po cruise k318

Arvia P&O Cruises (K318) Mediterranean Cruise 3rd September 2023

Inroduction.

This cruise aboard P&O Arvia and operated by P&O Cruises, is a 14-night Mediterranean No-Fly cruise from Southampton. The cruise departs on the 3rd of September, 2023.

Ports of Call * (in no particular order!)

• Alicante: The Spanish port town of Alicante is on the country's east coast. It is known for its beautiful beaches, historic castle, and vibrant nightlife. Visitors can explore the Santa Barbara Castle, the Basilica of Santa Maria, and the Contemporary Art Museum.
• Barcelona: The Spanish city of Barcelona is known for its art, architecture, and nightlife. Visitors can explore the Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell, and the Gothic Quarter. Other popular attractions include the Picasso Museum, the Camp Nou Stadium, and La Rambla Boulevard.
• La Coruna: The historic town of La Coruna is located in the northwest corner of Spain. It is known for its stunning beaches, ancient Roman lighthouse, and vibrant nightlife. Visitors can explore the Tower of Hercules, the Casa de las Ciencias museum, and the picturesque Old Town.
• Marseille (Provence): Marseille, also known as Marseille-Provence, is a port city in southern France and a popular cruise destination. It is known for its old port, museums, historic buildings, and nearby attractions such as the Calanques and Aix-en-Provence.
• Seville (Cadiz): Seville is a city in southern Spain known for its rich history, architecture, and culture. The port of Cadiz serves as the gateway to Seville. Visitors can take a shore excursion to explore the city's attractions, including the Alcázar of Seville, the Gothic Cathedral, and the Plaza de España.
• Valencia: Valencia is a beautiful city located on the eastern coast of Spain. It's known for its beautiful beaches, stunning architecture (including the City of Arts and Sciences), and delicious food, particularly its famous paella.

About Arvia

Arvia is the newest ship from P&O Cruises, joining its sister ship Iona in the Excel class. Arvia means 'from the seashore' and offers guests a range of innovative features and sunshine destinations. Whether you want to enjoy the SkyDome, the first rum distillery at sea, the multi-sensory escape room, or the Caribbean cuisine from food hero Shivi Ramoutar, Arvia has something for everyone.

All of Arvia Cruises in 2023 can be found on the main Arvia page of Cruisez, along with other news and details about the ship.

Arvia Cruises this Month

Itinerary: Southampton – La Coruna, Palma De Mallorca, La Spezia, Marseille (Provence), Barcelona, Seville (Cadiz) – Southampton

Similar Cruises

Itinerary: Southampton – La Coruna, Valencia, Marseille (Provence), Barcelona (overnight onboard), Seville (Cadiz) – Southampton

Itinerary: Southampton – La Coruna, Alicante, La Spezia, Marseille (Provence), Barcelona, Seville (Cadiz) – Southampton

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This is CruiseMapper's hub for both companies - P&O UK and P&O Australia. Both cruise lines are part of the Carnival Group of companies being subsidiaries of the world's largest cruise shipping company Carnival Corporation & PLC .

P&O UK is under the management of Carnival UK.

Note: There is a 3rd "PandO" company (not part of Carnival plc) - the UK-based P&O Ferries .

IMPORTANT : In May 2024, the parent company (Carnival Corporation) announced that in 2025 will discontinue its Australian brand "P&O Cruises Australia" (2000-founded), citing the South Pacific region's limited population and high operating costs. P&O AU's ship Pacific Explorer will be retired in February 2025 (sold or scrapped), while Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure will be transferred to/integrated into CCL-Carnival Cruise Line 's fleet and remain in Australia.

Company history and changes

P&O Cruises UK (POcruises.com) is a British-American passenger shipping company headquartered at Carnival House (Southampton, England) and operated/managed by Carnival UK. P&O was originally a constituent of “Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company” (1797-founded/1966-defunct) which was the world's oldest cruise line that operated the first-ever passenger ships.

P&O Cruises' sister company is P&O Cruises Australia. P&O Australia's current President is Marguerite Fitzgerald. while P&O UK's (as well as Carnival UK's) current President is Paul Ludlow.

In 2000, "P&O Cruises" was excluded from P&O Group, becoming the subsidiary "P&O Princess Cruises". In 2003, P&O Princess merged with Carnival, forming Carnival Corporation & plc.

P&O (UK and AU) holds as market share ~5% of the worldwide cruise industry. Both companies (P&O Australia and P&O UK) were created in 1977, re-branding P&O's passenger division. Arcadia was the fleet's first adults-only liner, followed by Adonia (now Azamara Pursuit ), Oriana and Aurora (April 2000).

P&O UK ships Arcadia and Aurora are currently marketed as adult-only.

In August 2017, Azura became the world's first cruise ship to perform gay weddings at sea. P&O UK's wedding package prices started from GBP 1200. For comparison, Cunard’s shipboard weddings cost starts at ~GBP 2570 ( RMS Queen Mary 2 ) and ~GBP 2120 ( Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth ). On MS Azura, gay wedding ceremonies are carried out by the ship’s Captain, while marriage licenses are issued by Bermuda's Government (as the vessel is registered in Hamilton Bermuda ).

