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See the Best Cruises in 2022 as rated by Australians on ieatwords.com.au.
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RDNsw, 2352
- 14 reviews
- 2 likes
Outdated Boat : Pacific Island Cruise
Booking was easy. Cruise control good way to pay. I had a flight cancellation and rang P&O customer service but they were completely useless as couldn’t tell me when latest boarding occurred. So rescheduled flight for day before and had to book accommodation.
Food in pantry wasn’t great. Long line ups at some places. Waterfront ok but only restaurant available so very little food variety. SALT was excellent but you pay for it. They accidentally charged me $59 twice and took three days to remove from my bill.
Cafe was a gem and highly recomme...Read more
nd. Lido deck was crowded; one small pool. People hogged the seats near the window by towel dropping early in morning. Often they weren’t using them, just saving for later. P&O should remove towels left on seats. Drinks package way to expensive. Cocktails watered down. I wouldn’t buy another one. You pay for lots of ‘extras’ on P&O. This is why initial costs are low.
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MelGreater Melbourne (Metropolitan), VIC
- P&O Pacific Dawn
- Verified customer
You get what you pay for
We are regular cruisers, taking multiple cruises per year on Celebrity and NCL, I had not been on PO since I was a child and was looking forward to a quick Island break. What a disappointment, I will never travel with this cruise company again. The customer service was appalling and they should be ashamed of themselves, over the 7 days I witnessed staff push passengers out of the way, roll their eyes at guests and display inappropriate behaviour and poor attitudes. The food was not edible in either their waterfront restaurant or the Pantry. The...Read more
same food every night with no theme or fresh options, I highly doubt the food is prepared on site and comes in frozen. The bottled water purchased from the bar was warm and the crew thought it was ok to serve this way. Housekeeping not fantastic and inconsistent. Multiple errors on accounts by multiple guests, where the manager advised the guests to investigate themselves with no apology,. Some guests charged $300 for arcade games they never used. The entertainment was lack lustre apart from The magician who was really good, the singers were off key we had to walk out. I no doubt PO will continue to fill their suites due to their low prices but you get exactly what you pay for when you travel PO. Prior to arrival guests receive a survey via email from PO to fill out, I filled this survey/review out before disembarking and a few hours later I was advised the manager had come knocking on my suite door aggressively to discuss the review I had written. I will definitely only travel With Celebrity and NCL in the future as their customer service and food is beyond exceptional.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
emdemeNewcastle
- 47 reviews
- 1 like
First time cruisers
We both had low expectations as we had not cruised before, and did not know if cruising was for us. After our 8 night Pacific cruise on Pacific Explorer from Sydney, we are so impressed we have booked again. There was a place for everyone on the ship - we found quiet no children areas to relax, and a late night live music venue (Blue Room) to listen to the excellent band. The Bonded Store bar was quiet and intimate, with knowledgeable bar staff capable of making some great cocktails. We only visited The Pantry for hot water for drinks, and f...Read more
ound it very noisy and crowded although the food looked ok, preferring to eat at the excellent Waterfront and Dragon Lady (included in the fare). We also ate at Angelos (included) but thought it average. We did the Taste of Salt degustation with wine which was one of the best meals we have eaten anywhere, and great value, although a lot of quite large servings meant there was too much food! We also ate at Lukes, & Shell and Bones, but felt they were not up to the standard of the free Dragon lady and Waterfront. Our cabin was comfortable and had lots of storage spaces, and was better than we had expected. The staff through the whole ship were wonderful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble and they were always smiling. We spent about $900 extra onboard for 8 days but that included $80 internet, $238 for the degustation, $58 for a Dragon Lady High Tea which was sensational. So it was about $60 per day each for the added paid meals and all drinks. Still cheap by comparison to other forms of holiday entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, the onboard shows are fantastic. All in all we loved it and we were hard markers, expecting to find fault in things and not be happy, but we were won over by the cheerfulness of the staff and the relaxing life onboard. Well done P & O. I have taken off one star for the fairly small pools which did not give enough access for everyone, the main pool being always overcrowded with kids and the 2 very small adults only pools were not nearly big enough. Not enough lounges near the pools either, though that was mainly due to lounge hogs reserving seats by putting towels etc on them early in the day then not coming back. We saw many 'reserved' seats that no-one came near for hours and the attendants could take note of that and remove towels after a certain period of time. A fairly small complaint though.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
JonsnowSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 13 reviews
Woeful foold
Everything was great except the food. Food was average at best and in the case of the offerings at "The Pantry" often disgusting. Simply dont understand how a company with a reputation like P&O can let their standards fall so low. We did the Christmas Cruise ex Brisbane 2022. Entertainment was great, staff good, vessel starting to look and feel shabby but she been sold off come February
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JerryAU
Terrible Experience
I booked a cruise departing from Brisbane from 18 Jan to 25 Jan 2020. My booking number is “5GXVXC”. In May 2022 I used my credit card to paid $729 deposit through the phone. No one told me when and how to pay the full amount, so I believed the rest would be deducted by P&O from my credit card directly before the payment due date or before departure.
