Really enjoyed this video! I've cruised on Britannia before, but never the much newer ships - I've always been keen to see exactly how they compared. Thanks so much for putting this one together!
It's amazing how you can watch something and disagree with most things said! Food was awful on Arvia. Less restaurants, but better quality on britannia
It’s good to get other people’s take on this - I have a friend that I was debating this with recently regarding these same two ships. But I think sometimes two tables in the same restaurant get a different experience because one had food cooked by someone else slightly differently, and periodically as they rotate staff on and off the ship it can all add up to a different experience across the year. For me, if they added Keel & Cow to Britannia or The Quays (for the fish and chips and carvery) then I’d love that
Agree with you in any aspect. A lot of good things on Arvia, but the staff is not as well trained as on other ships I was on. Some members of the staff were even quite rude. No Good morning, no smile, no readiness to please the customer, and no last day polite Goodbye. I was very disappointed. Never back again despite covered pool, long promenade dec and act.
Just done two weeks on Arvia, unfortunately during school holidays ( Scotland and Ireland) was like Butlins at sea and rammed to capacity, much better on Britannia as it didn't feel overcrowded and I could actually get in the pool , the numbers on this video of Arvia looked much better , bet the kids were in school, the pool at the back of Arvia ( beachcomber bar ) resembled a beer crate full of bottles, standing room only , the extra jacuzzis on Arvia meant we actually got in them .
Been on Britannia twice and Arvia once. All cruises were two week Caribbean.Really enjoyed both ships but will never go again whilst they are using Maleth airline.
Regarding entertainment we'd give the nod to Britannia as we like the Headliners shows in the main theatre. Unfortunately Arvia repeats these on consecutive nights.
They should've added a "Quays" to Brittania during her refit. Green & Co on Arvia also serves sushi, which is excellent. Personally I prefer Brittania, Arvia/Iona are a bit council...
I thought exactly the same thing - Britannia’s refit would have been a perfect opportunity to add the Quays - it’s a big plus on Arvia. I suspect they wouldn’t be keen to add it to smaller ships though because it’s a free option rather than a paid premium restaurant. As such they’re probably only willing to put it on their largest ships that need more dining options to accommodate that many more guests. Still, I wish they’d have done something to boost the dining options on Britannia
This video was very interesting. Recently we've been on Iona. The Arvia is just a 'newer' Iona really. We thoroughly enjoyed our Iona Cruise, and for us it's Iona or Arvia or nothing. We only cruise from Southampton to Southampton, as, being exiled Sotonians, but still living in Hampshire, Southampton is so convenient for us. We've decided to never Fly again. We've only done a couple of cruises with P & O, both on Aurora, pre its upgrade. Southampton to Sydney, part World Cruise, 2012, and Norwegian Fjords in 2014. We've never been interested in Britannia, and this video did nothing to change our minds. Iona in November to the Canaries, and 2025 we'll book a Southampton departure on the Arvia.
Im on Arvia just now and going on Britannia in July. Arvia is full and just too busy, too many people and youre bumping into them everywhere. Hopefully Britannia will be less busy and better.
That definitely sounds familiar. I went on Arvia twice - once on a transatlantic when it was about 1000 guests short of being full and once when it was pretty much full. I remember the busy cruise had far more queueing and hassle getting sunbeds etc. I can’t really judge how Britannia compares on that front because I was on a cruise that was nowhere near full, so everything was easy. If it’s not full, it’s going to be all the better for it! Whatever happens, have a great rest of your current cruise and an even better one in July
Think you missed a trick not eating at Green & co. I’m by no means a veggie & neither is the hubby. It was by far the best meal we had on Arvia, eating there twice .
I wish I hadn’t missed out on this restaurant now because others had told me a similar thing onboard, but it was later in the cruise and I’d already booked other restaurants by then so couldn’t fit it in. If I’m on there again then I definitely won’t overlook it next time.
Britannia for me and the wife all day long . Arvia is far too big and disorganised. The only thing I didn’t like about Britannia was no prom deck ,I know there was the upper deck for walking but in the fjords it was far too cold up there .Another little issue on Britannia was too much clutter in gangways ,( Dirty plates and glasses ) and the cleanliness of the cabin wasn’t great . Food on Arvia for us wasn’t great,except keel and cow ,and trying to get booked in MDR was none existent,due to that rubbish app .
I was on Arvia last week, the only part of your comparison I'd disagree with is the scores for entertainment. Arvia is very much quantity over quality, on other P&O ships the acts have been significantly better - perhaps we were unlucky, but the busker, atrium entertainment and two comedians were the worst acts I've seen on a ship. People were actively avoiding the atrium because you can't escape the noise coming from the acts. On all other P&O cruises the standard of entertainment has been much higher.
