Just Returned of the Pacific Star

[White Mouse]

Well, we just returned, and boy what a great trip, :D I think I’ll sleep for the next week, the weather was fantastic and there is always something to do, bingo, watch the latest movies, trivia quiz, water volleyball or EAT & the list goes on & on. New years eve was the best, loud music, dancing and a midnight buffet.

The name of the Maitre d' on Pacific Star is Giuseppe Franchina.

The restaurant is big enough for the sittings, (4 corse meals) most parents and kids sit at the 1st one at 6 pm and there is plenty of room for everyone. There is a kids menu but for dinner only, my kids combined the main and the kids menu, so there are plenty of choices. If parents have booked into the late sitting at 8.15 pm, most parents brought them pizza or pies and then put them in kids club.

The kids club, Turtle Cove 3 to 6 yrs, Shark Shack 7 to 12 yrs,

Teen Club 13 to 17 yrs, they are open 9am to 12 mid day then 2pm to 6pm and again from 7pm till 10pm and there is a kids sitting service 10pm to 1am.

And yes there are outside two double decker bed cabins on the Star, all they do is push the beds together and they have heaps of hanging space, bags go under the bed, not much space in the bathroom if there are 4 of you.

Formal nights (we had 2) where great, 99% where dressed up, the men wore suits the younger guys open shirts, but all the girls were dressed up, most in black or red evening wear, and the dinning staff wore suits & bow tie.

The staterooms, Well, they over look the tenders or though them or you have people walking past you but they do have a spa bath and a big basin and also a mini fridge. Drink prices were $2 can soft drink, $5.50 bourbon & coke. Smokes half price. There is no laundry or ironing facility’s on the Star and there is no dry cleaning and NO bag service for $25, The only service there is, is a wash and iron, it is per item, shirts $3 or $4 undies $2 each, so take same pegs for those undies. Well, I better go & get started on my unpacking and washing, I hope I have helped you with my info as you all helped me with some of your answers to my questions, I will be back on line later. Hope the Star leaves by 6, she was taking some new storage huts on board,maybe that's why she's running late.

 

 

Cheer Mouse :)

[White Mouse]

I've got some great photo's of the inside of the Pacific Star

but how ? do I send them and what icon do I use

 

Cheers Mouse :)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Thanks for that Whitemouse. I am very annoyed about the misinformation we have been getting from P&O. They have assured me today that there is a separate kids dining and, by 2 people, that there is a $25 bag service. Neither of which seems likely.

 

If it is not too much trouble hubby would like to know some of the movies that were playing.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Oh, and did they provide free food for lunch or was something open that you could pay for?

 

Everyone here seems to use webshots http://community.webshots.com I have created an album so can't help. I also don't know how to post photos in here only links to webpages.

[White Mouse]

Some of the movie's where Flashdance, The castle, Strickly dancing,

Mr & Mrs Smith that's all I can remember.

Cheers Mouse:)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Thanks for that.

[sweet_successes]

Mouse

 

Thanks very much for your review - what sort of cabin did you stay in? You mentioned the minisuite - can you provide any further info - size etc, furnishings - freebies????

 

I have a few friends that are interested (and are now hooked on this site just like I am!!) in cruising before I cruise in Sept - they want to go on the star and stay in a minisuite - the wife of the couple gets claustraphodic - would she cope?

 

cheers and look forward to seeing the pics.

 

Rach

[Painter]

So Whitemouse (regarding two double decker beds) can we choose to leave them as double bunks with a walkway in the middle or do we have to have to have them pushed together?.

 

Hugs,

Marleneann.

[White Mouse]

Yes, they did provide free lunch, 2 buffet one by each pool (heaps of food) and different every day, and also in the dinning room but no kids menu there.

 

cheers Mouse.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Sorry I should have been more specific. I meant was there a free lunch on embarkation since you can get on from 10am. But you you have been very helpful. :)

[White Mouse]

Yes, there was free lunch in the dinning room only & we also had breakfast

this morning it started at 5.30am as people started leaving the ship at 6.30

 

Cheers Mouse

[aussiedisneyfan]

Thanks so much for your help. If it hadn't been for you confirming details I would not be bringing a travel iron with me.

[White Mouse]

Rach,

 

The minisuite I only had friends stay in one so i'm not sure on all the info, furnishing was double bed and a single bunk beds, spa bath and a big basin, mini fridge, walk in wardrobe, big glass door and window but you can only look out not in, freebies, I'm not sure, I was on Baja deck under the showlounge, which I would not recommend due to noise.