In June 2018, P&O UK announced that Oriana leaves the fleet in August 2019. The liner (now named Piano Land ) was sold to the Chinese company Well Star Travel Cruise (brand of CTS-China Travel Services International). The Chinese company plans short cruises from Chinese homeports to ports in Japan and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia).

Since May 1, 2019, P&O Cruises UK's Daily Service Charge per person (GBP 7) is no longer required. Crew tipping remains not expected or required.

In June 2021, P&O UK launched a mobile app to optimize pre-boarding and maximize onboard efficiency. The new "My Holiday" app is free of charge but available only on the ship. It allows pre-booking and making reservations onboard (dining times, restaurants, shows) via mobile phones and tablets. The app is an addition to the My Holiday (Reception Desk) which provides 24-hour assistance, including booking and how to use the application.

In summer 2023, two P&O UK ships (Iona and Arvia) introduced in their retail shops three kids' toy brands (Barbie, Hot Wheels Cars, Keycraft's Pocket Money) in addition to the always available toys from brands like Lego, Jellycat, TY (stuffed animals).

In April 2024 was introduced fleetwide the new illusion show "Unbelievable" created by Stephen Mulhern (TV presenter, magician, comedian) and Jonathan Wilkes (TV presenter, singer) and with Vegas-style choreography from Paul Domaine (show director, professional choreographer).

In June 2011 was announced that P&O UK will expand the fleet with a new 141,000-ton unit built by Fincantieri. The new vessel ( MV Britannia ) entered service in 2015. In January 2014, with Britannia was introduced a new livery based on UK's Union Flag.

On September 6, 2016, P&O UK (via Carnival Corporation) signed an MoA with Meyer Werft ( Papenburg Shipyard ) for building a new (company's largest) 5200-passenger vessel. In late-October 2016, P&O announced that the new ship ( Iona ) will have some of the largest at sea outdoor areas, glass-domed top deck, glass-walled atrium (full height) and wider and longer (approx 2600 ft / 800 m) Promenade Deck allowing multiple alfresco dining/open-air venues.

Iona was delivered in October 2020 and inaugurated in August 2021. The sistership Arvia was postponed (due to the COVID crisis) and delivered in December 2022 and inaugurated in January 2023.

The newest P&O UK vessel has max passenger capacity 6264, volume 187500 GT-tons, 18 decks, 2610 staterooms, 17 eateries (including 7 specialty restaurants/ Britannia has just 3), 12 bars/lounges, 13 entertainment venues, 4 swimming pools, 16 outdoor whirlpools. The top-deck Dome is an entertainment space, with a swimming pool, large jacuzzies, a retractable stage. This all-weather venue hosts daily entertainment and dining and nightly shows (aerial performances and light projections onto the covering glass roof).

P&O UK's newest ship is also LNG-powered (by liquefied natural gas). Two similar-design ships (180K tons) were also ordered for CCL-Carnival Cruise Line . On January 26, 2018, Carnival Corporation signed a shipbuilding contract with Meyer Werft for building a second (180,000 GT) liner for P&O, with the delivery scheduled for 2022. As of 2018, Carnival Corp’s fleet of newbuilds ( on order and under construction ) numbered 19 units, scheduled for deliveries in 2018-2022.

In January 2016, Carnival Corporation signed an MoA (memo of agreement) with Fincantieri to build 4 new units. Contracts were finalized in April 2016. Of these, 2 vessels were for Costa Asia (homeported in China), one for Princess and one for P&O Australia. With this shipbuilding order, the Corporation had a total of 17 new ships scheduled for deliveries between 2016 and 2020. The four vessels will be built at Fincantieri's shipyards in Monfalcone and Marghera, with scheduled deliveries in 2019-2020.

Three of the vessels are designed with gross tonnage 133,500 tons, LOA length is 323 m (1060 ft) and capacity 4000 passengers plus 1450 crew (2 are for Costa Asia, 1 for P&O AU). One ship with GT 143,700 tons and capacity 3560 passengers is for Princess. Both Costa ships are exclusively for the booming Chinese market. Each vessel is powered by two MAN diesel engines (model 14V48 / 60CR) plus three MAN diesel engines (medium-speed, model 8L48 / 60CR), providing total power output 62,400 kW. The engines are Tier-II compliant.

P&O Cruises Australia

P&O Cruises Australia Ltd is a British-American company with corporate headquarters at Carnival House (Southampton, England UK). P&O Australia is a sister company of P&O UK. Both are under Carnival UK's executive control. Currently, P&O Australia operates 3 boats deployed in the South Pacific Ocean on island-hopping itineraries - mainly roundtrips from homeports in Australia.

After numerous changes in the company’s organization, in 2000 P&O Group demerged all cruise shipping operations. Then, P&O Princess Cruises was created- a new company independent of P&O; consisting of AIDA Cruises , Princess Cruises , P&O Cruises Australia, P&O Cruises (UK), and later "Ocean Village" and A-Rosa Cruises (riverboats).

In 2003, Carnival Corporation merged with P&O Princess Cruises thus forming Carnival Corporation & plc- the largest cruise company in the world, with eleven cruise lines portfolio, including P&O AU. Official website pocruises.com.aunofollow.

