We chose this cruise because we were looking for a getaway from the kids for a week, and to see Tasmania. We stayed in Melbourne for 2 days prior to leaving. The weather was nice until it was time for us to sail. It became rough with gale force winds. We left port over 12 hours late. Then the first day at sea was very rough. Almost half the ship out with sea sickness. Embarking was easy, as was disembarkation at each port. Very smooth, we ran into no issues. The staff were amazing, they could not help you enough. Entertainment was good. Lots of good bands, quality shows. A lot of activities geared toward very social people or an older generation or families. Not a lot for couples. The food in the pantry was a little MEH for our tastes. A lot of the food was a hit or miss. We either loved it...or hated it. However the decor in the public areas was nice. You can tell they have put a lot of effort into it. As were all of the restaurants. The coffee in the machine in the pantry was the worst. Just absolutely disgusting. The bought coffee was better. Coffee in the waterfront restaurant was at least coffee. We also bought the edge passes, gold. And it was a waste of money. Young children and teens would have got more use out of them. We would have spent less if we paid for each individual activity we did. A lot of the activities geared towards adults were on days that it was rough (so they were cancelled) or when we were in port exploring our destinations. We got to do 3 activities (my partner did 4). The abseiling was okay...would have been nice if it was from higher up or if it was more challenging. The most fun was the flying fox. And the least fun was the VR, very basic and could be done in your living room. The archery was a good solid activity. However, these activities were placed all over the ship with absolutely no privacy; most were in the main public area. It would have been better if they had a dedicated space, room, for their needs. The staff on these activities were great. Knowledgeable and fun. Well suited for their job. The Spa was great. Mahummod was fantastic at cutting hair and did a wonderful job. Overall, we had an average, just okay, time. Maybe we had built the trip up in our heads a little (first holiday in 8 years) and we were a little disappointed when it didn't live up the expectations we had. Everything that seemed to want to go wrong did. Flight delays, uncomfortable beds, food that wasn't great, rough weather which lead to cancelled onboard activities and a late port arrival which also lead to us having to cancel a shore tour due to it leaving a lot later than we wanted and having other plans on shore, and a shore tour that went longer than we expected and then didn't feed us lunch (arriving back at the ship after even The Pantry had closed). The last day was the worst. Waking up all the passengers with loud music through the halls at 6am is NOT OKAY. Essentially a big get the hell off our ship, leaving everyone with a bad taste in their mouth. We heard other passengers grumbling as well. We arrived home tired and a little wrung out. Just happy to be in our own beds. For the money we spent over 7 days (5 on the ship) I feel a little cheated. A little disappointed. IF we ever went on another cruise...I don't think it would be with P&O. Read Less

I think this carnival cruise is pretentious type. I was not really impressed with their buffet menu, especially their breakfast. They have app to check the program, where to eat and chat with other passengers. Unfortunately, for chatting feature was not working most of the time for us so it was a waste of time. The breakfast are flat and boring. Sometimes in their app showing that their buffet is open but when you get there, there was signs that the buffet is closed. In the rainy/wet weather, even worse. There was not enough good entertainment / activities that is fun. The water will in the slides are not heated so at the top deck, it was windy & cold. I also lost one of my AirPod and report it almost every day but no update was given. When we were leaving, we supposed to receive letter / memo to advised our checkout zone but many of us never received any. In the fine dining area, only on the last day they show us the kids menu. I think they have to train their staff much better in the customer service. Before we sailed, I had some inquiries over the phone but again the customer service agent hang up on me before I finish my inquiries. Read Less

My 4 day cruise to Morton islands leaving sydney the 6th Feb.The service in the restaurants was great and the food but that's where it stops, too many bogans swearing and drunken people. The dress code was poor and not much entertaiment during the day and found the staff not happy compared to the P& O staff. There was no control over handwashing at the buffet and before you enter the boarding on ship, the toilets are filthy and no paper towels and some hand dryers not working. I've taken 45 cruises and it's hard not to compare but this particular ship is poor compare to the carnival spirit. The cleaning of the inside lifts can be upgrade too many drinks dropped on the floor and tables not cleaned. The spa not always open at the spa & beauty place on deck 11 due to water spilling over to the corridor, the steam room dirty and some of the heat beds not working but on a good side they did refund my money. Thumbs down on this particular ship and will stick to Royal Caribbean & P&O , Princess Read Less

