I’m so glad it’s been helpful - have a fabulous time on board! And thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 😊 please feel free to share with anyone else you think might find it useful.
Thanks for your lovely feedback and i'm glad the video was helpful - Hope you enjoy your first cruise! - some friendly advice: you might get addicted - so you might want to save for your next cruise now. 😊
I did a short 5 day cruise. So many places to eat for free. The buffet selection is huge. There is also a 3 screen cinema showing movies from about 4-6 months old. I went every night. The TV in the room has a huge selection of movies for free too.
Many thanks for all the tips much appreciated, we are going in a couple of weeks so good to get some up front knowledge about the ship before we get onboard
A really great video Steph! We’re on Arvia in November to the Caribbean - this video was so helpful, and we’ll certainly refer to it again nearer the time ☺️
Fantastic tips! We have never been on Arvia but hope to go in the near future so this advice is really helpful! My husband loves burgers so now we know where to go and where to avoid. Many thanks! 😊
Thanks for watching! - Arvia is a lovely ship - Definitely the Keel & Cow for the Burgers - but don't eat much that day before you go - it's a Belly Buster of a burger! 😊There are are other lovely dishes in 6th St Diner too. The ones I recommend are in this video (6th Street Diner Review) ua-cam.com/video/Ce87PjXHYrw/v-deo.html - it's still worth a visit when you get on board.
Thanks Steph. Never gave water bottles a thought. Looking forward to celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary on Arvia April 2024. I am hoping it will be a better experience than the one we had on Iona Christmas 2022.
Excellent video Steph! We always ask for ice but I hadn't thought of asking for lemon slices too. Good to know where to find some quieter spaces. I think our experience will be quite different to Iona March 2022 when we were well below capacity.
Thank You - I'm glad you found it helpful. What other Cruise lines have you sailed on before? let me know if you have any specific questions on how P&O might compare.
Thanks for another amazing video Steph - very entertaining and informative as ever 🤩 These really are all top tips! And as a bonus a lot of them work on Iona as eell (not to mention that more than a few are valuable when sailing on any P&O ship 😊). Thank you for the extensive research and brilliant video, this must have taken quite a while to put together 😊 We have to agree that Facebook groups you've identified are great, as are the ikea drawer inserts (we use them at home for our little ones 😊).
You're welcome. I'll be honest, it was a bit of a labour of love putting to together 😂 - so i'm glad it's helpful. Yes you're right - lots of these tips can apply to Iona and P&O too. The Ikea draw inserts have been so useful. Best thing we bought.
@@CruiseWithAmber we are not surprised! You can see how much work went in to it from the quality of both production and content. It is a labour of love that is absolutely worth it 🤩 We really are loving your Arvia series - it's a must watch for anyone sailing on her 😊
Excellent video. I've done a handful of cruises, by no means an expert, and I've been on the similar Iona, but I learned several useful tips from this.
Very interesting but it would be helpful for people with limited mobility to have a section on what happens during embarkation, whilst at sea (like how to organise in and out of the pool/hot tubs and spa area, plus disembarkation. I am cruising later this year
Great point. On this cruise we had my dad who was in a wheelchair. I’m still in the process of writing up a blog post on it but please ask me any questions you have and I’ll try to help from our experience as much as I can. And thanks so much for watching.
Thanks for the tips, very helpful in prep for our voyage in July! Question - does P&O offer digital wristbands for kids to track their location on board?
You're very welcome. I bet you must be getting so excited for July - She's a wonderful ship. Great question BTW - but no - P&O doesn't currently offer digital wristbands to track location on board (unlike Princess Cruises, which is like the much the more tech-forward American Cousin 😊). I think it would be a great idea to have on P&O ships (especially the newer ones) can't imagine why they didn't include it.
Me and my family are going on Arvia in July too. Off to the Mediterranean on the 9th of July, looking forward to it. With regards to the wristband question, I'm not sure if you have looked at an air tag? You can buy a child's wristband that fit an air tag in them. Although I'm not sure how accurate they would be on the boat and I don't think it will be able to tell you what floor they would be on.
@@tiffany-rosecooper2650 great suggestion about the airtags - we use the airtags when ashore, but unfortunately we discovered they don't work well on the ship on the inside spaces. we're going to try again on Britannia at the end of May so i'll let you know how it goes.
it's an afternoon ice Cream Team - so all ice cream. I think it was around £11 per person - but one portion is enough for two people and very delicious. you don't need to book it either .
Thanks Steph, really helpful. Can’t wait to get onboard soon! One question I thought of: how do I book the 710 Club? Is it once I get onboard via the app/webpage?
You're welcome! yes, book 710 club with the app on board - but check when bookings open as to whether they've added this option on the cruise personaliser (They seem to be changing little things like this without warning. Not long to go now... 😊) but rest assured my sister and brother in law got in on several occasion even when it said it was 'fully booked' and that was the maiden voyage/full capacity.
