South Pacific Cruise Reviews

Mixed: Several big disappointments (see \"cons\"), but outside of those things went well and were enjoyable.

This was our second cruise, our first cruise was on the same ship in the same cabin. We were so impressed with the first cruise which was a 12 night New Zealand cruise, that we decided that we wanted to have the same experience only longer. 18 nights on the same ship sounded great and started out great, but the 6 days at sea from Honolulu to Morea would have been much better if we had something to do. The entertainment that we enjoyed on the first cruise just wasn't there. Even the kids were bored. The teenagers abandoned Kids Club and took to sitting on the stairs in groups. The 5 sea days to Wellington was as bad. We were so disappointed our third cruise is on the Golden Princess. No more Royal Caribbean for us.

We've cruised extensively with Carnival and this repositioning cruise was truely the cruise of a lifetime for us. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this cruise and highly recommend repositioning cruises for anyone looking to receive the greatest value for their money.

this was the most boring experience ive ever had in all my cruises ,it was aimed at the 80 to 90 age group with its activities ,the food was average in the dinning room ,service at dinner was great but had a few problems with breakfast in dinning room as new table each time and a few rude waiters ,no smiles ,everything a real hassle .

rude passengers .but also some very friendly ones .

The only interesting event was trivia as bingo was so costly.There were no other things that were classified as fun and involving passengers other than a few dance classes ,no crafts etc

overall a very big waste of money

The Sea Princess has a phenomenal staff who ensures that you escape from reality.

Well maintained, very clean, pleasant cruise staff.

the ship was great. the staff exalent

The itinerary was appealing, but could have been improved by eliminating one NZ city and adding Hobart, Tasmania. There beverage policies were not appealing. Their new corkage policy is wildly unpopular with their HAL stalwarts. Only being able to pre-order room beverages but not after you get on board is also unpopular. Viking allows one person to buy the beverage package, but HAL requires both parties to buy it even if the other person doesn't drink. Does this eliminate abuse? Yes, but it also puts honest cruisers off.

~~Although we are four star mariners on HAL it has been almost three years since we cruised with them. The following is a summary of the ship and my cruise experience, beginning with the positive followed by concerns.

Generally speaking—Recent negative reports of HAL’s demise have been exaggerated. I find no significant degeneration in their service or facilities. This was a very good cruise and I highly recommend it.  Excellent weather and relatively calm seas all the way except Moorea, the port we had to miss due high winds.

* I recently read a review from a lady regarding the maintenance and upkeep of the Statendam in which she condemned the ship and company for allowing the ship to deteriorate. I find that not to be accurate at all, conversely, this ship is well taken care. The Statendam entered service in 1993 and, with the possible exception of the Prinsendam, I find it better maintained than most of the HAL fleet we have previously sailed on, most of which were newer ships. HAL has always enjoyed a reputation of taking good care of their ships; I find they still do so.

*The meals were better in general than I recall on most previous voyages, the only exception being the “Pinnacle” which is still good but has slipped slightly, we used it 6 times. The Lido buffet seemed to have a larger food variety this trip and HAL does a great job of making certain everything is sanitized. I love the fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning there.  The Canoletto was very good and made for an intimate dinner, last time we were on the Ryndam  they didn’t charge the $10.00 per that they do now in the Canoletto. However, on the Ryndam things were so crowded, probably because no charge for the Canoletto, that the tables, even for two, were so packed together that it was like joining a "6 conversations going at once club".  

*Shore excursions were all pretty well put together and of quality. All escorts were tour knowledgeable and easy to understand. HAL did not overload the coaches and managed to keep most of the passenger loads to around 50% max.  We also sail a lot on Regent which equally has excellent excursions, but their price is included in the cruise package which I greatly prefer. *During our last 200 days or so at sea we have elected to take open dining. No more traditional for us. We experienced excellent service in the main dining room by HAL personnel and always got a table for two, seldom we had to wait, maybe twice for a minute or two. This is our second voyage on HAL using their “Any time you wish dining”, or, almost 60 days at sea with HAL using that service. It is my opinion that HAL critics of this procedure are flat wrong.