Princess' oldest ship - Regal Princess, was transferred to P&O Australia in October 2007, and after a month of drydock refurbishment entered service as Pacific Dawn.

Carnival Corporation informed about the closure of Ocean Village (UK-based travel brand) on October 30, 2008. Both Ocean Village ships were transferred to P&O Australia - Ocean Village 2 (as Pacific Jewel, in December 2009) and Ocean Village 1 (as Pacific Pearl, in December 2010).

P&O ships sail on 270+ itineraries each year (with 120+ of them departing from Southampton), and visiting 90+ countries on 6 continents.

Pacific Pearl was renamed MV Columbus and in 2017 started operations for CMV . Pacific Pearl left the fleet in April 2017, after completing 294 voyages for P&O and carrying 1+ million passengers over 5 years. In November 2019, for Pacific Aria (now Celestyal Journey) and Pacific Dawn (now Ambience) were signed presale agreements with CMV and both ships were planned to start operations for the UK-based company in 2021 as "CMV Amy Johnson" (Pacific Dawn) and "CMV Ida Pfeiffer" (Pacific Aria). In September-October 2020, following CMV's bankruptcy , both vessels were acquired by new shipowners.

On November 25, 2015: P&O AU's entire fleet (all 5 liners) gathered in Sydney Harbour to celebrate the arrival of the fleetmates Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden.

In June 2018, P&O Australia launched with  Pacific Explorer "The Big Laugh" onboard show program - advertised as "the biggest comedy festival at sea". The program included all 14 stand-up comedy celebrities performing a total of 36 shipboard live shows (combined over 33 hours live performances). The program started with the 4-day roundtrip Sydney cruise to Moreton Island (departure June 20).

Among the guest comedians were Jimeoin (Irish), Matthew Matt Okine (AU), David Gerard Callan (Australian), Scared Weird Little Guys (Australian comedy music duo - John Fleming and Rusty Berther), David William "Hughesy" Hughes (AU), Harley Breen (AU), Claire Hooper (AU). "The Big Laugh" program comprised of all 72 comedy- themed cruises in 2018-2019. The famous Australian comedians performed during 2-, 3- and 4-night itineraries ("SeaBreaks") leaving roundtrip out of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, Auckland NZ.

In 2019, P&O AU scheduled the ever largest "comedy cruise" program in the company's history - 38 itineraries (January through October). On March 7, 2018, was announced that Pacific Eden is sold to the UK-based company CMV , joining CMV's fleet in April 2019.

Since 2007, P&O Australia ships' onboard retail shops are managed by Harding (UK-based travel and cruise retail group). In 2020, Harding was acquired by Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP (1983-founded, NYC-based investment management firm with USD 34+ billion in managed assets). Harding has hubs in Bristol (England) , Miami (Florida USA)  and Sydney (NSW Australia) .

New beverage packages

In May 2023, P&O UK introduced four new drink packages available fleetwide but only on longer voyages, with durations of at least 5 nights (or longer).

The beverage packages are at a fixed price per person and per day. The package's pricing is lower if purchased online and before the voyage.

• "The Refresh Drinks" package is priced GBP 9.85 (prior to the voyage) and GBP 10.95 (if purchased onboard).  The Refresh package Includes soft drinks (lemonade, Pepsi, juices).
• "The Alcohol-free Drinks" package is priced GBP 22.45 (before) and GBP 24.95 (onboard) and includes all The Refresh package's beverages plus Costa Coffee and sodas.
• "The Classic Drinks" package is priced GBP 40.45 (before) and GBP 44.95 (onboard) and includes all beverages from The Refresh and The Alcohol-free packages plus alcoholic beverages (spirits, wines, cocktails).
• "The Deluxe Drinks" package is priced GBP 49.45 (before) and GBP 54.95 (onboard) and includes all other packages' beverages plus specialty cocktails, premium spirits and wines. Additionally, passengers who buy The Deluxe Drinks package also receive 20% off on all drinks excluded from this package.

The above-listed new packages are for P&O UK ships only and introduced/first offered on the liners Iona and Ventura (starting May 20, 2023) and available fleetwide since July 2023.

P&O Cruise Personaliser

PandO Cruise Personaliser is an online service that allows passengers to update their before-sailing information and see in a concise form all their booking details. P&O Personaliser is NOT mandatory to complete but may be of great help in cases of emergency for the company to contact family members, relatives, friends.

To log in, you'll need to input your first and surname, and cruise reference number. It is received as part of your reservation confirmation (up to 120 days prior to departure, not available for 18-yo) or upon booking (up to 1 year). The same number serves all people included in the booking. On the Web page, there's information about cruise itinerary, stateroom (category and number), boarding times, contact info (including emergency contacts), passport data, medical and dietary requirements (if requested).

PO Cruise Insurance is optional. If purchased, the Insurance policy type is also shown (Standard or higher), package deal type, all kinds of pre-made reservations (shore excursions, Air, Spa), credit card number, luggage tags, etc.

