Pacific Jewel is here!

I woke up my husband and 10 year old daughter at 4.00am so we could be at the heads to see Jewel arrive we were alone with only one other person.
Was fantastic to see

We live on the water at Pyrmont and were in awe as the Pacific Jewel docked across the water from our apartment, a magnificent sight as I was having breakfast on the balcony.

I can’t wait but I have to. I am going to the naming celebrations then on the maiden voyage with my Mum. I am sooooo excited!! WAHOO!!

I saw Pacific Jewel this morning on Sunrise & the other 2 cruise ships that sailed in today. PJ will probably be on the News tonight.
I live on the Holiday Coast, so we are 6 hours away from Sydney. But I will see her when we sail next December.

Just saw it arriving on the morning show. I thought it still had a couple of days to go to arrival! What a great surprise, can’t wait, 18 days till our cruise! YES!

Looks fantastic. Unfortunately I have to wait until September 2010 for my cruise. Looking forward to it – went on Pacific Dawn last year and it was excellent.

My wife and I live on the South Coast. We are booked on the Pacific Jewel to leave on the 140210. I noted that the Pacific Jewel could carry 1950 passengers. It so happens that my wife was born in 1950 and she was born on the 140250. Is that a coincidence or what. We are looking forward to the trip as it is our first cruise.
Ian and Adele

Cant believe all that hard work is done and she is finally here, looks magnficent…. 2.5 weeks till we cruise will be the best New Years Eve party Im sure… so excited cant wait!!

I am so excited!!! My friend Jo-Ann and I have booked and paid for the cruise departing 14/02/09 as a 50th birthday present for my mother, Michelle. We are so excited about this and the Jewel looks so beautiful! I can’t wait until February to spend 9 glorious nights cruising the South Pacific on such a gorgeous ship!

Watch A Current Affair tonight on Channel 9, 6.30pm. They have a cruise line special. I am sure the Jewel willb e featured. Can’t wait until 6th September 2010 until our cruise!!!!

omg… going on the jewel on the 9th january, 30 days to go!!!! it looks beautiful, can not wait to be pampared.

Hi Ian and Adele. My best friend and I are on the cruise leaveing 14/02 as well. We are heading to Circular Quay tomorrow for the celebrations. We are very excited as this is our first cruise.

Having our first cup of coffee this morning myself & hubby watching Sunrise when they went over to showing the Pacific Jewel arriving in Sydney Harbour.
We both had a big smile on our faces we are booked for the 28th July 2010 for our 30th wedding anniversary

Cant’ wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG we are going on the Christmas cruise which leaves next week….my family are soooo excited to be going on the Jewel. Cant wait!!!

Saw it all on 11 am news on telly while in the doctors getting my travel insurance medical forms signed. All three ships, P & O you must be very proud and congratulations. We will see you in Nov on the Jewel. Still can’t wait to see her in Melbourne.

WOWWW!!!!!! PACIFIC JEWEL… HERE YOU CAME….!!!!! VERY PROUD OF YOUR ARRIVAL!!!! i just watch the web cam.. very surprised…. impatience to watch the BIG HAPPENING FOR THE GLORIOUS NIGHT, on the 12 dec 2009.. MYLOVE(SATYA) will be there, celebrating for me… LOTS OF LOVE DARLING,,,!!!!!enjoy every moment, honey..

How exciting. Saw the arrival on morning news. Will have to wait until September for our cruise, but will be on the wharf in Melbourne on the 15th to say hi to anyone. Can’t wait to see her in the “flesh”.

How Exciting We Board On Sunday, Cant Wait

So are we Karen (famiy of 4) getting ready for a great break

WOOOOHOOO cant wait we are booked for our 20th wedding anniversary we board in June cant wait. Marion see you at the dock in Melbourne

my family & i saw the diamond princess arrive in sydney harbour early this morning. then watched the jewel and then the sun princess.We are going on the jewel in april and have already sailed on the sun princess. can’t wait for april!!!the ship looks amazing.

YA HOOOO roll on Sunday. We are so LOOKING forward to this.To get away and relax.It has been very interesting to watch the whole makeover process. It looks like we have a brand new ship.I wish everybody who sails on Sunday, and in the future a fabulous time.

Can’t wait for this. My Wife, myself and my 2 daughters (16 & 17) are on the Jewel going out 18/12 and also going to the Quay on Saturday night for the Ceremony.
We are so excited only 1 week to go. Iam sure we will have a fantastic time and this our 1st Cruise. Look forward to meeting some great people on board

Cruising on the maiden voyage of this lovely ship on Sunday. Looking forward to meeting all my fellow passengers – aren’t we lucky!

OOOOHHHHH so exciting and it looks so beautiful. Cant wait to get on the 18/12/09 with my husband and our almost 16year old daughter and inlaws who paid for our trip as a christmas present. Thanks heaps mum, jillian and alistair. oxoxo

What a treat to see it here two days early, Must be getting it ready for a huge night on Saturday, we will be there to see the GG give it the ‘god-mother’ toast! Then we have to wait until April for our cuise, We are really looking forward to going on a cruise again next year.

So excited we are going next Friday 18th with our daughter hubby and 2 grandgirls for a family christmas together, so looking forward to it can hardly sleep. This is going to be a fabulous christmas

Hi we are going on that cruise too in feb and its my 50th on the 14th the day we set sail…cant wait!!

omg sooo exited

So excited ….. We are off on the Maiden Voyage on Sunday too !!! Just watched A Current Affair and had a tour of the Jewel, she looks absolutely beautiful…….. Can’t wait !!!

Going down to see her at Station pier in Melbourne on Monday

Please blogg when you get back and let us all know how your cruise was. I’m sure it will be fantastic.

HI Sharyn,better check the dates for Melbourne I will be on it and am sure that we get to Melbourne on Tuesday,,,Judy

My wife and I are boarding on Sunday and we cant wait. The last cruise we were on was in 1977 on the Arcadia This ship looks some what more modern.

See you on the Pacific Jewel in 18 days Margaret,,i,v been on the Sun and the Dawn..This ship looks the goods..what a PARTY we are going to have on New Yrs Eve,,out in the Ocean!

7 days 15hrs and i’ll be on board, yippeee

Hi
We are going to be on the Pacific Jewel on the 28th-Dec-09 cruise. Can’t wait to see you all what a new years eve it is going to be and it is so close now.

Oh my god! so excited the Jewl has arrived any one going on the 1st feb to NZ? Our very first cruise!! watch out for the Butlers here we come.

We are also booked on the 28th July cruise with another couple, looking forward to it. Have previously criused on the old Fairstar twice, and had a ball.

Since PJ’s arrival into Sydney Harbour this morning our excitement to cruising has really kicked in.
Bring on 19th January 2010 already!!!

Hi, we are also going on the 28th ,can’t wait
HAPPY NEW YEAR! .

So excited also going on the 1st Feb to NZ, watched TV tonight and have fallen in love and want more and more …. can’t wait … work … Xmas …. work ……. slipping into the lap of relaxation ……. I promised myself to wait but it is going to be hard… deep breathing I will make it… remember only about 6 weeks to go and countdown

Hey Kim & Mitch Butler
We are going on NZ cruise 1st Feb, can hardley wait, this is our 5th cruise, just make sure you take your travacalm about 30minutes before you sail and you should be fine it’s the best holiday you can have, cruising the only way to go, you’ll get hooked like we did.

im so excited 6 friends and i are booked to go on the jewel 20/3/10 this will be my 5th cruise but my first in 11 years

P&O cruise’s are great fun im a repeat cruiser!!!!

I’m so excited! The new all white paint looks amazing!! And I love the blue stripe on the funnel. I can’t wait to see the ship in real life on Saturday night! I’m on holidays in the USA at the moment and flying back a day early just so I can make it to Circular quay for her naming ceremony and the party!!
Stevo (first time cruiser and hooked)

Hi everyone!
We’re booked on the maiden voyage with our 4 kids! Can’t wait!
We’ve been on one cruise before for David’s birthday and the staff sung happy birthday to him at dinner. We had alot of fun!
P&O Cruises rocks!
Dave & Caz

I am on the nightshift this week… thought I’d sneak a look at the blog on my break. Ahhh – here I am dreaming of blue oceans and not having to lift a finger. People waiting on me for a change! I’m organising a group of us from work for a 3 day cruise next year… then I won’t have to dream – yayayayayay!

Has anyone been on the 3 day cruises?

We’re going on the 3 day in Jan 2010. Even more excited after the sneak peak on TV last night, 46 days and counting!!

Looking forward to the NYE cruise, a great looking ship, cant wait to try the Luke Mangan Salt Grill

Well Done Ken and all of your Team, Dont stress to much looking after the passengers you need to enjoy your hard work too

My family is also on that cruise, it will be our 2nd and its now only 7 sleeps!

We do also Jodie…..flying down from Brisbane…..very excited.

The first cruise I did was a 3 dayer on the Canberra in 1972….got the taste for it, have been on many since than and boarding the Jewel on Sunday,,,,whooooopeeee!

Hey guys

Will be on the NZ cruise 1st Feb with my kiwi hubby. It has been 10 years since we were last there and I am sure this will be the best trip across the ditch yet. For those who have never been to NZ you are in for a treat it is magnificent and for those who have never been on a cruise you are in for a treat. Went on the Dawn last year and had the best time and am looking forward to cruising on the Jewel. Looking forward to all that magnificent food (that I wont have to cook!!)

Looks Great!!! My first cruise ever, going on the 2nd March, can’t wait, and will be there on Sat evening as well, im excited

It is all so very exciting seeing all these wonderful ships for us to choose from. We are well and truely hooked. Going on the Jewel in May with friends we met on a cruise 2 years ago. Can’t wait. Already looking at the shore tours and trying to choose.
Hope to be able to see some footage of the ceremony on the telly tomorrow night.

Hi Sue
Were sailing Sunday also, I cant wait. Do you have any children ?? We coming aboard with 4 for some well earned break.
Jan

Cant wait untill 28th March 2010, a whole heap of us will go cruising on the JEWELL, for our best friends 40th birthday, only 16 weeks to go.

We are booked on the 28th of July cruise too! Can’t wait! It is soooo exciting to see the Jewel come to life!

Been on the Sun once & the Dawn 3 times and we will be on 2 back-to-back cruises from 14 Feb…….that’s 16 days at sea!!! Just got back from our 5th cruise 10-nighter on the Rhapsody of the Seas which was fantastic. All cruise ships are different and they are all great, and P&O do it very well also. Heading off on the rivercat to the launch tonight soon.