My daughter had been on Carnival and Princess Cruises. She wanted us all to go on one together. A lovely ship with the majority of staff that were just so friendly. Room decor a bit dated and the windows had obviously seen many days at sea so they looked dirty although they weren't. Very spacious, a/c worked great. It was the last voyage from Brisbane as it will remain in Melbourne for a bit of time. We mostly had to dine at "The Pantry" or " The waterfront". The Asian and Italian Restaurants were booked out for the entire cruise on the first day obviously by Cruisers who knew the ropes. A more fair system would be to be given a voucher with your cruise ticket to all of the restaurants. A lot of the meals in the pantry that had meat (Asian, Indian meals) were very tough and not very flavorsome and often not hot at all. The desserts looked good but very underwhelming to eat. A lot of variety so you can find something you'll like. Majority of staff are very hard working and very pleasant. A handful of staff that serve up the food weren't impolite but very disinterested in being there. So many were serving tiny portions so I'd often hear younger guys asking for bigger serves. Great entertainment all around the ship. There is a lot of things you pay for on P&O that is included on other cruises. I heard many people continually mentioning this. Many people were also questioning their accounts. I think by 9.30 the only food available is a place that sells pizza's, pies, hamburgers. I cant emphasize enough of how friendly and hard working the staff are. We stopped at Eden, it was so beautiful to arrive at. We visited the little marked on the pier. Brought some lovely organic chilli relishes. You must check that out. My daughter and husband enjoyed the onboard parties. The view and comfortable chairs up at the Dome is not to be missed. So many lovely sitting areas. A seperate pool just for adults as well as the one kids can go in. If i could be guaranteed a spot in one of the 2 restaurants we had no hope of getting into, then I'd consider going again. The crowd on board were the friendliest, happiest people I've come across in a long time. The atmosphere was amazing. Young, old and inbetween everyone was so beautiful. Elma up at " The Waterfront Restaurant" was a real sweetheart. Elfy at " The Pantry" was always smiling and her happiness is infectious. Make sure you get hold of the daily itinary so you know what's on. We didn't get 2 days so we missed out on a lot. I didn't realise i needed it until people mentioned it. I assume someone took it from outside our door. Read Less

We did a 10 day cruise out of Sydney Australia to the South Pacific. We chose Radiance of the Seas for the departure date and itinerary offered. Unfortunately this itinerary started changing immediately after we booked (prior to Coronavirus) and continued changing right through our cruise. Understandably we were on the ship with week Coronavirus starting making news and quarantining other ships , so I can't imagine logistical nightmare the company was living.. We were to visit Mare, Lifou and Isle of Pine (which was on and off the itinerary a couple of times since I booked)- it was first cancelled as there would be too many ships in at the same time, and then added to our itinerary through the cruise with the cancellation of other ports. We completely understood the reasons for the closures, but it led to a lot of last minute research on the ports as the original ports were easy to do on our own.. where the other stops required excursion planning. Anyhow this was a circumstance out of our control and we were very grateful not to be quarantined. Here is the review of what we did: Ship: As others have said some areas look a little tired, but I enjoyed the size, the detail (many pretty areas) and ease of getting around. Cabin: We were in 8024 a balcony room. I found the room to be small compared to other cruises I have been on, but it suited our needs. The bed was comfortable. Dining: The buffet (Windjammer) got old for us pretty quickly, but we loved our meals in the dining room. The menu could have used a little more variety but what we had was always good and the environment was great. We had a table for two that was situated close to two other tables for two and we thoroughly enjoyed our company. Entertainment and Activities: We saw most shows and I felt they were well done. The singers on this ship were amazing. The theatre had lots of seating and great bar service. There weren't many activities on this ship that we wanted to take part in..I think that was mainly due to the size of the ship (variety of activities less) Service: Here is the big reason for my rating. We experienced excellent service in the dining room by all waiters and assistant waiters. The service in the all of the bars was slow- although the staff worked very hard.. Royal Caribbean has the waiter take the drink order and then make the drink, and then deliver... it was very inefficient and the passengers were getting frustrated, which in turn, stressed the waiters out and the whole thing did not seem to run smoothly. The bars were understaffed so waiting for a drink at a bar usually had one bar tender working as fast as they could to accommodate about 10-15 people waiting. Ports: To the best of my memory with all the changes.. Noumea- and we were here twice d/t port changes.. we booked a private excursion before leaving home with Dal Ocean Charters. Do not hesitate to use this company..they were amazing with communication before hand, arrival at port and the excursion itself. The first stop we planned a trip to Signal Island. About 12 of us on an inflatable speedboat which was very fun. Skilled driver.. the island is stunning and has amazing snorkelling (bring your own). We took a picnic from the supermarket right where the ship docks and the price was right for the trip. When they heard our ship had been rerouted back we received an email offering another trip to a different island. We took the same type of boat to Largenere Island and this was a highlight of the whole trip. Only about 20 of us on this island with printine waters, excellent snorkelling, a beautiful beach and great swimming. There were huts and picnic tables for shade. We were so pleased with Dal Ocean Charters. Paid Australian cash prior to the boat ride. Port Villa Vanuatu- We had booked a private excursion with Yumi tours. Excellent communication with this company as the port date changed as we were on our cruise. The owner was at the gate and took us to our driver Moses. We had an amazing day at the Blue Lagoon, a turtle sanctuary and a cultural experience at a village. We were well taken care of throughout and again I would really recommend Yumi tours. Mystery Island: This was a tender port and we didn't have to wait too long.. the process was very efficient. A great beach/ snorkel day. lots of places to swim and a nice walk around the island. Markets on the island and a bar if you want. Luganville: This was added mid cruise d/t port closures and it was the first time this ship had been there. 6 of us hired a driver (lots at the port with air conditioned vans with seat belts) and we went to Champagne Beach (about 50 min from the port) such a beautiful drive and then to a blue hole. There are several. Champagne Beach is where cruise ships used to tender to but they have changed things so it was very quiet when we were there.. excellent swimming.. no snorkelling here. All together we had 4 days at sea and these were good. Lots of seating top deck over the pool.. most people wanted to sit in the solarium or right around the main pool but that was too close quarters for us. This was our first time cruising the South Pacific and I would go back to see the ports that we had cancelled d/t Coronavirus. The people of these islands were lovely and there are many islands to see. Let's hope the Coronavirus is contained and visits to these islands can commence once again. Happy Travels Everyone! Read Less

