I have this habit of coming up with great ideas on the spur of the moment and announcing them publicly before thinking them through. Then panicking as the reality of the task I’ve set for myself is, in fact, monumental.
This gem of an idea last month was spurred by the impending demise of P&O Cruises Australia and the lack of fanfare planned to send their two ships Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter off to be ‘Carnival-ised’.
As the deadline approached, former crew, employees, suppliers, key industry figures, media personalities, entertainers and loyal cruisers reached out to me and lamented the fact that there wasn’t anything planned to preserve the memories and legacy of this 92-year-old brand.
So, I took it upon myself to create a mini-documentary, collating memories from across the country and the world.
I am by no stretch of the imagination a film maker but with technology available these days that even four-year-olds can use with ease, I pulled together a tribute to this iconic Aussie brand; not for me, but for those whose lives had been impacted by P&O Cruises Australia.
In the first 24hours, it hit 20,000 views. I nearly fell off my chair. This massive number of views in such a short time period had nothing to do with my editing skills, rather the stories that needed to be told and heard.
Time will tell if the decision to allow the closure of P&O was a good one.
Watch the Farewell P&O mini documentary here
In all fairness I’d be remiss not to mention that there was an event on March 14 – fireworks and a party for employees – on Sydney Harbour during the last ever sail-out of a P&O ship. A nice gesture but in my opinion a weak tribute.
When I boarded the penultimate cruise on Pacific Adventure on March 6 with 120 of my followers, the mood on board was quite strange.
Merchandise was being hocked at $1 a piece, crew were scrambling for ship models and bath robes were the hottest item to nab.
And there were tears. Every time I ran in to a crew member (from stewards to senior officers) we’d embrace and there would be the need for tissues to dab our eyes.
True to Carnival’s word, most crew still have a job – 96% of them will continue under the new brand. And yet, this closure of P&O has had such a profound effect on people who have devoted their lives to breathing and growing the brand. So it’s only natural that emotions were running high.
As I write this the two ships are still in wet dock, getting new carpet and tech. The giant P&O lettering has been dismantled and probably sent to the scrap heap.
Their hulls are now sprawled with the word ‘Carnival’ but the Southern Cross livery lives on. At least that’s something.
I’m giving the newly branded ships a month to settle before I try the experience for myself. Stay tuned to read about my review in May (n.b. The first cruises as Carnival Adventure and Encounter will be on March 29.)
Typically, I’m a positive person but I still can’t see the benefit of having only one cruise line sail year-round in Australia.
Carnival offers one type of cruising experience, one which is American-flavoured. Does this mean the end to healthy cruise competition and an increase in fares? No-one has a magic 8 ball but in my mind these questions point to ‘yes’. I hope to be proved wrong.
Caribbean Queen
Now to an American cruise brand that I was actually very pleasantly surprised with.
It has been several years since I cruised on Royal Caribbean and while I enjoyed the facilities, shows, itineraries and beautiful fit out, on all three past occasions on three different ships and in three different parts of the world, I had the most unpleasant customer service experience.
These sub-par – and in a few instances – rude encounters really put me off cruising Royal Caribbean.
But an opportunity for a weekend cruise came up (the only time my husband could take time off) so off we sailed for a cheeky getaway aboard Ovation of the Seas. I’m always happy to be proved wrong.
Despite a medical emergency (safety of crew and passengers is paramount) which saw our cruise return early, I really could not fault the experience.
Ovation is beautifully decked out, the included dining options are plentiful (ahem, take note Carnival, FREE pizza until 3am), the speciality dining restaurant excellent and there really isn’t any overt nickel-and-diming.
We were so impressed by the service at the speciality steak house we tipped the waiter the same amount as our meal.
If I was to nit-pick, the currency is in US dollars, the buffet was full at times and the bed was quite firm (Honey Tip: ask your steward for a mattress topper).
But really, these are very minute grievances that did not take away from the fabulous cruise. Now, if ONLY Royal Caribbean had a ship year-round in Australia….
Waving goodbye
The last of the international ships will leave our shores by the end of this month. It’s been an exciting Wave Season with fan favourites completing successful seasons, historic moments and some ships even making their debuts.
So, what options are left for Australian cruisers from May to September? Take a Carnival cruise (short cruise, NZ and the South Pacific) or b) do a fly/cruise holiday.
While European cruises are still trending and will continue to be popular, new destinations are quietly gaining steam, in particular the Arabian Peninsula and Asia.
The pros for these two destinations are quite simple; the flight times are shorter and there are new itineraries being offered to entice the curious passenger to explore exotic ports such as the nature reserve of Sir Bani Yas Island or the exciting islands of Japan.
I keep adding to my bucket list but a river cruise in France or Egypt is high on my wish list during Northern Hemisphere summer.
River cruising is becoming more appealing to younger cruisers and I do love the smaller ship experience, the fewer passengers and the ease of exploring ports.
Let’s see what the next few months have in store for Honey.
