We normally sail with Royal Caribbean (35+ cruises) or Princess (5+) and have also sailed with Celebrity, MSC, NCL, P&O UK and Cunard (plus CMV Astor, but we prefer to forget about that one!!) so decided to try P&O Australia as we were taking two teens with us and choices to cruise in Australia are limited in July as the larger ships have moved up to the northern hemisphere.

Note: We are writing this as a guide for other people who are used to the newer and larger ships that other lines offer.

We booked 2 ID grade cabins only a few weeks before sailing and were pleased to be allocated rooms quite close to one another, which can often be an issue with guaranteed basis cabins. The rooms were very spacious and well laid-out. But... the room was looking tired with 90s style lime-scaled taps, old 'signage' and general wear and tear that comes with a 27 year old ship that has minor attention in recent times. The beds were pushed together and not secured so you ended up with a massive gap between them at night! Loads of luggage space though and 3 small safes in the room. Good sized shower with excellent water pressure. Our rooms could convert to 4 bunks and one of them decided to drop down slightly which was a little scary. The room would be a bit cramped with 4 adults. Read more