Megabear2

That is apparently the idea. The bidding system on P&O has very high starting levels compared with other lines. Apparently they are encouraging those with lower grade inside cabins in particular to take the chance and bid. Incidentally my complaint was about serious noise issues. If you are taking the chance on a bid be careful as with the children I'm sure you need a good night's sleep. I have had it confirmed by executive office today that there are 106 known cabins with various noise issues. Good luck whatever you decide and enjoy the cruise. Arvia is a nice ship for families I'm sure you'll have a lovely time once you get onboard.

All sounds crazy, how can something be on sale but waitlisted when bookings can still be made? I think they must mean the children's places are waitlisted not the cruise which is most definitely still on sale and not full. I can see 13 deck 8 conservatory suites and 1 deck 9 showing available to book on the 3 September cruise and it is allowing me to book for a couple. Deck 9 cabin 9712 is £5458 for two. Surely the waitlist would only refer to children's places which you already have. I had an extremely long conversation today with P&O about something else when they called me following a complaint. One of the things we touched on was this upgrade bidding system and I get the view they aren't very competent with it at the booking centre. It sounded very much like the staff are overriding new late select bookings with their enthusiasm to push through these bids. I personally would go back again, stating the rooms are clearly on sale at the moment as a select or saver booking can be made for two. Emphasise that although you have children you already have the two child spaces so don't need to waitlist just to upgrade without bidding. Tell them you are very unhappy at a promised call back not materialising and need an urgent answer. It may well be that bidding is the only option but I'd suggest you firmly tell them that you are disappointed the promised call of explanation did not come. From what I heard today the bidding is managed by a computer set to maximise income but staff should ge able to override if there is genuine availability. Any upgrade you can purchase will most likely be at a higher price than the bid anyway as presumably the prices are now lower. The question I'd ask is if a bid is being given preference over you.

I complained to P&O direct to Paul Ludlow's office on 29 May following a cruise on Arvia. They responded to say 28 days to investigate. Yesterday 27 June I missed a call from them but have spoken to them today so exactly one month. You are best served to contact them direct and I suggest using the following email unless it is a trivial matter: Executive.Correspondence@carnivalukgroup.com

Have you had any luck sourcing a policy st a cost acceptable to you?

On the 3 September cruise, I notice a couple (no child places available but as the poster has 2 places anyway not a problem) can actually currently book a full suite which is in fact cabin 8109. This is a family suite, no balcony. Could be a big disappointment to whoever gets that one - we saw that on Iona last month - if they want a balcony and don't realise. It would seem an ideal cabin for the family in view of the not desperate for a balcony. If there's an upgrade on that one might be worth a try if it's not too out of their range. To TMSA, your child place should be £149 the same as it currently is as that was the offer. I can confirm that price is quoted on the cruise after yours which does have child places and the fare is £149 for everything from an inside to a suite. If you call P&O tomorrow perhaps mention the family suite and see if there's anything can be done. Currently as a couple it's the only"proper" suite empty for that cruise so P&O might be able to help. Good luck, hope it gets sorted for you.

I recently cruised on Arvia and made friends with a lovely man who was a recent amputee having lost his leg due to diabetes. Like yourself he travelled alone preferring his independence. Apart from some difficulties with health and safety who tried to stop.him boarding and put him through some sort of obstacle course to prove his ability he told me he was managing quite well. He too was surprised at the lack of assistance from anyone other than passengers in the buffet so he took the decision soon after boarding to use MDR and the speciality restaurants to avoid the problems with trying to juggle tea and things while using his crutch. He did not use a rollator or anything onboard apart from his crutch and had a balcony adapted cabin which was apparently very well equipped for his needs. He liked a nice cup of tea and we used to meet at 4.00pm in the atrium and buy a Teapig tea and a cake as it was served to him by a waiter, no juggling involved. Many of the things you mention are in line with his comments so I do understand how it could be awkward if information provided by P&O is inaccurate or not fully explained or described I am sorry you feel people in general have not been fully understanding of your difficulties. Having someone constantly tell.you that your view and your opinion is wrong or answering a point with a question is very annoying but hopefully not intended to cause anger or distress and I'm very sorry you've found that a problem. Unfortunately open forums will draw comment from people who do not understand individual challenges on ships as they have no experience of them but reading the CC boards in general it is hopefully not just on the P&O section. As I said previously your experience is important in helping others and P&O ensure where things can be adjusted they should be. I do hope you chase up P&O and contact ABTA if they still do.not respond. Good luck in your endeavour to get your opinions heard by others.

