We were looking for a short cruise to introduce our family to cruising and Celebrate Birthday and Anniversary Milestones and had been on the Sun Princess before so we chose this cruise. We had 5 Mini Suites which was amazing and when 3 of the Balcony's were connected it provided the family to interact. The service on board was top class and the food was excellent. Albany was spectacular with our excursion to Oyster Harbour and Kalgan River being world class. When leaving Albany the sun's rays pierced the holes in the clouds and it looked like the Australian Army Badge as if a tribute to the ANZAC's when they sailed from Albany during the First World War. We missed out on seeing Busselton because of the winds being too strong for the Tenders but we stayed extra time in Albany. The Waters off WA are renowned for strong winds and high seas. Sun Princess handled the weather excellently. There were ten of us on this family cruise and we all dined in the Marquis Dining area at the Traditional time 5.15pm for Dinner. The menu selection was excellent with different themes on selected nights whilst maintaining traditional Princess Cruise Menu favorites. Breakfast and lunch buffet was in the Horizons and once again the selections were excellent. Our Grand Daughter was with the Camp Discovery and she had a ball with lots of activities and meeting new friends. The Shows in the Princess Theatre were well presented and the musicians were top class. We attended some activities such as the Art Auction and the ledgions Bar after hours and that was fun. There were lots of entertainment but this was a short cruise so not much time to explore all. All in all the cruise was for the family to relax and bond and we achieved that. Read Less

This was the only cruise taking in Christmas and New Year. Sailing from Freemantle with about 2,000 passengers, a group of all ages The ship now some 24 years old but eh atmosphere was so good on board. Entertainment was suitable for all ages, with a fantastic Caribbean band as the main source of music. They got the crowd going with dancing like you would never believe, coupled with a couple of other singers they kept the nights going until well after midnight. The crew were great, service was excellent with waiters in the dinning room that anticipated all your requests with nothing too much for them to achieve. The theater shows were vey good with the highlight being the 'Bravo' show, something very special for all ages. Ports of call were fine though having been to them all before on numerous occasions it almost felt like being at home. Second time of doing this cruise but well worth it. Read Less

Few cruise companies operate from Fremantle. The luxury not to fly anywhere and just get on to the ship within an hour from home was our main motivator to book this cruise. We were pleasantly surprised with the whole experience and the destinations. Doing a Christmas and New Years cruise is always special. The ship was full of families, kids and grandparents. And some oldies complaining that there were too many kids.... We had a great time and my biggest problems were to choose which entertainment options to do and which to leave as it was impossible to do all. Make no mistake, cruising to Indonesia in December is a hot affair. If heat and humidity is not your thing, maybe book a NZ cruise. We were extremely luck with VERY calm seas and no wind for 3 days while crossing from Australia to Komodo Island. Woke up at Komodo with a whale Shark hanging around the stern of the Ship. Our cabin was sufficient (We wait listed and got a spot only 4 weeks before the cruise, so we could bot choose our cabin, and although obstructed view, the location was good (D623). The tender outside this room was used on Tender Port Days, the noise might bother some, but we enjoyed the added sea view due to the tender being lowered. The Cruise Director was fantastic, the entertainment was mostly good. The food was pretty good, but I would lie if I said it was excellent. We did eat at Curtis Stone's Share and that was excellent. The Grill outside on Deck at the Pool was excellent and provided Burgers, hotdogs, pies, chips, ribs, Schwarma's etc for easy access on the pool deck. There are ample Ice machines and free lemonade (not soda) and Orange Juice and coffee and tea available on the pool deck as well as the buffet. Service was good. We were happy. Princess excursions, we only did Komodo island. We were the last group for the day (12h30) and we missed the morning rain. Komodo walk was OK, hot and not very exciting, but it was good to see the Dragons. Komodo is closed to tourists from now. Rumoured that they want to charge $1000per person. Not sure what will happen in the future. Pink Island was a boat hopping affair with excellent snorkelling. We had enough time. Other groups complained they were rushed. You need to be fit and able and completely mobile to do this tour. All other ports we negotiated with a driver and did our own tours. I knew where we wanted to go, wrote it and the price on paper and stood my ground. Much cheaper and better than a busload of people. Read Less