We are going on our first cruise. Arvia May 2025. Thank you for your video. We are really torn as to whether to get the drinks packages? How do you get drinks when eating food and are they included in packages we are 2 adults and 2 children xxxxx
It’s a very personal thing getting the drinks package it all depends what you like to drink and how much. Have a look at this video which might help. ua-cam.com/video/aNQAWOhFvos/v-deo.htmlsi=Ff6Ldo76S_VW_U_L You can order drinks in the restaurant and the drinks menu will tell you if they’re included in the drinks package. (Most will be) We found the drinks package didn’t work out the best value to us as a family if 4 because our kids started wanting the mocktails and things which weren’t included in the refresh package, and we like the cocktails but not all of them were included. It was better value for us to pay and you o ad order a bottle of wine at dinner instead. Hope that helps.
Its great getting the drinks package but one thing to remember you have to chase the staff to get served after your first drink... They rarely ever come back and ask you if you would like another drink. As the cruise progresses the cocktails get weaker.... Plus most bars run out of Corona bottles. If you want good service my advice is tip them throughout the cruise.
We found that if we were ‘regulars’ at a certain bar (the crows nest was our favourite) and make sure to chat to the bar staff on the first night, we use to have great service. It also helps if you sit within eyeshot of the bar - that way the wait suntan can see when you’re close to finishing your drink.
Thank you for the tips. The one bit I am unsure of is why some places you have to pay when I thought it was all included. Is there a complete list so I don't get caught out of additional fees?
Thanks for watching. I’ve got a series of videos coming up in February all about this. But very quickly; What’s included in your fare is: zenith and meridian restaurants, the olive grove, 6th street diner, the quays, the horizon Buffet (and chefs table on celebration nights) and taste 360 in the skydome. Hope that helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
We have just returned from Ventura and the experience put us off P&O for life. We had booked Arvia for next November but advised we will lose the deposit if we cancel. So we are stuck now on Arvia. And information on thr main dining room will be appreciated. We found thr food like a factory canteen on Ventura and the service overall was terrible. Long waits. Waiting an hour for a drink on a few occasions.
I'm sorry to hear that your experince on Ventura wasnt the best. She is a much older ship than Arvia so hopefully you'll have a much better exerience on your next P&O Cruise. There are many more food choices and venues on board Arvia compared to Ventura. While some of these extra dining venues have a small additional cost( such as Sindhu, The Beach House, Keel and Cow and Green & Co) they have excellent choices. See my review of Green and Co here: ua-cam.com/video/Ce87PjXHYrw/v-deo.html The Main Dining room might have a similar menu to Ventura, but I would also suggest also trying the other inclusive venues such as 6th Street Diner, the Olive Grove and The Quays. See my review of 6th Street Diner here: ua-cam.com/video/nCTbPl4aaFQ/v-deo.html I've got a dining guide coming up on my channel later this month, so be sure to subscribe so you get notified when it goes live.
@@CruiseWithAmber Thank you for your response. We are already aware of the other dining locations and plan to use them. And I would suggest everyone avoid the dining room. The main dining room food options when compared to RCL and even Carnival was a dreadful experience. We discussed with fellow ship mates this who also agreed. If the menu is similar in the dining room across the fleet we will be avoiding. It’s a shame!!! The buffet was also not impressive on Ventura Definitely the worst I’ve experienced. However we did try room service and that wasn’t too bad.
You said that it’s a good idea to wait until your second day to purchase the drinks package. There is a 10% discount for those who purchase the drinks package before the cruise. Did you take that into account in your advice?
Good question. These hints and tips were created just before P and O Cruises updated their drinks package. If you want to use your onboard credit to offset the cost of your drinks package, you will need to wait to get on board to purchase. But in any case, my advice remains the same - you might save more by paying as you go on the first day and then purchasing the drinks package on the second day. For example: (Based on 2 adults buying the deluxe package with no additional loyalty discount on a 7 night cruise) - Purchasing in advance: £692.37 Purchasing on board on the second day: £659.40 (difference - £32.97) Embarkation day can be hectic and you might not get on board until 3pm. If you think you might not get the full value of the deluxe drinks package on the first day (at least £98.91 worth of drinks which are included in the package) then it might be worth leaving it until the second day on board to purchase. Remember - you can also take 1 litre of alcohol per adult on board to consume in your cabin - so this might help to reduce you first days alcohol bill further too. Hope that helps.
Hi Wendy - while there are no solo lounges (like NCL) there are some solo events (usually published in the Daily Horizon Magazine - but reception will also be able to advise too). You can share a table at dinner to meet fellow passengers too. I hope that helps.
