When a friend told us she was going on
this P&O cruise, I decided to look at the prices. It was a 3 night /4 day
food and wine cruise to nowhere. Booking 11 days before the departure,
we were able to take advantage of last minute fares. Included in the
fare is the accommodation, meals, and entertainment. Cruises are
really good value. It was a Food and Wine Cruise, and there were some
free cooking demonstrations, which were very good, and a lot of
demonstrations and tastings that cost extra.Embarkation was quick and easy. Once on
board we were informed that our cabin was ready, however we went up
to Deck 12 to the pool and got our first drink. Next stop was the
Pantry, also on Deck 12, for lunch. After lunch we went to see our
cabin.
We had booked an obstructed window view
cabin and we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was no
obstruction, unless the two paint drops on the window are classed as
an obstruction. The cabin, 9218, was smaller than other cabins in
other ships that we have had, but it was clean and set out well. We
do not spend a lot of time in the cabin, mainly to sleep. The
bathroom was tiny, and the shower had no light. The worst part was
the 'evil' toilet flush. We are use to the 'vacuum' type flush on
ships, but this one ended with a loud explosion bang at the end of
each flush – very scary! We didn't complain as it was only a three
night cruise, but on a longer cruise it would have been very
annoying. The bed was comfortable and placed in front of the window,
which we thought was weird as to look out one had to kneel on the
bed. The TV had the usual channels and also played recent movies free
of charge. The channels, especially the movies channels were not as
good as last time we sailed on P&O. Room Service is available at
a cost, so we didn't bother. On a longer cruise we would get
croissants the day before, and I would get tea in the morning to take
back to the room for our pre breakfast.
Good Times is the name of the daily
activities leaflet that is delivered each evening to you room.
Food was ok, nothing special. Included
in the fare is the Waterfront Restaurant and The Pantry. We ate
breakfast and lunch in the Pantry, which consists of a number
of different food stations. The Pantry was opened for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. Breakfast was the same each day, luckily I like
the same breakfast each day. Eggs Benedict was not that good, but the
scrambles eggs were great. Lunch had the different stations. Peter
liked the Curry House. There was also a Mexican station, and 2 Kettle
and Bun stations, which was the one I had each day. It is a sandwich,
soup and salad bar. One day the sandwiches were soggy, but overall
the food was ok. There were two dessert bars, a Hooks Fish and Chips
– I had that one evening before dinner (dinners were not that
good). Also a meat Fat Cow station and Stix stir fries and noodles,
and a Nic and Toni's Mediterranean seafood and pasta. The stations
are tiny and the food was nice but there was a limited variety from
day to day. The biggest problem with the Pantry was the lack of
seating. There is a lot of high bench seating, which is very
uncomfortable. It was difficult to find cutlery as it was not located
at each section. Cutlery was often in baskets hidden behind poles,
and most baskets were very tall, I couldn't reach the cutlery if it
was almost empty.
The Waterfront Restaurant is on
Deck 7, and is included in the cruise price. It is also open for
breakfast lunch and dinner. We had difficulty booking online, so had
to line up for 35 minutes to book for each night. We couldn't get a
table for 4 the first night, so we had a shared table. The following
night our booking had disappeared, so it was a shared table once
again. We did make our disappointment known and the following night
we were seated in a different part of the restaurant at a table for
four. This section not only looked more elegant but it had different
staff who were very attentive and that made our evening more
enjoyable. There is a three course menu with a choice of 3 entrees, 3
mains and maybe four desserts. There are also extra mains for extra
dollars. We found the choices very limited. The first evening we were
seated with a gluten free passenger, who although she had informed
P&O in the booking process, she only had a choice of one meal.
They didn't go back to the Waterfront. I ordered two entrees for my
meal, and I was glad I had visited the Pantry the hour earlier to
have some fish and chips. The second night there was nothing on the
menu I liked at all, so only had a vegetarian salad, which was ok,
but I was left hungry and the only food now available was pastries
and junk to purchase. At this stage we were thinking if we sailed
with P&O again we would not go to the Waterfront at all. The
third and last evening, when we were seated at the correct table, the
choices were still limited, and I chose two entrees and we had time
for dessert. The evening before, the service was so slow that we had
to leave before dessert to get to the evening show. The last evening
was the only meal I enjoyed, and that was also partly due to the
great staff we had that night. Missing in the eating areas are
biscuits/cookies and cheese.
For dinner seating, Royal Caribbean and
Celebrity have it so well organised. Easy to book. Same table, same
staff each evening. No queuing for table, just walk in and sit down.
So easy!
Other eating venues cost extra. The
Shell and Bones had reasonable a-la-carte prices, it is open
for dinner only and is sectioned off in the Pantry – meaning less
seating for dinner in the Pantry – and includes meat and chicken
dishes as well as seafood. There are 11 choices for dinner, plus
sides. We had lunch twice in this area, and it was not
air-conditioned, but relied on the air-conditioning from the pantry.
Salt Grill by Luke Mangan was
located Deck 12 Fwd opposite the cafe. Luke Mangan was the first
Australian chef to have a restaurant at sea. The menu was large and
the prices reasonable. It was open for lunch and dinner. The
restaurant looked lovely.
The Cafe is also located on Deck
12 Fwd. They serve T2Tea and coffees and cakes and pastries, all for
an extra cost. We had a refreshment package, so drinks from the Cafe
were included in the package. WE were surprised at how small the cafe
was. There was also a Cafe menu on Deck 5 Mid at Charlies Bar.
