Tried P & O Australia and Unlikely to Do So Again

[MicCanberra]

MicCanberra - Are you on the November 29th sample cruise on Explorer?

 

No, the Sampler in February 2016. My short cruise in November is on the Pacific Aria's inaugural cruise and is Sydney to Brisbane.:D

[tillydog]

No, the Sampler in February 2016. My short cruise in November is on the Pacific Aria's inaugural cruise and is Sydney to Brisbane.:D

 

Have fun!!!! :)

 

Is Aria P&O? Still looking for a ship to try during the off season when RCI arent here!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Have fun!!!! :)

 

Is Aria P&O? Still looking for a ship to try during the off season when RCI arent here!

 

Yes. It will be when it arrives here. Aria and Eden were Holland America ships which have been transferred to P&O Australia. They have a great range of accommodation from the luxurious Suites on Navigation deck to the budget cabins on the lower decks. They are lovely ships and I hope and trust that P&O Australia will do them justice. Run properly , they will set a new standard for cruising in Australia.

 

 

[MicCanberra]

Have fun!!!! :)

 

Is Aria P&O? Still looking for a ship to try during the off season when RCI arent here!

 

Yes, as David has said, it is one of the two new (to P&O) ships that came from HAL.:D

Edited July 14, 2015 by MicCanberra

[MicCanberra]

Yes. It will be when it arrives here. Aria and Eden were Holland America ships which have been transferred to P&O Australia. They have a great range of accommodation from the luxurious Suites on Navigation deck to the budget cabins on the lower decks. They are lovely ships and I hope and trust that P&O Australia will do them justice. Run properly , they will set a new standard for cruising in Australia.

 

 

 

I am hoping for a step up from the other P&O ships in design, service and quality, etc, as well as trying an ex-HAL ship.:D

[OzKiwiJJ]

I am hoping for a step up from the other P&O ships in design, service and quality, etc, as well as trying an ex-HAL ship.:D

 

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion of her, Mic.

 

So far we haven't been tempted to try P&O.

[GUT2407]

Mic

 

Did you sale any of these while they were with HAL?

[MicCanberra]

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion of her, Mic.

 

So far we haven't been tempted to try P&O.

 

I will do a review for the mini cruise on my return. P&O are not my first choice but occasionally they have a price that is too good to ignore. This one is also a good reason to visit family in Brisbane.:D

[MicCanberra]

Mic

 

Did you sale any of these while they were with HAL?

 

No I have not sailed HAL as yet, one day perhaps.:D

[Wastegirl]

I've sailed HAL, albeit on the Oosterdam which is a bit larger than the two that are coming to P&O but they are all basically the same layout

 

I like the layout, some people complain because there is no big open Atrium area but I found that their ships are sensibly laid out, have a wide full Promenade Deck, their bars, seating areas, etc all have lovely big windows looking outwards and their rooms are a very good size with excellent storage. Lots of teak decking, the real stuff (hope P&O keep and refurbish that), an excellent sliding roof over the inside pool and a great viewing area which on HAL is the Crows Nest and on P&O The Dome.

 

They are elegant ships (though HAL has some interesting colour choices from time to time). It will be very hard for P&O to ruin the good 'bones' of these ships and looking at their plans they don't intend to.

 

But they are smaller ships and if you like the big ones with big Atriums you are in for a shock.

[MicCanberra]

I've sailed HAL, albeit on the Oosterdam which is a bit larger than the two that are coming to P&O but they are all basically the same layout

 

I like the layout, some people complain because there is no big open Atrium area but I found that their ships are sensibly laid out, have a wide full Promenade Deck, their bars, seating areas, etc all have lovely big windows looking outwards and their rooms are a very good size with excellent storage. Lots of teak decking, the real stuff (hope P&O keep and refurbish that), an excellent sliding roof over the inside pool and a great viewing area which on HAL is the Crows Nest and on P&O The Dome.

 

They are elegant ships (though HAL has some interesting colour choices from time to time). It will be very hard for P&O to ruin the good 'bones' of these ships and looking at their plans they don't intend to.

 

But they are smaller ships and if you like the big ones with big Atriums you are in for a shock.

 

Good to know, thanks for sharing. I hope they don't change the design too much.

[GUT2407]

Good to know, thanks for sharing. I hope they don't change the design too much.

 

I'm also keen to hear what changes they make, to layout and to service levels.

[bazzaw]

 

But they are smaller ships and if you like the big ones with big Atriums you are in for a shock.

 

Personally, I think that those big Atriums are a bit of a waste of space -- they are done quite well on some ships eg RCL - but the atrium on Sea Princess (and I therefore assume Sun and Dawn) are very poorly used.

 

Barry

[MicCanberra]

Personally, I think that those big Atriums are a bit of a waste of space -- they are done quite well on some ships eg RCL - but the atrium on Sea Princess (and I therefore assume Sun and Dawn) are very poorly used.

 

Barry

 

I agree, even the atriums on the RCI ships like Voyager of the seas, seems to waste so much space.

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks

 

I dislike the way the hard surfaces create a sound funnel with transfers noise from events in that area to adjacent venues ...

