It was somewhere I wanted to go. I wish to thank DR Google from the Waterfront Resteraunt, who looked after my allergies, and made sure I had wonderful meals. I thank you so much you really took care of me and was a lovely friendly person who made me feel relaxed about being allergic. Unfortunately, my friend was put out about my kind caring treatment and I was unable to thank you personally, and give you a good tip. So sorry about that, I felt so bad. Because you were wonderful and I never had any symptoms on board, it was great not to worry about the food myself, I am so grateful. I hope you get to read this, you said say you are Marlon Brando as a joke. Very nice and kind Dr Google I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made my cruise much easier and enjoyable. :-) 9198 Overall the whole Cruise was fun and exciting. To find places on decks was easy due to information at the lifts. The rooms were lovely with the large balcony. Had an awesome view of the sea. The cabins were looked after very well, staff attending were wonderful and helpful. All food on board was really tasty. The food staff were excellent and caring to my allergy needs. Gatsby party was fun away to sea party was fun and the white party was fun, but what I liked most was the Blue Room where they played Jazz every night. Great musicians, loved the saxophonists playing, really really great to see and hear. The best thing about the whole Cruise was being at sea, loved it. The crew made the trip really easy and relaxing. Thank you P&O I will definitely be looking forward to my next Cruise. Read Less

Did the 3 night food and wine cruise with friends on the Pacific Eden to/from Adelaide for the 3rd time in 3 years. As we had found previously, it was a pleasant way to spend a long weekend. The ship is showing its age in parts but is still serviceable. Like the fact that the ship has a Promenade deck that allows you to do a complete circuit of the ship. The entertainment was excellent, with the Australian Cruise Director having a good sense of humour and having having a good team. Loved our lunch in Salt (extra charge but well worth it). Angelos (Italian restaurant) and Dragon Lady (Pan Asian), which are both free, seem to have got better since our last venture on this ship. Didn’t use the Pantry but found the food in Waterfront was fine. The beer and cheese tasting, along with the food and wine pairing sessions were well run. Read Less

So embarrassed to have talked up and sell cruising to good friends of mine as a fun, exciting and wonderful way to holiday and party with your mates. I have never complained or posted negative reviews in my life. Let me start with a positive, the age of P&O Eden is approx 27 years old, the have done a fabulous job in decorating and fitting out. All the public areas at just gorgeous for her age. Our balcony rooms 9132 and 9135 were again for the age very well appointed, clean didn’t smell and not issues with noise from below or above facilities. That’s where the positive compliments end sorry to say. P&O have not only let themselves down The company name but also to those that save their hard earned money to take time off work to enjoy a well deserved break. P&O you may have sold this ship!!! But you haven’t sold your name!!! Now this cruise was advertised as a FOOD & WINE cruise. They apparently ran out of bubbles at every bar in the ship in the first 12 hours of the cruise. (I say apparently because as you will read at the end of my post we were able to get hold of it) You were lucky to be able to buy it by the glass, but if you were with friends, several bars needed to be approached to buy 2 glasses. There was no wine list as they only OFFERD 2 whites and 2 reds, they ran out of white Chardonnay and the remanding 2 whites were cheap $8 bottles you could buy from BWS that they sold for $35.00. With so little to choose from we decided we would enjoy some REDS on our food and wine cruise!!!! But there were once again only 2 reds available either by the glass or bottle, both cheap and blends. No full bodied reds or whites. No extensive wine list as you would expect on any food and wine event. The only cheese in site was paper thin pre sliced sandwich cheese and sandwich ham. No platter options For those that wouldn’t know any better, your fair entitlement for fine dinning included in your fair was not obtainable on this ship as advertised. Never in my experience of cruising over a dozen cruise have I ever been denied this opportunity. We were on the ship in the first hour of boarding and could not even book in. All cruise experiences I have had. You are entitled every night, either in two choice of bookings. 6:30 or 8:30 and or anytime dinning which is achieved by taking a buzzer, having some pre dinner drinks and waiting approximately 15-20 min for a table. The only option left to us was up at the pantry, which let me tell you was a repeat of Very limited options that didn’t change for both lunch and dinner. Mainly consisting of Asian and Indian, some chicken and if there was roast, it was like leather boots. Very lacking in choices, no bakery options, no cookies, muffins and all the lovely things you would expect of a buffet on a cruise, Salad options were also very limited. There was no 24 hour fair included food facilities past 9pm So your late night after club munchies were limited to 1 outlet and you had to pay for it. Pizza $9 hot dogs $5 and so on. NEVER EVER have we had to pay for pizza let alone the midnight munchie option. For an industry that is fast growing to be at the top of the holiday industry and trying to gain more and more interest in Adelaide waters. P&O you have not only disgraced you own name. But for those that have never cruised before, burst a bubble of how beautiful cruising really is. I did make a formal complaint on the ship and was met with the supervising manager of baring. Who was lovely enough and as a peace offering booked us immediately into the fine dining we were never able to seem to obtain a normally entitled seat in AND magically a bottle of champagne appears with also anothe 3 options of another 2 brands of choice. In which I also bought another of this apparently very rare bottles that no one seemed to be able to even get a glass on the entire ship. Which brings me to the conclusion. No bubbles, no decent white, no decent reds and also running low on some ciders and beers. That they were pushing to sell cocktails or spirits both in some cases twice the price and not only myself but the girls I was with all felt they were watered down. You may be a budget cruise line and offer to the market a slightly less fare for cruising. But this does not mean you can just advertise and not deliver. I felt so very bad for you staff that coped it from so many disgruntled passengers. Real shame Us girls made our own fun and did our best to enjoy what we could. Read Less

