Colsers

2 minutes ago, glennbtn said:

I am on Iona now and been told to use the app to book freedom dining 

Sorry I should have posted my original question. It's the Brittania ship, I wondered if they are working the freedom restaurant like Arvia, as in preferred booking on "my holiday" website or are they still having physical queuing as they did when I was on it in 2020?

On 3/30/2023 at 5:20 PM, Colsers said:

Thank you. Do you have to reserve the freedom restaurants on your phone like on Arvia or is it a physical queuing system rather than virtual?

I'll post this question again as it's been merged and may have been lost in the thread. Hoping someone can answer. Many thanks.

3 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Oriental is fixed seating. Meridian and Penninsular are freedom

Thank you. Do you have to reserve the freedom restaurants on your phone like on Arvia or is it a physical queuing system rather than virtual?

Is Brittania still a fixed seating dining cruise, it was when we were last on in 2020, or has it moved to the same concept as Arvia in freedom dining?

2 hours ago, happy v said:

For the Limelight?

Yes, as I said, we have booked limelight in advance for our upcoming cruise and got 20% discount 😀 

34 minutes ago, amajaa said:

 

Thanks both I was hoping to book onboard to use OBC but perhaps might just have to book before . 
 

Do you still get your Peninsular discount if you book beforehand?

Yes amajaa, we got ours 👍

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

 

You're welcome.🙂

What's your desired time for eating? I was able to book a table for four at 18:30 every evening; that though was as soon as the bookings opened on the Cruise Planner, at least two weeks before we sailed.

There could be several reasons why your desired time may not be available. One reason may be that you are joining mid-cruise and folk already onboard may have taken the available slots. Or they are popular times, so are being kept back for the virtual queuing system. Also, we sailed from Southampton, so everyone was in the same boat (pun intended) and all had the same chance of picking slots.

It may well be that, once you are on board, you may strike lucky in booking on My Holiday. If you get lucky on your first attempt but cannot book other nights, you could approach the restaurant host with a smile and ask if you could get the same slot each evening. Asking costs nothing!😉

Our desired time of 7.30 or 8pm will possibly be more popular so these are maybe held back for virtual or physical queuing on the day. Dining and entertainment bookings have opened on cruiseplanner for our cruise but as I say only 5-6pm pre bookable. Having cruised many times before but only twice previously on P&O, fixed seating, we've never had the "pleasure" of freedom dining so were a bit confused about the ability to pre book some dining slots and entertainment but not for the whole cruise.

Indeed we may be lucky whilst onboard either online or approaching the host, however I'd rather have had that all booked up in advance so to completely relax onboard. 🤗

I do wonder how cruise newbies find this complicated (imo) system of booking or just turning up, for dining and entertainment only whilst onboard via smartphones. I bet there will be a few bewildered souls onboard in the dining and theatre queues for a few nights 😉

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

 

No, there's not; it's just as terrierjohn has pointed out, those times appear to be available to book at the moment.

 

If you are in the terminal and can pick up the ship's wi-fi, you can download and log into My Holiday by using the last few digits on your boarding pass. But that is probably only useful if you are boarding at Southampton and waiting a while. If you are flying out, you may well get on the ship fairly quickly, so that advice would be redundant.

Before flying out, you can make limited bookings on your Cruise Planner.

Thank you TigerB, yes we've used the cruise planner to book a few things in advance, however we were disappointed that the only "freedom" dining we could book in advance for mdr was between 5-6pm!

1 hour ago, solentsam said:

if on Iona or Arvia there is only freedom dining. yes you can download my holiday page  https://myholiday.pocruises.com/ (its not an app) but will not work unless you are either on board or very close to the ship 

Thank you solentsam. Yes just as I thought, Freedom dining before you sail on Arvia if you want to dine between 5-6pm, anything later then you need to chance it until onboard and book through the website you gave.

Our Azura cruise recently had this way of booking entertainment, however dining in mdr was booked in advance ie. 2nd sitting table of 6 at time of booking. It's unfortunate, for us anyway, as we know what time we like to dine and would rather have this put in place before we board so we can relax and not have to go online to book dining. Amazingly we have been able to book limelight club dining in advance as we were paying in advance! Albeit a smaller venue and they need to monitor the numbers I suppose. 🤔

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

Other posters have said there is an 8:00pm slot as well, which suggest My Holiday is catering for those who prefer fixed club type dining, and leaving the virtual queue for freedom diners, Oh if only that were true!!!!

Do you mean their's a choice of dining (freedom and club dining)? Can you download the my holiday app before boarding?

On 2/15/2023 at 6:35 PM, TigerB said:

 

Meridian doesn't have tablecloths, apart from the formal nights; they are wooden tables, but look cleaner than those in 🥄🥄🥄 . It also has a few tables next to the picture windows at the stern, whereas Zenith looks down onto those.

Both have a good mix of different sized tables.

We only ate in Zenith so I cannot compare the experiences; both though were busy on formal nights so book ahead.

Entertainment and dining has now opened for our upcoming cruise on Arvia, there is no availability after 6.15pm for dinner bookings, do they open nearer the time anyone know?

Thanks for the info. We've actually booked a ships tour to the caves as we noticed they had put an extra tour on for Barbados that wasn't available when we last looked.

