P115 Pacific Pearl Idyllic Getaway – Far From Idyllic

[Kiwi Kid]

Departed Sydney 24th April with scheduled ports of call being Isle of Pines, Noumea & Norfolk Island – 8 nights. Arriving back to Auckland (home). Norfolk cancelled due to high seas, which rose to 9 metres and caused considerable damage to ship & forced cancellation of shows etc.

WARNING – if you want a sugar coated, quick read, then don’t read any further – this isn’t the report for you! :D

Firstly let’s start by saying this is my 9th cruise – but definitely my last with P&O Australia. I have experienced high seas, (not quite 9 metres but close), blocked toilets, cabin issues, mediocre food, and other annoyances on P&O and other lines, but never all at once! 3 of us cruising – myself, husband (first time cruiser – and perhaps last), and 14 year old daughter.

Boarding was impressively smooth – though Wharf 5 isn’t exactly the best for first impressions, especially when you use the rest rooms. Dropped bags around 11.30am and on board by 12pm. Encountered first of many queues at Plantation by 12.20pm – so avoidable if they had opted to open the other side of the buffet when it appeared it was fully laden with food, ready to go.

The Ship itself is beautiful and makes a great first impression. The staff – with the exception of one surly waitress in Plantation all do a fantastic job in less than ideal conditions. As for the cabin – the biggest and best layout I have experienced with the exception of Carnival Splendor. Bathroom is highly functional with plenty of cupboard space, water pressure was fine and drainage was brilliant. Enough coat hangers for everything and drawers for Africa. Only issue with wardrobe was during high seas clothes ran from side to side – easily fixed by pushing to one end and securing a towel. Safe was of a good size and easy to operate. Large cases fitted under bed without issue.

Casino was never over crowded and an excellent place to visit when seas got rough as it’s on level 5 midship which limits the motion.

Photographs – yes they were $30 each and an additional $20 to put on to your own USB stick (a bit steep for USB but they want you to purchase the P&O one – unfortunately it’s only 1 meg so not of much use other than to store a few photos), but the quality was fantastic. The 2 photographers we encountered were delightful and we have a lovely family photo which we would have paid considerably more for if we’d gone to a studio.

Salt – oh my goodness this was just divine! Worth every penny and so nice to “dine” rather than chow down in a food hall type environment. Recommendation would be to book early on but if you are crossing back to NZ, don’t reserve the last couple of nights as the weather is never ideal. Weather permitting, we would have gone again.

Waterfront had the potential to be great but the first time I’ve done “anytime dining” and hated it. We always chose to share a table and would have stuck with the same table companions but never worked out as many chose to eat at Plantation or varying times. So we never built a rapport with our waitstaff as they differed each night – for me such an enjoyable part of cruising. Thus the service differed each night – out of 7 nights probably 3 were great, 3 were ok and 1 was a shocker. To put guests with a 6pm reservation on a table with those dining at 5.45pm doesn’t work – we sat down to folk already eating their mains. Firstly to me this is bad manners, but it also meant we got overlooked. At 6.45pm we hadn’t received any food so got Maitrede involved. Things improved rapidly and it was the best meal food wise in the Waterfront as our food obviously came out as soon as it was ready and had been through some sort of “quality control” check. Food in Waterfront for lunch was always fine – loved the brownie! Dinner was hit & miss – last night of pot roast was more like “pot gristle”. No tea or coffee offered after meals and you always felt pressured to “rush” as your table was cleared from around you. Normally chose a 6pm time slot but couldn’t always get it, despite trying to secure it as you enter the restaurant at 6pm. So much for not being able to take bookings more than 24 hours out. There didn’t appear to be a dresscode enforced in Waterfront – even on first formal night saw a man in teeshirt. Though they were always present with hand sanitiser which was a good thing. Obvious cost cutting from previous P&O cruise. Temperature in here was very hit and miss – freezing to toasty. Formal night was particularly chilly with nothing more than a light cardigan unless we opted for the sweatshirt!

Marqueue theatre – what a shocking design! And I had forgotten how cruising can bring out the worst in people – we waited at the doors 40 minutes prior to opening to get the seats we wanted (3 out of say 30 would have been ideal). We were at the front of the “herd” but when those doors opened, the stampede began and we were obviously just too polite. So we ended up 3 rows from the front on the left hand side – all that waiting for nothing. One of many areas of the ship that had air con issues – basically it was freezing for the first 3 days.

Oasis – free from 1st April – as it should be, given this is where spas are, but no under 18 access, which would have been nice to chill out as a family when we couldn’t use our cabin, but rules are rules. Crowded and cold spas which didn’t heat up until Noumea but still a nice area to read a book & take in the vista.

Kids Club – activities didn’t appeal to 14 year but I would encourage parents to take their children along just to meet others. Another family we travelled with had children (12 & 14) who enjoyed the social interaction it provided.

Cruise Director – Zoltina J – you either love her or hate. Unfortunately this was my first encounter and she just grated – speaking to other woman many felt the same. Men seemed to love her! In all fairness she did her job well until the last 2 days when communication was patchy, at best.

Royal Wedding – due to passenger requests, this was shown in your staterooms and in the Oasis. Appreciated by all as it was an historic moment.

On board entertainment – magician was very so-so, Ash Peurie – singer, had an amazing voice and personality to boot. Was looking forward to Brendon Lovegrove – NZ comedian, but he boarded at Noumea when seas turned nasty. Found him propped at Mix bar around 11am looking decidedly green, sipping a soda. Gave him Phenergan which he said later had helped, but he obviously deteriorated as conditions worsened, with his first outing being late show on last night. We opted to get some sleep instead as we hadn’t got a lot the night before. There was a change of dancers & I think Cirque performers whilst we were on board. Taste of Cirque on first night was average, with one performer having some serous issues. Presume it was his first public “outing”. Did get better and show on deck 12 on island night was great.

