We've never been on a cruise and are thinking of taking one next January - specifically a 7-day cruise leaving Brisbane and travelling to Noumea, Lifou and Vila on P&O's Pacific Dawn.

I would be very grateful if anyone with experience could give us some useful tips or advice, especially anyone familiar with these destinations, this particular cruise or ship, or P&O's standard of service.

I'm afraid I can't give you any advice about P&O or a cruise, but I can wish you a wonderful trip! It sounds fantastic, MG, I hope it comes through for you and that you have a fantastic time! Just reading the destinations sounds fabulous ...

Not been on a cruise myself, but it's a ambition I'd like to fulfill one day! My sister and brother-in-law are regular cruisers, and seem to love them

My sister did one about a year ago which sounds very similar to the one you are planning. She loved it!

I also have friends who 'cruise' quite often and they love holidaying that way. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, like an active holiday or lazy one - all are catered for on a cruise. They are great value as well

I hope you enjoy your trip

Cruises don't appeal to me but I have a friend who is totally addicted to them and goes on them numerous times each year. I would contact her but she is on a ship at the moment.

Yes I have a friend who seems to be permanently on cruises. She has even been to HK twice. She loves it, as Lones says you can pick what you do or don't do She can even take language courses etc, Sounds wonderful
Jane it's an ambition for me too. Maybe we should all go... Wow what fun that would be,dont you think?!
Let's ask Terry if he would fund a huge FT Cruise.

I've been on one cruise and I'm going on another in 59 sleeps! Yay! I went with P+O last time with a good friend who has been on 22 cruises so far. She and her hubby love it and find it the perfect way to holiday. For tips I'll give you what I can think of from the top of my head and think about it a little more.

1) Your meals are included at the restaurants and cafes but some of the P+O ships have one or two restaurants which are a bit fancier. They may be started up by Luke Mangan or a similar "star" chef and are part of his organisation. These restaurants you will pay a small surcharge to go to, perhaps $20 a head, but it's a bit fancier than the restaurants in that they are more like what you'd expect from a fine dining establishment. The main a la carte restaurant is fine. Lovely. But the restaurant you pay a surcharge for is what you'd expect to see from a celebrity chef's restaurant. I don't know if I'm expressing myself properly but I hope you get the drift. If you want to dine at the surcharging restaurant BOOK EARLY... as soon as you get on the ship. Phone them up and book a night and a time... some people even book a table every night so you have to get in early.
The main restaurant on the ship is a la carte and very nice. The buffet restaurant is like a club bistro where you go and help yourself to whatever you want. The quality is probably a little better and the choices are more varied. Try all of them and see which you prefer.

2) You will get a schedule on your door sometime in the afternoon for the next day's activities. We went through it with a fine tooth comb and planned our day. There are so many activities on the ship you'll miss out on things you might want to do if you don't plan your days. Mind you, if you don't want to do anything that's fine too There are trivia contests with teeny prizes such as P+O bottle openers. I won a few of them for my team. After only 2 days every time I walked in for the trivia comps there were whispers "oh see her, she's really good.." I wonder where I learnt so much.. There's also bingo, a live show most evenings, singers and bands in the lounges/bars, an art auction (bring your credit card...), a gym, a spa.. you can fill your days up or do absolutely nothing. The choice is yours.

3) The internet on the ship is really expensive so be prepared to do without. Prices change but on one cruise line it was $55 for 100 minutes or so and I think it's even more expensive on another line.

4) The staff are lovely and seem happy to anything for you to make sure you're happy.

5) The beds and pillows were so comfortable. I took my own pillow but didn't need to use it as the pillows were perfect for me. I take my own pillow everywhere I go otherwise I get a sore neck which builds into a cracker headache eventually.

