Reviewed by: Erica Ward

Date: October 2019

Cruise line and ship: Sea Princess

Passenger capacity: 2,000

Crew: 910

Passenger to Crew: 2.2:1  

Size of ship: 77,499

Year built:  1998

Year refurbished/revitalised:  Various and latest was 2017

Where the cruise line cruises:  South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Circumnavigate Australia, Hawaii, World  

Currency onboard:  Australian based cruises are AUD, otherwise USD

Main features/highlights: Small ships like Sea Princess make for a more intimate experience. There are two adults only spaces onboard – one aft called The Oasis with a lovely pool and deck chairs and a bar, and The Sanctuary (a cover charge for The Sanctuary and only a splash pool). The midship Neptune’s pool where Movies Under the Stars is held has plenty of room and lots of deck chairs and the pool is large. Pizza, beer and burgers on a hot day would go down a treat here. 

Most suited to: Mature travellers. While there are family facilities onboard there is not a lot to entertain children. The itineraries Sea Princess cruises are longer so she generally does not get many youngsters. 

Atmosphere: Relaxed and stylish – more like the golden age of cruising. On longer cruises there are formal nights. 

Dining options: There is certainly a huge selection of dining options to chose from!

• Rigoletto – Main Dining Room, Flexible Dining. Dinner
• Traviata – Main Dining Room, Formal Dining. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Cafe Corniche – Italian. Lunch, Dinner
• Riviera Grill – Burger Bar. Open from around 11am to 7pm. Situated outside the Horizon Court on the Lido Deck and serves a range of burgers (including vegetarian), hot dogs, kebabs and fries
• Sundaes – Ice Cream Bar. Serves free ice cream during the day. Milkshakes incur a small charge
• Horizon Court – Self Service Buffet. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Explores Bar – Additional charge coffee house serving specialty coffees and fresh warm cookies (complimentary)
• 24-hour Room Service – Passengers can make use of the complimentary room service ($3 charge for pizza delivery) at any time of the day or night. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Ultimate Balcony Dining – $32 per couple breakfast, $50 per head dinner. For passengers wishing to enjoy a romantic dining experience with breathtaking views from their own balcony
• Chef’s Table – $95 per person. Dinner. The Chef’s Table experience provides the chance to tour the ship’s busy galley during dinner service, where the ship’s executive chef previews the evening’s menu with a selection of hors d’oeuvres and Champagne for guests to enjoy
• Sterling Steakhouse – Seafood, Steak House. $20 per person. Dinner

Bars: As with dining there is certainly no shortage of options here either, with a little something for everyone.

• Crooner’s Bar – piano bar for the martini lovers
• Riviera Bar – poolside
• The Wheelhouse – nautical themed ol’ English Pub
• Seaview Bar – adults-only pool
• The Nook – whiskey bar
• Legends Sports Bar – speaks for itself

Entertainment: The Princess Theatre is home to dazzling stage shows produced by the Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz. The Vista Lounge has more relaxed audience participation shows like the Voice at Sea and trivia. A Monte Carlo Casino is on offer. Movies Under the Stars is a Princess original – poolside with free popcorn you can enjoy the latest releases, sporting events, concerts and more on the giant 27 metre screen with a 69,000 watt sound system.

Staterooms: Rooms have recently been refurbished and every one has the award-winning Princess Luxury Bed. The rooms are spacious with classic lines. Mini-Suites and Club Suites are the same with the Club Suites receiving all the upgraded amenities and services of priority embarkation and disembarkation, one-time complimentary wine setup, evening canapés, luxurious terry shawl bathrobes and exclusive Main Dining room seating with dedicated waitstaff and more. The aft suites are bigger with larger balconies.

Family facilities: Camp Discovery is an option for ages 3-17 and is split into 3 spaces.

• Treehouse – ages 3-7
• Lodge – ages 8-12
• The Beach House  – for the teens

Inclusions:  All main meals, entertainment and some beverages. Gratuities included when departing from Australia.

Exclusions: Spa treatments, specialty dining, most beverages and gratuities.

Self-service laundry: $2 per load for washing and for drying, and detergent is $1.25; ironing equipment is available without charge. Captain’s Circle Elite members receive complimentary laundry and professional cleaning services (regular, not express service). Located on Plaza Deck 5.

Insider tips: The aft suites are a lot more spacious with bigger balconies. Not a lot of children onboard so you don’t really need to pay the cost of using The Sanctuary. The oceanview staterooms are larger than the balcony (room size) as the balconies are formed by cutting into the hull.

Overview: A lovely older ship that harks back to the golden era of cruising. She is definitely not modern but has been well looked after with tasteful refurbishments. Small ship cruising without all of the bells and whistles.