Shops – same old, same old. If you are arriving into NZ, don’t buy your duty free on board at A$49 for 2 bottles (limited selection). Pre-order from a major retailer online who will deliver to port for collection – better selection for NZ$59.

Bingo – enjoyed Hayden’s calling and the banter with Serge “that’s nice”. Couldn’t believe that our luck had turned when with a prize pool of $85, our ticket came in!! Excitement turned to hilarity when we realised that a total of 5 winners existed – so we can say we won at bingo, but at $17 it didn’t cover the cost of the ticket. The hassle to collect the money outweighed the win – we all had to assemble at Connexions, then go to Casino. Went to Casino to be told couldn’t collect until Serge returned – and he was still processing people. So next day got our $17 as we got our next ticket. Jackpot was $4.6k – not huge but remember a lot of passengers weren’t up and about due to conditions.

Prices on board – with the exchange rate sitting at around 73 cents Australian to the NZ dollar, we found it pricey. Our on board tab ran to approx. A$1000, with a couple of cocktails at night & 2 beers (none on last 3 nights – had to be an upside to a 9 metre swell!), 2 shore tours at A$189 each pp, bingo most days and $150 or so at casino. $79 at spa plus two photos and got them on USB drive. We prepaid Salt restaurant. All up for airfares, cruise & onboard charges (obviously discretionary as you could have cruised and paid zero) came to in excess of NZ$5k.

Ports of Call – we opted for this cruise because it was during school holidays, not for POC. I have done Noumea 3 times and don’t like it – hardly an island paradise, but just my personal opinion. Husband & daughter did Amadee Island, which daughter & I had done previously. Weather plays a big factor in this tour – it was overcast and not suitable for sun bathing. Snorkelling was still good, as was show, food & glass bottom boat. At A$189 they wouldn’t do again. I personally got off and was back within 15 minutes, having done all I wanted. Got 2 bottles of red wine with the help of a delightful local gentleman who interpreted for me in the wine section. Did have an issue coming back so early as there was no-one available to take it off me, but within 15 minutes this was sorted. Of course it had to be the poor man who had been dealing with all of our cabin issues. Instead I opted to spend my money at the Spa - $79 for 3 treatments. It was fantastic. Prior to that I went to the gym and it was empty, bar Neena – an ex dancer who was in charge of training. Had a enjoyable chat with good facilities.

Isle of Pines – slowly becoming a sad excuse for a tropical island. P&O really need to get a team out there to collect the rubbish – all deposited by lazy cruisers. Can’t blame the resort at the end for closing their shores to P&O passengers (last visit you were welcome but not to camp at the pool). Weather was cloudy but improved during the day. Tender process was painless as we were in no rush due to plumbing problems. Were given priority tickets but the ones I had collected earlier gave us boarding at the same time.

Norfolk – now P&O don’t tell you that this port is very hit & miss. We were speaking to someone at a travel show from the Tourism Authority and she warned us that ships had tried to get in 6 times but only 3 had succeeded and that a floating pontoon is used. This means conditions have to be perfect. We booked a rental car with the guarantee of no charge if ship didn’t make it – unfortunately we dined with people who had done the same but with a cancellation fee (only $20 but still ...). A little research on their behalf would have avoided this, but it’s funny how many people have never even heard of a cruise review! A little disappointing but not unexpected. What was unexpected was how foul the weather turned, so rapidly ... That night Royal Wedding was on, so watched that but the weather was starting to turn.

Day 6 – things just deteriorated weather wise. Daughter was feeling most unwell but due to Phenergan doses & anti naus tablets, was never ill. She didn’t feel well enough to partake of anything though. Husband too wasn’t coping, despite lots of drugs on board. The huge crashes were frightening for a teenager, but with lots of reassurance we didn’t get cabin fever or anything. I was fine but you had to be very cautious moving around – and avoid piles of *&^@ where the sick bags hadn’t been retrieved in time. Lifts were out of action – which was a good thing as when the door opened on one, it was not a pleasant aroma. Not many people around – we couldn’t get any time for dinner except 8pm the previous night when we tried to book, but were told to try for a walk in. Rest assured I had no problem with a walkin around 6pm – in fact I shared a table with 2 women with sick partners/family and one who had to excuse herself part way through. As we were dining a panel fell down, but no one was hurt. A few broken panels were evident the next day – each with their ends wrapped in towels to avoid injury. As the top bunk has no safety rail, we put the mattress on the floor to be on the safe side. This worked well and we did the same on the last night. (Hubby put it back so Lillian didn’t have to upon departure).

Top decks shut, dome and marqueee shut, along with kids club where a panel fell down. Damage to marquee on departure day meant that you couldn’t sit in first 2 rows due to unstable fittings and panels down. At no stage did I feel unsafe, but count my blessings that I was able to walk across the pool deck with 2 glass bottles of gingerale for unwell family without incident (prior to them being closed). My stupidity – not one else to blame! But couldn’t believe that come day 2 no gingerale could be ordered. FYI Coffee shop on 12 had it.