I think that limited Motobilty people need to know what happens at embarkation Like what happens with your cases and car if you have one. Then who helps with getting on the ship How do access the pool or hot tubs Maybe how to access deck 19 on Arvia & Ionia Maybe what to do when booked in a Accessiblity trip with a carer. Then what happens during disembarkation and return to your car or transportation. Plus anything I may have missed. 😊
Great questions Richard. I’ll make sure I try to cover them all in my blog post, but out of courtesy I’ll give you a quick response here too as you’ve taken the time to raise so many good points. We used mobility at sea and contacted p&o cruises in advance (via our travel agent. - but you can do so direct with p&o too) and they get you to fill in a form stating your needs/requirements : embarkation and disembarkation - help was available. Deck 18 access was via a specific midship lift (it’s one of the 6 nearest the skydome) but leave this with me as I have it all on some footage I need to revisit - but I can remember taking this footage specifically. There is only 1 accessible suite on board Iona and Arvia. I remember commenting that I was disappointed that there was no hoists in any of the pools on Iona but again for the pools but I’ll do a more throughout trawl through my footage for my blog post. Hope that helps.
@@CruiseWithAmber Hello Amber Thank you for your reply Amber I know that there is an acceassable suite on each ship (too expensive for me to purchase) mind you there are a number of accesable cabins which to be fair are fairly well laid out and are roomy to some disabled people (I can only go by my own experience on the Ionia last year) I think that this is something for the future to encourage wheelchair users/disabled people to consider cruising holidays. As a disabled person, you have to work out your options prior to booking a cruise. As some of the things on board are not available to us it is handy to know that such things as chairs to help people in and out of the pool or other facilities can be accessed plus who they have to speak to get the operators to get in the venue. I know some activities are not accessable but the day-to-day operations on the ship are aimed at able-bodied people but a disabled person needs to be included. As I said I am due to go to Arvia later this year and I will video various things I think are relevant and submit the raw footage for you to edit but the initial written info would be good. Regards Richard
I would definitely NOT recommend joining the Facebook groups!! I've been really looking forward to our cruise next week and I was a member of these groups recommended in this video. Recently there have been quite a few people reporting some really worrying information on these groups about recent cruises on Arvia and I'm no longer excited about our cruise anymore. I'm really concerned about it so I've left the Facebook groups to avoid reading anymore negative information. It's put a downer on our holiday before it's even started so I wouldn't advise joining these groups at all!! I really wish I hadn't now.
Oh that's so disappointing to hear. Arvia is a wonderful ship and i'm sure you will have an amazing holiday. Let's put it this way- we were on the Maiden Voyage and you could swear from the media reports and facebook posts that it was the end of the world. We had an amazing time as a family. Facebook groups are only as good as the admin and as the groups grow larger, they become more difficult to admin and keep the moaning negative comments at bay. I always create content to get people excited about their cruise, so i hope some of my videos on Arvia help you to get the excitement back. And I hope some of the tips help you to get the most out of your cruise.
Hi we are due on arvia in a week and as you stated you can take your own soda and mixers, we are flying to Barbados from Manchester, I was wondering how we take soda from home? Due to the 100ml liquid only allowance in carry on?
Hi Lisa. For a fly cruise there's the option to purchase duty free at the airport - for any alcohol your wish to take on board. (after you clear security). But there are plenty of paces in port you can get soda to take back on with you too. But all must be consumed in your cabin. You can also order bottles of spirits and soda via room service at a reasonably price too. For no fly cruises it's much easier (no airport luggage restrictions!) as I just wait to for a good deal on my favourite spirit at the supermarket and then put that away until I cruise next. Have an amazing cruise. Arvia is great!
HELLO STEPH ❤️ ~ WE ARE DUE TO GO ON THE ARVIA ON JUNE 11th FOR A TWO WEEK MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 😊, I DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THERE BEING NO "RAILS" FOR HANGING "MENS SHIRTS & JACKETS" & "LADIES BLOUSES & EVENING DRESSES" 😮. JUST DRAWS & SHELVES, I'VE NEVER KNOWN THAT ON A CRUISE SHIP 😕 ???
Hi Joseph. There is hanging in the cabin - but drawers are only in the suites. I hope you have a wonderful time on Arvia in June. Have you booked any speciality restaurants?
Hi David. There is no real seafood restaurant on board Arvia - but my suggestions would be - the Quays for great fish and chips or green and co for lovely sushi (if that’s your thing) the epicurean do some lovely lobster and crayfish starters on their menu. And look out for daily fish specials in the horizon buffet and main dining room. Hope that helps!
@@CruiseWithAmber a big THANKYOU,as I’m going on the cruise 5 weeks time , my step son works for PO CUSTOMER SERVICES AND HAS SAILED ONCE , HE CAN TAKE US TO THOSE LOCTIONS ON THE SHIP , THANKS AGAIN ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰
Hi - thanks for watching. P&O alcohol policy has changed since recording this - it’s now 1 ltr of wine or champagne per person (so unfortunately no spirits any more) I had put a little ‘card’ up on the video which YT should have appeared giving this update when you watch this part of the video - but having watched that section back just now, it doesn’t look like it’s showing. (Thanks for alerting me to this I’m going to get this updated). You can buy a bottle of spirits to drink in your room via room service for cruises of 5days or more and this actually works out good value (I think Marabelle gin was £35 per bottle) and saves space in hand luggage. Hope that helps. Have an absolutely fantastic time on Arvia! And thank you for watching and taking the time to chat.
