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Thinking about a cruise, Pacific Sun

spakman

By spakman,
in P&O Cruises ( Australia )

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spakman

spakman

Posted
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Hi,

 

My wife and I are considering a cruise on the Pacific Sun but we're a little concerned about some of the bad press that the ship has had. Can anyone who has recently cruised on this ship give me their impression of the ship? We are probably looking at an outside cabin with just the 2 of us. We are both mid 40's, relatively easy going, don't mind a drink on a hot day etc...

 

thanks

 

S

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spakman

spakman

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Thanks to you both, the school holidays ideas sounds good - will have to check when they are.

 

Now being a cruise virgin I have a couple of other questions. Am I right in assuming that meals are included but drinks are not? Is cash used on board or is it cards only? Can I bring a bottle of scotch onboard, suitably camouflaged of course :)

 

S

 

edit: Thanks Megagirl, you snuck in while I was replying - yes it does look like you enjoy the ship!

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rkmw

rkmw

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Thanks to you both, the school holidays ideas sounds good - will have to check when they are.

 

Now being a cruise virgin I have a couple of other questions. Am I right in assuming that meals are included but drinks are not? Is cash used on board or is it cards only? Can I bring a bottle of scotch onboard, suitably camouflaged of course :)

 

S

 

edit: Thanks Megagirl, you snuck in while I was replying - yes it does look like you enjoy the ship!

 

hi spakman, all meals are included in the price unless you want to eat in the steakhouse or buy a pizza for tea

 

the only time you need cash on board is at the casino or on day tours when you go into town

 

with the scotch i dont know, when i went on the sun a passenger told me they took one bottle off him but they didnt get the other one, maybe you could say its your first cruise and you didnt know, if they ask

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arxcards "Live from...." Rare

arxcards

Posted
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Thanks to you both, the school holidays ideas sounds good - will have to check when they are.

 

Now being a cruise virgin I have a couple of other questions. Am I right in assuming that meals are included but drinks are not? Is cash used on board or is it cards only? Can I bring a bottle of scotch onboard, suitably camouflaged of course :)

 

S

 

edit: Thanks Megagirl, you snuck in while I was replying - yes it does look like you enjoy the ship!

Welcome to Cruisecritic spakman!

 

Payment onboard - similar to a motel, you operate an account. You are issued with a card to make all your onboard purchases with. If you have arranged to settle by credit card, you will not have to handle any cash onboard (except casino). If you are settling your account with cash, you will need to load your account with cash at the pursers desk. Casino & pursers desk are the only places that handle currency, all others are paid for with your cruise card.

 

Scotch - Interesting that you question the bad press, but want to smuggle scotch onboard. Smuggling of alcohol and drugs onboard was a major cause of bad press in the pass, so they do screen thoroughly to prevent these items from making it onboard.

Their rules say no, so if smuggling onboard you will need to pack it so it doesn't smash or leak, doesnt look like scotch in the x-ray machine, and hide it from your cabin steward too.

 

They will not buy the didn't know bit, it is clearly printed in your passage contract. Any caught will just have it confiscated and returned at the end of the cruise, but they have the right to refuse your entry to the ship too.

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angelwingsflys

angelwingsflys

Posted
Posted
Hi,

 

My wife and I are considering a cruise on the Pacific Sun but we're a little concerned about some of the bad press that the ship has had. Can anyone who has recently cruised on this ship give me their impression of the ship? We are probably looking at an outside cabin with just the 2 of us. We are both mid 40's, relatively easy going, don't mind a drink on a hot day etc...

 

thanks

 

S

Hi Just going to put my 2 cents worth in,

We were on the Pacific Sun last year, very happy with it, no big complaints, we have also booked Pacific Sun for June 2008, they are running some VERY GOOD specials, have a look at my entry lower down in the forum. Outside cabins are good, we stayed in 1 , it was close to the front ,but we didn't have a problem.

Food was nice, smuggling scotch isn't good idea , they X-ray everything.

Would recommend cruising on the Pacific Sun.

Deb

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spakman

spakman

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Thanks once again to those who have replied. Please forgive my ignorance re the scotch, it wasn't like I was intending to take an entire distillery on-board! Most motels have similar rules about alcohol in rooms but in most cases overlook small quantities. Having said that the value of these message boards has just been proven and I am a wiser person for it. I do not have any conditions of carriage as I am yet to book my first cruise.

Once again my thanks for your insight.

