Pacific Explorer Review
10 Night cruise Sydney to Airlie, Cairns and Moreton Island
Rating by category
Additional details
Boarding very slow as usual, but same for all ships. Hard to believe they make you tip out your unopened water bottle before you can enter ship.
Entertainment - a bit slack really, the ship crew show was probably the best show up until final entertainer Grant Galea whom was excellent. Ship singers and dancers two shows were OK, but male singer voice was not so great.
Other late night shows Adults Only were good.
Cabin Review
Cabin 8048
Bed is shorter than usual to fit with cabin facilities, maybe double bed size.
Drawers were falling apart, past use by date - unable to repair.
Fridge newish but loose and slides around as you open and close it.
Cannot get bags under beds.
Some noise from Explorer Hotel below, but not too bad
Safe hard to lock and unlock gets mechanically stuck knob when turning most of the time.
Port Reviews
Cairns
Overnight stay.
Local bus 110 up to Palm Cove and back cost $12 for two seniors. Beautiful area lots of restaurants and tourist things and beautiful beach and lovely scenery, could stay for a while or all day. We walked the beach and track back to Clifton Beach great walking took about 30 minutes. Few things to see at beach and rainforest. Caught bus 110 at Clifton back to Cairns.
Day 2 - Walked to Botanic Gardens and Centenary Lakes took about 50 minutes along the coastal walk and then inland a bit. You could get a local bus if you like only a few dollars. Lots of buses run up from Cairns centre.
Gardens were lovely as usual but we thought the rainforest walk at Centenary Lakes was great. Long day of walking so got the bus back to Cairns centre - bus was late so bus driver said just sit down . ha ha. free trip.
Lots of walking around city and went to night markets but didn't think much of them, just junk really ...
Moreton Island
Finally we were allowed off - few times ship says too rough so no visit.
Have stayed on island a week in past and water too cold to snorkel.
We just walked south along beach to Tangaluma Point then back to the entrance to the walk around the hills, this time we went all the way out to the desert area ( where the sand hills are used for sliding down on tours) it was really interesting we had it all to ourselves as no buses at the time. Then walked back to track and around along and over to Tangaluma resort area again, up the hill for views ( just up lots of steps). Then down to resort for drinks and rest and walking around. Great day.