Kittyonions

Totally agree with you on that one Megabear! The memory of the shuttle queue at Palma (amongst other problems too numerous to mention) will remain with me forever.

Maybe the Executive Chef has the authority to purchase another packet of Digestives Selbourne. Just a thought! 🙀

So pleased to hear you were both able to enjoy Roatan so much. So, now it’s a headache to go with the sore throat!!🤭

Phew, that’s good news Selbourne! Sod’s Law says you won’t need any more!!

Just home after a very enjoyable cruise. After a difficult time regarding dining on Arvia in May, we reverted to fixed dining. No problems whatsoever, and 2nd sitting worked perfectly for us. Yes, the menu choice is more restricted, but still able to find something to suit us all. The ship appears to be very well run by Captain Martin Allen, with plenty of staff everywhere. Megabear2 will be pleased to hear that most days only a handful of passengers were using the Serenity Pool, only to swim a few laps then vacate, to allow someone else to swim. Presto2 hope this is reassuring news for you too! Only minor niggle was that although cabin was kept perfectly clean, the carpet was stained and could do with a shampoo.

Many thanks Guys! Job done!

Can someone remind me where to find the details of filling in the above form , departing this Friday from Gatwick. Many thanks.

My vote for Tortola would be a taxi to Brewers Bay. Unspoilt beach, with just one bar and very few tourists.

Selbourne, that is also our preferred route, especially if heading for Ocean terminal. Have found an overnight at the Premier Inn, Southampton Airport, then following your route the next morning works a treat. Good luck this morning, and have a great cruise.

Heads up to all you marzipan addicts! Just been to Aldi, and they have chocolate marzipans bars ( very similar to the ones shown on here recently) for the princely sum of 79p. Thought I would just mention it😉 Kitty.

Well, your policy of £100 p.p.per night has certainly paid off this time Selbourne. Just be careful to avoid any Tiffany stores lurking in all those ports 😉 Hope you both have a wonderful cruise. Kitty

Well said, Megabear. We too were on Arvia in May, and I remember only too well spending the best part of our day in Palma queuing for shuttle buses in both directions. Luckily as you say the weather wasn’t too good otherwise it would have been dreadful having to wait for over 2 hours in hot sunshine for the return shuttle bus. Also, the fiasco of trying to get a table in MDR for meals will remain in my mind for ever.

Very good point, Megabear! Although the menu didn’t appeal to us, we did look in a couple of times. Very few customers in there (may have been you!). Another point is on Iona Olive Grove was open from lunch through to evening service, however on Arvia was only open for a few hours each evening. This may have been due to staffing problems.

If you remember Megabear on the Arvia May cruise, on the 2nd celebration night a special “for one night only” Chicken Tikka Masala was on offer in the Quays to try to persuade passengers away from the MDRs. Don’t think it worked, because the queues were as bad as usual on that ship.

Then my suggestion is avoid Arvia Zap!!😉

Zap99 think you may feel differently if you experienced waits of almost 2 hours on a regular basis (as we did on Arivia on May). It became Almost impossible to gauge when to join the virtual queue , as sometimes we were called before we had ordered our pre dinner cocktail, or alternatively wait for up to 2 hours which was very frustrating.

Well, then, It is hardly surprising that the virtual/pager/walk up system is not working if every waiter offers to reserve his table for certain passengers. Thank you for enlightening me to this, and it confirms that I have made the correct decision on our next cruise. If this continues to be a new protocol, I will seriously consider “jumping ship”

Hi Technoman, we too were on the Arvia cruise along with Megabear, and following that dreadful experience we have decided to book Brittania on 2nd sitting fixed dining for early December. Would have preferred the itinerary of Arvia, but can’t face another 2 weeks of having no idea what time we will be dining every evening. Looking on other threads, it appears the MDR problems still exist.Totally agree with all your comments Selbourne!

How is it possible for a waiter in the freedom MDR to offer you a table at a fixed time each evening?

We too were surprised regarding the lack of tablecloths in Meridian MDR. However, having experienced very long wait for tables in the virtual queue on several evenings, we came to realise that at least they were able to “turn” the tables in the restaurant without tablecloths more quickly.We found that if you wanted to eat at around 8.30, it was necessary to join the virtual queue around 7.00. The usual wait was between 1.30 to 2.00 hours.

We too were on the cruise mentioned by Purplesea and Megabear. On several occasions we waited 2 hours for a table for 5. We were happy to share but that didn’t improve matters. The problem in my opinion is that the 2 smaller dining rooms are only open for a few hours each day, and do not offer an equivalent dining experience to the MDR. For example the limited menu in Olive Grove changed twice weekly , not every day as in the MDR. Also as this was a term time cruise, a large proportion of the passengers were not the younger generation families to which Arvia is supposed to appeal!

Thanks for the advice regarding shaver sockets, I’ll remember to take an adapter with me. continue to enjoy your cruise Selbourne.

Smokey01 Totally agree with you. It was impossible to book a table for any time after 6.30 on Arvia in May also.

Selbourne, so pleased to hear that you are really enjoying your cruise, as I know that you had concerns prior to boarding. Next time you use your bathroom, could you please confirm that there is a shaver socket available. They are no longer fitted on Iona or Arvia, and I know my toothbrush won’t last for a 14 night cruise without a recharge!Many thanks.

When arriving early we head for Ocean Marina with easy pay and display parking. Several bars and restaurants to relax at, in a pleasant area just minutes from Ocean Terminal.