Arvia - Impressions from Maiden

[Selbourne]

I think that those of us who have used Freedom dining before are fully aware that whilst you have the ‘freedom’ to dine when you want, you may still have a wait (with a pager or an app) until your table is available. That’s fine.
 

What isn’t fine is booking a cruise expecting Freedom dining and when you get on board your choice is effectively the freedom to choose between first or second sitting, but still with a queue! Fair enough on Christmas Day and New Years Eve, but not the whole cruise. Hopefully this was a one off for the maiden cruise and normality has now returned?

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

I think this is spot on and can very much see P&O adopting this approach in due course.  It's easy to implement and has marked benefits for those willing to pay the premium.  We've not done Britannia Club on Cunard but have done Club Class on Princess, which is broadly the same concept (centre of the ship mini suites and a private / reserved dining area with dedicated seats).  It was great and they appear to be developing the idea further with 'reserve class' on their forthcoming ship.  I'm not sure what the demand is for Britannia Club, but Princess Club Class always seems to sell out pretty early. I'm sure this would work on P&O, even if they are going more mass market, so long as the cost premium was not excessive.  My wife and I used the MDR twice on our cruise on Iona last year and I don't think we'll use a MDR at all on our Apr cruise on Arvia.  But, we'd happily pay perhaps £200pp more for a two week cruise with a dedicated table in a separate dining room.

Going by reports that are coming in, I’d also expect better quality food and a more extensive menu that currently seems to be the case in the MDRs. I’d hate to pay extra for a dedicated dining room, and then feel stuck with inferior food and little choice.

 

We booked Britannia Club in Cunard for a special occasion cruise, and it cost an extra £1000 per person on that particular cruise. (Although the cruise never happened because of ‘events’). It was a big premium to pay, but we were willing to do it for the special occasion and there’s not so much in the way of alternative 

dining on Cunard, but wouldn’t pay that much extra normally. Your suggested price of £200 would be fine, but I think they’d pitch the price a lot higher! 

[Selbourne]

16 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Going by reports that are coming in, I’d also expect better quality food and a more extensive menu that currently seems to be the case in the MDRs. I’d hate to pay extra for a dedicated dining room, and then feel stuck with inferior food and little choice.

 

We booked Britannia Club in Cunard for a special occasion cruise, and it cost an extra £1000 per person on that particular cruise. (Although the cruise never happened because of ‘events’). It was a big premium to pay, but we were willing to do it for the special occasion and there’s not so much in the way of alternative 

dining on Cunard, but wouldn’t pay that much extra normally. Your suggested price of £200 would be fine, but I think they’d pitch the price a lot higher! 

Because Cunard have just introduced Freedom dining as an alternative to Fixed dining, they have enhanced the dining options with Club. As well as the full MDR menu, at dinner there are now additional a’la carte options. I don’t know much detail about it as it’s a new addition, but I believe it includes things like dishes being flambé’d at the table.  

[happy v]

35 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Because Cunard have just introduced Freedom dining as an alternative to Fixed dining, they have enhanced the dining options with Club. As well as the full MDR menu, at dinner there are now additional a’la carte options. I don’t know much detail about it as it’s a new addition, but I believe it includes things like dishes being flambé’d at the table.  

Your dining option sounds perfect. It seems to be what everyone posting wants. They just won't pay extra for it!!

[Interestedcruisefan]

26 minutes ago, happy v said:

Your dining option sounds perfect. It seems to be what everyone posting wants. They just won't pay extra for it!!

I think it depends on the agegroup

 

We are mid 50s now. When we started cruising in our early 40s the one thing that put us off/worried us was having to share a table with people we didn't know (we went Royal Caribbean)

 

But we bit the bullet and enjoyed it

 

Now on a cruise I wouldn't mind sharing but not every night

 

I hazard a guess most new cruisers are going to be aged 30s or 40s and almost certainly won't want to share tables

 

And the cruise lines need to attract new cruisers

 

 

 

 

[devonuk]

Leaving Arvia later today and I can certainly say that ‘freedom dining’ is a very loose term. I’d use ‘take it or leave it’ dining 😂

As a footnote the Sky dome is knackered and won’t retract 🤦‍♂️ So much for the advertising blurb 🙄

All in all a great trip but I’d I have been mightily hacked off if I’d paid what some of my ship mates had paid 😬

[Fionboard]

Yes, Freedom dining is an oxymoron!

