Slime and all things to entice – P&O's Pacific Explorer is christened
By Cruising With Honey - 22:48
Pacific Explorer P&O Australia
Sture Myrmell
Christenings are usually a sedate affair, but not, apparently, when it comes to a 77,441 tonne baby. I’ve been counting down the days for the official naming ceremony for P&O’s Pacific Explorer, stalking her with an almost unhealthy compulsion. P&O promised a spectacular, and boy did they deliver.
Imagine a giant slime-filled, champagne-shaped piñata, larger than life cartoon characters dancing around the decks and a Mariachi band “La-Bamba-ing’ in the atrium. My senses were overloaded, my eyes were darting back and forth and my pulse was quicker than a steroid-jacked Russian athlete. Breathe Honey, breathe.
I was given the heads up that Mr President, Sture Myrmell, was going to be slimed at the festivities’ climax. Somehow, the image of this dapper, designer-clad Sture covered in icky goo did not sit well with me. I’d just bumped into him at the entrance to Black Circus (swoon) and imagining this well-coiffed gentleman slimed was horrific to say the least. But, as you can see, Sture was slimed. And it was gloriously perfect. The juxtaposing of neon goop and the immaculately groomed Myrmell spurned the biggest whoop of joy from young and old. Well done Sir, well done.
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Taken at 5:15am as she pulled into the OPT |
At around 10am, my family and I were ushered on the Explorer with about 30 others – kids and adults. Crossing the gang way and then scanned at security on Deck 7, the first thing that caught my attention was the smell. Well, not smell, but scent. Kinda like that new car smell that’s almost inextricable, but sparks a reaction in your brain that gets you excited. A combination of new carpet, paint and clean furnishing that haven’t been grubbied by wondering fingers.
It was a little weird for me though. There was a sense of familiarity (my first ever cruise was on the Dawn Princess in 2009) when I stepped aboard, and yet all together different. The wide stairways were the same, but gone was the mermaid carpet. The gilt glass elevators were still there, but the walls were adorned with stylish artworks and quirky touches. I couldn’t wait to explore.
Our tour guide Henrick was fabulous (and guess what? He knows about this blog and his mumma follows me too!) and whisked us in and out of different areas, up and down the decks all the while filling the group in with interesting details. I bumped into one of my favourite staff members Grizzy (from Salt) and recognised many other faces as we trotted around the ship. Trotted makes me think of pigs trotters (is that where the word originates?) but more accurately we traversed the halls at such a fast pace, I felt like I was in a speed-walking race. I was wearing brand new, bright red high heels, and I can attest by the end of the day, my little footsies resembled feet of pigs. But I digress. The tour was quite thorough and you can watch the Livestreams here. Many a time I attempted a surreptitious escape, but the keen eyes of the lovely event staff diverted me back to the group. Sorry Jemima, I was a bit of a pain.
Here are a few first impressions of some of the areas:
Black Circus – Much more spacious than I imagined. Plush, rich, warm furnishings. Quirky bar stools, lots of seating options and a cheeky burlesque vibe. Funky bar.
Atrium – Bright, clean, sparkly. I love the elevators.
Blue Room – Jazz-vibe feel, smaller than the Blue Room on Eden. I love the musical touches and the mysterious feel.
Bonded Store – I literally had a three second look in. Great furnishing, similar to a 1920s/30s vibe with tasselled lampshades and velvety coverings.
Lawn Bowls – Tucked away and a nice use of the space on Deck 11. Personally it doesn’t appeal to me, but a nice addition for those who enjoy the game. My in-laws would LOVE this, they’re Aussie lawn bowls champs.
Gymnasium – Huge! Lots of machines, free weights and cardio equipment. The view you get while treadmill-ing is spectacular. Makes it worthwhile to exercise while on the ship.
Waterpark and Slides – The waterpark is great for young kids, a little smaller than I expected. The waterslides look INCREDIBLE! I wanted to try them out then and there, but alas was not allowed (and my nautical ensemble would have been ruined).
Shark Shack and HQ – Very spacious, awesome facilities and great furnishings. Playstations, bean bags and lots of natural light make it very appealing. My kids might be tempted to spend time there! (cross fingers). One million points for the paisley print carpet, I’d love this exact carpet in my bedroom, except maybe purple.
Luke’s – Very stylish, the perfect position for it actually on Deck 12 overlooking the pool. There are tables, a bench and bar stools. (Look out for my interview with Luke Mangan, which will be published in a few days).
Main pool deck – Wonderful pool, a couple of spas and LOTS of sun beds – singles and doubles – tables, chairs and utterly inviting.
Oasis – My absolute favourite spot on the ship (well, of what I saw). A stunning, round, large pool, a spa and spectator style semi-circle seating. Just fabulous. There’s also a bar, so really it has everything for a wonderful sea day of sunning, swimming, mingling and drinking.
Pantry – Smaller than I expected, but so much seating! I like the layout as the majority of the seating is at the back of the food stations. I particularly like the layout of the Sugar Bar, very spacious, and the drink stations (water, coffee machines) are there as well.
We did get about 10 mins to scoff down some nosh – I managed to inhale some roast chicken, fish, chips, mash, chocolate choux pastry donuts, cupcake, strawberry tart, passionfruit custard and a mocktail.
And I wonder why I am so rotund!
I didn’t get the chance to see inside any cabins, the casino, the Waterfront, Marquee, Explorer Hotel, Ocean Bar, Angelos, Dragon Lady, 400 Gradi, A Taste Of Salt – Chef's Table, Shell’n’Bones, shops, beauty salon, Elemis Spa or the Home Store. Hopefully I’ll be invited on again and I’ll be able to write a more thorough review.
Among the music and dancing and slime and streamers, my absolute favourite part of the day was hugging Louisa-Jane Grasty – Admin and Revenue Director. I met this extraordinary officer on the Eden a while back and it was so exciting to catch up with her and congratulate her – and the entire crew who have worked like machines – on getting Explorer ready for us cruisers. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your dedication and hard work, you’ve done an amazing job. (Melissa Yates, I only got to wave at you from afar, hopefully we will chat next time).
Another thrill was meeting Corporate Executive Chef Uwe Stiefel and Corporate Head Of Entertainment Brett Annabel. You can see my quick interview here. Before I knew it, I was walking the gang way once again. Back on dry land, I shot death stares to excited cruisers who were wheeling their fancy bags on their way to embarkation. Grumpy and already suffering PCD (Post-Cruise Depression), I closed my eyes, blew a kiss, and silently whispered to the fair maiden:
“I promise I’ll be back as soon as humanly possible”.
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