bad reviews on pacific sun

[Skyrules]

mm are lot of interesting posts so riff raff we are on the same cruise....whats the diff between all the decks im on the upper deck

 

Not much really - the higher up you are the closer you are to the public areas.

 

Upper deck is Ok - we had a cabin on Upper Deck on our 2 night cruise to Sydney early last year.

 

On our first cruise on Pacfic Sun we had a cabin on Empress Deck, the highest cabin deck (not counting the balcony cabins).

 

On this cruise we're on Main Deck - near the Pursers Office.

[Skyrules]

Pacific Sun is my least favourite of the 4 ships I've been on, but there is nothing about her that would make me NOT want to cruise on her... Obviously, since after next week she will be the ship I've cruised on the most!

 

I think a lot of people make the mistake of going on a P&O Cruise and expecting QE2 service, then complain when they don't get it.

[thied]

when we cruise we ask yo have new sheets every day, and we get them thats on P&O

[lolabunny77]

when we cruise we ask yo have new sheets every day, and we get them thats on P&O

 

I have done two cruises with P&O and both were great.With some careful planning in advance and taking advantage of the pricebreaker discounts you can get these holidays for similar money to a week in Singapore or Hong Kong but with more to see and do,included entertainment,all meals and all activities.You don't have to be a genius to figure out which one I would take.I was on the Pacific Dawn in 2007 and Pacific Sun in 2008 both at Christmas and loved every minute of the cruise holidays.Would I go again?Yes.I only wish I had known about Pacific Jewel coming this December out of Brisbane before I decided to book a Contiki Asia Tour for the same period Vietnam Highlights Ten Days but what can I do now?.The Tour is booked and the deposit has been paid to Burnside Flight Centre.And by the way I am under 35 If anybody is concerned about what I have chosen to do

[harmony71]

well hopefully skyrules i might see you this coming week on the sun

[Down-Unders]

Don’t you mean that the Volendam is a four star ship!,

 

at lest on the Pacific Sun, the sheets get changed often, not like on the Volendam, when the sheets only got changed maybe once / twice in 17 days!!,

 

and that there is a lot more to do on the Pacific Sun competed to the Volendam (we came off the Volendam on the 5 January 09)

 

 

Kiwi_cruiser our cabin was kept spotless they even washed our balcony glass twice out of the fourteen days, I even made comment to to one of the officers and marked our steward 10 out of 10 on the comment sheet.

 

We were too busy taking in the lovely weather and scenery of one the most beautiful countries in the world, by the time we did our tours, walked and talked to the local Kiwis we were just glad to get back to our cabin for a well earned rest. For us this cruise was 10 out of 10.

[Ruste]

We cruised on the Rotterdam and yes the ship was bigger, newer and flasher and we received excellent service. We also had a balcony but was the service any better than what we have received on the Pacific Sun? No I don't think so, if anything we found that the atmosphere on the ship was more formal. Also the CD nearly drove us mad.

[Down-Unders]

We cruised on the Rotterdam and yes the ship was bigger, newer and flasher and we received excellent service. We also had a balcony but was the service any better than what we have received on the Pacific Sun? No I don't think so, if anything we found that the atmosphere on the ship was more formal. Also the CD nearly drove us mad.

 

 

 

We have not noticed this so called formal atmosphere on HAL, like other

cruise lines there is the old guard but we give them a wide berth. We met one of them who started complaining about the kids on board, personally we hardly noticed them, and the ones we did see were well behaved.

[thied]

the only time i notice kids is whem we are playing bingo they just cant shut up can they mine included lol

[Ruste]

We met one of them who started complaining about the kids on board, personally we hardly noticed them, and the ones we did see were well behaved.

 

On our cruise I think there were only 5 children on board and I don't think I saw any of them. They must have had a ball ... all the facilities just for them.

[medusa58]

The only trouble with the review in question is that it did not go far enough. The service, food, and cabins on the Pacific Sun were appalling. This outdated, garishly decorated ship had the layout of a rabbit warren. I could have forgiven this aspect because I had not expected a high-end cruise. However, the food was inedible, the line-ups for the buffet lunches inexcusable, the jostling for tables a nightmare, and the food greasy slop.