I was very excited for the cruise and have heard many good things from family members whom have all been on cruises before (with different companies). However, there are a few things the Pacific Eden can improve on, things I expected to be done properly. Our room was very clean and neat but the towels were old and felt like sandpaper, some staysoft wouldn't hurt and new towels would've been nice. The toilet didn't have any toilet spray, which is weird because it's not really something you think of packing when going on a cruise, it should be supplied. The little shop didnt have aftersun or chewies (chewing gum), also dissapointing because those 2 things are quite important on a holiday but unfortunately people forget theirs at home alot. The pools and Jacuzzis were all cold and not heated. This was very dissapointing, barely any adults were swimming due to this. We like warmer water! Dinner wasn't supplied after 9-10pm, what about us midnight snackers? I suggest some vending machines in the hallways. Finally, on our last night we were expected to leave our luggage at our doors to be collected for departure the next day, this had to be done by 8pm, I cannot explain how annoying this was, we had to keep aside our sleepwear, toothbrushes etc and the next day's clothing, then somehow had to stuff it all in our hand luggage (backpacks and purses) when departing. Why can't we keep our luggage until the next morning? Other than those few things, everything was clean and tidy, we enjoyed the entertainment alot! I suggest improving the things mentioned above, then I'd definitely give you a 5 star rating. Thanks! Read Less

We took this short, 4 day local cruise because my husband has recently become disabled and wheelchair dependent, and we both wanted to see how we would manage by ourselves on a cruising holiday with his disabilities. We were in one of only 2 wheelchair accessible cabins. Sadly, they were obviously included as an afterthought because they were both located on deck 4, at the very front of the ship (so the ride through rough weather wasn't at all pleasant) but we didnt have any choice. Ideally, these cabins should have been positioned near the elevators to allow easier access for people with disabilities. The cabin had tiny port hole windows - they had paint all over them and were so filthy it was hard to see anything through them. However, the cabin itself was very spacious so as to accommodate our wheelchair and other equipment, although the layout was not at all wheelchair friendly. It was almost impossible for my husband to get into bed because his wheelchair couldn't be positioned along side the bed, necessitating the need for me to push, pull and roll my husband into position from the foot of the bed and he isn't a small man! The corridor leading from the elevators to our cabin was very long and narrow and quite often the cabin stewards and cleaners would block the passage with their cleaning equipment making it all but impossible to manoevre the wheelchair through the obstacle course. The elevators, we found, were extremely tiny and my husbands wheelchair only just squeezed in sideways, with me and maybe one other person being able to get inside at the same time. In regards to restaurants it is essential to make reservations the immediately upon embarkation otherwise it is highly likely you will be eating in "The Pantry" for the entire cruise. This is located on the Lido Deck and replaces the traditional buffet however the food is average food court fare, akin to what you would find in your local shopping centre, and is only open at set times, unlike other cruise line buffets which are pretty much open most of the time. There are 3 other "free" restaurants on board - Angelo's (offers tiny portions of mediocre Italian cuisine - you can upgrade to "nicer" food for a fee), The Waterfront (A La Carte dining; tiny portions; we paid a fee and upgraded our main course to steak - disgusting, fatty and gristly - I cook better steaks than that - so it was very disappointing to pay extra for poor quality steak) and finally, Dragon Lady Asian cuisine. This place was wonderful. We ate here on the 3rd night and were fully prepared for another disappointing dining experience, but we were pleasantly surprised as the food and service was wonderful with good portion sizes. There are also 3 places to eat where guests must pay extra - Salt Grill by Luke Mangan (we didn't dine here but we were told that the food is delicious), The Chefs Table (again we didnt dine here) and on the Lido Deck by the pool the is "The Grill". Here guests can purchase hot dogs, chips, pies, burgers etc. We had a pizza late one night and hot dogs during the day after the pantry had closed for lunch. Both were just okay (nothing to write home about), but on previous cruises with other cruise lines, these items were always included in the cruise fare and not an additional fee, so I felt that this was a bit of a rip off. The actual ship as a whole was just average; the crew and staff, although pleasant and friendly towards the guests, all seemed unhappy and bored. There weren't enough staff around to keep on top of the cleaning and it was all too common in the pool and deck areas to see filthy tables, dirty dishes and food and drink spillages left unattended to, and not a bin in sight. The whirlpool spas were at a pleasant temperature but the spa jets weren't operating and they had disintegrated in places. In all, I would say our short get away was okay, but the ship lacked atmosphere, fun and excitement. The live musicians were pretty terrible, out of tune and off key, and the whole ship seemed tired, worn and lackluster. I understand that this ship has been sold and would be making its final voyage for P&O in a few weeks which would explained why it was like it was... Read Less

This cruise was from Sydney to adelaide, so it worked perfect for my friend and I who live in both of these places. Loved leaving from Sydney harbour and how they played some opera music I thought that was awesome. We saw a pod of dolphins and some seals which was amazing and going pass Wilson’s promentry was spectacular. I particularly enjoyed the comedy and the piano playing by John Milligan. I went to his show two nights because I enjoyed it so much. I was just very relaxed and loved being at sea. Our cabin was great but maybe a little smelly when we got on, a bit of room spray and was all good. Our cabin person Nash was really friendly and helpful. We used the gym and the spa which was really lovely. It is a bit hard to do yoga and do the exercise machines when the boat is swaying, but was an experience. It was sad to dock and have to come back to reality. Thanks for a great time. Read Less