Last Thurs night I had to go to Christmas Party so had recorded ACA, because I am a cruise ship nut. I watched it when I got home and was so inspired that I immediately got online and booked a cruise…at 2am!! I am going, with a friend, on the New Zealand cruise, sailing out of Sydney harbour on 27th Nov, 2010. That is the day of my 62nd birthday, and I cannot imagine a better way to spend the day!!! Earlier this year we were booked to go to NZ on Celebrity’s “Millennium” but the cruise was cancelled 5 days before it was to sail, because of propulsion problems. You can imagine how devastated we were!! So this time we will try not to get too excited until we are boarding the ship!!!!! Last year we flew to Hawaii and cruised around the Hawaiian Islands on NCL’s beautiful ship,”Pride of America” . That was amazing!!

Hello Michelle and David, we are booked on the same cruise in September and are now really excited and it will be a long nine months wait (almost like having a baby) We did our last cruise from Hawaii on the Rhapsody of the Sea and it was fantastic but this ship looks even better..can’t wait.

This will be our third cruise and we are really excited as this ship looks even better that the other two (Pacific Sky, and Rhapsody of the Sea) both were fantastic cruises but I know this one in September 2010 is going to be better. Those of you who have sailed before know exactly what we are feeling (excitement) and for those who have never sailed before you really don’t know what you are missing.. Bring on September 2010……

We are so looking forward to 6th September next year for our 2nd cruise and our 30th Anniversary celebrations. To Ann, Joe and the gang. Catch up when the Jewel docks in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Hi Robyn, we are also on the Nov 27th cruise.

We are also booked on 6th September cruise next year .It will be our 3rd cruise and we will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary plus an important birthday. Hope to see you at Station Pier on Tuesday

I was just wondering why the Pacific Jewels live webcam is only updated every 15 minutes but the rest of the ships are every 30 seconds

See you on board, my son and I are cruising on 19th also and cannot wait. The ship looks fantastic!!

Only 5 sleeps to go!! Ken and crew – you have done a wonderful job keeping us all updated on the PJ’s refurbishment. Looking forward to meeting you!! Job well done!

I’m with you!! Also leaving 0n 19th. Can’t wait. Did Panama canal last yera but am looking forward to our own piece of paradise in the pacific!

our family daughter 15 and son 14 on same cruise as well not long now

Hi Kay, that’s great, we might meet up!! It seems a long way away, doesn’t it, but unfortunately time flies, so I guess it will be here before we know it…….thanks for the reply…….I bet the launch party was fun last Sat night….wish I had been there!!

MY COMMENT IS P & O COULD NOT LIE STRAIGHT IN BED. WHT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THEIR OFFICE STAFF IS UNPRINTABLE. THEYT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEIR CANINS FOR THE DIABLED AND WHAT YOU NEED AND ASK FOR IS NOT WHAT YOU GET. BEWARE!!!!!

We are off on the 5th July,its our 50th wedding anniversary on the 9th.Sailed many times on the aircraft carrier “Melbourne”,but this will be altogether different,no work ,just play and relaxing.

Hi P & O, as everyone would be eagerly awaiting, when are you going to update the website with photos of the inside of the jewel. What deck is HQ on, my teenagers are dying to know. I hope it is soon, and congratulations on the fantastic posts of when the jewel was in dry dock, it was good to see.

Have just been into Station Pier to welcome Pacific Jewel to Melbourne on her maiden voyage. A lot of people with the same idea. Sun was shining (for a change) and she looked magnificent. Now just have to patiently wait until September.
To all those people I chatted with on the pier, have a great trip and think of me.

Who is the Captain of The Pacific Jewel?

Hi Toni,

If you google “Pacific Jewel deck plans”, then click on Ozcruising site, then click on deck plans, you can see the whole ship, one deck at a time. H cabins seem to be pink in the legend and appear to be on the promenade deck, deck 8.

The Captain Of Pacific Jewel is Lorenzo Paoletti he used to be the captain of Pacific Dawn

Cant wait till may for the cruise, ship looks great. Went on the maiden voyage of the dwan and it was fabuloso………Hope this ship lives up to the dawn!!!!!! Just recently been on the giant diamond princess for the 3rd time and she is a magic ship………Bring on May!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Toni,
Apologies for the late reply. We’ve just received images from our photographer this morning. We’ll work to add them to the deck plan feature over the coming days.

Unfortunately, 360 degree virtual views won’t be available till sometime next year. It’s very hard for us to get on board and photograph these whilst the ship and crew are busy serving passengers. We’ll endeavour to get them done asap.
Regards
P&O Cruises

We had the misfortune to be on the Pacific Jewel which left on Sunday the 13th. After all the hipe on this ship we were looking forward to a great time. It was not to be as the food and service left a lot to be desired as well as a lot of other problems. There was nothing in our cabin except one small round soap and not what was promised. Having cruised for the last 30 years we wont be cruising on this ship ever again.

You’re a party pooper Les!

Far from it Sue. Have you read other blogs of people who also thought the same as us. We have cruised on other P&O ships as well as other cruise lines and never had cause to complain. Believe me it does take a lot of us to do so and as you dont know any details of our expierences i suggest you dont comment.

[...] Pacific Jewel is here! [...]

I cant wait for our cruise we are going on to Jewel for my 40th birthday… havent been cruising for 10 years – we went on the Norwiegn Star.
Come on May I cant wait!!

oh his so nice:-)

I have been on 4 po ships and going on the PJ, 1 thing i hate is when i went in a twin the 2 beds pushed together keeped moving and sliding off i always ended up in the crack in the middle of the bed it was horrible worst sleeps ever!! So we are going in a suite next time are they double beds or the same 2 beds pushed together?

I ‘was’ looking forward to our first cruise (ever) on Pacific Jewel in February but your comments Les have made me think otherwise, I hope our experience on Pacific Jewel is a good one.

Hi Sue, i also hope your first cruise lives up to your expectations. As you say its your first cruise so you have nothing to compare with like us. We dont blame the crew as we think P&O rushed the first trip and not enough experienced crew on board. Also the spa area takes up the best part of the ship but to use that area it costs a fortune. We have heard that more experienced crew were boarded in Melbourne to cope with the complaints. Also i know of people who left the ship in Melbourne its first berth on the cruise and flew home so that must tell you something. Its interesting that theres no comment from P&O nor have we been contacted re our experiences.

Hi Les, You really have me concerned as we are booked on PJ in May after trip on P Dawn nearly 2 years ago. Dawn was great experience, only complaint would be a lack of communication from crew regarding a particular incident. Hopefully the issues you experienced were due to teething problems and that these will be sorted as time goes bye. Not much consolation for you though.

Hi Les,
Just got off the Pacific Jewel, and I agree with you totally, what a disaster. I took my whole family on it for a family holiday and christmas, I got off this morning and cried for 3 hours home. I was so disgusted with it all. I don’t blame the crew but hey Pand O have a lot to answer to. The food was S*** but was tops in the Waterfront restuarant. The service around the ship well we didn’t see much of it at all. We even had to go to the bars and get our own drinks. Our cabin steward was terrific nothing was a problem for him and the way they were spoken too was terrible and this is for petty stuff. Nobody deserves to be spoken like that from anybody. They have spoilt the ship with the stupid spa there is no room to just sit and look out the window and enjoy the water. Nearly everything they have added to this ship is money money money. It cost us all alot to pay for the holiday and we save up for spending money and to go on a ship and pay for all this is bad. The photo shop is not professional the photos are all blurred, not many were sold on our cruise, and they are to expensive. Hope you all enjoy your holiday as we didn’t. Bring back the Dawn to Sydney we hate this ship, and this is all the comments we heard for ten days, no good ones.

I am going on the Jewel in June 2010 – I am not impressed with the BLOGS for the Maiden Voyage – hope they smarten up there act – we have been saving for many years to go on this cruise . I am concerned with the costings of everything that have been mentioned – so looking forward to the day SPA – can anyone give me an idea of the pricing for the day spa – reasonable or outrages – do you have to pay just to enter the SPA? Look forward to you valuable feedback.

Hi Debi,
Hope your savings are better than the last 2,000 passagers had on the first day they take you for a look in the spa areas but hey looks nice but price is too. a facial for 75mins was wait for it $275. Teeth whitening 30 mins $219 (save $40) nothing under $175. But I don’t use these at home so they didn’ t shine to us on the ship. You can use the relaxation room for a low $199 for your cruise. People on our cruise didn’t have that money it would have been good to see actually how many clients they did get but when we asked they always said that they were going good, There is a good deck area out the back nice and quiet and the deck lower you can’t go there they get you just as you got off the steps and told us we were not allowed there unless we pay it was $15 for half a day and $30 for a whole day. This was to just lay on a bit softer lounge about 4 people were there at the most we saw. The shops are not any cheaper than on land. so be weary. Drinks are not the same at all bars either so if you want a drink that has to be made up connections was the best, still dear though. I am so upset that we raved about the Dawn to my parents and we talked them into coming with us and they too were not happy chappies. Sorry to put a damper on things but if I was going I would like real feedback. Hope you get a better deal than us.

thanks Jackie, I thought cruising was affordable maybe I was mistaken.

Well we thought that too we went on the Dawn in Jan 08 and it was just magic and prices were resonable but in 2 years boy its changed. But it was funny we talked to so many families and elderly couples that have been on so many other cruises that every one had bad comments on this ship only. The elderly were lovely sharing their experiences with us and they called the Jewel a boat not a ship. It was a feeling of only being half finished and that P and O didn’t really care about it either. There is a chocolate cafe and on the blogs before we left everyone was saying that they would put on weight and were looking forward to it. But hey it was not what is sounds you can get Coffees and hot and iced chocolates and ther are some desserts there rangeing from $4 to about $14 this to me was a bit on the dear side. On the last night we had dinner and saved room for a volcano we all arrived and sat down and ordered 2 volcanos and coffees.well we were told you can only get the desserts up till 8.00pm. But the cafe is open till 12pm what about the late night snacks. It is holidays they should know.
The cabin staff and food waiters and the bar waiters/tenders are wonderful we all fell in love with them so friendly and they even knew that people were upset with the ship not them and they still tried hard and had a smile on their faces.

Hi Jackie4. P&O will soon find out that this ship is not suited to the Australian cruise line. It may have been great for where it came from but the idea for most of us is one cost covers everything except drinks etc. I am sorry that the cruise turned out so bad for you but you are not alone. Like you we both hate this ship. regards Les

The Pacific Jewel has now completed 2 cruises and to date all I have read is complaints. Isn’t it about time that PO management got on this blog and answer these complaints. This includes the land based management and shipboard management. I am booked to cruise on this ship in March, and from the reviews currently I am having second thoughts.

Hi Michael,
P and O will have emails and letters coming out their noses by all the talk on the ship over the last 10 days, If I knew what I knew before going on this Jew I would have brought tickets and flew to Qld and gone on the Dawn. But it is going into revamp in May I hope they don’t change anything it would really spoil. it. I was told they might change it like the Jew but no no leave it the way it is it is a wonderful ship.

