P and O Cruise "review"/info

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#3114432 11-Aug-2023 09:32

It can vary it seems.

Believe Fiji may take aussie or nz. With Aussie being more popular. About to find out shortly.
We found a few of the other islands markets had dual pricing on their signs. Or would let you do a funky money trade.

But then the shops at say noumea are all pacific franc, so easier to use XE conversation app to make sure you weren't being ripped and get it on the card as they had the facilities

When not everyone has an electronic payment, and if they did could slap you 'fees'.

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#3114437 11-Aug-2023 09:49

As an add-it to my above post, we received our onboard spending statement. Including the original cost of the cruise our overall cost was $176.05 per day per person.

Excluding cabin credit of $300.00 and petrol from & to Tauranga and Auckland ferry's.

Additional on board food = $40.45
Show = $40.00 for 2 tickets
On board retail = $305.73 including duty free booze
Shore Tour Nouméa = $139.98 for 2 tickets
Onboard drinks = $438.35 (H2O, barista coffee, spirits & wine)

So as you can see we made the correct decision to not take any of the drinks packages nor internet packages. https://www.pocruises.co.nz/plan/how-to-book/booking-your-extras

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

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#3115683 14-Aug-2023 13:17

sen8or:

One thing with the drinks package (at least on Princess) is that it included specialty coffee, not just alcohol so factor this into your equations when deciding if its worthwhile. We both enjoy cafe coffee, usually 2-3 each per day, @ $4-5 (US on our ship) per coffee, this would have added up pretty quickly on top of the alcoholic drinks.

I went through this estimation process before each of the handful of cruises I've been on - as the pricing and beverage package details has been quite different each time. In general a beverage package has worked out but been close. Even at break-even it is worthwhile as you don't need to care once it is paid and can just enjoy the holiday without worrying about extra costs. When you don't have it you have a certain reticence to enjoy yourself a cocktail because of the eyewatering price. It allows you to try something different without caring that you might not like it. If so, pour it out and get something different.

From memory I was reckoning on a morning barista coffee, a few bottles of water (to take ashore if a port day), a couple of afternoon pool cocktails, a couple of pre dinner cocktails, a couple of wines with dinner, a post dinner special coffee and cocktail or liqueur, and another couple of drinks at the show or dance after dinner. So up do 10 drinks a day is quite possible (8-O) - hey it's a holiday not a health camp! Those drinks at U$10-$15 add up and you don't need too many to hit the typical $100 or so daily cost of the package.

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#3115695 14-Aug-2023 13:40

Our attitude to drinks on board, was during sea days, we'd have drinks (alcohol), nights before port days we tended not to, mainly to save ourselves from feeling crap or anything from too many the night before ;)

Even for soft drinks, we took our own for most of it, you're allowed 12 cans each of soft drink in your carry on. So that was 48 cans between 4 of us. And even then when we ran out, we just waited for a port day and went and topped up.

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#3115767 14-Aug-2023 16:43

FineWine:

As an add-it to my above post, we received our onboard spending statement. Including the original cost of the cruise our overall cost was $176.05 per day per person.

Excluding cabin credit of $300.00 and petrol from & to Tauranga and Auckland ferry's.

Additional on board food = $40.45
Show = $40.00 for 2 tickets
On board retail = $305.73 including duty free booze
Shore Tour Nouméa = $139.98 for 2 tickets
Onboard drinks = $438.35 (H2O, barista coffee, spirits & wine)

So as you can see we made the correct decision to not take any of the drinks packages nor internet packages. https://www.pocruises.co.nz/plan/how-to-book/booking-your-extras

You paid for a show? Or was that a show when you were ashore? Like an excursion.

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FineWine

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#3115774 14-Aug-2023 16:55

Handsomedan:

FineWine:

As an add-it to my above post, we received our onboard spending statement. Including the original cost of the cruise our overall cost was $176.05 per day per person.

Excluding cabin credit of $300.00 and petrol from & to Tauranga and Auckland ferry's.

Additional on board food = $40.45
Show = $40.00 for 2 tickets
On board retail = $305.73 including duty free booze
Shore Tour Nouméa = $139.98 for 2 tickets
Onboard drinks = $438.35 (H2O, barista coffee, spirits & wine)

So as you can see we made the correct decision to not take any of the drinks packages nor internet packages. https://www.pocruises.co.nz/plan/how-to-book/booking-your-extras

You paid for a show? Or was that a show when you were ashore? Like an excursion.

No that was a one off special show on board going upto Noumea, they then got off at Noumea and fly to the next port to catch the next boat to do another show.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

Stu

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#3115828 14-Aug-2023 18:59

Have never had to pay for that type of show on Princess (that was pre Covid,
so that may have changed). Best I remember was NZ's own Steve Larkins (whom we caught on (from memory) three separate cruises).

