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Overview
A sentimental favourite of many Australian Cruisers, P&O's Pacific Jewel is a "good value for money" ship for first time cruisers and family holidays.
Sailing around Australia in a number of varied itineraries the ship is big and spacious catering for couples, singles, and families.
Update 24 April 2018
Pacific Jewel is no longer part of the P&O Australia Fleet.
P&O - Pacific Jewel Reviews
Patricia Gilbert travelled in January, 2019 and left the following review:
I traveled with my 3 adult children, we had 2 x twin rooms. Both rooms were on the same floor but different corridors. We spent most of our time out and about on the ship so I was very happy with our inside stateroom and didn't feel that it was undersized or cramped at all.
The cleaners were extremely professional in their approached to their daily chores and appeared to work long hours but were always cheerful and happy to answer any question or query a person might have.
There was never a chance or reason to be bored or feel alone on the ship as there was always plenty of entertainment on offer.
The entertainment team did an amazing job creating many different activities to suit all on board. They always appeared happy and interested in whatever they were presenting, which must be hard to do after cruising for 12 days.
The food in 'The Pantry" was of a high standard and once again the staff serving at each counter were happy to accommodate the needs of each individual diner.
The drinks waiters were very diligent and made it pleasant to request a drink and were able to memorize each persons order without any problems.
The restaurants also offered amazing choices on their menus at very reasonable prices. The food at Salt Grill was always a very high standard.
I am aware that we traveled during the school holiday period but I felt the under age children had almost uninterrupted freedom on the ship. It appeared they had activities designed for the under 18 age group but they were also able to attend the evening events. I felt this over loaded the meeting bars and created congestion for those people who were travelling without children but chose to also attend the same evening events. My suggestion would be to have a curfew for under 18.
Overall I definitely enjoyed my first cruise and have already suggested cruising to many of my friends.
M ick & Dori travelled in January, 2019 and left the following review:
This was our first cruise on a beautiful big ship,& from the moment we boarded,we felt relaxed.!..Everyone was so helpful & polite, the staff bent over backwards for us ,our cabin was most comfortable & the guys did a great job of keeping it clean for us..The choice of food available was fantastic! Everything was fresh each day....There was nothing that we didn't like & the waiting staff were most polite & friendly .There was always something to do on board with trivia & games etc to play & the entertainment was first class.The cabaret style shows were a favourite too!Steady Eddie even made an appearance & we got to meet the man himself! We had the best week on our "taste of Tassie" cruise & would totally recommend it for a true getaway!
Nola Hartfield travelled in January, 2019 and left the following review:
Everything was outstanding. all members of the crew were amazing. the food was outstanding.
My only concern was that I was unable to access the pool due to not being able to use a ladder. If there was some type of ramp it would help older people to enjoy a swim.
The food -5 stars
The entertainment 10 stars
The price 5 stars
The cabin 5 stars
The crew 8 stars especially Pablo and Mathew
Lee-Ann travelled in July, 2018 and left the following review:
A great way to holiday with kids! Everything is just a few decks away...food, entertainment, drinks. Our cabin staff took good care of us and The Pantry staff made sure that mealtimes ran smoothly and that we all had enough to eat - they didn't judge if you went back for seconds either!
Robin Philip travelled in February, 2018 and left the following review:
We'd really appreciate if you could write even something small. Here's a little of what we'd like to hear about:
Our cabin was comfortable, clean, and well presented. It had everything we needed - including lots of hanging space and clothes hangers. We especially appreciated the position and being able to have a porthole/window.
The entertainment was excellent and of professional standard. We especially appreciated the staff making sure a Downs Syndrome passenger was partnered and included in all the dancing that we saw.
The food was of a really high standards. It met all of our dietary requirements and then some. We have nothing but high praise for the chefs and the service staff.
We did not participate in off shore activities, preferring to be by ourselves. It was important to us to just walk, without being transported to see the sights.