@@CruiseWithAmber fab - thank you for your helpful reply! That’s fab, I’ll buy a bottle on board. I can still take my tonics? I’m going to continue watching your Arvia content tonight. Getting me very excited. Thank you again. X
at the beginning of the video a brochure was mentioned that gave all the information about everything including the excursions. I did not catch the name, came anyone help
Hi Helen. I have this video (A quick look around the retreat) ua-cam.com/video/iyHXroc12to/v-deo.html if you want to have a look around but do you have any specific questions i can help with?
you can book on the My holiday App when on board. The slots get booked up very quickly so book as soon as you get on board (you will need to download the my holiday app first). It is free to book, but places go very fast. however, if you see that all the spaces are booked, my tip is to turn up at the time you want and ask if there are any free spaces as people tend to book and then don't show up.
they have - I've tried to out a little note up on screen in that part (as this was recoded before they changed things) but UA-cam doesn't seem to be showing it.
In case no one knows… P&O have changed the classic drinks package, it no longer included Coke, only draught Pepsi (if you can find a bar doing it), much to my annoyance…
You should not be recommending people taking their own washing machine tablets as it goes in the Ocean. Do the decent thing, take degradable wash sheets as recommended by P&O.
It’s a good point - at the time of recording p&o we’re still selling standard washing tablets in the ship shop. I now use wash sheets as they are now more widely available. (On a similar point I’d also recommend using reef safe sunblock - as that’s important too for the same reason) thanks for watching.
check out my handy blog post too with up to date tips: cruisewithamber.co.uk/po-cruises-arvia-top-tips-and-hacks/
Went about 4 weeks ago. Amazing experiencce. I must have put on a stone. Food was plentyful and good.
@@markenetube 😂 yep - so much great food on board. I blame the sea air for making me feel hungry all the time 😆
@@CruiseWithAmber Yes that sea air made me have 3 desserts 🤣
I'm doing a Caribbean cruise on Arvia next year, and this has been really helpful. Many thanks
I’m so glad it’s been helpful - have a fabulous time on board! And thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 😊 please feel free to share with anyone else you think might find it useful.
Those coloured artworks and sunrise and sunset painting are very clever
They are aren’t they! And SO helpful
Really enjoyed this video, Steph. Boarding on Monday, so I’m excited now!
Ah thanks for watching - hope you have an excellent time on her and that the weather is good enough to take advantage of the swim up bar.
Loved this video. Its my first cruise. Im going in May on the Med Cruise. Thank you x
Thanks for your lovely feedback and i'm glad the video was helpful - Hope you enjoy your first cruise! - some friendly advice: you might get addicted - so you might want to save for your next cruise now. 😊
A clear and informative video. Really useful for cruise newbies! Well done
I'm so please you found it useful Trevor. Have a great cruise!! - when are you sailing next?
Brilliant, we have booked this for 2026 and found this very informative. Thank-you x
Glad it was helpful! 😁
Great video! We're on Arvia next April. Its our first-ever cruise! Can't wait!
Thanks for watching! You will have a great time on Arvia - she’s a fantastic ship! We loved our time on board.
We're going in September 2026, can't wait. Hope you have a fab time especially as it's your first time.
I did a short 5 day cruise. So many places to eat for free. The buffet selection is huge. There is also a 3 screen cinema showing movies from about 4-6 months old. I went every night. The TV in the room has a huge selection of movies for free too.
Very useful tips. We were on Britannia in 2020 and didn't do much research. This video has lots of tips. Thank you💗
Glad it was helpful! I hope you have an amazing cruise!. Get up early to watch the sunrise from the infinity pool one morning.
Many thanks for all the tips much appreciated, we are going in a couple of weeks so good to get some up front knowledge about the ship before we get onboard
Glad you enjoyed it. Have an amazing cruise.
Great tips and hacks! Good to know where the smoking area is! Well done 👏
You're welcome - have a great cruise!
A really great video Steph! We’re on Arvia in November to the Caribbean - this video was so helpful, and we’ll certainly refer to it again nearer the time ☺️
Thank you! Arvia in the Caribbean sounds perfect. Let me know if any of the tips and hack are useful once you've been on board.
@@dg9015 we’re flying out 😊
We’re on the same trip 😃
Going on arvia November 11th 23 excellent tips
How was the weather . I’m going nov 22nd 2024
Fantastic tips! We have never been on Arvia but hope to go in the near future so this advice is really helpful! My husband loves burgers so now we know where to go and where to avoid. Many thanks! 😊
Thanks for watching! - Arvia is a lovely ship - Definitely the Keel & Cow for the Burgers - but don't eat much that day before you go - it's a Belly Buster of a burger! 😊There are are other lovely dishes in 6th St Diner too. The ones I recommend are in this video (6th Street Diner Review) ua-cam.com/video/Ce87PjXHYrw/v-deo.html - it's still worth a visit when you get on board.