*The gym on this ship was excellent in that it had lots of modern workout equipment, was located up high with good views of the ocean and not overcrowded like so many of them are.

*The Statendam  is one of HAL's "S" class ships. So is the Ryndam which we have also sailed on. It occurred to me that this class ship has more open deck public area per passenger than any ship we have been on. This proves to be a major plus for guests on cruises where a lot of scenic cruise days are involved, like along the coast of Alaska, glacier viewing, Antarctica, fiords of Norway and so on.  All open decks on this ship are planked with Teak, and there is two 360 degree complete walk around decks, the promenade and the uppermost outdoor deck which runs around the top perimeter. Also there are many decks where public can gather to sightsee. On so many ships when approaching spectacular points of interest, like Hubbard Glacier at Yakutat, everybody is on deck trying to find nook for good viewing. Decks are so crammed that it is ludicrous.  One frequent criticism of the newer megaships is that they have little open deck space for observation, sunbathing or cozy quiet places to read, which used to be considered of value for  traditional ocean travel of yesteryear. Instead, the ships are designed like shopping malls and amusement parks where guests are pretty much confined to interior areas. Even though these ships might have excellent space to passenger ratios, getting out and enjoying an open sea breeze is not a number one priority for ship designers anymore.       

*Prior to boarding someone told me that HAL still had the same old selection of news service on cabin TVs. I dread being relegated to watching only FOX and CNN, so I simply leave the TV off. Imagine my surprise then, when I find MSNBC (My favorite), BBC, and FOX. HAL got smart and got rid of program duplicity leaving CNN out and giving their guests a “fair and balanced” selection of news choices and reviews.

*As always, HAL has provided a good selection of theme lecturers for a voyage. Three in particular I liked so much on this one I didn’t miss a single one of their presentations. On this voyage they have something new, a Polynesian, Kanioa, who works full time describing ports and history of the Pacific, he even does some Alaska and South America. He has an artful sense of humor that really cracked folk up occasionally. Quite a change from the old travel agent style delivery by someone speaking about everything in general with a delivery similar to reading from a text book. Both HAL, Regent and Princess are excellent in providing experts for areas being traveled, such as naturalists, biologists, anthropologists and historians.  HAL is one of the few lines anymore that provides a protestant cleric for Sunday services and daily devotionals.

*We had a normal balcony stateroom located on deck 9 slightly forward of midship. Enjoyed it although would like a larger bathroom without the tub, but only a shower. Great balcony, larger than most. Even though this voyage has been very smooth, one time during the day when we couldn't get into Moorea I felt the ship take on a big one, I looked outside, through our patio windows, to see a wall of white water completely obscure the view for a few seconds. Being on deck 9, or 7 decks or stories above the water line, the spray must have reached 10 stories up.       

*We had seven formal nights, which we like.

*I really like their hot tubs on the Lido deck, used them every day.

*Wife really got into the pearl and bead stringing, thanks to an excellent instructor on board, Jane Gordon. She now making bracelets and necklaces for the entire family.

*Entertainment was pretty much on par for most ships this size. They had some great singers and performers and have pretty much done away with the bore comedians with their corny political jokes that leaves half the audience mad and the other cackling (although they do have a comic now and then that is very good they are now wise enough to stay away from ignorant politics or religious issues). 

*Most unique port visited: Fanning Island.

*Best deals and quality on local made items:  Fanning Island.

*Most exciting: Port: Rangiroa--Due to dicey departure through channel in order to enter ocean again. Also, best demonstration of Black Pearl farming found here.     

*Most educational shore excursion: All day tour around Island of Tahiti.

THE DOWN SIDE:

*HAL has definitely reduced staff levels. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have that many apparent negative ramifications, although the reductions do have an impact. For instance, the laundry equipment was down more often than should be and all around staff effort isn't near as coordinated as it used to be so there is a lot of reacting and not enough anticipation of potential problem areas.  

