Seadreams27 Posted April 13, 2008 #1 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Ok here goes. Just to start with.. the ship that we were on seems to be a different one from the one that I have been reading about:confused: We were so excited about going on our first cruise that we were at the wharf at 9.30am.. arrived in a very expensive taxi ($56) our own fault for travelling in peak hour traffic..) We had our bags taken off us as soon as we stepped out of the taxi.. then to get our cards..took 5 mins..a couple of hours to just look at the ship and have a couple of cups of coffee.. then...we are on. It was about 12;10 and we were on the bags were in the cabin and we are sitting down having lunch.. talk about quick.. Our cabin was on Baja deck 10 it was lovely and yes we loved the balcony and we did use it . We would get a balcony cabin again if we could get a good price on it.. this one only cost us an extra $200 so it was worth it. The weather for sailaway was perfect as it was for most of the cruise..the ocean was like a millpond for at least 8 of the days and when it got lumpy it was only a little bit.. The service and the crew on the ship we found to be excellent..not at any time did we come across a grumpy or unhelpful person.. and when you think og the hours that they work I'm sure I would lose my smile after a while. To be cont... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brushtail Posted April 13, 2008 #2 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Excellent start, Lorrae. Reading between the lines it sounds like you had a good time. Cruising is the BEST holiday, we enjoy every minute. :p Keep it coming........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spakman Posted April 13, 2008 #3 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Excellent review so far. Yes it does look like you went out to enjoy yourself and succeeded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuzzieCruiser Posted April 13, 2008 #4 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Welcome back Lorrae.:) The first sentence certainly had me thinking that you didn't enjoy it. Just shows how much I jump to conclusion!!:p :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiedisneyfan Posted April 13, 2008 #5 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Glad you had a wonderful time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welsh Fargo Posted April 13, 2008 #6 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Ok here goes. Just to start with.. the ship that we were on seems to be a different one from the one that I have been reading about:confused: We were so excited about going on our first cruise that we were at the wharf at 9.30am.. arrived in a very expensive taxi ($56) our own fault for travelling in peak hour traffic..) We had our bags taken off us as soon as we stepped out of the taxi.. then to get our cards..took 5 mins..a couple of hours to just look at the ship and have a couple of cups of coffee.. then...we are on. It was about 12;10 and we were on the bags were in the cabin and we are sitting down having lunch.. talk about quick.. Our cabin was on Baja deck 10 it was lovely and yes we loved the balcony and we did use it . We would get a balcony cabin again if we could get a good price on it.. this one only cost us an extra $200 so it was worth it. The weather for sailaway was perfect as it was for most of the cruise..the ocean was like a millpond for at least 8 of the days and when it got lumpy it was only a little bit.. The service and the crew on the ship we found to be excellent..not at any time did we come across a grumpy or unhelpful person.. and when you think og the hours that they work I'm sure I would lose my smile after a while. To be cont... Lorrae, That's a bargain price to pay for a taxi, considering you and Peter came all the way from Melbourne. ha ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAKA85 Posted April 13, 2008 #7 Share Posted April 13, 2008 what a teasing first statement i thought somebody was going to post a bad review was that your first cruise lorrae? glad you enjoyed it & hope to see your next cruise up on the screen soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadreams27 Posted April 13, 2008 Author #8 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Cont... The first three days are sea days and there is always a lot to do.. we started each morning the way I guess everyone does by reading the pacific daily..The hard part is picking out what to do.. Exploring the ship is a must and no matter how many times you go to the same deck you always get lost.. Thank goodness for the signs on each deck that show you exactly were you are.. it's not so much a matter of where, as which end is the pointy end.. it sure is good to see that there is a lot of people scratching their heads and wondering where they had to go..makes you feel less stupid when everyone's the same. Anyway there is shows to see which even though some were a bit cheesy nevertheless were still fun, bingo, drinks,movies,drinks,horse racing,drinks, lectures,drinks,swimming,drinks,dancing,drinks,casino,drinks..anyway you get the picture:D I think you would have to be pretty hard to please if you could not find something to do. It was so nice to catch up with fellow ccers on the friday in Bengal/piano bar..We met some people that hopefully will remain good friends. (ok welsh fargo you can pay me now;)or just email me) The islands.. Our first port of call was Wala.. what can I say.. all the islands are beautiful.. but each has something special about it.. for me Wala had absolutely beautiful vegetation, it was so picturesque. it was my ideal of a lush tropical island..and yes it was very humid.. those webcam shots that we all follow are very deceptive, it might look like a cloudy or partly sunny day but when you step off the ship onto the islands it is hot and humid..but that's ok as the water is just divine. I think nearly everyone goes for a swim at these islands. We met a lovely local that took us for a personal tour of his island and explained how many tribes lived on wala and that they were all late setting up for the tourists (us) as they had to go across to another island to go to church.. yes it was Sunday and they are nearly all Catholic..We left him a tip and thanked him very much ,as this was something that he just took upon himself to do I thought it showed just how friendly and helpful the locals were. A day on an island sure wears you out so after dinner in Palm court we went to the early show and were in bed by 10;30 I know.. we are getting old..Just can't stay up like we used to:( To be cont.