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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#3115837 14-Aug-2023 19:32

They have free shows, and one or two paid ones - the one they were pushing while I was on board was "The Purple Rabbit" - while R16 it was nothing to do with what has probably popped into most peoples heads :)

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#3115971 15-Aug-2023 09:15

Stu: Have never had to pay for that type of show on Princess (that was pre Covid,
so that may have changed). Best I remember was NZ's own Steve Larkins (whom we caught on (from memory) three separate cruises).

Steve is amazing.

My parents are friends with him and always rave about his shows.
I have his album - it's a very good Queen tribute.

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Stu

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#3116032 15-Aug-2023 09:53

He's a top chap indeed. Have spoken to him and his other half a couple of times. Turns out he's also friends from way back with an uncle who's in the music scene (only found this out after our last chat with Steve and Sharon). They also used to live not far from us. Sure is a small world.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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#3116069 15-Aug-2023 11:24

xpd:

They have free shows, and one or two paid ones - the one they were pushing while I was on board was "The Purple Rabbit" - while R16 it was nothing to do with what has probably popped into most peoples heads :)

Watership Down?

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#3116083 15-Aug-2023 12:21

MikeAqua:

xpd:

They have free shows, and one or two paid ones - the one they were pushing while I was on board was "The Purple Rabbit" - while R16 it was nothing to do with what has probably popped into most peoples heads :)

Watership Down?

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#3116113 15-Aug-2023 13:09

We saw the Purple Rabbit show - was worth every cent of the $20 IMO.

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#3277209 30-Aug-2024 16:24

Just returned yesterday from 10 days on the P&O Pacific Explorer which went up to Tonga and Fiji, a bit of a review and comments:

Tonga is beautiful, it did make me feel that we take so much for granted in NZ, especially with infrastructure. Really stood out seeing all the shops which resembled tin shed/containers with bars in front. They even had a group of dancers performing before the ship even finished docking and again in the hour we departed. Tip: ignore the dogs, they are all wild.
Roaming in Tonga on One NZ was unusable (data didn't work, going to try to get a refund of the $8 fee when the bill comes). Niece on 2degrees had no problems.
Lautoka in Fiji felt a bit industrial, can put that down to the Sugar Cane industry there. Kinda amusing on the bus ride to town the tour guide lady was quick to point out where McDonalds and Burger King was. Weather was super humid and warm.
The Pacific Explorer itself is very nice but it's age really shows (built in 1996), was my first cruise so nothing to compare to.
Room service is top notch, rooms well cleaned each day and even got a turn-down service in the evening which I didn't expect. The legendary towel-animals made an appearance too, we got an elephant early on.
Food was great in all the restaurants we tried, you do start to miss the food you are use to as time goes on as the menus don't alter much.
The Entertainment crew do a really good job, it is low-budget and most of the time if you did say Trivia the prize would be a Lanyard or P&O Keyring that doubles as a bottle opener.

Tips:

You are allowed to take 12 loose cans of soft-drink onto the ship with you per person, do it as you will save a lot of money and you can take the cans into any of the restaurants.
Don't bother with the on-board internet and enjoy the digital detox, however I found facebook without images/videos worked over the Wifi. Also I thought there was meant to be a mobile network on the ship, but my phone didn't find one, maybe a good thing as the rates were expensive.
Use the internet kiosks to fill in the traveler declaration when re-entering NZ, they do give you a form with a QR code, but the website has a reCAPTCHA on it which isn't whitelisted on the free wifi hence the poor reception lady had to deal with 1000+ people having problems.
Take your own laundry pods from the supermarket onboard to use with the provided washer/dryers
You can buy bottled water on the boat if you can't stomach the taste of desalinated water
Buy a block of Whitakers for the person looking after your room :)
Beware of the constant "up-sell", treat yourself now and then but you can enjoy the cruise without buying anything up-sold.
Start taking Sea Legs 3 days out from the Cruise starting to help condition yourself, it is a very weird experience at the start with the vessel moving in all directions (esp while you are trying to sleep!)

Sadly, this is my first and only time on the Pacific Explorer as the P&O Brand is being absorbed into Carnival who own the brand and as part of that the Explorer is being withdrawn from service in March 2025. We did ask one of the entertainment team about its future and sounds like the ship has been sold to a Chinese Gambling group so can only assume it will be converted into a floating casino. To date no replacement ship has been announced so there will be a significant drop in cruise capacity sailing out of Auckland but again rumours floating around Carnival will buy some new ships at some point.

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#3277229 30-Aug-2024 17:39

That 12 cans is every embarking day (port) btw ;)

We got more at almost every stop

And I got away with taking mother's 4packs into princess too (shhh as long as it's not beer or looks like a wine bottle in xray seems sweet)

They're going to be shifting some princess mid size across to cover here far as I'm aware.

But the govt? had just done an 80% cruise industry fee increase somewhere so there's possibly less, or cancellations on horizon. That's millions and they can't add it as our processing fares need to be all inclusive at booking time.

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