Summer 2025

[Megabear2]

11 minutes ago, TigerB said:

We're on Arvia at the moment and their pre-registration started at 09:30 on Wednesday. They made a big thing of Cpt Camby coming to cut the ribbon, and all his elderly groupies were right at the front of the queue, waiting for their selfies with him. He was loving it! 😉

 

Anyway, we booked two; Arvia to the Med in the April with a different itinerary to the one we're on now, and nineteen days on Aurora to the eastern Med in the October.

We didn't get as much OBC as we did in January, but at least the deposits were next to nowt.

 

 

Was it extra OBC for booking onboard still or just the basic, it look quite mean forv 2025 at this stage.

 

[Megabear2]

Well I haven't booked anything for 2025 as decided to wait until I'm onboard Iona and hopefully I might be able to book something there.

 

However at the rate I'm going on OBC P&O will be paying me to travel on my 14 May Arvia cruise! I paid parr of this with the apology money they sent me after a complaint so the 14 day cruise cost me £749, they then upgraded me as well.  With that original booking came £140 OBC as part of the current offer.  This was followed by £100 welcome back OBC and now I've just been emailed a loyalty one of £50.

 

All this generosity has still not prompted me to part with £4,004 for 18 nights on Aurora though ...

[Leomins]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

We avoid jacuzzis,  whirlpool baths like the plague (sic)

 

 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11641584

But this article refers to whirlpool baths which are filled with tap water and emptied after each use. The hot tubs on the ships are like the pools, not emptied all the time and are chlorinated.

[Fitzplumbago]

32 minutes ago, Leomins said:

But this article refers to whirlpool baths which are filled with tap water and emptied after each use. The hot tubs on the ships are like the pools, not emptied all the time and are chlorinated.

I was also going to mention that there were staff with testing kits and chlorine constantly looking after the hot tubs during the day. Personally I would imagine there being a far higher risk of becoming ill through eating on the ship! 

 

Anyway, becoming a little off topic with talk of hot tub hygiene. I just wanted to mention one small benefit (for some) of Arvia (and Iona) over the other ships as a consideration when booking. Personally I enjoy cruising on any of the P&O ships 😊

[Fitzplumbago]

3 hours ago, majortom10 said:

We have made the mistake of booking an aft balcony cabin on Arvia. Just in the process of changing it because of splashing water on decks below.

The picture I included was taken from one of the port/starboard infinity whirlpools on deck 18. That said, I have no idea if the aft pool issue has been rectified. I'd have thought lessons would be learnt from Iona, but with P&O maybe not! 

[happy v]

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes, I didn't want to mention that!  I will go in a swimming pool because there is chlorine, but not these, especially hot tubs.

To me it's like having strangers in your bath.

[happy v]

3 hours ago, majortom10 said:

We have made the mistake of booking an aft balcony cabin on Arvia. Just in the process of changing it because of splashing water on decks below.

Also there is constant music playing. So no peace at all

Hope you get it changed 

[Selbourne]

27 minutes ago, happy v said:

Also there is constant music playing. So no peace at all

Hope you get it changed 

That was one of several reasons that deterred us from booking the sole aft accessible suite on Iona or Arvia.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Had a little look for 2025 but tbh not much in the way of new itinerarys around the med. Really hoping they would do more stops Croatia way, i know Azura has the odd stop but not too many. Maybe dare i say it the ports for us are becoming less important as we have been on a number of med cruises with different companies 😭😭

[Cathygh]

Most of the cruises I am interested in are on Arcadia and Aurora, and too expensive for me at the moment. I usually don't shop around but my lovely agent seems to be quite pricey compared to some of the others now so I will get prices to compare

[sogne]

Being on board now decided to book the 24 night Canada cruise on Arcadia

 

[Bill Y]

We were booked to go on a 21 nights Iceland and Norway cruise in 2020 which was cancelled. This called at 12 ports, the 2024 cruise calls at 11 ports and 2025 one is down to 10 ports therefore more sea days. P&O are saving money by sailing slower, avoiding port charges and no doubt hoping for more revenue from the people trapped aboard for another two days. For people who cruise to visit ports hopefully new ones rather just to eat and drink this is less appealing. It makes the cost per port higher, P&O will probably say this cost is to reflect a greener cruise.

[DamianG]

We’ve taken the plunge & booked a Ventura cruise to the Canaries for the August 2025 school holidays. Our son’s price had risen significantly & our agent explained that this is down to two factors: 1) We have booked a suite; 2) Child prices have risen in order to offset the number of “3rd & 4th cabin occupants travel free” offers (which of course only applies to certain cruises outside the school holidays).

So same old, same old for us but the treat of having a suite to look forward to for the 2nd time ever after we had one booked for cancelled cruises in 2020, 2021 & 2022.

Edited April 21, 2023 by DamianG

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, Palaceman said:

I accept your point of view.  It all comes down to why we cruise.  Some would like a 21 day cruise with 21 ports of call. Some with 21 days at sea.  At the end of the day it's about what is on offer today and not what used to be.  We all have a choice, either book what's on offer or walk away.

A 21 day cruise with 21 ports of call would be my perfect cruise!