Cabin 8171 – talk about a bad run. We were finding it quite difficult adjusting to the time change so were looking forward to sleeping in, but that wasn’t to be. Firstly, let’s say it’s a great position – handy to the Waterfront, stairs & Oasis, yet we never had noise issues. Cabin steward was Lillian from Vanuatu. What a delightful lady – she got toothache near the end and went to the medical centre but it was closed. I gave her Panadol and a vial of liquid I had purchased from my dentist for such emergencies. (Never told her it cost $80 as she was embarrassed enough taking what I offered). It fixed the problem and she returned to her cheery self. She tried to make our stay as enjoyable as possible and obviously found it frustrating that she couldn’t make beds, turn down etc as she should. I think she was concerned we would not give her good feedback, but every issue we encountered was outside of her control. Only got 2 towel animals but appreciated both. Know she made more for companions a few doors along.

In bed fast asleep when around 11.30pm heard a faint knocking and a man entered the cabin – husband sat bolt upright “sorry sir, sorry” and they left. Went to bathroom around 2.30pm and as I neared felt squishing between my toes! Couldn’t bring myself to disturb family & report it then, so threw down some towels and went back to a fitful sleep – waking every hour or so to ensure it hadn’t got worse (it didn’t or I would have dealt with it then). Woke everyone early and reported it to Lillian. Very quickly her Supervisor was on the case. Carpet was all lifted in hallway & outside bathroom, and large blower vac installed. This meant you couldn’t get in to the bathroom and the noise made remaining in the cabin unpleasant. Also clothing on the floor was saturated and orange – and the whole room smelt rather vile of wet carpet. They did do our washing and offered to wash everything due to the stench. Over the week we got most things washed, with exception of evening wear.

After trying to fill in a morning without using the cabin, we returned after lunch to find a note to call a Manager after 3pm. Too noisey in cabin so at 3pm went to reception. He was apologetic and said if they could find us another cabin they would, but ship was full. Said it would take until evening to dry out, then required shampooing. At this stage we hadn’t been able to shower, brush teeth etc, so asked if we could use the Spa or similar to do so. He said he would make available an inside cabin on deck 5 that the Pilot Boat person was due to occupy at 4am. At 5pm went to see Manager again - were told to return to our cabin (noisey & smelly) and to await someone to escort us to the cabin. After 30 minutes no one had shown up – a phone call revealed that the cabin had been unlocked for us to use – just poor communication. So we dashed down to shower with our bags to be ready for our 6pm dinner reservation. We were a couple of minutes late but so were our table mates. We had agreed that we would be attending the Magician that evening, so were due back no later than 10.30pm. Blower Vac would be removed prior to this. 10.30pm vac still going but cabin no longer smelt repugnant. Husband removed & put outside for a good nights sleep and a lie in for our teenager, who was complaining about being woken so early.

Not to be – hubby & I up at 7am for a Waterfront breakfast (no complaints about breakfast – except sent French Toast one day as it was cold & rubbery). Got books to take to Oasis to give our daughter peace & quiet to smell something foul as you entered. Sure enough there was sewerage swilling around the bathroom floor – luckily not out. Gross – so awaken child to get into something respectable and along come maintenance. Two hours later to mop & sanitise – and another public bathroom encounter for most.

Next day – first thing, toilet not flushing. Awaken daughter, and issue fixed within ½ hr or so. Beyond P&O control as some lunatic had put facial wipes down it – obviously she deemed they were toilet paper, or couldn’t read. We joked that P&O must have it in for us – but friends said it would get better!

Wrong – not flushing again. Hubby & daughter up early for day in Noumea but I had rather enjoyed myself at Island Night so was trying to recover – not to be. So for the 4th day no sleep in but fixed by the time I returned from breakfast.

So would I cruise P&O Australia again – quite simply - no, unless they could guarantee that their policy has changed re booking ships to capacity. I also would be more selective on Ports of Call. Without our bathroom/flooding issues this cruise would have been a 6.5 / 10, but given our overall experience, I’d say 3/10. If we’d been able to have a lie in and use the loo in the privacy of our own cabin, we probably wouldn’t be so grumpy. Obviously everyone has a different experience and we met people who had never cruised before who were loving it (pre bad weather encounters, so not sure if they changed their minds!). You do get a bit spoilt having American cruise lines to compare with.

If I haven’t covered something, I’d be pleased to answer any questions (though if you’ve got to the end, you’ve probably had enough!) Happy cruising! :D

[Skyrules]

Departed Sydney 24th April with scheduled ports of call being Isle of Pines, Noumea & Norfolk Island – 8 nights. Arriving back to Auckland (home). Norfolk cancelled due to high seas, which rose to 9 metres and caused considerable damage to ship & forced cancellation of shows etc.

 

WARNING – if you want a sugar coated, quick read, then don’t read any further – this isn’t the report for you! :D

 

Firstly let’s start by saying this is my 9th cruise – but definitely my last with P&O Australia. I have experienced high seas, (not quite 9 metres but close), blocked toilets, cabin issues, mediocre food, and other annoyances on P&O and other lines, but never all at once! 3 of us cruising – myself, husband (first time cruiser – and perhaps last), and 14 year old daughter.

 

Boarding was impressively smooth – though Wharf 5 isn’t exactly the best for first impressions, especially when you use the rest rooms. Dropped bags around 11.30am and on board by 12pm. Encountered first of many queues at Plantation by 12.20pm – so avoidable if they had opted to open the other side of the buffet when it appeared it was fully laden with food, ready to go.

