Need advice - 2015 P&O cruise

[Widebay]

Been browsing through cruise brochures, and I came across this cruise which interests me, for a number of reasons, 1st it starts in Singapore (allows me to fly to Singapore, see my son & family there), then it cruises via Indonesian Islands & Papua New Guinea islands, then finishes at Brisbane. The cruise ship is Pacific Jewel.

My wife & I often visit Singapore, and love returning there, as for the other ports - we never visited the ports mentioned above.

 

* Is this a new cruise for P&O?

* If not, has anyone on this board, done this cruise?, if so, what did you think of it - the ship, the ports, shore excursions, etc?

 

I appreciate the advice your guys give.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Hi Widebay

 

Yes, that cruise from Singapore back to Australia is a new cruise for P&O, and also apparently that cruise from Singapore will be the first cruise after the Pacific Jewel had been in dry dock in Singapore.

[Mr Jester]

As Kiwi_ Cruiser says, it is a different cruise as the Jewel is coming out of dry dock in Singapore. We have already booked this along with some friends as the itinaries fpr P&O Australia are fairly limited and on this cruise we can fly one way and cruise back to our home port:).

We are visiting Singapore in April for the first time and will decide after that how long we want to spend in Singapore pre cruise.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Widebay]

Thanks for replies, your all most helpful. So the Pacific Pearl will be in dry dock in Singapore.

The cruise appealed to my wife & I as we could fly to Singapore, before the cruise, then cruise back through Indonesia, then Papua New Guinea.

Now I have second thoughts - my wife & I were down at the beach this morning doing stand up paddle boarding, and I spoke to a good SUPB friend, who just returned from a fly/stay holiday in Bali, and after speaking to him, my wife & I now want to fly to Bali instead of a cruise out of Singapore.

 

So now I am considering a P&O cruise late 2014 or early 2015 to Papua New Guinea on a P&O ship. I had reservations of doing a P&O cruise altogether, as a friend of mine who did on to Sth Pacific, said there were a lot of drunks on the ship, and he didn't like the cruise at all.

[By The Bay]

 

So now I am considering a P&O cruise late 2014 or early 2015 to Papua New Guinea on a P&O ship. I had reservations of doing a P&O cruise altogether, as a friend of mine who did on to Sth Pacific, said there were a lot of drunks on the ship, and he didn't like the cruise at all.

There is another ship, some would say a little better than P&O Australia. The Dawn Princess is doing a 20 night cruise to PNG and other South Pacific Islands from Sydney return leaving 31 August 2014.

[Widebay]

Nelson by the Bay....many thanks for your advice, I will look into that cruise.

[Widebay]

By the Bay - sorry, when I quoted Nelson by the Bay, I must have been looking at where you come from.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Thanks for replies, your all most helpful. So the Pacific Pearl will be in dry dock in Singapore.

 

You mean Pacific Jewel ;) :)

 

So now I am considering a P&O cruise late 2014 or early 2015 to Papua New Guinea on a P&O ship. I had reservations of doing a P&O cruise altogether, as a friend of mine who did on to Sth Pacific, said there were a lot of drunks on the ship, and he didn't like the cruise at all.

 

I have so far done 8 cruises with P&O from both Auckland, Sydney, and Western Australia on the Pacific Star, Sun, Pearl and Jewel doing cruises that are in length of between 10 and 30 days on P&O ships, to the Queensland cost, South Pacific and Asia, and I think I can count on just one hand the number of drunks I have seen!.

 

I think it very much depends on the length of the cruise, time of year and where the passengers are from, to what they will be like on the cruise, as some time the shorter cruises can have more drunks :(

 

Also keep in mind cruising is not for everyone, some people love it, like us :D, and other like your friend, do not :(

 

There has been a few Cruise Critic member been to PNG this year, so keep an eye out for any post from there cruise :)

[horrie33]

We just complete the Papua-News Guinea cruise with P & O. and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rabaul and Milne Bay very interesting. Could do it again.

As for drunks on board - in 6 P & O cruises they have never been a problem - maybe at 2AM in the Dome there may be some over indulgence but I have not witnessed any. Think that will be same level on all cruise lines but I have heard that "short" 3-5 day cruises can be a bit more rowdy but we have no experience in this area

[By The Bay]

Nelson by the Bay....many thanks for your advice, I will look into that cruise.

Princess is having a promotion, 3 for free, that includes this 20 night PNG cruise.;)

[Widebay]

Horrie33 - that's what I wanted to hear, someone who has been on a P&O cruise, but found drunken behaviour not a problem. I can handle drunks in a bar at 2am, as my wife & I wouldn't be there, at that time.

 

Horrie - we are now thinking of booking a PNG cruise with P&O - for 2 reasons, to get a feel for P&O ships, and see PNG.

 

Thanks once again, everyone & especially Horrie33, appreciate your advice.

[Widebay]

Hey guys, just booked a P&O Cruise from Singapore (2015) to Brisbane, via Indonesian Islands (Bali, Lombok, Semerang), then across to Papua New Guinea Islands, before arriving in Brisbane.

 

This a perfect cruise for us, as it allow us to fly to Singapore stay 4 nights with our son & family there, then board the cruise ship around 10pm, and later visit the Indonesian Islands (which we haven't visited yet), then across to Papau New Guinea Island (again places we haven't visited yet), then disembark at Brisbane, the closest port to where we live (a 4 hr drive home after picking up the car from Security Carpark in Brisbane)

 

Also it allows us to see what P&O cruise ships are like??? As we have only cruised on NCL (Pride of America) in the Hawaiian Islands, then Sun Princess around the Sth Pacific, and last, Celebrity Millenium out of Hawaii, via Tahitian Islands, Fiji & Noumea, back to Sydney.

 

So as you can see turning our attention to South East Asia & Papua New Guinea, makes common sense for us, in visiting new destinations.

[Mr Jester]

We will see you on board then.

We have cruised mainly with P&O with a couple of Princess & one RCI. We find P&O ships not as flashy as the others but food has been about the same on all three lines.

We usually eat most meals in the restaurant rather than the buffet. We find the bands and bars better on P&O so seem to have more fun on them.

We are on the Diamond Princess in April from Singapore to Japan in April and checking out the Jewel in July this year and hoping to spend up to a week in Singapore next year before the cruise.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Widebay]

Mr Jester, as long as the ship is clean & food is okay, then I am happy.

As I said, we have booked & paid a deposit on this cruise commencing from Singapore. Told my son, and he is looking forward to us staying with him for 4 days before the cruise.

 

The ports of call, appealed to us. Even though we have visited Singapore many times, we always enjoy going back. We have been to the Indonesian Island, Bali (haven't been to Bali yet, so if its nice, then we are thinking of a fly/stay holiday for 10 days, staying in Nusa Dua, with side trips to Ubud,etcZ) Semarang, Komodo (dragons), nor Dili in East Timor, and to top it off, we will visit PNG, which we haven't been to yet.

 

We booked an unblocked Oceanview Cabin. We thought of booking a balcony cabin, but then thought, "We spend so little time in our cabin on various cruises". Also shopped around with various for Travel Insurance, & found a good deal. We opted for an "Annual Multi visit" - Sth East Asia Policy, as it will cover us for a short trip to Singapore in August, then a Sapphire Princess cruise out of Singapore, then lastly the P&O cruise from Singapore, via Indonesia, PNG, back to Brisbane.

We are very happy with the above outcome.

Take care, have a nice day wherever you are!