Some amazing tips here! Fantastic video! ❤
Thank you so much! And thank you for watching ☺️
Brilliant video, great hints and tips. We are on arvia in September 2024. Thank you so much!!
You’re very welcome - glad it was useful. Have a fantastic time on Arvia.
Thanks Steph. Never gave water bottles a thought. Looking forward to celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary on Arvia April 2024. I am hoping it will be a better experience than the one we had on Iona Christmas 2022.
You are so welcome! - congratulations on a milestone anniversary! 🥂🍾 hope you have an amazing cruise when it comes.
Excellent video Steph! We always ask for ice but I hadn't thought of asking for lemon slices too. Good to know where to find some quieter spaces. I think our experience will be quite different to Iona March 2022 when we were well below capacity.
Thanks for watching Angela. Hope the tips help you get even more out of this wonderful ship. Let me know how the experience compares too.
This video has been incredibly helpful thank you! we set sail in 3 days, very excited now :)
I'm so glad it was helpful! hope you're having a great time on board.
Brilliant video ! So many great tips !!
Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.
Excellent video with plenty tips and tricks for a cruise. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! I’m glad you found it useful!
Hyviä vinkkejä, kiitos.
Thank you ☺️
Great video, thank you. About to book for March around the Med. 10th cruise but first time P&O.
Thank You - I'm glad you found it helpful. What other Cruise lines have you sailed on before? let me know if you have any specific questions on how P&O might compare.
@@CruiseWithAmber Royal Caribbean, NCL, Princes & Celebrity. Can I ask how much P&O charge for WiFi & is it any good?
On cruise on Arvia in December '23.Looking forward 💗
Thanks for another amazing video Steph - very entertaining and informative as ever 🤩
These really are all top tips! And as a bonus a lot of them work on Iona as eell (not to mention that more than a few are valuable when sailing on any P&O ship 😊). Thank you for the extensive research and brilliant video, this must have taken quite a while to put together 😊
We have to agree that Facebook groups you've identified are great, as are the ikea drawer inserts (we use them at home for our little ones 😊).
You're welcome. I'll be honest, it was a bit of a labour of love putting to together 😂 - so i'm glad it's helpful. Yes you're right - lots of these tips can apply to Iona and P&O too. The Ikea draw inserts have been so useful. Best thing we bought.
@@CruiseWithAmber we are not surprised! You can see how much work went in to it from the quality of both production and content. It is a labour of love that is absolutely worth it 🤩
We really are loving your Arvia series - it's a must watch for anyone sailing on her 😊
Thanks for the hard work on the research. Going solo in January for the first time so this is a godsend to me 👍
Fantastic, thank you so much. ❤
You are so welcome!
Thanks for this video, I had no idea about the layout tips. The sunsets will help me find my way back when we sail 😁
you're very welcome and thanks for watching.
Brilliant review Steph.
Thanks so much Geoff! Are you sailing in Arvia soon?
Excellent video. I've done a handful of cruises, by no means an expert, and I've been on the similar Iona, but I learned several useful tips from this.
Thanks Chris - i'm so glad you found it helpful. What's you's favourite tip?
Yay - my group featured here - thank you
😊😊😊😊
Was unable to tag you in to our forum for thanks.
@@worldof360video commenting on here is wonderful and appreciated. 😊
Very interesting but it would be helpful for people with limited mobility to have a section on what happens during embarkation, whilst at sea (like how to organise in and out of the pool/hot tubs and spa area, plus disembarkation. I am cruising later this year
Great point. On this cruise we had my dad who was in a wheelchair. I’m still in the process of writing up a blog post on it but please ask me any questions you have and I’ll try to help from our experience as much as I can. And thanks so much for watching.
Thanks for the tips, very helpful in prep for our voyage in July!
Question - does P&O offer digital wristbands for kids to track their location on board?
You're very welcome. I bet you must be getting so excited for July - She's a wonderful ship. Great question BTW - but no - P&O doesn't currently offer digital wristbands to track location on board (unlike Princess Cruises, which is like the much the more tech-forward American Cousin 😊). I think it would be a great idea to have on P&O ships (especially the newer ones) can't imagine why they didn't include it.
Me and my family are going on Arvia in July too. Off to the Mediterranean on the 9th of July, looking forward to it. With regards to the wristband question, I'm not sure if you have looked at an air tag? You can buy a child's wristband that fit an air tag in them. Although I'm not sure how accurate they would be on the boat and I don't think it will be able to tell you what floor they would be on.
@@tiffany-rosecooper2650 great suggestion about the airtags - we use the airtags when ashore, but unfortunately we discovered they don't work well on the ship on the inside spaces. we're going to try again on Britannia at the end of May so i'll let you know how it goes.
Amazing video! I didn’t know that ripples did afternoon tea! Is this an additional cost and do you need to book at all? Thank you!
it's an afternoon ice Cream Team - so all ice cream. I think it was around £11 per person - but one portion is enough for two people and very delicious. you don't need to book it either .