We have cruised with P&O Australia before, with mixed results, so we were a little hesitant about booking this cruise. But the price was outstanding and the OBC too good to refuse. Having just got off the Sun Princess a month before, we were immediately "at home" in our cabin (balcony, deck 11, forward). In fact, on waking up a couple of mornings I had to remind myself were on the Explorer and not a Princess ship! As they used to say about shoes, our cabin "was well worn, but worn well". Jomon and Komang did a sterling job of keeping everything clean and working well — and were always bright and sparkly as well. The only "fault" we had on one day was a distinct lack of hot water, but I think that was related to a ruptured steam pipe in the engine room that caused a minor emergency. The food was pretty much hit-and-miss. We ate mainly in the MDR because we actively dislike the "Smash-and-Grab" (buffet). The menus were quite extensive but became a little repetitive by the end of the cruise. Having said that, there is only a limited number of ways you can serve eggs for breakfast, for example. Generally, the food was tasty and filling. We also tried Angelo's and Dragon Lady and would rate them satisfactory rather than excellent. Luke's served excellent burgers for a light lunch (extra charge). We didn't go to 400 Gradi, the pizza place — nor did many other people! I never saw more than 8 people in there at any one time. And, despite that, they still insisted on shutting down the thoroughfare to the forward areas — a minor annoyance but unnecessary, in my view. I think the entire area is being revamped in the current refurbishment; it was covered in plastic when we left. We booked the Love Riot show and dinner option. What can I say! The menu was I feel too adventurous and lacked organisation. (The seafood bisque, for example, was burnt/over-salted and near as damnit to inedible.) The show itself was in a similar vein. The contortionist was great; the male pole dancer ditto, but the rest was a lot of flashing lights and "music" and commentary at a volume that fell just short of painful. It was disjointed, with little flow. Full marks to the guys and gals for their efforts, but it was ... juvenile ... to say the least. And PS: Fishnet tights with holes in them are NOT a good look! As for drinks, bottles of wine are quite reasonably priced. Cocktails about $13AUD — except when I asked for a gin martini, straight up, no vermouth. This apparently caused minor conniptions and I was charged for two separate shots of gin, which came to $20. The same thing WITH vermouth was $13 — I gave up and drank margaritinis instead ... Service everywhere was with a smile. We couldn't have asked for better. Ports? Well, being from Western Australia, we're pretty "Asia-ed-out", so nothing special there. Some minor irritations with shoreside medical inspections for coronavirus, but they were there for a good reason. The skipper was incredibly protective of the passengers and insisted checks be done onboard, which they eventually were. (We had no reported cases onboard.) He was most upset when we had to put all those with Chinese passports ashore in Cairns; they were not allowed to stay onboard. Would we go again on Explorer? Sure. The value for money is hard to beat. Read Less

This cruise was very average and nothing to recommend people on, most of the staff are fantastic (and completely over-worked). The ship was OK but looking poorly for a twelve year old ship, and the layout as good once you got accustomed. Hygiene is not Carnival strong point, so you have to be pro-active here as most of the passengers are not. The Good: -The kids facilities are good, the water parks and ocean camp are excellent, the Cat in the Hat activities are very good too. -The buffet was better than some other ships I've been on but the food don't change at all. -The Red Frog Pub had a good vibe. -The stateroom was cosy and clean. -Good movies on the pool deck at night. The Bad: -The dining room food and service was very average, less of 'The Show' and more of imaginative food please. -The theatre shows very average except for the Illusionist who was great. -The bar service was slow. -The cruise director was very average and basically called the passengers bogans! -The photos are too expensive and mostly poorly shot. This ship is positioned at the cheap and of the market, but I had the feeling that Carnival was cutting expenses everywhere to total maximise profit at the passengers enjoyment. Read Less

My husband and I aged 54 and 52 had an interior room on deck 6 (6376) for a 9 day South Pacific cruise at a total cost of $83 per day each, now thats exceptional value. As the old saying goes "You get what you pay for". The ship overall look is older style with very gaudy decor, clashing colours and overall ugliness in some areas. "You get used to it". Stateroom was a good size clean and comfy. Food was a hit and miss. Some good choices in the Lido and some not so good. Sandwich bar is excellent, also liked most of the food in the Black Pearl dining room restaurant. Most staff where very good, a few seemed brash or uninterested. Unfortunately we missed 2 Island days, Lifou and Isle Of Pines, due to the Corona Virus scare. Island officials closing the Islands to ALL cruise ships until further notice. Ship gave all passengers a $25 credit to compensate for this. Instead of Lifou we went to Port Vila and a day at sea instead of Isle Of Pines. Ship holds a lot of passengers and finding seating especially near the 2 pools was usually impossible unless you staked your claim before dawn. Hygiene practices were nearly non existent. I hardly ever saw anyone use the hand sanitiser before entering eatery areas. Entertainment was very mediocre actually worst we've had on our 7 cruises. Please be aware if you have sailed on the Carnival Spirit and expect this ship to be on par, you will probably be disappointed. We will not be returning to Splendor even at the budget price. Read Less