 

regards

john

[Wastegirl]

I agree about the Atriums too, admittedly HAL is fairly closed in but I didn't mind it in the slightest. Then on the Celebrity Century, their atrium was a bit more open and it was very good, a hub where people met and mingled but it certainly was not a high atrium. But then on the Celebrity Solstice I found a lot of the atrium a waste of space.

 

Okay it was fine on the first few levels, though sound to carry from one level to the other. But as the atrium went up there were areas that were hardly used, yes it looked dramatic but why have all these sitting areas if they remain empty. People want to sit looking out at the Ocean, not into an Atrium only, well at least I do.

[MicCanberra]

I agree about the Atriums too, admittedly HAL is fairly closed in but I didn't mind it in the slightest. Then on the Celebrity Century, their atrium was a bit more open and it was very good, a hub where people met and mingled but it certainly was not a high atrium. But then on the Celebrity Solstice I found a lot of the atrium a waste of space.

 

Okay it was fine on the first few levels, though sound to carry from one level to the other. But as the atrium went up there were areas that were hardly used, yes it looked dramatic but why have all these sitting areas if they remain empty. People want to sit looking out at the Ocean, not into an Atrium only, well at least I do.

 

I actually like the way X has their atrium's as people can gather at the various levels and still see and here the events that occur there. RCI's you cannot do that nearly as well. Plus the party events they have are very loud for all the promenade cabins.

[The_Big_M]

I like the atriums, though I started with them.

 

I remember when I saw my first ship without - Pacific Jewel - and thought it was so lacking.

 

Admittedly, those like Solstice are more than is necessary. But even so they still let light in, which is a big improvement.

[sherri3802]

We usually cruise Princess (platinum level) and decided to try a P and O cruise on the Pacific Dawn as the timing suited us workwise and we could also just drive to the port for a change. Have to say I wasn't very impressed with a number of things - variety and quality of food in the buffet, entertainment and general service levels e.g. in the theatre waitstaff were walking about not making eye contact and you just about had to wave them down to order a drink. In the evening if we were in our cabin, the steward didn't even ask if we wanted our room serviced - he just handed us the next day's Pacific Daily. You have to pay for a lot of extra things like chips, burgers, pizza, high tea, icecream. Bookings for the MDR opened at 5.30 pm the night before and if you were busy and didn't get around to it for a couple of hours, the only time slots left were after 8 pm. On formal night in the MDR, dress standards were not enforced and people were wearing sundresses, jeans & polo tops, shorts etc. I understand not everyone wants to dress up but if they don't want to on formal night, go to the buffet. No blankets provided for movies on the big screen and people were covering themselves with pool towels instead. It's not even as if P and O is that cheap - have paid less per night on most of my Princess cruises. In P and O's favour I did like the spaciousness and storage in the cabins, and my husband commented that the free coffee on the Pacific Dawn was much better than that on Princess and Royal Caribbean. Next cruise will be on another line - most likely Princess again.

 

I agree with everything you have said.

Earlier this year we went on 2 cruises almost back to back. One was on Pacific Jewel, the next was Dawn Princess.

 

Chalk and cheese.

 

The buffet in P&O is always a bit of a letdown as it isn't even open quite a bit of the time.

But the choice of tea and coffee-heaps better than on the Princess line. It is only coming out of a press button machine so princess could easily get a few.

 

Hey, datone, be glad you got a dinner sitting of 8pm.

We were 2 couples who made our bookings straight off and got the 6pm slot.

 

We were on a 4 day cruise & the first 2 nights we waited 90 minutes just to get the entrée. That's right, in 90 minutes we had not even got to the main. Other people from the later sitting were in and eating well before we got to our dessert. I don't know if it would have improved as we didn't go the next 2 nights, my husband refused, he hates waiting for too long.

 

Next cruise on Princess, the formal dining room did 3-4 courses in 60-90 mins, they were excellent and better quality too.

 

I might go on P&O again if the price & destination was right but our friends won't & I'd rather try something different too, have to admit.

Edited July 15, 2015 by sherri3802

[MicCanberra]

Goodness, I think I would have left after the first 30 mins.:eek:

[Gerko]

Carnival is trying to differentiate each of its brands and P & O is clearly becoming the short cruise specialist, wiuth over 100 sailings of 5 days or less over the next 2 years. However, they are also trying to lift the image at the same time, and I expect Eden and Aria will be a big improvement. But the crew is not going to go out of their way on short sailings as they have little opportunity to bond with passengers or build up a rapport that might see them getting bonus tips. And Aussies on short cruises do have a bad reputation anyway.

[MicCanberra]

Carnival is trying to differentiate each of its brands and P & O is clearly becoming the short cruise specialist, wiuth over 100 sailings of 5 days or less over the next 2 years. However, they are also trying to lift the image at the same time, and I expect Eden and Aria will be a big improvement. But the crew is not going to go out of their way on short sailings as they have little opportunity to bond with passengers or build up a rapport that might see them getting bonus tips. And Aussies on short cruises do have a bad reputation anyway.

 

Unfortunately we have a travelling reputation that is not much better.