Pacific Eden Review
Good ship and crew but rough seas spoiled trip for many
Rating by category
Additional details
First time cruisers - bought this cruise on a whim at a travel expo. Middle-aged couple - I've been around (smaller) boats for a long time, my wife was new to all this. Pre-trip P&O support was excellent, embarkation very efficient. We were on-board several hours earlier than expected so explored our cabin and the ship. Nice ship and friendly crew, good on-board facilities (other than the WiFi which was virtually unusable once we were in coastal waters). We sailed away several hours late due to engine problems, according to the frequent loudspeaker announcements. My wife quite enjoyed her first 12 hours on the ship: while we were berthed and sailing thru the bay overnight. But the following morning the captain must have decided to push thru rough Southern Ocean seas to make up lost time, as the journey became quite rough (I took video of 0.5m+ waves in the on-board pools, and various decks and stairwells were roped off). Needless to say a lot of passengers and some crew were seasick. On the upside, on the 1st night I'd missed out booking at Dragon Lady restaurant, but when things got rough the reservation wait list vanished and I ended up having dinner with a fisherman (who's wife also rapidly 'excused herself' from the table). The on-board shops ran out of seasickness meds, so luckily I'd packed some for my wife. When we got to Adelaide we'd pre-booked a late disembarkation but were rushed of the ship several hours early (I guess cos they had to clean and prep the ship for the next sailaway later that day). The result: I mostly enjoyed this cruise but my wife never wants to cruise again. And I saw many other first time passengers thinking the same thing. Pity.. if P&O delayed the following sailaway by an hour maybe our cruise would have been less impacted and P&O would end up with more future cruiselings.
Cabin Review
We were happy with the cabin overall, and did make a handwritten list of things needing attention after settling in. The list was given to the steward but only the most urgent items (eg blocked sink drain) were fixed during the cruise. For two people this cabin is fine with plenty of storage. Brought an air freshener for the bathroom as suggested in these forums but didn't need it - the airflow and aircon were quite good. Did request the stewards to remove unwanted furniture and purchases ($25 bathrobe/slipper packs) to create more cabin space but it didn't happen. I would book this cabin again.. conveniently near the stairs and lifts. But do check all the fittings and appliances before sailaway.
Port Reviews
Adelaide
Disembarkation well organised, with local volunteers to direct us to the adjacent Metro train station (Outer Harbour) and help us get the public transport smartcard called metrocard. The walking path and station is exposed to the elements so having weather-appropriate clothing in your carry-on is a good idea. We pre-booked a local volunteer guide via the Adelaide Greeters program (http://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/explore-the-city/visit-adelaide/visitor-information/adelaide-greeters/), who met us at Central Station. Can highly recommend this service.