The bed linen and towels were thin and grey, occasionally stained, and well past their use-by date. Our surly cabin stewardess did not provide clean glasses, ice, or new tissues. We had to chase all these items up on a daily basis. The rounding up and tethering of the deck chairs at 5.30 each afternoon was particularly vexing-I was told at the purser’s office that this was because of “high winds”. When I pointed out that the weather had been consistently calm and no cyclones were expected, the excuse changed to “for security”. So Pacific Sun passengers cannot be trusted after dark not to throw these cheap and uncomfortable deck chairs overboard? The fee to get onto the adults-only area was insulting, particularly when compared to the lovely child-free solarium area of Rhapsody of the Seas where good quality food was available almost 24/7.

I think that that attitude just about sums up the whole experience. Nothing special was done on Christmas Day and dinner that night was another inedible meal of tough turkey slices and flavourless vegetables.

However, it seems that many people enjoyed their experience and the attitude that a cruise “is what you make it” will no doubt ensure that P & O Australia continues to provide sub-standard cruising options to the unsophisticated travelling public of Queensland.

[Lestel]

Unfortunately it's probably better to ignore posts as over the top as medusa58 but as they seem to have been on the same cruise we were on it was hard to not challenge it.

 

I have posted a detailed review which shows quite a different experience.

 

"Nothing special on Christmas Day" - It's strange that Santa wasn't noticed by medusa58, but as the song goes "were you naughty or nice"?

 

With attituded like yours no wonder you had surly cabin staff, poor people having to spend their Christmas Day away from their families with people like you. :(

 

Lesley

[Rasa Sayang]

P & O Australia continues to provide sub-standard cruising options to the unsophisticated travelling public of Queensland.

 

Dear me, it appears we have a "sophisticated" jet setting traveller in our midst. :p

 

Please pardon us poor peasants oh worldly traveller. :D:)

 

[Ela 2]

Peter and I have travelled widely for a few decades, inclulding cruising on ships from 2 star fairly basic ones to 5 star HAL. We still love the Pacific Sun and have two cruises booked on her this year. The first of these leaves tomorrow for 14 nights. We haven't experienced any of the negative things mentioned by Medusa58.

 

It is almost as if Medusa sailed on a different ship from most of us who find the staff fantastic, the food excellent and the cabins not to be "appalling". :D

 

I agree somewhat on one point: the Atlantis Lounge is a bit garish with its Carnival Cruises decor - red carpet, gold curtain and seahorses. Although I wouldn't have chosen that colour scheme, I think it works quite well.

 

Rabbit warren - No. Medusa must have sailed on a different ship. The corridors on Pac Sun run straight from one end of the ship to the other. Even in deck 9 there is a walkway the whole length of the ship with the bars off to one side and a lounge at eacn end. This comment puzzles me and throws doubt on the other opinions. Must have been a different ship. :D:D

 

Evon.

[sailawaysally]

People like medusa58 do live in their own little world and never have anything nice to say about those of us who see a beautiful world. I found one definition of'sophistication'. It implies a lack of responsiveness to common joys as a result of a real or affected surfeit of experience and cultivation. I am quite happy to have 'common' joys as a result of my experiences and cultivation and be regarded as 'unsophisticated'.

[Ela 2]

People like medusa58 do live in their own little world and never have anything nice to say about those of us who see a beautiful world. I found one definition of'sophistication'. It implies a lack of responsiveness to common joys as a result of a real or affected surfeit of experience and cultivation. I am quite happy to have 'common' joys as a result of my experiences and cultivation and be regarded as 'unsophisticated'.

Hi Sandra,

Well said. :):):)

Evon.

[Cruzer Nut]

We still love the Pacific Sun and have two cruises booked on her this year. The first of these leaves tomorrow for 14 nights.

Evon.

 

Hi Evon,

 

Have a wonderful trip, Look forward to reading your Wonderful review when you return. We are off next week and thanks for all the help and advice you have given to me and many of others here on the boards.

 

 

 

Just a note to all those negative people out there who are "Bagging" out the Pac Sun, yes she maybe older than alot of other ships out there, but who cares how old she is on the outside - refurbishment takes care of that and as long as she floats and the motors run she really is just like all the others out there.