We booked this cruise for a family Christmas at sea where all ages would be catered for. The youngest were 5 years old and the oldest was 82. The ship was decorated beautifully and you could feel the Christmas spirit as soon as you stepped on board. The kids loved every minute and were fussed over by all the staff not just those in kids club where they came away with decorated hats, stuffed toys, tour of the bridge, drink bottles and more. The activities were great from gingerbread house making competition, 60 second frenzy(like minute to win it), bingo, casino, craft classes, art auctions, jewellery sales, ukulele classes. Honestly so much to do, movies under the stars with free popcorn, free room service, shows of an outstanding calibre from singers, dancers, magicians to comedians. Shore excursions, multitude of choice or do it your own way. There were always plenty of drivers at each port to advise and take you where you wanted to go for the day at reasonable prices. Gili Islands off Lombok were amazing snorkelling, pity there was so much plastic and rubbish in the water, but still beautiful. Read Less

Out of Fremantle. Cabin very comfortable plenty of cupboard space . Restaurant any time dining very tired food just average. Leaving ship very easy well organised.Entertainment ok bands play outrageously loud no consideration of the age of guests Shore excursions very expensive just like the alcohol outrageous pricing ! The Christmas Day Lunch was disgraceful extremly disappointing. Seem to always have young cruise directors shouting at guests rather than just talking normally. No idea of the music we like to hear ie 50’s & 60’s. The age of the majority of guests certainly doesn’t lend itself to late night partying those days are long gone ! The wait staff in the main are very good although it would be great to see them smile occasionally. The pizza restaurant has gone which is a shame as it made a nice change now an extra cost. The cosy Nook bar has gone again a paid Japanese restaurant. Read Less

This cruise was totally enjoyable for us. I have just read a review that to me was highly exagerated by a disgruntled passenger. There had been a "small" (5 or 6)out break of Gastro on the ship before we boarded at Singapore . for the 14 night cruise to Fremantle. We were advised almost immediately of the problem and precautions we should take. Were given regular updates on the situation as it improved After a couple of days we (and other passengers we met) were very happy with what was being done Yes!The crew were given extra duties to serve ALL food in the buffet. A practice that should be employed everywhere at food outlets. I have witnessed some pretty gross behavior at places where customers serve themselves. We had a lot of very enjoyable interaction withe catering staff .THE FOOD WAS FANTASTIC and Varied each day.You could fine dine if you wished Tables were always cleared quickly and cleansed The only area where it may have been a bit too cool for some people was the main theatre. I could not believe the high quality of the theatre productions. Our cabin crew lady did an excellent job. Our only complaint was that much of the activity(eg quizzie etc) was very American. It was an American ship but the passenger were nearly all Australian The excursion times were hampered by docking troubles with port authorities:and some did not deliver what was promised as a result of this The manner in which they organized exiting ship for excursions and dis embarking was excellent Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. It satisfied the ports we wanted to visit. The food was great, the desserts were amazing, The ship and stateroom were immaculate. The entertainment overall was soso compaired to other cruises we have been on. The shining star was the Piano player from Geelong. The big screen is hidden up on a deck where nobody visits. It would be better on the swimming pool deck. Cruise went from Fremantle so we spent 4 days in Perth investigating the area then one night in a BnB in Fremantle. First stop at Esperance was interesting but a bit of a waste of time (Hobart would be better). Was a bit disappointed with the amount of smoke from the funnels in our beautiful Milford Sounds. The in room videos about the pod motors, electric generators, and the side thrusters were very informative, The free movie channel had to be reset twice during our voyage. Read Less