Thanks Steph, really helpful. Can’t wait to get onboard soon! One question I thought of: how do I book the 710 Club? Is it once I get onboard via the app/webpage?
You're welcome! yes, book 710 club with the app on board - but check when bookings open as to whether they've added this option on the cruise personaliser (They seem to be changing little things like this without warning. Not long to go now... 😊) but rest assured my sister and brother in law got in on several occasion even when it said it was 'fully booked' and that was the maiden voyage/full capacity.
@@CruiseWithAmber thank you so much 😊
@@CruiseLifestyleHello 👋
We are going on our first cruise. Arvia May 2025. Thank you for your video. We are really torn as to whether to get the drinks packages? How do you get drinks when eating food and are they included in packages we are 2 adults and 2 children xxxxx
It’s a very personal thing getting the drinks package it all depends what you like to drink and how much. Have a look at this video which might help. ua-cam.com/video/aNQAWOhFvos/v-deo.htmlsi=Ff6Ldo76S_VW_U_L
You can order drinks in the restaurant and the drinks menu will tell you if they’re included in the drinks package. (Most will be)
We found the drinks package didn’t work out the best value to us as a family if 4 because our kids started wanting the mocktails and things which weren’t included in the refresh package, and we like the cocktails but not all of them were included. It was better value for us to pay and you o ad order a bottle of wine at dinner instead.
Hope that helps.
Great video 👏🫶
Thanks so much Phil 😁👍🏻
Its great getting the drinks package but one thing to remember you have to chase the staff to get served after your first drink... They rarely ever come back and ask you if you would like another drink. As the cruise progresses the cocktails get weaker.... Plus most bars run out of Corona bottles. If you want good service my advice is tip them throughout the cruise.
We found that if we were ‘regulars’ at a certain bar (the crows nest was our favourite) and make sure to chat to the bar staff on the first night, we use to have great service. It also helps if you sit within eyeshot of the bar - that way the wait suntan can see when you’re close to finishing your drink.
Sorry, the cocktails do not get bloody weaker!
I was on the Iona last year and had to find out by the seat of my pants. But got through it. Just
Thank you so helpful
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
@@CruiseWithAmber we are going on our first cruise next august on the arvia
Thank you for the tips. The one bit I am unsure of is why some places you have to pay when I thought it was all included. Is there a complete list so I don't get caught out of additional fees?
Thanks for watching. I’ve got a series of videos coming up in February all about this. But very quickly; What’s included in your fare is: zenith and meridian restaurants, the olive grove, 6th street diner, the quays, the horizon Buffet (and chefs table on celebration nights) and taste 360 in the skydome. Hope that helps. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
@@CruiseWithAmberthank you. I will look out for the next video.
We have just returned from Ventura and the experience put us off P&O for life. We had booked Arvia for next November but advised we will lose the deposit if we cancel. So we are stuck now on Arvia. And information on thr main dining room will be appreciated. We found thr food like a factory canteen on Ventura and the service overall was terrible. Long waits. Waiting an hour for a drink on a few occasions.
I'm sorry to hear that your experince on Ventura wasnt the best. She is a much older ship than Arvia so hopefully you'll have a much better exerience on your next P&O Cruise.
There are many more food choices and venues on board Arvia compared to Ventura. While some of these extra dining venues have a small additional cost( such as Sindhu, The Beach House, Keel and Cow and Green & Co) they have excellent choices. See my review of Green and Co here: ua-cam.com/video/Ce87PjXHYrw/v-deo.html
The Main Dining room might have a similar menu to Ventura, but I would also suggest also trying the other inclusive venues such as 6th Street Diner, the Olive Grove and The Quays. See my review of 6th Street Diner here: ua-cam.com/video/nCTbPl4aaFQ/v-deo.html
I've got a dining guide coming up on my channel later this month, so be sure to subscribe so you get notified when it goes live.
@@CruiseWithAmber
Thank you for your response. We are already aware of the other dining locations and plan to use them. And I would suggest everyone avoid the dining room.
The main dining room food options when compared to RCL and even Carnival was a dreadful experience. We discussed with fellow ship mates this who also agreed. If the menu is similar in the dining room across the fleet we will be avoiding. It’s a shame!!! The buffet was also not impressive on Ventura Definitely the worst I’ve experienced. However we did try room service and that wasn’t too bad.
You said that it’s a good idea to wait until your second day to purchase the drinks package. There is a 10% discount for those who purchase the drinks package before the cruise. Did you take that into account in your advice?
Good question. These hints and tips were created just before P and O Cruises updated their drinks package.
If you want to use your onboard credit to offset the cost of your drinks package, you will need to wait to get on board to purchase.
But in any case, my advice remains the same - you might save more by paying as you go on the first day and then purchasing the drinks package on the second day. For example: (Based on 2 adults buying the deluxe package with no additional loyalty discount on a 7 night cruise) -
Purchasing in advance: £692.37
Purchasing on board on the second day: £659.40
(difference - £32.97)
Embarkation day can be hectic and you might not get on board until 3pm.
