My South Pacific Cruise

For the first time in many years I took a proper holiday. I went on a cruise to the Isle of Pines, Ouvea and Noumea in the South Pacific.

We cruised on the P&O liner Pacific Dawn. I travelled with four of my children aged 23, 22, 19 and 14, and the girlfriend of one of my sons.
My husband stayed home with the numerous pets.
From the moment we arrived at the International Terminal at Darling Harbour in Sydney we were made welcome. Our bags were whisked away and in just a few minutes we had registered and received our cruise cards. Everything you buy on board such as alcohol, duty free etc is paid for with the cruise card. Food of course is included in the cost of the cruise, but there are other venues on board such as a steak house, Italian Restaurant and Ice Cream shop where food can be bought for very reasonable prices. When we sailed in April 2008 the minimum cash to put on the cruise card was $300.00 and any unspent money can be cashed in on board at the end of the cruise. Alternatively a credit card number Mastercard or Visa can be registered to the cruise card.

After registering we went through customs and straight on board, where we were told that lunch was being served. We boarded about 12.30pm and the ship left Sydney about 4pm.

Our Staterooms (not called cabins anymore) were excellent. We had twin rooms with ensuites, flat screen TV,lots of storage space for luggage, a safe for valuables, lounge chair, table and dresser. Very comfortable.

I shared a room with my youngest son, minors have to be with an adult. He had first dibs on which bed to have. We actually got a free upgrade after booking so we ended up on a higher deck than we paid for.

After checking out our staterooms we met the others for lunch in the Bistro. The choice of food was overwhelming and delicious.

We had all ended up on different decks but that didn't matter at all. Every stateroom has a phone so we just swapped numbers and called each other whenever we had plans to meet somewhere.

After lunch we went out on deck for the farewell party. Great live music on deck and what a spectacular sight it was leaving Sydney. We were convinced that the ship wasn't going to fit under the harbour bridge it looked so close, but of course it did, much to our relief!

We all had dinner in the dining room the 1st night. There are no set times or sittings on the Pacific Dawn for the Dining room. You can just make a booking like a normal restaurant or turn up at the door to see if a table is available. The bistro is also available for dinner, they have the same menu but you serve yourself.

If you don't want to put on too much weight on the cruise it's probably best to eat in the dining room where the portions are controlled. The bistro is great if you can control yourself. For those of us watching the waistline there are plenty of healthy options for every meal (including vegetarian) you just have to make healthy choices.

There is so much to do on board. Or if you like you can do absolutely nothing and laze around. They have the best walking track at the top of the ship, what a great view. The gym was also popular and I must admit I didn't go everyday like I promised myself.

My youngest son frequented the teen's room where they had PS3's, so he was happy and he also made some new friends.

THE ISLANDS

The places we visited were just beautiful. The sand on the Isle of Pines, and Ouvea was so soft, like talcum powder and the water was aqua and absolutely beautiful, even someone who doesn't much like the beach could hardly resist having a dip.

Noumea was a little bit of France in the South Pacific and I could practice my poor French on the local children. A very nice place to visit, we actually went on one of the tours so we could see more of the island.

Don't pack beach towels like we did, because they are supplied on board. Blue and white stripey towels, which you are allowed to take on shore, saves taking up valuable luggage space.

That's what I liked about this holiday, just unpack once and enjoy, no dragging luggage around with you everyday. Shopping on board the ship was very good value. I bought jewellery, clothes, duty free and of course I couldn't resist buying a P&O teddy bear.
The first day of the cruise we took a travelcalm pill just in case we were seasick the first night. We weren't sick but I did feel a little bit off but I think that's because I drank two rather large Pina Coladas before dinner. I don't usually drink so I wasn't use to it. We had no sickness for the whole cruise thank goodness, the sea was very kind to us. The sea is so calming when it's not angry.

There is one formal night on the shorter cruises and at least two on the longer cruises. So pack some formal clothes if you would like to be part of that. If you don't want to have a formal dinner, the bistro is available still and you can wear just casual clothes(not swimming gear).

The photo shop staff take lots of photos on board and on the islands and also make a video of the cruise, so have extra money available if you would like to purchase the photos.

The art on board is amazing and available to purchase at the regular art auctions.
It was a really relaxing and very enjoyable holiday, and I've booked again for July 2009 this time though my husband is coming along. He will absolutely love the cruise especially all the food. He's never been overseas before, so this is a nice relaxing holiday for him. This next cruise is a little longer and we'll also be visiting Vanuatu and Mystery Island. I'm very much looking forward to the trip.

I forgot to mention that the staff on board are very friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them. We saw no evidence of bad behaviour on board. The mix of passengers came from all age groups. There were older people, young families and honeymooners. Our cruise was booked out, but because the ship is so big and has so many venues it didn't feel overcrowded at all.

My older children had a great time and of course frequented the night club and other venues more than me. My daughter managed to get through a whole week without her mobile phone, the holiday was worth it just for that. Of course as soon as Sydney was in sight, the phone made an appearance. What did we do before mobile phones were invented!

Some Tips for great cruising:

Take a lanyard to hold your cruise card, the staff at the registration desk will put a hole in it for you. P&O lanyards are available to buy on board for about $5.00.
Don't overpack like I did
Don't pack beach towels - they are provided
Pack sunscreen,insect repellant(for the islands) and a sun hat.
Healthy food is plentiful if you're worried about putting on weight.
Use the gym or walking track if you overindulge.
Take travel sickness pills especially for the 1st night if you tend to get motion sickness.
Don't forget the camera.

You don't need to take your passport on shore, but take it if you would like it to be stamped on the islands.
Try to go to the stage shows, they are wonderful.
Relax and have a great holiday.

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