Cunard oozes tradition at every turn; and the 'best of British' but is it suitable for families and kids ? Well we just arrived in Melbourne after a 6 night cruise from Fremantle with a 7 year old boy for my mother's 80th birthday present. We probably would not normally have chosen Cunard with a child but my mother had a lifetime dream which we wanted to fulfill of traveling aboard the QEII so this was our best option. Embarkation in Fremantle was a little 'hit-and-miss' with the requested wheel chair for mum nowhere to be found and her walker arriving just before the 4:15pm safety briefing. The staff were all very accommodating but this really wasn't the best start given our previous wonderful experiences with P&O departing out of Fremantle. Yes, there is a kids-club with ages separated into 2yrs to 8yrs and 8yrs to 14yrs. The staff were delightful and so attentive to the 12 children travelling. You can rest assured that the kids will have plenty to do with the club open from 10am -12noon, 2pm - 5pm and then 6pm - 11pm on sea days. While there are no fancy water slides or fun character shows or bumper cars there are the traditional shuffleboard, bowls, tennis and a wonderful library and card room with plenty of board ganmes to borrow. This is traditional cruising the way it use to be with none of the frills and excitement that family orientated ships now include. So come prepared for the occasional 'I'm board' because there is not 24/7 entertainment - kids have to make up their own fun for a change ! The age profile is very much slanted to the older end of the spectrum which means plenty of adopted grannies and pas around who are mostly young at heart and only too delighted to engage with young, well mannered little people. However, it's a bit like visiting Grandma's home where there are rules to obey. The ship's decor is all in a magnificent Art Deco style with plush interiors and carpets. So running through the atrium in a bathing suit with an icecream is absoultutely NOT OK !! The food options more than cater for kids with free flowing icecream, fish and chips, plenty of delicious choices and the chef will even adapt to various food alergies if required. Somehow the needs of both old and young are often very similar ! The rooms are all wonderfuly comfortable and cater for famileles of up to 4 in a room. The room stewards are all very helpful and room service is free for those nights when you just want a pizza and a movie in bed. Cunard would not be our first choice for young children as there is a need to really encourage a slightly older approach to cruising that relies on children being able to makeup their own fun and not be constantly entertained. Having said this, that's not necessarily a bad thing but parents will need to be ever present. We had the most wonderful 'multi-generational' cruise and 6 nights was the perfect length. Having done 8 cruises now as a family we were fairly well prepared for this type of holiday but it's not for everyone and you need to do your research. Thank you Cunard and Her Majesty QE for a most delightful and charming walk back in time to an eara of gracious opulance when kids were well behaved and had to use their own imgination to have fun ! Read Less

This will be my first review on Cruise Critic, but after meeting some CC people aboard MS Maasdam (Jan 6 2019 Freemantle-Singapore), I thought I’d contribute. This was a birthday/Winter getaway with apparently interesting stops, our 20th cruise and 4th on Holland America. We loved our previous HAL cruises (Zuiderdam and Prinsendam X 2). Sadly, this trip did not meet our expectations from HAL. The question is whether it is this particular ship or a new marketing model. Overall, the first impression is nickel-dime’ing. Quarters to use the laundry washers and dryers? Second impression, max effort to ‘sell’ something/profit incentive (I’ve never seen a captain appear and host a jewelry store sale event, speaking to shoppers - more so than at various Mariner events and meet-the-captain galas). This begins with surprisingly high excursion fees, often over double the cost for the same excursion online. Particularly galling is contracting with a local operator to sell ONLY through HAL excursions, i.e. blocking independent online or walk-up bookings; example - Dili East Timor: Hop On Hop Off is advertised at $45, with a stop at the cruise port. HAL contracted to do the booking for $79.95. They were not allowed to sell tickets to anyone not on a HAL excursion. Entertainment: cruise director was brand new (reportedly third in recent months). There were no “shows/productions”. There were individual entertainers, some quite decent, but not every night. Some ‘science/wildlife’ lectures were informative for those interested. Event scheduling seemed haphazard, e.g. captain’s reception and festivity at 7:55 PM, show start at 8:00 is only one example. There were many. Seems they are trying to appeal to a ‘younger’ clientele (average age still appears to be 70, with lots of older folks with walkers/canes/wheelchairs). The introduction of Zodiac inflatable excursions is new, and from reports (can not verify), some were disasters, acknowledged by the zodiac drivers that a monetary adjustment should be expected. Selections of cruise stops - sounded off the beaten track, and they were, not necessarily all bad but certainly raise some questions. Geraldton, Exmouth, Broome? Interesting introduction to relatively barren Western Australia (Exmouth often the hottest spot in the world - we saw 113* F). Komodo Island was a highlight and a big factor in selecting this cruise. It was worth the effort. Assumed (wrongly) that th Bali stop was the ‘known tourist destination. Actual stop was at a North Coast port, out of reach of any better known or advertised sites (e.g. Ubud). Probolinggo? Surabaya? O.K. Expensive, long excursions to Mt. Bromo were highlights available, but not sure how many took advantage. We did not, arranging our own private tours. An advertised 10 hour excursion from Semarang to the ancient temple of Borobudur was offered, and many booked it. They arrived back at the ship almost an hour late. Mixed reports,some loved the visit, but all mentioned huge crowds and difficulty getting pictures (including a professional photographer). The ship: getting OLD. Our vista suite had numerous wooden shims in the sliding glass door, presumably to stop it from creaking/rattling. They did work, if looking a little flakey. No complaints about our cabin/Port side. starboard side Vista suites had water (strong rains puddled on verandas) seep under sliding doors, wetting carpeting and personal items/luggage on the cabin floor. Food: no issues, and generally decent. Some local/Indonesian offerings were excellent. Very little local fruit offered - small plates purportedly put out at 11:30 were gone by 11:45, too bad if you weren’t there. Almost none in the evenings. We are not picky or demanding foodies, and more often than not eat at the Lido/buffet. Surf and turf (one night) in the dining room was very good. Overall, mixed emotions. May or may not give HAL another try (not on Maasdam). A little disappointed with this cruise, being a HAL fan. Read Less

