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[Melmark]

Hi all, departing on our very first cruise on the 30th June and had a couple of questions re the beaches in Lamen Bay and Ouvea.

 

1. Do you need protective footware like flippers or rubber shoes, because we have been told that some coral can be poisonous if stepped on mainly for the kids.

2. What are the costs of drinks onboard - softdrink and beer?

3. Do shops in Noumea and Vila take Aussie dollars, credit cards etc

4. Does the ship show movies in a cinema style?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Mark

[karmac]

Hi all, departing on our very first cruise on the 30th June and had a couple of questions re the beaches in Lamen Bay and Ouvea.

 

1. Do you need protective footware like flippers or rubber shoes, because we have been told that some coral can be poisonous if stepped on mainly for the kids.

2. What are the costs of drinks onboard - softdrink and beer?

3. Do shops in Noumea and Vila take Aussie dollars, credit cards etc

4. Does the ship show movies in a cinema style?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Mark

 

Hi Mark & welcome to the boards. I can't help you with your first question as I haven't been to any of those places however, reef shoes/aqua socks are a good idea wherever there is coral. I bought ours in Big W & Kmart for about $8.00 a pair.

Drinks - Beer about $4.00- $5.00, soft drinks $2.00 can. Wine $5.50 a glass cocktails $6.50-$10.00 but average $7.50.

Vila takes Aussie dollars, some shops had eftpos. Noumea not sure.

Movies are on tv in cabin or in the Atlantis showlounge.

 

You'll have a wonderful time, how many are you sailing with? How old are your kids?

 

My kids (10,11 & 15) had a ball.

 

Karen

[Melmark]

Thanks Karen much appreciated. We are travelling with 2 other couples and each of us have 2 children. My 2 boys are 4 and 8 so, the kid groups should be good for them. Our friends also have children in the same age brackets.

[Skyrules]

Shops in Noumea won't accecpt Australian Dollars only Central Pacific Francs - available for exchange on board the ship. Major credit cards accepted in most stores.

 

As Karen said, most shops in Vila will accept Australian dollars (and most things are priced in both currency's). Make sure you have Aussie Dollars (in cash) for the taxi's/minivans that take you from the ship to the town centre. Taxi's are $10 per car each way, minivans $2 per person each way.

 

Unfortunately the one thing missing from both Pacific Sun and Pacific Star is a dedicated movie theatre. There is a constant rotation of in cabin movies (fairly new release, probably similar to what you get on pay tv), and there are movie screenings in the Atlantis Showlounge on Pacific Sun or the Pacific Showlounge or Starlight Lounge on Pacific Star - however none of those are really suitable for movies (they only have small screens and it's a very big area). In cabin movies are free.

 

Pacific Sky had great movie theatre at the very bottom of the ship, and Pacific Dawn will have it's own theatre.

 

Kym

[Past it]

Haven't been to Ouvea but it looks similar to some other islands,it has soft sand. Where as Lamen Bay is quite stony and it has a blackish sand,so some sort of footwear would be beneficial. I didn't think much of the snorkelling here. They have a good market so there is lots to do besides swimming there. In Noumea shopping is quite expensive as the gov't put on a tax which is quite hefty as well as the cost of importing everything. There is a large supermarket across from the ship that sells most things including clothing/beach stuff and touristy things. It is called "Casino" they take Aussie Dollars there,they have a cash register that does both.Well worth a look to get some drinks or nibblies to take back.I only looked in some other shops.There is a undercover market on the dock that only sells touristy things. The post office is there as well but they take francs which you have to get from one of the traders as change.I think it cost me about $10 just to post a few cards that i had already purchased :eek:

[karmac]

Pacific Sky had great movie theatre at the very bottom of the ship, and Pacific Dawn will have it's own theatre.

 

Kym

 

Hi Kym, can you please tell me where the cinema is on the Dawn. I can't seem to find it (I'm probably having a daddy look rather than a mummy look:D ). Not that it bothers me, I wouldn't be going there anyway but DH might.

 

Karen

[Melmark]

Thanks all your feedback is much appreciated.

 

Just another, do you need to pack towels, or can you take them off the ship when going into ports?:eek:

[howsthis]

Thanks all your feedback is much appreciated.

 

Just another, do you need to pack towels, or can you take them off the ship when going into ports?:eek:

 

Nearly everyone takes the pool towels off the ship to the beaches.

[Skyrules]

Hi Kym, can you please tell me where the cinema is on the Dawn. I can't seem to find it (I'm probably having a daddy look rather than a mummy look:D ). Not that it bothers me, I wouldn't be going there anyway but DH might.

 

Karen

 

Ah, well Regal Princess has one, and I assumed it would remain on Pacific Dawn, but looking at the Pacific Dawn Deck Plans I can't see it.

 

On Regal Pricess the Cinema (Princess Theatre) is located on Emerald Deck (Deck 6). On the Pacific Dawn deck plans the area where it should be is shown as a blank space forward of cabins E200 & E203.

 

I hope this doesn't mean they are going to pull out the Cinema. That would seem to be a backward step.

 

See Regal Princess Deck Plan;

http://www.princess.com/ships/gp/deck/gp_emerald_index.html

 

Compared with Pacific Dawn Deck Plan;

http://www.pocruises.com.au/html/dplan_pacific_dawn.cfm?deck=emerald

 

 

 

Kym

[Kazza1]

Ah, well Regal Princess has one, and I assumed it would remain on Pacific Dawn, but looking at the Pacific Dawn Deck Plans I can't see it.

 

On Regal Pricess the Cinema (Princess Theatre) is located on Emerald Deck (Deck 6). On the Pacific Dawn deck plans the area where it should be is shown as a blank space forward of cabins E200 & E203.

 

I hope this doesn't mean they are going to pull out the Cinema. That would seem to be a backward step.

 

Kym

 

 

Kym

Even though the cinema isnt on the new plans, it has on the P&O website that one of the features is a cinema. http://www.pocruises.com.au/html/pacific_dawn.cfm

Hope this is true, my eldest son and dad are movie buffs.

 

Karen:)

[karmac]

Makes you wonder why they would take it off the plans thought doesn't it? As Kym said, it would be a step backwards to take it out. The Dawn plans don't show where the casino is & I'm sure I read somewhere that it isn't going go be in the Dome as it is on Regal. The lack of deck space is very dissappointing. Why do they insist on building ships like that these days? Also, I'm not fussed on the fact that the 2 mains decks (lounges, bars & pool) are 5 decks apart.

 

Karen

[Kazza1]

The Dawn plans don't show where the casino is & I'm sure I read somewhere that it isn't going go be in the Dome as it is on Regal.

 

Karen

 

The casino is on the Dawn plans on Deck 8 (Dolphin) as "The stage door casino & sports bar"

 

Karen:)

[karmac]

The casino is on the Dawn plans on Deck 8 (Dolphin) as "The stage door casino & sports bar"

 

Karen:)

 

You're right kazza. I obsiously didn't look properly. Mind you, the writing on those things are pretty small.

 

Karen