• Dining /medical requests can't be entered online - they must be specified in the manual form.
• The accessible information about changes and updates pertains ONLY to a phone number, address, passport, emergency contacts.
• You can't book a cruise through P&O Cruise Personaliser - booking requires full payment and immigration details.
• Through the Personaliser you can make online reservations (shore excursions, tours, Spa, hairdresser, specialty restaurants), to update special requests and onboard preferences, or to add some additional services (babysitting, amenities, etc).
• Itinerary changes are also listed in the Cruise Personaliser form, along with other important updates.
• Immediately call P&O if you have forgotten or lost your booking number. Call between 7 am – 8 pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time - Monday to Friday) and Saturday (8 am - 5 pm) - phone number 1300-159-454.

PO Cruise Personaliser is accessed by both travel agents and passengers. With personal bookings (through a travel agent or P&O Reservations Centre) passengers receive reference numbers (after confirmation). On a particular booking, each passenger can access the Personaliser using the booking reference number and first name-surname. If you're not the booking person, contact the one who did it for obtaining booking reference. After log-in, note that all passengers' names in the booking party are displayed under the same reference number.

IMPORTANT - Each of the same-booking passengers is able to access the info about you and the other, i.e. you can update and provide information of all other passengers in your booking, and they can change your information. If you wish so, you could provide P&O with other passengers' personal information. Another case is when they are minors (younger than 18 years old). Then you must be a parent or legal guardian.

After providing P&O cruise company with the personal data needed on the Personaliser (and also with additional info if asked for more details), this database is used for updating pre-cruise information.

Certain information is sometimes required under maritime-customs-immigration-security laws. Personaliser info may be disclosed to P&O Cruises service providers (ticketing companies, travel, and port agents, authorities, emergency response providers, immigration, airlines, customs, shore tour operators, related entities) for Carnival Corporation's business purposes. Certain information is collected because of customs or immigration laws requirements. If you refuse to provide the information requested in the Personaliser, they may not be able to process the booking or provide certain services during the voyage.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, P&O's entire fleet (all UK- and AU-based liners) is with an expanded cancellation policy. All bookings on pre-scheduled itineraries (departures in the period March 14 through August 31, 2020) were given the option to cancel up to 48 hours (prior departure) without penalties.

All affected bookings received a 125% refund in FCC (future cruise credit) transferred to a booking made before December 31, 2021, or 100% monetary refund. With the FCCs customers can also pay for cabin upgrades or book a second stateroom (on existing bookings). FCCs can be also gifted or transferred (options offered through December 31, 2021).

P&O UK canceled all voyages departing between March 14, 2020, and June 2021.

• P&O UK planned to resume operations in early-February 2021 (Caribbean fly-cruises from Barbados and St Lucia) and in mid-March 2021 (roundtrips out of Southampton).
• P&O UK's World Cruises 2021 (ships Arcadia and Aurora) were both canceled.

Next are listed P&O UK's ships and their first departure dates in 2021-2022 - AZURA (Dec 10, 2021), BRITANNIA (June 27, 2021/UK Coastal), AURORA (April 13, 2022/Mediterranean from Southampton), ARCADIA (March 27, 2022/Canaries from Southampton), IONA (Aug 7, 2021/ Maiden Voyage /UK Coastal), VENTURA (Oct 3, 2021/Canaries from Southampton).

P&O Australia canceled all departures between March 14, 2020, and May 31, 2022. P&O Australia resumed operations in 2022 with the ships Pacific EXPLORER (May 31/from Sydney), Pacific ENCOUNTER (Aug 27/from Brisbane), Pacific ADVENTURE (October 22/from Sydney).

Citing the Coronavirus crisis' impact, in early-July 2020, P&O UK sold the ship Oceana . A total of 190 scheduled itineraries (departures from homeports Southampton UK and Dubai UAE) were canceled.

Itinerary of P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises ships sail on mostly round-trip itineraries leaving from UK (Southampton, April through October), Caribbean (from Barbados, during winter) and from Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane - year-round departures). While most PandO UK ships remain in Europe year-round, the line's largest vessels also sail in the Caribbean (out of Barbados) and offer longer world cruise itineraries.

Citing the COVID crisis' impact on the passenger shipping industry, in early-July 2020, P&O UK sold the cruise ship Oceana . A total of 190 scheduled itineraries (departures from homeports Southampton UK and  Dubai UAE ) were canceled.

P&O UK's 2025-2026 itinerary program (opened for booking on October 18, 2023) features 12 new for the company ports (including Los Angeles CA USA, Melbourne Victoria AU, Port Chalmers/Dunedin NZ, Benoa Bali Indonesia, Bodo Norway, Tangier Morocco). MS Britannia has scheduled two new Caribbean fly-cruise itineraries visiting Jamaica, Dominicana, Grand Turk). In January 2026, MS Aurora starts a 75-night Grand Voyage while MS Arcadia starts a 100-night World Circumnavigation Cruise (28 ports/destinations). Traditionally for P&O, both World  Voyages are roundtrips from Southampton.

(UK & AU) PO cruise itinerary changes

PO AU's vessels are all UK- flagged . However, all ships are registered in Bermuda ( Hamilton ) to allow shipboard weddings (at sea). These ceremonies are conducted by the Captains and are pretty popular.

Our P&O cruise schedules include the ships of both brands (Australia and UK).

In October 2022, P&O UK announced new "Scandinavia and Baltic Sea" itineraries debuting in 2024 summer, all of which are roundtrips from Southampton.

