I have just returned from an 8 night Fiji Experience Cruise on the Pacific Jewel (me + my two kids, 6 & 8 along with other family & friends) and I have to say that overall it was a wonderful experience. The staff were very friendly & welcoming, the food & entertainment was great and the overall atmosphere fantastic. The rooms are a little dated (3 star) but well maintained and well laid out. Plenty of storage space (so many draws!). The common areas have recently been renovated & look great!

The food in the Pantry (think buffet) was ok & I always found something I liked – it’s not gourmet food by any stretch of the imagination – I would place it slightly above food court. We choose to have dinner at the Waterfront restaurant most nights and the food there was great. On the first night the kids even managed to see a pod of Dolphins alongside the ship as they ate which was a great surprise for them. A big shout out to our waitress ‘Shelia’ who was fantastic with the kids. Despite having a large table of 11 of us to contend with, she managed to find time to show them an amazing card trick (I still have no idea how she did it!).

I would also like to give a big shout out to Ria who works at the ‘Sugar bar’ in the Pantry. She was fantastic with my son (6) & always kept an eye out for him to make sure he was served – they became great friends & my son was very sad when he had to say goodbye. Also Bobbi, the Cruise Director, was amazing with him on Gatsby night. She danced with him for ages and made it a really special & memorable night for him – he was sad that he didn’t get to say goodbye to her as she made quite the impact! Read more