P&O Cruises Australia

Sydney (Australia)

Australia & New Zealand

South Pacific

New Caledonia

Vanuatu

Fiji

Average

Poor

Very Good

Terrible

Excellent

Pacific Explorer

Pacific Encounter

Pacific Adventure

Food very disappointing. 

Firstly the bad. This was our 10th cruise and our first with P & O since 2013

 Poor embarkation. We are in our 70's and were made to stand in queue for more than 90 minutes. We think  P & O would have had enough practice to get it right by now. Our cabin toilet failed on four occasions. Thankfully it was fixed immediately.  The hand wash soap in the rest rooms appears very watery. Watered down to save money as it was more water  than soap. The cabin attendant was rarely seen and the cleaning was not up to the usual standards.

Health protocols were very, very poor. The Pantry has hand washing stations and on the first two or three days they had staff enforcing the hand washing, after that most people ignored the hand wash and the sanitisers (We did not ignore). Not that it mattered because we became ill on the 13th day. At the time we believed it was Gastro (maybe Norovirus) but on arrival back in Australia I tested positive for Covid-19.

Internet issues on the first day required long queues as so many people were having issues and then it expired the day before disembarkation (It was fixed by the service desk, but!)

Problems with the tender process at Norfolk Island (Island run tenders) and at Vava'u very long lines and standing in the heat until they started to berth two tenders.

The good.

We had the restaurant rotation between the Waterfront, Angelo's and Dragon Lady and although this was very good we noted that the menu items were quite limited. We also dined for breakfast and lunch at the Waterfront and a special call out to our waiting staff of Clarence and Ma.Kriselle who made our meals a treat. 

Having travelled on the same boat  when it was the Golden Princess was interesting. Previous inclusions (Burgers, Pizza and ice cream) were charged for. 

We do admit updated furniture in the ship is nice.

Most of the shows were good with the hypnotist a bit of a let down. 

The ports were the main reason for this cruise.  We loved the destinations so full marks for the itinerary.

Norfolk Island - A really beautiful location. Toured the town then in the afternoon we did a "convict tour". So much history

Nuku'Alofa - just wandered through the town. Had a local beer. Very friendly people. Nice location to visit

Vava'u - Again just wandered the town. Had a great locally grown espresso. Very nice people and another nice place to visit.

Dravuni Island - was there in 2012 and 2013. It's a paradise and not much has changed. Weather was perfect.

Loutoka - Took a shore tour (not P & O). It was very good value and informative.

Noumea - Our 6th visit so we did not even get off the ship. 


Disembarkation was quite good

Flawed but average

I have previously cruised with Princess and Norwegian and for me, the Pacific Adventure is better. It is comfortable, relaxed, priced right and the food is generally good, though the breakfast in the Pantry is ordinary. The entertainment is generally excellent. The Marque shows are top shelf.

Also tipping is included. Of course you are free to tip if you wish. I don't quite get it, that most other cruise lines don't appear to pay staff a decent wage. Passengers are expected to top up the staff's income. So much for the billion $ profits these cruise lines make and the sharing of it.

Some passengers expect the world for pennies.  Caviar, crayfish, 5 centimetre aged eye fillet steak, etc., every meal. Spend a week in an inner Sydney hotel with 3 meals a day, travel and entertainment and you would struggle to do it for anywhere near the price that P&O charge.

And they serve Australian beer and wine at a reasonable price which, in many cases, is cheaper than shore prices.

A great cruise had.

A wonderful trip

We chose this cruise as it was a LGBTQI Pride event. We have cruised many times with various cruise lines including P&O. The entertainment, themed evening parties and events were all fantastic, and included great pool parties with an awesome DJ.

The food you come to expect from a cruise was nothing short of awful. Staff in the main dining room were often rude and made you feel unwelcome. The included dining options menu never changed in the four nights and the pantry buffet concept is a massive fail. Limited selections in a tiny space that is plated for you like you were in a prison dinner line rather than on a cruise. Staff barely greeted you. P&O have a major issue with included in fee dining options and food service staff. It wasn’t that cheap either.

The bar staff, fitness areas and activities / events staff were all terrific. The food was not good at all.