Hi i just want to know if there’s any good comments…..we are going on the cruise in 6 weeks and all the comments so far are bad..we have been looking forward to this cruise..
if there is anyone that had a wonderful time please comment or else i/we will start getting depressed.
so please p&o.. ears open to what people are saying…

There are some good comments on Facebook and the Dawn blog.
We are worried that in May they are going to make a child-free area on the Dawn as well and charge for it.
Now why should we have to pay for a child-free area. Parents don’t have to pay for their children in the kids’ clubs.
Most people have to save hard for a cruise in the first place and to have to pay extra for so much will make it impossible for many to cruise in the future.

Hi Jan, you are quiet right, there is lack of communication with crew. We had an incident ourselves. Take heed everyone, if you have an incident take a picture as they do not make reports and when asked by head office they will deny it and remove anything that caused it so you do not have proof.

We loved the Dawn and the fact we love the most is that you pay for your cruise than its time to enjoy and not have to worry about money!! now what are they doing adding all these extra chargers for this and that it not right nor is it fair!! We are ozzies and thats not how we hoilday. It has turned me off PO cruises and i think we all notice there trying to get more money out of us while on the ship who wants to be restricted to what we can use or what not.

Hi Sue … I just took my family on our first cruise on the Pacific Jewel and had a great time – it seems that people that have cruised before seem dissappointed but I say.. go in with an open mind and plan to enjoy yourself.. Sure there were obvious teething probs but us Aussies are generally good travellers and can cope with that… You will have fun Sue,,,, it is what you make of it…. Gai

Brigitte – we had a good time on the cruise… open mind…. there were over 1500 passengers on board and you are only hearing from some that are complaining…. maybe P and O could make a few adjustments… but do not let it spoil your trip

Thanks Gai for your reply.. as this is our first trip to, maybe it wont be as bad. Did you get sea sick?

G’Day, we are going on the Jewel in 3 weeks. It is our first cruise and after all the comments above I have gone and looked at the cancellation policy. Oh well, we are going as I’m not going to cancel now. There is my wife and I and my 3 daughters aged 9,11 &17. I’m really worried about all the comments above and especially about all the extra charges. Am I going to be confined to my Cabin…. just kidding but can someone please let me know what extra charges we will be up for. We were told that apart from drinks and massages and a couple of restaurants etc everything was free. Do they really charge you to sit on selected decks etc. How do I find out exactly what is free and what is charged for ? My wife was reluctant to go on this cruise, I also don’t like the idea of being trapped on a ship but as we are going with a big group ( about 20+ ) I’m hoping we’ll make our own fun and have a great time, I’m sure we will but the comments have me worried and especially about the extra charges…… Can someone clarify …. please

Some chargers are you have to pay for laying on a child free deck, they have put in extra cafe which they charge you abit for not to metion the day spa’s are very exspensive and they have a huge one instead of the dome like the PDAWN where it was free to party and you had great views. In saying this i love PO cruises i have been on plenty and im going next year, the room attendant is great and so are the staff better than any service on land! The free entertainment is fantastic cant go wrong here but i just feel as if there are a few more restrictions and you want to be able to feel free and walk anywhere on the boat without having to feel obligated to pay.

Having been on the first Pacific Jewel cruise i note with interest all the problems. I believe these come from mostly people who have cruised before on P&O ships and expected the same treatment and the style of cruising they are used to. Not so on this ship to many extras to pay for. We were on deck ten, a cabin with a balcony if one could call it a balcony. Its a square hole cut from the side of the ship with two chairs. Only problem with that is if you sit down all you can see is the sky, not what were were expecting. Deck 11 balconies are proper balconies i believe with rails so one can sit and enjoy the ocean. Also restricting the buffett in the plantation room to certain hours one cannot get food at any time like other ships. In fact eating there on the first night i was sick so we avoided that one and ate in the Waterfront room where the meals are prepared as ordered even if it was a long wait. I do hope P&O listern to the complaints and improve where they got it wrong for the sake of future passengers.

My family and I are going on the Jewel in November 2010. It will be our first cruise. After reading some of the above comments, im not too sure what to think.. I really hope P&O have sorted these staffing problems and anything else out by then…

Braden,went on first cruise on Jewell and it was fabulous,,just enjoy,,,Judy

we did not get sea sick at all…. it is a fairly steady ride.. we did take ginger tablets before and at the beginning of the cruise… not really sure if they helped or we just thought they did!!!

SANDRA AND DONALD….PACIFIC JEWELL…..APTLY NAMED BECAUSE SHE IS BEAUTIFUL…..Anyone who has booked a cruise do not take any notice of the critics…..I fell in love with this boat from the moment I entered my room on Deck 10, lovely linen, fresh and bright….food in the Plantation Restaurant is superb and plenty of it….but dining in the Waterfront is silver service and the food would stack up to the qualty of any of our European restaurants. Spa has special offers that are half price near the end of the cruise and on days when folks go off shore….the entertainment is world class …the dancing, singing the presentation was world class….I do not have a bad thing to say about this vessel….and I am in the accommodation business in Brisbane…The staff are very professional and you will find they are attentive to all your needs….the service is fine in the restaurant and it was great for us…no waiting time at all…….Thank you P& O. the Pacific Jewell was by far more than I ever anticipated could be experienced on a lovely cruise to Nomeau and the surrounding Islands……I hope these other random critics will not put anyone off……I have travelled to most countries in the world and this was by far the best holiday for Christmas 2009.

We went on the PJ Christmas Cruise, and all i can say is..it was a complete and utter joke – we were disgusted and very upset with the whole experience. If you are going with kids, one word of warning, the kids club for the older ones 11-17 is horrendous – a small room down on deck 2 – no airconditioning and very hot. Hence to say, the children did not stay there as there was nothing to do! Food was below standard, crew were rude, rushed and not prepared. Not one person we spoke to on board had anything good to say. Cabins flooded, toilets with no toilet paper (constantly) we even had to get out own towels! Dirty doona covers when we boarded and thats just the start of it!! Needless to say, everything was very expensive – a child free deck where you have to pay $15 to sit there – however children still run through. 2 pools, which for the majority of the time only one was open, 2 spas, which only one was open after the first 3 days as its heater had broken – the list is endless and my holiday photos are full of flooded cabins, railings broken, and dirty linen. P&O needs to heed the endless flood of complaints as we certainly dont want others to experience what we did. Money saved for our first overseas trip, but unfortunately money wasted! I would NEVER recommend the Pacific Jewel!!

at least the teens room wasn’t the smokers bar of a night, this is what we had to put up with on the Sun.

They also used the same room for most of the theme nights, hubby coundn’t enjoy these as he had on the Sky because he is asthmatic.

The crew were brilliant and the staff rude, and they got rid of the professional photographers they used to have and just use the staff now.

I was looking forward to the Jewel in October, but now am unsure if its going to be any good.

Hi Not Happy,
I have to agree with you totally. The teens are the ones that need to be occupied, our teenager went to registar and said no way am I going in there sorry mum. The crew we spoke to were friendly and very helpful, but yeh the staff eg entertainment staff were utterly rude the senior one in the bingo was very rude and turned us off him for life. Yuk.
We had trouble getting into the spas as the smaller kids kept jumping in on the older ones and wouldn’t get out. Now one was there to say that was enough, staff or parents.
The photos were a disgrace we had lots of great ones on the last cruise but these girls just clicked the camera and said thats it move on. Rude I say . The photos were not cropped even one of the kids have half a head and only one person is in focus. They have no idea of taking photos, the males were ok but for the girls, go back to the mirror and but more make up one this is all they were ok with. lol.
It yes was an expensive ship even if you didn’t use the spas and resturants. Enough complaining now or I will be here for ever.

We are travelling on the Pacific Jewel in July 2010 and are both stunned at the negative feedback from others.This is our first cruise and we have saved hard to accomplish this;we are the envy of all our friends and families and now this!! Certainly hope P&O read this and act accordingly.We have at this stage only paid our deposit but had intended to pay the balance(with much excitement) in mid January but not now.We will wait to see what further feedback there is and hope for better outcomes.SO DISAPPOINTED TO READ THIS AND REALLY CANT BELIEVE IT

can you get in to the night club area at night without a squeeze or is it to small and where can you go for a quiet drink and trivia during the day is it like the dome and is the wine still overly expensive

Hi Trev,
On the Jewel the trivia is played in the connections lounge and no there is nothing like the Dome on this ship. There is a very small portion of the Dome on the Jewel called the Attic, but the kids club used it alot during the day so you couldn’t go and sit and have a quiet area. And we wernt up a few nights and nothing happening we were the only ones there, but alot of younger ones used it up until 3am. During trivia yes it was alittle tight some days as seating was hard to find so alot of people ditch it. You have to be early. There are only 2 really night cluby places the connections is where all happens karoke and the band some times plays. This is open walk through type and the next door is closed doors and a piano player plays of a night time. Very quiet in here.
but still seats were hard to get especially on formal night.
Yes the wine is still overly expensive. Drinks do change it is cheaper around or before 5pm a bit higher until around the 8ish mark and it gets dearer as the nights go on. We were told by a few friends that did drink the alcohol. We only stayed with the mocktails.

Hi Jackie What was your impression compared to the Dawn. did you have a balcony, did you feel it was worth the money as there seems to be less areas for entertainment we are going on deck 10 but the blog on the balconies does not sound good.

Oh dear! We are booked for our first ever cruise in March for our 35th Wedding Anniversary. Was so looking forward to it but now not so sure. Isn’t there anyone out there who had a good time on Pacific Jewel……..PLEASE!

Hi Trev,
Sorry can’t answer you about the balcony levels as we were a bit lower than that. On your question as what was our impression on the comparison of the Dawn and Jewel. Well sorry again the Dawn takes it hands down. On all accounts. Money was ok for tickets but boy you have to pay for every thing and every where you go on the Jewel and the Spa takes up all that lovely Dome area, which we missed so much.
They are going to revamp the Dawn in May I think and the staff were telling us that it may be like the Jewel after it. We didn’t like that idea as the Dawn is the best ship so far, by miles. A cruise used to be one price and thats it but that has all changed, for the worst. This is our veiw as others may have didn’t ones. We aren’t into all that spa things and being seperated by kids as you know that there are going to be kids around, Well maybe it would be to have a pool just for adults they do have a sign on the Jewel adults only but as normal no one can read there were always kids running and jumping in on people. This does spoil things abit. They were always in the spa/hot tubs too as there was only 2 on the Jewel and older people just didn’t even think to go for a spa for swim. This needs to be controled a bit better. I am willing to answer any of you questions you may have and will answer them truthfully for you.