Cruise Express’ Bec Barnes, recently spent time onboard Explorer Dream. This was Explorer Dream’s much-anticipated inaugural visit to Sydney. Below are Bec’s thoughts on this beautiful ship.

Reviewed by: Bec Barnes

Date: October 2019

Cruise line and ship: Dream Cruises – Explorer Dream

Size of ship: 75,338 GRT

Passenger capacity: 1,856 pax

Year built: 1999

Year refurbished/revitalised: 2019

Where the ship cruises: Australia and New Zealand

Currency onboard: AUD

Embarkation/disembarkation: The team of four from Cruise Express received a very warm welcome from Dream Cruises. We were met at the terminal with a champagne reception and had a very smooth embarkation process onto the ship. We were boarding for lunch so only a driver’s license was required. This welcome reception at the port was given because it was her first arrival into Sydney Harbour.

Main features/highlights:  The Dream fleet features all the comforts of authentic Asian hospitality combined with the finest experiences from around the world. The Dream Cruises team state that they are Asian at heart and international in spirit.

Expect most of the usual shipboard facilities including a la carte and buffet dining, a number of specialty restaurants, several bars and lounges, the main show lounge, midship pool with waterslide, gym and shops. The Dream difference is the offer of The Palace – a ‘ship within a ship’ concept that includes private VIP facilities including an exclusive pool and deck space, lounge and restaurant. The Palace guests stay in luxurious suites with private butler service, all-inclusive drinks and complimentary access to all specialty restaurants.

Most suited to:  Families will love it, however there is also plenty on offer for couples and older travellers.

Encounters with service staff: Friendly staff, however some with limited English in the dining room.

Dining options:  We had a five-course lunch in the well-appointed Dream Dining Room including Australian Freshwater Crayfish, Saffron Risotto and Red Braised Wagyu Short Rib. Generally, food in the Dining Room is a Chinese/Western fusion style and possibly one of the best places on the ship. We also tasted canapes from Seafood Grill by Mark Best (good), Umi Uma (excellent) and Silk Road (good).

Seating up to 342 passengers, the Lido Grill is buffet-style restaurant located outdoors at the aft of the ship. With sensational outdoor undercover seating areas, the Lido Grill appears to have lots of international options as per other cruise line buffets and is included in the cost of your cruise.

• Seafood Grill by Mark Best – Deck 13
• Hot Pot (authentic Chinese) – Deck 8
• Umi Uma -Deck 8
• Silk Road – Deck 7
• Mozzarella Ristorante and Pizzeria – Deck 7 ( modern classic Italian)

There is also the Candy Kingdom for those with a sweet tooth.

Staterooms: 

• Interior – from 12sqm – max occupancy 3
• Oceanview – from 13 sqm – max occupancy 2-4
• Balcony – from 18sqm – max occupancy 4. Queen bed, plus a small sofa beside the bed.

Entertainment: What we saw of the entertainment was excellent, first-class and very impressive.

Family facilities: There is a great kids club on Deck 12 called “Little Dreamers Club” with games, workshops, costume parties and even a DJ booth – for children up to 12 years. Esc Experience Lab – the latest in virtual reality technology and a games arcade for older kids (extra cost). Also The Zone is a multipurpose lounge featuring video game consoles and an air hockey table for older kids. There is also a substantial outdoor area for the kids with a large jumping castle and cubby house.

Inclusions: Dining – Dream dining room, Pavilion (Chinese cuisine), The Lido (buffet). Some entertainment and use of the gym.

Exclusions: Shore excursions, all specialty dining, some shows, some kids club activities, gelato bar, arcade, VR experience, spa, salon, Candy Kingdom and boutiques.

Self-service laundry: No, however you can do a special wash whilst cruising  – fill a bag for AU$20.

Reviewed by: Clive Heath

Date: May 2019

Cruise line and ship: Celebrity Edge

Cruise name or itinerary: Reviewed on her Inaugural sailing from Southampton and first European cruise – to Rome, via Spain and Portugal

Passenger capacity: 2,918

Year built: 2018

Size of the ship: 130,818 gross tonnes

Where the ship cruises: Europe and the Caribbean

Currency onboard: USD

Main features/highlights: The ‘Magic Carpet’ – predominantly designed as a platform to expedite shore embarkation when in tender ports, this moving platform has multiple uses. When not in operation for its prime purpose, it becomes a sunset and sail away venue on either Deck 14 or Deck 5.

Passengers are not allowed on the platform when it moves from one deck to another so it can be a little annoying when you find a good spot to then be asked to leave for moving time.

Most suited to: For Australian clients, this is the much-loved Celebrity Solstice taken to a whole new level. It would suit all age groups with options for all. The mix on our cruise was considerable and shows the broad positioning for these luxury ships aiming for the affluent traveller who like large ships. 