We did get a good deal. The booking process was relatively easy and we would travel again with the cruise liner, but at some time in the future.
We were really impressed with the staff and crew, especially our Cabin Steward Erwin. He was a very caring but professional member of your staff and was most impressive.
How were the staff and crew onboard?
Miss Helen Dawn Wright travelled in December, 2017 and left the following review:
Well this was so disappointing on so many levels , there was a list of the breakdown in their customer relations .
Let me start with the positive , the cabins were good plenty of storage , good shower , we asked for water at night time for our medication we were shown bottles of water displayed on the table for $4.95 a bottle he said we can’t bring water to you (like they do on Princess etc) so we had to buy this overly priced water .
Negatives
My Susters case was late to be delivered to our cabin she opened it and found everything wet , finally got someone to come and take a look , MARGARET said if I didn’t know better I would say it had been in the sea he said it has REALLY fancy knowing this and delivering it to her.
Well then the fun began , trying to get anyone at all interested in our plight , they said what do you want us to do about this , finally they took all the clothes to the laundry . We managed to pin Shaun on the pursers desk to talk about our dissatisfaction., he said well you have $50.00 credit on your account , nobody had told us .
We said we need some compensation for the case , to cut a long story short the last night we went to see if we could get something in writing before we got off the ship only to be told of course you know there is $250.00 on board credit to spend on board I said there are no cases on board and that is what we need , anyway we had to spend the money or lose it .
I asked to have some help to get to the ship nobody was there to help .
Had. diet requirements listed on our application nobody acknowledged this to us.
The food in the restaurant was just like slow cooker meats , no steak , or fish , no vegetables ,
No tea or coffee offered after our meals .
The service wasn’t good they couldn’t of been more disinterested in us one waiter handed me a very hot plate which took me all my time to hold onto.
There was other things but I think you might get my drift by now Southern Getaway
Jan travelled in December, 2017 and left the following review:
Fortunately the weather was lovely and so we spent many hours gazing out to calm blue sea and skies- even spotting whales and dolphins on this trip!
We were given a cabin near the Oasis deck lounge, which was perfect for us.
Disappointed by some of the guests who unfortunately did not understand that this is a place of quiet restfulness. Perhaps this area could be designated a quiet zone, like the Quiet Carriage on the trains and specified as so in the literature and signage.
Jennifer Paddon travelled in November, 2017 and left the following review:
Our cruise was very enjoyable, very good food choises in the Waterfront Resturant. Very friendly waiters/waitresses, they gave good service.
We had an inside cabin (3people) which we found to have good facilities, plenty of wardrobe and drawer space for all of us. Our stewards Carlo and Marvin (cabin 9231) were very good, we laughed at the towel animals. Didn't do any shore excursions except the arranged Melbourne Cup included with our cruise price. Having to line up among 100/1000's of people to get into & out of the course was a bit of a pain but I suppose you have to expect that.
The second adult comedienne (man) wasn't funny and we couldn't understand him. If I was in charge of hiring comedy acts for the cruise line I certainly wouldn't employ him again. The other shows were okay and there was plenty to do during the day if you wanted to.
This is our second cruise with P & O and we would go with them again.
Judy travelled in November, 2017 and left the following review:
The check was fast and very efficient. Cabins were a great design with a alcove for clothes and lots of draws and space to dress in. Just off bathroom. The food was a good variety in the food pantry and you were served. No passengers touch the food of untensils. This was good. The waterfront restaurant was good but meals were a little small sometimes. The transport to and from cup was well organised . Waiting times a little slow but that was due to volume of people all going and leaving at same time. Entertainment was good . We found bars too noisy for us which made talking difficult. Overall good trip.
Samantha travelled in June, 2017 and left the following review:
Everything about my first experience on a cruise was truly lovely. From Kevin at the doc helping our group of 23 people get luggage take to the correct spot, getting lined up and in the correct area and getting on to the boat.