*I am not enamored with HAL's new wine policy. I do miss the old one where one could bring a modest amount of wine on board at any port without charge or restrictions, it was an unique feature of their sailing experience.  Since they are determined to go the mediocre route in order to fit in with most of the other big cruise lines, the least they could do is provide a red wine selection that is more reasonably priced. For instance, a $12.00 bottle of Cab. from COSTCO sells for about $55.00 on board. If you buy at COSTCO and pay the $18.00 corkage to bring it on board, you pay about $30,00. I would gladly pay HAL $35.00 for this wine and eliminate the hassle.

*The price of Internet is horrible due to the slow speeds. I wish HAL would give free Internet perks like Regent does. I would greatly appreciate that over some of the other Mariner perks provided.  

Although we are four star mariners on HAL it has been almost three years since we cruised with them. The following is a summary of the ship and my cruise experience, beginning with the positive followed by concerns. Generally speaking—I find no significant degeneration in HAL's service or facilities. This was a very good cruise and I highly recommend it. Excellent weather and relatively calm seas all the way except Moorea, the port we had to miss due high winds. * I recently read a review from a lady regarding the maintenance and upkeep of the Statendam in which she condemned the ship and company for allowing the ship to deteriorate. I find that not to be accurate at all, conversely, this ship is well taken care. The Statendam entered service in 1993 and, with the possible exception of the Prinsendam, I find it better maintained than most of the HAL fleet we have More previously sailed on, most of which were newer ships. HAL has always enjoyed a reputation of taking good care of their ships; I find they still do so. *The meals were better in general than I recall on most previous voyages, the only exception being the “Pinnacle” which is still good but has slipped slightly, we used it 6 times. The Lido buffet seemed to have a larger food variety this trip and HAL does a great job of making certain everything is sanitized. I love the fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning there. The Canoletto was very good and made for an intimate dinner, last time we were on the Ryndam they didn’t charge the $10.00 per that they do now in the Canoletto. However, on the Ryndam things were so crowded, probably because no charge for the Canoletto, that the tables, even for two, were so packed together that it was like joining a "6 conversations going at once club". *Shore excursions were all pretty well put together and of quality. All escorts were tour knowledgeable and easy to understand. HAL did not overload the coaches and managed to keep most of the passenger loads to around 50% max. We also sail a lot on Regent which equally has excellent excursions, but their price is included in the cruise package which I greatly prefer. *During our last 200 days or so at sea we have elected to take open dining. No more traditional for us. We experienced excellent service in the main dining room by HAL personnel and always got a table for two, seldom we had to wait, maybe twice for a minute or two. This is our second voyage on HAL using their “Any time you wish dining”, or, almost 60 days at sea with HAL using that service. It is my opinion that HAL critics of this procedure are flat wrong. *The gym on this ship was excellent in that it had lots of modern workout equipment, was located up high with good views of the ocean and not overcrowded like so many of them are. *The Statendam is one of HAL's "S" class ships. So is the Ryndam which we have also sailed on. It occurred to me that this class ship has more open deck public area per passenger than any ship we have been on. This proves to be a major plus for guests on cruises where a lot of scenic cruise days are involved, like along the coast of Alaska, glacier viewing, Antarctica, fiords of Norway and so on. All open decks on this ship are planked with Teak, and there is two 360 degree complete walk around decks, the promenade and the uppermost outdoor deck which runs around the top perimeter. Also there are many decks where public can gather to sightsee. On so many ships when approaching spectacular points of interest, like Hubbard Glacier at Yakutat, everybody is on deck trying to find nook for good viewing. Decks are so crammed that it is ludicrous. One frequent criticism of the newer megaships is that they have little open deck space for observation, sunbathing or cozy quiet places to read, which used to be considered of value for traditional ocean travel of yesteryear. Instead, the ships are designed like shopping malls and amusement parks where guests are pretty much confined to interior areas. Even though these ships might have excellent space to passenger ratios, getting out and enjoying an open sea breeze is not a number one priority for ship designers anymore. *Prior to boarding someone told me that HAL still had the same old selection of