TigerB

I'm aware of that John, and no, our circumstances haven't changed; our lass will still be using the same powered wheelchair that she has used previously when we have stayed in a partially adapted inside cabin. However, the revised policy states, as I have quoted in post #12, that a guest with a powered mobility device must be now booked into a fully accessible cabin, or selected suite or mini-suite. The email sent to us specifically states that we must resubmit the questionnaire, listing an alternative device, or submit a contact form to advise that we cannot bring an alternative device.

Exactly! Both you and I, as husbands and carers of a partner with a seriously debilitating and life limiting disability, know only too well how hard it is navigating through life as it is, and trying to ensure our partners are not disadvantaged any more than they already are; so this new policy by P&O is a real kick in the teeth.

From the wording of the new policy, that you need to be in a fully accessible cabin or selected suite or mini-suite if you have powered mobility device, yes. As I have written in my earlier post (rant), we are in a partially adapted inside cabin on a future cruise, and our lass uses a powered wheelchair. Under the new guidelines, P&O are stating that cabin is no longer suitable for us, despite it being perfectly suitable for us on four previous sailings.

Yes, you must be looking at the wrong document. The on-board needs questionnaire doesn't ask for any insurance details or any information about a medical condition. It asks about assistance required and mobility aids and equipment you require or will be bringing onboard with you. The form is acessed by the following route: Before You Sail / On-board Needs / Access The Questionnaire When you click on the last one it takes you to the page where the cabin occupants are listed, and invites you to click on a link to submit a new questionnaire. It also shows you against each occupants if a questionnaire has previously been submitted, and when.

That's very true!🙄 Anyway, email sent; now I deserve a beer!🍺

Update (on our circumstances)... I won't be completing the online contact form as it is as useful as a chocolate fireguard... Neither of the two options are suitable in our circumstances. I do not want to discuss an alternative cabin on the same cruise, the one we have now is, in my opinion, wholly suitable; nor do I wish to discuss an alternative sailing. Furthermore, there is no freetext box. An email it is then!😠

You're damn right there young man, but in P&O's case they would now be 12 to 27 percent more expensive than the last one!🙄

In your case, if your OH still uses nothing more than a walking stick, and you have already submitted the questionnaire to cover that use, then I would suspect that no further action is required; you will not be affected by the new policy on mobility devices. Check the wording of the email heading; as per my post, they are different according to the cabin type we are in.

PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING: Rant incoming.... So, we have had three emails this afternoon for three future cruises. On two of them we are booked into a fully accessible cabin, and the email heading reads: 'We may need information from you before your holiday'. It then goes on about the new policy, and suggests we may wish to submit a further questionnaire. In my view, that is not necessary in our circumstances. On the third cruise we are booked into a partially adapted cabin, and the email heading reads: 'Important information about your holiday', It goes on about the new policy and states: 'You previously told us that you’re planning to bring a powered mobility device on board. To ensure you have enough space to safely store a powered mobility device in your cabin, we may need to make some changes to your booking.' It then gives us the option to resubmit the questionnaire, listing an alternative device, or submit a contact form to advise that we cannot bring an alternative device. In respect of the latter, someone will call us back to discuss our needs. The deadline for each is 17th September. For us, we are affected by the following wording in respect of the change in policy: 'To make sure there is sufficient space for the powered mobility device in the cabin, and to ensure the safety of all guests and crew on board while the powered mobility device is in use around the ship, guests who wish to bring a powered mobility device (this includes the lightweight collapsible scooters such as those from brands including Luggie, Monarch Mobie and TGA) must be booked into a fully accessible cabin, or selected Suite or Mini-suite.' Our lass uses a powered wheelchair for travelling that measures 62cm in width, 82cm in length, and has an unladen weight of 30kg. She has been using powered wheelchairs for eleven years now, and it has afforded her a great deal more independence than with her previous manual wheelchair use. We have cruised five times on both Arvia and Iona since January 2023; on four of those cruises we have stayed in a partially adapted inside cabin, and our lass has taken the above described wheelchair. On every occasion, with the bed set as a queen, she has been able to manoeuvre her wheelchair inside the cabin and bathroom comfortably. That proves that a partially adapted inside cabin on Arvia and Iona is suitable for her needs, using her powered wheelchair, and is safe for her to use. The new policy from P&O, in classing all powered mobility devices as the same, without any apparent adjustments for personal circumstances and experiences, is, in my opinion, discriminatory. I shall be submitting the contact form and, in doing so, will argue our corner with regard to not being moved from our proven suitable cabin. Somehow, I expect a fight on my hands. I may be wrong; I may get to speak with someone with commonsense. Watch this space! @molecrochip, I would welcome your input on this subject.

@Selbourne, I was just writing my response as you posted. Like you, we have evidence on the onboard needs section of 'My Cruise' that the questionnaire has been submitted for each of the future cruises we are booked on. Like you, I could have ignored the emails. If I had done so, we could have later fallen foul of the new policy in respect of electric wheelchairs, and been denied boarding. Yes, they need to be crystal clear in the body of the email of what information they are trying to impart.