I didn’t receive any email or call from P&O since then, except those promotion junk emails, which means P&O knows my email address correctly, but just didn’t contact me in any means with regards t...Read more
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Bernie WalshSouth East Queensland, QLD
Great cruise, great food and friendly staff
I have no idea why people have given negative reviews about the Aria. Maybe they expected the Queen Mary. If you're a snob then spend 3 times the amount on one that comes with your own butler.
My wife and I enjoyed our Christmas cruise to Vanuatu and Fiji immensely. The staff were very friendly and the food in all restaurants was first rate. The bed was super comfy.
The friends we made on board all loved it.
The only down side was the slow internet speed.
If you're thinking of a cruise then go on the Aria.
You will have a ball.
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ZanaHCanberra Central 2602, ACT
P&O Explorer Comedy Cruise
In This Review: Kids Club, Dining, On Board Credit, Pools, Comedy Shows, Shopping, Cabins, Service, WiFi and Drinks.
Being that it was our first time doing a cruise, we decided to do a weekend cruise for a feel.
What better way to do it than a comedy cruise which also advertised that it is kid-friendly and suitable...
It is not kid-friendly unfortunately.
Yes, they have an onboard kids club and the Edge Adventures but it is very poorly set out.
The adults flocked the Edge Adventures and the kids club centred around kids being in a designated ...Read more
room for most of their time within the club surrounded by electronics (times: 9am-12pm & 2pm-6pm & 7pm-1am > between 9am-10pm children are free to sign themselves out and roam the ship unsupervised - which is fine for the teenagers but not OK for the younger kids). What makes this even more worrying is that the older kids clubs are directly below the casino (with only a set of stairs dividing them) and next to the onboard nightclub.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
TulisSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 3 reviews
Was about to book until I read the review, thanks people
got married 6 mths ago, haven't been on our honeymoon yet. decided we'll go on a cruise during the Xmas holiday period. wont do that now after reading your Reviews
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Dot. CCentral Queensland, QLD
Great cruise. Disappointing food.
Great cruise apart for the disappointing food. The food in the Pantry and the Waterfront was always nearly cold. The choice for me was very limited as I dont Eat pepper or spicy food and most was this food. The bacon and toast was really bad. The bacon was dry and overcooked and you could not cut it. As was the toast. I sent my meal back in the Waterfront one evening as it was a chicken schnitzel which was cold and dry and they brought me another and it was almost the same. So disappointing was also when you ordered dessert they do not have fr...Read more
esh cream or ice cream to have with it. The room stewards Rico & Paul were wonderful. Very thorough and so lovely and polite. Apart from the food the cruise was enjoyable and the entertainment was great.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
DeniseSydney, NSW
Horrible experience
Great comedy cruise but had a terrible experience on my first day was travelling with my 11 year old daughter we got a refreshment drink package for her and I got the upgraded one for me, while waiting near with my group talking my daughter went straight to the closest bar got a drink her drink which was mostly ice which wasnt a problem but she finished it and wanting another after she downed the first one quick the bar maid said she just had a drink 5 minutes ago which made her feel bad and ashamed with other people around the bar so my daught...Read more
er said to the bar staff that it was for her mum trying to have a reason, then she was told that its not allowed and against the policy to share a drink package etc and refused to give her a drink when my daughter come back with no drink and told me what happened I went to the bar with her and asked for her to immediately give her a drink which she did after explaining the policy etc The biggest problem was now my daughter refused to go and get a drink too scared of being told off didnt want to go out of the cabin for the rest of the cruise without me Only drinking water for the rest of the cruise as a mother it made me feel sick and we didnt enjoy the cruise just waiting for the ship to come back home, it sadness me as staff need to understand some people are more sensitive and different anxieties also we have a big cruise booked for April now she doesnt want to go to.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
annemariewGreater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
- 2 reviews
False Advertising
Be careful P&O are advertising cruises that aren't actually happening in Australia, they are taking your money then sending a confirmation email, which I received while still on the phone, advising my cruise had been cancelled.