• (Arcadia) 16-night from GBP 1700 pp (June 25)
• (Aurora) 16-night from GBP 1350 pp (May 18) and 16-night from GBP 1450 pp (August 26)
• (Britannia) 14-night from GBP 1150 pp (May 10), plus 2x 14-night from GBP 1300 pp (August 30, September 20)

Arcadia also offers a 16-night "Iceland and Norway" voyage from GBP 1650 pp (July 30), while Britannia offers a 14-night "British Isles" from GBP 1300 pp (June 7) and a 14-night "Canary Islands" from GBP 1250 pp (July 5).  The new Baltic sailings feature overnight port stays in Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), and Stockholm (Sweden).

P&O Cruises related cruise news

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The world's largest cruise shipowner Carnival Corporation has announced the discontinuation of its Australian brand P&O Australia in a strategic...

P&O Cruises UK denies link between Hepatitis A cases and Ventura ship

A UK-based cruise company has stated that recent cases of Hepatitis A among passengers are not connected to its ship. Travelers who recently sailed...

P&O UK's ship Ventura undergoes deep cleaning in Southampton following Norovirus outbreak

P&O Cruises UK's ship Ventura is undergoing an extensive sanitation process at Southampton UK after an outbreak of norovirus affected passengers...

P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure brings home Rotary volunteers from Vanuatu

P&O Australia has come to the aid of a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers who were stranded in Vanuatu due to the sudden collapse of Air...

Norovirus outbreak on P&O UK's ship Ventura prompts isolation measures

Following a Norovirus outbreak on the P&O Cruises UK's vessel Ventura, several passengers are currently isolating. The liner departed from...

Family blames P&O Australia's cruise ship casino policies for a fatal passenger overboard incident

A passenger on the P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure, Shane Dixon, 45, tragically fell overboard on May 6th, just after 4 AM as the ship...

Civil unrest forces P&O Australia and CCL-Carnival to cancel New Caledonia visits

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Carnival Corporation's fleet achieves 100% Starlink satellite connectivity

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, has announced that its entire fleet is now equipped with Starlink's high-speed...

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A P&O Australia vessel (Pacific Encounter) successfully conducted a rescue operation to assist 3 stranded sailors off New Caledonia on Saturday...

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Hints & Tips Onboard P&O Cruises’ Iona

by - 3 Nov 2023

In September 2023, I was lucky enough to enjoy a 7-night Fjords cruise onboard P&O Iona , so I thought I’d share with you some of my hints and tips so you can make the most of your time on this fabulous ship!

She’s a big ship!

This may sound like I’m stating the obvious a little bit, but Iona is one of the biggest ships to sail from Southampton, with over 30 bars and restaurants to choose from. Therefore, try as you might, you’ll never get to do everything in one 7-night cruise! As a result, I’d recommend doing some research before your P&O Cruise to prioritise what you’d love to do and book them in advance or as soon as you embark.

Dining options such as Sindhu, Olive Grove and the Chef’s Table are incredibly popular. As are early theatre shows or the 710 Club as a whole. This is not to say you won’t get a chance to enjoy these if you’re not proactive, but your choices may be limited somewhat or you may have to adjust your schedules a little!

Try the Olive Grove

Situated on deck 8, this is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and although it’s classed as an extra charge speciality restaurant, most of the food options are included within your cruise fare. Open at both lunch and dinner, it offers a fabulous array of sharing platters, pizzas and grill options with some equally tempting dessert options too! It offers a fun alternative to lunch or dinner, so I’d recommend giving it a go when you’re onboard! 

See aerial shows in the Sky Dome 

By day, the Sky Dome is Iona’s all-weather pool but at night, it transforms into an incredible space with standout performances by the Creativa. These talented aerial and acrobatic performers treat you to some stunning shows featuring some jaw-dropping choreography and set design! I’d recommend choosing the later showings when it’s pitch black outside as it really helps the special effects stand out.

Dine in Quays

Situated on deck 8, this is an alternative informal dining venue to the ship’s Buffet and is included within your fare.

Here you can enjoy the following;

• Boardwalk Diner – serving Burgers and Hot Dogs
• Hook Line and Vinegar – offering Fish and Chips
• Asian Fusion – serving a range of Asian-inspired dishes

Now Asian Fusion was a personal favourite of mine as it offered something a little different to what I’d normally have at home! Breakfast is also served here and included a full-cooked breakfast, a pancake and waffle station as well as the chance to order freshly made omelettes too. This was perfect for those with cabins lower down in the ship so you didn’t have to go all the way up to Deck 16 for food

See the Limelights after hours

Now the Limelight Club is already a popular speciality restaurant offering a 3-course meal and then a performance from visiting entertainers however following this, you can enjoy a performance by the resident band ‘The Limelights’ as they cover a wide range of genres in their own style. I found it to be a great way to end the evening so I’d recommend visiting as it’s included within your fare!

