Tour and Lunch aboard Pacific Jewel

[livingstone]

well today was the day the the NRMA cruise club members had a look at the Pacific Jewel. The day started at 1100 with a tour of the ship with a very informative sales manager from P&O giving the run down on diffenent areas of the ship. the day ending with a lovely lunch in the main dinning room. and disembarkation at 1430. the food was great as you would expect on a familarisation tour that is hosted by P&O, starting with mushroom soup, main meal was tasmainian samon or streak (I had the steak) and ending with the specialty of P&O the triple chocolate desert. all in all it was a great day out. We had a look at all the resturants and public areas, the huge spa and fitness area, and ialso nspected the various rooms on offer. some areas were not as good as the Pacific Dawn and some areas were better.

 

all in all I think a cruise on the Dawn or the jewel will alway be and enjoyable experience, and accoding to the P&O sales manager they are rebranding the ships as family crusie ships and getting away from the party ship idea. the night club is now called an evening venue. No dome on this ship as on the dawn, the dome area is the spa, sauna and heath club. I must say for those who like their treatments, sauna spa etc it is a great space, but for those who enjoyed sittng in the dome during the day and watching the sea roll away they will be disapointed. bottom line P&O does family budget cruises well, it is an affordable holday, like staying at a three star resort with three and fours star dinning options. or spending the day at an RSL club + family frendly activites.

 

Oh yeah I picked up the daily cruise guide while on board, and there he was AGAIN larger than life Mark Christian, I hear you say, well who is he? is a comedian who has been on all of my three P&O cruises. He must be part of the crew by now, I would not be suprised if he becomes a cruise director for P&O,and by the way he would be great at it.

[Sandielle]

Thanks for the update Livingstone! Always good to hear what's what! :)

[baer]

Thanks for your review. We are looking forward to our holiday in 2 weeks. Did you happen to notice a library on board?

[livingstone]

Thanks for your review. We are looking forward to our holiday in 2 weeks. Did you happen to notice a library on board?

 

library on board looks nice, it even has windows and some books.

[Sandielle]

Livingstone, is it the library they use for the Steak Grill in the evenings?

 

I must confess (at the risk of being howled down as a pleb!) that I think I would prefer the Steak Grill to Luke Mangan's Salt Grill.

 

Had a look at the Salt Grill menu - and, I'm not a fussy eater, but some of the concoctions sound yuk!. Fancy destroying Gulf (as in NTH Aus not this farmed baby stuff) Barramundi with weird and wonderful sauces and accompaniments. It is just delicious grilled on its own or with a little lemon sauce. BUT, I stress, that's just DH's and my opinion.

[livingstone]

Livingstone, is it the library they use for the Steak Grill in the evenings?

 

I must confess (at the risk of being howled down as a pleb!) that I think I would prefer the Steak Grill to Luke Mangan's Salt Grill.

 

Had a look at the Salt Grill menu - and, I'm not a fussy eater, but some of the concoctions sound yuk!. Fancy destroying Gulf (as in NTH Aus not this farmed baby stuff) Barramundi with weird and wonderful sauces and accompaniments. It is just delicious grilled on its own or with a little lemon sauce. BUT, I stress, that's just DH's and my opinion.

 

Hey, there was no mention of the library being used as a resturant. there is a grill area outside the buffet, and on the other side a asian specialty place, and then salt grill. I mustr say it looks nice.

[Sandielle]

Hey, there was no mention of the library being used as a resturant. there is a grill area outside the buffet, and on the other side a asian specialty place, and then salt grill. I mustr say it looks nice.

 

Hey, Livingstone - Silly me :D :rolleyes: Forget my post above!! I got you mixed up with Edington, sorry!sorry! Comes of multi-tasking! :cool:

 

Edington went on the Pacific Sun and I had been reading his review about that ship! Dohhh. I think I've read they have a library and use it for the steak house at night.

[baer]

library on board looks nice, it even has windows and some books.

Thanks for the info - at least I won't have to lug some books along. There is always some treasure worth reading on board.

[Bella cruiser]

library on board looks nice, it even has windows and some books.

 

Ahh, all the essential ingredients to make a good library.:D

 

Thanks for posting Livingstone the comparisons with Pac Dawn were interesting.

 

Although P & O may not actualy come out and say it, I think that they are trying to steer families onto Pac Sun and Pac Pearl because although the adults prices are similar across the fleet, we have noticed that the children's fares for the same length of cruise are much more expensive (in some cases almost double) on the Pac Dawn and Pac Jewel.