 

S

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fishtaco

fishtaco

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The sun is a great ship and for mid 40,s I would say better than the Dawn in some ways!

Remember that if you cruise way outside school holidays there will be quite a few 18-25,s who are out to party the whole cruise.

A good time to go is just after school holidays and you will get a good mix of ages including some children whose parents cant afford the holiday cruises or were too booked up to go.

 

I hate it when "Alcohol" and "Drugs" are mentioned together as prohibited to be taken onboard! Drugs are illegal Alcohol is not,you cant buy drugs from P&O onboard but alcohol you can,so alcohol smuggling should not be so demonized.

 

If you like a drink in your cabin then smuggle your own or pay the ships price.

 

I have smuggled alcohol onboard twice and will do it again,no law is being broken just a P&O rule.

 

The cabin staff didnt care about the booze in my cabin on my cruises?

 

An alcoholic could not smuggle enough booze to last a cruise and youger people dont seem to care how much they spend on booze and are allowed to have plenty anyway.

 

In my oppinion the alcohol rule is unfare and purley a money making rule or why else would last orders be at 5.30am with first orders being 10 am only 4 1/2 hours later? If P&o were that worried about people dissturbing the peace why sell alcohol for such a long period? How many people decide to have a drink at 5am? Not responsable drinkers?

At 5am you are only allowed to purchase 1 drink at a time? As if it really matters? Those people drinking at dawn didnt start an hour or two ago or is P&O catering for insomniacs?

 

Gin and vodka look like water the rest looks like iced tea but if looking at the original bottle is part of the pleasure then dont bother.

 

Den

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Tigerman00

Tigerman00

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I would recommend that you cruise the Pacific Dawn, The Sun is a poor poor second to this ship.

 

Even though you would still have a great time on the Sun .... You would have a much better time on a much better ship if you went on the Dawn ..

 

Just my thoughts.

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arxcards "Live from...." Rare

arxcards

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I hate it when "Alcohol" and "Drugs" are mentioned together as prohibited to be taken onboard! Drugs are illegal Alcohol is not,you cant buy drugs from P&O onboard but alcohol you can,so alcohol smuggling should not be so demonized.

 

 

Den

Den,

Sorry to offend by including both in the same sentence. There is obviously a real difference to legality. Drugs are illegal and P&O only want to control the distribution of alcohol (minors access to, serving of spiked drinks, profit to shareholders). I am sure if they find drugs, they will not let you onboard and hand you over to the boys in blue, where they will usually only confiscate alcohol and return it at the end of the cruise.

 

However, P&O do screen for both, as they do not allow either to be bought onboard, and it was a response to the media outcry regarding incidents onboard.

 

I also disagree with the alcohol rule, so if I decide to sneak any onboard, I will be very clever on how I package & disguise it, and am prepared for the consequences of my actions. However, in offering advice to others, I will only quote the rules and it is up to them to decide their own actions.

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icemaiden2310

icemaiden2310

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Crikey ! I would like a crownie for every post about smuggled grog and I would never have to buy another one again. Smuggle ? dont smuggle ? Who really gives a rats behind, if u want to do it then good luck , u get it back if they take it off u anyway:D

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arxcards "Live from...." Rare

arxcards

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on the princess ships you are allowed to take on one bottle of wine per person even when you are in port, why cant p&o do the same

 

P&O used to allow wine.

 

Princess Australia' passage rules are the same as P&O, no alcohol.

 

The only reason Princess Australia has allowed the one bottle per person here is due to US passengers booking these cruises without any knowledge of the no alcohol rule. In the US, they are allowed to take as much wine onboard as they like. The US passengers did not have access to our rules when they booked, so they have relented to the 1 bottle per adult at each port. It may only take one incident for that to be reversed though.

 

Not sure about other ships in our waters, but have noticed Rhapsody is also a no alcohol ship too.

 

To the OP, nobody is upset. When you ask for an opinion here, you will get them. Feel free to ask away on any cruise topic.

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spakman

spakman

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To the OP, nobody is upset. When you ask for an opinion here, you will get them. Feel free to ask away on any cruise topic.

 

Thanks, was worried about a flame war starting :)

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karmac

karmac

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Why do you bother posting? Are you just after a reaction from people on here?

 

 

Well said Sam. You hit the nail on the head.

As fishtaco said, alcohol and cigarettes are not illegal. Other drugs are. HUGE difference.

 

Karen

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