TigerB

Bear in mind that if you log into your My Holiday app, you won't see the breakdown of what is spent on your wife's card, just yours.

Don't hold your breath! You may find, as the majority are the later time, the first two will be given the opportunity to wait with them.

You've only yourselves to blame for that, with whipping off the ship right early. When we got off, an hour after you, the baggage hall was like a giant petri dish. 🙄😷

I was looking at the sample menu for Iona the other day; the tuna steak is shown as an included item, which suits me, but the fritto misto, which I really didn't care for in January, has the additional charge. We'll probably try it over a lunchtime.

If you're planning to eat at that time, maybe join the virtual queue about 19:00. I joined it once at 18:30 at position 18, and it hardly moved in half an hour, so we sacked it off. That was probably because of the early diners still being in. The queue was moving more quickly an hour or so later.

That's the menu I would have preferred in Olive Grove, the one with the tuna steak on; but, on the days we thought about maybe joining the virtual queue, it was the second menu. I'll see if it's on next month, on Iona. I like a nice whisky, but I think I'll keep my cash in my pocket on that one. Enjoy the rest of your cruise, and I hope the weather picks up for you.

Oh yes, the sea; I forgot to mention that. Like when it was foggy and the sea was like a mill pond.

Post Cruise Thoughts We've been home a few days now and I've found some spare time to write a few post cruise thoughts. Some of you may recall that this was our second cruise on Arvia; we were on the maiden Transatlantic cruise at the beginning of January. What were the main differences? The cabin for starters! Last time we were spoilt with an upgrade from our inside forward cabin on deck 9 to a very roomy midship balcony on deck 11. This time, with the introduction of upgrade bids, and the fact that we booked only eight days before sailing, we didn't expect an upgrade. That matters not, we were very lucky in the first place that there were accessible cabins available so close to sailing, and of the three available in the grade we chose (PC), we were allocated our preferred one on deck 15. It was a smashing cabin, with sufficient room for our lass in her wheelchair; and it was so quiet. See post #59 for photos. And at £92 per day for the two of us, we had no complaints whatsoever; apart from it being a dead zone for mobile phone signal. If there is a wheelchair user in your party, and you are put off by the inside accessible cabins on Arvia and Iona being downgraded to partly-accessible, don't be. Just so long as the chair isn't a behemoth, you'll be fine. On our January cruise the ship was just over 80% full; I was informed by an officer that this one was full. Granted, there weren't the thousand kids that were supposedly on the Easter cruise, but there were a few. Just like January though, it really didn't feel full; there's always somewhere to escape to. The only time we really noticed that is was busy was when trying to eat of an evening, with the physical queues at some restaurants, and the number of folk in the virtual queues, particularly for the MDRs and Olive Grove. We didn't notice that so much in January because we pre-booked Zenith for the same time each evening, and cancelled those nights we had booked other restaurants. That wasn't possible for us on this cruise, but we knew that before we boarded, and had decided that we would likely only eat in the MDR for a few nights. As it happens, apart from the last formal evening, we only ate an evening meal in the MDR once; and we were absolutely fine with that. On the other evenings we dined in Epicurean (x2), Sindhu (x2), Beach House (x2), 6th Street Diner (x2), Green & Co., Glass House, Keel & Cow, and at the Chef's Table. Chef's Table: I write about that in post #70. We won't do it again. Epicurean: A favourite of ours. Top notch food and a first class service is maintained on this bigger ship. And at just under £23 each, if booked in advance, it represents good value. I am already scheming for our June trip on Iona, with the intention of trying Operation Double Dessert again! For the uninitiated, see post #211. Photos of the both meals are in posts #66 and #214 Sindhu: Another favourite of ours, but we were disappointed that they only have one menu throughout the entire cruise. See posts #220 and #231 for photos. Beach House: We didn't eat here in January; I don't know why as we've found it to be fine on Britannia. This time we ate there twice, with