This was our 7th Cruise and we chose Splendor because it was supposedly refurbished and we enjoyed Spirit so much. I believe a cruise is what your make of it and we enjoyed ourselves, but somethings were disappointing. The ships decor I think is very ugly unfortunately, ceilings very low and areas very dark. The glass lifts are like walking into a hallway very narrow. Overall the ship is very hard to navigate because nothing flows, only deck 5 runs front to back, so you would have to go up a level walk across and then down a level to get to the pub and restaurants. Firstly we stayed in a suite which was very old dark and dated, maybe they put new carpet down. I know the showers on most cruises arent the best but these were the worst, no pressure and temperature fluctuations. We were in a party of 6 and you could pre-book your table 10 minutes prior to seating if all your guest had paid to go on the hub app. You cannot contact the dining room until it is open. Weird thing is not once did we get a table for 6, it would be seven chairs or ten chairs and eight. But when we did book for eight people we got a table of nine. this became a bit of a continuing joke. Food tried to be fancy had some nice and not so nice meals. We enjoyed the Red Frog Pub and the trivia was entertaining, the casino poker machines were very stingy. The Carnival shows in the theater were not so great. It would have been nice if they had a price list for their services at the Spa. When I asked them their excuse was they only print one brochure for all their ships world wide. But nothing is stopping them from printing their own price list. As for Ports we had 2 (Lifou and Isle of Pines) cancelled and Vila was a substitute unfortunately it was a Sunday the markets were open but only 2 shops in town. We were to leave port at 2.30, but when Isle of Pines cancelled they extended our stay till 8pm and everythings was closed off and on the ship it made no sense. Lastly the carnival hub app is soooo bad constantly having no connection. We enjoyed ourselves anyway and will be going on another cruise , just not on this ship. Read Less

Bridge version. In my opinion the Ship need to be scrapped and Carnival need to invest into further training for staff, lack of maintenance has caused ship to be an eye sore. Rust, corrosion, wear and tear is certainly no priority on this ship. Cleaning is done at an absolute minimum standard. Process are not enforced or sustained. Dirty windows throughout. Furniture torn and damaged. Broken items are not discarded. Ceiling fixtures are falling away. List goes on!!! don’t just take my word for it read other reviews. If you’re looking for a wow experience through and through this is certainly not the ship. Staff are friendly and most happy to help. The problems is staff are limited to training and resources, offered this makes their jobs difficult. Don’t expect captain to greet you or have a photo taken unless you are willing to pay $25 for the photo. (disgrace). So many families were looking forward to a simple wave and smile. Grime is so visible throughout. Too top it off Carnival smoking area is in within the children’s pool area. The term you get what you pay for is a complete understatement. Witnessed Bar staff serving drunk guests alcohol to intoxicating levels. ( bar is so understaffed during busy periods they overlook what and who they a serving drinks too. To allow underage guests to be intoxicated on the ship is not right. Assaults on innocent elderly couple by young drunks. Security guards not present enough through the bars areas. All in all process need to be enforced for family’s to have a fun safe enjoyable time. Wake Up Carnival!!! Read Less

Overall our holiday was good, but there were a few things that brought down the enjoyment. Our stateroom was assigned by RC on the starboard forward part of deck 6 and was above the deck 5 smoking area. This meant when we wanted to use the balcony, we got cigarette smoke in the air. Fresh air was why we picked a balcony in the first place. We also were deluged in cigarette smoke when waiting in line for the North Star on deck 15. In the stateroom, while it was small, the bathroom was extremely functional. Having USB ports and magnetic walls was also convenient. However we would have preferred to have a curtain or room divider so that a person sleeping wouldn’t be disturbed by someone reading or coming in late. Having all the overhead lights on the same switch also contributed to this issue. Personally I was disappointed that the Solarium pool was really only for sitting, not swimming. The other two pools were so full of kids for most of the day I couldn’t really swim. We also didn’t really get any benefits from being lowly gold level Crown & Anchor members. We received a note at the start of the cruise that we would get buy one get one free soft drinks when ordered together, or 10% off a single, automatically. However this was never the case when we bought soft drinks. The photo discount was nice, except for the photo package offers made the discount irrelevant. The special waiting area in the Music Hall on debark day was also irrelevant- no one was there when we arrived and when our number was called we were further back in line than the people who waited in Two70. Our cruise superstar staff were our stateroom attendant Igede who quickly helped us with anything we needed and had our room tidied very quickly when we left. We really enjoyed the progressive trivia and game shows hosted by Prince. The entertainers we saw were really excellent - Pixels and the theatre productions had amazing set design and performers. The INXS tribute band, comedian and tropical pleasures duo were also lots of fun. We didn’t go to the other tribute concerts as we weren’t interested in the artists they covered - maybe pick some more recent artists. The cruise director was kind of extra - he needed to take it down a couple of notches. It’s likely that we’ll sail with RC again. However it’ll probably be on a smaller ship, we will cough up the extra money to pick our stateroom, and we will be careful to avoid school holidays and smoking areas. Read Less

