I travelled with Ponant to Antarctica in January 2020 with my Son, aboard Le Soleal on the 11 day “Emblematic Antarctica”, this being my first cruise with Ponant. From first contact with Ponant’s Australian office, which is located in Sydney, it was apparent that the standard of customer service was going to be impeccable. This was demonstrated by being able to speak with the same staff member, who if not available would promptly, return calls, who was able to advise on the product being sold, and was able to make informed suggestions and amendments to my booking without any fuss together with a genuine commitment to addressing the needs of the customer. The Cruise Package includes accommodation in Buenos Aires and I stayed at the Sofitel Recoleta. This is a lovely hotel in a safe up-market area, from where you will meet the Ponant Agent and confirm your airport transfer the following day. On departure day you are met by the local agent, baggage is sorted and you are then driven to the airport where assistance is provided to ensure a seamless check-in to the chartered three hour flight to Ushuaia, with LATAM Airlines. At Ushuaia you are met by the Ponant Agent where luggage is again sorted. I opted for the Tiera del Fuego National Park Bus Tour. This included lunch. I did not enjoy this, the road is unfinished and dust filled the bus to the discomfort of those on-board with some passengers insisting that the air-conditioning be turned off. Common sense did prevail however. In my view the Bus Tour is really a filler to erode time between arrival in Ushaia and embarkation, a very minor gripe and really an observation only. You are then taken to the pier and welcomed aboard, where drinks are served in the main lounge, keys issued, and following which when you are ready you are escorted to your “cabin”, where your luggage has been delivered. Among the first and lasting impressions are the luxurious interiors, cleanliness and modernity of the ship, the attentive, friendly but non-intrusive staff and an ambiance which is most likely a function of the small number of passengers, and as this is a somewhat exclusive product, there is then that “je ne sais quoi” permeating the entire experience. The cabins are should be more accurately described as suites. I stayed mid-ship in Suite 530, on recommendation of the team at the Sydney office. (Thank you Karen and Gina). Mid ship being advantageous if there are big pitching sea’s. My “suite” was the perfect size, travelling with my son, and is designed for two passengers. I was able to request two single beds, they were probably queen singles, very comfortable, ample storage for all our clothes and suitcases. The separate toilet and bathroom works okay, but is mystery why it is configured in this manner…but it does not matter. The suite was absolutely spotless and maintained as such throughout the ten days and there was always some tempting french treat awaiting your return in the afternoon. The Drake Passage’s reputation did not manifest itself on this journey. I believe there may have had up to three metre swells at some point, however regardless of this had there been poor conditions the destination is absolutely worth some mild discomfort, which is easily treated with medication and, dare I suggest, some french champagne. On, or at a minimum, after day two the bar staff will know your name and be able to anticipate your choice from the very generous variety of refreshments included in the cruise fare. There are some premium selections from the beer, wine, champagne and spirit menu available at additional cost if so desired. As to attire, the brochures are reflective of, and rightly so, french chic, can I suggest that very neat casual will suffice for most occasions, with a dinner jacket for men, or a suit, and one or two or three smart dresses / pants / jacket for ladies will suffice especially in the main dining room which is a segway to the food on board….it is well, simply put superb. I chose to eat in the buffet, relaxed and self-service and simply convenient. You may notice the Maître d' photographing the food. This is done at each sitting with those photographs supplied to Head Office to ensure quality control. Simply unheard of I know, but reflective of the attention to detail from Ponant…nothing is left to chance. Back to the food, I was not a foodie, but have been converted. At every meal there were some regular staples, but with the menu changed daily. This provided an outstanding variety to please even the most jaded gourmet. The variety of french cuisine meant that it was essential to pair wine with my lunch and dinner, it would have been impolite not to do so. There were at least two soups for lunch and dinner, a selection of meats, and cheeses and salads, not to mention the main courses, and then the desserts which combined ingredients and flavours that I had not considered possible. My advice is to try everything as you can control portion sizes and… bon appetite. In terms of on-board activities on the “sea days” there is enough to do, this includes the lectures on history, on wildlife and ecology to name but a few which my son and I enjoyed. My son was the only child aboard, he was made welcome by my fellow travelers and staff and this was reflected when enjoying the numerous shore excursions, which is the reason after all for the journey. Special mention here to Lou, Jorge and Jonathon, our Expedition Leader. Because Ponant has 199 passengers or less then those passengers can land on the Antarctic Peninsula. To achieve this guests are grouped by language and matched to their guide accordingly. Those groups are then colour coded so as to organise orderly transport to and from the ice. The order is changed on each occasion that an excursion is undertaken, it is published in the daily on-board advice and broadcast across the ships public address system. This ensures minimal wait times. Ponant’s attention to detail is again evidenced by its dedication to guests safety, and is demonstrated by the minutia of how to get on and off the Zodiac’s right down to how to interact with staff, ie correct hand grip, where to sit (where not to) moving around the Zodiac etc…if you have any concerns about this be re-assured nothing is left to chance, safety is an absolute priority. The on-shore expeditions are able to be undertaken by persons with all levels of physical ability either in full or part thereof, and in lieu of that Ponant will cruise you around the landing sites in the Zodiacs. So to the landings, due to the size of the ship, there are many opportunities, and the Captain has the flexibility to make the best of those as they arise, so don’t be surprised if there is a deviation. My favourite location was Neko Harbour and the Sea Ice, breath-takingly beautiful and accessible to all levels of ability and fitness. There will also be some surprises ashore. Those surprises are a team effort led by the Expedition Leader who will on every occasion, conduct the necessary reconnaissance, set up the landing points, mark out the safe routes, greet you on arrival and provide a safety briefing. There is a considerable amount of effort being expended by the crew to create these outstanding experiences. Those experiences are enhanced by having the correct clothing, I wore one technical layer, ie thermal pants plus waterproof trousers and a thermal top, which you can purchase at any good outdoor equipment supplier, and the supplied Ponant Jacket and Boots. I was never cold, in fact when moving around this generated enough body heat to be comfortably warm, the use of adjustable walking poles to maintain easy balance is absolutely recommended. I have read some reviews about photographic equipment and, wait for this, the photos attached to this review were taken using a iPhone 4. Ponant also offer several photographic packages plus a cruise video, and again my recommendation is the purchase these as the imagery captured is going to take your album / scrap book to the next level. If you have read this far then you’re contemplating Ponant to take you to Antarctica. I cannot overstate my experience it was superb, nothing was left to chance, no detail overlooked, every interaction with crew was positive…so please contemplate no more. I will be travelling again to Antarctica and I will be travelling with Ponant…I suggest you do also. Read Less