Located on Deck 12 Aft outside the
Pantry is The Grill and is
open for lunch and dinner. The Grill sells hamburgers, pizza
slices, pies, chips and prawns. Most cost $3 with the prawns $19 for
15 prawns. On the port side outside the Pantry is the New Zealand
Natural Ice-Cream. Large serves also at an additional cost.
Pacific Dawn also has the usual
shopping arcade along with the duty free, and a convenience shop that
sells lollies and chocolates by weight – just like at the cinemas.
The library is just a cupboard in the 'simulator' room on deck 8 fwd,
and there were not a lot of books. There are also games available to
borrow. As it is in the 'simulator' room it was only open a couple of
hours per day. The racing car simulator costs $25 for 15 minutes. Two
pools are advertised, but there is only one small pool and a wading
kids type pool. There are 4 whirlpool spas, two on deck 12 an two on
deck 10 in the Adults Only Oasis. Sadly, both times we were there,
there were also children. There was a jogging track – good except
for the smokers on one side that one has to jog past. The fitness
centre (gym?) was way down on deck 2 so didn't go there – no view.
The Entertainment was great. I recall
the Sail Away party last time we cruised with P&O and this one,
although more subdued, was good. We spent it on the pool deck and
then in the Dome. Great view in the Dome, so will head there early if
there is a next time. There were two theme night, which I thought was
too much for a three night cruise. The first was a Bianco night –
wear white – and I always take my white pants and white top for
formal nights on a cruise, so that was no problem. The second theme
night was a Gatsby Theme, so we had great fun dressing up for that.
The Gatsby party afterwards included free bubbles.
The Marque Theatre can seat 740, and
would often have two performances for each shows, so it is possible
that guests will have to stand. There was a one show only adult
comedy act and we arrived at the theatre 15 minutes early and found
seats at the back. Those who came later had to stand. The seats were
comfortable to a point, and the good thing was there were tables to
put drinks on, something Royal Caribbean lack. A lot of the inside
activities took place at the Atrium, which also sadly lacked enough
seating for passengers. The Atrium is 3 levels mid ship on decks 5, 6,
and 7.
There was live music in the afternoons
and evenings and the pool screen screened free movies on two nights.
There was also a free movie screened in the Marque Theatre late the
last night. Bingo was held in the Theatre a few times at extra cost.
There was a Gatsby headband making class for $12, and dancing lessons
– fun, for a Gatsby flash dance. The trivia was excellent and the
entertainment staff were so much fun. The ship has two self service laundries, which is good. We didn't see the usual Art
Auction, but there was an Icon selling area, but no auction. Maybe
the cruise was too short for an auction.
Pacific Dawn has 795 cabins that can
accommodate 1546 – 2000 guests. This cruise had over 2000
passengers. The ship has 11 guest decks. Deck 12 is the Pantry, pool,
Cafe, and Salt Grill by Luke Mangan. Deck 14 (there is no 13) is The
Dome Nightclub, and Deck 15 is the waterslide. The Dawn is 245m long
and was built in Italy and registered in London in 1991. Originally
named Regal Princess and christened by Margaret Thatcher in New York
1991, it was renamed Pacific Dawn in 2007 by Cathy Freeman. It was
last refurbished in 2017. The maximum speed is 22.5 knots
There are 9 bars on board.
1 – Charlie's Bar, Deck 5 mid,
opposite reception/atrium. Serves coffees and teas in the mornings.
2 – Promenade Bar and Lounge Deck 7,
open in the afternoons and evenings.
3 – Ocean Bar is located on deck 7
mid and serves the atrium area of deck 7.
4 – Orient Bar is the pub on the ship
and serves draught beers.
5 – Lido Pool Bar/ Top Deck 12 mid
6 – Dome Cabaret Lounge and night
club Deck 14 Fwd
7 – Casino Bar. The casino is very
tiny, which was refreshing on a cruise ship
8 - There is a bar in the Marque
Theatre, but it is table service only, and I must say the service was
very good.
9 – The Oasis, Adult only area, has a
bar.
P&O do not do alcoholic drink
packages on short cruises. They do have a Soft Drink package for
glasses of soft drink only ($7 a day if pre-purchased, and $7.50 if
purchased on board) and a Refreshment package that includes glasses
of soft drink, juice, mocktails, tea, coffee, and bottled water ($19
a day if pre-purchased and $25 if purchased on board). We both got
the Refreshment Package, and it was good value for me, but not so
much for Peter. I only purchased one cocktail and it was awful. It
was a Toblerone at a cost of $12. It didn't taste like there was any
alcohol in it, and it didn't taste very chocolatey. Tasted like
vanilla flavoured milk. Certainly not worth $12, so I stuck with the
mocktails after that. There were only three mocktails available –
very limited compared to other ships – passionfruit (which was my
favourite), watermelon, and lychee. There was no fresh juice
available on board, only concentrate. The alcohol package is $79 a
day if pre-purchased ($89 on board) excluding tea/coffee, or $95 a
day if pre-purchased including tea and coffee ($105 on board)
Disembarkation was easy. We requested
late departure time and were given 8.05am as a guide. We know from
experience that if one gets to the designated area for departure,
then one has to wait. The longest we have waited was 45 minutes. We
will not do that again. It was requested that we were out of our
cabins by 7.30. We did that, as we know the cabin staff have a lot to
do to get ready for the next cruise. We headed up to the Pantry for
breakfast. This was the first day we were able to get a window table.
We had breakfast, and about 8.25 we were informed that all passengers
could head straight to deck 5 to disembark, which we did. The whole
process was very easy.
Would we sail with P&O again? Yes.
Would we sail on Pacific Dawn again?
Yes
Would we do another short cruise again?
I think we would. We like the longer cruises, but it is amazing how
much one can fit into 3 or 4 days.
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