PACIFIC ADVENTURE & BYRON BEACH CLUB REVIEW | Is Byron Beach Club Worth the Cost?

[@kathyaldridge6603]

Thanks Adrian, we are planning a 10 day cruise on Pacific Adventure in November to New Zealand, and until I watched you video I was undecided on whether to spend the extra money and book the Byron Beach mini suite. You made it sound worth while so we are going to give it a go.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Glad it was helpful! I hope you enjoy the experience.

[@tobyweiss1010]

Having sailed on the Pacific Adventure when it was the Golden Princess I was quite impressed with the makeover that P&O did to the public areas to turn the ship into the Pacific Adventure. Unfortunately the cabins had not received any work and were really old and tired. That was over a year ago. I wonder if they've now been fixed? We had booked a suite on the PA then discovered that they were on a lower deck and overlooked by all the cabins on decks above, so we switched.

[@sarahmcivor1500]

We just did the Encounter just after dry dock last week have done it before and in Jan all I can say it was great they have add heaps of new furniture every where and heaps of loungers ect outside in all pool areas. I found all the waiter's where more on the ball and really happy and friendly. But don't do a 3 nighter on a weekend if you don't like crowds (this would be a great crusie to do Byron beach) it was the busiest I have ever seen every area was packed even with more seating it just seemed packed. It was sold out 2 weeks before. tip if you want to watch a late night movie out side go on the top deck as it can get loud near the pool with everyone wanting to eat and in the pool and it there was no noise on the top deck.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for your excellent feedback and advice, Sarah. Those are some great tips!

[@themagicalpikelandfriends9399]

I have sailed on P&O pacific adventure last November and march and I have a booking for this November I really enjoyed this ship

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

She's a beautiful ship with a terrific crew.

[@bamfordsrightfoot]

Spent 10 days on Pacific Adventure a few weeks ago. It was absolutely brilliant. Have already re-booked for September 2024. Staff were amazing and we had a great time! :)

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Great to hear!

[@raypitcher2592]

Thanks for that Adrian. I'm really glad you found the experience on this cruise more to your liking. I guess with the Covid layoff of the crew and indeed the ship it takes a few cruises for things to get in the groove so to speak. I have 5 months to wait for my first cruise since the pandemic (on Pacific Explorer) and I am busting to get on a ship. I watch your videos and get so jealous. So enjoy your every cruise because as you know a bad day at sea is still better that a good one on shore. Keep up the good work young man.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks Ray. You are 100% on the money with that one - I will always pick a bad day at sea over a good one on shore. I look forward to hearing all about your cruise on the beautiful Explorer when you return.

[@Ellieashamiller]

Im in an M1 suite in October. Thanks for this review.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@rodneyhuffton9155]

Great review. I’m going on my first cruise in April. 3nights

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@ronaldhennessy2168]

I’m sailing on P&O Pacific adventure in May on their Fiji and 12 day adventure cruise. Looking forward to it.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

The Fiji itineraries are awesome. Hope you have a great time.

[@paulasquires8256]

Another fabulous video Adrian, full of great information. My husband and I sailed on the Pacific Adventure for the first time on this actual cruise (a highlight was meeting you!), unfortunately this time around we did not have access to Byron Beach Club but may consider it now on a future cruise based on your review. We had a mini suite and the biggest plus for us was the priority boarding upon arrival to the cruise ship terminal, so easy, so quick! Regarding the Taste of Eden Festival, I totally agree with you. I was considering to book a shore excursion, I am glad I didn't. I have done Food and Wine themed cruises in the past (without going to a port visit) and I enjoyed the related onboard events eg cooking demos, martini making classes etc. An information/overview session on board ship would have been helpful prior to docking at Eden. I too like to research before I travel so I had googled Eden and had some things in mind that I wanted to tick off my must do list. We were fortune to have the Tourist Information Centre at the wharf - my happy place, I am a brochure/pamphlet/booklet hoarder and like to share my collected info! I did enjoy the ship and its layout, the entertainment was excellent and I look forward to cruising again. All the best to you, happy travels.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks Paula! Was lovely meeting you both. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your experience as well. I think P&O dropped the ball a little on communicating with guests about what to expect onboard and in relation to the Taste of Eden festival. Hopefully they work on that for future main event food cruises - and actually include some onboard events related to the theme! Thanks again 😄