I bought the Australian Open Cruise as a birthday present for my mum. It was a chance for the two of us to take a cruise trip to Melbourne that we had talked about for years. POSITIVES: The embarkation experience was excellent! Plenty of friendly staff to navigate you through the process. Embarkation was easy and fast! The ship itself is beautiful! The public areas are all extremely well presented. And there were a variety of areas to chose from catering to all tastes. The cabin was surprisingly spacious. There was plenty of room to move around in the cabin and the cabin was also well laid out. The cabin stewards (James and Willie) were great. Very friendly and attentive. The cabin was always kept very clean. We saw a few of the shows. Twice Upon a Time was a modern dance performance and was excellent. The stage setting, costumes and music/score was of a very professional standard. We had plenty of laughs at the Murder Mystery activity. And recommend you get in on this activity if available. The room service food and beverages were very good. Highly recommend the wedges and the beef nachos. And Earon, the Room Service Steward, took real pride in his work. he's a credit to the team. Generally the personnel on board were very pleasant. There were options of locations to eat - Angelo's, Dragon Lady and the Waterfront were all restaurants that were included in the fare and are all worth experiencing. Ken, the acupuncturist, was knowledgeable, ethical, professional - and the treatment works! Highly recommend a visit! The staff at the Spa were generally very nice and the treatments were good. NEGATIVES The aggressive sales pitch at the Spa. When you first get on board you are faced with an army of day spa staff that offer you a tour of the Spa facilities - all with a view of signing you up for as many events and services as possible. The Spa competition has you there under false pretenses. The Spa manager (I think she was the manager, as she wasn't in a uniform) was very unpleasant and discourteous. It was a shame that the staff, who were very lovely and competent, were pressured to sell product at every consultation /service. Also, day in port specials were non existent (unlike any other cruise I have been on). The Pantry is the general "food court" area. It was difficult to get a seat at lunch and dinner times (never tried to at breakfast). There clearly isn't enough seating. Also the structure of the food service was disappointing. There were about 10 different types of food, including dessert station. Each station had 2 - 3 options to chose from. Staff at the station dished up very small servings of your selection and you were sent on your way. The only station that was reasonable with it's offering was the dessert station, who recognised that the portion sizes wouldn't fill a mouse so would ask if you would like a second options. Also, the fish was dreadful .. it was mushy/sloppy! the only fried food that I have ever seen that was in that state. On other cruises, the buffet areas worked much better! Also, the Pantry was opened at limited hours. On other cruises this sort of facility is open 24/7. The only other negative was the disembarkment. On other cruises, if you were going to take your own luggage off, you could disembark at your time of choosing - you didn't have to go with a designated group for your deck. Also, our group was told to be at a designated are at 8.50am. We arrived at 8.45am (as did others) only to be told that our group had already been called. Unacceptable! Also, the announcements calling groups to disembark are not made over the ship - so you can't hear it in your cabin. Again, on other cruises, you can remain in your cabin and wait to be called. Overall a very positive experience. Except for the Pantry and the Spa. Read Less

We chose this cruise to attend the Australian Tennis Open in Melbourne The Waterfront Restaurant had no table clothes and the service was very poor and generaly very disappointing, Some of the staff at the reception desk were very rude, The balcony cabin that we had paid a lot of money for was very disappointing, the spa bath did not work, the plug in the bath leaked, The TV reception was very poor, which ment that we had to go to a public area to watch the tennis which was the reason that we were on the cruise the air-conditioning was impossible to regulate, it was either hot or cold, there was no WI Fi even though it was listed as being available The cheese and biscuit platter that we orded to be delived to our room had stale biscuits, Over all we were very disappointed in this tired old ship Read Less

Run down and no care as this ship is sold already, not a lot of activities to do during sea days that’s when the staff decide to show up and run them anyway. The air con in our room did not work at all (along with cabins beside us) we told them on the day of getting on the boat and it took them 2 days to come forward and tell us the air does not work along these cabins floor 6 (evens side of the boat) we were given a portable air con that was noisey (rattling sound) and only cool when the air was directed straight at you, right above us was the kitchen very noisey all night. The restaurants on the ship were all fantastic the food was always of high standard and never disappointed and the staff were all welcoming and friendly except the guy serving the alcohol drinks in the pantry other then him all staff were great. Disembarking was terrible sitting in the marquee room for over an hour. If this was my first time cruising I would not cruise again, however I have been on the Carnival Spirit and know cruising is fun just a shame P&O don’t care about this ship. Read Less

