We were pleasantly surprised by the Pacific Dawn. We had a balcony, which was very small but the outlook was great. The cabins were clean and had usual 3 star amenities liquid soap, shampoo/conditioner and tissues. The cabin stewards were very helpful and friendly. On the cruise we mainly ate at the Waterfront Restaurant and there was always enough choice. Always remember the kitchens are in the bottom of the boat so don’t choose food that would dry out easily. The Pantry always had a lot of food to choose from. We were on a cruise with 2000 people but it never seemed overly crowded. We always got a seat and there were some quiet areas on the boat. The live music was great I would have liked a bit more live music on deck in the afternoons. You have to remember most people pay less than $200 a day to travel on this boat. This includes all your meals. You can’t get a cafe breakfast for less than $20, $25 for lunch and $30 for dinner so I think paying less than $200 a day for accommodation, transport, food and entertainment is unbelievable value. It is not 5 star but neither is the price . If you don’t want to spend money at Airlie grab your towel and head to the lagoon, it is beautiful and view is priceless . If you want quiet time head to decks on 6 or 7 - heaps of seating or to The Dome. It was a great cruise with great staff. Read Less

We chose this ship as we wanted a Mediterranean cruise in a club class cabin#D417 less expensive than offered by Regent Seven Seas. The ship was very modern with a decent size cabin and very good bed linen and balcony . Our cabin steward was excellent and he provided canapes every day but there was little choice. We had two large TVs to keep us amused. The ship was very quiet and smooth even in rough weather which we experienced, the Captain wisely decided to skip a couple of ports due to weather but no abatement of other onboard credit was offered for loss of Toulon and Kotor as we had found when ports were missed on other cruise lines. The Club class section of the restaurant was rather odd as people were seated always according to how they walked in the door. That is to say if you were a couple you were always seated on your own and never allowed to share unless you arranged to share outside the entrance. I seemed the privilege of space was what Club class was all about and the food was the same wherever you sat except the maître'd sometimes prepared a simple dish some pasta or ready made crepes. Waiter service was always excellent and prompt unlike in other restaurants with eight people to a table service would be slower. So the entertainment in the theatre was very good and some of the best we have seen A wonderful Billy Joe Earl act was the best. Not much in the way of enrichment programmes and the port lectures were not so good. On deck lots of noise which was hard to escape and the Sanctuary a quiet area was $40 per day and was aptly named. Public rooms were mainly focused on music and drinking and the library was poor. Films on offer in the cabin were mainly aimed at the very young or interested in catoon characters and the menu was poorly formatted. Normaly one would expect a synopsis in the daily journal on content of the TV Read Less

Drink packages and general pricing has increased. At Lotaka if you wanted to go into town you had to pay $20 to catch a bus, buy your own water for the trip as well. Premier shows have been reduced. Food was warm and twice (didn’t bother lineing up a 3rd time) the wait getting into the dining room was everlasting. Two tours were organised and the main objective was to take the bus load of passengers to one or more shops so everyone could purchase local garbage key rings or Chinese t-shirts. The cost was $120 per person. I ran into 5 guys from the ship who organised their own tour costing them $30 each and going to several other places than my bus went to and not including shopping centres. I think all the cruise ships need to find some more interesting locations to go too as the current ones are outdated and these days overpriced. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it would have been my third with MSC. I was very impressed with the two previous cruises therefore I invited family with me on this Cruise. I was very very disappointed. It was by far the least impressive and the itenary was misleading. It stated ONE day at sea but when we boarded we realised it was two. The days at sea the Coffee bar only opened at 18h00 and only one coffee bar was not enough for all those people. The service at the Coffee bar was also very slow as there was only one guy behind the counter doing all the coffees. The service was very friendly though. The time for excursions at Mykonos was far too short and two excursions at two different places were just too much!The family who accompanied me on the trip don’t want to do another cruise ever again. My previous experiences still gives me the benefit of the doubt therefore maybe in future I will try it again? Read Less

