Frequently Asked Questions 

Whether you are travelling with the whole family, holidaying with friends or as a couple, P&O Cruises has a cabin to suit your needs. Choose from an inside cabin, an outside cabin with ocean views, or for that little bit of extra space you can choose an outside cabin with your own private balcony. If you are looking for that special something, our luxurious suites and mini-suites offer a range of extra amenities and benefits.

We also have a number of inter-connecting cabins suitable for families and friends on holiday together. These cabins are available in a number of configurations, including quad-quad (eight people), twin-quad (six people), and twin-twin (four people).

For full details on accommodation options, please click here.

Yes, most of our four berth (quad) cabins and some of our three berth (triple) cabins contain two single lower beds and one or two upper berths (bunk beds).  Please check the bedding configuration with your travel agent or with our Cruise Contact centre at the time of booking.

In line with Australian standards, P&O Cruises strongly recommends that children under the age of 9 do not occupy or play in an upper berth bunk bed.

In line with Australian standards, P&O Cruises strongly recommends that children under the age of 9 do not occupy or play in an upper berth bunk bed.

Our upper bunk beds have a weight restriction of 100kg.

Cruises from Sydney depart from either Wharf 5 Barangaroo or the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay. White Bay cruise terminal will be operational from April 2013.

The departure wharf for your cruise will be displayed on your Cruise eTicket, travel summary in Cruise Personaliser, as well as your booking confirmation.

Wharf 5 Barangaroo
Wharf 5 Barangaroo is located on Hickson Road, on the city side of Darling Harbour. There is a taxi rank and limited free short term parking available at the wharf. Wynyard Train Station is within walking distance to Wharf 5 Barangaroo.

Overseas Passenger Terminal
Access to the Overseas Passenger Terminal is near the intersection of George and Argyle Streets, The Rocks. There is a taxi rank, however there is no parking available at the terminal. Circular Quay Train Station is within walking distance from the Overseas Passenger Terminal.

White Bay Cruise Terminal
To access White Bay Cruise Terminal (from April 13) by vehicle please use entry off James Craig Road, Rozelle. This roadway will lead you directly to the cruise terminal. There is a taxi rank and short term parking available at the wharf.

Click here to view more details on Sydney departures, including location maps.

Cruises from Brisbane depart from Portside Terminal, located off Remora Road, Hamilton. There is a 3 minute drop off zone, a taxi rank, and limited free short term parking available at the wharf. Portside Cruise Terminal is within walking distance from Brett Ferry wharf with services to the city.

Click here to view more details, including a map

Cruises from Auckland depart from either Princes Wharf or Queens Wharf. Both wharves are located on Quay Street, Auckland. There is a taxi rank, a drop off zone, however there is no parking available. Britomart Train Station is located within walking distance from Princes and Queens Wharves.

Click here to view more details on Auckland departures, including a location map.

Cruises from Melbourne depart from Station Pier, located on Waterfront Place near Beach Street, Port Melbourne. There is a taxi rank and a drop off zone at the terminal. Parking is available outside of Station Pier in the Beacon Cove herringbone car park. There are a limited number of short term car parks available adjoining Station Pier (applicable parking fees will apply). The tram station with services to Melbourne CBD is located within walking distance of Station Pier.

Before you arrive at the terminal, please ensure you have correctly filled in and attached luggage tags to each of your bags. Your luggage tags will be available to print from Cruise Personaliser. Arriving to the wharf with no luggage tags attached to your luggage may result in longer wait times to drop-off your luggage.

Upon arrival at the terminal please proceed to the luggage drop-off area to check-in your luggage. Please ensure items you will require at cruise check-in, such as your eTicket, passport, ID, duty free and medication are not packed in these bags. You should then proceed into the terminal where you will be provided with a Health Questionnaire by Terminal staff. This must be completed prior to check-in.

At check-in you will need to present your passport (or government issued photo ID for domestic coastal cruises), your eTicket and a credit / debit card to setup your onboard account. Cash can be used, however you may experience some wait times at Reception to maintain your cash account during the cruise. If you would prefer to set up your onboard account with cash, this can be done by visiting Reception once onboard within the first 24 hours of your cruise.

