Live from Pacific Explorer - 31st May - Australia is Cruising Again

[Jean C]

Jeepers creepers 🥴

[SinbadThePorter]

2 hours ago, Hogbay said:

Some mark up on supermarket price .😮

 

BYO lollies.

[Chiliburn]

4 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am not sure what this announcement on board the Pacific Explorer meant. It isn't the first tender by a cruise ship at the Tangalooma anchorage, nor the first tender operation by this ship. Did they mean the first tender operation by the Pacific Explorer at the Tangalooma anchorage? Or the first since cruising re-started?

First tender of a cruise ship since the lock down but I would have thought the smaller ship would have been doing tenders.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

First tender of a cruise ship since the lock down but I would have thought the smaller ship would have been doing tenders.

Probably a different sort of tender ie rigid hull inflatables, not closed in like big ship tenders.

[Chiliburn]

9 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Probably a different sort of tender ie rigid hull inflatables, not closed in like big ship tenders.

The coffee and food is pretty bad Julie and I don’t believe I’m a fussy person.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 minute ago, Chiliburn said:

The coffee and food is pretty bad Julie and I don’t believe I’m a fussy person.

?????

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, Hogbay said:

Some mark up on supermarket price .😮

At least you had price stickers. We had to ask. 

Same on any ship, if you want snacks, take them with you - but with so much food on the ship, why bother at all.

[Chiliburn]

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

?????

The buffet has those pressed metal trays  ,like being in gaol and the dining rooms can’t handle the ships capacity so They are booked out .

We have a full suite but that means nothing ,dining room is full go to the buffet.

Most of the ship has Nescafé instant coffee machines .

I got a pot of coffee from room service that was supposed to be from a machine . I couldn’t drink it it was just a vial instant coffee.

There’s one place to get a upcharge coffee but there’s always a long line.

No more P&O for me.

[joejoe 59]

On 6/1/2022 at 1:11 PM, arxcards said:

The food has been great, and while the service has been a bit rusty, it has been quick. So far we have done:

Embarkation lunch in Waterfront MDR,

Dinner in Angelo's,

Breakfast in Waterfront.

 

We dined and won music trivia last night with a group we had mostly connected with on Cruise Critic nearly 15 years ago. We thought the trivia was easy, but were the only ones with a perfect score.

 

The Captain has changed from the pre-cruise announcements. The name is quite familiar to P&O cruisers - Lorenzo Paoletti. We are expected at Point Cartwright pilot station at around 3am, and approaching the new Brisbane terminal around 6:30am.

 

Off for a Luke Mangan meal tonight. Luke is aboard, so I hope we score one of his funny cooking shows too.

Can you book dining on the app prior to cruising or do you need to wait until on the ship?

[CDaze71]

21 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

The buffet has those pressed metal trays  ,like being in gaol and the dining rooms can’t handle the ships capacity so They are booked out .

We have a full suite but that means nothing ,dining room is full go to the buffet.

No more P&O for me.

So are you saying you can't get a booking in the MDR (Waterfront)? No way. If I can't get a sit-down meal without having to fork out money, then I will be furious.
So what's the trick to getting a table then? 

[Rassa]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

The coffee and food is pretty bad Julie and I don’t believe I’m a fussy person.

I have never had decent coffee on a cruise ship and they also use long life milk which is yuk.  So it's just tea for me from the buffet and I often took them down to the cabin.   Even RCCL buffet coffee or Starbucks coffee (on board) is yuk BUT coffee we can make for ourselves in the Diamond Lounge is very, very nice and I always had a few of them a day.   

 

You shouldn't judge P&O two new ships to the Explorer.   The Encounter and Adventure are newer and much bigger ships with more bells and whistles.   Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.   

[Chiliburn]

3 minutes ago, CDaze71 said:

So are you saying you can't get a booking in the MDR (Waterfront)? No way. If I can't get a sit-down meal without having to fork out money, then I will be furious.
So what's the trick to getting a table then? 

We like to eat early 5 or 6.

I was told to book everything the minute you get on the ship.
Being unfamiliar we only booked 2 of the main dining rooms ,from day 2 everything is booked out 

Angelo’s for the first night was good,not fantastic but enjoyable.

Last night (2nd night) we had the water front restaurant.the food was very average to bad. A lady we where dining with found some pubic hair in her food and that was the end of that.
we all walked out because we lost our appetite   but the kitchen sent some sweets to our cabin as a apology.

There’s a couple of upcharge restaurants but I’m not going to pay $20 for a pizza or $50 for a steak , They are busy anyway.

We have paid our fare so there should be something reasonable to eat.

 

I think I will go and ask about room service, there’s a charge but I will check it out later and see if there’s a menu.

[arxcards]

26 minutes ago, CDaze71 said:

So are you saying you can't get a booking in the MDR (Waterfront)? No way. If I can't get a sit-down meal without having to fork out money, then I will be furious.
So what's the trick to getting a table then? 