Atmosphere: Following on Solstice’s sleek lines and non-cruise ship feel, this cutting edge ship is a luxury hotel coupled with diverse dining and entertainment areas.

Staterooms: As with all large ships there are numerous cabin grades on Celebrity Edge.

• Inside cabins – more square than any of the ocean facing cabins these have exactly the same appointments, sleek bathrooms and amenities as outsides and balconies.

• Oceanview (outside) cabins – Like Balcony grade cabins these tend to be long and thin stretching more into the width of the ship but with smaller exposure to the ocean than on other ships. All beautifully appointed.

• Balcony cabins – Either in Balcony, Concierge or Aqua grade these cabins are the same in size differing only with the amenities offered in the cabin. There are limited traditional balconies with doors and external seating. Most balconies are ‘internal’ or ‘infinity’ with similar slide down windows used on river cruise vessels. These can be automatically closed by the bridge in bad weather. This adds floor space taken away by the narrow cabin. There are no curtains but automatic blinds that can be lowered as required to provide a blackout at night. The bathrooms have a large walk-in shower but no bath. Guests requiring a full bath will need to look at the Sky Suite grades upwards. The walk-in shower is the largest I have seen at sea.

• Concierge – This grade offers some additional benefits such as a dedicated Concierge for bookings, afternoon canapés, fruit bowl and a bottle of sparkling wine one day of your cruise. Concierge services for shore tours and restaurant bookings are supposed to be exclusive but with only two desks and thousands in that grade, it is not always helpful.

• Aqua – Aqua guests have access to the exclusive  ‘Blu’ dining room, offering more healthy food options. Additionally, Aqua guests have access to the Spa’s facilities. Other grades (excluding suites) pay $50 per person, per day for this access.

• Sunset Verandah cabin – These are at the rear of the ship facing backward offering a larger balcony and have altogether more space.

• Sky Suites – These entry-level suites have access to ‘The Retreat’ and are located only on Deck 15 (more on that later), they are a larger cabin but represents excellent value given the additional amenities offered.

• Celebrity suite – This is the first traditionally ‘true’ suite with a separate bedroom from the entry and lounge area.

• Edge suites – These are located on Decks on 14 & 15 and consist of a bedroom upstairs and a lounge downstairs with a private plunge pool on the balcony. These are superb for a private retreat experience and unique. My favourite pick!

• Epic and Royal suites – The benefits of these are too numerous to describe. Suffice to say they are spacious and OTT!

Dining: Edge has numerous dining options which are skilfully managed by the app available for your iPhone and Android devices. Overall the quality in all the restaurants was of a high standard. Apart from your normal main dining option, you can book online any specialty dining venue by date and time reducing that run around for the best venues.

• Main dining – there are four main venues. You will be assigned to one but can eat around if space permits. They are Normandie, Cyprus, Cosmopolitan and Tuscan.

• Specialty restaurants (with a surcharge) – Eden (degustation), Fine Cut Steakhouse, Raw on 5 for seafood & the Rooftop Grill BBQ. Check the surcharge in advance as these can be up to USD$60 plus per person.

Other Activities/Offering:

• Main pool and spa – The main pool is on Deck 14 with spa baths cantilevered over the pool area from Deck 15 presenting great spots for a sailing viewpoint. The pool has a bar (of course) and the Mast Grill – churning hamburgers and hotdogs at an impressive rate. Always hot, freshly cooked with great choice of salads.

• Cabanas – On the port-side midship you’ll find private cabanas that can be hired by anybody by the day. Apart from a menu of elected dishes served to your cabana on request, they come with a bottle of champagne or vodka, towels, soft drink and a waiter.  They line the side of the pool area next to the ‘Magic Carpet’ when it resides as a bar on Deck 14 for sail away. Over the first 7 days of our cruise these were not occupied however come a ‘hot’ Caribbean or Mediterranean sailing I can see these being popular.

• The Retreat – This area, towards the front of the ship, is reserved for Suite guests only and includes pools and the spa as well as exclusive Luminie dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Absolute Highlights: There is a lot to like about this ship but here are my main likes:

• Artwork is everywhere, it’s priceless and deserves attention
• The main atrium is the best at sea – just an amazing feel
• Plug and adaptor box in every cabin aims to keep all your electronic devices charged and together. Alas mine looked like spaghetti junction in 5 minutes
• Cabin appointments are the best at sea for this grade of ship
• Food is always hot even room service – a first for me on any ship
• Adequate bars and nooks and crannies to get away
• Hidden gems like the sunset bar behind the hidden garden on deck 15 (don’t tell anybody)
• Variety of main dining without supplement – 5 venues
• Coffee! Amazing for an American ship they make good coffee!