Great entertainment and parties however the food was a huge let down and the pantry concept just doesn’t work

CABIN

Decided to try a 4 night test on P&O . Previously we have done 32 cruises previously on RCCL, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS etc.  Suite cabin was nice (Cat: PB) midship but the suite service needs more work to elevate the experience.  We only do suite class on other ships as a comparison so are comparing the offerings between lines here.  Cabin attendants were average and did not have the attentiveness we expected. Old food package left in bathroom and used hand wash/moisturizer containers not replaced for new cruise etc . Even for non suite class we would expect better. The overall experience lacked co-ordination of feeling special hence does not measure up to other cruise line experience. We felt like we were bothering them to highlight issues.

FOOD:

The breakfast was fine in Angelos restaurant however we should have been re-directed to left side of restaurant on first morning . 

Staff failed to pick up we were in a suite so were seated in the wrong area. This is lack of attention to detail. 

We only discovered this on 2nd morning accidentally with spotting a small sign on other side of deck. Again a lack of attention to detail by staff.

The service in non suite breakfast area was atrocious and lodged complaint with head waiter.

We did get very good attentive service however in the  Byron breakfast area.

Dinner experience in Angelos was average with limited offerings and vegetarian options lacking. Staff were bit stiff and not offering and meal work arounds . Second dinner experience in Angelos was better but still average. The dessert offerings were not of interest so saved calories there - LOL. The paying restaurants were good (Luke Mangan & Gradi) although we would suggest that suite class should have these included as per other lines (Celebrity , RCCL).

ENTERTAINMENT

Shows were surprisingly good and equal at least to other lines.

There was only a live band in MUSICOLOGY show which was very well done.

BLANC de BLANC was something different with a bit of fun.

BYRON BEACH CLUB

Idea is basically good however there are issues with cold or unsuitable weather where it becomes uncomfortable to lie or sit outside.

There should be an indoor lounge area for all year comfort.

OVERALL FEEL

Have to say that P&O lack their own identity and feel slightly lost in competing with other lines.

The ships are cast offs from other cruise lines which they need to address to be serious competitors in the game.

They need to build there own fleet as per P&O UK have done with new ships.

Other cruise lines have worked much more on the suite experience which P&O also need to do if they are to attract this group.

The overall cruise experience lacked co-ordination and staff morale was patchy and a bit sterile mostly.

This does not generally happen on other cruise lines as the enjoyment bar is set higher to ensure guests have a great overall experience.

We did have the feeling of being slightly abandoned which is not what we're paying for.

SUITE EXPERIENCE LACKING

Firstly the entire crew were all wonderful helpful and caring.

The food though was very disappointing.  Breakfast the eggs scrambled or fried were stone cold along with bacon. 

Dinner  and  lunch at the Waterfront Restaurant had the same menu every night . The quality was not good. Dragon Lady and Angellos was the same. The only decent meal was at Lukes which we had to pay for. It was of the standard that you would get on other cruise ships as part of your fare. Also you had to actually had to pay extra to see some of the shows.I dont see why you have to pay more to get a decent meal or see a show.This is the first review I have ever left but I feel I have to on this occasion.

People Im sure will say that it is a cheaper cruise than others and you get what you pay for. I totally disagree. It is still good money you are paying and you should expect to get decent hot food.

I know it has been a hard time for the cruise industry but P&O will have to lift their act if they wish to attract more 
cruisers. Believe me I was not the only one disappointed

We had never cruised before and had organised this with other family members and our three kids, youngest 14 and oldest 20.

First impression was that the ship was amazing nicely appointed, clean and vast. 

We are at all three restaurants and were not disappointed by what was on offer, wait staff were friendly and attentive.

The pantry was the new style buffet and was the go to for breakfast and lunch as well as dinner on a couple of nights, the variety of cuisine on offer was varied and of a good standard. They always had something that sounded good and while it was a couple of times you never had to wait long to be served, most of time you didn't wait at all. If seating wasn't available in the pantry we simply took our meals outside and ate at one of tables on deck enjoying the fresh air and views of the ocean.

Despite the ship being sold out with thousands of passengers on board we never felt like it had thousands of people on it. I don't know where everyone was and only on a couple of occasions when we caught a free show or were in the adventure hotel bar did it really feel busy. 

The entertainment crew were on point and kept the energy up on the various activites hosted around the ship. A variety of musical acts gave something for everyone, Fuego Duo are amazing.

Cabin staff were friendly and kept the room looking great so all we had to do was jump into bed at the end of a fun day.