I felt like Minnie Mouse! I've given them to my friend and she loves them though.

I've never had a pin, did get my slippers though. Mind you I never got my Cunard Diamond pin either, must be something I said!

Any way of finding out please? Who would I ask if not. I'd agree the board is very much weighted with high tier guests, my last couple on Arvia and Britannia were over 50% new cruisers and I met lots like Lee117 who were on a second or third cruise after an Iona cruise.

Good idea. It's very cheap at £20, certainly not seen one that cheap since the pandemic.

I'm pleased to report plenty of poles in the one on Arvia so perhaps TigerB could headline there when he has the time.

Who is the policy with? Also where are you sailing to, if it's Norway you might want the missed ports as there have been several.missed this season and also Guernsey and Marseilles have also had a couple of problems.

Glad you are sorted. Just for your reference the Lloyds policy is perfectly acceptable and is underwritten by Allianz who are one of the very best insurers. Your £20 policy is at least a cheap cost. However please be aware if God forbid you need to claim on it they will insist on split the cost with Lloyds, it's something the companies are getting quite keen on. If it is a specific cruise policy I assume your new one has quarantine, missed ports etc which believe it or not are not req6by the cruise line!

May I suggest you tell ABTA of your lack of response from P&O as yours is a very important issue. As P&O have failed to respond within the 28 days the rules state they must you are within your rights to go to ABTA. I appreciate you do not wish to deal with P&O again but others with disabilities such as yours may do and P&O should deal with them properly.

May I ask which bank? All UK High Street bank policies are underwritten by the top underwriters. They all should cover the P&O requirements although they don't state a cruise holiday they ARE covered. However be aware they do not cover missed ports and in one or two cases cabin confinement costs. The latter would apply if say you were ill with norovirus and confined to your room for 4 days. The special cruise insurance pay out at a daily rate as set out in the policy while you aren't allowed out of your room. There is a special letter of comfort all the banks adopted for cruising. Either chat online with the insurer or call through your bank line. Print it and also download it with your 2 page policy summary, it will be fine as the cruise lines know of these letters and won't question it if you are checked.

Yes, whole family of 10 - 5 cabins, put in a block together. Only time different I shared with my aunt who required a shower rather than bath so we had a separate floor. On all.occasions the family sailed together we ask if availability allows can we be near each other and to date never not been - 7 cruises in total.

They will try to accommodate any preferences listed within your account but you cannot on either saver fare state a preference on booking. T/As continue to ask however as the P&O website clearly shows only select get to choose it's not a real choice and being aware that it isn't any longer a request isn't in the T/As interest. If you book savers and have always had your preferred dining on boarding you most likely wasn't aware it was allocated by P&O based on their availability not your request. It's when you get one that's not what you expect you find out that they are now reluctant or find it difficult to change you. The terms are very clear as per the link.

Depends very much on the availability left. The closer you are to sailing the less options you get. The early saver you can pick an area but the price rises from the base level. You are still in a position you qualify for upgrades. That's about the guaranteed aspects, the dining is still an allocation but you do get to state your preference and my experience is they will most likely be flexible and move you. The saver fare on dining is take what you get. A card used to be left in your room telling you what you had been allocated and only once did I get it changed and that took 3 days to get from 8.30pm to 6.30pm. Early saver is also deposit only whereas saver is 100% payment and total fare lost if cancelled. Cunard also offer these three fare types, I use them a lot for solo travel.

