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The 4 night Moreton Island ‘Sea Breaks by P&O’ in winter is a great way to chase the blazing sun over this beautiful island located just off the coast of southeastern Queensland. Plenty of time to relax in pure bliss with out the hassles of flying or driving. 

This is our second cruise with Pacific Eden. We were on the food and wine trip last year, a sampler cruise for 3 nights out at sea and we enjoyed it. She is an older cruise liner but has gone through a major make over in recent years and looks superb.

What’s good with this winter sea break deal is that it offers some extras, especially to previous cruisers, like a VIP tender pass, $50 go catch cab fare, early check-in, 250 megabytes of data for internet connection, $50 onboard spending money and a bottle of champagne to the value of $95. By 1:00 pm, we were already onboard enjoying a bottle of sparkling wine along with chocolate coated strawberries. Lunch was also served at The Pantry to fill in the hungry tummy. She sailed out sea by 5:00 pm with a breathtaking picture perfect Sydney sunset as the backdrop.

Weather was awesome! We woke up in the middle of the Tasman Sea the following morning with blue skies, full sun, steady sea and a summery day, yay! After a few circuits of brisk walking around deck 6, 2.5 laps equals 1km, we were ready for a full breakfast at The Waterfront. We like the service at this restaurant, staff there are so attentive with good choices of breakfast items on the menu in a warm and modern dining area. 

After breakfast, we checked out the P&O Good Times for all the activities, and noted the ones that we were interested in. Daily ice cream was also included in our package, so a scoop of New Zealand Natural filled those sweet cravings during the day. Swimming pools were bit cold but some passengers took the plunge, we just soaked up the sun for the much needed Vitamin D on the aft decks.

Second nights dress code was Gatsby and this time we frocked up too for the occasion. Complete with our hats, suits, ties and suspender, we partied the night away gangster style.

Third day, we finally arrived at the sunny Moreton Island. Shorts, singlets and all the water equipment were the must haves for the day! The ship anchored just off the Tangalooma Island Resort and transported passengers by tenders. VIP pass holders were given express access for immediate boarding, which made quite a difference. The transfer in total took around 15 minutes to the Tangalooma pier and the last tender was scheduled for 5pm departure, so a fun packed full day on the island if you wanted to. 

Moreton Island is one of the world’s largest sand islands, 98% sand and 2% rock. The oldest lighthouse in Queensland is found on this island. It’s home to wildlife and habitats including dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles and a sanctuary of birds of different species. Humpback whales migrate through the Bay in winter time. 

What to do and see! The island is packed with activities for all ages from scenic helicopter flights, quad bike adventures, aquatic marine park cruises, whale watching, snorkelling the wrecks, parasail, Segway safari, banana boat ride, stand up paddle and kayak to name just a few. Another way to discover this island is by self-guided tour, it’s an easy walk from the Tangalooma Resort to the sunken shipwrecks. Fifteen vessels were deliberately sunk to form a break-wall for small boats on the western side of the island, they also provide a perfect place for diving and snorkelling. 

There are tour operators, souvenirs shops, cafe, bar and a restaurant all located at the Tangalooma Island Resort. This resort can be reached by catamaran cruise from Brisbane if you intend to stay here for a break. We boarded the return tender around 4pm and once back onboard we started gearing up for the ‘Bianco Night’- (white party). It’s a more casual vibe compared to the Gatsby night.

Looking out at sea on our last night, we could feel the Sydney winter weather calling us back, it got really windy with up to 4 metre swells reported. Some areas became off-limits due to the increasing roughness, my late deck-6 walk being curtailed by security due to the rising swells and passenger safety outdoors. Inside, it was warm and the ships motion didn’t deter everyone’s last night party mode, if anything, the motion added to senses! We docked back in Circular Quay at 7:00 am and it was cold, out came the layers. Take me back to Moreton Island, our mantra whilst waiting for our pre-booked cab included in the package! 

You can check out our full review of Pacific Eden here. 

This cruise was paid for by ourselves.