 

The Ship itself is beautiful and makes a great first impression. The staff – with the exception of one surly waitress in Plantation all do a fantastic job in less than ideal conditions. As for the cabin – the biggest and best layout I have experienced with the exception of Carnival Splendor. Bathroom is highly functional with plenty of cupboard space, water pressure was fine and drainage was brilliant. Enough coat hangers for everything and drawers for Africa. Only issue with wardrobe was during high seas clothes ran from side to side – easily fixed by pushing to one end and securing a towel. Safe was of a good size and easy to operate. Large cases fitted under bed without issue.

 

Casino was never over crowded and an excellent place to visit when seas got rough as it’s on level 5 midship which limits the motion.

 

Photographs – yes they were $30 each and an additional $20 to put on to your own USB stick (a bit steep for USB but they want you to purchase the P&O one – unfortunately it’s only 1 meg so not of much use other than to store a few photos), but the quality was fantastic. The 2 photographers we encountered were delightful and we have a lovely family photo which we would have paid considerably more for if we’d gone to a studio.

 

Salt – oh my goodness this was just divine! Worth every penny and so nice to “dine” rather than chow down in a food hall type environment. Recommendation would be to book early on but if you are crossing back to NZ, don’t reserve the last couple of nights as the weather is never ideal. Weather permitting, we would have gone again.

 

Waterfront had the potential to be great but the first time I’ve done “anytime dining” and hated it. We always chose to share a table and would have stuck with the same table companions but never worked out as many chose to eat at Plantation or varying times. So we never built a rapport with our waitstaff as they differed each night – for me such an enjoyable part of cruising. Thus the service differed each night – out of 7 nights probably 3 were great, 3 were ok and 1 was a shocker. To put guests with a 6pm reservation on a table with those dining at 5.45pm doesn’t work – we sat down to folk already eating their mains. Firstly to me this is bad manners, but it also meant we got overlooked. At 6.45pm we hadn’t received any food so got Maitrede involved. Things improved rapidly and it was the best meal food wise in the Waterfront as our food obviously came out as soon as it was ready and had been through some sort of “quality control” check. Food in Waterfront for lunch was always fine – loved the brownie! Dinner was hit & miss – last night of pot roast was more like “pot gristle”. No tea or coffee offered after meals and you always felt pressured to “rush” as your table was cleared from around you. Normally chose a 6pm time slot but couldn’t always get it, despite trying to secure it as you enter the restaurant at 6pm. So much for not being able to take bookings more than 24 hours out. There didn’t appear to be a dresscode enforced in Waterfront – even on first formal night saw a man in teeshirt. Though they were always present with hand sanitiser which was a good thing. Obvious cost cutting from previous P&O cruise. Temperature in here was very hit and miss – freezing to toasty. Formal night was particularly chilly with nothing more than a light cardigan unless we opted for the sweatshirt!

 

Marqueue theatre – what a shocking design! And I had forgotten how cruising can bring out the worst in people – we waited at the doors 40 minutes prior to opening to get the seats we wanted (3 out of say 30 would have been ideal). We were at the front of the “herd” but when those doors opened, the stampede began and we were obviously just too polite. So we ended up 3 rows from the front on the left hand side – all that waiting for nothing. One of many areas of the ship that had air con issues – basically it was freezing for the first 3 days.

 

Oasis – free from 1st April – as it should be, given this is where spas are, but no under 18 access, which would have been nice to chill out as a family when we couldn’t use our cabin, but rules are rules. Crowded and cold spas which didn’t heat up until Noumea but still a nice area to read a book & take in the vista.

 

Kids Club – activities didn’t appeal to 14 year but I would encourage parents to take their children along just to meet others. Another family we travelled with had children (12 & 14) who enjoyed the social interaction it provided.

 

Cruise Director – Zoltina J – you either love her or hate. Unfortunately this was my first encounter and she just grated – speaking to other woman many felt the same. Men seemed to love her! In all fairness she did her job well until the last 2 days when communication was patchy, at best.

 

Royal Wedding – due to passenger requests, this was shown in your staterooms and in the Oasis. Appreciated by all as it was an historic moment.

 

On board entertainment – magician was very so-so, Ash Peurie – singer, had an amazing voice and personality to boot. Was looking forward to Brendon Lovegrove – NZ comedian, but he boarded at Noumea when seas turned nasty. Found him propped at Mix bar around 11am looking decidedly green, sipping a soda. Gave him Phenergan which he said later had helped, but he obviously deteriorated as conditions worsened, with his first outing being late show on last night. We opted to get some sleep instead as we hadn’t got a lot the night before. There was a change of dancers & I think Cirque performers whilst we were on board. Taste of Cirque on first night was average, with one performer having some serous issues. Presume it was his first public “outing”. Did get better and show on deck 12 on island night was great.

 

Shops – same old, same old. If you are arriving into NZ, don’t buy your duty free on board at A$49 for 2 bottles (limited selection). Pre-order from a major retailer online who will deliver to port for collection – better selection for NZ$59.

 

Bingo – enjoyed Hayden’s calling and the banter with Serge “that’s nice”. Couldn’t believe that our luck had turned when with a prize pool of $85, our ticket came in!! Excitement turned to hilarity when we realised that a total of 5 winners existed – so we can say we won at bingo, but at $17 it didn’t cover the cost of the ticket. The hassle to collect the money outweighed the win – we all had to assemble at Connexions, then go to Casino. Went to Casino to be told couldn’t collect until Serge returned – and he was still processing people. So next day got our $17 as we got our next ticket. Jackpot was $4.6k – not huge but remember a lot of passengers weren’t up and about due to conditions.