Actually there are three fare types not just saver and select. This example you have shown is early saver which is the second option. Early savers go on sale alongside select fares on release thereby you can book a "saver" fare from day 1 with certain benefits such as picking an area or grade of cabin. With this you can also select a preferred dining type but unlike the select fare it isn't guaranteed. The true "saver" fare, ie the late and last minute bookings do not give the option of choosing a dining time and absolutely nothing is guaranteed about those fares. I mentioned an occasion where I booked 7 weeks out from sailing and was given 8.30pm dining which it was difficult to change. This was a true "saver" fare. The "pecking order" to give it a name is therefore select, early saver and saver. Generally an early saver guest will be able to adjust their dining onboard but the saver passenger may not be able to do so. Here is the explanation from P&O: https://www.pocruises.com/our-prices-explained

Green bean supplies didn't get through on Arvia, replaced in May with broad beans which looked suspiciously like runner beans. Clearly Mr Ludlow needs a reprimand and a lesson in agricultural bean fair rather than bean counting.

I quite like baked potatoes, I'd be very happy to have one whoever baked it. I don't remember Jack Walker but do recall George because of Brent Walker Group involvement in films. Th

Wasn't it Spud u' Like, went bust in 2019 but now reborn under James Martin and Bartlett's potatoes? One in Plymouth now, bit upmarket to the old days.

Would definitely need to be virtual there's been nothing in them for 3 years!