We chose this cruise as we had been on Ovation previously, and knew it would provide enough entertainment for our kids and grandkids. Although the grandkids (five of them, aged 4 to 15) did not go to the kids club, there was enough on the ship to keep them engaged and happy. Embarkation in Sydney went without a hitch, and by 11.30 we had found a table in the Windjammer and had our first cocktail. We then explored the ship, and the looks on our kids and grandkids faces was a joy to behold. Because we were a party of 11 we stuck with My Time dining in Silk, and the food for the most part was top shelf. Our wait staff (Jerrold and Jan) were fantastic, remembered everyone’s names and could not have done more for us. Nothing was too much trouble and they made our dining experience one to remember. We had four cabins on Deck 10 forward, and they were nice enough. Our cabin attendant Aldrin did a great job, keeping all our cabins immaculate, always with a smile on his face. We attended most of the shows - some hits, some misses. Pixels kept the kids entertained, but we had seen it before and knew what to expect. We had a crack at most of the activities, including ifly, North Star and dodgems. As many other reviewers have mentioned, the queues at times were horrendous, but hey, you’re on a cruise, so just enjoy the people watching! Our ports of call were Noumea, Mystery Island and Brisbane. We found Mystery Island to be the highlight, way more to do there than expected. Beautiful beaches, friendly locals and crystal clear water. Noumea was ok, we’d been there before and knew what to expect. A lot of people didn’t get off in Brisbane, the main reason being that the port was a long way from anything, and Royal had the hide to charge us $25 USD pp for a shuttle into Brisbane - a lot of cabbage when there are 11 of you. Whilst I appreciate that there is a cost involved to organise the coaches, I'm certain it wouldn’t have been $40 AUD pp, just another example of profit being put before all else, I suppose. All in all it was a great trip, and a fantastic first cruise experience for our family. We will certainly cruise again with Royal, and I’m sure our kids will as well. Read Less

Reason of choosing this cruise because it would bring us to parts of the world which we wanted to see. The route was one we believed was an attractive one, and turned out to be so. Lots of ports but also sea days could be enjoyed. Being on board ment meeting other guests and enjoying the warm embracing of the employees which were so incredibly friendly. Next to that and the every day big programme, which could be enjoyed, the food was SPLENDID. The choices were surprisingly great, the taste of every meal, can actually not discribe it. Hope everybody will understand the high level of it. In short; route was A very nice one. We learned much about many. The crew, completely marvelous. A great thank you to the captain Kristovic for sailing us save and sound to all the directions. Mr. Ray Solaire which was very informative and entertaining. A big thank you to the chef the cuisine Kelly Cochrane for the delicious food. Much appreciation to lovely Lusan and Saga who took care of our cabin. Who did I forget? hopefully no one. The ones, Koko, Maya and Ivana, lets not forget Ronald, we enjoyed having them around. All the employees deserve A BIG THANK YOU. We say ; untill the next time. Read Less

This was our first Princess cruise and having sailed on Celebrity many times it was a lovely surprise. The ship is only a few years old and well looked after, everything sparkled. We loved the fact that everything onboard was in AUD$ and reasonably priced, e.g. the coffee card ($36 for 15 speciality coffees), the drinks, the shops. Princess entertainment is first class, the Production shows are a visual delight and the guest entertainers were good. Our favourite was The Voice of the Ocean, such a professional show. Our Cruise Director was a fun guy who made our trip and there was always something happening, activities all day/night long so no time to be bored. The weather was glorious with only a couple of rain showers so no ports were spolit. We had never been to Fiji and the 4 ports of call gave us a good look. The Buffet restaurant was OK although not our favourite place to eat as it was always packed with people rushing around bumping into you. The Symphony dining room was our favourite with every meal of high quality and always hot. Alfredos Pizza makes a nice change for lunch or dinner and its no extra charge. We will definitely sail with Princess again, excellent service, wide variety of things to do and great food. Read Less

