Pacific Eden - P & O Australia

[OZDUCK]

I am one of those people who has been on the negative side in discussions about cruises. However, my Sister-in-Law would really like us to show her and my Brother around Singapore, which we would love to do. The problem is she really hates flying. She has flown to Europe to Europe a couple of times and flown internally to pick up Cruise Ships, which she loves. But she is putting off doing the Alaska Cruises because of her dislike of air travel.

She has suggested, very strongly, that one leg of the Singapore trip be on a ship so she won't stress out too much. We are prepared to do this for her but I now realise how hard it is to get to or from Singapore by ship starting in W.A. (Oh for the days of the Centaur). And this is where the Pacific Eden comes in. There is a voyage Ftle - Sin in March 2019 which is a time that would suit all of us. The 2018 sailings by other vesselsare when we are in Spain. We also don't want 20 or more day cruises.

The trouble is when I look at reviews the Pacific Eden comes out pretty poorly. I also noticed that in previous threads on here, P & O Australia itself is treated pretty dismissively. Further, after only 3 or 4 years of ownership this vessel has been sold and this voyage will be its last one under P& O management. Which of course brings all sorts of concerns to mind about care & maintenance etc.

Has anyone got any views on the Pacific Eden?

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

 

[odysseus]

I quite like Pacific Eden and Aria in the P&O fleet, as they came from HAL and had a good, smaller layout and appearance. That said, they aren't the newest, so there is visible signs of age (not that it should affect the cruise, but it's one of those things that some ignore, whereas others expect perfection/luxury and it detracts from those expectations, so depends where you fit into that spectrum).

As for P&O it's not a top end line, so those here who are used to business/first class, or the top end cruise lines like Ponant or Silversea would not be satisfied with such an experience.

Being sold to an independent company is a different issue, and final cruises can tend to run short of individual items as there's no point to replenish specific supplies. There may also be oddities, and/or work under way, so they're not typically the standard cruise experience - that said, it shouldn't be anything significantly substandard, just not as optimal as it would normally be.

I haven't checked how many days this is, or what your actual expectations/preferences are, but if the actual itinerary and style suits then I wouldn't have a problem sailing her again. Of course, if there are e.g. 10 sea days and you don't like the idea of sitting on a cruise ship all that time then that may be a reason to avoid; as said, not sure of the specific requirements and itinerary.

 

[Pushka]

P&O Australia is not the same as P&O UK and way below the Silversea experience. But have lower expectations and you may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks to both of you odysseus & Pushka. The trip was for 13 days with 6 "at sea" and the rest stopping at the usual suspects - Bali, Penang, Port Kelang etc. It would probably have been a reasonable choice. However it looks as though my hesitation about the trip has solved the problem - it is mostly sold out.

 

[Pushka]

Thanks to both of you odysseus & Pushka. The trip was for 13 days with 6 "at sea" and the rest stopping at the usual suspects - Bali, Penang, Port Kelang etc. It would probably have been a reasonable choice. However it looks as though my hesitation about the trip has solved the problem - it is mostly sold out.

If you are hesitant about cruises then this one probably wouldn’t have sold you on them. My brother just started his Viking Cruise from London yesterday and the pictures of the ship are wonderful.

 

[OZDUCK]

If you are hesitant about cruises then this one probably wouldn’t have sold you on them. My brother just started his Viking Cruise from London yesterday and the pictures of the ship are wonderful.

Thanks - I think my problem is some the cruise photos I see are great ,like yours and the ones your brother would have sent you And, then I read and see stories about what happens on the more "basic" ships and I shudder. I might have to put my toe into the water by starting with something like a Baltic cruise which includes Saint Petersburg.

 

[Pushka]

Thanks - I think my problem is some the cruise photos I see are great ,like yours and the ones your brother would have sent you And, then I read and see stories about what happens on the more "basic" ships and I shudder. I might have to put my toe into the water by starting with something like a Baltic cruise which includes Saint Petersburg.

That is indeed a fabulous cruise. Lots of days in port and usually overnights eg in SPB. Can’t go wrong with Princess or Celebrity but if you want to spend the $ try Viking, or more $ Silverseas etc. Read the fine print and inclusions on the more expensive ones as they include a lot more than the ‘cheaper’ ones.

We like hot weather cruises so we were saying last night that the Med cruises are our favourite indulgence. Baltic cruises are fantastic but cooler and very busy.

 

[OZDUCK]

That is indeed a fabulous cruise. Lots of days in port and usually overnights eg in SPB. Can’t go wrong with Princess or Celebrity but if you want to spend the $ try Viking, or more $ Silverseas etc. Read the fine print and inclusions on the more expensive ones as they include a lot more than the ‘cheaper’ ones.

We like hot weather cruises so we were saying last night that the Med cruises are our favourite indulgence. Baltic cruises are fantastic but cooler and very busy.

Thanks for the tips

 

[Stefan]

I've been on the Pacific Aria, the sister to the Pacific Eden, about two years ago. I had been on many cruises before, and the Pacific Aria definitely stuck out as being of a lower quality. The biggest downside was the food, but most the food I had was still edible, however I have heard that the food on the ship has improved a lot. Another drawback was the limited availability of included items in your cruise. P&O seem to pride themselves in having lots of things included in your fare, however most cruise lines do a lot better at it, however they do make up for this with the overall cost of the cruise. Despite all this, I still enjoyed my cruise, there are just better options out there.

 

[OZDUCK]

I've been on the Pacific Aria, the sister to the Pacific Eden, about two years ago. I had been on many cruises before, and the Pacific Aria definitely stuck out as being of a lower quality. The biggest downside was the food, but most the food I had was still edible, however I have heard that the food on the ship has improved a lot. Another drawback was the limited availability of included items in your cruise. P&O seem to pride themselves in having lots of things included in your fare, however most cruise lines do a lot better at it, however they do make up for this with the overall cost of the cruise. Despite all this, I still enjoyed my cruise, there are just better options out there.

Thanks for offering your views. Based on yours, and others, opinion I have ruled this trip as an option. And that is if I could even get tickets.