[@TinaSwarovski-th9uq]

Love your vidoes as usual, can you advise me which room option is better for a family of 4 mini suite, Byron besch club or suite? What do you think of the Eden cruise, worth visiting? Thank you kindly.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks Tina. If space if what you're after, then any of the full suites will be the best bet - plus they'll include Byron Beach access. The mini suites are pretty much all the same layout, but from 1 July the MA category (midship Deck 9) mini suites will also give you access to Byron Beach Club. M1 category (Deck 9 forward) include Byron Beach Club access as these are the original BB Mini Suites. The mini suites will still be comfortable for 4 passengers, but one of the passengers will be sleeping in a pullman/bunk bed.

[@TinaSwarovski-th9uq]

Thanks for this Adrian really appreciate it, prompt response as always. I hope Eden will be worth visiting.

[@blacksorrento4719]

Thank you Adrian for your comment about Altitude being a quiet place during the day to get away from the throng. For the first 3 days of our 8 day cruise it was exactly that, quiet sssh…..great for reading or having a snooze, but then the word got out, others found it, peace destroyed. 🙄 NB: we made a mistake, don’t cruise in early December if you want a quiet cruise experience, people take their children out of school early, either that or there was a children travel free campaign. November is now our cut off point for cruising.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It’s a lovely little relaxing zone - but seems like word spreads quickly during a cruise. I’ve also noticed same re kids on cruises recently, and I think rising prices during the popular holiday months mean more families are choosing to cruise during the shoulder season. Now that kids caps have been removed from P&O, any sailing has the potential to be a little chaotic on the kid-front.

[@blacksorrento4719]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy understood, that answers many questions about the children. It wasn’t that they were unruly or anything. Due to the numbers, we found that there were a distinct lack of seats in The Pantry 🤔 instead of just couples sailing there were large families, and tables were at a premium, you had to be an early bird to secure one.

[@sueandruskin1337]

Always enjoyed Angela's , agree about Dragon Lady

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It’s a bit of a shame. We have such great Asian cuisine available on land in Australia and Dragon Lady is just bland and a let down in comparison. Hopefully they can work on it.

[@johnhowes1686]

Another great review Adrian. Thanks.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks again!

[@gabrielleuren8965]

Hi Adrian i was also on the same cruise and nice to meet you , the BBBClub was a great spot and your other comments Enjoyed the cruise. Gabby

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Hi Gabby. Nice to meet you too! Thanks for watching and hope you had a great time onboard 😁

[@lesliemckay2835]

We have just returned from a 14 night New Zealand cruise on Encounter. I managed to use the Byron Beach Club only twice. Weather was bad most of the time. I did enjoy my coffee martini up there on one fine day. I found the Pantry to be small, therefore it was always busy and packed. Always had trouble finding a table especially on the bad weather days. I used Angelo's for Bryon Suite breakfast a few times, but found the limited menu boring and it never changed during the 14 days. It was not the best cruise I have done with P&O and had problems with the loudness of music in the Atrium being played by one guy in particular. People were being blasted as they exited the elevators and had to cover their ears. I will be giving this cruise only 5 out of 10.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for sharing your comments, Les! I think the weather-issue should be a real consideration for whether the BB Club is worth the additional expense - particularly as it's the main benefit and if you can't access it, it really detracts from the overall value/experience. I would agree with your BB Club breakfast comments also, although the Waterfront menu is similarly limited. A 14 night cruise with a static menu would definitely become monotonous. Your description of the sound in the atrium took me right back to my cruise onboard Majestic Princess - the volume was at times deafening. It's really uncomfortable, more so on Adventure/Encounter I imagine, thanks to the smaller atrium space.