I won a cruise voucher in competition. I had never been on a cruise before. I chose a short cruise just to see how we would like it. We had a fantastic time! The cabin was very comfortable, I chose a balcony as I hadn't been on a cruise before and thought an inside one without windows might be a bit claustrophobic, but now I have been I would be happy to be in either type on any future cruises, there is so much to do on the ship and so many quiet places to sit and read or do other things that you hardly spend any time in the cabin anyway. There is also plenty of places to sit and watch the ocean, you don't need your own balcony. The entertainment was awesome, you were made to feel welcome and encouraged to join in with the dancing and activities and I mean encouraged in a good way, not pushy. There was so much to do on the ship, great live shows in the theatre, movies in the theatre or outside under the stars, parties, dancing, bars, casino, kids club, library, gym. You can make your holiday a quiet relaxed one or you can party every day, make it whatever you want. We had a wonderful time and will definitely go on another cruise with Princess. I travelled with my 12 year old daughter and she loved it, she met a lot of other kids on the cruise and made some friends, they then met up and did activities together, she said the kids club was great. It was Halloween and the kids club took the kids trick or treating. Read Less

Started at Hong Kong, 6 days through Vietnam to Singapore, been with Princess lots of times and rated the company, however not again. Embarkation was lengthy to say the least . long lines. Ship although one of the older ones was fine , cabins were ok bathrooms fine. Where they let themselves down was the levels of service in bars, pool areas, and anywhere where you expected staff to be which was shocking, There was very little choice of drinks in bars very little beer stocked . you had to get your own drinks at every location which is disgraceful as they charge you 15% gratuity on every drink for service and you have to get it your self. Borderline fraudulent. Complaints everywhere, no senior staff anywhere to make your views known. Ruined a great cruise as restaurant service and room service were fine. elsewhere there just was not enough staff and the stocking of bars was non existant Read Less

A cruise to New Zealand featuring a day in Milford sound & vicinity was the highlight we were looking forward to. We left Melbourne. 2 hours out Captain advises us that he had to turn the ship around & return to Melbourne with a sick passenger Through the loss of time they would have to cancel the Milford sound visit & go straight on to Dunedin So 2799 passengers missed out on the key feature of the cruise? Surely some gesture from Celebrity acknowledging the fact that we did not get what we paid for would have been good PR ? The organisation on board for so many passengers was very good Choice of restaurants made it such a culinary delight, Wait staff exceptional Entertainment was a mixed bag Half the performers professional but some very ordinary singing from the chorus ,made up for by excellent choreography Top speakers spoke on very interesting topics Accents!! From the Captain down we found it often very difficult understand many speakers The captain ,very broad accent The Cruise director too many words too fast All the cooking demos were very difficult to understand. Bear in mind the average age group & their probable lack of good hearing The excursion were great Its pretty easy to show off this beautiful country Marlborough Sound was the highlight Read Less