…..BUT COULD DO BETTER. Most of the usual PRINCESS pluses were apparent. Great entertainment, hard working cabin, food and wait staff. A decor not as over the top as some competitors. Lower booze prices and the chance to bring on-board 329 2 free bottles of wine + pay corkage on more. This particular ship is one of the bigger cruise boats out of Australia but had no shortage of bars, lounges etc At no time did I find areas overcrowded – the usual lack of sun-lounges on the pool deck didn’t eventuate. I thought its 3 storey PIAZZA area was way more sensible than the towering atriums found on some competitors. Many bars and restaurants were on the 3 levels and usually some entertainment at base level. The adults only HOLLYWOOD area was brilliant. Ship seemed to have many special interest areas - lotsa table tennis areas, a golf driving area, karaoke rooms etc. But certain things were not all that great: - carpets faded and marked - maybe a shortage of workout machines in the gym, although the number of walkers, X-trainers and bikes very good. - tender operations off DRAVUNI and SABUSABU hopelessly disorganised and chaotic. - only one security scanner on return to ship led to huge lines of people waiting to re-board (in the hot sun AT LAUTOKA.. - hopeless wine bottle corkage payment system on Sydney departure - only one guy manning table saw a 15 minute wait. - often no cooked tomatoes at buffet breakfasts (I thought them a breakfast staple). Sometimes no tomatoes of any kind. Often no french fries at buffet (another staple?) No ice-cream at buffet dinners although soft serve available just out the door on pool deck. Note however that I thought the range and quality of buffet food overall was very good. - some structural issues: cabin door needed slamming on exit (not great for neighbours when going on the 6am coffee run: cabin door hard to latch from inside: banging in the roof cavity above the life jacket area in rough seas: cabin aircon variable. Some of these failings are systems bases and will hopefully be fixed with more experience. Others are structural which should be addressed at the upcoming first (warranty – this ship was launched in 2017) refurbishment at the end of the Australian summer season. - an oily slick extending from the side noticed at anchorage in the DARVUNII LAGOON. Looked to light for bunker oil. TIPS – don’t miss any lectures put on by PRINCESS staff. The navigation and engineering talk was to a full auditorium (hats off to PRINCESS – on this ship the main theater seemed way big enough) and the cooking lesson from the head chef and maitre d was both informative and humorous (this was followed by a free quick tour of the galley – must have had a line of 1000 people). - if you miss a pm performance in the theater be aware they are often repeated as a matinee next day. - the second pool on the pool deck is a very small sauna-sized deep bit surrounded by a spacious area abt 2 inches deep. Latter ideal for non swimming kids and parents wanting to sun/stay cool and keep an eye on offspring. Kids will also like the circular splash deck nearby. - if you enjoy serenity, head to the adults only HOLLYWOOD pool and lounge area up top forward. Although underover, not chloriney smelly {treatment and pool water is that easier on the eye salty stuff). The lounge area just forward has great 17th level views over the bow. Read Less

we decided to try an more elegant n new ship.majestic n that she was beautiful new n elegant the renewal of vows was the best thing we chose to do if you get the chance do it well worth it . the staff n captain put everything together beautiful . just make sure you have friends n family with you for photos. there was good n bad with our cruise like you get on most cruise ships.we done 14 nights n went to fiji , amazing. i would NOT recommend this ship if you are a smoker.or younger. there is very little to do for kids..or younger adults. i would recommend CARNIVAL. as smokers we were made to feel like we had a disease or something we were verry isolated especially on deck 7. were they refused to come out n serve us because we were smokers. we were excluded from all the entertainment out on deck 7 .the good thing about been isolated on deck 7. we meet the most amazing group of people . we all hang out together they made our trip FRIENDS FOR LIFE.. also coffee cards need to change they charge you for coffees you dont even buy or if you want an extra shot they charge you for 2 coffee..our cabin was amazing . love the big balcony n the fact you can choose movies for free. toilet was to close to door. no room other than that couldnot fault our cabin.. room service was excelent .. for food.. personaly we will stick with CARNIVAL. unless smoking areas change.. we would recomend if youy want an awsome tour n tour guide in savusavu.. ELAYNE. BENNET.cheap kind caring . well worth it. Read Less

Service has dropped considerably. After 3 cruises with Princess cruises we are now considering other cruises companies not connected with Princess or Carnival. No happy hour. This gave us an opportunity to meet new people and enjoy our cruise. Over priced Princess excursions. We and just about everyone we speak to will not consider booking on shore excursions with Princess when then the are around four times the price. Majorly over priced Soda package. It has doubled in the last couple of years. However we have reduced our expenditure by buying less soda packages. Staff not knowing ingredients of cocktail menu. Some have no idea. Slow service all round. Like four small orange juices instead of one large. Over priced wine. Half the price by bringing your own and paying corkage. Stupid cruise ship policies. The majority of people I spoke to are not happy with Princess Cruises. From where I’m sitting this is costing you the company big time. Read Less