 

Mouse

[White Mouse]

Painter,

 

The room had 2 single beds which they push together to make a double,if you wish to. and 2 single bunks which folded out, sorry I'm not much help.

[Skyrules]

Yes, there was free lunch in the dinning room only & we also had breakfast

this morning it started at 5.30am as people started leaving the ship at 6.30

 

Cheers Mouse

 

That's good news - means we won't go hungry if we get on early, which we hope to.

 

How did you find the boarding process. Do they still have the same system of check-in at Roma St and buses out to Pinkenba? How early did you get to Roma St? We found that worked quite well when we went on Pacific Sky out of Brisbane.

 

Kym

[White Mouse]

Kym,

 

The boarding process was very slow we checked in at 9am Roma St and the bus took us out to Pinkenba. At Pinkenba we waited 2 hours (in this tent, boy it was hot) :mad: in a line for our cruise card and passport checks, we finally got on board 1.30pm just in time to make lunch. I think Noumea's terminal should be in Brisbane, you'll see what I mean when you get there. I hope your embarkment is a much faster one.

 

Cheers Mouse.

[Skyrules]

Kym,

 

The boarding process was very slow we checked in at 9am Roma St and the bus took us out to Pinkenba. At Pinkenba we waited 2 hours (in this tent, boy it was hot) :mad: in a line for our cruise card and passport checks, we finally got on board 1.30pm just in time to make lunch. I think Noumea's terminal should be in Brisbane, you'll see what I mean when you get there. I hope your embarkment is a much faster one.

 

Cheers Mouse.

 

Wow, that sounds like a long time. When we went on Pacific Sky we sailed at 4pm. We checked in at Roma St at 9am, which got us tickets on the first bus leaving Roma St at 12pm, and we were in our cabin by 1pm. Do you know what time the check in at Roma St opened and what time buses started going out to Pinkenba?

 

The terminal in Noumea is nice - have they finished they landscaping work etc? When we were there in June there was lots of building work going on.

 

It'll be much better in Brisbane when the new terminal at Hamilton opens. It was supposed to be opened by March and we were hoping it would be open in time for our cruise - but now it looks like it won't be open until the end of the year.

 

Kym

[lias]

Wow, that sounds like a long time. ..... We checked in at Roma St at 9am, which got us tickets on the first bus leaving Roma St at 12pm, and we were in our cabin by 1pm.

Kym

Kym & White Mouse,

We went on Pacific Sky in October and sailed at 2.00pm. We chose to use the Priority Parking option at Hendra. We were collected from there at 11.10am and were at the wharf in no time; probably about 10 minutes later. I would say we were in our cabin by 11.40am. The process through the "tent" was extremely smooth and very quick. Also there were many coaches off-loading, or waiting to off-load passengers.

 

I would suggest that there may have been special circumstances for the delay of the first cruise of Pacific Star. They had special guests on board. I know I saw our State Leader on TV that night. He had been on the ship that day and the interview was about the New Passenger Terminal that is now not due until much later this year:(

 

I'll bet that had a lot to do with passengers being held up in the "Heated Tent".

[Skyrules]

I would suggest that there may have been special circumstances for the delay of the first cruise of Pacific Star. They had special guests on board. I know I saw our State Leader on TV that night. He had been on the ship that day and the interview was about the New Passenger Terminal that is now not due until much later this year:(

 

I'll bet that had a lot to do with passengers being held up in the "Heated Tent".

 

Yes, you're probably right, probably his fault the ship left 1 1/2hrs late too. I saw Premier Pete on the news that night, wherever there's a camera you'll find Premier Pete.

 

 

We live right by a train station, so we're just going to get up early and catch the train into Roma St to check in. Two of our travelling companions are staying at the Holiday Inn at Roma St the previous night, so we'll probably drive in with our cases the night before and leave them in their hotel room, so we don't have to drag them over to the station.

[pixie01]

Hello everyone,

hubby and i are looking at going on the star in Mar 07 with our two girls (will be 4 and 6 then) and currently doing our research... Actually we are going to be paying our deposit in couple of days:) This will be our first cruise and i don't know how i am going to survive the wait. I have few questions if anyone can answer them please...

• what is it like being on a ship for people who suffer from motionsickness?
  
• tipping? i know in oz it is not compulsary, but they do provide suggested amounts to tip on daily basis. in one of the brochures i read it said they can or do automaticaly add it to your cruise card. can anyone give me an idea of what they experience was with this?
  