Bar and catering staff are efficient and friendly.despite being busy all the time.

in short, the whole experience was fantastic and I would definitely cruise again, I don't know if other ships or cruise lines are better or worse than P & O and the Pacific Adventure as I had no pre conceived expectation. First impression of a cruise is that they are great

Fantastic first cruise

We have sailed on some high end lines such as Cunard and Oceania.  We are not comparing the Pacific Adventure with those as this is a completely different experience.  This ship is great if you are looking for great value and a fun time away with family or friends.  We felt that we got a fantastic product fo the very good price of this cruise.  The crew on this ship are as good as any we have every seen.  Very helpful and seem happy in their work.  Our room was an ocean view and had everything we needed.   The decor on this ship was better than we expected with some lovely restaurants and bars such as the Blue Room and Luke's Bar and Grill.  We also loved the Oasis bar, which is an adults only space at the bow of the ship with its own adult only pool.  We thought the drinks package was well worth it and gave us a lot of choice of good quality drinks.  We are in our 50s and would definitely recommend this ship to fun loving people who know how to enjoy themselves.  It was a happy ship and we had a great time.

Great value and amazing crew

To us it was very cheap. About 750 for a 10 night Noumea and Vanuatu cruise in an  obstructed ocean view cabin. We were also keen to see what a winter cruise was like.  Good value but marred in my own opinion by the adult homour in the shows even when kids were obviously in the audience. The food was okay and the coffee is good. The itinerary was good and activites well run. The crew are friendly and efficient. I think their tender handling skills are very good. With the perks we enjoy with Royal Caribbean I do not think we would pick P&O if Royal ships were available but will probably sail with them again on another winter cruise. Perhaps not in an obstructed view cabin though as it REALLY is obstructed. It is a good size though and well laid out for 2 guests. Yet to experience disembarkation at Whytes Bay.

Pretty good but....

Just can't understand why people can P&O! 

They offer a good product at a good price and really they aren't much different than other lines we have been on.

The food is just like going to your local pub for a nice meal except you don't pay for it at the end of the night.

The entertainment is very good, the crew shows in the marquee are great and the music in the bars at night are entertaining and fun.

This was our 4th cruise with P&O and our first on the Adventure.

We have previously cruised on the Explorer and before the pandemic on the Eden.

The ship is the largest we have been on but it was still easy to navigate as there are deck plans next to the lifts.

We ate mainly at the Waterfront, Angelos and Dragon lady for dinner and the Waterfront for breakfast most mornings.

Dragon lady is still our favorite but this time we did enjoy Angelos more than we have in the past.

We ate a few times in the pantry for lunch but there is so much food on a cruise that we rarely eat much lunch anyway.

The crew shows Sideshow Ally and Musicollogy were very energetic and entertaining.

Our favorite non crew show was a singer called Nathan Foley. He was very good and even though we had never heard of him before, apparently he is quite well known and we could see why as he had a great stage presence and a good voice.

The other performers in the bars around the ship were very entertaining with Spencer Chester and Zoe K  being the highlights for us.

The theme nights ( Bianco and Gatsby) were great fun with lots of singing and dancing to be had.

The jam session on the last night in the lobby bar was a real highlight.

The ship in neat and tidy in all the common areas and all staff we encounted were friendly and helpful.

We had a mini suite for the first time on any ship and while the cabins on P&O ships are slightly dated it was clean and comfortable. 

We have been on Cunard , Holland America and smaller expedition ships before and really all ships and lines have their  good and bad points .

So enjoy P&O and don't believe all the P&O naysayers out there.

Why do people can P&O?

we cruised with another couple which always makes the trip more interesting and fun.

Ship was generally fine, but with a few strange sections, like the Dragon Lady being accessable only from rear of ship.

Cruise Director Rory and Jarad were fantastic and really made the cruise fun.

We purchased a refreshment package for $25 and it was good value.

Restaurants ( free) were all great except for the first night at Waterfront that had terrible meat, but after that all were great.

The Pantry was bad, food was consistently cold or cool, very hard to give any real compements. Breakfast was cold and eggs , bacon etc always cold and overcooked. Best was to just have cereal!! Desserts were usual jelly, sponge cake selections, nothing changed.

Entertainment was bit of hit and miss, at least they had a few members to play instruments (4 or 5), not like Carnival which just has piped music.

Prices for drinks were more than Carnival $9.50 for beer not $8.50, wine was $40 bottle not $34 as on Carnival.

Coffee was OK and at least they had sparkling was in bottles, Carnival only spring water in bottles.

But we enjoyed the cruise overall as the price was good, if we paid full fare would not have enjoyed at all.

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