This was our second cruise on the Eden, same time of year as last year, same destination- Moreton Island. Firstly, overall, we had a lovely time. For 2 tired mums needing a mum-cation, let’s be honest... a rubber ducky to nowhere would had sufficed. So the dancing, drinking and cheesy activities did not disappoint. Our cabin this time was oceanview again but instead of quiet deck 4, we were on deck 6, conveniently about 10 doors down from the atrium. We were about 10 cabins down from the smoking area and we were never bothered by people there. Most of the smokers were up on deck 12 and deck 6 was closed due to winds a lot of the time anyway. So if that is a fear you’re having about being on deck 6, fear not. We wouldn’t really know they were there. Our cabin was almost perfect except for the plug in the shower/bath which when you turned the big dial to let water out, it literally fell off! So we had our steward just remove the plug part for our stay as we didn’t want to have baths anyway. As for our stewards, we didn’t have any issues with their friendliness. I did however, have to make 3 phone calls over the space of an hour for clean towels one day. Not a major inconvenience but last year they were so much more efficient. This also happened when we would call for new beach towels as they were never by the pool and they were not the best towels to use over and over as they held the water for a long time. Onto the entertainment. The production shows had slipped. They were the exact same ones as last year only with new singers and unfortunately...and I’m no Celine Dion- they were ok karaoke as best. One in particular was so irritating people were grimacing. The comedians were absolutely fantastic and the trivia and karaoke was great as always. We did not fee there was as many activities offered this time though. The bars were perfect. No issues at any. Theme nights great especially white night but the Gatsby party needs to be moved to a different venue as the mix bar is far too small. We went to karaoke instead. The restaurants are great. Good variety of food. Pantry was awesome, the Asian cuisine in particular was delicious. But the waterfront food was literally inedible. So much cinnamon in my fish dish- yes you read that right- that it sucked down my throat and I coughed up half a lung! So steer clear of waterfront even the other meals were pretty ordinary. Carbonara at angelos was lovely. Cleanliness of the ship was fine however, the windows for the public decks were absolutely filthy! Impossible to look out of them when sailing. And on scorching days, that was a real shame. Everyone on board was commenting on it. Probably the biggest issue, was that there was an entire section of cabins on deck 6 with no air con working. Apparently the ship Knew of this at the end of last cruise but could not get the part to fix it. Instead of informing the new passengers affected, those poor people found out after sail away party and had no aircon for Entire cruise. Due to it being a sold out trip, they could not be relocated. So we had upwards of 10 people some times, sleeping in the atrium at night! I imagine those people would be writing quite the strongly worded letter right about now. Moreton Island was fantastic again. Shore tours handled efficiently. No issues there at all. I truly think that because it’s so close to their last trip for P&O, they are not being as efficient in spending money where it is needed. Had we not been on the same cruise last year, these things probably wouldn’t have bothered us. But there was definitely a slip in the cruise this time. We will try a different line next year. Read Less

A good experience only marred by the noise from the Blue Room below so loud the bass made our floor vibrate. Reception staff fall far below the rest of the crew in responsiveness and only Head of department and fred worth feeding. Salt Grill my Luke Mangan is a truly great experience and Anant was a highly experienced server. At A459 a head it isn't dear for this class of restaurant. Try dining in the top end of any Western City. The tender operation is pretty amateurish. If P&O had organised Dunkirk the outcome would have been disastrous. Overall Room and F&B service was first rate and food much better than expected. The Pantry is an interesting concept where all members of the family can find what they want. All specialty inclusive rtestaurants are good. Dragon Lady menu isn't your local Chinese suburban offerring so don't expect your Chow meins etc Read Less

Our 3rd P&O short cruise - this one for 40th Wedding Anniversary. We booked a suite, 10010, and P&O offered special services for suite customers. So did Holland America (HM) but they failed to deliver on all counts - P&O went well above expectations. 1. Express check in - YES, very fast and friendly. 2. Cabin fine, really clean, a little old but the ship is going to another company in a month or so. It did not detract from the experience. 3. Tried all the food outlets; ie restaurants, the buffet, and the speciality ones - the Luke Mangan Salt Grill and the Chefs Table- ALL were Fabulous, especially the Chefs Table! At first the price appears expensive but in reality what you get the food, the wine, the afters it would be cheap at twice the price - DO try it! NO bad food on the ship and plenty of choices for everyone. 4. All the various crew members were always happy, helpful and ready to assist. 5. The entertainment was a 1000% better than on HM. The Blue room music variety was outstanding. So many different entertainment venues to keep everyone happy. The shows in the main theatre were amazing! Loved the magician. 6. P&O has restored my faith in big ship cruising after the HM experience killed enthusiasm. Read Less