If you think you might not get the full value of the deluxe drinks package on the first day (at least £98.91 worth of drinks which are included in the package) then it might be worth leaving it until the second day on board to purchase.
Remember - you can also take 1 litre of alcohol per adult on board to consume in your cabin - so this might help to reduce you first days alcohol bill further too.
Hope that helps.
What is it like on Arvia for solo women travellers? Are there special solo events or lounges, dinner seating areas with other solos etc etc?
Hi Wendy - while there are no solo lounges (like NCL) there are some solo events (usually published in the Daily Horizon Magazine - but reception will also be able to advise too). You can share a table at dinner to meet fellow passengers too. I hope that helps.
Hi this is brilliant and was so helpful, is there one for Britannia 😂
I’m in the process of creating one for Britannia. 😊
@@CruiseWithAmber that’s wonderful thank you 😎
I think that limited Motobilty people need to know what happens at embarkation
Like what happens with your cases and car if you have one.
Then who helps with getting on the ship
How do access the pool or hot tubs
Maybe how to access deck 19 on Arvia & Ionia
Maybe what to do when booked in a Accessiblity trip with a carer.
Then what happens during disembarkation and return to your car or transportation.
Plus anything I may have missed. 😊
Great questions Richard. I’ll make sure I try to cover them all in my blog post, but out of courtesy I’ll give you a quick response here too as you’ve taken the time to raise so many good points. We used mobility at sea and contacted p&o cruises in advance (via our travel agent. - but you can do so direct with p&o too) and they get you to fill in a form stating your needs/requirements : embarkation and disembarkation - help was available. Deck 18 access was via a specific midship lift (it’s one of the 6 nearest the skydome) but leave this with me as I have it all on some footage I need to revisit - but I can remember taking this footage specifically. There is only 1 accessible suite on board Iona and Arvia. I remember commenting that I was disappointed that there was no hoists in any of the pools on Iona but again for the pools but I’ll do a more throughout trawl through my footage for my blog post. Hope that helps.
@@CruiseWithAmber
Hello Amber
Thank you for your reply Amber
I know that there is an acceassable suite on each ship (too expensive for me to purchase) mind you there are a number of accesable cabins which to be fair are fairly well laid out and are roomy to some disabled people (I can only go by my own experience on the Ionia last year) I think that this is something for the future to encourage wheelchair users/disabled people to consider cruising holidays. As a disabled person, you have to work out your options prior to booking a cruise. As some of the things on board are not available to us it is handy to know that such things as chairs to help people in and out of the pool or other facilities can be accessed plus who they have to speak to get the operators to get in the venue.
I know some activities are not accessable but the day-to-day operations on the ship are aimed at able-bodied people but a disabled person needs to be included.
As I said I am due to go to Arvia later this year and I will video various things I think are relevant and submit the raw footage for you to edit but the initial written info would be good.
Regards
Richard
I would definitely NOT recommend joining the Facebook groups!! I've been really looking forward to our cruise next week and I was a member of these groups recommended in this video. Recently there have been quite a few people reporting some really worrying information on these groups about recent cruises on Arvia and I'm no longer excited about our cruise anymore. I'm really concerned about it so I've left the Facebook groups to avoid reading anymore negative information. It's put a downer on our holiday before it's even started so I wouldn't advise joining these groups at all!! I really wish I hadn't now.
Oh that's so disappointing to hear. Arvia is a wonderful ship and i'm sure you will have an amazing holiday. Let's put it this way- we were on the Maiden Voyage and you could swear from the media reports and facebook posts that it was the end of the world. We had an amazing time as a family.
Facebook groups are only as good as the admin and as the groups grow larger, they become more difficult to admin and keep the moaning negative comments at bay. I always create content to get people excited about their cruise, so i hope some of my videos on Arvia help you to get the excitement back. And I hope some of the tips help you to get the most out of your cruise.
Hi we are due on arvia in a week and as you stated you can take your own soda and mixers, we are flying to Barbados from Manchester, I was wondering how we take soda from home? Due to the 100ml liquid only allowance in carry on?
Hi Lisa. For a fly cruise there's the option to purchase duty free at the airport - for any alcohol your wish to take on board. (after you clear security). But there are plenty of paces in port you can get soda to take back on with you too. But all must be consumed in your cabin. You can also order bottles of spirits and soda via room service at a reasonably price too. For no fly cruises it's much easier (no airport luggage restrictions!) as I just wait to for a good deal on my favourite spirit at the supermarket and then put that away until I cruise next. Have an amazing cruise. Arvia is great!
Wonderful thanks for the reply…very excited to board 😊
I've got a very special video coming up which i think you might like to. @@lisahunter7262
HELLO STEPH ❤️ ~
WE ARE DUE TO GO ON THE ARVIA ON JUNE 11th FOR A TWO WEEK MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 😊, I DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THERE BEING NO "RAILS" FOR HANGING "MENS SHIRTS & JACKETS" & "LADIES BLOUSES & EVENING DRESSES" 😮.