6) On a 7 night cruise there will probably be 2 or perhaps 3 formal nights in the main restaurant when people get dressed up to the nines for dinner. On the P+O (Australia) ships it seems to be a bit more casual than other lines but you will still see women in long dresses with loads of diamantes and jewellery on, and the men in suits. You don't have to do this of course. You can get dinner in your cabin, go to the buffet restaurant or do nothing but if you feel like getting dolled up, do so

7) Get international travel insurance and extend it to the day after you return. Mate of mine was on a cruise that was delayed due to engine trouble and they got into port 12 hours late. No a problem for her but for people who were catching connecting flights it was a massive problem. Because their insurance only went to that day and they hadn't contacted their insurer before landing they lost out on all the money for their flights and had to pay for hotel accommodation themselves. If they had got the insurance to cover them until the day AFTER their cruise they would have been fine.

8) Get your insurance the day you can no longer get a sizable refund for your cruise. My friend who's been on umpteen cruises just got back from a cruise (again) but it looked like she wasn't going to go this time as she broke her foot in 10 places 3 weeks before the cruise. Thankfully they had insurance so she and hubby would have been completely refunded but it's a word to the wise.. get insurance! A friend of mine has worked as a nurse on cruise ships in the Caribbean and you wouldn't believe the things that happen on cruise liners that people need medical attention for! And you'll need international insurance of course. Even on a domestic cruise which doesn't touch land in another country you need international insurance because getting a chopper to rescue someone on a ship is an expensive business and the bill would be horrendous.

9) It depends on the cruise line as to how the medical facilities charge patients but if you need to see a doctor or nurse it won't be cheap (insurance again..). Take whatever medications with you that you think you may need. You normally have a 2 suitcase limit per person so you can easily take loads with you.

10) Check with P+O but I think you can't take duty free alcohol with you. I have heard (not experienced) that they will take it from you and give it back to you at the end of the cruise so you buy from their bars and restaurants.

11) As you're walking up the gangplank there will be a photographer. I think he takes a pic of everyone for their records while on board so they have a true record of who's on board. Just grin and bear it.. they WILL take the photo so you might as well smile and get it over and done with.

12) They ask you to pack your suitcases the night before and have them ready by a certain time (about 6pm I think). You put them outside your room and they will be collected. The next day your suitcases will be taken of the ship and ready for you just as if you'd got off a plane and were waiting at the carousel. I'm guessing that this ensures there aren't hundreds/thousands of people wandering around with suitcases cluttering up the aisles/restaurants/lifts etc in the morning before disembarkation. That would be a safety hazard. It does mean tho that you may want to take a small bag with you. That way you can put those things you used overnight or need in the morning in the bag and take it with you when you leave. These may include nightclothes, the clothes you wore the night before, cosmetics, toiletries, pills etc etc.

13) Tragically for this tea/coffee addict there is no kettle in the cabin unless you get a suite and I'm not totally sure they have one either. I'm guessing this is for safety as they don't want people splashing boiling hot water on themselves if the ship is rocking. If you think you're going to use the stewards to bring you pots of tea or coffee (that you pay for) then you can tip them when you get on and then again before you get off. This makes you known to them and you're more likely to get faster service. I only got a pot of tea once so I can't tell you what the service is like really. There is always tea and coffee available in the buffet restaurant as far as I know.. but I can't promise.

14) Before you set sail you WILL go to the talk on emergency drill. I gather it's international law that every passenger (and prob crew member) attends and they will insist you go. You take your life jacket with you so you know how to put it on just in case. It takes maybe 30 minutes and after that the ship is yours

15) My friends like getting an inside cabin. That way the light in the morning doesn't wake them and they sleep better. I think it would be a bit cave like to not have natural sunlight but you're not in your cabin that much apart from sleeping, showering and dressing. Inside cabins are cheaper too.

16) The higher decks get to embark first (that's the plan anyway) so if you want to get on earlier and get off earlier get a higher up deck. Disembarkation takes place in order of decks with the higher up decks getting off first. You don't have to get off early but if you have planes to catch then it's a handy thing. If you don't have anywhere to go in a hurry then you can stay on, have breakfast, enjoy the ship a little longer until you need to disembark. Disembarkation is done in groups rather than a come as you go procedure. You'll sit in a congregation area (a bar probably) and then that group will get off together.