Once on the boat we found our lovely rooms neat and tidy and a lot of lovely staff member greeting us. The food was great all we seemed to do was eat and drink and lay in the sun beds. Listen to the fantastic live music and watch the comedy shows all of the entertainment was fantastic. There was so much variety to choose from. All in all for my first experience on a cruise it meet and exceeded all of my expectations.
Michael Rasmussen travelled in June, 2017 and left the following review:
I went on Pacific Jewel 7 day cruise to the Qld State of Origin & Ukulele cruise. The State of Origin & Ukulele components of the cruise were great, the other aspects of the cruise were ordinary to say the least eg some staff were very pleasant but the majority of staff were not very friendly at all. The food in the Pantry was passable however quantities were small , if you wanted a Chinese cuisine meal you had to pay an extra $49 per person ( over the top)!! If you wanted a restaurant quality meal you paid an extra $99 per head ( way over the top)!! There was no fruit available unless the chef approved it & then the quality was very poor, green bananas , rock hard apples and pears with no flavour. Filtered water stations were few & far between and the cakes for desert were very dry. At the end of the cruise we were given an envelope entitled Gratuities which I thought at the outset was covered by our fare & made us feel greatly inadequate Overall, we have been on a number of cruises & this was by far the worst, would be very unlikely to travel on the Pacific Jewel again.
Bruce Jamieson travelled in April, 2017 and left the following review:
Hi team Got a great deal had great weather great seas best was the the orient bar there was a piano man named Hunter Deblanc made every night so enjoyable the ship the jewel is a little bit outdated but the staff were great cheers Bruce
Cam Jobbins travelled in March, 2017 and left the following review:
overall a very nice experience. Crew were great, room well appointed and clean, the only disappointment was SALT restaurant. Food not cooked properly, & staff inexperienced and not very helpful. Other than that, a most enjoyable time.
Michael harris travelled in March, 2017 and left the following review:
it was a food and whine cruise to Eden we couldn't disembark at Eden!
My wife was thrown out of shower hitting her eye on sink due to big waves
food was ok cabin stewards great but next time maybe we try another company
Very disappointing cruise!!
cheryl Timmer travelled in March, 2017 and left the following review:
Travelled on the pacific jewel for 4 nights to moreton island. the cabins even though they are a bit dated are still comfortable and have everything that you need. We went for the balcony cabin deck 10 as I like to feel the fresh air instead of just air-conditioning. We found the sit down dining was far superior to the casual dining however as most people over indulge on their food it was refreshing to have a light salad for lunch. We spent time in the spa and particularly the VIP section downstairs which we joined straight away on embarkation. This was fantastic as it offers many different kinds of steam rooms, sauna, herbal and meditation rooms. This was a great way for us to de-stress and we used it every day. There were quite a few kids on board as well as the young people who were on there for a short holiday to indulge in alcohol.
Overall the entertainment was Ok but I particularly enjoyed the comedian. Because of the wide difference in age groups I would expect that it is hard to find entertainment to please all ages.
I thought it was good value for money and crazy cruises were cheaper than any other site. I thought the tours were a bit overpriced for what they were so I didn't take any. there was only 1 port of call
I was very impressed with the cabin crew. the room was kept immaculate and they always seemed to know when we were away from the cabin to come for service.
Laura McFarlane travelled in October, 2015 and left the following review:
When booking a quad cabin if you have kids make sure that your kids are old enough too sleep on top as p&o have rules about how old the child has too be too sleep on top and if something happens your not covered by travel insurance !!
Also take a pool noodle with you and place it under the fitted sheet too stop your child rolling out !!?
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P&O - Pacific Jewel Webcams
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Photos
Enjoy some photos of the P&O - Pacific Jewel and photos taken by real customers onboard.
News
It'll be a sad day for many Australian cruisers with the departure of Pacific Jewel from the P&O Australia fleet. Many a good time has been spent on this grand liner - countless holiday memories...