This was our third trip on voyager and we felt that due to the corona virus issues we should have been kept far more informed than we were. Seven sea days was a joke especially as the ship could have returned to Australian port prior to the 14 day self isolation bane was brought in. Our junior suite was certainly not what I would have called clean let alone sanitised. We regularly had no room service breakfast menus or tea and sugar. The food was definitely better than our last trip and the restaurant and bar staff were wonderful. We were closed out of one port after another and the captain gave no information and when he did it was incorrect telling everyone that the 14 days self isolation started from our last port! Tempers were becoming frayed after so many stories and not enough accurate information. We were given two days refund when the trip should have been canceled or cut short! I really felt for the young families on board that now will lose income while in self isolation! This may have been our last cruise! Read Less

If our taste buds could make memories, we will have to get some therapy because our one and only meal on board left a horrible taste in our mouth. Everywhere we looked for lunch was deep fried , frozen or just not great Chefs who specialise in food would not be involved in this display of un healthy food. Carnival you really have to change the photos of the food and the description you are not telling us the whole story. This would have to be the worst food we have ever been offered. After walking round all the food court food outlets we made the decision to leave the ship before it set sail to Sydney for our health If taste buds can make memories, yours will savour your Carnival cruise for years. Step aboard and enjoy everything from anytime casual dining to multi-course degustation meals. Anywhere you look you'll find a great variety of food, made from fresh ingredients by chefs who specialise in delighting your palate. Read Less

We were booked for 11 nights, 12 days for a round trip Australia to New Zealand. We were supposed to stop along the way at Mystery Island and New Caledonia before reaching NZ. However combination of a tropical cyclone and Coronavirus meant we did a round trip from Sydney and spent 6 nights, 7 days on board. All praise to the captain and crew for looking after passengers well being, the crew were very professional, very polite and accommodating with any request (full praise to our room attendant, Teddy, no request was too much trouble and done with a smile and with a positive attitude that it would be all ready for you when you got back to your stateroom - thankyou Teddy). Loved sailing on a brand new, modern, spacious ship. The public areas made you feel like you were in a fancy upmarket shopping centre. The star rooms (we had a balcony room) were modern and spacious. Loved that the dreaded shower curtain has been replaced by a modern screen. Lots of storage and had to get used to cabin doors that open outwards into the corridor, I felt like I was walking through a fancy hotel when going back and forth to our cabin. Lots of activities as you would expect on a cruise ship, including dodgem cars, roller skating, flowrider and iflow (skydiving in a tube). The Northstar (observation pod on a stick) was a new experience, pleased I did it but once you were up in the air, Northstar was a bit of a let down, the view from Northstar when it’s in the air was no different then the view you will get if you stand on the top deck of the ship and look out to sea. You have 5 minutes up in the air, time for a quick photo but that was it (just endless ocean around you). If you go on Northstar whilst at port, maybe better, you may get more to see than just lots of ocean. Food was in the most part average for buffet and restaurants. Typical food you would get in a Buffett on a cruise ship. Menus were similar between the different specialty restaurants and the main restaurant we ate in (anytime dinning in American icon restaurant). All the restaurants had the prawn cocktail. This dish was a disaster, 4 pealed prawns with the tails on, not dressed or marinated, sitting on cut lettuce, which was undressed and not pleasant to eat. You had a tomato type sauce but this was nothing spectacular. I think they should try and improve this dish or remove it from the menu. The crab cakes were really delicious and should be top entree pick.Steaks were really nice and were cooked to order, loved the side dishes. Did not taste the Japanese restaurant. However, the biggest let down on the ship was wonderland restaurant. This restaurant is themed all around the Alice in wonderland story. Your experience in the restaurant is really terrific. You get to use the special liquid to paint in the framed menu, to make the menu visible. The waiters are dressed like “mad hatter” characters and lead you through the total experience, from explaining the food, what each dish is made from and in what order you should eat each dish. There are 9 entrees on the menu but the waiter picks only 7 of them for you to try. Again the food experience was very different and special and even fun but the food was so “exotic “ that the meal was not enjoyable, (the clear tomato juice shot, served in a test tube was a bit gross) You get to pick your mains from the menu, entree and dessert is picked for you. For mains my partner had halibut fish in a bag. The portion was small, the fish overcooked. The dishes appearance when it reached the table was un - appealing. I had the beef. (Slow cooked for several hours). The beef was not pleasant to eat, stringy, tough, not enough sauce. Dessert was very nice and a bit of a show as it was a dessert wrapped in a chocolate ball, which melted to reveal what was within when the caramel sauce was poured on it. You get two. The other called “forbidden apple” was nice. Service in wonderland was very slow. If you want more drinks or in my case extra sauce, staff response was very slow, you had to wait for your waiter to come back from “entertaining” another table with the opening wonderland spiel before the waiter comes over to serve you. Eventually we got service from the manager. They either need to put on more staff and improve the menu or scrap wonderland from their ships altogether. Wonderland restaurant is an experience you would only do once, but currently not worth the money we paid to eat in the restaurant. We got the refreshment package, that was all non alcoholic beverages. With this package we got a special ovation of the seas cup (you get to keep at the end of the cruise). The cup is waiting for you in you4 room when you arrive. The cup has a chip in the bottom of it and the cup is bottom - less for drinks. You can fill the cup endlessly at any of the self serve soda stations on the ship. There was between 20 and 30 soda flavours in the machine and you could have one flavour or mix and match. Coke Zero with raspberry flavour was nice. This service is a nice touch. It was especially handy in the windjammer Buffett, the servers there are really busy with their work, so the self serve drink station was handy to get a drink quickly each time. The 24 hr pizza station was also a welcome touch. However, the draw back on food was the Buffett and restaurants all close at 9pm, so if you go to 2 different shows in a night, you may have to forgo dinner that night. Sometimes there were two shows to see at night so , you either eat dinner really early or skip dinner and have a late night snack of pizza. Transfers on and off the ship was smooth for the most part. On disembarkation day, we chose to take our own luggage off big mistake!. All the passenger lifts were constantly full in both directions, we waited almost an hour to try and get on a lift before we decided to carry our own, heavy suitcase, down from deck 11, where our cabin was to deck 2 where the exit gangway was. As so many passengers also were carrying off their own luggage and prams and wheelchairs etc, there were long bottlenecks and wait times to get off the ship. If you don’t want to have to carry your own luggage and want to get off the ship quick, then get the crew to carry off your luggage at th3 end of your trip to avoid long delays ( with nearly 5000 passengers trip to depart all at once causes delays) The adults only area “solarium” was nice but there was only wading pools in the adults only area. If you want a deeper pool, to swim in you have swim with all the screaming, noisy kids (not very relaxing). Choosing an adults only cruise maybe an option for those bothered by a ship with screaming kids. At least two of the pools were covered, meaning that you can swim in any weather condition. But lots of strong chlorine used, in enclosed pool area, very strong smelling and overpowering. Shows at night, movies, bingo and other activities all good. Overall experience is a very positive experience. Would definitely travel on ovation of the seas again, hopefully when cruising is back to normal and the ship is able to have port days on their trips. Read Less