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DraganotzSydney, NSW
- 15 reviews
Once was enough
Firstly, I have to admit up front we normally sail with Royal Caribbean. Found ourselves on this ship due to an invitation for a 60th birthday. It was in fact a good cruise to confirm why we (rather thankfully it seems) regularly sail with RC. The Pros: embarkation and disembarkation was done very efficiently. The Cons: things that are normally included on a RC cruise incur an extra cost with P&O. The food was generally uninteresting or unappetising in the Waterfront (main) dining room. Waterfront restaurant deserts were on the whole rat...Read more
her tasteless and disappointing. I won't even mention the dreadful Pantry free for all. One would expect that most activities on a cruise ship would be included....ah no, try $24 just for a 15 second zipline ride and you get the picture. Even some of the (better) entertainment came at an extra cost. The ship has obvious signs of aging and has already seen it's best days. However, I must admit most public areas, bars and restaurants are nicely presented in a modern decor. The balcony stateroom we stayed in were rather tiny and claustrophobic. The balcony itself is just a token space to catch a little fresh air. The crew friendliness and enthusiasm was somewhat patchy. And quite frankly (perhaps because of how they market their cruises) the clientele was rather sub-par compared to what we are used to. I don't wish to discourage anyone from sailing P&O, not at all. However, we won't be changing from our usual cruise line to P&O for any price!Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
carolinaSouth East Queensland, QLD
Very good experience
I came back last week from the Pacific Dawn cruise departing from Brisbane to Airlie beach 4 night cruise. I read a lot of reviews before going and most of them were negative so you can tell I was super nervous. first the embarkation was good well organised our check in was at 12 but we arrived earlier around 10 am and there was a lot of people so try to be there earlier. we start to board at 11 am so that was a plus for me because as soon as you are inside the holiday starts. we went first to the cabin it was on deck 5 and very close to the ed...Read more
ge which it was a lit bit bad because the first night I could feel a lot the movement and I got sea sick. the cabin was clean it has everything you need and the air con was working perfect so I was so happy. the pantry has good food and I was impressed about the quality very good. the only thing that I will suggest is try to implement new options the food was delicious but most of the days were the same. they change some dishes but not all. we had a dinner in the waterfront restaurant it was good but the entre was not good at all and the dishes are small but tasty. I really enjoyed the cruise it was my first cruise though but for me it was a good experience the entertainment was good the comedy stand was the best, the cocktails are not expensive I saw many reviews telling that cocktails taste like water which is not true and also you p[ay for a cocktail in a bar 19 and in the ship are 13 so in my opinion it is not expensive. many activities for the kids which is good I went only with my husband but i am taking the kids next year the staff is very friendly the only thing i didn't like is that I bought the drink package and one waitress charged me when she didn't supposed to but they gave me the money back after I spoke with the receptionist. I will defiantly cruise again with p.oSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Brian FPearce 2607, ACT
- 2 reviews
Like no place on earth, like hell!
Last year we enjoyed our first cruise, which was on P&O, on Pacific Eden, and it was a great introduction. Therefore, we thought it reasonable to expect that any subsequent P&O cruise would be of a similar standard, but the New Caledonia cruise from 6 to 14 September 2022 was very disappointing. So disappointing that if our family ever goes on another cruise it won't be on P&O.