both experiences being perfectly acceptable. On the second occasion we pushed the boat out and have the lava rock steak (she) and hanging kebab (me). As it happens, that meal, with the extra charges and drinks, cost over £50; that was because we were overnight in Barcelona and incurred the Spanish tax. Photos of both meals are in posts #144 and #168 Keel & Cow: We didn't eat here in January, but gave it a go on this trip. The food was fine, but the portion sizes were meagre. See post #161 for photos. When we are onboard Arvia again, we may give it a go for breakfast. Glass House: We ate here once, and that was enough for us. The menu choices were not what they were when we dined in here on Britannia, i.e., only trio plates as a main, with no option for a single dish. See post #148 for photos. 6th Street Diner: We ate in here just the once in January, for breakfast, and weren't that impressed. We believe in second chances though, so this trip we tried it for dinner. It wasn't bad at all, and we ended up going twice. See posts #217 and #221 for photos. The next time we are on Arvia, we will try it for lunch. Green & Co: We like this restaurant; the whole concept, and fresh and well presented dishes appeal to us, even though neither of us are vegetarian or vegan. It, like in January, was still severely underused by other folk and I fear they may scrap if after the first season; I hope they don't, though. See post #55 for photos. The Quays: We made more use of this in January, probably because it was new to us and it was closer to our cabin. On this trip, with us being on deck 15, it was easy enough for us to pop up to deck 16 and grab a couple of pizza slices and maybe a burger from Taste 360. We did intend to try it for breakfast one time, as ICF really loved it. As it happens, the only time we were in there early in a morning was when we were up early as the ship navigated the Gibraltar Strait, and I had a pre-breakfast snack of a fried egg on fried bread. It was very tasty too! Horizon: Two cruises on Arvia and we are still not fans; it is still like a cattle market, with very lax standards of hygiene observed by some guests. I occasionally popped in for a brew and some cake to take back to the cabin or our sunbathing spot. One day, when our lass fancied a couple of salad bowls and some cake, I was checking out the salads when a woman picked two bowls one by one, put each to her face and sniffed them, before putting them back. I glared at her but she appeared oblivious. So, right in front of her I picked them both up and placed them on top of the cabinet, telling the crew member behind that they were contaminated. The woman still appeared oblivious to her unsanitary behaviour. It was just as well the sandwiches were behind glass, or she would have been like those filthy sods you see in Lidl that handle the bakery items with their bare hands. Once only we tried Horizon for breakfast; that was only because we had a lie in and didn't go to our usual breakfast venue, Zenith, and we were a few minutes late for The Quays. Never again!🤢 Entertainment: The shows by the Headliners gang were more or less the same as were performed in January, the extra one being the abridged Take That show; we were so not interested in that! The performers in the Limelight Club didn't interest us, and there wasn't much else we fancied. We would usually partake of a couple of Pulse's sets in the Club House. The line up had changed from January, and the new female singer was more extrovert than the previous one, and had a cracking voice with a good range. I managed to book two slots, albeit late ones, in the 710 Club while we were in the terminal. Unfortunately, I had to cancel both as our lass was unwell one evening and too tired the other. There was a lass called Yzzy, who did a Paloma Faith tribute in the Sky Dome, or as she more accurately described it, the leisure centre. I'm not really a fan of Paloma Faith, but caught a little bit of her act, and she was fairly good. On the last Friday of the cruise the Take That show was cancelled at late notice, and Yzzy stepped in at the last moment, performing as herself in a show called Siren Of The Sea (?). I went along to see the 22:30 show, not expecting much at all. She was really good, not taking herself too seriously, and interacted really well with the audience. Sunbathing: In January, especially when crossing the Atlantic, it was bedlam with folk 'reserving' sunbeds at sparrow's fart. Not so much this time; it was slightly better. I did notice the yellow tags placed on some chairs and loungers, so it appears the crew