We are regular Princess cruisers having traveled 8 times in the last 5 years. This is our second time on the Fremantle to Albany run, Both times on the Sea Princess. As with all Princess cruises the shore team pre and post cruise were excellent - efficient and well staffed this whole experience was seamless. Sadly we had numerous toilet issues and whilst the response time was always short the failure to resolve the problem was disappointing. After the first few complaints they did recognise the issue and intrusion by providing a small tray of chocolates to keep us sweet. Staff on the ship were as always polite and made every effort to make our trip a relaxing time where we feel like true kings and queens of the waves. Sadly wait times at several bars seemed far longer than usual and a happy hour when you can only get one order filled in the hour is hardly very happy. Albany is a beautiful port and tying up in the harbour means only a short walk into the town centre - don't miss the ANZAC Centre, a must do for any first time visitor. The town offers a range of options for the first timer with most things within walking distance of the shuttle drop off. The Anzac Centre is a short taxi ride and really too far to walk. Busselton the second stop is a tender port. The jetty is a wonderful walk if the wind is mild and the town offers a range of small town facilities. Busselton is not Margaret River despite the advertising and a 45 minute bus ride is required before you reach the famous wine region. Sea Princess is looking a little tired but the cruising experience and the limited number of short cruises out of Fremantle make this opportunity too good to miss. Read Less

The cruise was most enjoyable, with great shows in the evenings, many opportunities for varied activities, from Line Dancing to Spanish Language lessons and many other choices in between. Our cabin was roomier than expected and always cleaned at the earliest opportunity. The towel 'sculptures' were fun and the chocolates appreciated. The introduction of'Anytime Dining' suited our group very well and the dining staff were always courteous and pleasant. The wait staff at our table, Edward Hipolito and Wayan Asnawa were exceptional. Their attentiveness, good humour and understanding made all our dining experiences very memorable. A great duo! Ralph, at the Wheel House Bar was also very pleasant and efficient along with the other bar staff, despite being under pressure at times. I thought the shore excursions were quite expensive, hence we made our arrangements most of the time. Disappointments? I was taken aback this time to see the standard of dress for formal nights and evening meals had dropped dramatically. It is a pity, when the staff has dressed so appropriately and many passengers have not bothered. The staff are very well trained and always pleasant and helpful. Even though I prefer to cruise on smaller ships, I would sail with Princess again. Read Less

We have just returned from a 10 day trip on board the Pacific Eden, we were pleasantly surprised as our previous three cruises were with Princess, which we enjoyed in spite of having a flooded cabin twice during our trip. Pacific Eden, staff were great, so helpful, nothing too much trouble, the shows were the best we have seen on board other ships, entertainment staff and all acts were second to none and we had a ball. The attention to cleanliness was very impressive and the choice of restaurants were excellent (both Angelo's, Dragon Lady were like dining in any top restaurant in Perth, the Waterfront was great if you wanted to be waited on; if you wanted to do your own thing, you had lots of choice in the "Pantry" (food hall) the best thing was that your food was served up to you instead of it being open to everyone breathing and coughing around it, causing health risk and shocking waste, though there was still no limit to the amount of food you could have on any serving, hence I saw no evidence at all of sickness on board and we would not hesitate to book on the Pacific Eden in the future. We were especially surprised at the space we had in our cabin and bathroom compared to previous trips. Embarkation and disembarkation ran like clockwork as did all stops, with very well run excursion times on and off the ship,extremely professional. Thanks to the fabulous crew, especially the entertainment guys, second to none. Read Less

We disembarked from the Pacific Eden last Monday and feel that some feedback is definitely necessary. P&O used to have a fabulous reputation when we lived in the UK but this experience has seriously undermined that expectation. The location of our cabin was very disappointing - please see below. The constant queuing for everything is totally painful. Queuing like cattle to possibly be able to book a "speciality" or even the standard Waterfront restaurant and if you are not fortunate enough to get in on time to book after queuing for over an hour (on a daily basis) you can queue at the pantry food court which has insufficient seating when you want to eat. This could be easily remedied by allowing pre-booking prior to boarding and would also allow for a fairer allocation of slots. This was a Food and Wine cruise and the quality of the food was extremely disappointing. This opinion is based on the Waterfront, Dragon Lady and the Pantry as we were unable to get a booking at Angelo's. Portions were small, food was cold (especially in the Pantry) and the taste was lacking. It appears P&O are cutting costs under the guise of an improved dining experience. Many stations in the Pantry were understaffed causing even longer queues. The kids club was oversubscribed and full despite the booking website advising that numbers in each age group were limited. Therefore, restricting our ability to attend the seminars etc. Staff seem to be pretty miserable and are not keen to do anything other than the bare minimum especially in the bars. Is this due to the lack of tips on offer? Some positives: High Tea in Salt was very good. ($20 per head on sea days) Bed was comfy - shame our sleep was so disturbed! Cabin service and cleanliness was good. Entertainment was good but again the venues were often too small for the numbers who wanted to take part. The entertainment staff could have easily utilised the pool deck as the retractable roof and ample seating made it a very pleasant area which would have been way less congested than the ocean bar. Decor was pleasant. The gym is a decent size and well equipped. All in all this experience was far from 'Like no Place on Earth' and it is unlikely that we would choose to cruise with P&O ever again based on the short "break" we have just had. Read Less