• what is breakfast and lunch like? there are a lot of comments on dinner, but not many on the other meal times:)

Thanks heaps:)

[karmac]

Hi Pixie, welcome to the boards. I can't really answer your questions but as far as the wait goes, you'll be surprised how quickly the time flies. Me & my hubby & 3 kids are going on a cruise at the beginning of April this year and we booked it late October 2004, 17 months in advance. We are now only 11 & 1/2 weeks away and it's amazing how quickly it has come around. This site will help the time fly too. Everybody is so friendly & helpful and it's great to "chat" with people who share in your excitement. You'll "see" people come & go on their cruises and all that helps the time pass. I found the site in Oct and I am absolutely addicted to it. If you have any questions, don't heistate to ask because someone will be able to answer them. Don't be afraid of asking what you think might be a silly question because there is no such thing.

 

Karen

[Skyrules]

Hello everyone,

hubby and i are looking at going on the star in Mar 07 with our two girls (will be 4 and 6 then) and currently doing our research... Actually we are going to be paying our deposit in couple of days:) This will be our first cruise and i don't know how i am going to survive the wait. I have few questions if anyone can answer them please...

• what is it like being on a ship for people who suffer from motionsickness?
  
• tipping? i know in oz it is not compulsary, but they do provide suggested amounts to tip on daily basis. in one of the brochures i read it said they can or do automaticaly add it to your cruise card. can anyone give me an idea of what they experience was with this?
  
• what is breakfast and lunch like? there are a lot of comments on dinner, but not many on the other meal times:)

Thanks heaps:)

 

Hi Pixie - welcome aboard!

 

Here some answers to some of your questions;

 

The system for tipping works quite well - they currently deduct $4.50 per adult (ie > 12y.o) per day from from your cruise account for tipping of the cabin staff and the restaurant staff. If you aren't comfortable with this amount you can ask the purser's office to recredit some or all of this back to you. At first I didn't like the idea of this 'compulsory' tipping - but once I was onboard and saw the amount of work the cabin and restaurant staff do, I was more than happy with the $4.50 per day - and we even provided a further tip (as you are free to do) directly to our cabin staff on disembarkation.

 

 

There are 4 choices for breakfast, all free and all good options;

• early morning coffee and pastry's on deck
  
• continental breakfast served in the cabin (free)
  
• buffet breakfast
  
• sit down breakfast in the restaurant.

For lunch there is again, plenty of choice of

• buffet lunch (different cuisine each day)
  
• sit down lunch in the restaurant (normally the same menu as the buffet but you get it brough to your table)
  
• on Pacific Sun (and presumably they'll do it on Pacific Star too) they had a hamburger bar operating on the rear lido deck on most days (weather permitting)

All day there are cakes and coffee's available in at least one bar.

 

The one thing there's no shortage of is delicious food.

[pixie01]

Thank you Karen for your welcome. I discovered this site yesterday while searching the net and boy am i addicted already!:D You are very right everyone is very friendly...noticed from all the posts i have been reading. I am sure i wil l have plenty of questions as time goes on.

 

I took the kids down to see the diamond princess (she was a beauty) at port melbourne yesterday and boy did that get the kids all wanting to get on the "boat":p mum too!:D

[karmac]

Thank you Karen for your welcome. I discovered this site yesterday while searching the net and boy am i addicted already!:D You are very right everyone is very friendly...noticed from all the posts i have been reading. I am sure i wil l have plenty of questions as time goes on.

 

I took the kids down to see the diamond princess (she was a beauty) at port melbourne yesterday and boy did that get the kids all wanting to get on the "boat":p mum too!:D

 

The Diamond & the Sun were in Sydney on Sunday & I wanted to down & have a look but unfortunately had other plans. Last year though, The Sapphire (almost the same as the Diamond) & the Sun were in Sydney on the same day & I did take the kids down to have a look. We saw the Sapphire first, then the sun and the kids said "wow, can't we go on the big one instead?" As I explained to them though, they will have a better time on "the little one" because it will be more "kid friendly". Whilst I'd love to go on the Sapphire & Diamond to have a look around, I'd prefer to cruise on the Sun.

 

Karen

[pixie01]

Thanks for the welcome and answering the questions for me. Sorry i originally missed your reply:confused: there does sound like there is heaps of food available:) YUM! In regards to the tipping, hubby and i were debating over the merits of doing it automatically or just tipping as we go along. having it put on the cruise account sounds like an easier choice, though.

 

:)