3 hours ago, Paula2023 said:

Have had the itiniary from P & O Colsters but none the wiser re the naming ceremony but at least we have port arrival and departure times to plan shore days

 

 

Thanks for that Paula, as you say still no further info re/naming ceremony. We have actually booked a ships tour in Barbados on the 17th as we didn't want to wait much longer for P&O to confirm what the plans are actually to be! 🤔

This question may have been asked before but can't see any recent replies. Our ship does not have an organised tour it appears. Apart from booking Viator, are there private tours available at the Port Gate to the caves?

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

That is correct, you can book a table through your Cruise Planner before you board, or through My Holiday once on board. You will be given the option of a private table for two or a shared table. If you want a private table you will need to book all your dates as soon as you can, as the popular times will be busy.

When you check in on your first night make a point of speaking with one of the restaurant hosts. Tell them you have made bookings and for which nights and times. If you want a private or shared table each night, tell them; they will input your preference onto the computer. Tell them also if you would like the same table each evening.  If, you enter one evening and tell them that you fancy a private table after previously sharing, they will accommodate you but you may be asked to wait a few minutes.

 

In my experience, if you approach the restaurant hosts with a smile and the right attitude, they will accommodate you, if they are able to do so.

Thank you TigerB that's the info we were looking for. Much appreciated. 

When we booked this cruise our TA asked us what dining we would prefer. We asked for 2nd sitting at a table of 6 for me and hubby to join others. I've since found out that it's freedom dining. Does this mean we book in advance on my holiday App when we wish to dine (if we're lucky)! and we would just book a table for 2 as there's only 2 in our party or can we join others can anyone tell me? Tia.

7 hours ago, Paula2023 said:

Colsers, I have emailed P & O for actual port arrival and departure times for our dates so I will post 

on here when they reply. Maybe it will throw more light on it, who knows! I want to know them anyway so I can plan my own excursions if I want.

Thats great then Paula, thank you for that. Yes, we were looking at the excursions for the 17th in Barbados, then that's when I remembered the email saying naming ceremony 16th and was showing as a sea day from St Lucia. Thats when it got confusing....hopefully they'll give more information so we can get organised. 🤞

1 hour ago, Tablelamp said:

I will imagine they will give all who are sailing a glass of champagne that evening.

Cheap Cava more like 😂

5 minutes ago, Paula2023 said:

See you in the party! 🤪

🍹🎉🏖

7 minutes ago, Paula2023 said:

I know what you mean though, will we be anchored off that beach all night?

Hope so, that would be different 😍🤞

10 minutes ago, Paula2023 said:

Hi Colsers if you google 'Arvia Naming Ceremony' there are quite a few articles about it.

Details of Arvia’s Naming Ceremony Released — Cruise Lowdown

For the first time, P&O Cruises will hold a beachside extravaganza naming ceremony in Barbados to mark the naming of the spectacular new sunshine ship Arvia. There will be star-studded entertainment featuring some of Britain’s most popular performers and presenters in what promises to be an unforgettable show. The whole show will be broadcast live online on Thursday 16 March 2023 so you can dress up, get together with family and friends, and enjoy it all at home. 

Ludlow said the ship will be positioned off one of the island’s most stunning beaches so the audience at home will be able to see the interior design of the ship as well as the performances and events taking place on the shore. It has been promised to be an unmissable event. P&O Cruises have said that the names of performers will be announced in the coming months.

 

I'm hoping we will be allowed off ship to join the beachside party!

Ooh beginning to get excited, I wonder who the entertainers will be......yes definitely want to get off!

Hi Paula, no, we haven't heard anything new, just the email back on 6th December which did say further details to follow. Nothing updated yet. I just thought it was odd that the itinerary had us at sea that day after St. Lucia port. However as molecrochip has said, we could make it to Barbados waters by midday on the 16th for the ceremony? I would have thought our itinerary would be updated though as being in Barbados 16th, 17th and 18th. I'm just hoping we can go ashore to the beach to see it in person rather on screens.

We received an email from P&O inviting us to celebrate the naming ceremony of Arvia on the beach in Barbados with entertainment on the 16th March. On checking again our itinerary we are at sea on that day and arriving in Barbados on the 17th March. Is this invitation just for a broadcast of this onboard, which seems strange to name the ship whilst its actually at sea but arriving the next day?

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Did you select an area, ie forward, mid forward/mid aft, mid or aft?  There's usually only a small difference in price on saver fares for these "grades" and enormous upgrades aside an aft or mid aft balcony will avoid deck 8 problems on Arvia and Iona.

No, I did ask our travel agent, she said it wasn't possible on a guarantee fare. 😕

14 hours ago, wowzz said:

I agree that £1000 is an enormous difference. But, I would prefer not to cruise at all, rather than take the risk of a cabin under the lido deck, and being woken at  4am every morning.

I just look at the select price, and disregard the saver price.  If the select price seems acceptable,  fine.  If not, I look for another cruise. 

Unfortunately, living in Scotland we don't have that option of booking another cruise as all Scottish flights to the Caribbean were cancelled so our only choice was Newcastle or Manchester. We tried many different cruiselines and all were the same. So our choice was this ship on a Select or Saver fare from our nearest English airport. We made the decision to gamble and are hoping for the best, as to choose between going on this cruise on this fare or not cruising at all was not something we would consider. We have only ever booked a guarantee cabin once before many years ago and all worked out well for that. All our other cruises we specify deck and cabin. We're not loyal to any one cruiseline, so some work out great and some not so good. So it's also a bit of a gamble (albeit more controlled) specifying your cabin. We're just happy to be going to the Caribbean and feel lucky for having that privilege 😊