That’s interesting to hear. I think the tricky thing with entertainment that can cause some variance is when these acts/performers are doing a circuit around the different ships in the fleet and so there might be times when you get a number of disappointing ones all showing up on one cruise. That said, it doesn’t change the fact that they should be maintaining a decent overall standard of entertainment, so it’s a shame to hear that Arvia didn’t deliver a better standard on your cruise - especially as it’s the newest ship in the fleet with such a large passenger capacity. They ought to be making more effort on that ship so there is some consistency of standard across the fleet. Thanks for watching the video
I have cruised on both and much preferred Arvia , Britannia is poorly laid out, no proper promenade, no central stairs, lots of up and downing. tiny balconies. MDR food was pretty awful on both but because Arvia has more options, especially the Quays, Olive Grove etc. I would never choose Britannia again.
So true about Britannia’s layout. I mostly prefer using the stairs and could never understand why they didn’t have them in the centre of the ship. There were central stairs at the atrium levels only and that was it! Very strange. And getting to the Oriental Restaurant was strange too as you could only access it by dropping down from the rear stairs/lifts. Totally agree on Arvia’s advantage with numerous other dining options too - for me the Quays and Keel & Cow were massive pluses.
So true about Britannia’s layout. I mostly prefer using the stairs and could never understand why they didn’t have them in the centre of the ship. There were central stairs at the atrium levels only and that was it! Very strange. And getting to the Oriental Restaurant was strange too as you could only access it by dropping down from the rear stairs/lifts. Totally agree on Arvia’s advantage with numerous other dining options too - for me the Quays and Keel & Cow were massive pluses.
Arvia balcony cabins have slightly more spacious bathrooms than Britannia’s. But if it’s a standard inside cabin then Arvia has a much smaller bathroom - it was shocking. Deluxe balconies on Britannia add a bathtub whereas Conservatory Mini Suites on Arvia (the closest equivalent cabin) don’t add the bathtub (they’re identical bathrooms to a balcony) so it all depends on what cabin grade you have as to which is bigger
Arvia crap, food rubbish, couldn't get a Guinness kept saying they was gonna pick some up at the next port, never did, half the breakfast was missing from the buffet, portions are tiny in the main dining restaurant.
Really enjoyed this video! I've cruised on Britannia before, but never the much newer ships - I've always been keen to see exactly how they compared. Thanks so much for putting this one together!
Thanks Fraser. I went on the two ships so close together that I thought doing a comparison video would be interesting to do. Glad you liked it
It's amazing how you can watch something and disagree with most things said! Food was awful on Arvia. Less restaurants, but better quality on britannia
It’s good to get other people’s take on this - I have a friend that I was debating this with recently regarding these same two ships. But I think sometimes two tables in the same restaurant get a different experience because one had food cooked by someone else slightly differently, and periodically as they rotate staff on and off the ship it can all add up to a different experience across the year. For me, if they added Keel & Cow to Britannia or The Quays (for the fish and chips and carvery) then I’d love that
Britannia any day! Was on Arvia last may, never again. Not enough staff, queing for everything. Much prefer smaller ships.
I totally get where you’re coming from preferring the smaller ships. I think that the experience is often less hectic and more relaxing
Agree with you in any aspect. A lot of good things on Arvia, but the staff is not as well trained as on other ships I was on. Some members of the staff were even quite rude. No Good morning, no smile, no readiness to please the customer, and no last day polite Goodbye. I was very disappointed. Never back again despite covered pool, long promenade dec and act.
Just done two weeks on Arvia, unfortunately during school holidays ( Scotland and Ireland) was like Butlins at sea and rammed to capacity, much better on Britannia as it didn't feel overcrowded and I could actually get in the pool , the numbers on this video of Arvia looked much better , bet the kids were in school, the pool at the back of Arvia ( beachcomber bar ) resembled a beer crate full of bottles, standing room only , the extra jacuzzis on Arvia meant we actually got in them .
Im cruising the Mediterranean end on may 2024 on the arvia . Went on the Britannia last September to the canary islands.
Been on Britannia twice and Arvia once. All cruises were two week Caribbean.Really enjoyed both ships but will never go again whilst they are using Maleth airline.
Great video! But it is not the only ship with a wrap around promenade deck…Iona does too.
Good point about Iona featuring the wraparound promenade deck too. Glad you liked the video - thanks for watching
Regarding entertainment we'd give the nod to Britannia as we like the Headliners shows in the main theatre. Unfortunately Arvia repeats these on consecutive nights.
Very good point
Thank you for your video was thinking of going on Britannia .we are going on Aviva in may.
Glad it was helpful. Have a great cruise
They should've added a "Quays" to Brittania during her refit. Green & Co on Arvia also serves sushi, which is excellent. Personally I prefer Brittania, Arvia/Iona are a bit council...
I thought exactly the same thing - Britannia’s refit would have been a perfect opportunity to add the Quays - it’s a big plus on Arvia. I suspect they wouldn’t be keen to add it to smaller ships though because it’s a free option rather than a paid premium restaurant. As such they’re probably only willing to put it on their largest ships that need more dining options to accommodate that many more guests. Still, I wish they’d have done something to boost the dining options on Britannia
This video was very interesting. Recently we've been on Iona. The Arvia is just a 'newer' Iona really. We thoroughly enjoyed our Iona Cruise, and for us it's Iona or Arvia or nothing. We only cruise from Southampton to Southampton, as, being exiled Sotonians, but still living in Hampshire, Southampton is so convenient for us. We've decided to never Fly again.