First time on Ovation ( reason we booked ), so mainly went for the ride, which strangely turned out that way. We journeyed to tip of New Zealand, turned around and came back to Sydney due to Covid 19 problems around the world. As far as we knew no one had it on the ship, that is till we all got off and went home and 3 days later told one Canadian was infectious last 2 days. So at the moment I am stuck at home for another week and a bit. Food at the Windjammer was excellent best every at a Bistro and easy to navigate around as all in one area. Entertainment was great especially the Mercury Rising show - fantastic best show ever. Other free food outlets were great - Fish and Ships, Pizza's were good with toppings unlike most free Pizza outlets, also few more food outlets around the ship. Captain was excellent with information to passengers. Bad points were prices, everything in US Dollars so supper expensive for anything, eg beers were about $12 up and wine glass about $20 up. On board alcohol duty free was more expensive then Dan Murphy's. Diamond Lounge was a welcome place to visit in evening as could not afford to drink at the bars!! All the shops were empty except for window shoppers, staff were bored as anything. No laundries so either pay astronomical prices for washing or do it in the shower or sink and take clothes you don't need to iron. Best part is we all get our money back so cruise was free or get 125% as credit for next cruise - now that is a good reason to go with Royal Caribbean. Read Less

Never again.No customer service.Food poor so many people sick .Was advised 55 in one night.Food is laid out on trays hours before buffets open .They only thing they don't charge money for is your oxygen.Give them time.Horrible greedy sloppy ship.Witnessed 14 and 15 year olds gambling in casino.Kids playing in casino while parents play pokies. Carnival had no security in casino didn't care as it was money.Greedy greedy company.Most people sit smoking on the decks because there's nothing else to do .If they gave me a ticket on this horrible ship I could not give it away in all good conscience as I know what's it's like. I was told by one guest there granddaughter was sold a cocktail of kiss on the lips because kids are given there own charge cards.Poor everything.Never again.The delays were extensive getting on 3 hours to get on ship.poor entertainment nothing worth anyone's time Read Less

After four Seabourn journeys, I can say the experience is so enjoyable that I have no interest in trying other cruise ships. Comfort, food, service etc all first class. Furthermore I make three points: (A) whoever thought up and/or designed the Town Square concept should be given a double bonus; (B) the system operated by the banks where one’s account is automatically closed down after(about) an unused five minutes would go down well with those of us who forget to close off our wifi accounts; and (C) the talks by Captain Martin on early and very early and very very early exploration of Asia and particularly the Pacific were outstanding and informative. Is there a DVD? I will buy. Every Australian child should be sat down at school and at home to watch. I knew much, but doubt that my grandchildren know any of it. The decision to terminate in Adelaide rather than carry on back to Sydney as per our original itinerary, was the correct one. Sitting off Sydney with eleven other cruise ships would have been our experience. Well done Seabourn! I should add that I found the handling of the termination of our cruise was impressive. The Captain and crew kept us well informed of the situation, and handled efficiently and at short notice, all the arrangements associated with complicated and short notice re-bookings, and our departure. A key reason disembarkation went without complications was because there were (apparently) no illnesses on board, thanks to competent and active hygiene supervision by the crew, particularly in the dining rooms. Read Less