Annie do not panic, your cruise will be what you make of it. We had a bad one on the dawn last trip but it does not deterr us from cruising. I have done 12 and I am going on number 13 come nov. Have fun I am sure you can do that. Go with an open mind and put these experiences of others behind you. We had problems with the ship not the staff, and if you want to to call it something they would be minor ones that were overcome.

I am going on back to back cruises in November/December 2010. Have been on quite a few cruises before and all were fantastic. I hope that P&O fix all the teething problems with Pacific Jewel and that all will by fine before we cruise although I am sure it will be. Each ship has been very different from the other and you can make your holiday experience a good one even if there are a few problems.

Yes there will be problems like with everything but you will still enjoy it i have been on 4 cruises going again oct and the food is great and the room service is perfect and its what u make of it, i dont like the fact they want to charge u to sit on a deck and the things on board are more exspensive but u just avoid them things and enjoy the rest as there is lots to do and the islands are really pretty

Hi Vickie, you must be doing the N.Z. like us next nov.

hi jackie thanks for your time do you think the jewel is trying to get a different type of clientele cruising rather than eat drink and be merry 24 seven sort of thing

Thanks Kay and Jody for positive comments. I have always been a positive person and look forward to different experiences with travelling and holidays but some of those negative comments – wow! I know we will have a great time. Life’s what you make it right?!

I am looking forward to my cruises in November/December. I am just going to ignore the bad comments and enjoy myself. After all it is what you make of it. Have been on 6 other cruises and always had fun even when other people have complained about things. Not all people are the same so what one person didnt like the other might like. We are going to have a balcony or mini suite this time. We dont know which yet. We are BA guaranteed. Cant wait.

Hi Trev,
Not sure what is going on but they have changed the Sun too and have heard on facebook it wasn’t as good as last time they were on it also, They have put the oasis and alot of pay for use of, As we were told by staff they are going to change the Dawn also and they were not sure whether the Dome was to stay the same or if they were going to do the spa thing there to. You can still eat and drink but not 24/7.
I just hope all falls into place where it should be. I think that they rushed the Jewel to get it ready on time, would have been better for everyone if all was fixed up first. They put extra staff on for the maiden voyage to Tassie, this is why they didn’t notice less that we had on the Christmas one.

yes we are and the Fiji one before it. Really looking forward to it

After being on the pacific sun earlier this year, was a bit dissapointed with the pacific jewel.So much hype surrounding this boat.may be i just expected to much.How ever it:s what you make of it yourself.Entertainment was fantastic,just loved alun and josh i thought they were absolutely wonderful, they made me laugh so much..Yes i think p&O have a few teething problems with the jewel but iam sure after a few more voyages they will get it right. And yes will travel again with P&o. kate.

I have just paid the balance for my first cruise ever at 52! I hope i will enjoy the pacific jewel. I am going with 12 other women in our group so we should enjoy shouldn,t we? By our cruise in March the teething problems should be fixed you would think.

I can’t believe all this negative feedback re Pacific Jewel. We are booked for March and it is our first cruise. We have booked a suite and I am not prepared to put up with anything sub standard. I think everyone should do the following: contact directly P&O by phone first then email and ask for an explanation and then also make contact with A Current Affair because Tracey Grimshaw went on the ship to promote it as the new super liner for Sydney and if anyone can get results she will be able to. We must take action and do something about this. I will be doing this tonight myself.

We are BA guaranteed too for 27th Nov!! Hope we get great cabins. We love balcony cabins..fresh air, and lovely to sit on balcony and watch the ship dock!!

I have booked my first cruise in August on Pacific Jewel this year and paid for the deposit.
After reading the feedbacks from previous travellers on PJ, must say thank you for sharing your experience with us and wonder whether I made a right decision.
It’s suprising that there were no comments from P& O management in responding to customer’s concerns!

Does anyone know how much a beer costs on Pacific Jewel ie Crown Lager?

There were a few teething difficulties on the inaugural cruise on the Jewel, but I am sure they will be sorted out fairly soon. By the way, you can’t have booked a suite on the Pacific Jewel because there aren’t any. There are only mini suites. Suites are category AA and mini-suites are category AB. I mention this, not that you get upset and complain when you do not get the perks that go with a suite.

I believe that the Pacific Dawn in going into drydock for two weeks for a minor refit and refurbishment. There is no possibility that the dome would be changed to a spa like on the Jewel in that time. It is not possible. Also, I don’t think that P & O would want to do that when the dome is so popular.
We were on the Pacific Sun in 2009 and think that the refurbishments are an improvement. The Oasis (child-free deck with a charge) was put into an area that virtually no-one used. From what we have seen and heard, not many people use it now.

I believe the teething problems will be fixed by your cruise in March. Go and have a fantastic time.

I am puzzled at your comment that “you have to pay for everything and everywhere on the Jewel”. I couldn’t see that there was anything or anywhere that we had to pay for that we didn’t on Pacific Sun or Pacific Dawn. There are charges for spa treatments on all these ships, but there are more available on the Jewel (if you want them). I personally think the dome is better as it is on the Dawn rather than used for the spa and fitness centre, but it is a lovely place to use gym equipment rather than in the basement as it is on the Dawn. The only other area where there is a charge is the child-free deck. They have one on the Pacific Sun and I think they are putting one in on the Dawn. There are plenty of other deck areas where passengers can sit for free. Personally we won’t use the private deck areas where a charge applies.

I am puzzled at the comment that drinks cost more later in the evening. (I realise that this comment came from your friends and was not your own observation.) The prices are printed on the bar menus that are spread around the room so how could they change the prices?

Thanks for the reply – yes we have a mini suite booked not a suite and are aware of what we should be getting.

I certainly hope the ‘teething difficulties’ are sorted out promptly – I have paid $600 p/day to enjoy my holiday and do not expect to be living in sub standard conditions.

What is the club lounge on deck 11?

Not sure. We didn’t check it out. It is a bit out of the way.

Thanks Lesley – do you know how much beer and wine cost?

The club lounge is a smaillish room with chairs and a few windows but you can’t see out them while sitting down and we could just see out standing up and there is a few also to use this room it was $280 for the length of your cruise. Was a quiet area. Just another expense.

You have made the right decision. Just got back from the christmas cruise and after reading these i feel like i was on a completly different holiday. Me and my family loved it, best holiday yet! It was our first cruise and no complaints!

OMG! I have just persuaded my husband to go on a cruise and have booked on Pacific Jewel for June 2011. Hope to God things have improved by then. Have never been on a cruise before so have nothing to compare with – sounds like not a bad thing!

Wow…I’m stunned at the negative comments on the PJ.
I’m booked on my first cruise 23rd February. My excitement has been curtailed a bit. However as long as the beer is cold and the food hot & the people are friendly, I’m sure it will be great. Still looking forward to it.

On the inaugural cruise on the Pacific Jewel we felt there were some teething problems, but I am sure these will be sorted out very soon. P & O are very experienced at what they do.
There are a few posts here from people who have booked their first cruise and they are somewhat concerned about the Pacific Jewel. I suggest they read the other posts carefully. There are a few from people who have just been on their first ever cruise (on the Pacific Jewel) and they loved it. I have the impression that some of the complaints are from people comparing the Jewel with the Dawn and they don’t like the differences. After all, there will be differences – they are different ships!! That might seem to be an obvious statement, but it seems to have been overlooked. A lot of things are the same – drinks menu/prices, dining room menus, shore tours, tender operations. Obvious differences – interior decor, staff uniforms, some shows (Circus stage show & acrobats).
We have cruised on several different ships and take each one as we find it. Any cruise is a good cruise.

G’day Guys I am cruising on the PJ this coming Saturday. I am of the view that I will be having a great time on the cruise. Life is what you make it.

I am a ballroom dancer and hoping to spend at least some evenings dancing. Is there a decent dance floor and any opportunities for ballroom dancing?

Hi my wife and 3 children will be on th PJ on the 28th March hope to enjoy this cruise as we had a great time on the Dawn last April. I am not taking the bad feedback in as everyone to there own also considering the jewel has just come in so we would expect a few teething probs.

Hi Dennis,
On our cruise I think that they had some kind of dacing in the connections bar floor was the biggest floor on the ship as the attic only had a smaller one. I am sure that there was no dancing as such of a night time on our cruise we were in the connections till late most nights and didn’t see any. The young ones used the attic until about 3am ish.. Have a great cruise. All the best.

havent had a balcony before. We have either been inside or just with a window. Decided we would go the whole hog this time as we are doing back to back cruises and want to be able to sit out on the balcony if we want a quiet period. My husband always wakes up very early and he will be able to sit out there rather than going up to the Lido deck.

Hi Cindy, don’t be concerned you will have a great time.

Hi Dennis,went on my cruise Dec 18 -28th their was lots of dancing, in the connections bar,where they had a brazilan band were quite good.Not sure about the ballroom dancing though.

I was on the Sun 3 times in 09 and I did use the child free area,well worth the $15 for half a day,nice and peaceful and relaxing and didnt have to fight with the kids to get in the spa,,,went on the jewells first voyage and it was great,,,

Thanks Jackie4 and Kathy for your feedback. One would think that there should be plenty of jiving etc on the rock and roll.

Oh all these comments make me laugh!

I have cruised 32 times.

To inject some real info into this forum I’d like to speak some truth here.

Cruise companies do not make their profit on cruise fares… The profit is made by the extras they offer. Therefore in an endovour to increase profit P&O have increased their OPTIONAL extras. These extras include specialty restaraunts and the child-free area amongst others. The option still exists for passengers to travel on a budget! Offering fares from as low as $799.00 pp in a 4 berth cabin for 7 nights – P&O provides us with at least 3 meals a day (buffet or dining), travel to approx 3 international ports, free child care, free entertainment and a cabin steward! Try looking at flights to these ports – you’d expect to pay atleast this much just in air! … In comparison to what is provided – I’d much rather be cruising!!!

The optional extras also include alcohol. It is very similar to the prices you’d expect to pay on land, perhaps a bit more. Compare this to an airport, cinema or other confined business???? There is not the opportunity to ’shop around’ so we’re lucky that we’re not subject to paying $15 for a bucket of popcorn!!! In regards to the spa – no one forcing us to indulge in a seaweed wrap or get our teeth whitened… These are luxuries and obviously come at a cost!!!

On my last cruise with P&O I was more than happy to pay a $15.00 entry to visit the adults only Oasis. It was quiet – private and far away from passengers that have bombarded this forum with complaints!!! I saw this as a luxury not a necessity and appreciated every minute!!!

I’d really appreciate if people put things in perspective especially for those new to cruising.

