P & O Pacific Explorer

Our first cruise in 3 years! 

We have boarded the rebadged Dawn Princess for a 7 day local cruise. Leaving Adelaide, sailing over night to Kangaroo Island where the ship runs a tender service to the local Sealink Ferry Service port on Kangaroo Island of Penneshaw, then sailing across Bass Straight to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, back across Base Strait to Melbourne, then west to Adelaide for disembarkation. Sounds reasonably safe. Local Australian waters, not too long, minimalizing risk of Covid infection. Mmm...time will tell if our gamble payed off.

It is interesting sailing on the ship we sailed around the world in and earlier to Hawaii return. We walked into our balcony cabin to realize the cabin size, although the same as before was "wow, small!".  It is amazing how quickly we forget. The poor ship is looking tired. Although the main public areas have been revamped and upgraded to assimilate with the P & O brand, the cabins are very much unchanged. Same carpets, prints on the wall and furniture. Our Cabin Stewards still offer the same smiling and ready to please service, though I did think they were a bit lax in their cleaning. We found a previous male passenger's pair of underwear pants under our bed. (he must have been in a hurry to get into bed!!!!). 

Tender with Penneshaw in background  

 

Sealink Ferry bound for Cape Jarvis on the 

South Australian mainland.  

A little towel bunny, compliments of our friendly Cabin Stewards. 

View from Prominade Deck of the bow 

whilst anchored off Kangaroo Island.