are being more proactive. We had a spot on the starboard side of deck 17 that we favoured, seats rather than loungers, and it was free whenever we went there of an afternoon. Dress code adherence: When we dined at Chef's Table, it was almost universally observed, albeit with some folk looking far too glamorous for what was essentially a canteen. On the second night, in Zenith, there were a few slackers but not that many. We were bemused though by a large group of Japanese guests; some of the women were glamorous, but some of the men thought trainers were the ideal accompaniment to their baggy and shiny suits. We didn't attend the Crow's Nest on the second formal night, but when in there on the first one, it was new to us to see the waiters actively refuse service to folk who weren't dressed accordingly for the venue. There was one in particular who challenged two different groups near us, politely reminding them of the dress code and advising that they would get service later if they came back appropriately dressed. All took it well, and I'm glad to report that he did not get any abuse. Shuttle Bus Service: We were on a saver rate but only paid for two shuttle trips; that was in Valencia. It was a nightmare getting back that day, with a total absence of accessible transport for a long period of time, and nobody was scanning cards. The accessible transport was better in Marseille, and they had perfected it by the time we were in Barcelona; the dedicated assistance staff for each of those ports were more interested in getting those that need it on to the accessible transport than scanning cards. Altitude Sky Walk: Well, it didn't take them long to start charging for this; it's now about £7 for adults. That may have been the plan all along though; let the punters try it for free for a few cruises before then starting to charge. I'm glad I did it in January when it was free, although I wouldn't do it again, even if it still was free. Launderettes: I was surprised to find that deck 15 had such a tiny launderette, on the starboard side, with just two washers, two dryers and one ironing board. From recollection, I'm sure the one on deck 11 in January had six of each machine, and two, perhaps three ironing boards. It was actually more convenient for me to bob up to the one at the front of deck 16 which, considering it serves decks 16 and 17, and less cabins than there are on deck 15, had four washers, four dryers, and two ironing boards. Crew Members: Just like in January, every crew member we encountered were so polite and eager to please; a slight difference though being that most appeared a lot more relaxed. Boarding And Disembarking. Boarding was an absolute breeze! We arrived an hour early and saw that some folk were being corralled into a queue, supposedly to wait their turn. As we got closer to that area, we were told to go to the doors, where we were met by a member of the special assistance team. My wife said we were early, but we were told that was fine, and asked if she needed further assistance or could I manage. She told her that her husband could manage, and we were directed to the lift. We went through the checks upstairs quickly and were through security and on the ship in no time at all. Disembarking was a totally different matter. In January we flew back so didn't experience what it was like when 5,500 passengers disembark from a ship and want to be away as quick as possible. I think we were spoilt when we disembarked Britannia last September, with there only being about 2,300 passengers on board, getting our luggage and being in the cars in about fifteen minutes. This time it was so different! Our allocated time was 09:05, and we kept to that. But, once in the baggage hall it was bedlam; there were four queues of folk with their baggage all heading to the same point, the customs check area at the end; the funnelling effect only served to make the queues move slower, with some folk getting quite frustrated. Captain Camby: His daily briefings were informative and we listened in anticipation for the gem he was going to pull from his favourite Secret Santa present, The Bumper Book Of Thoughts For The Day For The Modern Sea Captain. If was funny to see him about the ship, posing for selfies with members of his elderly fan club, like he was in a boy band. For The Future: We will definitely sail on Arvia again; in fact, we have three cruises booked on her over the next two years. I think all the initial problems should be ironed out in the not too distant future. Our next cruise is on Iona, so it will be interested to see how that compares.