Try the Chef’s Table

On Iona’s only formal ‘Celebration’ night, there’s the opportunity to dine at the Chef’s Table. This is an inclusive dining option which gives you the chance to enjoy some different dishes from what you get offered in the main dining rooms. This is held in a portion of the Horizon Buffet dressed appropriately for the occasion and I felt it was really fancy! The service was fantastic and was a great alternative if you’ve had a few celebration night dinners in the main dining rooms of a P&O Ship . I’d thoroughly recommend booking as it was lots of fun and the food tasted so good – especially the Beef Wellington…

So, there’s a section of my hints and tips for P&O Iona and I hope you found them useful! A massive thank you to Cruise118.com for featuring me and I hope that you have a fantastic cruise on Iona, whatever you get up to!

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• P&O Cruises ( UK )

Arvia K308 - All aboard

By TigerB , April 16, 2023 in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:     Seriously though, it really isn’t in P&O’s interest to maintain the previously high standards of the MDR when all that’s going to do is reduce the numbers paying a supplement to eat elsewhere. Tricky balancing act for them.

Which they seem to be getting right, if the current cruise on Arvia is representative of the new norm.  We are used to seeing the speciality restaurants on P&O ships largely empty most nights, but that is absolutely not the case on here.  The venues are much bigger and they seem to be pretty much packed all evening.  We've not eaten in a MDR yet in our 6 nights on board and I don't think we will for the remaining 8 nights.  The food is excellent, in both quality and quantity, so far.  Sindhu last night was fantastic, as was the Beach House a couple of nights ago.  6th Street Diner was perfectly good, although I'm not sure we'll be rushing back there as there are so many better options.  The Olive Grove (all free of charge, unlike Iona when we were on her last year) is also brilliant, especially the tuna steak and the lasagne.

The only fail so far was on the formal night, when they advertised in the Horizon and on the screens around the ship that the MDR menu would be served in the two MDRs and in 6th Street Diner and Olive Grove.  We went to 6th St because the virtual queues for the MDRs were 100+ each at about 1930.  Staff there knew nothing about serving the celebration menu.  So we upped sticks and went to the Keel and Cow (no wait) and had first class (non celebration menu) food there instead.  All in all, we've eaten like royalty (as I'm sure the scales will demonstrate when we get home!).  Certainly on a par, in my opinion, with any of the cruise lines mentioned above, all of which we've cruised with and Princess (Club Class - MDR food with much better service, as mentioned above), Celebrity (Luminae - very disappointing) and MSC (Yacht Club - excellent) which we've been with post-Covid.

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1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said: I’m not going to bang on about the high end restaurants we may, or may not, have dined at, but I will make special mention of the Regency Cafe in Pimlico. Way out there on its own, as featured in Layer Cake etc!...

I used to work on Horseferry Road and the Regency was great value for lunch. Only trouble was that the food always had a nasty taste - probably due to all the family who owned it being Tott**ham Hot***s fans....

Harry Peterson

26 minutes ago, Britboys said: I used to work on Horseferry Road and the Regency was great value for lunch. Only trouble was that the food always had a nasty taste - probably due to all the family who owned it being Tott**ham Hot***s fans....

As a Tractor Boy, I wasn’t too bothered. At least, not for some years! Good food at a good price though, complete with unique floorshow. Always a good sign if cabbies eat there. I’d put it up there with Katz’s Deli in New York.

We can argue all day long about food and restaurants on cruise ships because food is a very personal opinion and what one person thinks is fantastic another might not. It doesn't mean one is better than the other just that we all have differing tastes.

Interestedcruisefan

2 hours ago, Bill Y said: Unfortunately you are correct. They even baked this in when allocating MDR space on Arvia. The old criteria of every passenger must the catered for in a MDR is going.

But many passengers are choosing to not have MDR 

People arent being forced to have speciality or buffet or Quays. They are choosing to

Having the choice is great I think

2 hours ago, cruising.mark.uk said: Which they seem to be getting right, if the current cruise on Arvia is representative of the new norm.  We are used to seeing the speciality restaurants on P&O ships largely empty most nights, but that is absolutely not the case on here.  The venues are much bigger and they seem to be pretty much packed all evening.  We've not eaten in a MDR yet in our 6 nights on board and I don't think we will for the remaining 8 nights.  The food is excellent, in both quality and quantity, so far.  Sindhu last night was fantastic, as was the Beach House a couple of nights ago.  6th Street Diner was perfectly good, although I'm not sure we'll be rushing back there as there are so many better options.  The Olive Grove (all free of charge, unlike Iona when we were on her last year) is also brilliant, especially the tuna steak and the lasagne.   The only fail so far was on the formal night, when they advertised in the Horizon and on the screens around the ship that the MDR menu would be served in the two MDRs and in 6th Street Diner and Olive Grove.  We went to 6th St because the virtual queues for the MDRs were 100+ each at about 1930.  Staff there knew nothing about serving the celebration menu.  So we upped sticks and went to the Keel and Cow (no wait) and had first class (non celebration menu) food there instead.  All in all, we've eaten like royalty (as I'm sure the scales will demonstrate when we get home!).  Certainly on a par, in my opinion, with any of the cruise lines mentioned above, all of which we've cruised with and Princess (Club Class - MDR food with much better service, as mentioned above), Celebrity (Luminae - very disappointing) and MSC (Yacht Club - excellent) which we've been with post-Covid.

