Cruising was never ever something I wanted to do. The thought of being on a ship in the middle of the ocean made me want to curl up in a ball in the corner. No one could convince me to get on a ship... until the other day. Yep... I did the unthinkable and went on P&O Dawn.
P&O as a cruise liner gets a pretty bad wrap. Before I went on it people would say the following
- "its just like a floating Sizzlers"
- "P&O is for Bogans"
- "wasn't that the ship that everyone got sick with gastro the other week"
Ok. I know. I know. All very valid points but here are my thoughts of the thoughts below.
P&O Company History
FACT: P&O as a company have been doing cruises out of Australia since 1932.... So they know there shit. There fleet consisted of 4 ships and they have recently added 2 more... Aria and Eden. These ships use to be old Norwegian Cruise Liners, so these 2 newly renovated ships are magical. Plus the limit the amount of kids allowed on board. Whats not to like about that.
The ship - Dawn
The ship I got to go on was the Dawn. The ship itself is pretty large but from looking at it from the outside it has alot of rust on it. I know... the seawater does it. Buy Im just telling you what I saw. I went through customs and made my way up the plank into the foyer. It was pretty impressive. When I walked on I didnt even feel like I was on a ship. I felt like I was in a hotel. Inside the ship heading towards the rooms it looks like it needed a bit of a revamp. The carpets look like they were in an casion from the 70's. The top of the ship look cool though. Big pools, spas, a stage where they have performance. A running track, an adults only area (best invention ever), bars, the edge (activity centre) and kids club.
The rooms
I dont know what I was expecting in regards to the rooms on the ship. I thought they were going to be the size of a hotel room but they were so small. I was lucky enough to see all the room types while I was on board. Interior rooms which are smack bang in the middle of the ships surprisingly have a bit of room in them. Although I dont like that you turn the light off its night time and you turn the light on its day time. The oceanview rooms were a bit smaller than the interior with a little port hole (that doesnt open) so you can see out. And the balcony rooms were just as small with a teanie tiny little balcony that just had enough room for two chairs to fit. Theses 3 rooms are quite small. Enough room for a double bed, a walk in room and the worlds smallest bathroom. Or you can get two single or bunk beds and a double bed.
If I was to recommend a room type to you I would say go with the balcony room. You can open the doors and let the cool sea breeze in or just sit there on your private deck and watch the world go by.
Or if you have extra coin and want a bit of extra space upgrade to a suite. They are amazeball. You get a bedroom, lounge room, coffee machine, priority check in, big bathroom and bathtub. Plus double the size balcony. I take back my recconmendation of the balcoyn room.... you should definitely definitely get a suite.
The food
Ok ok... now we get to what you have all been waiting for. ... the food!!!!! So Dawn at the moment still has the floating Sizzler which appeals to some peeps. But my favorite place to eat was in the waterfront restaurant. This place is amazing. Its an alacart restaurant thats included in the price you pay to get on the ship. And... every dinner/lunch you can have a 3 course meal if you want to. Do you want 2 desserts, as well as trying 3 mains and 4 entrees? You can have that aswell... they just keep bringing you food. If your after something a bit more fancy they have the salt grill restaurant, a chinese one and another one that wasnt really too interesting.
If your after something abit different try the chefs table which is a 7 course degistation menu matched with wines. Yum! This experience is an intimate one and books out fast. 12 people get to go here a night. The chef will also take you for a walk through the kitchen and show you the gally of the ships. Its incredible to see how it works. The have a NZ ice cream shop on board and a little burger joint for your afternoon snacks....Cheap too...
Side bar for the future: P&O are getting rid of the buffet and replacing it with 'the pantry'. What is the Pantry? Im glad you asked. Instead of a buffet its a food court. This is included when you purchase your tickets to get on board. They will have mexican, burgers, dessert bar, sushi ect that you can go up and order it fresh.... so cool.
Activities
Up on the main deck was pretty cool. They have a flying fox that flies over the ship and pools. Pools, spa's, a activities area with rock climbing and walking the plank activities. My favorite area was the adults only area. I could sat in one of the spas or the deck chair and watched the world go by all day. They also have a theatre where they do nightly shows, a day spa, kids clubs a shops
$ on board
The ship is $ free. You can set up accounts that attach to your room. Pay it daily or be left will the bill for the end of the trip. The choice is yours... They do have atm's on board if you do want to use cash..
Celebrating an special occasion?
Tell your travel agent or P&O before you board and they will tee a little special something for you. I wont spoil the surprise...
Whats include in your ticket
Your room, breakfast, lunch and dinner, being dropped at the different destinations, theatre shows
What you have to pay for
Shore tours, activities (called the Edge: eg flying fox), day spa, drinks and booze, snacks (ice cream & burgers), onboard shopping or buying P&O merchandise.
So I hope my review helped. If you do have any questions feel free to hit me up below.... Until next time.
S xxx