17) If you like good food and think you might indulge a little more than normal, take loose fitting clothes. People have been known to walk on with nicely fitted clothes on walk off with tight clothes!

18) If I think of anything else I'll let you know.. or feel free to send me a note. If I don't know then I'll ask my friend who's been on 20+ cruises Have a wonderful time and relax!

Thank you all for your responses and thank you Tizzabelle for all that great advice. The information re insurance and disembarkation was particularly interesting. I always get travel insurance but would not have thought of extending it by an extra day. Unfortunately, we will have to fly from Perth to Brisbane, so our luggage will be limited by that factor.

Just two questions, purely out of idle curiosity - if you are on an Australian ship, is the medical service "Australian" and covered by Medicare? Secondly, where are you off to in 59 sleeps?

The medical service? I didn't use it and I don't know who staffs the medical service. In the Caribbean where my friend has worked the doctors came from the US, the UK, India and elsewhere. It just depends on who wants to work on a ship I know two nurses who have worked in the US and Caribbean and I they are both intensive care trained. I know that the cruise lines prefer employing medical and nursing staff who have experience in critical care medicine. I don't think it's covered by Medicare at all. You need insurance in case the worst possible scenario happens so that will cover the cost if you need to see the docs on board. My friends who worked on ships in the Caribbean told me tales of having to take critically ill people on flights back the States for medical attention. One person insisted on going scuba diving in the Caribbean despite not knowing how to swim. That didn't end well Another patient had the cruise booked but then the opportunity for a lung transplant came up. He checked himself out of hospital against medical advice and sure enough, he started to reject the lung on the ship. So if you can't swim, don't go snorkeling and if you recently have a major organ implanted, wait for the medical clearance to go on holidays.

My first cruise was a 3 night experiment to see if I like cruising or if I'd spend the whole time with my head in the loo throwing up. I was fine! There was a period of about 2 hours when it got a little rough on the first night and a few people were seasick but I was fine My friend (SilverFish45, where are you?) had wanted me to go on a cruise with her so I thought I'd try a 3 night one to test the waters so to speak. It was lovely so the next cruise is 8 nights to Tassie. First stop Melbourne, then Burnie, Wine Glass Bay, Hobart and Port Arthur. Then in November I'm on a 3 night cruise again with my best mate in November. She's had a rough 6 months with the illness and death of a beloved great aunt and having to deal with hospitals, nursing homes, and her own mother's inability to deal with it. I suggested a 3 night cruise as a break from it all and she jumped at the chance. So it's a food and wine cruise were off on. Apparently there are talks about food and wine with wine appreciation classes and the like. We just want to have a girl's weekend away eating, drinking, chatting, relaxing etc. She says she going to be fine without her boys (husband and kids) but I bet she misses her lovely kids more than her hubby.

On the sea sickness front, a mate of mine went on a cruise a few years ago. He had a couple of moments when he felt ill but wasn't actually sick. This man feels ill when he's on a trampoline or merry-go-round so if he can enjoy a cruise anyone can. If you think it may be an issue then apparently the lower decks are better and aim for a cabin midships. There is less rocking. The ships are large though and they have stabilisers on them nowadays so that minimises the rocking too.

As a child, I was once seasick on a paddle steamer going up the Thames... and it was a jaunt by old sailors to the Royal Maritime Museum and I was sick right in front of an Admiral my father had served with. My dad was so ashamed, but the admiral just laughed, said Nelson used to be seasick, and gave me five shillings. Anyway, coming from a Navy family as I do, I don't go near boats or ships, lol. Or cross Channel ferries. When they opened the Tunnel I danced a jig!

As a result, I've never been on a cruise... but a friend of mine has, one of those Caribbean jobbies Tizzabelle refers to. She was invited to dine at the Captain's table one evening and ate lobster for the first time in her life. And the last - the allergy she didn't know she had nearly killed her. They called a helicopter to take her to the USA and she was in an expensive American hospital for quite a long time as the effects of the allergy had injured the lining of her gut. So do get medical insurance, and make sure it covers any post-cruise medical bills you might get as a result of something happening while you're away.

