Cruise Talk: Stormy start for new Pacific Sky

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Stormy start for new Pacific Sky

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Topic: Stormy start for new Pacific Sky

juddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 1610

posted 11-13-2000 06:45 AM

P&O Australia got some less than impressive
publicity on Sydney talk back radio on
monday the 13th November , when anrgy
passangers call to tell there stories
about their horror 2 day trip to no where.
Toilets not woking , staff getting lost.
Waiting 1 hour to get a drink in the bars,
signs of unfinished work still being done .
were just some of the complaints the
callers made. P&O Austrlaia had spent
10 million dollars renovating the "Sky
Princess" into the Pacific Sky , but once
again they were in to much of a rush to
show her off. The old faithful Fairstar
had the same problems after refits, the
Fair Princess even cancelled a cruise
when it first went into service after
replacing the Fairstar.
Is this a problem only in Australia
or is this common overseas to.

Jason

Posts: 24 | From: sydney australia | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 11-13-2000 06:57 AM

No it's not just Australia. There have been a number of cases around the world of poor and unfinished refits.

The QE2 once sailed after a refit looking like a construction site. After a fight, all the passengers won compensation.

Even newbuilds rarely seem to be delivered on time and have been know breakdown on their maiden voyage's!

New crews often need time to learn the ropes so there is also a history of dubious service on new ships or ones with new crews.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

andizz
First Class Passenger
Member # 1629

posted 11-14-2000 12:53 AM

i was a passenger on board the Pacific Sky on the weekend cruise and one of my traveling companions were one of the ladies who called the 2UE radio station. i myself had no real complaints about the ship, apart from the waiters in the dining room who had no cheer towards the passengers. we were planning to book another Sky cruise in 2001 but are beginning to rethink. we'll see how she fairs out in her next few cruises.

Posts: 84 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

juddy
First Class Passenger
Member # 1610

posted 11-14-2000 03:10 AM

After reading your experience last weekend
im starting to worry . I leave next tuesday
on the Pacific Sky. I hope things have
improved.

Jason

Posts: 24 | From: sydney australia | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

pungpui
First Class Passenger
Member # 1218

posted 11-15-2000 03:19 AM

did u all have a terrible time?? OK u guys might have had a terrible time but the P&O staff have done really well i think because its a ship twice the size of the old one and everything is new...technology, placing...everything and i think they need a break...please dont give them a hard time, i mean its not like the meant to make you holiday a living hell, give them a chance to settle in...they have to time to train and i think under those circumstances i think they did well.

Posts: 419 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

CTrail
First Class Passenger
Member # 64

posted 11-15-2000 07:19 AM

However pungpui, those passengers paid the same price as any other pasenger and they should have had the same treatment. If the ship wants to do training cruises then give the passengers a financial break

and let them know that this is a training cruise for the ship's crew.

Fairisfair

Peter

[This message has been edited by CTrail (edited 11-15-2000).]

Posts: 332 | From: Kitchener, ON Canada | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

andizz
First Class Passenger
Member # 1629

posted 11-16-2000 12:18 AM

pungpui i completely understand your point and do agree with you to a certain extent, but it didnt really seem as though some of the crew were having a hard time when we saw several staff members in officers uniform in the pizzaria enjoying themselves with several beers each. it didnt seem that they were off duty as it was daytime and they had their uniforms on.
another complaint about the cruise was that there were only 2 lifejackets in our cabin where 4 people had been booked - which i believe is a violation of maritime law? i know that if the ship was in an emergency situation, i could get a lifejacket off one of the crew members, but that is beside the point when each cabin should have the same amount of lifejackets as the passengers it holds.

Posts: 84 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

pungpui
First Class Passenger
Member # 1218

posted 11-18-2000 11:15 PM

huh?? ok that issue needs looking into but the crew have breaks and with the uniform is usual. But i'll look into that lifejacket issue

Posts: 419 | From: Sydney, NSW, Australia | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

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