed a teacher who peeked her head in the door, and there truly was lots to do). Just not sure that cruising is for me, although maybe I will try it again when I am out of my 40s. Who knows? I might love it then :D (all that bingo excitement! tehehe)

[Ripeka]

btw I was surprised by the huge ethnic mix of cultures amongst the staff. Apparently, staff are paid according to their country of origin not their skill sets (this was told to me by one of the kiwi staff) Hmmm that doesnt go down too well if its true.:(

 

Also, I think it would be very helpful if staff at the Pursers Desk spoke really good English. A couple of those I struck seemed to have no problem understanding me, but I couldn't understand their explanation (as they spoke so fast and heavily accented) and so I ended up leaving without an answer to my queries. Often, you are querying something a bit complicated and the explanation needs to be clear and easy to understand.

[SerendipityLulu]

Thanks for the great review, I'm really looking forward to my cruise now!:o