We sailed on the majestic princess to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji from Sydney. Embarkation was smooth, super quick and easy. Best we have seen yet. The ship itself is amazing, so so big. Are room wasn’t ready yet but that was alright, we went and purchased our drink packages and headed to lunch in the marketplace, the marketplace was a bit crazy and hard to find a seat for the first probably 2 days, after that people seem to eat at different times or used a lot of the other options available, eg: burgers, pizza, other restaurants, as it seem to settle down after a couple of days and we had no problems finding a seat. After lunch we explored the ship, how amazing this ship is. My favourite place where I spent a lot of time during the 14 night cruise was the hollywood club. Cool and peaceful (no children aloud in this area). We finally went to check out our room which was a balcony room, midship on the 15th floor (marina deck) amazing views from here. Although small ( compared to the mini suite we had last time) it was all that we needed and made ourselves at home for the next 2 weeks. Emergency training conducted and we were off to the sail away party. We were at sea for the first 2 days and this is where we first became disappointed with the activities/ entertainment staff. I thought at first that maybe we had just been super lucky on our first 2 cruises to get amazing entertainment teams that were funny and well ENTERTAINING, that made you want to go to everything on offer as you knew you were going to have a great time and come away laughing as you never knew what they were going to get up to. But as the cruise went on and the more we spoke to other guest we soon realised that NO it wasn’t just as, The entertainment team on this cruise were not as good as on other ships, (No I shouldn’t say not as good, as at times they could be funny and entertaining) but I really don’t know how to explain it, we and others were just really disappointed with what was on offer and things that you did go to were just ok. As I heard one guest say, we (the guests) have to provide our own entertainment on this cruise. Not good enough for the money we pay. Other then that we still had a great time, other entertainment such as the performances in the theatre, and the musicians in the piazza were excellent. The destinations we visited were amazing and well worth the visit. The tenders on this ship are new, spacious and much easier to get on and off. Housekeeping as per usual - amazing, these people do not get paid enough for what they do, our steward Eric, couldn’t do enough for us. I paid to have access to the enclave in the lotus spa everyday. How amazing is this place, well worth the money - TIP - buy the package on the first day when they are doing the tours through the spa, you get it cheaper. Getting back to the entertainment, 2 things we did look forward to and I did hear other guest say the same thing was the Australia Day party, fantastic idea but why would you have it at 9:45 at night after people have been on shore all day. I would of loved to go but after a full on shore excursion that day I was exhausted as I’m sure other were too. Then came the Latin dance party, another great idea, again late at night, for what reason I do not know. This one I did stay up for, it started, the professional dancers and singers from princess came out to perform, performed one song, it started to rain so they went off. Now fair enough I wouldn’t want to see them get hurt, however it rained for a couple of minutes and then it was alright for the guests to get up and dance on the dance floor so why couldn’t the others come back and finish there performance. A lot of disappointed people soon went back to there rooms or on to other things. Finally the time came to disembark back in Sydney, I know it sounds like I didn’t have the best time on this cruise but I still absolutely had a great time just a little disappointed. I still as always never want to get off, I could so live on a cruiseship and have often dreamt of working on one (maybe one day I will ). Disembarkation was just as easy and smooth as embarkation and we headed off to our hotel just down the road for a few days site seeing in Sydney. I watched the ship sail away again that night wishing I was still on there. Read Less

We have cruised Princess several times . looking forward to Majestic but have to rate it around a 3 out of 5. Layout seems to be a bit disjointed ! ie seems whereever there was a small area with nothing in they just plonked something there - ie small bar area. - another internet area - there are 2 of these 1 has 2 terminals and a very very small selection of books(ie library) and the other from memory has 4 or 5 - not many considering the size of the ship. The market place buffet was very confusing - long and segregated sections - if you wanted sweets/'desserts you had to walk ALL the way back to nearly the beginning - older style layout is much much better for the amount of people. cabin fabulous L108. entertainment was average but production shows as usual were great. Pizza area was downstairs and was a restaurant - would have loved this upstairs on pool deck. Service was really just on what was expected - nothing exceptional here. First time I was worried about my safety in PORT VILA - seems they are so desperate for the cruise work they have no consideration for the passengers when trying to get out the gate on the wharf - security and police had to forceably push them back to allow the passengers to even get out the gate. This is a worry and have sent an email to Port Vila as a complaint. Read Less

Chose this cruise as part of a move over offer. We had cruised previously on the Majestic Princess in March 2019. Cruise itinerary looked interesting although this time of the year temperatures 30C plus did not encourage us to take up any shore excursions. Prefer traditional dining but allocated anytime dining due to late booking. Required to make a booking daily to guarantee a table and time although after first few days you could roll up and get a table with minimal delay. Food and service very good albeit little change from March previous. Enjoyed a meal at the crown grill however less impressed with Harmony restaurant and avoided La Mer bistro (no privacy walk through thoroughfare) Alberto's pizzaria and noodle bar for lunch worth a visit. Private dinner on the balcony was excellent and well worth the $125 cost per couple. The party band evolution were excellent and first production show "Fantastic Journey' was also outstanding. Overall the standard of entertainment was higher this cruise than in March previous. Read Less