Please note, a valid passport or government issued ID is mandatory for domestic coastal cruises. Passengers without the required identification will be denied boarding.

Once check-in is complete you will be advised on boarding formalities by Check-in staff and will be provided with a Cruise Card. You Cruise Card is your cabin key, your access on and off the ship and is used to make any purchases onboard.

For each booking, the following documents will be provided:

• Double-sided eTicket (including departure and check-in details, passenger names, cabin number, arrival details, and important travel information)
• A copy of the P&O Cruises’ Terms and Conditions
• Single-sided luggage tag - print one tag for each piece of luggage, and complete Passenger Name & Mobile Number on each (Ship name, Cruise number will be populated, along with your Cabin number if allocated at time of generation).
  

In addition, bookings with flights booked by us will receive a single-sided Flight Information page with all passengers on the booking listed on the one page.

Your eTicket will be emailed to you and available in ‘Cruise Personaliser’ as early as 60 days prior to sailing, providing full payment has been received and all personal details for each person in the booking have been provided, including Emergency Contact, via ‘Cruise Personaliser’. 

Once you have completed your details in ‘Cruise Personaliser’, including providing an email address, it will take five (5) working days for your eTicket to generate. This will give you plenty of time to get excited about your cruise!

Yes, flights can be booked with our CruiseAir program from 320 days to four days prior to sailing. With CruiseAir, you can customise your flights to suit your travel plans and choose from competitive, real-time pricing and availability. Plus, you'll find a host of other exciting benefits, including:

• Immediate flight confirmations: your flights will be confirmed at the time of booking
• Increased choice and customisation: A variety of flight options, including different airlines, flight class and dates can be compared, allowing for seamless coordination of flights with cruise itineraries and travel plans
• Next Port Protection: Providing peace of mind in the event of an airline delay or airline service disruption, we will do what we reasonably can to enable passengers to continue their holiday with minimal disruption and, if passengers miss their cruise embarkation, we will seek to rearrange travel arrangements to the next appropriate port at no additional air cost to the passenger

Please ensure your flight arrives no later than four (4) hours before your cruise departure time. This should provide enough time to travel to the cruise terminal and check-in for your holiday of a lifetime.

If you are flying home on the day you leave the cruise, please ensure your flight departs no earlier than five (5) hours after your cruise is scheduled to arrive in port. This should help you have a stress free return home from your relaxing cruise holiday.

If you do need to make changes to your own flight booking, your chosen airline may charge fees, so check their airfare conditions when you book.

Dining when and where you want couldn’t be easier than it is on our ships, with a range of dining options that are included in your cruise fare such as the buffet at Plantation Restaurant, and a la carte meals in the Waterfront Restaurant.  There is also The Grill serving Aussie fare from breakfast through to dinner (charges may apply to selected items). For a small cover charge you can dine at one of our specialty restaurants, Salt grill by Luke Mangan, Australia’s only celebrity chef restaurant at sea, or La Luna (not available on Pacific Pearl), a real treat for lovers of Asian food.

Looking for a snack or a sweet treat? The Cafe, our chocolate cafe at sea offers a selection of indulgent treats, tea and coffee.  Tea and coffee is also available from Charlies Bar along with a selection of muffins and cakes. Of course, there is also New Zealand Natural for an ice cream treat up on deck.

Yes. We can help you organise a group event that is unique and memorable through our ‘Events at Sea’ program. Whether it’s a corporate conference, an incentive program, a special interest group meeting or an event for friends and family, we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Passengers travelling as a group (minimum of 16 adults) have access to a number of on board services on selected sailings, including:  conference facilities, onboard group coordinator, live entertainment, cocktail parties with canapés, children's parties, invitations, group photos, special occasion cakes and personalised newsletter.

For more information on our Events at Sea program, please click here.

Welcome to cashless cruising! All shipboard expenses are charged to your personalised Cruise Card. Your Cruise Card is linked to your onboard account and can be settled by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or AMEX) or debit card (Visa or MasterCard). Debit cards may act as a credit card, whilst using the available funds in your bank account.