Sydney - Adelaide - comedy cruise - no ports. Embarkation -at Sydney International Terminal Circular Key - easily the best experience on embarkation of any cruise, very quick no fuss bag drop off and straight on-boarding (did not need to wait for designated time slot), very short but efficient registration with very friendly staff - thanks ladies/gents; hassle free trip on board with usual photo ops, on-board packages- spa/gym etc, our bags already delivered to our room. Ship - yes it is an older tub but to my view has been very well maintained and was very presentable with only minor signs of aging, overall was very impressed with the various venues/bars/public areas/shops etc. Particularly liked the main theater black/silver deco type theme. Public facilities all the ones used were very clean. Outside areas also appeared to be well maintained in general - only tardy area on level 12 edge/court area - showing weathering and age. This ship was much better maintained than previous vessels. Layout and size - probably not a fan of the general layout being an older design has some short comings, particularly around the Pantry area, seating and size; also not as keen on a ship this small - would probably prefer the 2000-2500 guest mark and slightly bigger size ship. Still very happy with the new experience. Entertainment/shows/activities - Comedy cruise (2nd cruise) so looking forward to the entertainment after huge disappointment on Carnival Spirit and a let down on Norwegian Jewel; was not disappointed and generally found the over 18 shows to be worthwhile and entertaining, was not a fan of all of the performers but Bob Downe and Ellen Briggs were terrific. The magician ?? Galea was also very good; didn't see any other cabaret performances - i know we missed at least one but don't know if there were others. - on board activities eg trivia etc was very enjoyable and the staff were excellent, particularly the uber funning bloke from Manchester. - tried the whisky tasting and really enjoyed the experience - but would suggest P&O try to use some different less common products in the whiskies they choose as in this case of the 4 on offer, i've tried them all in some form, so some less popularly available would be appreciated. - also opted in for the wine tasting - again great experience thanks John (happy scot) and good value, unfortunately P&O have an arrangement with the winery/vineyard on board and the tasting is only of their products, in our group one of the tasters really knows his stuff and generally the product was below par, other myself included who wouldn't have the fogyist weren't over impressed by the Hunter samples on offer and there were plenty of samples covering right across the range from whites/reds and dessert. Still worthwhile. Service - top marks to all of the staff across the ship, we had terrific service throughout with little to complain about or nothing really, sure some staff were a bit happier and smiley than others, some were finishing up when the boat reaches Singapore etc but generally all terrific. Excursions - a big NONE - water only 3 nighter down the coast around the bend and across the bottom, did have a bit of mildly rough seas on first day down to tip of Vic and maybe around the bend but nothing extreme. FOOD - P&O dropped the ball a little in this area, we were restricted to the Waterfront and Pantry as dining options along with some snacks at Ocean/blue bars and Grill. We could not get into Angelo's and heard bad reports of guests waiting up to 1hr just to order their meals - would have given it a try if available (had our names down on a waiting list). Whilst the food was generally okay - it wasn't great or memorable, we did get a couple of very good dishes at Waterfront but I've had much better on Royal Caribbean and worse on Norwegian Jewel. The breakfast menu was pretty much standard fair with smaller portions but pretty nice; toast was crap - very cold/dried out; bread rolls etc could be better; pancakes very well received; Tea/coffee hit and miss in relation to being warm/hot; the Waterfront was passable - if not great. The Pantry was very average in my view, did try some of the selections on first day and for one lunch - pretty much same fare across the cruise; dessert bar was pretty awful - really cheap crappy desserts; Salad bar - didn't actually try due to uninspiring selection (RC much, much better); tried a small croissant for early breakfast very poor inedible felt stale the small cake/muffin was alot better. Not a great bread selection, fish chips okay and very popular but fish over battered and soft not crispy - still tasted fine. Did not try the additional pay options (have on other cruises) as short cruise. Did not like the additional menu selection in the Waterfront for special selection like lobster tails you have to fork out extra cash for - seems to be a trend on cruises and one I don't like - if i want to pay extra for a special meal i'd opt to go to one of the paid venues on the boat. Think they should just offer a bigger selection on the main menu and leave off the add-ons. I'd say overall the dining experience was pretty average - certainly not tragic or terrible but could have been much better - this is a real discouragement to opting for further cruises on this line, experience with dining on Royal Caribbean and Princess was far superior; not so on the Carnival and Norwegian and this influences future choices - booked cruise in May on Royal Caribbean so hoping they live up to our expectations. Overall value for money, entertainment, amenities, service and food was pretty impressive and happy with the experience. Disembarkation - whilst a little different in 8pm bags outside room and no option to carry off your own luggage, it was again pretty flawless - meet at desiganated time at the Magestic theater, wait to be called, stroll down to level 6, swipe off and then easy luggage pick up. Train from port to Adelaide CBD waiting at dock area - short stroll, railway staff and volunteers fantastic, $10 all day public transport card for train and later tram ride out to Glenelg- what more could you want or expect. Hats off to P&O just a fantastic onboarding and off boarding experience. Read Less

Having travelled on Norwegian, RCL and Holland America in the past 4 years, we did a trip within a trip and went on the Melbourne Cup cruise - a 6 day cruise from Sydney to Melbourne, 3 days in port there, and back. Having read some horrible reviews, I have to tell you first off that our toilets did not clog, the AC/heat (we needed both) worked, and basic needs were met. The restaurants were fine, not as many lux ingredients, ie no smoked salmon, but good on the whole. We ate at both Angelos and Dragon Lady as well as Waterfront and the Pantry. The oceanview cabin had a comfortable bed but a very distressing bathtub, the highest I have encountered in a long time, making getting in and out of the shower dangerous and difficult, especially with a little ocean movement. Who needs it? The security getting on in Melbourne was ridiculous. Knee replacements set off the machine each time, and I was thoroughly wanded as well as everything put through xray each and every time. No other line has been so anal. And what is with the boarded up gates at the Melbourne dock making it necessary to walk from the bow of the ship all the way to the back to go through a gate, then back the full length of the ship to get to the port opening? Then on the third day, the boarded up gates are opened, so you can get right on and off without walking 2 ship lengths. Take pity on us who have difficulty and pain walking, when there is a shortcut. There was never anyone in charge in this area, just people doing what they were told to do and nothing more. I was not disappointed in the cruise; the views of Sydney Harbor coming and going was worth a lot. But a little more attention to detail and someone in charge with common sense would have helped. Read Less

