Pacific Dawn Review

4.0 / 5.0
0 reviews

everything i would have like to have known

Review for the South Pacific Cruise on Pacific Dawn
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Heinricy
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Mar 2014
Traveled with children

we had a $500 budget (plus $75 room credit you have allocated to you) we ended up spending $998. what to allow money for: photos - we purchased 6 all up costs around $200 including SD card and $8 souvenir frame (I love photography and found them excellent quality- get Vladimir to take them on COCKTAIL DRESS night- we are very proud of them. Buy LANYARDS for everyone prior to leaving, for all access cards or for 6 will cost you around $36-$40 buying them onboard as opposed to $10 in cheap shop. Buy a couple of cowboy hats/check shirts, pirate hats/costumes from cheap shops prior to leaving - lei & grass skirts & coconut boobie covers pretty cheap on the islands and nice souvenir purchases for island nights, pirate patches only $3-4 on board but with many kids can add up- so planning is good on your wallet. ALCOHOL is pretty cheap- allowance PER ADULT is 2.25litres to take home ONLY (we purchased 3xcaptain morgan rum and a grouse scotch for $50).

IN NOUMEA get the cheapest bus ride - we paid $15 each on explorer tours but to get the little train was $39-$49each and went to the same boring places. The Casino supermarket across from the port in Noumea has normal priced drinks and about a block to your left of Port is a French bakery (pastisserie) with nice french delicacies. you can buy souvenirs as soon as you get off the boat, thought it was a bit expensive there. ALL 3 ports TAKE AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS AND GOLD COINS but we found nowhere accepted the kids saved up 50c/20c silver coins ($80 worth-so had to change on the ship)

IN LIFOU - again a disappointment. the water was beautiful, we paid $15 per person to snorkel in a lagoon (no snorkel equipment provided) was pretty ordinary, kept scraping my legs til they bled on coral and we didn't venture out more than 15 metres and stayed for 20 mins. When we walked back we found almost the whole cruise swimming FOR FREE on the island facing the boat- it was superb- even sea turtles could been seen not far from shore (will add pictures below of lagoon and free beach). We walked up to the church which was the only other interesting thing to do on the island.

Cabin Review

Cabin c

cruise was good. glad we did it but we wouldn't choose a cruise as a family holiday again probably

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