JUST DRAWS & SHELVES, I'VE NEVER KNOWN THAT ON A CRUISE SHIP 😕 ???
Hi Joseph. There is hanging in the cabin - but drawers are only in the suites. I hope you have a wonderful time on Arvia in June. Have you booked any speciality restaurants?
Is there a seafood menu, if so where do you think is best to go , 😅🇬🇧
Hi David. There is no real seafood restaurant on board Arvia - but my suggestions would be - the Quays for great fish and chips or green and co for lovely sushi (if that’s your thing) the epicurean do some lovely lobster and crayfish starters on their menu. And look out for daily fish specials in the horizon buffet and main dining room. Hope that helps!
@@CruiseWithAmber a big THANKYOU,as I’m going on the cruise 5 weeks time , my step son works for PO CUSTOMER SERVICES AND HAS SAILED ONCE , HE CAN TAKE US TO THOSE LOCTIONS ON THE SHIP , THANKS AGAIN ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰
Thanks very much
Hello 👋
You are welcome
Hi. I’m going on Arvia next Sunday. I thought I’d read we could only take 1 bottle of wine on. You have gin?! Is that ok. Great video btw
Hi - thanks for watching. P&O alcohol policy has changed since recording this - it’s now 1 ltr of wine or champagne per person (so unfortunately no spirits any more) I had put a little ‘card’ up on the video which YT should have appeared giving this update when you watch this part of the video - but having watched that section back just now, it doesn’t look like it’s showing. (Thanks for alerting me to this I’m going to get this updated).
You can buy a bottle of spirits to drink in your room via room service for cruises of 5days or more and this actually works out good value (I think Marabelle gin was £35 per bottle) and saves space in hand luggage. Hope that helps. Have an absolutely fantastic time on Arvia! And thank you for watching and taking the time to chat.
@@CruiseWithAmber fab - thank you for your helpful reply! That’s fab, I’ll buy a bottle on board. I can still take my tonics? I’m going to continue watching your Arvia content tonight. Getting me very excited. Thank you again. X
Can you use onboard credit in the bar?, without the drinks package
Absolutely! The only place is you CAN'T spend your onboard credit is in the casino and in the medical centre.
Thanks for the reply
at the beginning of the video a brochure was mentioned that gave all the information about everything including the excursions. I did not catch the name, came anyone help
Is this the paper copy horizon magazine? This is delivered every day to your cabin.
Do you have any info on the Retreat?
Hi Helen. I have this video (A quick look around the retreat) ua-cam.com/video/iyHXroc12to/v-deo.html if you want to have a look around but do you have any specific questions i can help with?
Found just too much curry on the Iona...curry was swerved everyday in Horizon.
were there some good roast options each day too? i loved the roast option.
Hello how do you book the 710 club please :)
you can book on the My holiday App when on board. The slots get booked up very quickly so book as soon as you get on board (you will need to download the my holiday app first).
It is free to book, but places go very fast. however, if you see that all the spaces are booked, my tip is to turn up at the time you want and ask if there are any free spaces as people tend to book and then don't show up.
Thankyou
You’re welcome 😊
Hi can I get a upgrade on board if I pay
Sometimes upgrades are available on board - you just need to go to guest services/reception as soon as you get on board to check.
Magnific
Merci! 😊
For the laundrette don't take pods. Take washer sheets. No risk of leakage and pack flat
Great tip. Since recording this video I’ve discovered that laundry sheets are much more widely available - they’re great!
i thought P&O had stopped us taking spirits onboard as is shown in this video?
they have - I've tried to out a little note up on screen in that part (as this was recoded before they changed things) but UA-cam doesn't seem to be showing it.
In case no one knows… P&O have changed the classic drinks package, it no longer included Coke, only draught Pepsi (if you can find a bar doing it), much to my annoyance…
unfortunately yes, and they conveniently changed it AFTER I recorded this 🤨🙄
Anyone no if you can get duty-free cigarette on the plane and take them on the ship
I don’t smoke myself but, I can’t think of any reason why you couldn’t do this.
You should not be recommending people taking their own washing machine tablets as it goes in the Ocean.
Do the decent thing, take degradable wash sheets as recommended by P&O.
It’s a good point - at the time of recording p&o we’re still selling standard washing tablets in the ship shop. I now use wash sheets as they are now more widely available. (On a similar point I’d also recommend using reef safe sunblock - as that’s important too for the same reason) thanks for watching.
your film is all fuzzy althrough the vvlog
Hi Mandy. If you click on the ‘settings button’ on the video, you should be able to choose the 4K option 👍
@@CruiseWithAmber THANKS GO T it x
@@mandyfalloon3354 excellent! - so glad it worked.
Hello 🤗
What an absolute abomination of a ship. I'd rather stay at home. How is that a holiday?
That’s fine. We all like different things and that’s ok.