Just back from Arvia

[zap99]

55 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

There is a fish and chip shop in quays.  Sorry NOT a fish restaurant. 

 

But I agree the number of veggie items on MDR menu is out of proportion to number of veggies in UK 14%, and less than that average in older cruising demographics 

Sorry, but in my demographic fish and chips is made of fish.....and chips.🤣

[9265359]

11 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

It's not about Arvia it's about the world changing and people's dining habits changing 

 

Which is happening

It isn’t, which is why there has been the well reported closure of many vegan restaurants. 

[Windsurfboy]

47 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Sorry, but in my demographic fish and chips is made of fish.....and chips.🤣

 

When I'm sent out for fish and chips, it's can you go to the chippy for fish and chips. I it's not will you send the Butler to the fish restaurant for fish and chips as its the cooks night orf

[Waju]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

Book 710 as soon as you get onboard. Sometimes you can get myholiday in the terminal, but in April we wizzed straight through.

Thank you I will try, especially as we have 11.30am boarding - would you know if it can be done onboard anywhere other than the app?  We are travelling with friends who don't board until 3.45pm but all the other entertainments bookings only let you book those in your cabin.

I'm really not too impressed with this system, maybe I'll warm to it - yesterday I could book the Headliners shows but not the guest entertainers.  Today I can book one of the guest entertainers but not the other!  It just doesn't flow too well................

[zap99]

10 minutes ago, Waju said:

Thank you I will try, especially as we have 11.30am boarding - would you know if it can be done onboard anywhere other than the app?  We are travelling with friends who don't board until 3.45pm but all the other entertainments bookings only let you book those in your cabin.

I'm really not too impressed with this system, maybe I'll warm to it - yesterday I could book the Headliners shows but not the guest entertainers.  Today I can book one of the guest entertainers but not the other!  It just doesn't flow too well................

We booked through the app, but only for our cabin. I don't know if you can book onboard in advance.  The myholiday app and procedures worked well, but you did need to book things ASAP.

[9265359]

4 hours ago, zap99 said:

Book 710 as soon as you get onboard. Sometimes you can get myholiday in the terminal, but in April we wizzed straight through.

That wasn’t possible on the cruise I am currently on. 
 

Horizon stated that the first night’s booking was only possible after 5.30pm and that was the case as it wasn’t present on the My Holiday ’app’ until that time.
 

It also advised that the whole of the following two weeks would became available at 10.30pm which was also the case. 
 

I guess they are experimenting to stop the early boarders grabbing everything before anyone else has a chance. 

[Bin man]

Yes that is correct and I also thought they repeated the shows over the two weeks so you could mix and match with the other entertainment venues 

[9265359]

8 minutes ago, Bin man said:

Yes that is correct and I also thought they repeated the shows over the two weeks so you could mix and match with the other entertainment venues 

The only show that is definitely repeated is the Thursday ‘guest night’ when they get the atrium singer in instead of the 710 band, and then the ‘app’ says you can’t book it if you booked the prior Thursday as it is already booked. 
 

Other than that, the daily themes are repeated, but from previous cruises they didn’t play the same set for that theme on the second week that they did the first. 

[Bin man]

Agree with that but wanted to do other shows and picked the themes I guess and didn't repeat that theme over the 5 or six themes if that makes sense .

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 hours ago, Waju said:

Thank you I will try, especially as we have 11.30am boarding - would you know if it can be done onboard anywhere other than the app?  We are travelling with friends who don't board until 3.45pm but all the other entertainments bookings only let you book those in your cabin.

I'm really not too impressed with this system, maybe I'll warm to it - yesterday I could book the Headliners shows but not the guest entertainers.  Today I can book one of the guest entertainers but not the other!  It just doesn't flow too well................

Those entertainment shows you don't really need to book that early

 

It's other things like  limelight and 710 where the shortages are 

 

By the time the cruise starts all the entertainment shows for the first week at least will be there to book. 

 

Plus speciality dining the closer you get to the cruise is worth booking now

 

Don't let it stress you

 

[zap99]

21 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Arvia will have youngest demographics of any P and O ship

 

Think I saw somehwere that the average age cruising on Arvia last year was 49 years old?

 

Can't remember where though

I do get confused. Am I a demographic, or a cohort ?. Which is best ? Am I allowed to be both, or indeed neither ?. So I need to sell my AMG and buy a Cardi ?

[9265359]

On 6/2/2024 at 11:56 AM, Interestedcruisefan said:

Arvia will have youngest demographics of any P and O ship

 

Think I saw somehwere that the average age cruising on Arvia last year was 49 years old?

 

Can't remember where though

The trouble with mean averages they can be a bit misleading. 
 

From looking around this cruise (which admittedly is a school holiday cruise) there seem to be some distinct peaks of age groups - lots of families in their 30s with children and lots of couples in their 60s - which together would make an average of 40ish, but actually not too many real 40ish people around. 
 

What does seem to be missing from cruises in the past is lots of the very elderly - there are a few but not many. 

[snaefell]

7 hours ago, 9265359 said:

The trouble with mean averages they can be a bit misleading. 
 

From looking around this cruise (which admittedly is a school holiday cruise) there seem to be some distinct peaks of age groups - lots of families in their 30s with children and lots of couples in their 60s - which together would make an average of 40ish, but actually not too many real 40ish people around. 
 

What does seem to be missing from cruises in the past is lots of the very elderly - there are a few but not many. 

I have read that when the kids are in school Iona & Arvia are filled with the elderly!

[Hollers]

On 5/27/2024 at 8:22 PM, posford said:

Not wanting to emulate Selbourne or Tiger or all the other excellent reporters, I will give my honest review of my latest cruise.

