Passenger Review: Pacific Dawn

WORDS: Josephine Retschitzegger

Aged: 13

Home: Brisbane

Ready for the teen disco on board Pacific Dawn.

My name is Josephine, I’m 13 years old and my family is addicted to cruising.

In March this year we went on our fourth cruise. It was a 14-day Pacific Dawn sailing from Brisbane to New Zealand. Although some people prefer air and road trips, for us cruising is always the winner.

If you haven’t been on a cruise before then you don’t realise how much being on a ship is like being at home, but so much more fun.

The rooms are a bit smaller than the ones at home, and yes I do have to share a room with my younger brother for two whole weeks, but unlike home there’s always something to do on a ship.

The Pacific Dawn has this hang-out for teenagers called HQ. It’s pretty cool because they have a lot of things to do. My favourite activity in HQ was the Xbox, but the selection of Xbox games were all rated MA and down. My favourite Xbox game, Call of Duty, wasn’t on board because it’s MA15.

When I didn’t want to hang out at HQ, I would get some chips and go to the Lido Deck (Deck 12) and watch movies on the big screen, but on other days I would just wander off, sit in the dome and play music from my phone.

The food on board was amazing. They had everything; salads, burgers and on the Pacific Dawn they had free chips.

Shore excursions were also a lot of fun. The Rotorua Luge in New Zealand was one of my favourite activities. It’s like a little go-kart and you race down a hill. I was so good at it, I was riding in the fast lane.

My least favourite thing about cruising, other than sharing a room with my younger brother for two-weeks, is leaving all my new friends. You meet all these fun people and then you have to leave. It’s sad but I try and keep in touch with them after the cruise.

Cruising is definitely fun and my family and I are already planning our next cruise to Tasmania.