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, devonuk said:

Leaving Arvia later today and I can certainly say that ‘freedom dining’ is a very loose term. I’d use ‘take it or leave it’ dining 😂

As a footnote the Sky dome is knackered and won’t retract 🤦‍♂️ So much for the advertising blurb 🙄

All in all a great trip but I’d I have been mightily hacked off if I’d paid what some of my ship mates had paid 😬

What were the limelight club entertainer choices for this cruise?

[devonuk]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

What were the limelight club entertainer choices for this cruise?

Ray Quinn and a drag artist 😬

[Snow Hill]

9 minutes ago, devonuk said:

Ray Quinn and a drag artist 😬

Had to look up Ray Quinn as never heard of him after looking him up still none the wiser. 🤷‍♂️

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, devonuk said:

Ray Quinn and a drag artist 😬

Well if it's the same next month thats going to save me some money then!!

 

Lol

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, Snow Hill said:

Had to look up Ray Quinn as never heard of him after looking him up still none the wiser. 🤷‍♂️

Without looking him up he did pop idol or x Factor I reckon?

 

And musicals

 

Doesn't appeal

 

The drag act probably more entertaining but doesn't appeal either tbh

[Fionboard]

11 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Without looking him up he did pop idol or x Factor I reckon?

 

And musicals

 

Doesn't appeal

 

The drag act probably more entertaining but doesn't appeal either tbh

He won Dancing on Ice too. Most of the Limelight acts are ex TV talent shows!

[Interestedcruisefan]

25 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

He won Dancing on Ice too. Most of the Limelight acts are ex TV talent shows!

Eric and Ernie were the ones I've seen

 

 

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Eric and Ernie were the ones I've seen

 

 

They mainly work Britannia to fill in between their stage and tv commitments.  We saw what they described as their last ship appearance for some time at Christmas. Speaking to them later they mentioned quite a lot of tv and theatre work coming up.

 

We also had Chesney Hawkes who was okay but very keen to sell DVDs and CDs particularly while we were eating.  He also carried a £10 premium for being a "star". John Partride was a third offering on our cruise this year as well.

 

In 2021 we had Eric & Ern, Cheryl Baker and John Partridge.  They have also had Three Poofs and a Piano on Britannia before.

 

I understand the acts are on a rotation and mainly contracted to one ship.

 

The acts at Christmas on Britannia included the Military Magician who apparently won Britains Got Talent. He was the main big act for the festive period.

 

Incidentally Queen Victoria's big Christmas act was Midge Ure, perhaps P&O could upgrade their acts to people like that.

 

 

[zap99]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

 

 

In 2021 we had Eric & Ern, Cheryl Baker and John Partridge.  They have also had Three Poofs and a Piano on Britannia before.

 

 

 

 

 

I suppose due to you know what they were a poof short. We saw 4 poof and a piano and wish we hadn't. 

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I suppose due to you know what they were a poof short. We saw 4 poof and a piano and wish we hadn't. 

That is indeed what happened. We assumed they had a cabin each as we were only one short ... the show must go on etc etc

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

That is indeed what happened. We assumed they had a cabin each as we were only one short ... the show must go on etc etc

Did they have a panto at Christmas ?. I guess they could cut down on the number of dwarfs. One of them wouldn't be happy.

[Interestedcruisefan]

34 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Did they have a panto at Christmas ?. I guess they could cut down on the number of dwarfs. One of them wouldn't be happy.

Lol

 

Zap do you have these jokes ready in your head?

 

Or do you have a book of them like Bob Monkhouse?

 

You've got something for everyone?

 

 

[Megabear2]

43 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Did they have a panto at Christmas ?. I guess they could cut down on the number of dwarfs. One of them wouldn't be happy.

Oh no he wasn't...

[zap99]

17 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Lol

 

Zap do you have these jokes ready in your head?

 

Or do you have a book of them like Bob Monkhouse?

 

You've got something for everyone?

 

 

Most times I pinch them from Kalos.