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyholiday Posted April 13, 2008 #9 Share Posted April 13, 2008 We were also on this cruise(first time cruisers)we were in a group of 6 we could not fault the staff or anything about the cruise we were on Aloha with a balcony,we booked a balcony for the simple reason we are smokers,at the time of booking nothing was mentioned about the new rules(NO SMOKING EVEN ON BALCONYS)as we had paid top $ we did smoke on the balcony and placed all ash and butts in a bottle of water and our Stewart took it away(no problems)we did not enjoy all the shows,but everybody has there own opinion,(they can not cater to everybodys taste)the food was fine,we ate mostly at the buffet as we were enjoying talking to people and then could not be bothered getting dressed to attend the dining room,the couple of times we did we all enjoyed the servive and food,the security was great in my opinion and took care of a few people without interupting any one else,the seas were good to us until the Friday on our way home i couuldn't wait to get out of bingo as i could really feel it, a lot of people were sick. Hey sorry for crashing your review i have been hanging for someone to write just to compare. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadreams27 Posted April 13, 2008 Author #10 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Hi Happy holiday. Crash away, we all do:D This was our first cruise as well..we were in bingo on that last day and myself and DH were sitting back (drink in hand) watching people rush out to be sick. We got to the stage we were mahing bets to see if they would make it out of the lounge or not.. a few didn't.. I didn't think it was that rough but maybe that was because as soon as we saw whitecaps we took some quells..They worked a treat:) Saka 85 My opening sentence was in reference to the thread 'to hell and back' I really thought we must of been on a different cruise as we never saw nor heard about any of this. Welsh fargo oops ,I mean't from the airport. (email on way) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiescouser Posted April 13, 2008 #11 Share Posted April 13, 2008 great review so far, looking forward to the rest regards aussiescouser:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlz Posted April 13, 2008 #12 Share Posted April 13, 2008 :D I wanna read more!!! :D ...please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAKA85 Posted April 13, 2008 #13 Share Posted April 13, 2008 lorrae i got the title was a jab at you know who and am wondering how many threads will tease us as yours did... cant wait for next installment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitelite Posted April 13, 2008 #14 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I love reading reviews and yours is a great one. After the couple of negative posts from one particular cruiser on Pacific Dawn, I was really starting to get a bit apprehensive about taking my first cruise as I am booked on PD, but I obviously was worried about nothing, (thanks to your review and happyholidays review as well), I'm now really looking forward to my cruise again. Just goes to show what a great forum this is espescially for first time cruisers as it provides varying reviews and puts one's mind at ease. I can't wait for the next instalment of your review. Thanks for putting my mind at ease and I'm glad you had a great time :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare arxcards Posted April 13, 2008 #15 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Great stuff Lorrae, Glad you had a great cruise. Looking forward to the next part. If you become disoriented, there is a tip that worked for my missus - look at the cabin doors. If the numbers are going down, you are heading to the pointy end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaseyoz Posted April 14, 2008 #16 Share Posted April 14, 2008 great to hear you had a good time. also with regards to which way is "up" I seem to recall something mentioned about the carpet that tells you which was is the front. I have checked but still couldnt work it out. Maybe it is on those american ships where they even have to put a carpet in the lift with the day of the week on so you do not forget that either. could have some fun on the last day with that!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kezza Posted April 14, 2008 #17 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Come on Lorrae, where's the rest of your review!!!! Kerri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadreams27 Posted April 14, 2008 Author #18 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Vila. When you get to to Vila you definetly know that you are in another country..Wala and Mystery island are tropical paradises that except for the islanders you could believe you were in a part of QLD. Once you take that dice with death drive in a shuttle into town you finally realise that this is not Australia..the driving on the wrong side of the road is the first giveaway..the city itself has to be seen to understand..it's quaint but in small way ,modern..some shops have goods not seen in Aus. for decades, while others have much the same as back home. The prices were good..if you have the room in cases, or the weight allowance for flights, this would be the ideal time to stock up on not just drinks but jewllery, clothes, bags and almost anything you can think of..unfortunately we were serverly restricted with weight limits so could only buy a few items. Next time DH can have the clothes he is wearing and an empty case. Seems fair;) We did the Ekasup cultral tour and was most impressed..not only was it visually pleasing, we found out a lot about how life was for these people both before and after the europeans arrived. If anyone wants to get a first hand experience of island life we would strongly recommend this tour.. well worth it. Mystery Island Not a mystery to us..and to those that it still is, keep trying..it is a beautiful tropical paradise..The water is crystal clear and warm, except on the side where the best snorkeling is, there was sea slugs, but thats alright they can't hurt you, just looked a bit yuk..the other side of the isalnd has none and is great if you just want a swim..This is a great island for just relaxing, so beautiful and peaceful, I would be quiet happy spending a few days there. To be cont.