I've just realised that I didn't post photos of our first meal in Sindhu, on the 21st. How remiss of me!🫢 Here ya go...

You made the right choice there, lad! 👍 By 09:00 it was heaving.

Yes, that was a 'mare in the baggage hall on Sunday!🙄 I've never been aware of formal attire being required for the Glass House, including on Britannia; so the image is correct. On the image for Sindhu, I believe the dress code banner refers to the smart casual wear of a normal evening. We have dined in there several times on Arvia and Britannia, the most recent on the latter being September, and the same 'smart casual' code applied for formal nights. These days on Britannia, formal attire on the formal evenings only applies in the MDRs, Epicurean, and the Crow's Nest.

Welcome aboard!👋 For dining options that are available before you board, just one of you needs book the table for four for each of the venues you want to book in advance. You can settle up later. On a recent cruise with my sister and brother-in-law, we booked half the paid-for restaurants and they booked the other half. If you don't already know, you get a 20% discount for booking before you cruise; that includes the Limelight Club. As an example, Epicurean will be £24 each as opposed to £30 each if you booked onboard. If you booked Sindhu before you board, all they charge you is the booking fee of £10 each. At the end of your meal they discount all food items by 20%, then deduct your booking fee from the entire bill. If you planned to go to the same MDR each morning and evening, and booked before boarding, if that option is available, after attending the first time and giving both cabin numbers, you will find that every other time they will have them linked on their seating computer. NB. The above is only for dining reservations, including the Limelight Club. If you were to book for shows, including the 710 Club, it can only be for the guests in your cabin.

That's not good! We did occasionally see a couple 'slacking off' at the end of the corridor, away from the cameras. To be fair to ours, we did see her every day, and she actually listened to us on the first meeting, bringing us the things we asked for, and a bucket of ice at 13:00 everyday, like clockwork.

There's nowt to stop you going in, ordering coffee, and every dessert on the menu. Now, that sounds like my kind of party! 🤭🐷

Afterwards, he went to the other end of the restaurant to play to another table; I couldn't make out what though; it wasn't 'Happy Birthday' or 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'. He got a resounding round of applause after each, and had a tear in his eye. He was a lovely lad, too.

Returning to our room after breakfast on Friday we found visitors in our room... That is the first time we have had towel art when sailing with P&O. A cynical person may think that, so close to the end of the cruise, a cabin steward is thinking about their gratuity. We just thought it was sweet. 🥰

On our last night, Saturday, we really couldn't be bothered with the hassle of trying to get into Zenith. Instead we joined the virtual queue for 6th Street Diner as soon as it opened; my phone buzzed two minutes later, just as we were leaving our cabin. Now, this really shouldn't work but our lass said it really did!

My post refers to folk that after venues for which a booking is a necessity; prime examples being the Limelight Club and Chef's Table. Although, I think for the former, P&O have added to the problem by now seating guests according to arrival time at the venue rather than in strict booking order.

I get that, it affects us too; perhaps I should have said, except for those for whom it is absolutely necessary.

These are from our second visit to Sindhu, on Thursday evening. Our waiter confirmed that, on Arvia and Iona there will only ever be one menu, albeit a mix of items from the two menus that are available on other ships.

Last few food pics coming up, as didn't have data from Cadiz to Southampton...

I just don't get why folk have a fixed booking for something, but insist on still getting there thirty minutes early to queue. All they achieve is making the place look untidy and causing the sheep, who see a queue and have a serious case of FOMO, to join it and so make it longer and more untidy.

Last week in the Epicurean on Arvia, one of the waiters serenaded a birthday girl with his flute.

In each of our accessible bathrooms on Arvia, on deck 9 and 11 in January, and on deck 15 on the one from which we disembarked on Sunday, we had glasses in the two holders.

Further to the comments on shuttle buses and charging, our cards were only scanned on the city bound shuttle in Valencia. Given the debacle in trying to get back, there were two white-shirts at the pick-up point, who appeared to be trying to get it sorted. I didn't see anyone have their cards scanned. In Marseille and Barcelona, they appeared to have got their act together with the accessible shuttles, and had a specific member of staff to greet relevant guests and make sure they were boarded. As such, I didn't see any guests boarding the accessible shuttles having their cards scanned.