Terrible accommodation with water leaks in rooms making an extremely unpleasant smell. When speaking to staff about this it was ignored and told that's just the way it is. Destinations changed which were not comparable with what was booked and payed for. Island completely missed with no compensation on board. Unhelpful staff who try to palm off every issue as "nothing can be done until you return home". Medical staff are incompetent and overlooked a medical condition I experienced while on board which landed me in hospital for 2 days once arriving home. Compensation offered in writing over email yet months later and no refund received and ignored on every attempt to find out the progress. I would not recommend P&O to anyone. From my experience they seem to be the Air Asia of the sea. Still waiting on refund offer back on April 3rd. Since then I have been ignored in all aspects. Read Less

With the Corona Virus spreading rapidly, we were lucky to be able to cruise at all and were aware that things may change so we set out to enjoy our anniversary holiday with a positive frame of mind. We had an enjoyable day in Noumea and 2 days on Mystery Island and quite a few sea days. We have been well compensated for the lack of ports. We were well fed, accommodated, and entertained . We did not find it too crowded at all considering the amount of people on board. Having not cruised with RC before, we were happy with all the facilities provided and the extras that were added recently. Some things are out of the cruise ships control and we don't know what is going on behind the scenes This world wide problem is affecting everything so make allowances and go with the flow at the moment!! Our only gripe was smoking on board. The areas allocated for smoking were too big and intrusive on other passengers especially the children.. Children are inhaling smoke around one side of the pool area.One whole outside deck was for smoking and it would blow inside and down through the stairwell and passages. Read Less

My Wife and I had time off organised and we hadn't been on a cruse since we were both 19, so this was our chance to to try cruising again. Ports of call were out of Royal Caribbean's control, due to Covid-19. My major complaint is the up-selling that takes place as soon as your board the ship. We found the price of alcohol on a supposed duty free ship out of this world. I was drinking Lindeman's Bin 85 Pinot Grigio which was being charged at USD9 a glass at the AUD Exchange rate equated to approximately AUD14.15. You can buy this wine in the US at USD8.00 a bottle, in Australia at AUD9.00 per bottle. This to me stinks of daylight robbery. We found that the noise on Deck 11 where the pools were located were very noisy, we also found that at the shows in the Royal Theartre, the singers were drowned out by the level of the band. We found the whole eating experience really good from the Al Carte Breakfasts and Dinners to the the specialty restaurants on board amazing. We ate at Giovannis and Chops Grille and the food and service were amazing. The wait staff were very friendly but at the same time very professional. Our cabin was a balcony cabin right at the back of the ship which meant that we were doing a fair bit of exercise walking between our cabin and the stairs/lifts. Our balcony cabin was had a steel wall between it and the next cabin which made it very private compared to other balcony cabins. We only had two excursions off the ship, the first was one I organised prior to leaving Sydney for a 6 hour tour of Noumea. The other shore excursion was Mystery Island which was a tender excursion to this lovely little island. The service by all ship staff was amazing considering the number of changes to our itinerary from the day we stepped aboard to disembarkation in Sydney. Read Less

Booked this cruise 6 months ago. From the get go was a terrible experience. Boarding was chaotic, over 2 hours to board despite having first boarding time of 11.30 am. Itinerary changes supposed to visit 6 islands. Ended up going to 2. No information given from crew. Stuck doing laps around sydney. 11 night cruise turned to 7 sea days. The new gym set up is a joke. Refurbishment.... What refurbishment. The removed the old gym which was excellent and turned johnny rockets into a gym 1 fith of the size. The removed the complimentary sauna and steam rooms and added 70 more cabins which is ridiculous. The ship felt over crowded and cramped in public spaces. Absolutely terrible. Cabins mouldy, old furniture and furnishings. Public spaces old. No refunds given, no complimentary movies etc. Royal Caribbean has really dropped the ball. This was my 4 cruise with them and most certainly my last. Guest relations was absolutely terrible. Food sub par. However service at dining room and windjammer from front of house staff was excellent. Read Less

Have been on spirit before ..4 times encouraged a group of 9 to go on this cruise and asked to b seated in the middle area of dining .Bottom level so we could see everything that was going on..And was put in a corner behind a service area where we could see nothing..Asked again and was moved 3 tables away ..The food in the buffet at breakfast and lunch was nearly always burnt and hard..The laundry on our floor wasn’t working..Overall very dissatisfied and will prob won’t b bak on spirit again..We also booked a tour on the ship which I don’t normally do..What a rip off that was $240 for a train trip in Dunedin all you could drink didn’t stipulate it was only beer and wine 7 out of the group of 8 didn’t drink beer or wine..What a complete waste of money especially when you were not told ... Read Less