 

Prices on board – with the exchange rate sitting at around 73 cents Australian to the NZ dollar, we found it pricey. Our on board tab ran to approx. A$1000, with a couple of cocktails at night & 2 beers (none on last 3 nights – had to be an upside to a 9 metre swell!), 2 shore tours at A$189 each pp, bingo most days and $150 or so at casino. $79 at spa plus two photos and got them on USB drive. We prepaid Salt restaurant. All up for airfares, cruise & onboard charges (obviously discretionary as you could have cruised and paid zero) came to in excess of NZ$5k.

 

Ports of Call – we opted for this cruise because it was during school holidays, not for POC. I have done Noumea 3 times and don’t like it – hardly an island paradise, but just my personal opinion. Husband & daughter did Amadee Island, which daughter & I had done previously. Weather plays a big factor in this tour – it was overcast and not suitable for sun bathing. Snorkelling was still good, as was show, food & glass bottom boat. At A$189 they wouldn’t do again. I personally got off and was back within 15 minutes, having done all I wanted. Got 2 bottles of red wine with the help of a delightful local gentleman who interpreted for me in the wine section. Did have an issue coming back so early as there was no-one available to take it off me, but within 15 minutes this was sorted. Of course it had to be the poor man who had been dealing with all of our cabin issues. Instead I opted to spend my money at the Spa - $79 for 3 treatments. It was fantastic. Prior to that I went to the gym and it was empty, bar Neena – an ex dancer who was in charge of training. Had a enjoyable chat with good facilities.

 

Isle of Pines – slowly becoming a sad excuse for a tropical island. P&O really need to get a team out there to collect the rubbish – all deposited by lazy cruisers. Can’t blame the resort at the end for closing their shores to P&O passengers (last visit you were welcome but not to camp at the pool). Weather was cloudy but improved during the day. Tender process was painless as we were in no rush due to plumbing problems. Were given priority tickets but the ones I had collected earlier gave us boarding at the same time.

 

Norfolk – now P&O don’t tell you that this port is very hit & miss. We were speaking to someone at a travel show from the Tourism Authority and she warned us that ships had tried to get in 6 times but only 3 had succeeded and that a floating pontoon is used. This means conditions have to be perfect. We booked a rental car with the guarantee of no charge if ship didn’t make it – unfortunately we dined with people who had done the same but with a cancellation fee (only $20 but still ...). A little research on their behalf would have avoided this, but it’s funny how many people have never even heard of a cruise review! A little disappointing but not unexpected. What was unexpected was how foul the weather turned, so rapidly ... That night Royal Wedding was on, so watched that but the weather was starting to turn.

 

 

Day 6 – things just deteriorated weather wise. Daughter was feeling most unwell but due to Phenergan doses & anti naus tablets, was never ill. She didn’t feel well enough to partake of anything though. Husband too wasn’t coping, despite lots of drugs on board. The huge crashes were frightening for a teenager, but with lots of reassurance we didn’t get cabin fever or anything. I was fine but you had to be very cautious moving around – and avoid piles of *&^@ where the sick bags hadn’t been retrieved in time. Lifts were out of action – which was a good thing as when the door opened on one, it was not a pleasant aroma. Not many people around – we couldn’t get any time for dinner except 8pm the previous night when we tried to book, but were told to try for a walk in. Rest assured I had no problem with a walkin around 6pm – in fact I shared a table with 2 women with sick partners/family and one who had to excuse herself part way through. As we were dining a panel fell down, but no one was hurt. A few broken panels were evident the next day – each with their ends wrapped in towels to avoid injury. As the top bunk has no safety rail, we put the mattress on the floor to be on the safe side. This worked well and we did the same on the last night. (Hubby put it back so Lillian didn’t have to upon departure).

 

Top decks shut, dome and marqueee shut, along with kids club where a panel fell down. Damage to marquee on departure day meant that you couldn’t sit in first 2 rows due to unstable fittings and panels down. At no stage did I feel unsafe, but count my blessings that I was able to walk across the pool deck with 2 glass bottles of gingerale for unwell family without incident (prior to them being closed). My stupidity – not one else to blame! But couldn’t believe that come day 2 no gingerale could be ordered. FYI Coffee shop on 12 had it.

 

Cabin 8171 – talk about a bad run. We were finding it quite difficult adjusting to the time change so were looking forward to sleeping in, but that wasn’t to be. Firstly, let’s say it’s a great position – handy to the Waterfront, stairs & Oasis, yet we never had noise issues. Cabin steward was Lillian from Vanuatu. What a delightful lady – she got toothache near the end and went to the medical centre but it was closed. I gave her Panadol and a vial of liquid I had purchased from my dentist for such emergencies. (Never told her it cost $80 as she was embarrassed enough taking what I offered). It fixed the problem and she returned to her cheery self. She tried to make our stay as enjoyable as possible and obviously found it frustrating that she couldn’t make beds, turn down etc as she should. I think she was concerned we would not give her good feedback, but every issue we encountered was outside of her control. Only got 2 towel animals but appreciated both. Know she made more for companions a few doors along.

 

In bed fast asleep when around 11.30pm heard a faint knocking and a man entered the cabin – husband sat bolt upright “sorry sir, sorry” and they left. Went to bathroom around 2.30pm and as I neared felt squishing between my toes! Couldn’t bring myself to disturb family & report it then, so threw down some towels and went back to a fitful sleep – waking every hour or so to ensure it hadn’t got worse (it didn’t or I would have dealt with it then). Woke everyone early and reported it to Lillian. Very quickly her Supervisor was on the case. Carpet was all lifted in hallway & outside bathroom, and large blower vac installed. This meant you couldn’t get in to the bathroom and the noise made remaining in the cabin unpleasant. Also clothing on the floor was saturated and orange – and the whole room smelt rather vile of wet carpet. They did do our washing and offered to wash everything due to the stench. Over the week we got most things washed, with exception of evening wear.