We flew from Brisbane to Sydney to take this cruise. We wanted to see the Isle of Pines in particular. The first day out of Sydney the captain announced engine trouble - one propellor shaft was not working. He further announced that the ship would miss two of its four ports - and that meant no Isle of Pines. The shipped limped along at half speed or less until we got to Noumea. The ship was due into Sydney at 0700 on Friday 19th Oct. We had a flight booked to leave at 3pm - plenty of time one would think. The first day out of Noumea the captain advised everyone with onward journeys to change their plans to flight leaving no earlier than 7 pm. We were compensated by reimbursing us 2 days of the cost of the cruise. That was the bad part. The good part was the entertainment - those guys and gals are brilliant - starting with Spencer Chester the piano man. He is the best entertainer and gets the crowd singing and rocking. See more at: https://www.facebook.com/officialspencerchester/ An unexpected delight was The Highly Strung Rock and Roll Orchestra. This talented quartet features two classically trained violinists, a rock guitarist and a young singer and flute player. They are high energy, fun and engaging. We loved them. See more at: https://www.facebook.com/highlystrungrockandrollorchestra/ Congratulations t0 Pablo, the cruise director and the whole team for keeping us busy and happy for so many slow cruising days. We found the food good. Here are some tips. Order two entrees or two mains as the portion sizes in the restaurants are small. We liked Angelo's - Italian and Dragon Lady - Modern Asian. We highly recommended eating breakfast in the dining room. The Greek poached eggs with smashed avocado and feta yoghurt dressing was superb. Read Less

We had chosen to sail on the Eden for the sheer reason it fell within Children school holidays and general work commitments...you could almost say the stars aligned. So the anticipation of the trip was electric and traveling to Isles of Pine and other islands was going to be the highlight for the family. We were told early on that the there was mechanical problems which was going to cut 2 islands out of our trip the 2 better islands which absolutely ruined the entire holiday along with terrible air conditioning through out various parts of the ship as well as our cabin. Further more due to the mechanical issue we were on the water for almost 5 days, which meant 2 days more than expected on the ship that we did not expect and stuck doing the same over and over, but what is disappointing the most is that I and many other passengers believed that the problem was apparent prior to our embarkation which is down right deceitful. I will be investigating. Who knows when we will get an opportunity to travel again to those islands. Read Less

Each year for my birthday I choose to treat myself to a holiday as I live alone and normally people are friendly and fun. The price for the getaway on Pacific Eden was a bargain. However, the dining experience was the worst I have ever had. My past experience on cruises was that I would be seated with a larger table and enjoy their company for the cruise. On this cruise, they sat everyone who came together, together in their group, small or large tables to suite. It seems they do not know how to cater for the solo traveller, but had so many small tables they tend to want to sit you on your own. My birthday was not a total disaster, as a visit to reception had Elizabeth, one of the PAs join me for dinner on the 2nd last night (is in the photo added) after which I managed to find some friends. Elizabeth also managed to get me a reservation for dinner in the booked out restaurant for my birthday, it was still dinner on my own, but the staff looked after me and sang me happy birthday. The staff are generally lovely, and you'll enjoy the dining experience if you are travelling with others, but maybe avoid this dining experience if travelling alone as you have to work really hard to not feel isolated. Read Less

A short mid-week cruise for a birthday celebration outside the main cruise season saw our party of six booked on Pacific Eden. Mixed reviews had lead to low expectations but these were exceeded in almost every way. While the pantry and the main pool were somewhat dominated by families and children our somewhat older group was able to find quiet places inside and outside and for dining. Booked a guarantee suite on deck 10 and when room allocation was due I was offered an upgrade to the penthouse for an nominal fee. This gave our group a spectacular oasis with dining room, lounge, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. It also conferred VIP treatment when booking or visiting any of the restaurants. For Dining we tried Salt, where the food was excellent, Angelos and Dragon Lady where the food, service and ambiance was very good (particularly for a venue included in the cruise fare) The Pantry had a selection of good food but was a bit crowded and busy for us. While I could pick individual dishes as being not quite worthy of compliments overall the dining even including the maligned waterfront were better than expected based on other reviews. We did not see much of the production shows but did catch a comedy quiz in the theatre and some live music in various bars around the ship. DJ's tended to be not to our taste but live bands were varied and entertaining. The gym was well equipped with cardio and weight machines and held a number of classes in various disciplines. Thermal suite was one area showing its age with some rooms out of order. One Spa treatment was a massage with hot stones and bamboo which was effective in relaxation. For overall value short cruises tend to be a higher cost per day than some longer cruises on special. For a celebration the bar bill can also rack up quickly without the option of a drinks package. Public areas look quite modern for the most part. Cabins are a bit dated and showing wear and tear. *as are the Thermal Suites) Service throughout the ship was friendly and available if not quite as skillful as on some other lines specialty venues. No long delays getting drinks and room service was also good. I have marked enrichment activities and shore excursions as average only because we did not use them. I would have gone snorkeling but the water still a bit too cold so we enjoyed a relaxed and peaceful day onboard. Would I book P&O over Celebrity or Princess. No, but if you do find a short cruise that works for you or your group don't be afraid of going on P&O as it can be an enjoyable experience. And if you ever get offered the Penthouse, take the option. Read Less