When using credit or debit cards, we obtain pre-authorisations and some banks hold these for up to 30 days. This may appear as a double charge to your credit or debit card until your bank releases the hold.

A 1.5% service fee applies to all onboard credit card transactions (debit cards not included).

Pre-paid credit cards and Travelex Visa cash passports are not accepted onboard. Please be aware that there are no EFTPOS facilities available onboard our ships.
  

Should you need to make changes to your booking (spelling corrections or to replace a passenger), no administration fees will apply. Please be aware that one original passenger from the booking must always remain on the booking or the booking will be subject to the applicable cancellation charges. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details on booking changes and cancellations.

To make any changes to the passengers on your booking, please contact your travel agent or our Cruise Contact Centre. Updates to your address, phone numbers or email address can be done by logging on to ‘Cruise Personaliser’ on our website.

Please note, if you have a CruiseAir package and need to make any changes to the passengers on the booking, additional fees will be charged as per the CruiseAir Terms and Conditions.

The start of your cabin number indicates what deck you cabin is located on. For example, if your cabin number is 5103, you are on deck 5. If you are in deck 10101, you are on deck 10.

To see where on the ship your cabin is located, simply take a look at the deck plan for the ship you are cruising on (Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel or Pacific Pearl). You can enter your cabin number into the ‘Find my cabin’ feature to locate your cabin on the deck plan.

Yes, you have most likely received a complimentary upgrade. When you receive an upgrade, this means you have been moved into a higher graded cabin than the cabin you originally booked. This may be on a higher or lower deck, and at the front, middle or back of the ship. Please remember if you are travelling with other people or as part of a group, we cannot guarantee that all of the bookings will receive upgrades or that you will be allocated cabins near each other.

If you are happy with the cabin you have booked and do not wish to receive a complimentary upgrade, please advise us or your travel agent as soon as possible, preferably at the time you make your booking.

Your cabin can also be changed for operational reasons, including when the number of people booked in the cabin is less than the number of beds in the cabin, or if you have selected a wheelchair accessible cabin and do not require one.

Yes, with four dedicated children's centres , Turtle Cove (3-6 years), Shark Shack (7-10 years), HQ (11-14 years) and HQ+ (15-17 years), there is something for everyone. Each of the centres are run by experienced P&O Cruises Youth Staff and offer a range of activities tailored to the age group. Activities include arts and craft, circus juggling classes, pizza parties, Playstation and Wii competitions, movie nights and more.

For more information, click here to download our Family Information pack.

Passports, visas, vaccinations and other travel documentation are your responsibility.

Without the necessary passport (or government issued photo ID for domestic cruises), visas and/or vaccinations, local authorities may deny you boarding, prevent you from going ashore, issue a fine or deny the ship entry into the port. It is also your responsibility to ensure you have all the necessary documentation which permits you to travel. If you do not have all the necessary documentation, you may be denied boarding and no refunds will be given.

Passports
For international cruises (cruises that visit a foreign port), passports are required for all passengers and must be valid for a minimum of six (6) months beyond the date of the cruise return. In addition, travel on our cruises will not revalidate an Australian or New Zealand re-entry visa. Please ensure you check your passport and visa requirements with the relevant consulate or embassy. Any passenger not in possesion of a valid passport at check-in may be denied boarding and no refund will be given.

Visas
For standard Pacific Island and New Zealand itineraries (excluding Fiji and Papua New Guinea), visas are not required to transit these ports as part of your cruise, regardless of the passport your hold. If you are joining or leaving the ship in one of these countries, you may require a visa and should contact the relevant consulate/embassy or a visa service to confirm your individual visa requirements.

Some nationalities (excluding Australian and New Zealand passport holders) may require a visa for Fiji, even when transiting the country as part of your cruise. Please confirm your visa requirements with the relevant consulate/embassy or a visa service.

Visas for Papua New Guinea will be issued upon arrival for all passengers and the applicable fee will be charged to your onboard account. The visa fee is subject to change and will be advised onboard.