Best to just do in point form. Most of other reviews I have read are all true. Bad points. Ship has strangest decor like the Spirit and Legend, different lets say. Entertainment started out good, but faded rapidly as cruise went on. Sanitation was non existent for 7 days, then suddenly it's a priority ( obviously lots of people became sick). Dinner at the bistro was sad, very little choice. No room to sit on deck 3 I think it was where reception is located and they do lots of trivia etc, all read by Spanish fellow that has the strangest sounds in English. KIDS wild everywhere especially worse each day, no control. Our room had no hot water for 4 nights then another room had nothing but problems and noises - all they offered was a few drink vouchers. Water from the ship for tea and coffee and cold water tasted terrible for days, complained to desk and they thought I made it up, but most guest were tipping tea out and pulling faces after tasting, came good just before end of cruise. Trivia - must be a shortage of questions as same trivia 3 out of 4 days! Good points. Dining room was excellent, best we have had in 47 cruises. Maybe just lucky.? Water slides were great. Because we went to Port Vila the on board duty free for alcohol were same price as in port give or take a dollar. Prices on board were in Australian dollars - drinks etc a bit more expensive then some other ships eg beers were $8 and wine about $15. Guy's hamburgers were great, also Indian and other outlet which did toaties etc but only open till 5pm. Staff all looked like they didn't want to be there. Laundries on board and no charge as some computer problem. Ice cream dispensers around ship. Pool attendant watching and controlling kids. Read Less

Close to home, part of a group we have travelled on many times (Princess, Cunard, P & O International & Holland America), but this was all so different. Before we left we received an email that stated there would be extra health checks, what a joke, we signed a piece of paper & we were on board. Our biggest shock was there was no hand sanitation enforcement, didn't happen until the last few days of the cruise, and that was hit & miss, outside the dining room no-one supervising & many people just walked past. Overcrowded, terrible dress code, even on Elegant night in the dining room had to suffer bogans dressed in muscle shirts, board shorts & rubber thongs. Sorry I don't want to share a meal with hairy armpits. Met some lovely families with young kids who wouldn't even let their kids in the pool LOL We were on a cruise to the tropics. PS: it was not school holidays! Children running unsupervised everywhere putting themselves & others at risk, children were served soft drinks at the Casino Bar sitting on stools in the evening. No lounge bar was opened for pre dinner drinks, never saw the bar operating once in 10 days in the Cool Lounge, Piano Bar only open for about an hour later (after dinner). Won't go on any more, guess you have the picture, so I'll add some good things. Our room stewards were great, only do the room once a day, but that was okay. Good waiters & the food was okay, just restricted. Loved the singing waiters, and we booked a Ocean Suite but was upgraded to a Grand suite. The suite was huge with lots of cupboard space, spotlessly clean, a bit dated but every thing worked. Read Less

My wife booked the cruise this time and did very well as always. The Splendor is a very nice ship which we were pleased to be aboard. We sailed at a very turmultuous time with covid19 on the rise. I cannot praise the staff highly enough on this. Their diligance and professionalism was fantastic in every way. Yes we missed several ports that were planned But at no fault of Carnival, the captain, the crew or the ports. In whatever way possible they tried to give us the best possible experience. The portside entertainment whilst in Port Vila from the local musicians was great. Fahrenheit 555 was deliciously awesome you have to try it. Casino staff and management absolutely amazing. We had so many good conversations whenever we were there. Wait staff 1st class thankyou Daniel, Patrick, Sumali, Jose. HUGE Thankyou to Mateo, Ivan, Jodie, Gladys, Larry, Mihai and all casino crew Ryan, Roan, We had a blast. Black Pearl staff and Gold Pearl staff you all Amaze me. How you carry those trays, balance everything like watching juggling. Evening waiter entertainment was so fun. Thankyou Angela, Leilani, Putu and all we met during our dining experiences. "You Hoo, Yummy Yummy". Read Less

For us this was the cruise of a life time for us. Celebrating a Birthday, 45th wedding anniversary and retirement Cruise. We live on the east coast. And proberly will not go west ever again. So we picked this one. The itinerary was great. The island of Moorea was the most beautiful island we have ever seen. True paradise. We have seen every island in the Caribbean,nothing even comes close. Oh well the ship. This is the 5th cruise line. Our 10th cruise. Our first and (last) on Princess. Top to bottom I can complain about everything. It would be to long and nobody would read it. I will try to keep it short. You have to understand a 28 day cruise is for older people. A lot of snobs. Just rude. For the most part their head was up their ...!! Average age 70 to 80. We are 66. They think they had money. Well if they did they wouldn't be on this cruise. They would be on the high end lines or they would go to there villa. The ship had a bad layout. Food not good. Entertainment terrible. Nothing to do on sail days. Could't wait to get of that ship. Most of the staff was new on their first contract. So most of the service was not good. Language barrier was a problem. Most of the workers did not seem happy. Internet was a problem. The good- Casino,International Cafe,Wine Bar. We did meet some good guest. 9 Read Less

Good 2 days in Sydney before embarking. Excellent ports of call. Butler and room staff were perfect! Captain and staff were friendly, professional, informative, and reassuring. Restaurants and food, including in-room service, were exciting and well presented. Can't imagine how butler service could be improved. Entertainment was good, not excellent. Staff night was the best. So good to see youth of the world with talent, enthusiasm, and camaraderie. The world is in good hands. The workout facility was very adequate. We met and talked to many people on the pool level. The only disappointing aspect was the shore excursions. Although there is no way to see the country in one week without traveling by ship, the bus rides in each port were exhausting. If I were to offer comments to a friend asking about the Sydney to Auckland trip, I would suggest a private car with another couple and tour guide for most stops. Seeing and hearing about the highlights, walking the streets, meeting the people, eating lunch in restaurants, and visiting shops in the many towns would be far superior to traveling by bus with a few large group stops with orchestrated demonstrations. The day trips are more like looking at a travel log on television than actually visiting a foreign city. If there were no other options to the shore excursions, I would not recommend this trip. Regent has an excellent on board experience but the reason I travel is also to meet and see the world. The current format for shore excursions does not provide this. Read Less