Cruise Express’ Kathy Fossati, recently spent time onboard Ponant’s Le Laperouse. This was Le Laperouse’s much-anticipated inaugural visit to Sydney and she positioned herself at Point Piper on Sydney Harbour. Below are Kathy’s thoughts on this beautiful ship.

Reviewed: February 2019

Cruise line: PONANT Yacht Cruises & Expeditions

Size of ship and passenger capacity: 10,000 gross tonnes | 184 passengers

Maiden voyage: June 2018

Where the ship cruises: Seychelles, Asia including Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Currency onboard: Euro

Most suited to:  Retired or semi-retired clients. Being the first ship in Ponant’s new expedition class known as Ponant Explorers, this ship is especially suitable for those who love expedition style travel, but want to come back to luxury and amazing food at the end of the day.

Unique feature: So many to mention but it has to be the much anticipated Blue Eye Lounge, the world’s first underwater multi-sensory lounge space. This space has portholes that allow passengers to see directly what is below the water line – whales and dolphins, turtles and fish, sea lions and whatever else is on offer!  To top it off there is an aquaphone that picks up subaquatic sounds up to three miles away and projects them back to the lounge.

Atmosphere: Felt very homely with, as you’d expect, French elegant yet understated decor, neutral tones, soft textures and finishings reflecting the destination. I didn’t hear announcements however I have been told they will always be first in French, then English – showing that no matter where they are in the world the French DNA onboard will always be strong – not that this is a bad thing!

Encounters with service staff: Friendly, unobtrusive yet attentive multi-lingual staff who strike up a quick rapport with passengers.

Staterooms:  All interior-designed cabins have private balconies, a king-sized bed (2 singles) and a complimentary mini-bar. Additionally, as you’d expect from Ponant, a flat-screen television with satellite TV and video on demand, an iPod dock, safe, hairdryer, bathrobes and fine French bath products, Hermes.

At 19m.sq, 79 of the Staterooms are for two guests, five Deluxe Suites at 27m.sq can accommodate up to three guests. Four Privilege Suites are larger again at 32m.sq. and cater for up to four guests.

The Grand Deluxe and Privilege Suites have a bath instead of a shower and all of the suites come with a butler. There are also two wheelchair accessible staterooms, and apparently, these do go quickly.

Dining options: Being French-owned, it’s no surprise that the meals onboard have a strong French influence. The main panoramic restaurant (with inside and outside seating) on Deck 4 is a buffet style offering of salads, cheese (of course breakfast, lunch and dinner) and desserts. If you would like a-la-carte ranging from vegetarian to seafood, just ask your waiter.

The Grill on Deck 3, was not open on our visit but again we were informed the all-day dining menu focuses on grilled meats, salads and desserts.

Teas, coffees and pastries are always on hand, and most drinks are complementary.

Drink options: Ponant includes drinks in its fare, although these are restricted to house wines, which like anywhere can be limited. Naturally, premium wines and drinks can be paid for as you go, or you can purchase a Premium Drink Pass for 20 Euros per day, per person. The stylish lounges and bars are comfortable areas to relax at any time, day or night.

Room Service: Room service is available free of charge for all cabins, 24 hours.

Onboard Entertainment: Seating 188 people, the theatre is state-of-the-art and although Le Laperouse isn’t about all the show bells and whistles, they do have several class-performances. There are also a few dress requirements and ‘formal’ nights onboard so please make sure you are aware of these and pack appropriately.

Being an expedition ship, their focus is really on destination-appropriate presentations by naturalists, lecturers, experienced guides and specialists. Another entertainment option is the on-demand videos available in-room.

Offshore Entertainment: Your on-shore activities will undoubtedly be exceptional and slightly spontaneous as real adventures are!

Zodiacs and adventure equipment will be provided, and a hydraulic ‘Marina Platform’ with adjustable height provides easier embarkation and disembarkation for expeditions or access to swim. The platform can also rest just above the water for those wanting to use kayaks, paddle boarding or even snorkel.

Spa & Fitness Facilities: The ship has salon facilities (no surprises) and uses the lovely product, SOTHYS of Paris. The ocean view fitness room is significant for a small ship, offering equipment and classes.

Families: The appropriateness of children onboard depends on the destination (and the children themselves!) Ponant generally accepts children 8 years and older and while younger ones aren’t denied travelling however there are no formal kids programs or facilities.

While Le Laperouse sailings in the Kimberley for 2021 have already sold out, there are still cabins remaining onboard the new uber-luxurious Le Bellot for the Kimberley 2021 voyages!

Please click here for more information today.

Please note: Le Laperouse sailings in the Kimberley for 2022 will be announced soon – please email info@cruiseexpress.com.au if you would like to be advised once released.