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyche Posted April 14, 2008 #19 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Am loving reading your review Lorrae, more please :D Layni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadreams27 Posted April 14, 2008 Author #20 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Isle of pines This was our only rainy day..but it was only a drizzle.(.at least in the morning it was) still this didn't stop us from exploring the island. We flagged down a bus and for $15 aus. we were given a tour of the island..we were shown the church, and what I think was a burial ground, as well as a few other places of interest. Our driver didn't speak a word of english ( except for $15 please) and the only thing he understood of us was photo..which when spoken he would oblige and stop and let us take some...this tour lasts for about 45 mins and is not a bad way of seeing a few sights..what none of us realised till almost the end of the tour was that the driver had put a tape on that explained in english what we were looking at, or passing..so if doing this tour try and listen as it probably would of explained a few things..we just thought he had the radio on:o Even though it was raining we still went for a swim and the water was just perfect..the sand really is white and like talc..to me I liked isle of pines the best of the four..would liked to of stayed on the island a bit longer but unfortunately the rain was starting to get a bit annoying.. We went back to the ship around lunchtime and spent the afternoon sitting in the dome reading..I did hear that due to the weather there was a limited number of tenders going over in the afternoon and I think they stopped taking people over about 2ish. This was our last port and we had 2 sea days to go which flew past pretty quick. We had a very pretty lightening show on the night we left isle of pines..and for the last day there was a few whitecaps but still not much movement except for the afternoon when for a couple of hours when we were in the showlounge it got a bit bouncy and we could even hear the bow slamming into the sea..a few people were seasick but we were lucky and didn't feel ill at all. As I said in a different thread all to soon the cruise is over and we were back in Sydney. We will definetly go on another cruise, may not be until next year as we have a land based one we are now saving for, but we are already looking. As most of you know this was our first and we were really looking forward to it, as you do, and weren't sure whether we would enjoy this type of holiday or not, we were hoping we would..It turned out to be better than we anticipated.:D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailaway John Posted April 15, 2008 #21 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Good report:) . . . look forward to the rest of it. We are booked on Baja Deck on PD 24th May. Our cabin will be B183. Were you any where near that cabin. Any noise, etc.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welsh Fargo Posted April 15, 2008 #22 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Vila.When you get to to Vila you definetly know that you are in another country..Wala and Mystery island are tropical paradises that except for the islanders you could believe you were in a part of QLD. Once you take that dice with death drive in a shuttle into town you finally realise that this is not Australia..the driving on the wrong side of the road is the first giveaway..the city itself has to be seen to understand..it's quaint but in small way ,modern..some shops have goods not seen in Aus. for decades, while others have much the same as back home. The prices were good..if you have the room in cases, or the weight allowance for flights, this would be the ideal time to stock up on not just drinks but jewllery, clothes, bags and almost anything you can think of..unfortunately we were serverly restricted with weight limits so could only buy a few items. Next time DH can have the clothes he is wearing and an empty case. Seems fair;) We did the Ekasup cultral tour and was most impressed..not only was it visually pleasing, we found out a lot about how life was for these people both before and after the europeans arrived. If anyone wants to get a first hand experience of island life we would strongly recommend this tour.. well worth it. Mystery Island Not a mystery to us..and to those that it still is, keep trying..it is a beautiful tropical paradise..The water is crystal clear and warm, except on the side where the best snorkeling is, there was sea slugs, but thats alright they can't hurt you, just looked a bit yuk..the other side of the isalnd has none and is great if you just want a swim..This is a great island for just relaxing, so beautiful and peaceful, I would be quiet happy spending a few days there. To be cont.. DH can have the clothes he is wearing and an empty case ? Dont forget Lorrae, next cruise pack a belt for Peter's trousers! but that's another story. Great review.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legs11 Posted April 15, 2008 #23 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Great review - glad you enjoyed it.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadreams27 Posted April 15, 2008 Author #24 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Hi sailaway John You will love the Dawn, there is always a quite corner to sit if you want..or something happening somewhere on the ship..it's up to you whether you want to be alone or mix with others..or if you want to go full bore or at a more leisurely pace. Our cabin was B 175 so very close to where you will be..There is hardly any traffic noise, and after about 10pm. we didn't hear a thing. We did have a couple of mornings when our immediate neighbours thought that making as much as you like at 5.30 was ok (and they weren't young party goers) but otherwise we slept well and didn't hear anything. It is also close to stairs and lifts..but not much traffic from them.. there is also a laundry not to far away. Found this cabin to be in a great position and would book it again. Anything else you would like to know, please ask and I will try to answer.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard© Posted April 15, 2008 #25 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Great review Lorrae, I'm looking forward to our first cruise even more now.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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