The objective of our first cruise was to get to places best accessed from the sea and to return to past haunts: the destination, not the journey. Thanks to the reviews on this site and elsewhere we had a good idea of the ship and how things worked and did not have to figure out much from zero. The destinations worked out well, we had great snorkelling on Conflict Is, Kiriwina and Gizo. Lots of tropical fish, even if the coral not as spectacular as what we saw in Fiji. Paying an outrigger canoe on Kiriwina worked well to take us away from the landing beach where coral was badly damaged. Dive Gizo took us to their private island 20 minutes from the main harbour, with good snorkelling and diving and a delicious local lunch of grilled fish and veges. Tooling around in a dugout canoe made me appreciate how much easier modern watercraft are to use. Going back to Rabaul after it was wiped out by the 1994 volcanic eruption was an eerie experience. The pre-arranged day-long Paivu Tours tour was well run and much cheaper than the ship offerings. In Honiara we just hired a cab outside the harbour with an arranged itinerary and fixed price and kept ahead of the ship's tours. Hand-crafted carvings were plentiful in Kiriwina, attractive woven bags best on Conflict Islands, and other nice carvings in Honiara near the museum and on the wharf. The demonstration village at the end of the market path in Kiriwina is very interesting and well done but lamentably sparsely patronized by the cruisers. All traders accept Aussie dollars, but local currencies are easiest for them. Tender operations for the shore visits were run very efficiently, we did not waste much time queuing. The main unexpected issue for us was that the ship's decor, services, activities and catering are pitched to please the two main groups, 70+ and bogans. The decor and food (except Angelo's) are straight out of the 1980s. Common areas are rather garishly fitted out, the unabashedly downmarket Casino being the worst. Some of the adjacent bars have the atmosphere of a 1920s Shanghai brothel. Entertainment is also aimed at the above two customer groups: ho-hum stage show, bingo, comedy based on four-letter words, rounded out by snake-oil merchant "health" offerings and discount sale of plastic sandals. Service is fine, staff are attentive and cheerful, sometimes a bit forced cheerful, clearly acting on instructions. Sharing a table at restaurants greatly facilitated booking and allowed us to meet many interesting people from all walks of life, some real off-left-field experiences. Food presentation was very attractive in all restaurants, and service was also good with just a couple of minor hitches. We found the portion sizes perfect, unlike much chatter on the Internet. Food quality did vary markedly, though. We were thoroughly impressed with the food at Angelo's. Authentic Italian flavours and meal preparation, not drowned in heavy sauces, were well paired with good varietal wines. Management and the chef deserve a medal. The Waterfront was a mixed bag, ranging from some very nice meals (eg, a tasty vegetarian burrito) to some poor ones (eg, veal schnitzel and a so-called swordfish salad that had practically no fish in a mound of cold tomato-flavoured spaghetti). Breakfast was pretty well what one could have at the Pantry, but served with much more ceremony over much longer time. The classier environment in the restaurant was the only drawcard. The Dragon Lady showed less extremes in food quality, but the meals were uniformly very pedestrian implementations of the Asian originals, as it used to be done in last-century Oz. It was a major pain to order wine at the restaurant, as they are weirdly unprepared for such an option. The restaurant décor was far too dark and the faint blue lighting neither functional nor atmospheric. The advertised menu of the Salt restaurant was too boring for us to spend extra money on, with little apart from heavy dishes of red meat. The Pantry was very functional with good basic choices and a good range of seating and attractive decor. Some offerings like the battered fish were excellent in their own category, a great lunch to repeat paired with lots of fresh salad. The dessert menu, however, is stuck in the last century with boring sponge cakes and jellies. We wanted to spend the extra money on the reportedly impressive culinary experience at the Chef's Table, but could not get in. The quality of coffee was appalling in the Pantry and at the Waterfront, the latter's brewed offering no better than the Pantry's instant with reconstituted milk powder. Only two outlets of espresso coffee on the ship, with just adequate quality, were insufficient at this day and age. There is just no excuse for this with the availability of espresso vending machines. In all, though, it was a relaxing holiday. We organized our own shore activities based on info from the Internet and had a great time. The ship was a pleasant and convenient means of transport, and once we sussed the restaurants there was good food to be had. Read Less

This was our second time on Eden - the first time was two years ago and we loved it which is why we returned. If anything the ship was better second time around. Beautifully furnished, spacious, friendly and attentive staff - could not fault it. The food on the whole was good, tasty and beautifully presented. Temperature appeared to be a problem with many meals lukewarm at best. Waterfront (the main dining room) has a great menu with something for everyone. Dragon Lady was great but Angelos not as good. Drinks are a reasonable price, and again a great selection. Our cabin (deck 4 oceanview midship) was spacious and spotlessly clean. Itinerary was great - I wasnt sure about visiting NewGuinea and was actually talked into the cruise but we thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. We were not able to tender to Gizo Island due to rough seas but full marks to the Entertainment team for putting together a great day at sea at short notice. Cruise was ex Cairns - embarkation very easy, well organised. Disembarkation just as easy - we were off the ship and in our hotel within 30 minutes. Disappointed that Pacific Eden had been sold on but I have been told Pacific Aria is exactly the same so will have to find out for ourselves (hopefully soon!) Read Less