After being on loads of cruise ships some good but most bad, I have to say Majestic princess was an outstanding surprise. The food quality was excellent even in the buffet.. The bed comfort was the best I have ever been on, they usually are so hard and put my back in spasms but this was exceptional cloud like comfort. So many restaurants and coffee shops to choose from, and so many areas on the ship to relax in peace and quiet. This ship is so big that even fully booked and at maximum capacity we never had to line up for anything. My only advice when booking a cruise is always look up when the boat was built it doesn't matter how many refurbs its had 30 yr old aircon and 30 yr old plumbing will ruin any cruise. I will never sail on an old cruise ship again majestic princess was built only 1 yr ago. It's my new favourite cruise ship. I will definitely be going back.. Read Less

This is are third time on this ship it is a smaller friendly ship with a lovely crew. The ship has three amaizing bars plus bars on decks as well. The bar staff were very attentive and always smiling a special thanks to HIlda and Nay Ye from the waters edge who looked after us so well. The band were really good in this bar they were the aucustic soul brothers who had amaizing voices and were really whitty. We stayed in ainside cabin on deck seven this was kept amaculately clean by Candy who was always smiling and could not do enough for us so big thank you to him. The cabin was big enough for us it had lots of space to hang all your clothes a kettle shower very good. Dining was really good we used both the lido self service food always hot a plenty of choices the Orion was waiter service this was lovely food always piping hot the staff who looked after us were amaizing so thanks to Jorges Putu and Rafael for looking after us. Must mention the wine waiter Rajkumar who was always topping us up he was brilliant. The entertainment was exalant this year shows like ABBA Blues brother and much more amazing show team. I was shocked reading some of the previous reviews. This ship is small and friendly will defiantly be going back next year. Ports of call very good. Spain Italy and France Read Less

This was a yearly holiday with my sisters, our second Cruise, first on the Spirit. We had the best time, the ship was in great condition, our cabin was cosy but comfortable and very clean, thanks to Cristina and Moh. The staff were very friendly. The dining in the Empire Room was amazing, we had excellent service with Kaur, I Madi and Goran, the food was delicious, there was not one meal we weren't happy with. The Showtime at 7 o'clock was so much fun and a Highlight. The dining in other areas was also excellent and the Serenity Bar was the place to go away from the kids (although we didn't have a problem with any of the children, most were very well behaved and polite). The staff all over the ship were very friendly, we only came across one grumpy one, he must have been tired and don't blame him as they all work so hard and long hours, we only saw him the once. The Ports and excursions were fantastic, except for one, the Mare Island was not one we would bother to go to again. Mystery Island seemed to be everyone's favourite. Loved all the Entertainment, (there was plenty of it, there's no way you could be bored). We met many new friends, including the Staff I have mentioned, we laughed, ate, drank and have great memories. We were sad when the cruise ended and are looking forward to our next Cruise as soon as possible. Read Less

This ship went to the towns that I wanted to visit and ended up in Quebec City, Canada, which was important to me. The rooms were itty-bitty. The bath had doors to toilet, etc. but no more than 1/2 of a person could fit in there at a time and I am not a large person. I could only raise my arms to shampoo my hair if I turned on a diagonal. The food was terrible and served over and over. There wasn't a truly good meal the entire trip except maybe the prime rib on the last night. That too was thin and covered with an indescribable sauce. A few dishes of fish were ok, no shellfish except tiny, cut in half shrimp. The steak was terrible. Everything was overcooked and then covered with unrecognizable sauce. They had several days at the buffet with very strong Indian food that I could not eat, so it was back to salads and eggs. The tours were abominable based on what people said and I had read that earlier in the reviews. Most towns were easily walked in about an hour so tours were mostly unnecessary. I did take a Hop On-Hop Off Bus in Boston and asked why they were charging $69 for one person when I remember it being much cheaper last time I was in Boston, or any other city for that matter. The staff at the kiosk said it was because NCL owned the buses. At the very least, they had a connection. Never mention that you are on the NCL! The staff was remarkable but usually unhappy, we saw some cry while working. Entertainment was 2 days of real entertainment. There was a juggler/comic who couldn't. In the bars there was a piano player who was wonderful but they made him sing, which was awful. Being tone deaf would help the audience immensely. I have been on Holland America, Princess, and even Carnival (although I wouldn't recommend them either) I have loved the first two. I heard so many people complain, almost everyone I met. Also directions to exit were barely posted, not even the floor number so we had to ask other guests or follow any line we saw. Speakers didn't usually work in our room. Directions for the next day weren't even printed. Plus events were canceled so eventually we stopped going. Never again on NCL!!! Read Less