[@travelwithdebandnick]

Im really glad that you enjoyed the cruise more than the first one :) I was just wondering, is the food and drinks in bryon Beach club complimentary?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks Debbie ☺️ no, none of the food or drinks in the BB Club are complimentary, except iced water lol

[@travelwithdebandnick]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy oh wow i thought itd be like staying in a club suite a hotel with food and drinks included, that shocks me

[@cruiselover4114]

This is a very good cruise ship. I had a cruise many years ago on this ship as Golden Princess to Hawaii roundtrip from Los Angeles and it was a very fantastic experience. The greatest feature I think is its two grand size pools on top deck. I swam laps in them everyday during my cruise. The great additions I see and like are the water slide and the zipline to the Pacific Adventure. This ship is more comfortable than like the newer ship I cruise on today. For example, I tried the Royal Caribbean Allude of the Sea. It looked nice from the outside like a Vegas resort but it is so crowded everywhere you go. Reservations are needed for almost everything. And their shows are always overbooked so the best you can get is on standby. And the most important thing to me is the pool, the pools are basically wading pools for kids. Forget about any kind of swimming. So I think that the Australian cruisers are lucky to have this very well rebranded and refurbished cruise ship versus a totally mega cruise ship.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for watching. I love the Grand Class layout and offerings.

[@AndreaRivers-Thompson]

My husband and I have two cruises planned on this ship… Fiji encounter for 12n in August in a mini-suite and then a 15n Singapore - Sydney in March 2024 in a BBBC mini-suite. Thanks for the review, we are especially looking forward to the Byron Bay Beach Club experience as we have many sea days. We did a back to back on Pacific Explorer last year over 13n and have just returned from a Celebrity Eclipse sailing New Zealand and believe it or not we have decided P&O far outweighs Celebrity for entertainment!

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoy your upcoming cruises. I would have to agree re entertainment - I think P&O Australia have a fantastic offering and it seems to be tailored more for local-tastes (whatever that means haha)

[@blacksorrento4719]

We were on its Tassie cruise earlier this month in an M1 mini suite, it’s brilliant, you will enjoy it.👍 Room service at a small cost or Angelo’s for breakfast was also welcome. We are also doing a back to back with the Singapore to Sydney in early March 2024 then staying on to do the NZ return to Sydney, because of the length of this sadly we will not be in BBBC suite, but it was nice to have the experience. It was our first time on the Adventure, and we liked her layout a lot. Considering her age, P & O have done a good job with the refurbishment.

[@johnmcbride2903]

Going on adventure next month to vanuato

[@brettn4337]

Nice video Adrian. I take it you're not a fan of the Dragon Lady restaurant? From other reviews I've read people rave about it. It would be good if you could buy a "day pass" to use the Byron Beach club area. It would offer possible respite from the hoards of 18 yo adults at the adult only area (old man rant 😂)

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks Brett! Haha no, Dragon Lady and I have a complicated past 🤣 I had at least one decent experience there last year on Pacific Explorer but going there later on Encounter and then Adventure, I realised how bad the food could be. I don't say that lightly... on Adventure in particular, it was borderline inedible. Angelo's is proof that P&O know how to craft a menu and deliver on flavour - hopefully they can apply that to DL one day haha! I think there was some chatter about a day-pass system to BB Club back when it launched, but P&O quickly squashed that. I would likewise share in your rant about the hoards haha 🤣

[@Cooperthegolfer]

Is the Byron bay beach club for an extra cost? We have a mini suite and are unsure if we get to go in there.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It’s included for MA and M1 mini suites. You can check which yours is by looking at your cabin number and comparing it to the deck plans here: www.pocruises.com.au/ships/pacific-adventure

[@andreaarmstrong7543]

We sailed on Pacific Adventure on the 20th of March 2023 and loved the Byron Beach experience. Having sailed previously on the Dawn in a suite I expected the same level of attentiveness that made us feel like King and Queens but was very disappointed on our Pacific Adventure sailing as I felt there was no distinction between a suite and interior room. Yes, we had the extra perks but there definitely was something missing. I later found out that most around 80% of staff are on their very first contract which clearly showed that there was a lacing of experience and knowledge. For the price, I paid for the suite, I was very disappointed. I think when P&O are staffing the ships there needs to be a greater level of experienced staff on board to role model and mentor the new staff so that the level of service can be maintained.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for sharing details of your recent experience onboard.

