Review: P&O Cruises Australia Pacific Eden

It’s easy to see why P&O Cruises Australia as a brand has remained at the forefront of discussions about cruisers, particularly when you’re on board one of their ships.

P&O Cruises Australia has continuously been one of the first cruise lines advancing with the times, reacting to the public criticism that cruise ships are often too tasteless in their effort to accommodate to the everyday Australian, out of touch with current needs and design.

The new additional Pacific Eden to me is a direct response to that. Pacific Eden formerly Statendam of the Holland America Line fleet.

I was lucky enough to grab a quick tour of Pacific Eden when it docked in Adelaide on Monday 21^st of March 2016, observing personally what a refurbishment stirred by modern Australia truly looked and felt like.

My first impression when I first laid eyes on her, was her significantly smaller size from the other P&O Cruises Australia ships. But once inside you are taken back from its deceptively small size.

Pacific Eden caters for about 1,500 guests and the number of child passengers has been capped at 10 per cent which will without a doubt impact the position of her in the market.

The ambiance throughout the ship was calming, the fixtures alluring you to bring your book, take the weight off your feet and relax as the bartender pours you your favourite cocktail.

The Pantry was a real eye-opener, because one of the first things that come to people’s mind in regards to cruising is – The Buffet!

The Pantry is still a buffet as far as the all-you-can-eat aspect, but it’s intended more in the direction of separate eateries. There’s the Mexican, the Indian, the Chinese, a Garden Bar with just salads, a sweets store with just desserts, and even a section devoted completely to meats and roast dinners (Fat Cow). I think it’s a smart move, and yet I wasn’t able to sample any of the food to give it any suitable kind of critique, the plan and idea is absolutely in line with a better-quality passenger experience.

The larger modifications are appreciated in the public features. Namely the transfer of the enclosed dining scene on board with the stylish Waterfront Restaurant, a pan-Asian restaurant called Dragon Lady washed in neon mood lighting, a lively Italian restaurant called Angelo’s, an intimate Chef’s Table experience, and ever popular Salt Grill by Luke Mangan. While most are upbeat with fresh design, all restaurants have a distinguishing look and feel about them, especially Dragon Lady, which stands as the odd one out in terms of ambiance, edgy and clearly modelled off the more contemporary Japanese restaurants found across Australia.

Both Angelo’s and Dragon Lady, only open for lunch and dinner, and disparate from P&O’s signature Salt Grill by Luke Mangan, are free of charge.

One of the most stirring additions include a Cellar Door experience on board, exclusively stocking wines from boutique Hunter Valley winery Glandore Estate Wines. It’s adorned with oak barrels and rows and rows of wine bottles, with the choice for guests to have their favourite blends sent to one of the restaurants to pair up with lunch or dinner.

There’s also a wonderful emphasis on entertainment, with the whole kit and caboodle from the onboard theatre to the chilled jazz bar, The Blue Room. For the more overblown and dramatic, the lido deck plays host to regular Gatsby & Bianco parties. Those considering daytime that are  a bit more exciting will be pleased to know that Pacific Eden features P&O Cruises popular P&O Edge .

The first thing I noticed about each cabin was its considerable larger space compared to the other P&O ships.  The doorways regardless whether or not it was an accessible cabin equipped for a wheelchair, were wide enough for me to wheel through, which for me was a real breath of fresh air.

After my day onboard I was reluctant to disembark and stay on and enjoy a week at sea.  The Pacific Eden is definitely a cruise ship I recommend for anyone with mobility issues, and who love to cruise.