I'm sorry to hear you cancelled based on other people's experiences (presumably including mine as you made your first comment about cancellation in my report). I hope that you looked elsewhere before making that decision as I repeatedly stated my problems were most likely a one off and not everyone would be experiencing them. As someone who had one of those bad experiences I have now learned it is best not to write of it as people unfortunately take everything in it that is bad and fortune tell that their cruise will have the same problem. So just for clarity and to alleviate your worries no one has a good time on P&O here is the information I would have provided if I had not stopped the live report because people were stating they were cancelling cruises based on my experience. Arvia is a beautifully put together ship, open and airy with a large and varied selection of public areas and rooms. She was spotlessly clean with many staff visibly cleaning 24/7. The three rooms I had use of were all well equipped with comfortable beds and linen. The White Company products provided were high quality, there were sanitary bags provided and regularly replenished, my stewards (I had two) were both lovely kind people who provided extra towels even though not asked and my longest serving one made towel animals and put them in my room - i jokingly called them my zoo as none were ever removed. I had a good supply of tea, milk, biscuits etc The food at all levels in my opinion was very good to excellent (I cannot speak for the buffet as I do not use it). The onboard facilities are of high quality, with in particular the Headliners Theatre being for me personally a standout and of a much higher standard than I have experienced on other ships (I include Allure of the Seas in this having sailed on her many times). Overall the entertainment offered was of an extremely high quality with acts such as Rock On and Neil Lockwood being standouts (again a personal opinion). The Limelight Club is an excellent venue and is particularly enjoyable now that it serves the original plan of turning into a nightclub venue once the supper club section finishes. The Atrium, although in my own opinion underused as a venue and echoy and possibly on the loud side, is an impressive light and airy place which is particularly nice to sit in for a coffee and cake. Some thought could perhaps be given to the entertainment in here which had a small stage where a group of Spanish folklore singers and an acoustic singer performed on various nights as although they were again of excellent standard it was a shame they are tucked away and lost in a very large area, not a complaint just an observation that they are being used in the wrong area for their skill set. The pop up entertainment with the acrobatic high acts was very good (as an RC customer perhaps think back to Splendour of the Seas and the nightly entertainment which was in it's day groundbreaking), the silent discos which happened on several nights also taking place there. It was very popular with the families and so finding a seat at peak time could be challenging, but not more so than on other ships I've sailed on. 710 Club is a great idea, an oasis of adult entertainment on a family ship. I managed to go to three shows by booking on the app while waiting to board. I could have booked for every day but my nature is to say let everyone have a go. The nights I attended offered completely different music sets of talented musicians clearly enjoying themselves as much as the audience. Perhaps P&O need to look at how the venue is booked to try to allow as many as possible to enjoy this great venue. The outside space was quite large if you were prepared to not be near a swimming pool. It was always possible to get a seat outside. My one observation on this is there is a predominance of reclining chairs as opposed to sunbeds in a lot of these outside areas so if a sunbed was your requirement you might have to look a bit longer. The pool area at the front behind the Sanctuary appears to have recently been designated as adults only which is a good idea. Personally as a swimmer I found the pools small apart from the one in the Skydome but not everyone would worry about this as not everyone wishes to do an early morning swim of 70 or so lengths so overall no problem for most. The infinity pool was thought the day filled with children including young babies and these children did unfortunately spill into the swim up bar pool. However this is a design fault in my opinion as for obvious reasons the pool is a magnate to families. I can see the reason for making the front pool and area the adult area as it is far larger and the area around the swim up bar would not be able go hold large numbers. So unfortunate, not a deal breaker just something to be aware of. The Skydome is a large area with the biggest swimming pool. Unfortunately on my cruise we encountered several days of bad weather where the outside decks although open were shall we say inclement with high winds and rain. Not an Arvia problem. Only on one day towards the very end of the cruise did the roof open. This completely transformed the area into an airy oasis in the middle of the ship offering plenty of seating, casual food and a well stocked bar. I would imagine on one of the Caribbean cruises or a Med cruise with hot sunny weather this entire area would be a delight. Not a criticism but on seadays when outside was unavailable the area was very busy and the pool full of children having a great time but the noise levels were as a result extremely high. I liked the sea screen but trying to watch a film on these days was a challenge but completely understandable on a family ship that noise in a closed dome will inevitably by high. The app. Well let me start by saying I used it and did not have a problem. However I did not have to make dinner reservations on it having taken advice garnered from these boards to book before boarding. This particularly suited me as I dine early and at that point reservations were easily available when I booked - I confess it was just after midnight on the day of release. Once onboard I used it every morning for breakfast, it was excellent surprisingly fast often catching me out when 20 or so people were in front of me and I wasn't ready. Entertainment, again I'd booked at 8.30 every night before boarding. I had occasion to cancel a couple of things it worked well I did note if I'd wanted to rebook another time the app showed no availability. On this cruise there had been a major outage so often the information was false on the app, an IT glitch. Not once did I not get to go where I wished to go. I'd by lying if I said I thought everyone had the same experience. I spoke to a lot of people who were having problems. Overall the app is a good thing on a ship this size, it needs to be made fully inclusive showing all your appointments and bookings - it only shows dining, entertainment and excursions at present. From a personal perspective a fully functioning proper app with a calendar showing what's on at each hourly juncture ie incorporating the Horizon paper, would be an improvement. P&O need in my opinion need to consider whether this halfway house arrangement on Arvia should be replaced with you have to use the app and only in dire emergency will manual walk ups or pagers be acceptable. Controversial, yes, but it would remove a lot of these misunderstandings which lead to all the threads on here and other social media channels. So in conclusion. Once P&O sorted my personal problems with the room removing the need to keep having meetings with staff I enjoyed my cruise. No it wasn't one of the best but not every holiday can be. If P&O were a terrible company I wouldn't have booked other cruises with them whilst onboard. In closing Arvia is not at this time a ship for me, not because of her facilities, the food, service or app but because overall I prefer Britannia and Azura in P&Os fleet. My observations and comments on threads are exactly that, personal views which many can and do disagree with, they certainly aren't intended to be anything other than discussion points.

Not disparaging of the ships, the wrong word for that. What I read is that if someone gives a reason why they like a ship better than Iona/Arvia you jump in with both feet listing what is so much better on the two new ones. Disparaging is the wrong word, I apologise. Disparate is what I was thinking, ie not able to be compared.