Like you we don't see the appeal of MDR compared to the other options. We like the choice and variety

If we were In a hotel in a holiday resort we would try to explore lots of different restaurants

The best all inclusive hotels in the world all have multiple speciality restaurants nowadays

They don't expect you to dine in the same place 14 nights in a row

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said: People arent being forced to have speciality or buffet or Quays. They are choosing to

That's  apparently not the case on every cruise though!  Seems to be a cunning plan ...

It is a very good way to sell cruises, surely - a cheap basic price, but then less than marvellous food unless you pay more, often each evening for people who like really good meals.  I think it is known as 'bums on seats'.

Son of Anarchy

On 4/21/2023 at 6:09 PM, TigerB said: Wednesday night was the first formal night, and we chose to eat at Chef's Table for the first sitting - 18:00. I put to the back of my mind all the comments on these boards about it, both for and against, and went in with an open mind. So here's my review and verdict: When we came out of the lift (midship) on deck 16, there was a queue of folk stretching back through the double doors to the Sky Dome area. It was spread out as such that it was awkward for my wife to manoeuvre her wheelchair. Luckily, a couple allowed us into the queue ahead of them. We were greeted by the restaurant host about fifteen feet from where the Beach House desk is sited. Perhaps someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that when they started it was only using the Beach House part of Horizon. It appears that they are also using part of the port side too; from what I could tell, folk that wanted to share tables were being directed to that side. After verifying that we wanted a private table, we were taken in and shown to a bank of three tables for two, with a gap of less than two inches between the tables. So, it would have just been like sharing a table for six. We refused it.  Even if we did want to sit there, it was no good for my wife's wheelchair, as whoever sat next to her wouldn't have much room. We were redirected to a more suitable table, which had at least two feet between it and the two tables for four either side. Our waiter took our food order and suggested that we may wish to order dessert, to speed things along. It was about five minutes before the wine waiter came to us. I seem to recall that a lot of complaints on these boards concerned the slow service and food not being very hot, due in the main to very few staff. They appear to have rectified that by drafting in loads of staff, and the service of food was very quick, lightning quick in fact. It's a pity the drinks service didn't match it. Our two glasses of wine arrived after our main courses had been placed on the table. The table next to us had their free fizz, and it arrived after they had finished their main courses. Now, one of the things about the menu is that each course has a wine pairing. If you followed that for every course, you would be having your main course wine with your coffee. The food: no different to what we have had on celebration nights in the MDR. There may have been a couple of tweeks, but I didn't have a look at the MDR menu earlier, so couldn't say what they were.  The ambience: it didn't feel like we were eating in the Horizon/Beach House other than being able to see the servery, where all the food was being played up, from our table. There were certainly no 'buffet interlopers' walking through. But sadly, despite the tables being well dressed, the whole experience had a canteen feel to it, and it felt very rushed. In part, it felt a bit like one of those work Christmas meals at a venue that seats about a hundred folk; when the meal service starts, a load of waiters descend like locusts to get everyone fed before the cabaret starts. And before you know it, you've filled your belly without having a chance to savour the flavours. Another by-product of the rushed service is, unlike when you are in the MDR with your familiar waiting team and have no problem asking for an extra portion, it just didn't feel like that was appropriate.             Verdict: seen it, done it, (not) bought the t-shirt...... definitely won't do it again.

Pretty much sums up our experience that evening.  Like you we were shown to a "6" table when we had booked a two top. The Ole Lady like wise declined it and we suggested a nearby proper table for two, which was agreed.  

Enjoyed the meal, though hardly any lobster in the lobster/prawn thing. Only 2 king prawns as well. Day before, got six king prawns in the po boy for lunch in the 6 th St diner 

The Ole Lady enjoyed the beef Wellington 

alpha whiskey

58 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said: Found a stowaway in the cabin last night!

Someone's wallet hasn't been open in a while?! 😂

1 hour ago, alpha whiskey said: Someone's wallet hasn't been open in a while?! 😂

Guilty as charged! 🤭

2 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said: Pretty much sums up our experience that evening.  Like you we were shown to a "6" table when we had booked a two top. The Ole Lady like wise declined it and we suggested a nearby proper table for two, which was agreed.     Enjoyed the meal, though hardly any lobster in the lobster/prawn thing. Only 2 king prawns as well. Day before, got six king prawns in the po boy for lunch in the 6 th St diner    The Ole Lady enjoyed the beef Wellington     

Our lass enjoyed the beef wellington, too.  I agree you totally about the lobster pastry doodah; if we were in the Zenith I would have asked the lads for another two of those. 😄 🐷

On 4/21/2023 at 5:39 PM, Selbourne said: Extremely useful review. Many thanks. It doesn’t remotely appeal to me but your comments have confirmed that we will have the celebration dinner in one of the MDRs

Yes, Selbourne; never again for us. Once bitten, twice shy as they say

On 4/21/2023 at 6:02 PM, Selbourne said: Those photos remind me why Epicurean on Britannia is our favourite restaurant at sea. Pleased to hear that it’s as good on Arvia. I could happily eat in there every night!

We've eaten a few times in there whilst on Britannia, and the only discernable difference between our last time on Britannia in September and the three meals we've had so far over two cruises on Arvia is the price increase.