P&O are a family orientated company. They are not 5 star and do not boast to be. Please compare their fares with the more elite liners and then I will welcome any further critisism.

Trish that is very well said i enjoyed the read, im now looking forward more to my cruise when you put it like that so thank you and are you sure you dont work for P&O?

We have decided to ignore all negative comments and decide for ourselves…Im sure the issues that people are concerned about will be sorted out and quickly too.Cruising and looking after its passengers is what P & O do best so Pacific Jewel in July here we come!!! We also were going to wait until paying the balance of our fares but not now; we are paying this week and for us its full steam ahead.Cant wait

Maybe I should Jody? Thanks! Just wanted to share my thoughts.

Well Thank you for sharing as this hoilday means alot to my family, my partner wants another baby and we are holding off just so we can go on a P&O cruise as you can’t travel over 6months and a baby under 12months can’t travel either so it’s alot more than a hoilday it has changed the out come of our lives. So to have the hype taken away is sad but im still so excited to be going anyway i have been on 3 before so i know how much fun they are but first time on PJ.

Yes pay it off and enjoy the waiting moment:-)

Hi Guys,
I’m cruising on the Pacifc Jewel later this year, I have a question about the cruise cards, have heard that you have to hand them back at the of the cruise ?????, been on the Pacific Dawn (twice) and have been able to keep each one of those as a small momento of a fantastic holiday.

We just came back from the Xmas cruise on the Jewel. Our first cruise. Our family included 4 kids ages 8 – 16. Overall we had a great time. The islands were magnificant. However, the kids club was very dissapointing. HQ club was on deck 2. Very hot and stuffy down there and boring, Only a small room with a few PS games and Wii. Staff were simply sitting there and not interacting with kids. We had heard many comments about kids clubs on cruises especailly the Dawn, that we would never see our kids on board as they had so much to do in the kids club. Definetly not the case on the Jewel. Our kids went once in 10 days to the HQ club. Even our 8 year old had to be persuaded to go to Shark Shack club when my husband and I wanted to have time to ourselves. Not what we had expected that’s for sure. Apparently the Dawn is so much better for the kids clubs.
The buffet was ok. Considering they cook 9000 meals a day on the ship. Some days the kids didn’t eat anything but bread rolls and dessert at the buffet. We did pay the extra $30 at the Salt and Grill restaurant for delicious meal. Well worth it.
My husband and I were able to enjoy some relaxation in Aqua with a thermal suite package for the steam, herbal and sauna room and often took a snooze in the relaxation room. Not that expensive. My girlfriend and I had our hair done for our night out $54 for a wash and blow wave/straighten. Not too bad.
As for the alcohol, most cocktails were watered down so my girlfriend and I would take in turns to buy the cheapest bottle of wine for $22 and we would enjoy that most times.
Plenty of entertainment and bars to drink at. I preffered sitting by the pool and soaking up the sun.I would defintely go again but i would choose another ship. We were meant to be on the Dawn until it changed to sail from Brisbane.
We didn’t tip daily. We simply filled out a form at reception on the first day and opted to tip individuals like our cabin steward and one bar staff member at the Casbar who looked after us.
The island were the best so take your own snorkels and reef shoes and back packs and buy your soft drink on board before you get to the islands as sometimes they can be expensive and some island won’t have any to sell. Book your tours before you go. A must. So many people left it til they got on the ship and they missed out. And if you book before hand make sure you get a recepit or confirmation in writing. When dealing with P & O I have learnt to get everyhting in writing.
Have fun.

The Jewel makes you hand them back.

I am going on the jewel in feb, and really looking forward to it, was wondering if they have somewhere on board to buy snack type meals like the grill on the dawn? Just for those days when its too much effort to go to the dining room or buffet and leave your lounger!

Hi there, I was just on the Jewel… got off on Saturday 09.01.10
it was the 12 day NYE cruise. Sorry Estela but I think you might be mistaken.. they did not take our cruise cards… we were able to keep them and i have already put them in our photo album

Was a great trip.. my first time cruising.. My only issue would have to be that the food gets a bit boring after 12 days.. but that’s all good.. if that’s all there is to complain about… of course it’s a new ship so people shouldn’t expect it’s going to be perfect straight off..
enjoy each moment of it Dave and anyone else reading this

i will definitely be cruising again

hey Sandra .. yep there is an area in the Plantation area that sells Pizza, the BEST chicken wings… chips.. wedges with sour cream etc.. all at reasonable prices… we took up this option a few times when we didn’t want to sit down for a big meal… this is open from 3pm onwards… so even if you go for a drink in the attic… you can go grab a pizza after that… just ask them to cook it crispy as they have a tendency to leave it a bit raw if you don’t tell em…
hope you have an absolute ball.. I can’t wait to book my next cruise with P&O

Hi Rose,
Our family also was on the Christmas cruise and as we were walking off for the last time in Sydney there was a rude male saying to everyone take your cruise cards of lanyard and then there was a ruder male at the door and grabed our cards and we asked are we getting them back to keep and he bluntly said no you don’t and keep moving. I agree with everything Estela was saying. They must have cleaned up there act for your cruise. There was alot of complaints ot reception all cruise.

Thanks Rose, that’s good to hear, I can’t wait to cruise the Islands of Tonga & Fiji later in the year… I’m sure we’ll all become cruise addicts, it’s just a great way to travel.

We did the Christmas cruise on the Pacific Jewel & have never been so dismayed. There wewe faults all around .Where do I start.? Catering for diabetics was virtually non existant after requests were made at time of booking, dining in the waterfront was most unacceptable, meals were cold & waiting up to 1 1/2 hours. to receive them. Drinks prices were between $9 & $12 a 100ml glass wine depending on which bar you purchased from. A fee of $15 per 1/2 hour was required to sit on deck 10 because ther was no children. Our toilet overflowed during the night out into the cabin 3 nights before docking & our carpet was still wet & smelly. The air con did not work properly in our cabin & the fridge door did not close properly. The circus & ice carving was defered but no announcements were made over th PA system to inform us when they were on so unfortunately missed them. Having sailed on the P & O Fair Princess back in 2000 where there was no complaints at all we were really looking forward to this festive cruise ( which I might add there was no traditional Ccristmas dinner as such). I doubt we will ever sail P & O again.

Hi Susan,
Well put, I have told the truth about our experiences and then shot down in flames for being so negitive. We are allowed to voice our opinion and I would rather someone tell me about their cruise so we can make our own mind up.
The Christmas dinner was the icing on the cake for the cruise thats right there was nothing, at the bistro there were small puddings but hey thats it. I was told by friends that their criuse a few years ago had all the trimmings and was the best. We had nothing not even a candy cane, for the kids.
Securty around the pool deck was bad too adults couldn’t swim or even get in to the pools some days as there were kids jumping bombing and getting thrown in turned alot of elderly off getting in. They just went somewhere else. Thanks Susan.

Hi Annie, we have just returned from the New Years Eve cruise and you know what ruined it for us. ALL THE WHINGERS! We went on there with an open mind, realising from the blogs that there was some obvious teething problems, but if you hear what some people where whinging about…….get a life! Crikey, you are on holidays, relax and enjoy. I thought the food was fabulous, service excellent and I guess, having never travelled on the Dawn, I cannot compare, so perhaps this was a good thing, but it’s not the Dawn so get over it. Money wise, some things were expensive, the Spa for one, but spend what you want to, friends of our who travelled with us on a budget stuck easily to $100 per day, we spent more, but that was our choice. I never saw dirty linen, people sick from food, etc. I think some people went out of there way to find faults because they were booked on the Dawn, then transferred by P & O to the Jewel, (which also happened to us), and weren’t happy. But honestly, you have heard the old cliche, ‘bad news travels fast’, I can guarantee, most people could think of something that they weren’t happy about, but mostly petty things that aren’t even worth worrying about, so they didn’t. For goodness sake, one passenger was having a good old whinge one morning to a lady and man next to me on lido deck about how rude the crew were and went on to say, ‘you know why? they are all Poms!” I took offence to that being a pom myself, then she continued to say, ” one girl asked me where I came from, and I told her Goulburn, and she hadn’t even heard of it, how rude is that! They need to sharpen up on their Australian Geography if they are going to work on an Australian cruise ship”. Needless to say, I was going to ask her if she knew where the crew staff came from, and would they be offended if she didn’t know where that was. Go on board with an open mind and enjoy yourself, don’t focus on the negatives, there really are more positives.

Yes, I agree with you, Lesley. I have cruised 4 x and have not noticed that the Jewel was any more expensive than other ships. There are plenty of things for free, just open your eyes and explore the ship.

Hi, we have just come back from the new years eve cruise, and like you, had fun regardless of the negativity around us, and believe me, there was plenty of, but most of it, oh so petty! Just be careful with the balconies though, on deck 11 you can’t see out to sea when you are sitting on the balcony, only when you stand up because the wall is high, but on deck 12 there are railings so you can see lovely. Everything else was great, food fabulous, a bit of a wait at times to get into the waterfront, but believe me, it’s worth the wait. Entertainment was great, and yes, you have to pay to go to the oasis, (child free deck), but we have some friends who went there 4 times on their trip and said it was worth the trip to lay there in total peace, so you know, whatever you want, do it. have fun, I’m sure you will.

Really well put, we have just returned from the new years eve cruise and loved every minute of it apart from the whingers! Every cruise experience is different, and some are more popular than others, go on each one with an open mind and enjoy the experience. We all did!

Thanks very much, i am going with an open mind and am very easy going, can’t come soon enough for me!

After all of the negative feedbacks on this blog has any replies been given back from P&O????

Hi Joe,
No there have been no feedback from P and O I have sent through 4 emails to them personaly and I know of a few other families on our cruise and they too haven’t got anything back from P and O.

Hi Margaret
With the viewing from the balconies i heard deck 10 you cant see sitting down but deck 11 you can see sitting down as deck 11 are mini suites?

Yes, Jody you are right, got my 10’s, 11’s, and 12’s mixed up. The lower deck (10) has the restricted viewing from the balcony, but you can still have a wonderful view standing up with your glass of bubbly in hand.

l will be complaining long and hard if the cruise that l have booked does not have certain standards. l have paid over $3000 to take my son (who has a disability) on a trip of a life time, it has taken me 4 years to save up for this. By all accounts P and O need to clean up their act. l am horrified to hear so many complaints, you need to approach the media (l’m willing if my cruise turns out as bad as some others). Sailing in Feb so hopefully things will improve but l feel sorry for previous sailings, it costs so much money and all you want is a fair deal.

I too have asked for feedback and a response. I emailed and sent a fax and have had nothing. Someone needs to go to the media – infact I have sent a email to A Current Affair about this for them to do a follow up on their story of the great arrival of the Jewel.
People here are saying that there will be teething problems because the ship is new – but if that is the case – are we being charged a discounted rate – or are we expected to have a second rate cruise just because they are new – come on! You pay full price you expect the best service.