We've only done a couple of cruises with P & O, both on Aurora, pre its upgrade. Southampton to Sydney, part World Cruise, 2012, and Norwegian Fjords in 2014. We've never been interested in Britannia, and this video did nothing to change our minds.
Iona in November to the Canaries, and 2025 we'll book a Southampton departure on the Arvia.
Glad you found it interesting. Have a great cruise to the Canaries and wherever 2025 takes you!
Im on Arvia just now and going on Britannia in July. Arvia is full and just too busy, too many people and youre bumping into them everywhere. Hopefully Britannia will be less busy and better.
That definitely sounds familiar. I went on Arvia twice - once on a transatlantic when it was about 1000 guests short of being full and once when it was pretty much full. I remember the busy cruise had far more queueing and hassle getting sunbeds etc. I can’t really judge how Britannia compares on that front because I was on a cruise that was nowhere near full, so everything was easy. If it’s not full, it’s going to be all the better for it! Whatever happens, have a great rest of your current cruise and an even better one in July
Think you missed a trick not eating at Green & co. I’m by no means a veggie & neither is the hubby. It was by far the best meal we had on Arvia, eating there twice .
I wish I hadn’t missed out on this restaurant now because others had told me a similar thing onboard, but it was later in the cruise and I’d already booked other restaurants by then so couldn’t fit it in. If I’m on there again then I definitely won’t overlook it next time.
I’m on Arvia this May then on Britannia this September… can’t wait!!
Britannia for me and the wife all day long . Arvia is far too big and disorganised. The only thing I didn’t like about Britannia was no prom deck ,I know there was the upper deck for walking but in the fjords it was far too cold up there .Another little issue on Britannia was too much clutter in gangways ,( Dirty plates and glasses ) and the cleanliness of the cabin wasn’t great . Food on Arvia for us wasn’t great,except keel and cow ,and trying to get booked in MDR was none existent,due to that rubbish app .
I was on Arvia last week, the only part of your comparison I'd disagree with is the scores for entertainment. Arvia is very much quantity over quality, on other P&O ships the acts have been significantly better - perhaps we were unlucky, but the busker, atrium entertainment and two comedians were the worst acts I've seen on a ship. People were actively avoiding the atrium because you can't escape the noise coming from the acts.
On all other P&O cruises the standard of entertainment has been much higher.
That’s interesting to hear. I think the tricky thing with entertainment that can cause some variance is when these acts/performers are doing a circuit around the different ships in the fleet and so there might be times when you get a number of disappointing ones all showing up on one cruise. That said, it doesn’t change the fact that they should be maintaining a decent overall standard of entertainment, so it’s a shame to hear that Arvia didn’t deliver a better standard on your cruise - especially as it’s the newest ship in the fleet with such a large passenger capacity. They ought to be making more effort on that ship so there is some consistency of standard across the fleet. Thanks for watching the video
I have cruised on both and much preferred Arvia , Britannia is poorly laid out, no proper promenade, no central stairs, lots of up and downing. tiny balconies. MDR food was pretty awful on both but because Arvia has more options, especially the Quays, Olive Grove etc.
I would never choose Britannia again.
So true about Britannia’s layout. I mostly prefer using the stairs and could never understand why they didn’t have them in the centre of the ship. There were central stairs at the atrium levels only and that was it! Very strange. And getting to the Oriental Restaurant was strange too as you could only access it by dropping down from the rear stairs/lifts. Totally agree on Arvia’s advantage with numerous other dining options too - for me the Quays and Keel & Cow were massive pluses.
So true about Britannia’s layout. I mostly prefer using the stairs and could never understand why they didn’t have them in the centre of the ship. There were central stairs at the atrium levels only and that was it! Very strange. And getting to the Oriental Restaurant was strange too as you could only access it by dropping down from the rear stairs/lifts. Totally agree on Arvia’s advantage with numerous other dining options too - for me the Quays and Keel & Cow were massive pluses.
I'm surprised anyone still supports P & O .
What did they do
Neither ever again
That bad twice 😂😂😂😂
I've been on the Britannia and the bathroom is Megha small . From what I've seen on UA-cam the arvia bathrooms are loads bigger than Britannia
Arvia balcony cabins have slightly more spacious bathrooms than Britannia’s. But if it’s a standard inside cabin then Arvia has a much smaller bathroom - it was shocking. Deluxe balconies on Britannia add a bathtub whereas Conservatory Mini Suites on Arvia (the closest equivalent cabin) don’t add the bathtub (they’re identical bathrooms to a balcony) so it all depends on what cabin grade you have as to which is bigger
Britannia looks shockingly bad compared to Arvia in every way
Arvia crap, food rubbish, couldn't get a Guinness kept saying they was gonna pick some up at the next port, never did, half the breakfast was missing from the buffet, portions are tiny in the main dining restaurant.