P & O Cruise - Whos Been On One?

[berzerker]

Hey guys

So im leaving for a cruise with 10 other people on the Pacific Dawn for 7 days this Saturday.

Never been on one and dont really know what to expect.

What are drink prices like? Expecting ridiculous..

How much cash should I take onboard? Im a pretty big drinker.

Do I take my own carton of cigs onboard or do I buy them duty free on the boat?

Just taking a good mix of casual and formal clothes, one suit and some jeans and few collared shirts and the rest casual.

Any advice/warnings appreciated!

[Buf-Phoon]

make sure you take your full quota of duty free on board for starters. More should be available on board for consumption if you are

in international waters.

My folks just got back from an around the globe cruise on the Oriana and just charged all drinks etc back

to their room and settled with credit card. I suppose you will have to settle with cash/travellers cheques

if splitting bills. Drinks were slightly above reasonable IIRC.

So if you like a drink I would take at least cover for $2500 k ,that's only $250 per day

Threads will depend on the demographics of the passengers.

My "oldies" had to take Dinner suits etc for Captains Dinners etc.

If it were me I would dress as if you were going to a 5 star resort .

Just have some smart casual to go with the boardies

my 2.2 c

[rcm81]

Most cruises don't take cash. You get issued a charge card that you put money on then use your card to buy everything. Be

careful if you hit the piss too hard coz they cut your card off for 24 hours which means you can not buy anything at all

for that 24 hour period. no food nuthin.

[RowdyBurns]

Are you going to Noumea and Vanuatu? I did that cruise aboard pacific dawn in November. Drink prices are standard club prices. Cocktails are about $10, heavy beers are about $6 a stubby, mid cans $5. Food is good, don't bother with the buffet it's crap, always do lunch and dinner in the dining room. Lunch you don't book, but dinner you have to, on the first night u can secure a reservation for the week. When you are in the dining room don't assume you can only have one entree and one main, it's unlimited. Get your feast on and eat everything, most of it is really good. When you get the drunk munchies there is a grill on the pool deck, makes a winner burger with chips for $5 or something. Make sure you are sh*tfaced before you get there though. Maybe that's why it was so good.

You get a charge card, and can elect to settle it at the end with credit card or pre pay cash onto it. I drank $800 worth of alcohol, but that said I was pretty sh*t-tanked the entire time, and made a point of drinking the entire cocktail menu.

The one thing that bummed us out was that we were under the impression that the nightclub stayed open until 4:30 ( I am sure we read this somewhere) yet each night they closed earlier then the previous night, usually about 2:30, with the final night closing at 1:30. When they call last drinks its 1 drink limit per person, so be sure to be royally hammered up by then. Once they close, it's bed time there isn't anything else to do, and no bars open. Not good for someone like me who wanted to continue drinking until sun up... every night.

Smoke selection is limited on board, they are like $10 a pack all the time. Or get in with a bartender, they get them from the staff bar for $4 a pack. Duty free cartons, you place your order and then u cant pick them up until you are out of Australian waters or something like that. I bought a few packs on board to get me to Vanuatu, then bought a 10 pack 25 carton for AUD$30. Also got a 2L bottle of beam for $20.

There were different theme nights on board, apart from that just rock boardies all the time. If the weather sucks and the seas are rough the pools are closed. Therefore nothing to do. So drink up. And yes drinking at 8:30am is acceptable, even if the bar is still setting up and you are the only person there waiting... beside a table with a family eating a buffet breakfast... still in last nights clothes reeking of alcohol... these things are ok ITS A CRUISE!

I went on board with the expectation that it was going to be a non-stop party, it's not. Party time is at night, and that's if people stick around. Days on the water are down time so drink up and relax. Our cruise the travelers were pretty tame, but with a group of 10 you should be the party! there is usually a show (stand up comedy, trivia)on in the night club at night that will fill it, after that most of the people bailed out. They have a 'Motown' show in the showroom, seriously, and this is the best piece of advice anyone can give you, make sure you are WASTED if you think there is even a slight possibility of someone dragging you along to this.

Shotgunning beers wasn't overly appreciated by security, they are pretty relaxed on most things though.

The staff aren't allowed to put out.

It's a pretty mad time, my mates and I enjoyed it. Although had I known before hand, if you are going on the same cruise and have a caucasian mate with longish hair get him drunk before you get off at Lifou. This way you have a better chance of him agreeing to get corn-rows, white guys with corn rows, epically funny. And providing you are single, more chances of pussy for you. Never hurts to take the competition out of the game.

Edit: I didn't realise I wrote that much. Good on anyone who makes it to the end.

Edited 09/02/11 07:47 AM by Nemesis

[Trough Lolly]

hahahhahaha..... my next door neighbour is Mark Willhelm!

[Boosted1]

dont go in a cyclone season... went through one, pumbled by huge waves and wernt allowed on the deck for 4 days!!! DRINK UP haha

[berzerker]

Nemesis cheers for the epic post. All the info I needed.

Sounds like drink prices arnt as bad as I thought then. Ive allowed 3k for drinks to be safe I dont like to run out.

Looks like our group may be the last ones up every night then, we plan on pulling a few all-nighters.

[Zerosignal]

When I went on the pacific sky you could take 1.125 litres of your own booze on board with you that way you could hip flask and just buy coke for the first two nights I remember the smokes being dirt cheap 3.50 a pack from memory regardless of size ie winnie blues 25s or longbeach blue 40s were same price. Drinks are standard nightclub prices unfortunately and stay the hell away from the casino. Also if one of your ports is vila at Vanuatu save your money to shop at the duty free there it is easily the cheapest and best of the duty free places.

[TonyD]

I went last year with my bro and a few of his mates, they needed someone 21 or over between the 6 of them or P&O wouldn't let them on as they were all 17/18 and it was schoolies time. I got more pussy then they did.

Pacific Dawn 8 night cruise. Awesome. You won't regret it =P

[mar705]

I did a 12 night on the sun few years back had a ball I disagree about the buffet I thought it was good its easy aswell u feel abit weird going to the dinning room not dressed up 3k is sh*t loads for drinks I only spent 2k for 12 night including buying sh*t onboard ns shore tours but yeah dude u will love it