Main tips re dining. Easy, book ahead. The earlier you book, the more choice of table size and times you will have.

Book for your first night as soon as you board, easy from your cabin phone.

Any specialty restaurants, especially on the short ones, book all of these from your cabin as soon as you board. 

Book for the following night as you exit the dining room, especially if you want the same waiter, ask for the same table.

 

We booked our first 3 nights as soon as we got to our room to collect our cruise cards. Had a choice of all dates and times that way. We tried to book Luke's for the last night while we were dining there on the second night, but were waitlisted. We later found an available booking on the app, so snapped it up, much to the surprise of the head waiter who was trying to get someone else in.

 

If you just want to walk-up, you are unlikely to get a table till 8pm, and even then you might be given a beeper. 

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

The buffet has those pressed metal trays  ,like being in gaol and the dining rooms can’t handle the ships capacity so They are booked out .

We have a full suite but that means nothing ,dining room is full go to the buffet.

Most of the ship has Nescafé instant coffee machines .

I got a pot of coffee from room service that was supposed to be from a machine . I couldn’t drink it it was just a vial instant coffee.

There’s one place to get a upcharge coffee but there’s always a long line.

No more P&O for me.

Metal trays - if you don't like them, don't eat from the Indian place.

[Chiliburn]

14 minutes ago, Rassa said:

I have never had decent coffee on a cruise ship and they also use long life milk which is yuk.  So it's just tea for me from the buffet and I often took them down to the cabin.   Even RCCL buffet coffee or Starbucks coffee (on board) is yuk BUT coffee we can make for ourselves in the Diamond Lounge is very, very nice and I always had a few of them a day.   

 

You shouldn't judge P&O two new ships to the Explorer.   The Encounter and Adventure are newer and much bigger ships with more bells and whistles.   Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.   

The lounge coffee is good on RC .They have those lavazza coffee machines.

We do have a coffee pod machine in this suite we are in but it’s not working. When we put water in it ,the water just runs out on the floor.

 

[CDaze71]

So can I book for the MDR for same time every night, as soon as I get onboard? I can't eat at 8pm and I'm with child. Should I do this in the app or can I go somewhere to book ?
Last time on Pacific Dawn I booked at a table set up outside the Waterfront when I boarded.

[Chiliburn]

1 minute ago, arxcards said:

Metal trays - if you don't like them, don't eat from the Indian place.

I had to find a porcelain plate and take it there ,all they had was metal trays.

[Chiliburn]

1 minute ago, CDaze71 said:

So can I book for the MDR for same time every night, as soon as I get onboard? I can't eat at 8pm and I'm with child. Should I do this in the app or can I go somewhere to book ?
Last time on Pacific Dawn I booked at a table set up outside the Waterfront when I boarded.

I would go straight there and book every night as soon as possible.

[Aus Traveller]

46 minutes ago, CDaze71 said:

So are you saying you can't get a booking in the MDR (Waterfront)? No way. If I can't get a sit-down meal without having to fork out money, then I will be furious.
So what's the trick to getting a table then? 

The trick with P&O to get a table in the Waterfront restaurant pre-COVID was to go and book as soon as you board the ship. Otherwise join the long line in the evening. I don't know if that still applies. When you leave the restaurant, ask if you can book for the same table for the next night - or for the whole cruise. If you want to book Angelos book when you board the ship.

Edited June 9, 2022 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

The buffet has those pressed metal trays  ,like being in gaol and the dining rooms can’t handle the ships capacity so They are booked out .

I haven't been in gaol so I don't know what trays they use there. 😁

[Chiliburn]

8 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I haven't been in gaol so I don't know what trays they use there. 😁

I haven’t been in gaol either but if it’s anything like P&O I’m staying on the straight and narrow.

[CCC's]

19 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The trick with P&O to get a table in the Waterfront restaurant pre-COVID was to go and book as soon as you board the ship. Otherwise join the long line in the evening. I don't know if that still applies. When you leave the restaurant, ask if you can book for the same table for the next night - or for the whole cruise. If you want to book Angelos book when you board the ship.

Where can you make dining bookings as soon as you arrive on the ship.   Is there a specific place to go to?

[Aus Traveller]

3 minutes ago, CCC's said:

Where can you make dining bookings as soon as you arrive on the ship.   Is there a specific place to go to?

Pre-COVID, a desk was set up at the entrance to the Waterfront restaurant. I always went there rather than try to phone someone.

[Ondine]

You used to be able to make bookings as soon as you boarded for the Waterfront from tables set up in front of the restaurant entrance and bookings for Mario's and Dragon Lady from the bar at the entrance to them.  At least this is how it was on Pacific Eden.  That was in the olden days but now with the App things may be different.

[Ondine]

Lots of people make bookings on the first day and then never turn up or find that the time doesn't suit them any more.