[@arokh72]

A shame about the food. I sailed on Pacific Jewel in 2014, and though the food wasn't great, I did get to try different food, such as snails. I appreciate costs have risen for cruises lines, such as for all of us, and all lines are cutting costs to return to profitability, but I just feel that's it's a real shame the first place most lines are cutting costs is also one of the most important for guests, that being the food. One reason I won't use the BBC is the cost of the relevant suites, but it doesn't have access for the mobility impaired, a massive oversight IMO, and not worth the extra cost for us with my partner having mobility issues.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Definitely an oversight re accessibility limitations and something that is hopefully resolved with a future ship.

[@passionatelifeproject]

Whaaat? No Espresso Martini? That's gotta be a deal-breaker! ☕🍸😭

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

🤣 tell me about it!

[@binds321]

Bummer only have mini Suite

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

You’ll have a great time either way. She’s a lovely ship.

[@monty3331000]

Why do I get the feeling cruise lines are slowly reintroducing class systems?

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

@@monty3331000 I think I’m going to do a bit of a dive into this and make a video about it. It’s happening across most major cruise lines and it’s an interesting topic for sure.

[@happytraveller2122]

Can you pay to get to the BBC?

[@robertchua5229]

Old bananas can use them to make banana cake.😉

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

😳🤣🤣 I love that saying

[@robertchua5229]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy So sorry. Those bananas in the video to your left over ripe.😅😁

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

@@robertchua5229 lol I usually peel them and pop them in the freezer for that exact purpose 😆

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

@@robertchua5229 also I thought that was a euphemism about the ship 😂🍌

[@robertchua5229]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy 😅😁

[@johannaleary9006]

I did not like the ship or the cruise I preferred the old P O Ships

[@andoru]

That massive area being exclusive to such a minority of “elite” guests is a massive turn off. Doesn’t matter how nice the rest of the ship is, I’m just not interested in going on this ship.

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

It’s a fair point - but it’s worth noting that originally the only way to access that area when the ship sailed with Princess was to pay extra. The reality is that all major cruise lines have implemented some sort of suite-only areas, so you might be avoiding a lot of ships in future. Cruise lines that have similar restricted-access areas include: Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival and NCL to name a few.

[@Heather_T]

Maybe so, but exclusive areas are so much more noticeable and restrictive on small ships.

[@hannahbucknall7391]

The "elite" don't want you to join them in the Byron beach club, stay in your peasant section.

[@GoldMonsterGurusCuznCuzProspec]

Hey great video thanks I’m a newby to this does room category guarantee in bc category mean entry to beach club Pretty obvious but don’t like to assume anything right I’ll be sure to like your video TIA

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks! BC refers to a balcony stateroom. All of the balcony stateroom categories begin with the letter 'B' and then have a second letter that indicates their general location onboard. Mini suites begin with the letter 'M' and to access Byron Beach Club you need to be staying in an MA or M1 category mini suite. Hope that info helps!

[@victorkhalil1050]

Hi Adrian thats my second time watching this video am going on the adventure on king birthday or queen birthday 12 june for 11 days up north cairns and tangaloma island thanks for the video i am no so familiar with that ship its my 4th trip since dec with p & o unfortunately not many ship sails from Melbourne hope to meet you one day

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

Thanks Victor, glad you found the video helpful and I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise! We may cross paths on the high seas one day, and please say hello if we do.

[@victorkhalil1050]

@@TheCruiseandTravelGuy sure advance hello lol

[@TheCruiseandTravelGuy]

@@victorkhalil1050 haha 😆