Day 7 - sea day
The rest of the cruise.
Food - we ate everywhere but Chef's Table.
The Pantry - we like the concept of The Pantry but agree that the seating in the space needs to be rethought, especially the low tables. They just don't work.
We tried most outlets and have no complaints. The Mexican was a hit as was the sandwich station. My poached eggs were perfect each time I had them. For anyone who complains they have to remember they are on P&O, not Celebrity.
Dragon Lady - as advised when we were boarding the ship we booked three restaurants straight away. Dragon Lady, Salt and Angelo's. You were limited to three. I saw no evidence of any priority for suite guests as advertised. The serving sizes in Dragon Lady are even smaller than they were in January. We said it then and I'll say it again - it's a good idea that hasn't got the execution quite right. Soggy sweet potato chips. A brulee that was more like a mousse. Nevertheless we enjoyed it enough to make another booking as we left as the menu was changing mid-cruise and the portion sizes seemed to have slightly increased.
Salt - already discussed
Angelo's - what a let down. We liked Angelo's last time. Not this time. Sat in table right at entrance. Rushed through our meal like nothing any of us have experienced before. Servings so small they wouldn't even qualify as tapas. The cheese 'platter' was hilarious.
Room service - room service breakfast is included for suites.
We used it a few times. They never quite got the order right.
Entertainment
Production shows - the only one we didn't like was Twice Upon a Time. It was weird. We like dance but the dancing and singing left us cold. We didn't go to any of the other shows.
Lounges and bars - we liked the duet that played around the ship and The Edens who played in the Blue Room. We thought Alter Ego were terrible (were they just crew members moonlighting as a band?) and did not get Spencer Chester at all. Was his act that he couldn't sing or couldn't play piano? Obviously plenty did get him as the bar was full every time he played.
Service
We thought the service on our Pacific Aria cruise earlier in the year was very ordinary. The ship had been crewed with a large number of bar and restaurant staff from the Pacific islands and it just didn't work. They just have a different attitude and service ethic. The Staff Captain told us that they were on the main from Vanuatu and admitted the experiment hadn't worked out as P&O had hoped.
The new service staff mix on Eden worked a treat. It might have been because the Captain himself seemed to be having fun but just about everyone had a smile on their face and service was very good. At times it was difficult to find someone to get a drink for you but that would be our only negative comment.
Internet
We bought a photo package for $29.95 that gave us a discount off internet packages, a couple of free photos and USB stick. We should have just paid for the internet - either $89.95 or $99.95 - although our mums will like the photos that we wouldn't have otherwise bought. There were wireless routers all down the hall outside the suites with one right outside our door.
My partner worked the whole time sat at the table out on our verandah. Speed was good. It was unlimited plan (1TB but who uses 1TB on a cruise?) with no restrictions on websites visited. They also offer a social media package for $10/24 hours.
Housekeeping
Myron and Michell kept the cabin spotless. Made very good use of the unlimited bottled water.