We chose this because my husband felt it was good price. Opportunity to go on our first tour. Bored despite the activities. The shows at night were so late.The screeching of the singers or presenters in the marquee was disappointing. Tea and coffee in the pantry house was disgusting. The cakes from the pantry house tasted all the same whether it was tart, cake or slice the fillings were so similar. The serviettes that wrapped up the knives/forks could have been cleaner. Off shore tours or visiting islands just love it. Just a shame that you could travel around Lombok by paying a private driver for $80 for four but tour booked through P&O was expensive. We heard that P&O cruises were bottom of the rung.Definitely be looking at Princess lines next time Disappointed with the smell around sixth deck. The patching up windows with putty and the dirty windows. Read Less

This was such a convenient cruise, Fremantle up to Bali via Komodo, Lombok and Probollingo and back to Fremantle. Great crew, very impressed with embarking and disembarking, it was seemless. We have sailed with Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, both brilliant, but Pacific Eden gets 10/10 for the embarkation and disembarkation process. So, overall I'd say Pacific Eden is like a good three and a half star hotel, good in some places, ordinary in others, but overall good value for money. Cabin steward Peter was excellent, keeping up well entertained with his array of "towel" animals! Food, Salt Grill - in a word, superb. Good service, beautiful food and plentiful. Dragon Lady - Asian fusion, two menus changed half way through the cruise, the first menu was very good, the second a bit ordinary, overall 7/10 - service was good and relatively quick. Angelo's, Italian, same deal, first menu was very odinary, second was good, overall 6/10 - service was good as well. Waterfront, restaurant was very cold, good food, reasonable variety on the menu with a different theme each night plus the usual menu. Good service hit and miss on food temperature, especially at breakfast, overall 7.5/10. The Pantry, food hall style 5/10. The bars were very good, with wonderful staff that were on the ball. Entertainment at the various bars was, in the main, really good. The shows in the Marquee were hit and miss, Davidia was a stand out. The Entertainment team were very good, Andy was a favourite, perhaps it was his lovely Scottish accent. Would cruise with them again. Read Less

Having cruised with P&O in the past it was a no brainer to book this cruise when I came across the incredible deals they were offering. Some reviews of the ship would have you think that Pacific Eden is a floating pile of rust that serves up food worse than you'd get in prison - this couldn't be further from the truth! Whilst the ship doesn't fall in to the category of 5-star (nor does P&O try to sell it as 5-star) it is a beautiful, well kept ship with a more classic layout and design. Whilst smaller than your modern super liner, she is by no means tiny and offers up ample public spaces for passengers to relax in and partake in activities. Food options are plenty and of a high quality with three all inclusive restaurant options (The Waterfront, Angelo's Italian and The Dragon Lady), one set price restaurant (The Salt Grill), The Pantry (a healthier, cleaner take on your classic cruise ship buffet) and the Ocean Grill (Pizza's, Burgers, Nacho's etc for a small price). Highlights for me were The Dragon Lady's second menu and The Salt Grill where we ended up eating on two occasions. It's worth every cent! The Pantry is also a huge improvement on the old buffet style setup for three reasons - 1) There is a lot more choice 2) It was evident that from looking around there was a lot less waste as portions were somewhat controlled (with that being said, if you wanted more you could ask for it and the servers would happily oblige) 3) It is significantly healthier as food isn't being handled by hundreds of passengers The Entertainment staff were great and highly visible throughout the cruise. The original shows were of a higher standard than I have seen on P&O in the past and the activities on offer seemed to keep everyone engaged on sea days. The only thing I would say was a negative on the entertainment side of things was the poor quality of the comedians. There are better comedians out there than ones who get their jokes off of the internet! The only shore tour we booked through the ship was for Komodo Island as it was required due to the World Heritage Site restrictions imposed on the island. The Tendering process was wall organised and involved very little waiting around. Once on the island the English speaking guides were very interactive and informative and made it an overall enjoyable, once in a lifetime experience. In summary if you're looking for great quality and value, P&O cruises are for you. If not, spend the extra money to cruise with someone else or quit your whinging. Some of the reviews on here are appalling and incredibly misleading. Comparing Princess, Celebrity or Holland America with P&O is not comparing apples with apples. I have never had a bad experience with P&O (nor Celebrity or Star) and will continue to sing their praises and recommend them to family and friends. P.S. I hope that Marius one day gets the Australian passport he so desperately desires Read Less

