Pacific Dawn - Happy cruising with kids

**Ally** · 05-05-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

It dawns on Chris Horn that cruising out of Sydney, there are quite a few tame animals aboard Australia's newest holiday ship.

On the third night at sea I found a blue and white elephant on my bed.

Not to mention, after I'd left them lying around, my pyjamas turned into an octopus.

When cruising, it's the little things that stick in your memory, and get talked about.

And the beach towel origami was a popular "did you see" talking point with many of the 2050 passengers on Sydney's newest cruise ship.

Based in Sydney after a multi-billion dollar refit, P&O Australia's 7000 ton Pacific Dawn is in some ways a remarkable ship, transformed to meet the specific tastes of holidaying Australians and Kiwis.

It's been made extremely family friendly.

Cruising to Noumea and Vanuatu, there was little indication one was on a once dreaded "school holiday" voyage or that there were so many highly mobile children aboard.

The young animals were strictly under control -- and mostly loved it.

Special facilities, youth security staff -- obviously regarded by many of their charges as a specially appointed "uncle" or "aunt" - and a great deal of planning see to that.

The smallest -- aged from three to six -- might be seen by early risers in the ship's corridors and lifts, disappearing rapidly in the direction of "Turtle Cove" -- a secure "safe area" catering to their needs and entertainment.

For children of an age -- the precocious eight to 12s -- one might at your usual seaside holiday retreat be tempted to make shark snacks of, there was the "Shark Shack".

The 127 teenagers aboard had their own huge lounge, with disco and electronic games -- right at the blunt end of the ship.

Occasionally they'd be seen heading for the sharp end and the movie matinee, or to one of the ship's pools.

Only one young bloke came to serious attention on the voyage when he took a liquored up low dive into the safety net strung late at night across one of the ship's swimming pools.

But Pacific Dawn has the answer to that.

School student raves are well in the past.

All purchases aboard are made through a ship's card -- so the appropriate ship's officers had an exact idea of his drinking.

Card cancelled for 24 hours, he was unable to buy a drop of booze -- although all other services were still available.

For that matter, parents can nominate how much their offspring can spend on such essentials as ice-cream (apart from the multiple helpings available at the extended mealtimes). It was not uncommon to see youngsters at the purser's desk checking how much electronic pocket money they had left.

Adding to security, a state of the art surveillance room in a secure part of the ship is fed by 500 cameras mounted in public areas -- constantly recorded to disk so that if a later inquiry is needed, evidence will be available.

It's so good the Americans will be taking a look before installing it in P&O Australia's associated companies overseas.

For parents, that brings peace of mind.

Their greatest worry might be realising how often their offspring recycle the buffets, deckbound, with another huge plate of chips.

But stick chips, hamburgers, pizza, and other edibles loved by the young first-up on the extensive menu and the kids are back in the Cove, the Shack, the disco, or one of the swimming pools before their elders cruise off to an undisturbed lunch.

Happy cruising with kids - New Zealand's source for travel news on Stuff.co.nz

**Ally** · 05-05-2008, 02:22 PM

I like the way that keycards can be suspended in respect to underage drinking and the extra security elsewhere on the ship. That should definately put the bad reports of rampant underage drinking and other problems associated with drinking into the past for P&O Australia.

Pacific Dawn certainly seems to be rebuilding faith in cruising in Australia and that can only be a good thing.