Hi Lesley,
Thats right in all you say. It wasn’t a new ship it’s just had a make over or should say half one. And yes there were a lot of new staff but alot of them came with the ship and now have to work under P and O and some were already with Pand O on the Dawn. So they should know a bit about working on a ship. There were families on the Christmas cruise who actually got the cruise for free and a family of 4 got $600 on board credit. This was given to them by P and O as they were booked on another cruise but through no fault of them or Pand O it was the travel agents fault and they got full refund of their money that they had paid for their other cruise. This is not bad hey. Full money back a new cruise plus it was christmas and on board credit. Good luck to these people they did get the discount for all of us. I am just stating a fact not whinging lol.

We will be going on the Pacific Jewel next went on pacific Dawn late last year ship brokedown delayed arrival back to sydney but the staff on reception not helpful but all credit to cabin & dining room staff particarly Terri in the steak Restaurant.Is Josh Dayboll on Pacific Jewel and is the Jewel better than the Dawn.

These tales I am reading are very scarey, I have booked a cruise on the Jewel in Dec to Tassie, I have never cruised before and I am so looking forward to it. I really do hope it isnt as bad as I am reading. My god it costs so much money and my hubby and 18 year old son and his cousin are going I truly hope we won’t be disappointed.
I am really easy going so I am going to just wait and see, hopefully by Dec any teething problems will be fixed.

Hi Yvonne im booked on the Jewel for July this year my daughter and myself, it will be the first time we have cruised as well and are looking forward to it and cant wait ill be in the middle of the pacific ocean on my birthday and i cant think of a great place to be on the day. Personally im sick and tired of all the negativity ive read and im just going to go with the flow and go in with an open mind and enjoy myself and have a great holiday and not let anything spoil it, as you said it cost a lot of money. It doesnt matter where you go for a holiday there can always be teething problems. I hope you have a wonderful time Yvonne and your not disappointed just go in with an open mind and you’ll enjoy yourself happy cruising

Smithy they are canadians who run the entertainment, and if it is who I think it is his entertaining has gotten slack in the last 18 months.

We should sue P&O for false advertising…look at the deck plans for the AB cabins on deck 11…it shows two sun lounges, two chairs and a table…well we had one of these cabins and all that it could fit were the two very old chairs and a very old little table…there is no way you could fit two lounges on the balcony even if we had them. The balcony was about 1 metre by 3 metres, nothing like in the brochure. The rest of the cruise was very disappointing.

I sent a letter of complaint to the CEO of Carnivale Australia about three weeks ago…have had no reply as yet

We were told on the day of disembarkation that we would be able to keep our cruise cards, but when we got off they were taken and not given back

$4.50 for a draught, $6.00 for Crown Lager, that’s once you have waited about half and hour to be served !! The spirits are all watered down.

p&o are proud owners of the worst ships at sea! please pay a little extra and book with a company who ensure the best holiday!!!

What company would that be Sue?

I think it is good that people express their opinion good & bad about P&O I was also advised by many to pay the extra and go on the Princess cruises they are the better.Too many Poms (Nothing against them)on the Pacific Dawn.Need more Aussies & Kiwis.

you have got to be kidding Sue

Sailed on Pac Dawn in 2008 and had a terrific 16 night cruise. Food was great in Main Dining Room. Great Service. The atmosphere on the ship was terrific. Crew couldn’t do enough. Fantastic entertainment. Best on any ship I’ve been on. So Wendy don’t say that P & O have the worst ships. It depends on how you look at things. If you want a great fun holiday. P & O is it. I have saied on Princess ships and they are certainly are beautiful and the service is excellent but often the passengers are a little older and it is a little more staid. Still fabulous though. I just love cruising and have not had a bad one yet. Fingers crossed for the Jewel. I think you have to have an open mind. I’ve been on cruises where there have been complaints but honestly I wondered whether I was on the same ship.

Hi Wendy,
My Husband & i did the inugrual cruise to Melb & Tasmania. Yes it did have its teething problems but that is what is expected of a first time cruise. We found there were a lot of wingers on the cruise and nothing would have made them happy . We had a great time – staff were nice although I would give Aqua a wide berth if you dont want to spend heaps and then be expected to buy their products. Other than that you should have a great time if you have the right attitude (meaning relax & enjoy). I hope your first time cruise is a very memorable one. PS; If you want some hints regarding cruising just ask.

are u serious – we had a cabin on deck 11 and I didnt expect any deck chairs – it was exactly like the photo – ar u sur u werent looking at the mini suites on deck 11. there are 2 definitley different cabins. (suites and mini suites)

Sorry Sue but ive never said that P&O have the worst ships at sea as i havent yet cruised on one before but i will be in July on the Jewel, so therefore im yet to comment im going in with and open mind and to just relax and have fun.

Hi Bronwyne,
Thankyou for that Bronwyne ill keep you in mind for future questions. Im so excited and i cant wait ive made my final payment and have our passports all organised so it is all looking so real now just have to wait till July to get here. Cheers

Got back from my first cruise ever recently after a stay on board the Pacific Jewel! Could not fault a thing. Rooms were more spacious than I was expecting, service was fantastic, all crew extremely friendly, professional and entertaining. There seems to be a lot of whingers on this page, but I guess you will always get that! To anyone who is is excited about their upcoming cruise, I say have a wonderful time and I can guarentee you will want to do it again – I know I do

Wells said!

Yvonne, enjoy the cruise. It doesn’t cost much at all – I spent about $500 over the 10 days I was on board and that included duty free, shore shopping and trying every cocktail on the Pacific Jewel bar list lol. I needn’t have spent that much but I bought gifts etc.
Some people just look for things to whinge about. Fortunately on our cruise we didn’t seem to come across any. You will have a ball

Only $500 Leah that really good im going on my first cruise in July with my 15yr old daughter and ive been wondering how much money i would need. Im not a very big drinker but i do like cocktails that wont be a problem and ill do some shopping and 2 tours and thats about it so hopefully ill have enough money with me. Was there any shore tours included in the money that you spent ill be cruising for 10days as well. I intend of having a ball

I am glad the last comment I read was positive. Thanks Leah. Am off on the Pacific Jewel this weekend for a 3 night cruise to nowhere. I am hoping this will be fantastic and will lead to future cruising. Bon Voyage!

I’m a first time cruiser heading off on the Jewel in August, we are all very excited and can’t wait. After reading some of these posts I don’t know weather to be… I will have my six and three year olds with me, I have heard that children eat seperately to us, is this correct??

After reading all your reviews I am very nervous about going on the Jewel in July. I think it is realistic for the public relations officer with PO cruises to reply re the above complaints. I will wait to hear from them and you. Also it would be good to have a detailed pricelist , times, dates etc of all activities on board plus cost of different alcholic drinks so we can budget accordingly. Also on using a card to pay for drinks etc, how do we check them? Many thanks.

what would you recommend is a better ship… the pacific sun or the pacific jewel?

thanks
tom

my wife and i are going on our first curise 10 mayi is anyone going on same ship we are looking foreward to it you can only make it what you want enjoy and have good time

ill be going on the pacific jewel in july…just wondering which P&O cruise ship is the best one?

thanks

P&O Australia aren’t allowed to employ Aussie’s. Just as American ships arent allowed to employ Americans.
It’s all down to tax reasons.

no way, same dining problems,couldn’t get in for three nights, empty tables everywhere , people book and don’t turn up.long lines on & off ship. late for tours . $199 to use sauna & steamroom. we have paper work to say it’s included.not full nips in drinks even when your watching,if you say something they shrug shoulders.music salsa speed only to fast to rock &roll to,an older australian crowd & no music to dance to. might be to get us bored so we head for the casino.my wife loved cruising on the sky &sun but won’t cruise on the dawn,jewel or pearl after the problems on the feb 2010 new zealand cruise.

if you can get in the waterfront restaurant.took us three days.you have to book first day then rebook every night . they don’t seem to care if the restaurant is half empty.if it’s your first cruise ,youll have a great time as you dont know how great they were before the dawn& jewel

just got back. they don’t have a very good receipt . sometimes you don’t get one, other times they don’t put total’s. on pacific sky it always had a total. i think they might be trying to see how far they can push the australian public.it would be nice to have a full nip of scotch seen it cost 7.50 & it’s full of ice. find a waiter let him know you’ll tip at the end of cruise & he’ll look after you.

the sun was much better . old style dinning, everyone does formal night even if it’s just a nice shirt.country, rock &roll & island night over 90% dressed up. i don’t think the cruise director on the jewel likes aussies, we very rarely saw him. old demmo on the sky & sun he knew how aussies liked to party. he came on to the jewel as a comedian i thought p&o had finally listened to there customers . but no he used old jokes ,but he’s still the best cruise director.

you’ll have a great first cruise because you don’t know how great they can be.they are still really good , just not great

Re:dining, I am going onJewel. I will not be able to stand in que for hours waiting to dine, how can I avoid the long que.
I have been on pacific sun and star princess and did not have a problem

Mark from 2 previous cruises the staff said they do not get any of the tips the ship charges us. We cancel tips in beginning and tip who we think is doing a good job.

The longest I have had to wait in line is 15 minutes, never hours who ever said this is totaly wrong

What is the new tipping system, heard P&O are deleting the tipping end of this year. As far as I know there will be no more tipping then.

kay thanks, more than 1 person said that they had to wait up to 3 hours in a line to dine. previously we were given early dining at a set time.
Will we get a set time to dine, early or late ?
much appreciated

I have been on 2 previous cruises 1 pacific star and 1 sun princess both times staff have said that they do not get any of the tips money. instead they appreciated the voting for good staff. With tipping we gave money directly to staff

I looked up the AB cains and see what you refer to, they have pics of 2 lounges 2 chairs and a table, I too would be disappointed if instead I got as small as you have said especially if you booked and paid according to the picture

Cheryl, I have cruised 13 times, The last 2 on the Dawn. We did anytime dining because with the little ones it is much easier to get them fed then in the dining room were you have to wait for your order. Anytime dining you just wander up when you are ready and get in line which could range from a 1 to 20 min wait as the line moves along. The main dinng room you have to book the day before to eat there for dinner and you will have your seat reserved for that time. Breakfast and lunch as far as I know you just wander in there and get seated. Only problem with anytime dining is finding a seat after you have gotten your meal depending on what time you arrive there. I have noticed a lot of inconsiderate people will sit there talking after they have finished their meal instead of getting up and being polite so the next person may sit down to enjoy theirs which is what we do. I hope this has helped as you will get to know the busy times.