This appears to be related to the recent change in policy on what P&O class a mobility device to be. The new policy is here Essentially, they are now classing electric wheelchairs in the same category as mobility scooters, and stating that, depending on the dimensions of the device, you may need to be booked into a fully accessible cabin.

Further to the above, I have just discovered that P&O have changed their descriptions of some cabins, and now have a cabin type that is called 'ambulant accessible'; 8309 is one such cabin. So @kevboy, I now realise why you write that it was an accessible cabin, albeit not suitable for a full-time wheelchair user. Sorry for giving the impression that you were mistaken, which was not my intention.

Thanks for the review.👍🏻 I noticed very recently that they have extended the times for which you can pre-book in the MDRs before you sail. As far as I can recall, you used to be able to pre-book up to 18:00; last week, tables up to 18:30 were available when reservations opened, but they were all gone the next day. It's also good that you can now pre-book for Olive Grove and 6th Street Diner, whereas both were only available to book once onboard for our previous cruises on Arvia. What gave you the impression that you were in an accessible cabin or, as you later state, a partially accessible cabin? To be clear to anyone reading this review, thinking it was an adapted cabin, and being put off by the description of the bathroom... all accessible and partially adapted cabins on Arvia and Iona have fully accessible large bathrooms (wet rooms). The only partially adapted cabins on both ships are the inside ones, which were redesignated as such after Iona's first season. The only adapted cabins on deck 8 of Arvia and Iona are 8330 and 8332, neither of which are conservatory cabins. @kevboy, did the fact that your cabin had a storage area for a mobility scooter and rails in the bathroom give you the impression that it was a partially adapted cabin? Those features do not make it so.

Disappointed to read, given your prediction a few months previous, that your t-shirts didn't have on them the slogan, "D'ya like dags"? 🤭 Thank you for the informative posts.👍🏻

@Plugtheleak, we are two cruises after you and were informed months ago about the port change from Valencia to Cartagena. For us, a positive as it is a new destination for us and we wouldn't have the shuttle bus shenanigans.

Yes @Derek5001, it is a really nice breakfast in Epicurean; only open to non suite guests on Iona and Arvia though. We will certainly pay to have it on our next cruise, at least once, if not a couple of times. It's interesting what you write about the Norwegian tasting menu being over two days; it does get booked up very quickly.

Welcome to the boards, @AJBails I wasn't aware it was a trial, but we had it in February on our lass's birthday. It was £8.50 then, but I expect it would have gone up at least 15/20% now, in line with other price increases for speciality restaurants. I wouldn't be surprised if it still continues on Iona and Arvia; after all, Epicurean on those ships still has loads of tables free after all the suite guests have been accommodated, and it's an extra revenue earner for Carnival.

I reckon that will be so. I recently tried my luck for a 2025 cruise and the message was something like, 'try again after 31st December 2024.'

Should that be 'now' ?

I suppose they can get away with still listing it because even just passing by the mouth of the fjord, as they do with Geirangerfjord, is still technically a 'cruise-by'

@BHA58, see my diagram in post #5; that will be the cruise-by. So, just as well you have made alternative arrangements.

He was the 'driver' on our Fjords cruise last June, and introduced us to the port manoeuvres: the Stavanger Shuffle and the Haugesund Hustle. He referred to his number two as, "my right-hand man, and thoroughly decent chap and all-round good egg, Deputy Captain Chris" He did make us laugh and was a breath of fresh air compared to a couple of other dour and mute captains we've had. I wish him all the best

On Arvia I've seen a lot of six seaters and eight seaters, and not so many ten seaters. As Moley writes, if there are youngsters you may all squeeze onto a ten seater. As has already been suggested, you really need to speak with the restaurant manager as soon as you board to make an arrangement to sit together. You will need to commit to dining at the same time each evening, so as not to inconvenience the crew and other passengers. It could be that they assign you two six seaters close to each other. If they do that you will need to ascertain if you will have the same waiting team, as it could be that one table is serviced by one waiting team and the nearest to it is serviced by another pair. The benefit for your group if you get two tables close together that are serviced by the same waiting team is that they will become familiar with everyone's requirements, and members of your party will be able to swap seating on the two tables. If you don't mind dining early, you can book tables before you board for no later than 18:00. The maximum table size for this option is six, so the bookings would have to be made by two different cabins. You will still need to speak with the restaurant manager onboard to make sure you get tables close together, but at least you will have the comfort of knowing the times of your dining reservations. If you fancy a celebratory meal in Epicurean, I believe they have at least one table that can seat eight. It would require two six seaters or three four seaters to be placed close to each other; as it is a smaller restaurant, I wouldn't think it would be too much trouble for them to move tables to accommodate you. Again, go and speak with the restaurant manager early doors. If you haven't already done so, make sure all the bookings are linked.

In June 2023 this was our Geirangerfjord cruise-by.... Someone may correct me, but I seem to recollect they stopped sailing into Geirangerfjord before the 2023 season.