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   Cruise Travel - Reader Reviews

Welcome to Your Favorites, where you have the opportunity to share your travel experiences with fellow Internet Travelers around the world.


P&O Cruises

MV Pacific Sky

Your Rating:Four Stars
Reviewed by: Louise Lamb
# previous cruises: 2
Date of Trip: April 15, 2003
Itinerary: South Pacific

Overview
This ship has something for everyone. From young party goers to middle age couples. Even the children seemed to enjoy themselves [and they were well behaved too!] Your time on board is what you make it as the ship caters to a whole range of tastes and tempos. It was my first cruise and it lived up to all my expectations.

Public Areas
For a ship that carries around 1200 passengers you never felt cramped or crowded. The lifts were a bit slow so we walked up and down stairs quite a bit. That wasn't so bad as we needed the exercise to work off those extra kilos!. The pools were a bit small and I never used them but I did plenty of swimming on the islands. I recommend taking a jumper as it can get a bit chilly out of deck even in summer. Legends Bar was very popular with young and old alike, great music and atmosphere. Horizons Lounge was lovely at night for a quiet drink and the pianist provided that extra touch. Understandably smoking was'nt allowed in all bars and lounges which restricted where I went for a drink. The casino was a bit of a disappointment as the pokie machines were somewhat outdated and not enough variety. I can't complain about the blackjack tables though as I had a win there!. I found the decks to be open and easily accessible. All public areas were clean and nicely decorated. They were even replacing the carpets early one morning! The laundry was adequate with about 15 or so washing machines and dryers, the only expense being the washing powder which was $1 for a small box. One room was fitted out with plenty of ironing boards [I didn't spend much time in there though!]

Food and Service
The food was one of the highlights of my cruise!. The five course meals at night in the dining room were a delight. The courses were just the right size and the overall meal left you feeling satisfied and not bloated and uncomfortable. I especially loved the basket of freshly baked crusty bread rolls served with each meal [and real butter too!] Each course was promptly served so there was no waiting and our waiter was always friendly and helpful. You could pre order your drink for the next night so it would be there on the table for you when you sat down. We only had breakfast out on the back deck[or you could go to the dining room]. Plenty of bacon and eggs [only scrambled though] plus sausages, hash browns etc. There were cereals, fruit, juices, croissants, and lots more. Breakfast is at eight and the trick is to get there on time as the line ups can get quite long. For the early risers the coffee machines were open at 6.30 and it was particularly nice coffee too! Lunches were out on the back deck or you could go to the dining room. We mainly ate out on deck. Once again the choice was endless and there was always some sort of roast meat. There were chinese dishes, cabanas, hotdogs, salads, a whole range of dishes to choose from really. All staff were friendly and helpful, they really earn their keep. They were impeccably dressed and very quick to serve you. I found the drinks to be reasonably priced with cocktails at $6.50. A beer was $4.00 and spirits around the $5.00 mark. The orange juice was a bargain at $1.50 a glass.

Cabins
I shared a cabin with my 3 friends and we did quite well in the limited space. Nice hot showers and plenty of cupboard space. The top bunk could be pushed up to the ceiling providing more head room. Our cabin steward cleaned and tidied our room twice a day and we couldn't have done without her! Overall I think we managed things well in the cabin and it's size was never really an issue.

Entertainment
I loved the shows at night though I did'nt get to see them all. There was a particularly good magician and quite funny too! I am still wondering how he put that mans tie back together after he cut it in half! There was a Neil Diamond impersonator who was extremely good and put on a great act. They also had a talent quest where passengers could strut there stuff up on stage. Some were quite good and very entertaining. I enjoyed the afternoon bingo [great prize money!] but I never went to the picture theatre as the movies were not my type.

Activities
We were extremely lucky to have had fine weather for the entire trip so we got to go to all four islands. Vanuatu, Mystery Island, Isle of Pines and Noumea. Vila was lovely with lots of markets and inexpensive down town shopping. We hired a fellow to take us on a tour of the island. He dropped us off to go shopping and picked us up and took us back to the ship. We paid him $15 each but he was a real character and showed us a great time. Mystery Island was lovely. A very relaxing day spent sun baking and swimming. Isle of Pines was just a paradise! The water was unbelievable and I went on a catamaran ride round the bay for just a $2 tip. I did pay $8 for a bowl of chips though at some posh beach resort. A sign on the bar advertised a drink and a sandwich $15! Local women brought their home cooking down to sell and even though it looked and smelled delicious I was'nt game to try any. Noumea was more like a small city. We went on a bus tour which was well worth it [around the $40 mark]. They served us drinks and french pastries at one lookout and dropped us off at two places to do some shopping. Everyone said Noumea was too expensive for shopping but I found the prices to be not that bad. I would have liked to have taken more money with me. There was plenty to do on board. Each day they publish the Sky Daily, a newsletter listing all activities and entertainment. I found the ships photographer to be quite good and I had many nice pictures of my trip to take home. The duty free shopping was great on board and they had specials in the boutique each day.

Who Goes
I met some nice people on the ship, some were real characters! I wish I had taken down names and phone numbers which alot of people did. Even though there were alot of young party goers on board there were no trouble makers amongst them. I always felt safe to roam the ship at night on my own. Overall it was a great trip and I will go again one day.

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