news service on cabin TVs. I dread being relegated to watching only FOX and CNN, so I simply leave the TV off. Imagine my surprise then, when I find MSNBC (My favorite), BBC, and FOX. HAL got smart and got rid of program duplicity leaving CNN out and giving their guests a “fair and balanced” selection of news choices and reviews. *As always, HAL has provided a good selection of theme lecturers for a voyage. Three in particular I liked so much on this one I didn’t miss a single one of their presentations. On this voyage they have something new, a Polynesian, Kanioa, who works full time describing ports and history of the Pacific, he even does some Alaska and South America. He has an artful sense of humor that really cracked folk up occasionally. Quite a change from the old travel agent style delivery by someone speaking about everything in general with a delivery similar to reading from a text book. Both HAL, Regent and Princess are excellent in providing experts for areas being traveled, such as naturalists, biologists, anthropologists and historians. HAL is one of the few lines anymore that provides a protestant cleric for Sunday services and daily devotionals. *We had a normal balcony stateroom located on deck 9 slightly forward of midship---Stateroom 144. Enjoyed it although would like a larger bathroom without the tub, but only a shower. Great balcony, larger than most. Even though this voyage has been very smooth, one time during the day when we couldn't get into Moorea I felt the ship take on a big one, I looked outside, through our patio windows, to see a wall of white water completely obscure the view for a few seconds. Being on deck 9, or 7 decks or stories above the water line, the spray must have reached 10 stories up. *We had seven formal nights, which we like. *I really like their hot tubs on the Lido deck, used them every day. *Entertainment was pretty much on par for most ships this size. They had some great singers and performers and have pretty much done away with the bore comedians with their corny political jokes that leaves half the audience mad and the other cackling (although they do have a comic now and then that is very good they are now wise enough to stay away from ignorant politics or religious issues). *Most unique port visited: Fanning Island. *Best deals and quality on local made items: Fanning Island. *Most exciting: Port: Rangiroa--Due to dicey departure through channel in order to enter ocean again. Also, best demonstration of Black Pearl farming found here. *Most educational shore excursion: All day tour around Island of Tahiti which looked good in the shore excursion description but expensive. Later, when I checked it out on the ship it was closed out. But later yet they expanded it. Sure glad they did, besides being an excellent tour it included lunch at a restaurant that was out of this world, du Musee Gauguin. If we ever get back to Tahiti again we are definitely going to try to get there for dinner. Regarding the down sides: *HAL has definitely reduced staff levels. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have that many apparent negative ramifications, although the reductions do have an impact. For instance, the laundry equipment was down more often than should be and all around staff effort isn't near as coordinated as it used to be so there is a lot of reacting and not enough anticipation of potential problem areas. *I am not enamored with HAL's new wine policy. I do miss the old one where one could bring a modest amount of wine on board at any port without charge or restrictions, it was an unique feature of their sailing experience. Since they are determined to go the mediocre route in order to fit in with most of the other big cruise lines, the least they could do is provide a red wine selection that is more reasonably priced. For instance, a $12.00 bottle of Cab. from COSTCO sells for about $55.00 on board. If you buy at COSTCO and pay the $18.00 corkage to bring it on board, you pay about $30,00. I would gladly pay HAL $35.00 for this wine and eliminate the hassle. *The price of Internet is horrible due to the slow speeds. I wish HAL would give free Internet perks like Regent does. I would greatly appreciate that over some of the other Mariner perks provided. Less    

This was my first cruise with celebrity. The overall Service was very good, but the nightly entertainment was disappointing. The ships performers and their productions were good, but the guest performers left a lot to be desired.

Going on a cruise is one of the better ways for a family reunion activity as there is adequate space, variety of program and entertainment for the different ages. It saves a lot of headache to accommodate the wants and needs of the family members. It allows time for personal and family activities. The Royal Caribbean Cruise provides programs that will meet the needs of the different age groups.

The ship was a sister twin to the Navigator of the Seas that floats around the Caribbean. Ready for renovation this October it is kept in very very clean shape. Staff, food and all cruise items well done.