[Bill Y]

11 hours ago, tring said:

Maybe there is a case for having some cruises that do not visit ports, particularly on the bigger ships, which provide cheaper cruising anyway and are designed to be resorts in their own right.  Some may want that, but not everyone who currently cruises.

I did wonder in jest a few years ago when they started to refer to the large ships as resort ships if people would be happy just to sail into international waters to facilitate the duty free and stay there for a week. I was sceptical when P&O were offering cruises to nowhere as a “Sailcation” but people were attracted to them. So many a true word etc.

[tring]

10 minutes ago, Bill Y said:

I did wonder in jest a few years ago when they started to refer to the large ships as resort ships if people would be happy just to sail into international waters to facilitate the duty free and stay there for a week. I was sceptical when P&O were offering cruises to nowhere as a “Sailcation” but people were attracted to them. So many a true word etc.

 

I think we were all getting pretty unhappy about travel being stopped for so long before the short cruises came on sale and they were easy if you were near to a port.  We did a few of those short cruises, but with Fred rather than P&O, also benefiting from a local departure and some rather nice ports, including Scilly and Falmouth.  I think the bigger P&O ships are a whole different thing though.

 

I am also thinking with ports increasingly wanting to restrict the vast influx of passengers, and understandably so, the bigger ships in particular may have no choice other than spending most, if not all the cruise at  sea.  Very worrying to me though is that quite so much profit will go into the hands of two massive companies based in the same country.  Whilst now at least some of that profit is passed on to elsewhere.  The lack of tax income could make a big difference to some countries as well, particularly poorer ones in more distant parts of the world.

 

Some of us will always travel though, even if cruising is not always a good way to do it.

 

 

[yorkshirephil]

9 hours ago, tring said:

 

I think we were all getting pretty unhappy about travel being stopped for so long before the short cruises came on sale and they were easy if you were near to a port.  We did a few of those short cruises, but with Fred rather than P&O, also benefiting from a local departure and some rather nice ports, including Scilly and Falmouth.  I think the bigger P&O ships are a whole different thing though.

 

I am also thinking with ports increasingly wanting to restrict the vast influx of passengers, and understandably so, the bigger ships in particular may have no choice other than spending most, if not all the cruise at  sea.  Very worrying to me though is that quite so much profit will go into the hands of two massive companies based in the same country.  Whilst now at least some of that profit is passed on to elsewhere.  The lack of tax income could make a big difference to some countries as well, particularly poorer ones in more distant parts of the world.

 

Some of us will always travel though, even if cruising is not always a good way to do it.

 

 

You may be right about the big ships bobbing about at sea, however that won't reduce the amount of pollutant in the atmosphere, in fact by having the engines running longer while said bobbing about they could be making it worse. At least the engines or generators are only ticking over whilst in port. 

 

[majortom10]

Phone call received from my cruise TA at 0850hrs, which is used by many on here, that my pre registration request for cruise on Arvia in 2025 has been booked. Also confirmed 1st choice of cabin of the 8 I gave them. Well pleased.

[wowzz]

All this talk about 2025 cruises is giving me a FOMO complex !

[Vampiress88]

Well I was annoyed when I tried to book. 
I wanted fjords in May. I went on for the balcony cabin and it said £1788 for saver or £1888 select. Went to press secure and then the price jumped to £3146. 
 

luckily we have at least got a good deal in easter holidays 

 

now I’m just going to wait to see if I can find any better ones but since we need to stick to school holidays this time or at least wait till after sats. 

[happy v]

19 minutes ago, wowzz said:

All this talk about 2025 cruises is giving me a FOMO complex !

Over my head 😔!

[yorkshirephil]

26 minutes ago, happy v said:

Over my head 😔!

Fear of missing out

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

All this talk about 2025 cruises is giving me a FOMO complex !

 

 

1 hour ago, Vampiress88 said:

Well I was annoyed when I tried to book. 
I wanted fjords in May. I went on for the balcony cabin and it said £1788 for saver or £1888 select. Went to press secure and then the price jumped to £3146. 
 

luckily we have at least got a good deal in easter holidays 

 

now I’m just going to wait to see if I can find any better ones but since we need to stick to school holidays this time or at least wait till after sats. 

Sit tight. It seems as though the days of launch prices being the cheapest have long gone. I anticipate that Fjords cruises  in 2025, as with this year, will be heavily discounted to get bums on seats. School holidays more challenging though. 

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

 

 

Sit tight. It seems as though the days of launch prices being the cheapest have long gone. I anticipate that Fjords cruises  in 2025, as with this year, will be heavily discounted to get bums on seats. School holidays more challenging though. 

I'm certainly going to stick it out. Two cruises this year,  and two next year,  including the long awaited Saga cruise. 

I have no wish to commit any further ahead than that, especially given some of the bargains that I have seen recently. Even Oceania has looked tempting !

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

All this talk about 2025 cruises is giving me a FOMO complex !

Yes, I always get a bit of FOMO at this time but at the solo prices on offer for the cruises I was interested in, I'm just not confident that P&O would give me the experience I want, especially in relation to mdr food. I might have risked it with a £50 deposit offer but not when I'd have to pay over £200.