The ship is a smaller on then the P&O Jewel and the P&O Dawn which makes it much easier to get around and to learn the lay of the land. Half the amount of passengers, than the Jewel or the Dawn make it infinitely more hygienic. We spent a delightful week without the smell of effluent which is always a bonus. Loosing the smell of effluent on the open decks is always a delight, as is not contracting a bout of Novo Virus. The Aria is not a new ship but it has been looked after well. There are clean carpet, wallpaper and curtains with no stains decorating the whole ship. The upholstery on seats is in good condition as is bench tops, tables and other furnishings. The ship has been renovated but there are signs of age here and there. Being wary of the Novo virus I didn't swim in the pools but they appeared quite clean and smelled fresh. The main pool has a dome over the top and they do not hesitate to close it if the weather has even the slightest change. Theatre There's a small intimate theatre where films are shown several times a day. The screen is the same size as our largest television at home but can been seen easily enough from all over the room. Parents tend to use the theatre as a baby sitting area and have no problem dumping kids of all ages there, leaving them unsupervised to the annoyance of anyone who actually went to see the film. This was major turn-off and I was put off going back. Restaurants The Pantry, the main eating area is like a food court in any shopping mall. You walk around choosing from each different 'stall' what you feel like eating. Don't be afraid to put you plate over the counter and ask to have the chips put on the plate you already have food on. Don't be afraid to ask for a bigger serving either. This new idea is to stop pigs from loading their plates a foot high with food they will waste, to stop dirty people from pawing the slice of bread that will end up on your plate, to stop mouth-breathers from coughing/sneezing all over that same slice of bread. And it works. You know the food on your plate is as clean as it can be for you. After a couple of meals form The Pantry though, everything started to taste the same. There's a lot of choice there but nothing is exciting. Believe me, I know how that sounds but it is what it is. In other restaurants the meals are ordered by you and served to your table by wait-staff. We ate in The Waterfront and The Dragon Lady, you should too, they are a nice experience for you and are part of your package but you have to book into them. I don't know why you have to book because there are always empty seats everywhere maybe its to add to the ambiance. These meals are a little more exciting and we enjoyed the change of scenery. Note: a glass of Cab. Sav. red in The Dragon Lady was $13.00 with the bottle being $49.00 the same bottle in the bar upstairs was $28.00. Seems everyone thinks corkage is a big thing. I don't mind a surcharge because its a dining room but that $21.00 mark-up, is over the top. We are on a ship ! Surely, it all came from the same storage pallet ! One thing we did do, each night we visited a little shop in The Pantry and had the girl put together a cheese platter which we bought back to the cabin to have with a wine and a movie. A small indulgence that we enjoyed very much. The Beauty Salon (These days it's called a Day Spa 'sheesh') We bought the 10,20,30 package from the salon Elemis and did not regret it. If you can't afford all of them and need to choose one, buy the seaweed wrap. The attendant named BM is wonderful, ask for her if you can. She sure knows how to spoil you and leaves nothing to chance. Every little detail is attended to and you are made to feel quite special. BM never missed saying hello to me when she saw me around the ship later and even made some time in her very busy schedule to stop and ask me how I was feeling for the rest of the week. I cant say enough about this attendant, she has a wonderful skill she is an ultimate professional that has a very personal touch. I thoroughly enjoyed the Fire and Ice mani-pedi with Chi-Chi who is such a lovely person and certainly knows what she is doing and Zen who did my crystal massage is an excellent professional. We went to a couple of seminars such as the “How to Get Your Metabolism Going” and “Feet and Posture” (or something like that). They were interesting and we would have attended more except for the 'hard sell' at the end of everything in which you participate. I totally got sick of having to listen to the spiel of how I really needed to buy this or that product just because I turned up. This made the seminars/talks/conversations very impersonal and I came to feel like I was being perceived as nothing more and an open wallet regardless of how it was disguised. So if you attend these things be prepared for that hard sell at the end because, regardless of how personal they are making it all feel, they are going to go for your money just as soon as they get to it make no mistake. Cabin We had a balcony cabin and there's a lot to be said for that. We came on a weeks cruise just to catch some well needed R&R (work life balance n all that) so we indulged in some massages and the balcony. We spent a lot of time sleeping, resting and getting away from people , the cabin with the balcony was ample room for us to stretch out and sleep, watch TV (lots o free DVDs available) eat and relax. There are a few things aging in the cabin, some cracked tiles, worn metals, scratched surfaces on the porcelain, just little things like that but on the whole the cabin is comfortable. We must remember that The Aria is not a new ship. Cabin Attendants I talked to various passengers around the traps and most were pleased with their cabin attendants. I was however surprised to see that I was not the only one that was not completely happy with the cabin service. The cabin was clean, don't get me wrong but the service, while cheerful, was not always satisfactory. For instance, one day we had to make our own bed, towels that we left on the floor were not always replaced and requests were not always attended to, I ordered two DVDs for a nights viewing, when they had not been delivered by lunch, I reminded the attendant of my request, then again at 4pm and again at 6 with the reply, “I will get them for you before 9pm” they never came that night but were at our door the next morning but just a little too late. I know these are small things but they add up, over a week. Miscellaneous Even though you are only cruising the Whitsunday Reef, ring your mobile provider and have them turn off international roaming. I manually turned off IR on my cell but my provider still charged me for international rates even though we never left Australian waters then my data went over the limit and I was charged international pricing for this as well. I now have to have one of those extra long calls to Telstra. Don't bother taking the walking jaunt around the ship on Deck 6 while it would be lovely, there are always a bunch of smokers out there waiting to make you feel sick. It's hard to believe some people still smoke in 2018 but there they are, on Deck 6. In my time, smoking will be made illegal in all public places eventually, even on the Aria but not just yet. To all the smokers reading this, Namaste. The washing machine is 3 x $1.00 coins (28 minutes cycle on normal/warm) and the dryer is 3 x $1.00 (45 minute cycle) free detergent. Free games such as Jenga, Scrable, Chess are available on the floor with the internet stations. Internet packages are available but are very expensive. 90 Read Less