Comparing accommodation over the two cruises, the rooms on Pacific Explorer were very claustrophobic compared to those on Pacific Eden (last year's cruise). In both ...Read more
cases we had interior rooms. In addition to the food quality being poor compared to last year's cruise, there appeared to be a significant hygiene issue in the Pantry on Pacific Explorer. Unlike the layout on Pacific Eden where all food was served from behind counters, it was a different story on Pacific Explorer where salads, soups, bread and rolls were self-serve. On more than one occasion I observed parents lifting young children up so that they could help themselves at grabbing bread rolls and other food that was meant to be picked up with the provided tongs! If food is going to be presented in such a way, then it is imperative to have a much higher level of vigilance with supervision of the area. It's not the fault of young children but it seems that their parents need to be supervised. It was great that there were staff constantly cleaning handrails on the stairs but what a waste of resources if the same level of hygiene is not maintained in the food areas! Therefore, it was not surprising that the medical centre was stretched to the limit with sick passengers, many with flu-like symptoms. My wife visited the medical centre (with flu-like symptoms) during the advertised open hours, but there was a sign on the door to say that it was closed due to a medical emergency, and to dial 000 if you had a serious problem. So much for that idea as she was in bother, but not so much so as to need to dial 000. There were several times over the duration of the cruise when there were announcements made about medical emergencies. There was a serious overcrowding problem in the Pantry as it was quite a battle most of the time to find a vacant table, likewise with getting a deckchair in the pool areas!Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Shirley B.North Queensland, QLD
- 7 reviews
- P&O Pacific Jewel
- Verified customer
Great holiday
This was our 2nd cruise and we travelled in January 2022. Hubby and I booked the romance package which is well worth the $200 it costs. Trip was great, service was always impeccable and couldnt fault at all. Room was great, perfect room location with great service in the room.
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Richard HollandMELBOURNE
- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
P&O Pacific Aria - Good & Bad
I guess that reviews in general tend to be the most convenient way to complain about something so the weight of complaints far exceeds the good points on most review sites. And once unhappy about one thing its natural to be negative about many.
I will try to be fair and even handed.
Negs First.
They changed the sailing date by a week and everyone in our party of 24 coming to Brisbane from Melbourne, Perth and Wellington NZ, had to change their flight bookings, at considerable expense, with the very little compensation of $100 per person of cre...Read more
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Smelly, Bad Food, Tiny Coffin Like Rooms, Inappropriate Entertainment & Super Expensive On Board!
Travelling from Sydney to New Caledonia.
The trip was suppose to make multiple stops from Sydney to Noumea. We first encountered rough seas and many people where sick and unable to move about the boat, not a P&O issue obviously. But when the water stopped working and the toilets were overflowing, that was definitely a P&O issue!
The food was ok, but mostly terrible, we even had to miss dinner one night due to the "pre-ordered" menu not being available, we were only told about this at 10pm after waiting a few hours and seeing everyone else ...Read more
in our group eat. We had a specific diet that we had to fight to get each and every meal, mostly this was steam vegetables, white rice and zero flavour, we had the same meal for dinner 3 times. The on board activities were not great, apart from some quizzes (free), entertainment claimed to be child friendly had people swallowing razor blades and swearing. The drinks are so expensive and we couldn't have the "drinks package" for just one day, we had to buy it for the whole trip which borders on irresponsible, it wasn't a Contiki tour! I wouldn't recommend cruising for anyone considering it. And insurance does not cover missed ports, nor bad cruise experiences, only if you had booked a sight seeing excursion would you get to claim, but you'd get your money back anyhow. If after this review you are still going, make sure you book excursions with the locals, not on the boat, you'll save money and give money back to the economy you are visiting, apparently the staff are very poorly paid and live in tough conditions on the boat, be kind to them as they will be kind to you.
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Compaint
I booked on the pacific eden for my 60th birthday January 2022 the only special service I got was a crap voucher to the spa that covered a condition treatment for my hair that I would have to pay and extra 15.00 and a crappy birthday msg on my door that was taken we are now booked on carnival for my friends daughters 30th we are already up graded I worked for Qantas as an international flight att from 1988 to 2003 you lot need to lift your game I wouldn't reccomend po to anyone
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MercyfenHunter Region, NSW
Boring Cruise
My sister told me how wonderful cruises were but had never been on a PNO. The weather wasn't great so we had to look for other things to do on board. In the 10 days only one movie was shown in the theatre in the afternoon. No games room. Had a trolley that was only available from 9-10 with all the same games. No afternoon tea. Thought we would go to high tea for something to do but they were charging $29 each where on other cruises its included. Gatsby night was around the stairs with no where to sit or put drinks and only played one song from that era. If u didn't want to sit and drink all day there was nothing to do. Spoke to heaps of people and 9 out of 10 felt the same way and would never cruise PNO again.
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Marg Schneider-GrallDarling Downs, QLD
Life Photography well worth the money
Just got home from a cruise on the Aria! Just want to give Luis from Life Artist photography a mention. Even though the photos are more than I wanted to spend, I am so happy with the outcome. Well worth the money if you want portraits taken! Memories for life!
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