We figured we'd probably never fly to Vanuatu or Fiji so why not try cruising. This South Pacific 14 day cruise offer popped into our inbox and we signed up - no consideration for the ship or the time of year - but it turned out to be a great decision. We had such a good time! The Majestic Princess is a very big ship but we never felt crowded. It did take us a while to find our way around but all that walking helped work off the extra food we ate. It was a largely older group of people on board, but there were families and quite a few children too - a nice mix. Embarkation in Sydney took quite a long time but was well organized. Once on board we found our balcony stateroom and met our steward (the lovely Sherill, a real gem). One of our suitcases was damaged in transit to our room but I spoke to the Guest Services desk and the suitcase was fixed (totally new handle) by the following day. My only gripe would be that there is a lot to do on board but much of it is aimed at getting you to buy something. I'm sure this is only news to newbies like us. We thoroughly enjoyed the shows (get there about 30 minutes early to get a seat) and made the most of the Movies under the Stars - whoever selects the movies does a great job (new releases - some not yet released in cinemas in Australia). Trivia was fun, we also tried Bingo once. The virtual tours of the bridge and engine room, and the cooking demonstration and galley tour were highlights for us. The fitness centre was great, though a bit warm at times. The weather was perfect so we made good use of the pools too. The Hollywood Pool Club (adults only) was, obviously, a little quieter than the fountain pools and you could find a nice spot to relax and read without getting too much sun. We had Anytime dining but also ate at the World Fresh Marketplace, Alfredos, the International Cafe and Crown Grill. We found the food to be of a consistently good standard across all venues. I really liked the Noodle Bar and regularly had the wonton noodle soup for lunch on sea days. The port visits were amazing. We did a couple of tours through the ship and two independent tours. The tenders were always very well organized. Noumea - we did the Amedee Lighthouse Island tour. Would thoroughly recommend. A great day snorkelling with the turtles. Saw sea snakes. Delicious lunch. Great dancing and demonstrations. Walked to the top of the lighthouse for a magnificent view. Lifou - no tour. Another gripe - the ship didn't tell anyone about having to buy passes to Jinek Bay on board, so there were a lot of people turned away when they couldn't get access. Beautiful island with lots of photo ops. Good swimming. Nice walk to the church on top of the hill. Would have been better if we could snorkel at Jinek Bay. Port Vila - probably our favourite day. Did a tour through Vila Hope Tours - visited Rarru Falls, the Blue Lagoon, Hideaway Island, the Tanna Coffee Factory and duty free shopping in town. Our tour guide William was charming - informative and funny. Dravuni Island - stunningly beautiful but tiny island. Walked and swam and relaxed. Suva - Jewel of Fiji tour through Viator tours. Amazing day - long boat ride up the Navua river through the rapids, swam in a waterfall, bamboo raft down the rapids and lunch, dancing, kava ceremony, local arts and coconut demonstrations in a beautiful village. Wonderful guide - Malachai. Savusavu - so hot and humid. Pretty place. Walked around town and had a beer in the pub. Latouka - we did the Oolala cruise to Savala Island tour through the ship. What a day! Fun boat trip to and from the tiny island - served homemade pineapple and banana cake and a singalong with the Oolala team. Perfect weather - we swam with the baby reef sharks, snorkelled on the reef, kayaked, took a glass bottom boat tour to feed the fish and ate a BBQ lunch. Everyone was in high spirits - singing along on the way back to the ship. Great end to a wonderful last port day. We had nothing to compare it to but we loved this cruise. We felt very well looked after - it was relaxing but exciting too. If you've never cruised but are curious, just give it a try. You won't regret it. Read Less

We wanted to try out the new Majestic Princess and it went further than we had travelled from Australia so very appropriate choice and exciting for my husband and I. The ship is well organised and caters for all ages and cultures both in their activities and food choices. We chose a Mini-suite and had an outstanding cabin stewardess who looked after us well. In fact, she went over and above her role and we were impressed at her efficiency. The Dining rooms were well serviced, quick and efficient, friendly and entertaining. We were impressed by how the activities were based around different cultures including Australia Day and Chinese New Year. The service in all areas was efficient and helpful. Most of the Ports and Shore excursions were enjoyable and well organised. We enjoyed the more traditional cultural villages and ceremonies. Loved interacting with the children in their uniforms at schools. Read Less

The timing was ideal and we hadn't previously been to a number of the ports of call covered by this cruise We had previously done one Princess cruise and had heard some very good reports about Princess from friends. Overall the cruise represented very good value for money. The Majestic Princess is a very nice, comfortable ship. Given the number of passengers on board, most areas of the ship do not appear crowded. The Crew/Staff were in almost all occasions friendly and helpful. The embarkation and disembarkation process was quick and efficient - I can't recall a ship where this process was done better. Getting on and back on the ship at the ports of call was also handled very efficiently. The Majestic Princess also handled the tender process brilliantly. The three ports that required the use of tender craft/water transfer to the pier proved to be a very smooth operation. I have never encountered a tender process as smooth as this on any cruise ship. The only disappointment was the food in the Dining Rooms and Buffet which, on most days, fell short of my expectations. The fact that you are able to take wine on board (after paying a corkage charge) is a real bonus. Well done Majestic Princess Read Less

Cabin and staff are fine. Entertainment apart from main shows is third rate. Food is bland and cheap. THIS IS A PROFIT DRIVEN SHIP AT THE COST OF QUALITY. Entertainment Staff appear to go through the motions and do the minimum that is required. i think i spotted the cruise director once off stage, that was when he was recording in his private studio (Live) That was a joke Ship entertainment is equal to a Thai karaoke bar. There is no specific late night club, the ship is well equipped but badly used. The Pacific is a beautiful area we do not need to visit the rectum of the pacific. Please do not visit container ports, we are not goods for trade, i know you like to think of us so Rear cabin balconies are fouled by soot from burning cheap low grade fuel. Save the waves are you joking?? COME ON PRINCESS YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS AT WHAT YOU CHARGE! Read Less

I chose the cruise for the port of calls and being a new Ship.What I found was this cruise is for the over 70's and disabled .Many of the crew members were enjoying guest services.the older people were hogging all the facilities and were a pain to walk past or get a seat anywhere. Food and entertainment is repetitive and boring,everytime I went to eat I felt like being in a hospital. The shuttle service to shore is packed before it leaves the ship and is extremely hot. On port days staff have no idea where people should go and NOT go. staff were overworked and seemed not to care. no decent music or shows to mention, only violin and piano everynight. There is DJ who is as boring as the music she plays. There is live band which makes a joke of any song they play. Female staff are dressed up to bring some glamour. Smoking faciltities are aweful. I would not recommend this ship to anyone under 50. Only highlight was the port of calls and the staff in the bars and children and youth program. Read Less