 

After trying to fill in a morning without using the cabin, we returned after lunch to find a note to call a Manager after 3pm. Too noisey in cabin so at 3pm went to reception. He was apologetic and said if they could find us another cabin they would, but ship was full. Said it would take until evening to dry out, then required shampooing. At this stage we hadn’t been able to shower, brush teeth etc, so asked if we could use the Spa or similar to do so. He said he would make available an inside cabin on deck 5 that the Pilot Boat person was due to occupy at 4am. At 5pm went to see Manager again - were told to return to our cabin (noisey & smelly) and to await someone to escort us to the cabin. After 30 minutes no one had shown up – a phone call revealed that the cabin had been unlocked for us to use – just poor communication. So we dashed down to shower with our bags to be ready for our 6pm dinner reservation. We were a couple of minutes late but so were our table mates. We had agreed that we would be attending the Magician that evening, so were due back no later than 10.30pm. Blower Vac would be removed prior to this. 10.30pm vac still going but cabin no longer smelt repugnant. Husband removed & put outside for a good nights sleep and a lie in for our teenager, who was complaining about being woken so early.

 

Not to be – hubby & I up at 7am for a Waterfront breakfast (no complaints about breakfast – except sent French Toast one day as it was cold & rubbery). Got books to take to Oasis to give our daughter peace & quiet to smell something foul as you entered. Sure enough there was sewerage swilling around the bathroom floor – luckily not out. Gross – so awaken child to get into something respectable and along come maintenance. Two hours later to mop & sanitise – and another public bathroom encounter for most.

 

Next day – first thing, toilet not flushing. Awaken daughter, and issue fixed within ½ hr or so. Beyond P&O control as some lunatic had put facial wipes down it – obviously she deemed they were toilet paper, or couldn’t read. We joked that P&O must have it in for us – but friends said it would get better!

 

Wrong – not flushing again. Hubby & daughter up early for day in Noumea but I had rather enjoyed myself at Island Night so was trying to recover – not to be. So for the 4th day no sleep in but fixed by the time I returned from breakfast.

 

So would I cruise P&O Australia again – quite simply - no, unless they could guarantee that their policy has changed re booking ships to capacity. I also would be more selective on Ports of Call. Without our bathroom/flooding issues this cruise would have been a 6.5 / 10, but given our overall experience, I’d say 3/10. If we’d been able to have a lie in and use the loo in the privacy of our own cabin, we probably wouldn’t be so grumpy. Obviously everyone has a different experience and we met people who had never cruised before who were loving it (pre bad weather encounters, so not sure if they changed their minds!). You do get a bit spoilt having American cruise lines to compare with.

 

If I haven’t covered something, I’d be pleased to answer any questions (though if you’ve got to the end, you’ve probably had enough!) Happy cruising! :D

 

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy yourself - although reading your review, I think you actually enjoyed it more than you think, despite the troubles with the weather and your cabin.

 

We sailed on Pacific Pearl to NZ at the end of March, and I'd agree with you on several points, particularly the show lounge and the cruise director. She's not that good at communicating the important information (like trying to keep 1600 passengers from trying to get off the ship through one door).

 

We have friends who cruised on this cruise, but we haven't spoken to them yet to hear how their cruise went. I know they'll be disappointed that they didn't get to Norfollk Island.

[thied]

great review and good on you for telling the truth and how it realy was full marks to you for it.:D

 

 

 

 

Love Thied.

 

 

 

 

.

[leggyliz]

Thanks for your review :D. That is one of my greatest cruise fear that the toilet will flood and/or block. What an inconvenience they really should have given you the pilots cabin and give him the smelly one. Your the one paying good money for a relaxing cruise and you shouldnt have to put up with a 3rd rate experience. I really feel for you I'd be P*&^%% as well.

liz:(

[Kiwi_cruiser]

That was a really good, honest and balanced Review!. :)

 

Very well written Kiwi Kid!, its not like a some review when people had problems, they just say how bad it was, but this one explained what the problems where, what happened, and coved everything :cool:

 

Even if this puts you of cruising with P&O, hope it does not put you of cruising!

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Norfolk – now P&O don’t tell you that this port is very hit & miss. We were speaking to someone at a travel show from the Tourism Authority and she warned us that ships had tried to get in 6 times but only 3 had succeeded and that a floating pontoon is used. This means conditions have to be perfect. We booked a rental car with the guarantee of no charge if ship didn’t make it – unfortunately we dined with people who had done the same but with a cancellation fee (only $20 but still ...). A little research on their behalf would have avoided this, but it’s funny how many people have never even heard of a cruise review! A little disappointing but not unexpected.

 

That's one good thing about these cruise forums and Facebook, is that you get to know about these things e.g.: islands you could miss etc...

[rugbypopsie]

Thanks for a balanced review...I am considering a short cruise on either the Pearl or the Jewel as things seemed to have improved a lot since their early teething problems...

 

As you acknowledged there is nothing you or the cruise line can do about weather...however the toilet issue would have bugged the heck out of me. Its not the cruise lines fault if STUPID people keeping putting stuff down the loo...I think we need a loo briefing to get the message across..perhaps running continually on the TV. But I would expect a little less inconvenience than you experienced..they should keep a small number of cabins free for these sort of crisis.