As avid cruisers, we had a world trip organised from Feb-Oct 2020, which includes 7 cruises. We even started up our own blog for the trip thriftydrifting.com . A week before our first cruise was to depart our home in Fremantle, WA, the cruise was cancelled ( due to Covid19) , with everything going haywire quickly we had a few weeks up our sleeves so quickly booked in on back to back Cruises on Voyager of the Seas. If we were going to accomplish anything with the start of the disruptions, given we were at 60 nights with RC the back to back would take us to 82 giving us our diamond. We love being on the sea and love sea days, so regardless of ports of call scheduled we were just happy we could be on the water. Embarkation- at Circular Quay in Sydney was smooth. At the time there was still no temperature checks, but we did fill out a health survey for Vanuatu ( originally this cruise was to New Caledonian Ports) . 2 days before the cruise we were emailed the itinerary change which would now go to Noumea and then to Vanuatu ports instead. Note: after our day in Noumea there was an announcement our cruise wasn’t going to Vanuatu, but now going to Tauranga and Bay of Islands in New Zealand and Eden, Australia The ship- overall appearance, cleanliness, maintenance, etc is very good. We like this ship and having previously been on Explorer of the Seas for 23 days we knew the Voyager layout very well. They are very similar. Dining- As we aren’t your typical cruisers, we can only comment on the dining options we do use. ( on this cruise we didn’t use any of the paid/extra dining options) and we only had dinner in the Main dining room once. Main dining room- we enjoy the main dining room for breakfast. They have it laid out so that buffet style is on the 3rd floor and a la carte is on the 4th floor. Problem for us is we always ask for a private table for 2. As there are limited private tables for 2 on the 4th floor we have to do the buffet on the 3rd floor. Luckily we don’t mind the buffet, think it’s a bit better than the Windjammer, and coffee better as well. Plus you get your ice water in a glass rather than a plastic cup. Occasionally we have lunch in the main dining room. It’s nice to go up for their Tutti salad buffet and see what else is on offer and also get any a la carte items as well. We don’t do dinner in main dining room. Much prefer the Windjammer as it is less crowded, informal and suits us. Windjammer - With other Royal Caribbean ships we have been on, we have been much more impressed with breakfast spreads. This cruise seemed to lack the extra variety. Example, didn’t have lesser known breakfast options like congee and accompaniments, Indian breakfast options, and even salmon was limited. Lunch and Dinner were quite good, lots of variety, although after 11 days it does all start to feel the same. We have been on ships were everything was salted heavily, food cold, etc, so cant complain about the food here. We also enjoy dinner in the Windjammer as it is not very busy, very casual. We also enjoy making a cheese plate and dessert plate to take back to the room to eat later. Note: on this ship the Windjammer had a hand washing station. ( pretty sure this will become common on more ships) , it is a slower process in line waiting, but once the initial crowd is in the line goes down as well. We also like the Cafe Promenade. We are happy with the complimentary coffee, so only occasion splurge on a bought one. But we also go for the complimentary snacks - pizza, rolls, desserts, antipastos, all nice for an afternoon nibble. Pools and Outdoor decks- there are 2 pools side by side in the main area and a 3rd pool in the adult only solarium. This ship the Solarium is open air. The ship also has 6 spas (hot tubs) 4 in main area and 2 in Solarium. We did find on this ship the pool and spas were often very busy, much more than on other cruises we’ve been on. Maybe the sunnier days and more sea days brought more people out. Activities - this ship has a big activities area: sports court, rock climbing, wave rider, mini golf, 2 water slides, etc. - we don’t really use these, but they looked popular amongst the crowds. Ice Skating - The ship has a cast of professional ice skater that put on a couple of shows. The Studio B only holds about 250 people so the initial shows get filled quickly. They also do free skating. We did the skating on Explorer of the Seas which was good. On this ship it was very crowded on the ice so didn’t bother. Deck 5 - walk around deck. We enjoy the deck for our morning walks and going out for a stroll throughout the day. Front of ship has steps up to deck 6, but we like that the deck goes completely around the ship. Reception - on numerous occasions throughout the cruise we had spoken to reception on a number of issues. On every occasion we get brushed off with a “ we know nothing, can’t help you attitude” or we’ll make a note and call you back - but never do. Unfortunately these interactions can really tarnish a guests overall experience on a cruise. Read Less

We really enjoyed the people we met. The ship is fantastic, with a friendly crew. The shipboard experience was good. Lots to do, trivia, lectures, activities. The dinning was, as expected, very good. With lots of good choices meals and the buffets. We were okay with the initial change in itinerary, adding two overnights in Vanuatu. We understood that we could not get off in Neumea because we traveled through Singapore, and that the Vanuatu government barred us from docking due to crew members infected with the common flu. The change to New Zealand was a bit of a let down since we had booked a "South Pacific" cruise, but we were glad to be on a Cruise! We did enjoy getting off the ship in Teranga and Bay of Islands. Beautiful scenery, nice folks and good local food. Eden, Australia was a nice, small town with cheerful folks and interesting history. The crew provided excellent service while on board. Having one of our suit cases lost between the stateroom pick up and the pier on debarkation was a major hassle. Still not sure what will happen with this! We are hoping that Royal will locate our missing bag and return it to us. We are hoping that Royal will see that for us, this was not the vacation we booked, and will see fit to compensate us more than the credit we received onboard. Read Less

