Pacific Explorer Review
Barrier Reef Discovery - our first ever cruise!!
Review for Australia & New Zealand Cruise on Pacific Explorer
ronnysmum
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s
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Sail Date: Aug 2017
We did the P&O Explorer Barrier Reef Discovery 10-night trip 30th August to 9th September. It was our first ever cruise, we’ve never done one before. Departing Sydney, stopping at Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas and Brisbane before returning to Sydney.
We chose this cruise because it was close to home (we’re from New Zealand) and the dates fitted in with our work commitments. We booked back in late January through our travel agent, our deal included the premium drinks package. We don’t drink alcohol but thought it would be worth it for the espresso coffees and soft drinks. We chose a mini-suite to give us our own balcony and a bit more room. We chose room 10079, as it was mid-ship and fairly close to the foreward lifts.
I was a bit apprehensive before we left as there seemed to be a lot of talk on social media about problems with the sewage system on the ship. However I decided to ignore that and make up our own mind once we got on board – plus there was much excitement and anticipation as embarkation day drew closer as it was something we’d never done before.
Cabin Review
Cabin Mini Suite
It was very roomy and there was a separate small lounge area with access to the bedroom through an archway. The bathroom had two entrances, from the main cabin entrance a door led into the toilet and handbasin then there was a wooden louvered door which led into the marble shower and spa bath area. The shower was full sized with a glass door. The toiletries were Moh brand. There was liquid soap on the handbasin, liquid body wash and shampoo/conditioner in the shower. Plus we had four little tubes of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion as well. There was no cake of soap, I’m not sure if they had them available or not, I had brought some from the hotel with me. We had plenty of thick white towels. There was a little dressing room/storage area which meant we could hang our clothes and store the suitcases out of the way.
There were two separate desk areas, one in the lounge and one in the bedroom, plus a coffee table. There was a small fridge under the lounge TV. The bedroom had a separate TV. There was only one powerpoint, for an Australian or NZ three point plug. I took a near-new multibox and had no trouble with getting it on the ship. There was a shaver only powerpoint in the bathroom.
We had a table and two chairs and two footstools on the balcony, which ran the width of our cabin.
While the cabin had not been refurbished, it was very clean and tidy, and the bed and pillows were very comfortable. Our cabin stewards Edward and Jinky were very nice and friendly.
16 Helpful Votes
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