We were travelling in a party of 9, 2 of them being children on the New Zealand Cruise. Well, we did not see the children, only for meals time. They had a fabulous time with great staff who were organizing them. We have been on 10 previous cruises and I am sorry to say that the Jewel needs to address its teething problems now! I suppose being on previous cruises, our expectations where high, and we were dissapointed with the many things that were not right on this ship. The reception staff don’t seem to care. Guess they get so many complaints that they ust cant be bothered. There was one incident where returning passengers complete a form for a cocktail party, well our party are all past cruisers and we completed the forms and placed them into the box altogether. One of our party travelling alone in her cabin received 2 invites, another family with 2 children, received one for the husband but the wife and children didn’t. The other couple received theirs. And we did not receive any. I mean its only a cocktail party, but my wife said no we should all be going together so she rang down to the desk at 4.45pm on the day of the party to ask where our invitations were, and was told by the lady on reception sorry lady the names for the cocktail party are drawn out of a hat and you missed out. Another couple in the lift were on their 17 cruise and they did not get an invite either. They say to take a cocktail outfit to meet the captain, but whey bother when its only be selected invitation only. We have been on 3 cruises on the Pacific Dawn and the Dome area is a wonderful area where you can fit lots of passengers compared to the Jewel which does not have a Dome, the biggest lounge area is the Connections lounge where you can only fit in approximately 100 seating and in the Casbah Lounge you would fit in approximately 90 seating. When you have ship with approximately 2,000 passengers and being conservative 500 people go to these lounges, where are they going to sit. Every venue you want to go to you must arrive 1 hour before the event starts to ensure you get a seat. Our suggestion if you travel on the Jewel is to take your own fold up chair. I think in future when a new ship comes onto the market, to give P and O, 12 months to sort the staff out. It all boils down to the staff being inadequately trained including the cabin stewards. A cruise should be a remarkable experience and I am afraid the Pacific Jewel still has its training wheels on.
By the way P and O don’t tell you this. As most passengers pay by credit card for their onboard purchases BE WARNED you will be charged a 2% international transaction fee as the ship is registered in the UK

Hi Darleen
The credit card charge happened on booking our cruise i sent a copy of my visa statement and they refunded the fee

Hi John, Myself & my 3 boys will be on the same cruise, I just hope it sounds a bit better than I am reading at the moment hey

Thanks Lisa for reminding me of that.

Hi there,
Anyone going on Pacific Jewel cruise leaving from Sydney 20th March? Less than 3 weeks til we sail and I cant wait. Hoping that it is what I expect ,which is really just to be able to have a fun but relaxing time. I’m not very fussy but know I will enjoy myself more if people are friendly and have a smile on their face. We are fortunate that we have an opportunity to go on great holidays. Many people in this world are not so lucky.

Hope to meet some great people whilst on board.
Kelly

Hi Kelly,

There are four of us “oldies” going on the 20MAR10, first time cruisers and really looking forward to it. This blog is really good as you can pick up a lot of points, good and bad. We’re just out for a good time. Not looking forward to the “sea sickness” but will be happy just to be away from work.
See you on the cruise…….

RE: dining i have cruised heaps before i have only waited 10 mins max and that was at 6:30 pm right where everyone is hungry who ever told you its a long wait is so wrong just go and relax thats what a cruise is for

hey was just wondering i traveled on the pacific Dawn just in Aug 09 and i paid by credit card for my online account so does this mean i will be charged 2% fee if i travel on the jewel as i am departing next Wednesday on the jewel

Hi to all, can anyone tell me if and what vaccinations they had to go on their cruise. My Doctor says Tetanus injection is enough.
Has anyone also got advice on shour tours ?. Cheers

Hi Kelly, If you have facebook the jewel has an awesome page that you can look at and make some friends to meet on the ship, lots of questions are answered on there as well!!
Have a wonderful time

Hi Trace, If you want to eat fresh fruit and veg in Vanuatu and New Cal you will need to have Hep A,C and Typhoid Vaccinations. If you’re not planning on eating on the islands (other than packaged foods) then tetanus is fine. Don’t forget Malaria tablets too.

owen, i was a first time cruiser & have just returned from 7days on the jewel. i’m an “oldy” as well . your cruise is what you make it. if you go with intentions of having a good time then thats what will happen! i did’nt know what to expect but i had an absolute ball, met some great people, ate too much got tired but am just getting over it. ENJOY!!!!

Hey Ella, We are going on the Jewel Wed the 10th might see you around..lol Have to watch those credit cards. and the tipping. I hear if they take it out of your credit card, P & O get around 60% staff 40%. We are taking smaller notes to get to staff. If they deserve it.

We are on the 28th March cruise from Sydney,any one else from here booked on this one?

5 of us are going on a cruise in October 2010 for 11 nights.
I think a first for all of us. It is also a linedancers cruise and we are there to dance and have fun taking in all the cruise has to offer.
I am a little worried about some of the negative comments I have read, but am hoping that the cruise will live up to our expectations of a place to have fun, enjoy the surroundings, day tours, entertainment on board, peace and tranquility of kicking back, (as if we want peace and tranquility), and anything else that happens there.
Anyone else going on 19 Oct?

I have booked to go on the Pacific Jewel in Oct to Vanuatu and New Caledonia and was wondering if anyone else who has sailed on the Jewel has been sea sick?? I we are all first time cruisers and completely in the dark! There are 5 of us girls going and all worried that we will be too sick to do anything!
Any advice on meds for this would be appreciated as well…..I also noticed that someone commented that we should take malaria tablets with us as well as have a tetanus injection.
I have read with interest everyone’s comments and am sure all teething problems will be rectified by the time we go….I have also taken special note of potential problems we may incur….especially with the dining…and tips etc….

I have booked on the Pacific Jewel for October 2010 on the Vanuatu and New Caledonia cruise. There are 5 of us girls (oldies) going and all of us are first time cruisers! We are all dreadfully worried about getting sea sick….and would really appreciate any advice on sea sick meds and remedies. Also I read in an earlier post that we should have a tetanus injection and take malaria tablets, is this the norm? We are all sooooo looking forward to our trip and want to have as much fun as we can…..
I have read all comments here and have taken special note of particular things especially to do with dining and giving tips!
All advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks heaps Scott,
I think we will play it safe n just eat off the ship, I guess I better get a script for Malaria Tabs, did u go on any shore tours or have advice about them Scott, I just think the tours from P&O seem awfully expensive, we are mainly wanting to go snorkelling, any advice would be great thanks.

Just completed a great 7 days with Pacific Jewell. Despite all the negatives comments that were posted by disgruntled people prior to the cruise, I cannot fault anything about the whole experience.
Food was great, minimul waiting for resturants, excellent service, fantastic bars and casino, friendly staff, great entertainment. I’ll be lining up again as soon as I pay off my credit card.

Hi Stacey when are you travelling in August we leave on the 7 we are also 1st time and we also have a 6 and 2 (will be just 3 on cruise) year old. I cant wait and I believe its all about you attitude and board if you want to have a great time you will and I know my fanmily will. How can you not have a good time 10 days without cooking, no battling peak hour traffic on the school run, relaxing by the pool, free child care from 9am to 10 pm. we cant wait.

we are due to go on a girls only trip sailing on Mar 20! We would appreciate if previous cruisers could advise which of the on shore tours to Noumea are worth taking, we are a group of middle aged ladies, so dont recommend anything to adventurous!

It’s a printing error. Obviously they were in a rush to get out the first brochure with Pac Jewel in it. The photos are correct, but just about all the “floor plans” are wrong – except the bottom one. They don’t have “Suites” on Pac Jewel. only mini-suites.

Hello Trace. I’ve been on 8 cruises now & never had any injections, or malaria tablets, prior to sailing. Take a good tropical strength aerogard though.

Hi Barb @ girls.Im sure that your all going to all have a lovely time out at sea!Its beautiful out at sea,peaceful and relaxing.I have been on a cruise a few times and to be honest yes I have been sea sick,but that doesnt stop me enjoying myself ! 1st of all my 8yr son and I wear sea bands on our wrists only while were on the ship(take them off land) they have pressure points on them that rub against your wrist.Costs around $15 from any chemist.Good for planes also.2nd of all we eat green apples,dry biscuts,ginger, Dont drink alot of water.If that doesnt help go outside for fresh air and look out to the horizon!!!I Sit in the middle of the ship and relax,last of all if all fails you can go get an injection from the ships doctor.Hope that helps,Have a lovely time,enjoy the beautiful islands and people,Their so friendly.Bonvoyage..

We are booked on the Pacific Jewel which departs on the 17th April, to celebrate my 40th Birthday & our 5 year anniversary, very dissappointed to read all the negative comments & hopefully P & O have ironed out their teethign issues. It’s been 20 years since my last cruise & my husband’s first. My biggest concern is sea sickness, can anyone comment on this that has travelled on the Jewel??? Also do they have decent wines & champagne on offer on the boat??

Hi Kim,
Me and a mate are on the same cruise.We are going to do our best to be off the ship early to nab a moped each and do a tour of the island.If you are a member of facebook i would highly recomend you become a fan of p@o cruises and pacific jewel and you will find a mine of information on all topics of interest.From what i have read from the posters the cultural tour is good value.While you are on facebook click on the events page at the top and register for the roll call for that particular cruise.Might catch you girls at a dance class or something….Cheers….Chris .B

Hi our family of 4 and our friends another family of 3 are going on the March 28 cruise, both of us are first time cruises and we are all really looking forward to it the only thing worrying me is getting sea sick but we have stocked up on all the medications we can think of so all will be good. Can’t wait !!

Hi Kim,
I’m not sure what happened to my post here from yesterday but i’ll try again.
I am on the same cruise as you ladies and sharing an outside cabin with a good mate.It would be interesting to know how many are in your group?
If you are a member of facebook i would highly recomend the page dedicated to p and o cruises ,also there is a page for the pacific jewel and there is a mine of info there on all topics.From what i have read so far the cultural tour seems to have gotten good reviews.My mate and i are going to do our best to nab a moped each and do a tour of the island,that’s if the crew don’t get there first.May be we could catch up for a drink or at the dance lessons?
Have fun
Chris

Thanks Natalie! I am going to arm myself with as much sea sick meds as I can possible get, lol….and I will get one of those wrist bands as well, everything helps, lol…
We are planning on having an absolute ball and don’t want being sick to interfere with our time on board! Friends of mine went on a cruise last year and they ate green apples all the time which kept the sea sickness at bay, so I will definately be doing that!
Our cabin is an inside one on deck 10 and I think that might help rather than an outside one…
I have heard lots of comments about how the Vanuatu people are so lovely and friendly, we are soooo looking forward to going!
Thanks again for your help.