Terrible cabin , Air conditioning not function for 3 days despite several complaints to reception. Couldn't sleep in the heat.Food in the pantry is terrible especially the Indian & Asian bars. left over fish & chips served as Indian fry fish . Roti hard as rock .All curries very bland . Basa fillet served every day without a miss.Cabin staff forget basic things like cleaning the bins, providing ordered DVD , entering cabin without knocking.On the day of disembarkation we were told to vacate the room by 7 am but the cabin staff came knocking at our door at 6 am . most of the ship staff were polite except the arrogant Captain , Executive chef Maitre D. The maitre D was always seen feeding his little daughter in the dining area with his collar sticking up. He never smiled or greeted passengers. I had requested to talk to the executive chef about the quality of food in the Pantry but he didn't bother getting back to me. The food in Dragon Lady & Waterfront restaurants were good generally unlike the Pantry. Read Less

1) Toilets - the public toilets on level 7 & 8 were disgusting. on many occasions I found poo and blood on the toilet seat as did my friends. I found 1 toilet blocked. I often use the public toilets and each time I never found one clean. 2) Waterfront - the service was very slow. staff were always busy but at my lunch experience we tried to get a waiter attention just to look at the menu as we did not order our dessert with our mains and we had to wait a long time. they always appeared to try to look away. the food tasted very average I did not enjoy my lunch.I had the chicken cabiata and it was very small and had no flavour. the brownie should have been warmed as it was hard to eat cold. All serves in all restaurants were very small. Should not have to pay to have steak. We did not like the bench seating, very uncomfortable and was stupid the only bench seating in the restaurant. At our dinner there were about a dozen chairs to one side store and not being used. we asked if we could swap 4 chairs for the bench seat, we were even willing to do this ourselves. they said no too hard to do. 3) Pantry - did not like the grilled fish, was not nice and I did not like the desserts. I am not a big cake person and I did not like the flavours or the selection of the cakes and the pretend cream, not enough on the pavlova. at lunch there was food all over the pantry floor carpet under some tables that had not been cleaned from breakfast. 4) Boarding - was not happy that we could not board until 6pm as the evening was rushed getting to dinner then too tired to change into white clothes. we felt like we were ripped off not getting our full holiday experience that day. 5) Cabins - were lovely, big and clean although the my bed was not made properly, I had to redo the bottom sheet and it was crumpled and not not on the bed properly. very poor. 6) General - the quality of the food in general and the dirty toilets made the holiday and big disappointment. toilet wise - this it the reason cruise ships have gastro problems 7) Entertainment - the comedian was the best entertainment he was very funny. i did enjoy the illusionist too 8) Movies - too cold in the movie theatre. everyone was cold. i even say people carrying in blankets who previously knew. I was cold the whole time and now I have a cold. 9) Angelos - my best dining experience although I did not know how much I was paying for a glass of wine until I say my account. single glass of wine option was not on the wine list. Read Less

The Princess Line Cruises were recommended to us and thought we would book following my husband's ill health and also the ease of catching the cruise in Fremantle. We didn't know that this was the Dawn's final cruise. 2 days into the cruise, we realised that they were just winding down with no consideration to paying guests. They ran out of Stout, whiskey, gin and Red Wine unless you took the $80 - $120 bottles of red wine. Food was also in short supply especially fresh fruit, prunes, berries (breakfast necessities). Toilets were blocked most of the cruise including ours which was blocked 5 out of the 12 days. Some guests had to use the public toilets on another floor for the first 6 days. Entertainment during the day was extremely limited and was wound down after a few days (horse racing for instance - only 4 days). The casino was closed early because maintenance had to be done for handover to P & O. Shops were closed for stocktaking halfway through the cruise. Couldn't even buy Panadol/Candy etc. Airconditioners didn't work in the dining areas and a lot of the waiters/waitresses carried hand held fans to cope. We got food from the buffet and ate outside. The formal dining room was stifling!! I am hoping that Princess offers the cruisers on this cruise a reimbursement! Dreadful treatment of loyal customers, many of whom had booked knowing it was the last cruise on a ship that they had enjoyed many good times. Read Less