We went on this cruise as a large family group, 13 people across 4 cabins, as the dates and length of cruise suited everyone. I have been on the P&O Eden once and the Carnival Legend (twice) before. Highlights of the Aria - kids club, both turtle cove and shark shack, the staff were terrific and the events they held across the ship were great fun. The Edge, lasertag and zip line, we had a great team member - Kimberly, she was very knowledgeable and was on the ball. Entertainment - we watched a great band do Elton John and Billy Joel covers. They were terrific. Not so great about the Aria - Food. The Pantry was the best of the bunch but saying that it was only just slightly better than a shopping centre food court. We definitely noticed a decrease in quality from our previous P&O trip (2018). The deserts were so bland and dry, and no fresh cream or ice cream on offer. Mains were hit and miss, sauces were all watered down. There was a ‘custard’ that came with a desert - it was positively fluro yellow. Very strange. Carnival definitely win in the food stakes. We went to Waterfront once, it’s a beautiful looking space but again the food isn’t anything special and the staff didn’t really seem to know what they were doing. A request for a plastic cup, at a 1/3 full lunch sitting, took several requests and along time to appear. Angelo’s, we went once as well - the food again wasn’t great. An osso buco was inedible. Pumpkin pasta was dry and stodgy. There was a lovely waiter there who made the meal more enjoyable. We realize that cooking for such a large number of people is challenging but it can be done so much better than P&O is managing at the moment. Staff - there were some stand out staff who were knowledgeable and welcoming but overall we found the staff attitude was pretty poor, alot of them definitely looked as though they didn’t want to be there. I realize it’s a hard job and they are away from their families but it really stood out compared to other cruises we’ve been on. The P&O messaging app is rubbish. Hardly worked for any of us. Read Less

Decided that as this was a fun ship we would take our youngest daughter and eldest grandson with us. We were so looking forward to the experience but unfortunately we were a little underwhelmed. The colour scheme of the ship reminded us of Willy Wonka - tacky. We were advised four days before the cruise that the Isle of Pines was not allowing cruise ships to dock. (Coronavirus). We were diverted to Moreton Island where were to drop anchor and spend a number of hours there. Well as much as they tried to get the boats to dock alongside the ship to pick up passengers to go to the island were in vain. This meant more time at sea. We did get a few more hours in Noumea and time to go snorkelling but the communication on the pier was terrible. We were told to meet our guide once we got off the ship but instead were ushered on to a bus even though we said what we were doing. We eventually met up with our group near the passenger terminal. Great shore excursion (snorkelling). Felt being on board for 6 of the 7 days was too much. Felt that the ship was not designed well as we needed to go up stairs or lift to move to the back of the ship and then down again to dine. The live shows at night were great - the best entertainment on the ship. Felt that a family friendly cruise did not need to have the Casino in full view of children - we had to walk past it every night to get to dinner. Would not be allowed on land. Pools were quite small when you have a full ship - no room to move. Food selection was reasonable. The shops were overpriced and some were in $US which makes no sense if you have left an Australian port. Over the top photography every night almost to the point it became annoying - and overpriced. It seems all the company wanted to do was get us much money out of you as possible. Cabin was basic but comfortable- we did have an ocean view. Not real big for 4 people though. Will need to try another company to see if my expectations are totally warranted but based on what we experienced not sure we will travel Carnival again. Read Less

We Chose this ship as we were under the impression that after having a recent refit etc and having been on Carnival Legend we actually thought Splendor would be great, how mistaken were we. The embarkation and disembarkation processes were not too bad but they were the only good things. The whole boat was filthy when we first boarded and when we got to our cabin we had asked for two single beds and a double bed was made up, when the double was seperated and i went back into the cabin I stood on a rather large hair pin left by a previous passenger. I tried to find the stateroom steward to no avail and only saw him twice fleetingly on a seven day cruise.Four days before our cruise we were advised that Isle of Pines was closed,(the Australian Government had posted this information a week and a half to two weeks prior) so we would be going to Moreton Island, when we got there we were told we could not go ashore as the weather was too bad but they still launched at least five tenders which all passengers could see thus if the weather was too bad they were putting their own crews lives in danger. It was learned later that for at least four previous cruises nobody could get ashore at Moreton Island so why go there. The food in the Lido Bistro was lukewarm at best and the service was non existent, bar and waiter service was also nonexistent and there were children playing poker machines in the casino and staff had to be told but it still happened all day every day. The serenity lounge was overcrowded and there was also a group of girls flashing their breasts at everybody, these same girls were later seen on the smoking deck pole dancing and flashing in front of elderly passengers and children, it was also noticed that there may also been some nudity photos of these girls taken. There were fights onboard every night to which the security seemed indifferent and the same can be said about the underage drinking that went on and if Carnival have a responsible serving of alcohol policy then they don't on Splendor. There are many, many more things i could put up on here but they would take up too much room. And before anybody ask there were complaints made and ignored Read Less

