Advice please on cruising on Arcadia

[mancunian]

I was browsing through this post as we are now booked to go on Arcadia next year. Fairly horrified by the post that says you pay £90 for the Horizons programme. Is this for everything on the Horizon's programme. We went on Artemis last year and there was no charge for Horizon only for a computer class.

[elaine61]

Well, I'll preface my comments about the ship with the intial observation that our cruise was a two nighter to Bruges, and therefore that it is perhaps difficult to judge a big ship so quickly.

 

But our first thought was how badly embarkation was managed. Huge queues in the walkway to the ship, having been dragged up from the terminal far too early. P & O could usefully learn from Cunard, where you wait seated, and are then called up in small groups. The "getting on" photo was simply a P & O flag on the wall in the walkway, so we didn't bother.

 

Once in the ship she looked uninspiring. I think you enter into the atrium, which isn't desperately impressive and certainly doesn't match up to the one on the 20,000 grt MS Midnatsol from the Norwegian Coastal voyage. Announcing that we were staying in a suite (the Barcelona Suite - rear starboard on the C deck) someone was fetched to take us to the cabin, implying that not everyone is taken to the cabin personally. Not the case with Cunard - it makes not a jot of differnce to your arrival as to whether you are in the top suites or a tiny cabin on deck 5.

 

The ship itself we found confusing, and insipid. Everything was spread around in a way that made no sense at all. The Meridian Restaurant was very poorly sited - we had a table for two on the lower level which was right at the rear and there was a constant throb from the pods. It certainly didn't help converstion. Of course the ship was new - newer than the Midnatsol, but it somehow didn't feel it. There was something almost dowdy - no, that is not quite the right word, but uninspired perhaps is. If a 90,000 grt cruise ship is less cohesive and luxurious than a 20,000 grt high class car ferry (MS Midnatsol) then something is wrong somewhere.....

 

Our cabin. I can't call it a suite - it wasn't. I don't know how they measure these things, but it was tiny. Too much furniture doesn't help either. The balcony was huge - I think we counted nine chairs - but far bigger than I would have said was necessary. It was overlooked as well. There were marks in the bathroom, itself fitted out in an interesting shade of beige. Good points included very generous helpings of Moulton Brown and a pair of binoculars - the latter something that Cunard could (and should) pick up for their suites.

 

The food varied from uninspired to dreadful. The vegetables were uninteresting and overcooked, the steak we had on the second night worked hard to raise the general standard, but had a lot of work to do. Quite why my steak came with a red plastic cowboy stuck in it is beyond me.

 

All in all? Underwhelmed. Now looking at my travels below I'm sure that you're all thinking that I have the idea that there is only one ship worth her salt. You're probably right. But a friend of mine has only ever taken two cruises. Both P & O. The first was Aurora, to the Mediterranean. She tells me this was superb. The second - the Arcadia to the Caribbean. A disaster, for many of the reasons that I have said. And the flights home (P 7 O) sounded a nightmare that P & O did their best to increase.

 

By the way - she isn't a British ship. She was built in Italy, and flys the flag of Bermuda. A British ship would be built here and registered here. Not many of those left now of course.....

 

Kindly Chap

 