We chose this cruise as a short break and took our 30 year old son and his fiancé along with us. There was a wide range of ages on board, generally in the 40 - 70 age group, but also well behaved babies and school age children too (who seemed to be enjoying the kids club). Our cabin was far larger than I had expected and certainly a lot bigger than our cabin on Sun Princess in 2016. Our shower was over a bath, not problem for us but may be difficult for less agile older folk to get in and out of. Our cabin did not have a bar fridge and while I thought we would miss not having one, it really did not impact our holiday at all. I loved the food in all of the eating areas (the Pantry set up worked really well) and we booked and ate twice at Dragon Lady as it was exceptional. Serves there were small but you can order more if you want. Food in the Waterfront was also very good (just make sure you book as early as you can to get the time you want - bookings are taken each day from 8 am - 12 noon). We also paid $20 a head for High Tea at Luke Mangan's Salt Grill. Exceptionally good value (only available at 3pm on sea days - book as soon as you board to secure a seat). We didn't end up using the Gym as it was far too hot in there....which was disappointing (P & O please check the air conditioning to make sure it is working properly). This ship has nice public areas but we did notice that some of the seating in the Dome is starting to look tired. Same can be said of the cabana day beds on Deck 10 in the Oasis. I would have no hesitation in boarding Pacific Eden again for a cruise as we enjoyed our time on board. Read Less

This was our second trip after a fantastic voyage in 2016.The ship wasn't filled to capacity but it was difficult to find room to sit and eat in the pantry or find lounges on the pool deck. The lack of shade in both pool areas made them un-useable as both pools were mostly in full sun creating a skin cancer risk. Everything also looked a bit tired & shabby. Our cabin was comfortable & spacious .The beds were very good and the bathrooms adequate albeit the towels provided were threadbare & very grubby looking. Our stewards were very friendly but we thought the standard of service had dropped considerably from our last trip.The Pantry food was typical food hall fare, Plentiful but without enough variety or appeal. Great if you want to lose weight ! We were very disappointed by Angelo's and the Dragon Lady. We expected better. High tea at the salt Grill was beautiful & incredible value for money. Entertainment in the Marquee was fabulous but we were disappointed by the entertainment on offer in some of the bars ,particularly the Ocean Bar. I believe my 10 year old had a better time in the Kids Shark Shack which by all accounts was fabulous. We were disappointed by the on board parties. They were poorly planned and nothing was really offered other than a band. Most fizzled out early due to lack of interest. We were not impressed by the standard of service on board generally. Most staff were quite abrupt & unfriendly. We had considerable problems with our drinks package & believe we were deliberately mislead about what we were entitled to.This occurred wherever we went so it was clearly policy. This wasn't sorted until the last days of the cruise because we complained loudly & decided to get what we had paid for. This left us feeling disgruntled that we had been given the run around by admin staff who gave the impression that they clearly had no skills to resolve simple matters or provide adequate customer service. We are undecided whether we want to come back. We feel there is a need to lift the game before we are tempted to return. Read Less

I had read mixed reviews of this ship and was a little worried but the price was so reasonable with no flights required (as we could drive to Fremantle) that I decided to go for it anyhow. So glad I did. The ship is beautiful, the staff friendly and so professional, the food plentiful, varied and fresh and the entertainment was amazing. The only complaint I have is the price of the drinks and the cinema seats need replacing as they are so uncomfortable. Really great ship. The restaurants were amazing. Our favourite was Angelo's - so classy. Dragon Lady was so special. We just could not believe it was all included in the price. One night the kids did not like the desert on offer at Angelo's so we had dinner there, went and watched a show and then went to Dragon Lady for Desert (Chocolate Brownie with White Chocolate Ice Cream). Family Holiday Bliss! If you go do not miss the Towel Animal Parade the cabin stewards put on - WOW. Read Less