"is the medical service "Australian" and covered by Medicare?"

I can see I didn't phrase that very well - when I asked if the medical service was "Australian", I simply meant was it classified as "Australian" for the purposes of Medicare coverage (since it is an Australian cruise ship). I didn't mean to imply that it mattered to me whether the staff were Australian or not.

Your Tassie cruise sounds lovely!

I'm not that worried about seasickness as we did a day-trip out to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland in 2004. It was very rough and I was one of the very few who wasn't physically sick, although I did feel a bit queasy, so I think I am probably more resistant than most.

I was on a ferry in October 2002 going to the Statue of Liberty and didn't have any issues either.

Hope you have a great cruise MG.

Here's to a wonderful cruise, MotherGoose. I've been on several and have mixed feelings about them. Would I go on one now? I don't think so. In most cases my reactions to 'problems' had nothing to do with the cruise line or the ship. One thing I can state is that the food is superb and it was superb on each and every ship. It's too good in fact. If you're like me you can't let those delicious pastries just lie there; it would be a crime to let them get stale and be discarded. And some talented pastry chef made them to be enjoyed. I better go back and get a few more. I used this rationalization at every meal and, as a result, at the end of each cruise the elastic in my underwear was cutting off circulation to my legs. I had no idea that you could gain so much weight in such a short period of time.

Some specifics:

Several years ago, my then wife and I made a crossing from New York to Southampton on the QE2. I always considered this THE ship of ships, and was surprised to find it dirty. I don't mean dusty; I'm talking dirty. I went over to the porthole to look out and had my hands on the wall to brace myself. When I took my hands away they were black with dirt. I mentioned it to a steward but it remained dirty for the entire voyage. The entire cabin could have used a good cleaning; only the beds were made daily; the sheets didn't appear to be changed. The day before docking, there was a knock at the cabin door. I opened it and was greeted by Len and Rita who announced that they were our steward and stewardess and tips were to be made by breakfast the next day, and $25 each was considered the norm. I had never seen these
people at any time during the 6 day voyage. The last day was 'open your wallet' day. We were approached by the wine steward (we didn't have any wine), the maitre d' (I have no idea what he did except wear a beautifully tailored tuxedo and smile a lot), the waiter, the waiter's assistant and the bus boy. It was Vendome National Bank. I was furious, especially with Len and Rita. If the cabin had been clean there would not have been a problem. Not wanting a confrontation I passed the tips around.

Another thing that bothered me was the dumping of massive amounts of trash into the ocean, a daily occurrance. I realize that a few thousand people generate a huge amount of trash and I don't have an alternate solution--but it really bothered me.

I took my son on a cruise to Bermuda on a wonderful ship whose name I forget. Just remember that the walls in a ship are thin. I found this out the hard way; Eric and I had the stateroom next to a couple on their honeymoon. And they were really in love. Loud, groaning, kicking, screaming, grunting love. Eric, who was about 9 at the time, wanted to know why the couple next door fought so much. I was breathing heavily and kept wiping the sweat from my forehead as I tried to explain to him that they were probably just exercising, or rehearsing for a play...I prayed for a quick voyage since my explanations were getting increasingly stupid. Once docked in Hamilton, I saw the young couple for the first time. They must have had intravenous feedings since I never saw them in the dining room. He was limping and she had a glazed look and didn't blink. She mumbled, "Gee it's nice weather for November." I said a silent prayer that she would be able to sit down in December.

So remember, take the elastic out of your underwear, make sure the people you tip deserve your attention and remember that the walls are thin.

And if you hear kicking and banging in the next stateroom, tell them I said, "Hi".

Tizzabelle offers great advice.

Here's one other suggestion: look closely at the cruise itinerary before you book, and check travel times between destinations. Some cruise lines will intentionally lengthen the voyage times (and shorten the time allotted at the various ports of call) so you have to spend more time on their boat and spend your money with them.

I was on one Holland America cruise in the Caribbean where I felt like I was being held hostage. On one leg, the ship took 16 hours to travel 30 miles.