Sailed on the Arvia from Southampton to Barbados on a re-positioning cruise in January 2022. Absolutely loved the ship. Yes, I can be frustrating at times getting a seat for the free to dine restaurants but I didn't have to wait too long. Always found a seat in a bar. Maybe it's just the time of year which is the issue.
Thank you Captain for all your advice and wisdom. We travel in June outside of school holidays so hoping it will be quieter where parents and kids are concerned.
Thank you for your kind comment. English kids will still be in school in June, although Scottish & Irish kids break up a bit earlier. We didn't have any problems with kids, though, so don't let it worry you. Enjoy your cruise.
Like your recordings Captain, we were on Ariva 2-16 Feb 2024, we found it very good value for money, we were on deck16 probably underneath the bar at the stern, didn't find it noisy. There weren't many kids onboard due to the time of year so we didn't have the problems mentioned in the clip. Disembarking in ports was sometimes busy but only a couple of minutes here & there so no big deal in the grand scheme of things. If you use the app for booking shows & meals etc it isn't a problem if the app works( sometimes it was a bit iffy)
We want to try Arvia. We loved Iona so we're keen to try this ship too. Wow we never came across that with the lifts on Iona. We agree with finding seating. Our go to was Sindu bar! Useful video. Cheers 🍻
Thank you for your question. Deck 11 cabins are surrounded by other cabins. Some of the cabins on deck 8 are above places like Brodie's Bar & Headliners theatre, so some noise may be heard, but the cabins are pretty well insulated against sound, so hopefully you won't be disturbed. A set of earplugs might be a good investment if you're a light sleeper, although I would have said that whichever deck you were on. Enjoy your cruise.
Everything goes through the X-ray machine as you board the ship at each port. If you buy alcohol at the ship's shops, it is only given to you at the end of your holiday. Thank you for your comment. Enjoy your cruise!
Thank you for your comment. Nice idea, but unlikely to happen. The only way to completely avoid kids is to choose a cruise line that is adults only. I have a video about that coming up soon, so please subscribe to my channel to be notified when it comes out. Enjoy your next holiday.
The lift problem needs sorting - this is a new ship and it should be designed with more than one gangway. Not good enough. Freedom dining is a sham, not good enough. They also need to upgrade technology on board.
Thank you for your comment. As with anything on such a large ship, if everyone tries to do the same thing at the same time, things get logjammed. Enjoy your next holiday.
I know what you mean. I have just returned from a cruise on another cruise line, and experienced a similar problem. Please subscribe to my channel to see more videos about this cruise soon.
Sailed on the Arvia from Southampton to Barbados on a re-positioning cruise in January 2022. Absolutely loved the ship. Yes, I can be frustrating at times getting a seat for the free to dine restaurants but I didn't have to wait too long. Always found a seat in a bar. Maybe it's just the time of year which is the issue.
Maybe. Thanks for your comment. It was really interesting to hear about your experiences. Best wishes, and enjoy your next cruise.
Thank you Captain for all your advice and wisdom. We travel in June outside of school holidays so hoping it will be quieter where parents and kids are concerned.
Thank you for your kind comment. English kids will still be in school in June, although Scottish & Irish kids break up a bit earlier. We didn't have any problems with kids, though, so don't let it worry you. Enjoy your cruise.
Like your recordings Captain, we were on Ariva 2-16 Feb 2024, we found it very good value for money, we were on deck16 probably underneath the bar at the stern, didn't find it noisy. There weren't many kids onboard due to the time of year so we didn't have the problems mentioned in the clip. Disembarking in ports was sometimes busy but only a couple of minutes here & there so no big deal in the grand scheme of things. If you use the app for booking shows & meals etc it isn't a problem if the app works( sometimes it was a bit iffy)
Thank you for your kind comment. It's always interesting to hear other people's experiences. Enjoy your next cruise.
We want to try Arvia. We loved Iona so we're keen to try this ship too. Wow we never came across that with the lifts on Iona. We agree with finding seating. Our go to was Sindu bar! Useful video. Cheers 🍻
Thank you for your kind comment. Enjoy your next cruise.
The lift issue was the only thing that annoyed me on the ship, we were on iona and on harbour days it took ages. Such shame. Everything else is great
Thank you for your comment. I agree, overall everything is great. Enjoy your next cruise. Best wishes.
Hi Chris we are booked on deck 8 inside cabin but originally was on deck 11 inside cabin which is the better thanks in advance
Thank you for your question. Deck 11 cabins are surrounded by other cabins. Some of the cabins on deck 8 are above places like Brodie's Bar & Headliners theatre, so some noise may be heard, but the cabins are pretty well insulated against sound, so hopefully you won't be disturbed. A set of earplugs might be a good investment if you're a light sleeper, although I would have said that whichever deck you were on. Enjoy your cruise.
Can you bring drinks onboard from the ports - do they check?!
Everything goes through the X-ray machine as you board the ship at each port. If you buy alcohol at the ship's shops, it is only given to you at the end of your holiday. Thank you for your comment. Enjoy your cruise!
There should be specific cabins for children, where they will not disturb others.
Thank you for your comment. Nice idea, but unlikely to happen. The only way to completely avoid kids is to choose a cruise line that is adults only. I have a video about that coming up soon, so please subscribe to my channel to be notified when it comes out. Enjoy your next holiday.
The lift problem needs sorting - this is a new ship and it should be designed with more than one gangway. Not good enough. Freedom dining is a sham, not good enough. They also need to upgrade technology on board.
Thank you for your comment. As with anything on such a large ship, if everyone tries to do the same thing at the same time, things get logjammed. Enjoy your next holiday.
Not good enough no seats in bars after dinner. Who designed these ships!!!?????
I know what you mean. I have just returned from a cruise on another cruise line, and experienced a similar problem. Please subscribe to my channel to see more videos about this cruise soon.
Just come off it very disappointed, buffet very busy no were to sit , drink package disappointed wine awful 😊
Shows we're amazing 👏