[leggyliz]

I agree the first talk our steward gave us on the Pac Sun was 'please do not put sanitary items in ze toilet" cracked us up but its true.:o If everyone put foreign objects in the dunny's then of course its gonna bugger up so maybe people should listen better. :(

Liz

[Skyrules]

Thanks for a balanced review...I am considering a short cruise on either the Pearl or the Jewel as things seemed to have improved a lot since their early teething problems...

 

 

Go with Pacific Pearl, she's a much nicer ship that Pacific Jewel.

[dougo in oz]

Did anyone from P&O mention the "C" word (compensation) as a result of difficulties with your cabin ??

[Rasa Sayang]

Shops – same old, same old. If you are arriving into NZ, don’t buy your duty free on board at A$49 for 2 bottles (limited selection). Pre-order from a major retailer online who will deliver to port for collection – better selection for NZ$59.

I found that comment of interest.

 

They appear to be [finally] pricing their on board duty free liquor prices against their expected competition on land.

 

We just got off the Dawn and JW Red label [1 litre] were A$35 for 2 bottles - an excellent buy.

 

In contrast the cheapest we could get the larger 1.125 litre bottle on Vila were for $20.50 a bottle.

 

To compete with the price of the 1 litre JW on board, the 1.125 litre bottles had to retail at $19.69 in Vila.

 

As I said - the best we could do was $20.50

 

So P&O is finally taking the competition up to the Vila retailers.

 

Not before time. :rolleyes::D

 

Of course, if you want something a bit better than the run of the mill JW Red label scotch and Bundy rum you have to look further afield to Vila

[jessica3152]

Hi Kiwi Kid

 

Just happened to be wandering under the Harbour Bridge on the day of your departure. Got some great shots of Pearl departing on your cruise. Let me know if you want a couple of the shots.

 

Brad

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Just happened to be wandering under the Harbour Bridge on the day of your departure. Got some great shots of Pearl departing on your cruise. Let me know if you want a couple of the shots

 

I was not on Kiwi Kid cruise but I would like to see your photos :)

[GixxerGal]

will just pop on this thread that if you read the Ocean Village threads --you will note the toilet (and shwoer) blocking is an on going issue from way back- and there is *allways someone putting baby wipes down toilet* ...... :confused:

We have had toilet flood everywhere :eek:

shower water not draining and then someone elses water coming up our plug hole

they did put big fan type things in the cabin to remove the smells and dry out quicker.... once the bathroom floods the water goes straight to cases that were on floor -- which had watermarks on them --the *C* word was mentioned by ourselves --but not forth coming from Ocean Village :-(

[bazzaw]

Baby wipes?? - A baby!! on a cruiseship???

 

Can't say that I have seen anything like that out here - although one of the staff did give birth to twins on Oriana last year on the way to the UK :)

 

Barry

[Sandielle]

Baby wipes?? - A baby!! on a cruiseship???

 

Can't say that I have seen anything like that out here - although one of the staff did give birth to twins on Oriana last year on the way to the UK :)

 

Barry

 

Baby wipes can be used for more than babies, Barry! :D

[thied]

WE all ways take baby wipes with us on cruises, in fact we all ways have them at home and in the car, mainly for the the children, but you never know when they may be needed:D

 

 

 

.

[dougo in oz]

Thanks for a balanced review...I am considering a short cruise on either the Pearl or the Jewel as things seemed to have improved a lot since their early teething problems...

 

Where are you proposing to cruise from / to ?

 

Having just recently completing a cruise on the Pearl, I can tell you this that basically no-one in our group including the travel agent who booked the group will be sailing on the Pearl again...and we will be cancelling a cruise we have already booked with her and re-book with another ship.

 

My understanding is that both the Pearl and the Jewel were Ocean Village ships so I'm not sure if the issues I found with the Pearl are similar with the Jewel. I have had lunch and an inspection tour of the Jewel last year, but you never have time to notice the things that you see until you've been on the ship for a couple of days.

 

The Pearl is not so much a genuine pearl ... more of a metal bead coated in plastic to make it look a million dollars, however the coating has peeled in parts. The Atrium looks a million dollars, but that doesn't make up for it's shortcomings, some of which were mentioned by the OP.

[tassie cruiser]

This surprises me as we were on Pearl a few weeks ago and couldnt fault her... It was the one of the best cruises we have been on. Yes, she is not the newest or the biggest but we thoroughly enjoyed everything on her from the entertainment to the food to the staff and cabins. We have cruised Princess and RCCL previously so I am not just on the P&O wagon... Do some people go on a cruise to find as many things wrong as they can then run back and report on here:eek: Am tired of hearing people run down P&O..The fact is if you want to cruise on a ship and have heaps of fun with a great atmosphere then P&O wins hands down... Perhaps next time they cruise they stay at home and leave it to the people who enjoy themselves and appreciate the fact that they can holiday.. :)

[bazzaw]

By pure coincidence - I have just posted a new thread along these lines on the P&O AUS sub-forum

 

I really can't get over the wildly differing reviews I have read about Pacific Pearl . They range from " I would never set foot onboard this ship again" to "This is the best ship in the P&O Fleet"

 

We have now sailed on 6 cruiseships - from the lowly Pacific Star to Queen Mary 2. And, in my opinion, they were "all the same!". The food standards on all 6 ships were similar (I call it "International hotel food" ), the service from staff was the same, the shore tours were all the same, ship management was the same, etc, etc. The only thing that changed was the level of our cruising experience - and sometimes I think that is the thing that causes these differences in reviews. It is obvious that the higher level of experience that you have of ANYTHING, the more that you may start to compare the different stages of that experience and come up with an unsatisfactory (to you) judgement of one of the stages.