 

It's funny - that there are Hotels all over the world that are older than the Pac Sun have limited facilities smaller windows built to old building codes etc but you never hear a word about pulling them down and building a new hotel with all the Mod Cons. :rolleyes:

 

Yes she is a simple ship, but who says you have to have the latest climbing wall, icerink or MUTS?? your holiday on what ever ship you travel on is what you make it.

 

If you want to have a bad time and find ALL the faults you will, if you want to have a good time you go out and find it.

 

Read some of the other boards and you will find that there are people on all of them who will go out of there way to make sure that everyone knows that X ship is bad, no matter how old or new it is.

 

Its an argument that will never end.

 

 

It's MY opinion feel free to disagree, there is no reason to attack me for it.

[qld cruiser]

Hi everyone, we too have travelled on different cruise lines, and I always come back to P&O...because I like their ships.

 

we are allowed to cruise with whoever we wish.

 

I never go on any cruise with expectations. maybe that was Medusa's problem. he was prepared to travel on a ship with rating 2-3 .

but expected 5 star rating.

 

See you on board Evon.

 

kind regards, Lorraine:):)

[sue2539]

All I can say is; Heaven help anyone who writes a negative review on this board.

 

I have had some great cruises on the Pacific Sun, which is why I went back again. The cruise last however was the worst I have ever been on (if you want to find out why and the true story just google "Pacific Sun lemon cruise N842"). A passenger from the ship was so incensed he made a website about this cruise.

 

So when I got back I thought I would write of my experiences, as did some other passengers. Instead of "sorry your cruise was bad etc", we were attacked right left and centre. Board members were making excuses for P&O, and twisting what we were saying around.

 

It was as if we were making the whole thing up. At the end it was just useless posting any more. It left a really sour taste in all our mouths.

 

That last cruise hasn't put me off cruising, and I can't wait for my next one in June and then in December!

[sailawaysally]

I realize everyone can have a different experience. My remarks were in response to the 'unsophisticated travelling public'! That comment has nothing to do with a persons good or bad experiences.

[sue2539]

Hi Sally

 

I wasn't referring to you. I agree that was a pretty nasty thing to say. They must have had some high expectations! I knew some people who had gone on Sun Princess, then went on Pacific Dawn (on the same cruise we went on). They hated every minute of it, comparing this and that, we had a fantastic time and couldn't fault a thing.

 

Hey, we only have 143 days left before Dawn Princess! I am thinking of booking into the Ibis near the terminal, it's $139 for a room. Did you stay there? How did you like it if you did?

 

Sue

[sailawaysally]

We stayed there and thought it was good value for the area compared to some. I paid $149 this time which is $10 more than the 'buy it now' price as I can cancel up to 24 hrs before if I have to. The hotel isn't big, I mean not a lot of rooms, so I wouldn't leave it too long if you are going to make a booking. We enjoyed our time there, the service was really good, the rooms are small but ok for one night. They have tall narrow windows that some might not like. We didn't get any noise from the fly-over road that is right next to it. We like the fact that it is probably only 100 metres from the terminal, there is a 24hr convenience store across the road in case you've forgotten something, coffee shop next door etc. etc. We had breakfast there and enjoyed it and the waiter was standing by for instant service if we needed anything. It's amazing what they can fit in a very small area for breakfast. We will do that again, the web says hot breakfast for $15 now, we paid $17.50 in Jan. I might have more info about our cruise for you if you want to email me at luvenyas at hotmail dot com

[sue2539]

Thanks Sally

 

Just sent you em.

 

Sue

[Ela 2]

A realistic review with positives and negatives is helpful to everyone. Anyone can have some not so good experiences when they are on any type of holiday. I felt Medusa's review was not balanced as it was totally full of negatives with no positives. INHO, most reasonable people don't find fault with everything.:):)

Evon.

[Guest012]

MEDUSA.... a gorgon... a vicious female monster with sharp fangs .....me thinks the name suits.................

words of wisdom ....maybe you should do a little homework before you book your next cruise the Pac Sun has never pretended to be anything more than a 3* ship so more fool you........and omg why were you on her for Xmas when you could have been on the Rhapsody of the Seas....at a much less price.........??????? something doesnt stack up here...... cheers Shiona