Very enjoyable cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and back. The organisation was outstanding by Princess Cruises, everything went well for us in our balcony room. Food was first class both in the food court and dining rooms. Disappointed when the cruise detoured away from the last port of call in New Zealand because of rough seas ahead, but this was understandable and I suppose for the better. We had good seas and weather which made the trip most enjoyable. The only dampener was that we needed to use the lifts to go to other levels (bad hip) and they were very slow, there always seemed to be one lift out of order. Staff were excellent. Stage shows were excellent, expecially on the last night when the scheduled performer was ill and another act improvised with the ship band, well done. Very good value cruise.

Although a very large ship, many places to get lost or be alone, lots of choices for dining, diversity of people on on board, responsiveness of staff.

~~Faulty Towers on the high seas the conclusion was that we were wanting a family vacation for Christmas but got a poor and mediocre one as well very expensive . If  we had gone to Hayman island  Resort in the Whitsundays for a week for the monies spent we would have had great holiday. Royal Caribbean Radiance of the seas is not worth the monies that we spent plus ancillary & on board drinks, extra to have freshly squeezed juices US$12.00, no washing facilities but to iron three shirts cost of US $13,95. Windjammer café buffet food for breakfast and lunch was extremely of poor quality, burnt toast sitting under heat lamp hard as a rock, scrambled  eggs pre-mixed from large tetra pack, buffet breakfast soft boiled eggs overcooked and cold, the hot buffet most food items were not hot.Drink station in the Windjammer served orange juice concentrate terrible,percolated coffee is barely drinkable, tea bags are of poor quality,Jane had to use several to get any flavour to make her tea. Breakfast when open in Cascades main dinning room renamed Brasserie 30 was good at times; if you order cooked breakfast,it was served hot but otherwise of the same poor quality of food. Specialty restaurants which we paid for extra fees for three persons were somewhat better Izumi was the outstanding one with Japanese fusion inspired, Giovanni's the Italian restaurant was also second best, the food was good for Italian food on a ship, Chops Grille which they call the finest steak on the high sea in the brochure was mediocre unable to cook our steaks the fillet Mignon medium came well done, and the rare fillet Mignon came medium but the least inspiring experience was the Samba Grill the food was mediocre and our son love the light seating on our table for table service with different multi-colour lights. We had problems with our stateroom as we first came on board, the cleanliness and maintenance was poor, soiled pillows, black hairs in mattress & bed linen,the toilets were not working for three  days in a row but the problem was attended promptly when we told our room attendant, fecal smells were permeating throughout most of decks.The ship Radiance of the seas is need of a good  refurbishment, the only thing new in our stateroom was the flat screen TV as per Royal Caribbean Australian holidays brochure.The experience that we had was very disappointing due the fact our concerns were not met straight away and the guest relations Manager Shawn Jones just paid lip service to us and ignored us, the Hotel Director Mr Alistair Burnett would not see us either and front office Manager Tracey dido. We couldn't wait to get off the ship on Sunday get our flight back home spoke to several other passengers on bus for the transfer to Sydney Airport who had similar concerns and some stated that we would not cruise again with Royal Caribbean.For my view point has an hospitality professional and having worked on cruise ship, they were no standards, no discipline on board especially for safety at sea during our drill in Sydney port, none of the Hotel senior officers could be seen during the busy periods, service was not provided, items on menus and wine list were missing or out of stock such champagnes and wines and many food items in the main dinning room daily menus, security was lacks & extremely poor, rowdy under-age drunk teenagers and adults on board.

Average ship. Quality of food not good. Have gone on other celebrity ships and I was not happy with this.

The ship, while full, was never crowded. The food was excellent, the staff attentive. The ports visited were wonderful.

We had our cruises only with Celebrity, but find that in this last cruise, things have deteriorated. Less activities and options especially on days at sea. Food is not as varied, and in general it was less exciting. I do have to emphasize that the service is still excellent!

This was our first cruise on Royal Caribbean and the experience was way better then I expected. We booked an Owners Suite since it was our 25th Anniversary and we wanted to make the most of the cruise.