Your welcome Barbara @ Girls.Im sure that you all are going to be fine while travelling o/sea’s.Plus im sure that the sea/sickness will not ruin your holiday of a life time.I do find that the wrists band works,but I dont know if its really mind over matter?Who knows.You will all have a ball.When my family go on cruises we always have an outside window and we like being higher up.Our last trip we were in cabin C124 on the Dawn,she is a very beautiful ship,I hope when P@O put her into dry dock that they leave the Dome where it is though.Yes the people on the Islands are friendly,In Vila our family done the secret garden outdoor cultural centre and it was fantastic.Our 8yr old son got to hold a snake,a few birds,plus we all saw how the villagers live.WE have beautiful photo’s and memories that we will always treasure!!!The children are wonderful.On the Islands ie Mystery Is,Dravuni Island with the school our family handed out books,pencils,clothes for the locals and they really appreciated these items.DONT forget Duty Free in Vila!!Thats it,Have a lovely time with Ladies.All the best..Natalie

can anyone that has been on the Jewel tell me if there is late snacks avalible as i can not see a bugger pizza place on the deck plan

I just came off the P & O Pacific Dawn going to Noumea & Isle of Pines. This was our first cruise for my newlywed husband and myself and we had a fantastic time (even though a bit rocky on the last day) We made a vow to do a P & O cruise every 10 year anniversary. MY questions for any crew or staff members on board 1) is there a cocktail list with ingredieants (the cocktails were fantastic) i may have so i can hold a cocktail night for my friends while we show them pictures of our cruise? 2) where can i buy the chocolate ravioli in sydney it was to die for?
Cheers
Shell

Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your comment. It’s probably best suited for the Pacific Dawn blog, but happy to address here.
Keep an eye out on the pocruises.com.au website as we’ll be uploading all drink menus and prices shortly.
As for the Chocolate Ravioli dish (my favourite too!), this is exclusive to P&O Cruises, so as far as we’re aware, no one on land is producing it. Maybe we can convince the Executive Chef to post a recipe for it soon
Regards
P&O Cruises

When going ashore what sort of boat do they use for tenders?

Thanks Katrina, I was hoping that a good insect repellent was enough, cheers.

My wife and I are going on our first cruise ever, on the Pacific Jewel on May 10 to New Caledonia. It’s very disappointing to read all the negative blogs. It seems, as with everything, that the ones with the most to say are the wingers. We don’t believe much of it and are looking forward to having a good time. Let’s face it, P & O want you back.

Thanks for getting back to me so fast
opps, i dont know why i said Dawn, I meant i was on the Jewel, the new one
A recipe for the chocolate ravioli would be even better as then i could try and impress my friends with, and ill keep an eye on the site for the drinks menue. Thanks heaps.
Cheers
Shell

Hi Charles,

You will have an absolute ball, there’s plenty to do on board, or you can just sit back & relax by the pool and work on your south pacific tan. The crew & staff onboard are fantastic !!!!!!!. Not sure if they still do the show, but I would suggest you catch the show put on by the crew & staff, it is an absolute scream. I’m sure that you will become a cruise addict by the end of your cruise and will be looking at booking your next one.
I have done 3 cruises in the ‘09 and could find fault in any of them.

Happy cruising,hope you have a great time

Hi Kelly,
yes Im going on that cruise this Sat!!! Going with a girlfriend and cant wait.

Hi Dawn and Tania will be on the Jewel on the 28th also ,see you on board ,we can’t wait

cruising pacific sun in november ,last cruised in the 80’s bit nervous about bad ”PRESS” recently. Object to tipping unless service is good but we have been told it is compulsory’ What price are drinks (BEER, WINE ETC) .Alcohol was very cheap last time we cruised but Im sure its different now. Have really enjoyed reading the comments ,gives us information we might not know.Roll on November!

Hi Angela,
We are also booked on the 17th April and cannot wait. Getting a little nervous reading the negatives but looking foward to the trip of a lifetime. Maybe we will catch up for a glass of bubbly to celebrate your 40th!!!

Cec, I am so happy to read your comments. We are going on the Pacific Jewel next week (7 April). We are really looking forward to it but I was getting a bit worried after reading so many negative comments from other people. I think it is what you make of it and we will be doing our best to have a good time. Is anyone else on the same cruise.

Hi all, we’re booked on the new years cruise on the 30th Dec 2010 on the newly re furbished ” Pacific Pearl”. CAN’T WAITE !!! Any one heard or seen any information on how its going to look. They posted all the referb of the Jewel on Youtube, but found nothing on the ” Pearl ” Let me know.
Cheers
Patsy

Hi there, departing in a couple of weeks on the Jewel and getting quite excited. I just have a few Q’s: 1) do you have to pay for a gym visit (how much?); is there a bottle shop on board to purchase drinks for the cabin?; do we need foreign currency for Vila?; and does the ship hold dance lessons? Much appreciated.

there is 3 of us going on the 7th Aug Cruise on the Pacific Jewel and I am so looking forward to it. I’m a first time cruiser going to Noumea and Vanuatu, anyone got tips on shore tours, what was great? what wasn’t worth the effort?

We are booked on the Pacific Jewel which departs on the 17th as well. It is our first cruise and sea sickness is my concern as well. i Ihave bought travelcalm tablets, chemist told me to take 30 mins before boarding and take for a few days, so will be trying these. Looking forward to cruise!.

Hi All

We are booked on the Jewel on the 17th April only 7 days to go. This is our 6th Cruise with P&O The sky twice the sun twice the dawn once and the Pacific Princess. We loved every cruise forget the neg comments it will be what YOU make of it. We also did a cruise on the Super Star Leo, and September 09 we did a Med cruise around the Greek Islands now that was fantastic even though I got sick in Egypt and it cost me $US1650. for one day in the ships hospital. I was insured and got it all back so take out travel insurance. We always take travel sick pills before we board and very seldom get sea sick. We are also booked on the Peral for a 14 day cruise in Feb 2011
Enjoy. We will.

I guess everyone is differnt so its hard to please everyone, I am sure it’s what you make of it! Hope to cross paths during the cruise, have you booked any shore tours yet?

Hello Peter,

Dont be worried.. they use big boats that are very safe and hold a large handful of people and quickly whisk back and forth collecting passengers…the staff are very helpful and assist you getting into the tender, which isnt hard… just a couple of steps

Hi All,
I am booked on the Jewel on 19th October to go to Vanuatu and can’t wait!
Being an insulin dependent diabetic, I was wondering if anyone knows if there is somewhere on board to get a late night snack as I will need to have this.. If not does anyone have any ideas of how to get a snack?

hi there
just wondering if anybody is going on the Pacific Jewel cruise leaving Sydney sun 10th October 2010?

hi all i think life is wat u make it . im cruising alone on the 5th july for ten days and im gonna have a ball no matter wat !!! looking forward to meeting new and interesting people

Hi all Having just returned from a generally great 14 day cruise on the Jewell and one thing that annoyed me greatly was having the ship’s photographic team in your face at every possible opportunity. Every tour, function, disembarkment, there they were demanding to take a great shot of you with the hope that you would be soo greatly impressed that you can’t resist buying a copy. Ironically by the end of the cruise there were thousands of unsold photos on display awaiting to be trashed. What a ridiculus waste.

I’m cruising on the 5th July and wondered if any of the current sporting events wil be shown on board. Not too fussed about the Soccer, but would like to see F1.

Sad question I know.

Thanks

Andrew

Hey Andrew,

P&O are at the mercy of the Australian commercial television networks, I believe that they have not granted P&O acess rights to telecast – NRL (which will incl S.O.O a couple of days after you sail ) , AFL , F1 , Motogp , soccer or any other major sporting event in Australia.
The only information that you might get would be by the Sport reports on CNN or BBC News feeds. Although, they do have ESPN showing in the casino’s sports bar area, but I think it’s the US based not the Australian based Pay TV channel. so most of the programs will have an American appeal.

You may have to get your friends & relatives to record them for you to watch when you get back home.

Hi all Having just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Jewell. this was Our first time cruising and left with a sour taste in my mouth
we had a 3 berth inside cabin on deck 11 with the third bed being a chair bed. My 14 yr old daughter slept on this bed for two nights and ended up with a bruised leg. I complained at reception and the staff seemed to be aware of the situation and offered to lay an extra mattress. After paying some $6600 for the cruise I was expecting some better bedding, searching the website there was no mention of chair beds. We were so disappointed that I’m afraid this might have ruined any future cruising with P&O. I am also disappointed with Harvey World Travel agents as I asked questions regarding stability and best location of cabins and was fed a lot of bull though sounded very professional. Our vision was to cruise at least once a year, but unfortunately we are scared for life.
Positive experience of the cruise is all the lovely friends we made and the lovely cabin steward Raja.

Hi Barbara I too am insulin dependent and have just come back from 10 nights on Jewel. I just took some Breakfast bars with me and had one of them and it worked or take an extra piece of fruit from the meal room and keep it in your cabin there is always plenty there. Cheryl

I HAVE JUST COME BACK OFF jEWEL AFTER 10 BEAUTIFUL DAYS AND NIGHTS. HAVE BOOKED ANOTHER FOR JANUARY 2011 ON JEWEL I WAS WONDERING IF THE ENTERTAINMENT WILL BE DIFFERENT TO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN. CHERYL

Hey Sam, I’m sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your cruise
If you get in touch with our Customer Relations team by emailing cust.relations@carnivalaustralia.com they should be able to help resolve this issue.

Sailing on Jewel tomorrow (26th June) First time with hubby and two teenagers. Hoping that it is not quite as bad as some of these reviews make out as that would be a real disappontment considereing how much it costs. Just like the idea of sun and “down time” with the family. Don’t want to have to stress over the little things, hope that won’t be the case.

I have been on 3 p&0 cruises and enjoyed each and every one!! A cruise is what you make of it. 2 of my cruises were SOUTH PACIFIC cruises. 8 nights and 14 nights respectively and a 3 night comedy cruise. Generally the service was of an excellent standard. Most of the staff bend over backwards to accommodate passengers. The food is plentiful and suits everyones tastes. I’ve been on the pacific sun once and the pacifc jewel twice and found both experiences positive. The Comedy Cruise was a little light on comedy but otherwise enjoyable. The fact is some people will complain no matter how high the standard. I would continue to cruise and highly recommend it to others.

I am going to go on a cruise next year (on my own) . Have chosen Pacific Jewel,will be on Deck 6 or 9 have to decide this, is the front or back the best,am so excited and nervous, would hate to be sea sick.

Our fourth cruise coming up in Nov. P & O and Princess, have
yet to be disapointed and still comparing , Only complaint the Wines are expensive but… we are on a floating hotel with all the trimmings & you only drink what you want. Last cruise was 28 days around Australia,, Fantastic.. Just Enjoy…. Ernie