On 4/22/2023 at 2:23 PM, cruising.mark.uk said: Which they seem to be getting right, if the current cruise on Arvia is representative of the new norm.  We are used to seeing the speciality restaurants on P&O ships largely empty most nights, but that is absolutely not the case on here.  The venues are much bigger and they seem to be pretty much packed all evening.  We've not eaten in a MDR yet in our 6 nights on board and I don't think we will for the remaining 8 nights.  The food is excellent, in both quality and quantity, so far.  Sindhu last night was fantastic, as was the Beach House a couple of nights ago.  6th Street Diner was perfectly good, although I'm not sure we'll be rushing back there as there are so many better options.  The Olive Grove (all free of charge, unlike Iona when we were on her last year) is also brilliant, especially the tuna steak and the lasagne.   The only fail so far was on the formal night, when they advertised in the Horizon and on the screens around the ship that the MDR menu would be served in the two MDRs and in 6th Street Diner and Olive Grove.  We went to 6th St because the virtual queues for the MDRs were 100+ each at about 1930.  Staff there knew nothing about serving the celebration menu.  So we upped sticks and went to the Keel and Cow (no wait) and had first class (non celebration menu) food there instead.  All in all, we've eaten like royalty (as I'm sure the scales will demonstrate when we get home!).  Certainly on a par, in my opinion, with any of the cruise lines mentioned above, all of which we've cruised with and Princess (Club Class - MDR food with much better service, as mentioned above), Celebrity (Luminae - very disappointing) and MSC (Yacht Club - excellent) which we've been with post-Covid.

We're planning to eat at Keel & Cow tonight; our lass has been looking forward to that for a while. There were a few things I fancied when I looked at the menu the other day, but I think it is changeover day today; so, we'll see.

We've just about given up on trying to get into Olive Grove; I like the sound of the tuna steak but fear that they will now be starting on the other menu, the one we had on the last cruise and didn't like.

Last night was the first time we managed to get in either of the MDRs; instead of waiting until the virtual queue opened at 18:30, we went down at 17:55; we got seated almost immediately.  We'll try that again, but it wouldn't bother us at all if we didn't get in at all; the menus appear to be the same as January and, with there just being the two of us to please, we're happy with using the speciality restaurants.  The only firm reservation for dinner we have in Zenith is for the next formal night.

2 minutes ago, TigerB said:   We're planning to eat at Keel & Cow tonight; our lass has been looking forward to that for a while. There were a few things I fancied when I looked at the menu the other day, but I think it is changeover day today; so, we'll see.   We've just about given up on trying to get into Olive Grove; I like the sound of the tuna steak but fear that they will now be starting on the other menu, the one we had on the last cruise and didn't like.  

The Pork Belly in Keel & Cow was fantastic!  

Either you have been unlucky with OG, or we have been lucky.  We've now been three times - on each we joined the virtual queue at about 1900, with somewhere between 20 and 50 in the queue.  One time we were called after about 15 minutes, the other 2 it took half an hour or so.  You are right about the menu - we were in there last night and they told us on the way out that it does change over today and gave us a sneak preview (the lady on the desk seems to have adopted us as 'regulars' lol).  The lamb shank on the new menu caught my eye.  I suspect we'll go at least twice in the time left on the cruise - we've thoroughly enjoyed everything we've eaten there so far.

46 minutes ago, TigerB said:   We've eaten a few times in there whilst on Britannia, and the only discernable difference between our last time on Britannia in September and the three meals we've had so far over two cruises on Arvia is the price increase.

We're in Epicurean tomorrow (Barcelona).  Do you have any particular recommendations for what they do especially well?  Thanks, in advance.

Here's some more food pics, folks; these are from Beach House on Thursday...

That pineapple dessert was, to quote Guy Fieri, "The Bomb" 😋

3 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said: We're in Epicurean tomorrow (Barcelona).  Do you have any particular recommendations for what they do especially well?  Thanks, in advance.

We're back in there on the second Barcelona day.

To be honest, they do everything well in there.

The menu will have changed when you dine in there; the 🦞 will be on that one. But beware, you will make a mess of your table cloth; or maybe that's just us! 🤭

'The menu will have changed when you dine in there; the 🦞   will be on that one. But beware, you will make a mess of your table cloth; or maybe that's just us! 🤭 '

Adopt a pincer movement .....no problem. 😄

All the food  photos you have shared look great thanks.

56 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said: We're in Epicurean tomorrow (Barcelona).  Do you have any particular recommendations for what they do especially well?  Thanks, in advance.

I've checked my phone from January and this is the current menu:

I'll probably plump for the salmon duo (again), and the Dover sole.  I'll toss a coin for dessert; I'd have any of them 😋

These are from Glass House the other night...

We didn't have dessert.

To be honest, we weren't as keen as we were when we last dined here, on Britannia in September. I'm quite certain that the mains then we're one dish rather than a trio.

Unfortunately you don't know which menu you get when you pre book in Epicurean prior to the cruise. Would be a lot easier if they told you which menu was available on which date.

4 minutes ago, TigerB said: These are from Glass House the other night...         We didn't have dessert. To be honest, we weren't as keen as we were when we last dined here, on Britannia in September. I'm quite certain that the mains then we're one dish rather than a trio.

You could have large plates or trip of dishes in Glass House on Iona in March.

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