 

Overall, really enjoyed the cruise.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation,leaving the ship in port/returning to the ship in port. Absolutely fantastic and seamless.

Embarked 11.45, disembarked 7.45, absolutely no problems.

 

Food.

MDR dinner mainly very good. celebration nights fantastic.

MDR breakfasts, often dried up, not as good as Iona.

Olive Grove, absolutely fantastic.

Beach House, dire. Had our prepaid cost reimbursed. Head waiter, who recognised us from numerous cruises apologised for the food as said it was “not very good”.

Absolutely awful.

Loyalty embarkation lunch, absolutely excellent.

Loyalty portunius lunch dire. All three mains choices absolutely drenched in garlic. No cheese and biscuits as a desert. Had to insist on this and they were supplied. Loyalty manager was not interested in any feedback saying “it was a shoreside decision”

 

Entetainment, average. The Priverteers, who I was looking forward to did not turn up so the entertainment was down to the shows that we have already seen.  The pianist, Henderson Treble, was a good pianist but a poor singer.

 

Seadays were enhanced by having a couple of talks/interviews with Ollie Smith and Tom Parker-Bowles, very entertaining.

Lovely weather mostly to sit on the balcony, always a joy.

 

New alcohol policy, no comment.

 

Summary.

As an oldie, in my 70s, I really enjoy the big ships. Cabins large and new and furniture in all the venues new.

Andersons, lovely for late morning coffee, never packed.

 

Staff.

Had same table every night at 8.00, easy if you ask nicely.

Waiter and assistant waiter, fantastic. Two of the very best ever.

Cabin steward, absolutely useless. Always forgetting something.

Some days biscuits, some days not, some days towels some days not. One day Six facecloth,

other days towels hung on shower to dry. Made us laugh as he did try but was not very good.

Always a trial to get toilet rolls.

Captain Camby, very good, loads of info given every day.

 

These 2 new ships are very stable. Even in extremely bad weather they ride the seas very well.

 

 Looking forward to my 2 cruises on Iona in the Autumn.

 

Shame about the very poor itineraries going forward.

 

 

I was on that cruise and agree with many of your sentiments (I'm in the high 60s so no spring chicken myself!). It was very enjoyable. I don't know why Arvia gets so many bad reviews. Food, cleanliness, passage cabin, staff, Holiday App and a fair amount of the entertainment we're all good. Sorry your cabin attendant was not up to it. Very happy on Arvia again before long.

[Waju]

1 hour ago, snaefell said:

I have read that when the kids are in school Iona & Arvia are filled with the elderly!

I really hope so when we go!

[zap99]

10 hours ago, 9265359 said:

The trouble with mean averages they can be a bit misleading. 
 

From looking around this cruise (which admittedly is a school holiday cruise) there seem to be some distinct peaks of age groups - lots of families in their 30s with children and lots of couples in their 60s - which together would make an average of 40ish, but actually not too many real 40ish people around. 
 

What does seem to be missing from cruises in the past is lots of the very elderly - there are a few but not many. 

Perhaps when you are 30, 60 is elderly. 10 year olds probably think 30 is elderly. I am vegan. I eat the veg before the meat, so for the first half of my meal I am strictly vegetarian . Second half, carnivoriferous. On our cruises there are no elderly people, but as I'm 74, not many 100 year olds. I dislike generalisations, but most folk do.🤣

[DamianG]

On 5/29/2024 at 8:20 AM, Interestedcruisefan said:

Good to see plenty of positive reports coming back from Arvia now. From very experienced cruisers as well which is a good sign. Seems a long time since we heard of any horror stories with them

 

I do believe they have become a well oiled machine. Providing guests know how to get the most out of the ships. Which is obviously a learning curve for guests just like we all went through at some stage with all cruises

 

 

Whilst I don't doubt this, I will be interested to read future reports of passengers' experiences during the main school holidays when the ship sails with a higher number of berths filled.

 

As has been well documented, our experience last August was very poor, in particular with "freedom" dining where we either experienced long delays and/or the complete shutdown the My Holiday webpage for dining bookings, necessitating us having to visit the MDR reception to request a table and take a pager almost every evening (until we finally compromised and accepted a fixed dining arrangement).

 

I really hope that it has become a "well oiled machine" and lives up to P&O's promises the majority of the time whenever anyone sails, not just outside the main UK school holidays.

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

Whilst I don't doubt this, I will be interested to read future reports of passengers' experiences during the main school holidays when the ship sails with a higher number of berths filled.

 

As has been well documented, our experience last August was very poor, in particular with "freedom" dining where we either experienced long delays and/or the complete shutdown the My Holiday webpage for dining bookings, necessitating us having to visit the MDR reception to request a table and take a pager almost every evening (until we finally compromised and accepted a fixed dining arrangement).

 

I really hope that it has become a "well oiled machine" and lives up to P&O's promises the majority of the time whenever anyone sails, not just outside the main UK school holidays.

The Christmas School holiday period would have been a great test. Did we hear any reports back from then?

 

I was in the Caribbean on Arvia for February half term and everything was good then

Edited June 4 by Interestedcruisefan

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

The Christmas School holiday period would have been a great test. Did we hear any reports back from then?

 

I was in the Caribbean on Arvia for February half term and everything was good then

We try and avoid taking holidays when the kids are off,  but whenever you go there seems to be loads of them. Try getting into the Shaun the Sheep tea. Full of kids.  Don't  start me off on Wallace and Gromit. 🤣.

[Somerset Cruiser]

On 5/28/2024 at 4:19 PM, daiB said:

It is still a paying restaurant however few dishes you pay for. 

On that basis the MDRs are pay for restaurants.