I was very interested to read your comments re Arcadia. Now whilst this ship will not be top of my favourite list it wasn't as bad as you are suggesting. Of course these things are always a personal taste. We have done many (20+) P & O cruises and the embarkation and disembarkation on J615 was the best we have ever had. We arrived at 12.30 and because we were in the Barcelona suite had priority embarkation. We had a letter we had to show and we were shown straight onto the ship, but they had already started embarking anyway. Maybe this was because it was just a short cruise prior to ours and they were more organised. As you know being in the suite we could have disembarked at any time around 8am. By the time I left (about 8.30) they were on the 2nd or 3rd call. As for the suite. Having been to visit the ship when she first arrived because we are gold portunus members I knew exactly what we were getting. I have never had the opportunity to have a suite on Aurora or Oriana, but from various messages posted believe these are a similar size to the mini suites on them. Hey how much room do you want. Were you going to have a tea dance or something??? We found it more than big enough for our needs. I do know of another passenger who asked for the two chairs in the room to be removed whilst they were on board leaving them with just the sofa and table. We didn't even feel the need to ask them to be moved. I don't know where you say the marks were in the bathroom. I actually didn't spot anything. My only complaint was that the inside of the mirrored doors in the bathroom were rather grubby!! I got the face flannel and gave it a clean!! The shower curtain was replaced on about the 2nd day. This was looking a little worse for wear, but it was replaced without me actually saying anything. Some of the furniture was broken in the main room by the fridge. But overall we were more than happy with our choice of room. Wouldn't think twice about booking one again. The balcony was well used and if the passengers up by the aquarius pool have nothing better to do on their holiday than look down on the rear balconies then they need to get a life!! Well there really is only the meridian restaurant. On Aurora/Oriana we tend to eat in the aft restaurant anyway, so it just felt normal to us. On the table next to PaulNJill and never had any problems with vibration or noise as Paul says. One thing that did slightly annoy me was the feeling of being in a goldfish bowl whilst eating with first sitting passengers going for a stroll around prom deck!! Mind you most of the cruise I had my back to them as I looked over the entire restaurant whilst hubby looked out to sea!! Couldn't fault the table at all. Staff generally very good. Our waiters runner was a bit of a miserable so and so, but he was good at his job, so can't really complain about that. The food was also very good. We didn't really have any complaints about the food. But then hubby thought the food on our QM2 trip last year was better than P & O I actually preferred P & O's!! So just goes to show how two people from the same family can have differing opinions. Do have to agree about the potatoe variation. But then I don't eat potatoes very often and so really they did me a favour!! In the main we had new potatoes in one disguise or another!! And I swear one night they were tinned new potatoes which is a first for me in the 20+ cruises we have done with P & O. As for the Belverdere. What a nightmare!! But being in a suite we arranged to have simple sandwiches delivered for our lunch on most occasions to our cabin. Of course you could always go to the main restaurant for lunch too. I personally didn't even miss the lack of an atrium. I thought that the curtain could most certainly do with being pulled down so that when you were in the piano bar the beautiful ceiling decoration could be seen from everywhere!! Reminded me of the ceiling on Oriana in Tiffany's. Hubby did think that Arcadia lacked some personality, but to be honest I can remember the same being said about Aurora/Oriana which are many P & O's passengers favourites.

 

As for your red cowboy. They use these to show which is rare, medium and well done. All will be different colours or with the letters written on them. As I never seemed to get one I can't really say for sure!! I guess if there's more than one of you having steak on a large table they need to know the difference!! Maybe they should have been removed before being put in front of you or maybe they were left in as a novelty!! Many years ago it used to be a cow!!

 

Aurora/Oriana were both built in Germany but in my view are very much british with the lovely wood panelling of days gone by. Something we felt that Arcadia lacked and we found very similar to QM2. It seemed to be very MDF'ish and shiny!! Not your real wood. But that is just probably a sign of the times and today's budgets for a cruise ship!!!!!

 

Well Kindly chap, looks like we are going to have to disagree with you. I thought Arcadia was very nice. I would go on her again and I would have the aft corner suite again. As I said at the beginning everyone has differing views and expectations. We have cruised mainly with P & O, have done royal caribbean many moons ago and lately been on QM2 but P & O is still for me!!

 

Elaine

[elaine61]

The "getting on" photo was simply a P & O flag on the wall in the walkway, so we didn't bother.

 

Who actually buys these photos??? We never get our picture taken getting on board (when were loaded up with hand baggage) or when we get on and off the ship in ports. They don't seem to be as pushy nowadays as they used to be!!

 

Not the case with Cunard - it makes not a jot of differnce to your arrival as to whether you are in the top suites or a tiny cabin on deck 5.

 

When we first got on board we were shown to the Orchid restaurant for afternoon tea and bucks fizz!! Also if you don't know where your going someone will show you to your cabin. Generally we find our own way to the cabin. I cannot remember being shown to our cabin on QM2!!

 

The balcony was huge - I think we counted nine chairs - but far bigger than I would have said was necessary.

 

Well we were diddled!! We only had 7!! We had a couple of sunbeds, wooden patio table and 4 chairs and a reclining chair!! The huge balcony IMO is what we were paying for. As I spend most of the time sunning myself on my holiday this was probably used more than the cabin!!!!!

 

 

And the flights home (P 7 O) sounded a nightmare that P & O did their best to increase.

 

Only ever do Southampton to Southampton as I do not fly so cannot comment on P & O flights. Mind you both my kids have done both cruising and flying economy and business class, but they much prefer cruising. They find flying restrictive and boring!!

 

Elaine

[floridakeith]

We returned Sunday from a 7 night Norwegian Fjords cruise on Arcadia, only our second P&O cruise, the previous one being on Oceana. We love trying different ships so of the 16 cruises we have done in the last 5 years we have not been on any ship twice so far. Some we won't be returning to while others like Arcadia are on our definitely would return list. We like a spacious, sophisticated environment with good food, good service, good entertainment and a comfortable, quiet cabin. Arcadia had all of these attributes along with a happy crew that made every minute enjoyable. Decor doesn't sway us that much. We enjoy seeing the differences between cruise lines and individual ships but it is low down in our priorities, as is the atrium or no atrium factor. I will be writing a detailed review in the next few days, but in summary go for it, I am sure you will have enjoyable cruise.