We wanted to go to Rabaul and the timing was right for us. It was extremely disappointing. Cabin staff and restraunt staff were excellent, the rest of the crew seems to be incompetant an unaware of the ships shortcomings. The Aria is an old ship and tha facilities (apart from the cabins) are inadequate for the numbers on board. The movies/lecture room was a rediculously small room and an odd shape resulting in most people sitting at an acute angle to the TV sized action point. The Show/entrtainment area was too small and again only a small proportion of people could see the whole stage. Food was generally ordinary (and worse if you do not eat the 3 melons as the only fruit!) Any attempt to produce culinery delights was far off the mark.

Overall organisation getting onto and off the ship at destination ports was chaotic... and in 5 advertised ports of call, we only got to get off the ship twice.

Now I know why friends replied to our disappointment with, "Oh, did you go with P&O?' Read more