My wife and I took this 4 night cruise for a short break, I was looking forward to it as we had never cruised on Pacific Aria before, this was my 6th cruise and I must say I enjoyed the ship itself once you've worked out how to get around the ship, it dosen't take long to get to where you want to be. The decor gave a nice intimate feeling, embarkation/debarkation was nice and quick the cabin had good amount of room and also had a decent sized shub which was good as I love to have a bath, just as well because the spa pools on the lido deck were not usable for me as one was cold and the other was luke warm. We tried all the main restaurants including Luke Mangan's, I would give Luke Mangan's and the Dragon lady four stars for food and service Angelo's three stars and the Waterfront two stars the food there was terrible the menu was limited and the only redeeming factor was the service.We also did the high tea which we loved defintely worth paying the $25 for if you love your food. The Pantry was a pleasant surprise compared to the buffet's I've been to on other ships the food was of a decent quality the lines were short the food court concept worked very well we preferred it to the waterfront which is saying something as we prefer to go Al'acarte. The highlight of the cruise for me was the entertainment, the shows at the Marquee were excellent a lot of talented performers on show, however what I loved best was the band Lazy Leis they were brilliant and Wesley at the Mix Piano bar could really get us singing, very enjoyable if you love to sing along.The Dome was a great place to go especially around dusk, its a lot smaller than the Dome on the Pacific Dawn however it had a much nicer more intimate feel to it you also felt closer to the view you were seeing through the full room height windows the bar was right in the middle which was easy to access. Being a for night cruise we had one shore excursion at Airlie Beach which seems to have got a lot busier than it was six years ago when we visited it on the Pacific Sun. Overall it was a very pleasant cruise just a bit too short I would love to do a longer cruise on Pacific Aria as long as it had the same entertianers on board. Read Less