Visa requirements are always subject to change, as such we do recommend you confirm your individual requirements with the relevant consulate/embassy or with a visa service.

Passports
Australian citizens, visit www.passports.gov.au
New Zealand citizens, visit www.passports.govt.nz
For citizens of other countries, please contact your relevant national authority.

Visas
Please contact your Travel Agent, relevant consulate or embassy or an online visa service for more information.

Vaccinations
Please contact your doctor or an approved public health travel advisory service such as the World Health Organisation (www.who.org). Information is also available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smart Traveller (www.smartraveller.gov.au).

We strongly recommend you purchase appropriate international travel insurance at the time you pay your deposit. If you do not purchase travel insurance you may not be able to recover cancellation charges, medical costs, repatriation and other expenses that may arise if things to do not go according to plan. Australian Medicare, New Zealand ACC and private health insurance will not cover you for any medical costs on board. All cruises (even cruises that do not visit foreign ports) require international travel insurance.

You should not base your insurance decision on the assumption ‘it won’t happen to me’ – accidents or illness can happen to anyone. Daily hospital bills can cost more than AUD5000 per day. For further information or to purchase travel insurance:

Australian passengers - please contact your Travel Agent or call our Cruise Contact Centre.

New Zealand passengers - please contact your Travel Agent.

A deposit is required within 3 days of booking your cruise, and final payment prior to 75 days before departure. Some special promotions may require different payment conditions.  Please refer to promotional Terms & Conditions.

Accepted payment methods for bookings made directly with P&O Cruises include:

• Credit/Debit card - We accept Visa, Mastercard, AMEX and Diners. For each transaction a 1.5% service fee applies, which is subject to change and will be advised before payment.  Please contact our Cruise Contact Centre to make payment over the phone.
• Internet banking – transferring payment into our account. We recommend that you make your payment up to five (5) business days in advance of the due date to ensure funds reach your booking in time. So we can apply your payment to the correct booking, please enter your 6 digit alpha-numeric booking reference in the payment reference field of your internet transfer.  Should your bank not accept your 6 digit booking number in the payment reference field, please enter your full name.
  If you have used your full name as the payment reference, it is important that you also email a payment confirmation, including your booking number, full name and cruise number, to CAUpayments@princesscruises.com. If you used your 6 digit alpha-numeric booking reference as the payment reference, there is no need to email a payment confirmation.

For Australian residents our account details are as follows:
Account Name: Carnival PLC
Bank: ANZ, Corner York & Market streets Sydney
BSB: 012 172
Account Number: 837204961

For New Zealand residents our account details are as follows:
Account Name: Carnival PLC
Bank: BNZ (Bank of New Zealand)
BSB: 020 124
Account Number: 012837200

If your booking has been made through a Travel Agent, your payment and any queries relating to the payment of your cruise, must be made via your Travel Agent.

It is usually no problem. We have a great range of shore tours and many cater for people with various levels of mobility. For more information, please refer to the description of each individual shore tour. Our helpful shore tour staff are also available onboard to discuss individual tours.

It is important to note that access to tender ports may be restricted and this may limit your tour options. Do not worry if you cannot get off the ship, we will have plenty of fun activities for you to do onboard!

For most Shore Tours, there is no minimum age for children as long as a parent or guardian accompanies them. Unaccompanied passengers must be older than 18 years of age or if younger, a written consent from their parent or legal guardian must be provided directly to the Shore Tours Manager/Operator once onboard.

On both our snorkelling and bike tours a minimum age restriction may apply and may vary by tour. For Introductory Scuba Diving tours, there is a minimum age of 12 years and all passengers under 18 years must have written consent and be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents of children who wish to participate on biking tours should enquire at the Shore Tours Desk onboard as we will need to verify that an appropriate size bike can be arranged.

You sure can. P&O Cruises offers four (4) different packages to make your holiday even more memorable. Some of your favourites in our packages include our P&O Cruises cookbook "Holidays", dinner at Salt grill by Luke Mangan, chocolates and champagne. Packages are available of cruises 5 days or longer and can be purchased up until seven (7) days prior to departure.

For full details, please click here.