CarlaMarie

Regarding the boarding, there is a problem because many cruisers, particularly first timers, are not turning up at their allotted time. Staggered boarding is needed due to the vast amount of passengers to process in a short time, especially for Iona and Arvia. To be fair to P&O they are trying to deal with this well by having two queues - one for those who have arrived on time and the other for those who haven't. I'm not sure what else they are meant to do. They had passengers turning up at 10am for Iona not so long ago, so a queue began before boarding even commenced.

It will be interesting if you are told how many first time cruisers you have onboard. There were 2000 on Britannias cruise last week.

I have gone through the Horizon paper and I cannot find any mention of a shuttle bus. They walked into Haugesund, but did say it is quite a walk and takes a good 15 + minutes. They paid for the bus back due to the pouring rain. They genuinely do feel it caught people by surprise though, especially those with mobility issues. If anyone does have mobility issues or is sailing with someone who does, then I would suggest you look into transport options to get you ashore. P&O used to provide a shuttle there (confirmed by a Haugesund thread on here in 2018).

Looking forward to hearing all about your cruise, I think we all are! Have a wonderful time!

My Mum and Dad could not book anything before they sailed either. In theory, you are meant to be able to walk up to the restaurant and they should fit you in when they can. However, this is not always the case - for example my parents were told to queue using the app for the Glass House as the restaurant was full. Likewise there were unable to get into the Beach House or Sindhu. If you do find that you have to use the app (web page) then just be mindful that it is prone to errors and glitches, and make sure you keep refreshing it. My mum and dad tried to factor in the queues and joined much earlier than they normally would for dinner (they would normally eat at 830, so tried joining around 730. Again this is hit and miss).

After talking to my Mum and Dad they gave similar feedback to yours regarding the food plus there were glitches in the app. They joined the virtual queue for the Glass House one evening (as it was always showing as "full") at 19:15 and sat nearby with a drink and made sure to refresh the app page. At 20:45 they still hadn't been called and all of a sudden the app removed them from the queue and the restaurant was now shown as "full" and they were asked to join the queue again. Another couple nearby who had also been waiting were also thrown out of the queue. They went to speak to the restaurant manager and were told that their tables had been ready and as neither had arrived upon being notified the tables were released. The issue is though, neither got a notification that the tables were ready and both couples had been refreshing the app page. The restaurant manager informed them that they know there is a glitch and that they would have to rejoin the queue, which understandably both refused to do. The manager then agreed to come and get them as soon as two tables became free. My parents were finally given a table at 21:15 and their food arrived at 21:45. This is just one of a couple of issues they had with the app. They enjoyed the cruise and the ports of call, but the food quality and the app issues do let the whole experience down.

Parents got off Britannia on time without any issues and did not see Border force at the terminal this morning. However the traffic was bad and was building up considerably.

I'm pleased you have finally got to talk to your oncologist and that your treatment plan is now a bit clearer. Did your insurance provider give you any other options or will you have to find another provider?

My parents are in Haugesund this morning. They have gone to get on the shuttle bus and they were asked for 140 NOK return. My dad said that they were select fare passengers and thought they wouldn't have to pay, the gentleman in charge informed them that the cruise company hadn't paid for the shuttle service and hence passengers are being charged. It is pouring with rain there today so many passengers will be caught out by that.

I'm so pleased you finally have a telephone consult on Wednesday. I hope you get some clearer answers regarding the next steps and especially regarding your cruise. Best wishes to you.

There is a thread on here about the small outbreak on Arvia. I believe this stems from the Easter holiday cruises. You really do feel for the staff, it is much worse when you are an adult.

I've been trying to organise a surprise celebration cake (from the gift brochure) for a cruise (parents sail on Friday). I've been able to do this in previous years relatively quickly, but this time I have had no luck in getting through to anyone at customer services on several occasions (over 3 hours spent trying). I also noticed that if you haven't booked direct, P&O are trying to direct you through your TA for booking "celebration packages" which is the first time I have heard of this. I've unfortunately now run out of time as it is now 3 days before sailing (which is the minimum you can book a gift from the brochure). I just wondered if anyone else has had any success lately in booking these extras before sailing and if there is an easier way?

The old passport number glitch has happened to my Mum and Dad numerous times.

From what I know, it isn't impossible for those who are immunocompromised to actually get chicken pox a second time (even if they have had it before). Simply due to their immune system not working like it should, so the antibodies that they would have developed after contracting it the first time may not necessarily fight and inactivate it the second time.

I think the chicken pox vaccination is only for only those most vulnerable to complications. There are many adults who avoided having chicken pox as a child, and hence can easily catch it for the first time. Likewise, adults who had chicken pox as a child can then develop shingles as the virus remains dormant and becomes reactivated. Those whom are immunocompromised are at a greater risk for this to happen.

My parents can access theirs and they sail next Friday. Like others have suggested have you tried a different browser or device?

That's a really nice itinerary, and as you say something different for Britannia

Just make sure your mobile data is switched off, then you will not be charged. You could also put your phone into flight mode if that is easier.

There is a site called cruiseDIG that have placed N/A against arrival times in Palma for both Arvia and Britannia for most of the year. I presume they are just waiting for confirmation.

That's specifically what the beautiful Adonia offered.

Lovely photos and your daughters are adorable!

Hope you have a great time, am sure you will! It will be really interesting for us to read your reviews of your cruises on both Iona and Arvia and how they compare.

So pleased you gave them a call. I know as a patient we feel hesitant to chase things up, but it is actually important that we take quite a proactive approach (I'm a kidney disease patient). Consultants, nurses etc.. actually like it when you do, as they themselves would do exactly the same. I know it can take a while sometimes to get through to the people you need to talk to or get an answer, and it can feel tedious and tiring, but just keep going at it! Enjoy your coffee this morning and your sewing this afternoon.

Thank you for taking the time to write a review so far. I hope you are enjoying the cruise.

At Christmas my local church had volunteers knitting lots of hanging angels and attached was a tag inviting you to midnight mass or the childrens service. They hung them in the bushes and trees around the area, and I thought that was a nice touch. But I don't get hiding ducks on a cruise ship. If it is organised by the crew for the children then that is different, but otherwise I don't see what the point is.