 

BUT - having now said that all these cruises were basically "the same" - they were also all completely different! How can one compare Pacific Star with QM2?? - but my (favourable) recollections of our first cruise on Pac Star will stay with me until my death bed. And come to think of it - I don't think the food on Queen Mary 2 was as good as what we got on Pac Star!!

 

So - I am really looking forward to our upcoming 28 days to Tahiti on Pacific Pearl. It will be just a shame that they don't sell any decent beer on her - this fizzy Aussie lager just doesn't cut it with me after the great British ales we had on the P&O UK ships.

 

Barry

 

[Sandielle]

Where are you proposing to cruise from / to ?

Having just recently completing a cruise on the Pearl, I can tell you this that basically no-one in our group including the travel agent who booked the group will be sailing on the Pearl again...and we will be cancelling a cruise we have already booked with her and re-book with another ship.

 

My understanding is that both the Pearl and the Jewel were Ocean Village ships so I'm not sure if the issues I found with the Pearl are similar with the Jewel. I have had lunch and an inspection tour of the Jewel last year, but you never have time to notice the things that you see until you've been on the ship for a couple of days.

 

The Pearl is not so much a genuine pearl ... more of a metal bead coated in plastic to make it look a million dollars, however the coating has peeled in parts. The Atrium looks a million dollars, but that doesn't make up for it's shortcomings, some of which were mentioned by the OP.

 

Hi Dougo in Oz

 

How about enlightening us on the problems you encountered. It's not fair to say you'd never travel on the Pearl again and not tell us what was wrong.

 

Did you not enjoy anything at all? :confused:

[dougo in oz]

Hi Dougo in Oz

 

How about enlightening us on the problems you encountered. It's not fair to say you'd never travel on the Pearl again and not tell us what was wrong.

 

Did you not enjoy anything at all? :confused:

 

Sandielle

 

why don't you send me an email and I'll explain ... I'm not trying to be cloak and dagger about this at all ... I'm just not sure if I should write more about it.

 

I will say this, we have cruised with P&O 6 times and with Princess 6 or 7 times and MSC once ... so I wouldn't say we were inexperienced cruisers.

 

Heather

[dougo in oz]

Do some people go on a cruise to find as many things wrong as they can then run back and report on here:eek: Am tired of hearing people run down P&O...The fact is if you want to cruise on a ship and have heaps of fun with a great atmosphere then P&O wins hands down... Perhaps next time they cruise they stay at home and leave it to the people who enjoy themselves and appreciate the fact that they can holiday.. :)

 

I'm assuming your comments are aimed at me ... or maybe the OP ... so I will respond for myself.

 

While I acknowledge that you are tired of people that "run down P&O" - this is a forum where people can have their say ... my view is if you are watching TV and don't like the program, switch to another channel. Similarly, if you don't like the thread, don't read it or respond to it but don't deny someone an opportunity to express their opinion or denigrate their experience if it doesn't fit with yours.

 

As someone who has cruised on P&O (Australia) several times, I do agree that their ships have a great atmosphere and Aussies and NZer's usually have "heaps of fun" - that's the reason we do like the P&O ships and why we will continue to cruise with them.

 

I think in the case of the OP and myself, when things happen that shouldn't happen such as the toilet blocking that the OP mentioned, it makes cruisers take a closer look at other aspects of the ship / cruise and when you do that, you find a number of things that don't sit well with your experience on that cruise / ship.

 

In our case, it was enough to say we would not cruise on the Pacific Pearl again.

 

As for the itinerary which included Norfolk Island, more people than I can remember that we sat with at the Plantation Restaurant or met elsewhere on the ship said the only reason they chose the itinerary was to stop at Norfolk Island. Many were very disapointed and some were elderly people who are unlikely to fly there - I felt sad for them about that.

 

For us, our expectations weren't so high about actually getting off the ship and onto the island due to the fact that it was a tender "port". However when we were told by a crew member that the last P&O ship to tender there was the Pac Sun sometime late last year, then it's a joke to continue to place Norfolk Island on the itinerary when 9/10 times they cannot tender - the crew's estimate of how many times they can actually tender there, not mine.

[Sandielle]

Sandielle

 

why don't you send me an email and I'll explain ... I'm not trying to be cloak and dagger about this at all ... I'm just not sure if I should write more about it.

 

I will say this, we have cruised with P&O 6 times and with Princess 6 or 7 times and MSC once ... so I wouldn't say we were inexperienced cruisers.

 

Heather

 

Heather, if you feel you can't tell of your experiences here, that's OK. It's a shame if you did not enjoy any part of the cruise, though.

 

I have been wondering why they still put Norfolk Island on the itinerary. They might as well just advertise it as a 'Sail by'. :confused:

[tassie cruiser]

"""""I think in the case of the OP and myself, when things happen that shouldn't happen such as the toilet blocking that the OP mentioned, it makes cruisers take a closer look at other aspects of the ship / cruise and when you do that, you find a number of things that don't sit well with your experience on that cruise / ship.""""""

 

 

 

I remember reading on here somewhere (cant find it now) where this subject was bought up a while ago and someone on here listed which ships have previously had trouble with toilets blocking etc.....And, it wasnt just older ships, there was a long list and if memory correct the list included Oasis Of The Seas and similar aged and class of ships..P&O (Aus) were actually listed as having the least problems in that area... Please correct me if I am wrong, but remember reading it with interest, thinking how interesting it was..:) Fiona