For context this was our 5th cruise. We have sailed on Holland America's Maasdam ( Southern Carribean), Carnival Breeze (Mediterranean), Royal Caribbean Navigator Of The Seas (Mediterranean) and Ovation OTS( New Zealand). This was our first cruise with P&O Australia. My wife and I and 2 friends sailed to Papua New Guinea on February 22 out of Brisbane for 10 days. At this time travel restrictions were in place for several countries due to Civid-19. Check in was easy and friendly. We were prepared to have our temperature reading checked but the only extra requirement was to complete a questionnairre regarding travel in last 14 days. No other efforts to screen possibly ill passengers and in short order we were on board. Luggage was delivered to the room quickly. Hand sanitizer stations were everywhere and for the first day or so a crew member was everywhere with a bottle of sanitizer. After the first 2 days however passengers were left to sanitize themselves. Our room was an ocean view cabin on deck 10. It was clean and the bed was very comfortable. The cabin stewards were pleasant and efficient. Lots of storage and our suitcases easily fit under the bed. The food quality was very good and we ate most of meals in the Waterfront restaurant.The Pantry restaurant had decent food but it was just to busy and unable to keep up with the volume of diners. Low ceilings, uneven floors, line ups fr everything and not enough seats. The adjoining back deck eating are was workable for Dinner (Tea) however for lunch it was just too hot out there with no shade at all. The coffee machines were finicky and the main drink station in the Pantry was too small and disorganized. The coffee was also not very good. The public areas: The remodelled parts of the ship were very nice. The bars were clean and modern, the Atrium was comfortable. The waterfront had a nice atmosphere. The pool decks were a major shortcoming. No shade unless you are sitting under the deck and then no breeze. It is darn hot in this part of the world in February. The Adult Oasis was a nice idea but again no shade unless you got a spot under the deck overhang. There are 2 round chairs for 2 on end Oasis level. That is all the shade available. Did I mention that it was HOT? Also the two tiny jacuzzis (max 5 bathers each) on the Oasis deck were way too hot. No one could use them What was needed was a plunge pool where you could cool down. Crew members were asked to reduce the temperature but it did not change. The pool deck had one small pool that was well used by children. The two Tiny Jacuzzis on this deck were also way too hot. Subsequently they were hardly used. Entertainment: the entertainment staff was very good. We had a lot of fun with them. The various musical entertainment on the ship was excellent. The evening shows were hit and miss. The magician was not very good as was the production show X-Centric in my opinion. The remaining shows including the comedians were enjoyable. The crew talent nite was great. The ports of call were reduced from 5 to 3 due to Covid-19. No fault of the cruise line. The extra day added to the Conflict Island stop was by far the best of the three remaining ports. Loading and unloading passengers via tenders needs work. It seemed like it was new process for the crew when it certainly wasn't. Finally disembarkation was a gong show. It took all morning to get everyone off and we were in the last 10 or so. The cruise staff said Immigration officials were holding things up and when we went through Border Security the officials asked if the cruise was blaming them because they were having no issues. Our scheduled walk off time was 1015 and we finally left the ship at 1230. Overall with our friends we had a fun 10 days. The ship is showing its age but in spite of that most of the cruise was enjoyable. It is easy to overlook the negative parts when you can see such a beautiful part of the world. Read Less

We chose this cruise for 2 reasons: the exotic ports it was calling on AND the unusual design of the ship- 1/2 Cargo and 1/2 Cruise ship. The food, was always flavorful. Everyone receives the same entree. Unless one has food allergies. The guides, were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. The shore activities were very interesting AND are included in the price of the cruise. On board entertainment was incredible. Polynesian night, included dancing and a typical Polynesian cook out food. They have an appointed guest speaker that travels with the cruise, holding talks 3- 4 times a week, explaining the legacy and history of the Polynesian Triangle, their traditions, etc. They have classes on Polynesian dancing and learning the various ways of trying a "pareo". I considered it a privilege to be able to learn, visit and partake in the Marquesan and French Polynesian culture.Thank you Aranui for making this cruise available to passengers! Read Less

The cruise in general was very good and we were happy with the entertainment, activities and food - our cabin staff worked very hard and so did the cruise director. Due the corona virus we missed 2 ports which was dissappointing and P&O said that we were not going to be offered any compensation which I was not happy about. Many other passengers had received room credits in the past when these have happened with P&O (I can only assume that carnival is not making any money at the moment so they are being tight). Even a $50 credit would have kept me happy. There are signs that the ship needs work - our bathroom floor was uneven and needed regrouting which they did during the cruise but they did a quick and nasty job. The pantry floor is taped down in many places with yellow and black tape as it needs replacing - not a good look. They ask at the end of the cruise what you think of the ship condition - i said not very good. They have sold the ship so they are doing minimum maintenance by the look of it - only a minor issue really but just not a good look for their brand. We found plenty of activities on board and there are 3 free gym classes per day which we enjoyed. The pantry food was fine with a good choice for a buffet - sometimes the food is not warm enough but just ask for hotter food. We went to the waterfront most nights and were very happy with the choice and service. Some people complain online that they dont get enough food - just ask for more as you can order as many entrees, mains and desserts as you like. PNG was very interesting for the 3 ports that we stopped at. We just did our own thing and didnt book any tours from the ship. There was a academic on board who gave seminars on PNG - very interesting. Things to watch put for - not much shade at the back of the pantry or in the adults only area. Lots of things that they try and sell you with some very dubious claims made in the health seminars that they want you to then buy a product or service - be careful with these. We had great value for money as we spent little on the ship as we dont need the booze package or photos, clothes, jewelery etc tht they try to sell you. We even went without the internet which was a nice break. Read Less