We arrived in Cairns 5 days before our departure and enjoyed relaxing and touring of few notable place before boarding the Pacific Eden. Boarding was smooth and went without a hitch the staff I. The terminal kept everyone informed and made the process of boarding going through customs etc a breeze. Once on board we walk around making our self farmilar with the ship until we were called to our lifeboat drill. Although she is an olde ship the Eden is very tidy our cabin was on level 6 and was roomy and more than meant our needs every thing was in working order to and we virtually had no outside noise at all despite there being a smoking station about 50 mtrs from our window. It was cleaned everyday and turned down every evening.As far as the eating went we chose to have breakfast and lunch in the pantry every day and were surprised by the amount of choices. The food was first class and the staff were more than helpful with your requests. We choose dinner in all three free restaurants but for nd the menu more inviting in the Waterfront but could not fault the food in the Dragon Lady or the Italian one. Entertainment and activities we great the daily news letter let us plan our day as to what we were going to do especially on sea days. We chose on 2 shore excursions as we both prefer to do our own thing when travelling in new places. The snorkeling at Conflict Islands was first class the array of marine life and coral is as good as we have seen. The WW11 tour in Honiara was excellent made better but the guide we had our bus who kept us informed of everything as we toured around. As far as the service on the boat went we are not real big drinkers so we did not purchase only drinks packages as such. But we found the service was slow in peak times and got a little bit over serviced in the quiet times. The staff were always friendly and would have a chat when appropriate. They work extremely hard and should be congratulated on there friendly manner. All in al this cruise was great value P& O seemed to have nailed the entertainment side as the crew they have headed up by Pablo were sensational and always smiled and made light of things to keep the crowd entertained. I would definitely sail with P&O again. Read Less

Just back from our first P&O cruise and was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Having cruised many times on other lines we were aprehensive about P&O as they don't have the best reputation. I don't usually write reviews but after reading the last two reviews I just had to write a reply. The last two reviews i noticed were written by 1 time reviewers who have just joined C.C. this year and were on the same cruise as my wife and I. Firstly the food in the pantry while not gourmet, it was certainly edible. The last reviewer lost weight proberbly because they serve you food and you can't pile up your plate as you can at buffets on other lines. We ate in Dragon lady, Angelos and the Waterfront and all were very good. The music and the musos in all the bars were very good. We went from bar to bar every night and never struck a bad show. We go and see bands and singers every week at home and these entertainers on board were fun and all very talented. I will go as far as to say that a few of the acts in the bars were better than some of the main acts we have seen on other lines. We went to see the Tom Jones tribute act and while not being a fan he was o.k but as i said we are not fans so it was not really to our liking. I don't know how old the reviewer who said the music was too loud is, but my wife and i sat as close to the bands as we could and never were we unable to talk to each other (we are in our early 60's). Yes shore excursions are expensive but they are with any cruiseline you travel with, you either do them or you don't, it's up to you. The ship is older but it is very well maintained and stylish in it's overall appearance. Loved the size and intamancy of the many public bars and areas, especially the blue room. This cruise certainly changed my opinion of P&O and we will concider them in the future if we see an itinerary we like. Daz. Read Less

Apart from one restaurant, dining is ‘food hall’ standard at best. Fatty, overcooked, unappetising, food, luke warm on cold plates and in some cases inedible. Nothing ‘fresh’ or nutritious. Been on many cruises, this was first one ever that I’ve lost weight!! Musicians in the bars etc below the standard of our local RSL and buskers in the mall. Played like they’d never been together before, didn’t even know the words! Good points - destinations in PNG were inspiring. On-board stage entertainment team, cruise director/ assistant cruise director excellent. Also vast variety of fun activities on sea days. On this experience, will never cruise P&O again - I’ll stay with Royal Caribbean Read Less

This cruise was suggested by Flight centre to accompany our trip to Cairns. We chose to pay extra to have a cabin with a balcony however we were the last cabin at the rear of the ship which was a big mistake. Not only did we have the extra rocking from the propellers and the noise of the engines but we had to contend with the noise of the chairs being dragged along the deck early in the morning. No chance of a sleep in. Every area had music playing at a higher level than was necessary. We felt that shore tours were too expensive and no prior knowledge that to attend the dining rooms on board required a long pants dress code for the men. We were in the tropics so long pants were the last thing on our minds to wear. The area that you could eat at wearing shorts left a lot to be desired. The food in this area was disappointing to say the least. We were able to find some extremely good bar stewards but the drinks we ordered were not the same throughout the ship hence we tended to get them from one area. The highlight for us was the people we met which made our holiday a better experience. As this was our first cruise we would not be booking another with P & O due to this experience. Read Less

Hi everyone My daughter and I have returned back to Cairns after 7 days on the Pacific Eden for her voyage to PNG for my daughters 13th birthday and it was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, the weather prevented us from docking at Kitava which was terribly sad for the locals as many of us on board had donations for the children. However, the rest of the trip was just awesome. The staff went above and beyond for us and I cannot thank them enough for their sheer hard work and hospitality. Too often, I see complaints about cruise ship service, however all I saw were extremely hard working staff who do very long days but always have the energy for a chat and smile. Massive thanks to Adam Mark and Ruby at P&O Edge for their fantastic efforts, you sure made my daughter smile, especially after arranging for her to meet the Captain for her birthday :) She was absolutely shell shocked that her dream to meet the Captain came true :) Matthew, well words cannot justify just how utterly awesome and brilliant you are! Our cabin stewards Rothy and Cazy, you work so hard and we thank you so much for looking after us! Neil, Shaun and so many others, you made our holiday just the best. Sadly this was out last trip on the Eden as she is being sold but we hope to see you on another cruise line next year. Cheers and all the best! X Read Less