On board entertainment

[Interestedcruisefan]

49 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Hi

It’s open from 23:00 to 01:00.

As a diabetic having eaten at 18:30 I like some carbs before I go to bed,,my wife likes to get a hot chocolate.

I don’t suppose you will ever get to the 00:15 show in the 70/club then.If you could manage to get a slot that is.

Do they actually get enough guests watching jazz at 12.15am in the morning?

 

We like to start the day early so it's no chance for us

[JeanieC,Aston]

7 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Do they actually get enough guests watching jazz at 12.15am in the morning?

 

We like to start the day early so it's no chance for us

Hi

I don’t think they do.

We embarked at 13:30-14:00 and immediately tried to book a time for the 710/ club.

Every single day was fully booked except the 00:15 slot,it had availability for every nigh.

 

ps,I don’t think it was all jazz,one night it was the guitar playing busker from the pub.

[zap99]

11 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Do they actually get enough guests watching jazz at 12.15am in the morning?

 

We like to start the day early so it's no chance for us

When we were on Iona we went to 710 a couple of times. I can't remember the music being jazz.

[amajaa]

Is anyone else finding their booking for entertainment is open 15 days before the cruise but when you try and click into some of the choices it just keeps going round and round and never goes into it. I have however managed to book for 4 evenings but the other 2 showing it won’t go into. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

35 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Hi

I don’t think they do.

We embarked at 13:30-14:00 and immediately tried to book a time for the 710/ club.

Every single day was fully booked except the 00:15 slot,it had availability for every nigh.

 

ps,I don’t think it was all jazz,one night it was the guitar playing busker from the pub.

Same here 

 

But if you went to any of the normal show times ten minutes before the start and explained you didn't have a booking then the manager would ask you to wait at the entrance and if he had space let you in

 

We only tried once at 7pm ish and got in as did others behind us trying the same

 

Definitely either a jazz trio or quartet when we went in

 

 

[happy v]

The 710 club is different each night 

[TigerB]

59 minutes ago, happy v said:

The 710 club is different each night 

 

...and appears to be repeated on a six or seven day cycle.

[smokey01]

3 hours ago, amajaa said:

Is anyone else finding their booking for entertainment is open 15 days before the cruise but when you try and click into some of the choices it just keeps going round and round and never goes into it. I have however managed to book for 4 evenings but the other 2 showing it won’t go into. 

Yes I can only book 4 of the 6 shows for Arvia 16th April. Other people on Facebook are also reporting the same issue. I will keep trying.

[LouCD]

I can’t find where to book anything for my 15th April cruise. 

[Dinglebert]

20 minutes ago, LouCD said:

I can’t find where to book anything for my 15th April cruise. 

Neither can I for 6th April. 

[Son of Anarchy]

2 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

...and appears to be repeated on a six or seven day cycle.

Although the themes were repeated when we were on board, the numbers played on the repeated theme nights were mostly different.

We enjoyed the 710 Club, hopefully manage to book again when on Arvia in a couple of weeks.

[zap99]

4 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Do they actually get enough guests watching jazz at 12.15am in the morning?

 

We like to start the day early so it's no chance for us

12.15am is quite early.😉

[amajaa]

Do you have to wait until you board to book the 710 Club as on Iona we never managed to get a slot at all the whole 2 weeks.

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, amajaa said:

Do you have to wait until you board to book the 710 Club as on Iona we never managed to get a slot at all the whole 2 weeks.

 

It was like that when we were on Arvia in January, you could only book on My Holiday; all slots apart from several 00:15 ones were full by the end of the first full day.

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, amajaa said:

Do you have to wait until you board to book the 710 Club as on Iona we never managed to get a slot at all the whole 2 weeks.

You do

 

But like I say if all slots are booked just head there and see if they can get you in

 

We did and was no problem at all

[amajaa]

2 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

You do

 

But like I say if all slots are booked just head there and see if they can get you in

 

We did and was no problem at all

Silly question but some people must be managing to book otherwise it wouldn’t be booked up so how are they managing I wonder? 

[terrierjohn]

26 minutes ago, amajaa said:

Silly question but some people must be managing to book otherwise it wouldn’t be booked up so how are they managing I wonder? 

You have more faith in P&Os IT systems than is warranted from a long term member of this forum. 😉

[Interestedcruisefan]

36 minutes ago, amajaa said:

Silly question but some people must be managing to book otherwise it wouldn’t be booked up so how are they managing I wonder? 

The ones who get on the ship first book the spaces before you get on. It's not a big venue.

 

We cruised Caribbean Saturday to Saturday on Arvia. Plenty cruised Friday to Friday. By the time Saturday guests arrived on the ship all the bookings for 710 club except 12.15am slots had gone. No doubt booked by all the passengers who joined the ship on Friday

 

(I'm sure some book multiple nights etc just because they can)

 

But there's no cost to book so no penalty if they book and then don't go

Edited April 2, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, amajaa said:

Silly question but some people must be managing to book otherwise it wouldn’t be booked up so how are they managing I wonder? 

 

Just as Interestedcruisefan says; it's a case of the early bird catches the worm

 

 

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

The ones who get on the ship first book the spaces before you get on. It's not a big venue.

 

We cruised Caribbean Saturday to Saturday on Arvia. Plenty cruised Friday to Friday. By the time Saturday guests arrived on the ship all the bookings for 710 club except 12.15am slots had gone. No doubt booked by all the passengers who joined the ship on Friday

 

(I'm sure some book multiple nights etc just because they can)

 

But there's no cost to book so no penalty if they book and then don't go

 

I'm all for, in the case of small and sought after venues such as the 710 Club, a floating charge of about £5 being made per person on the booking, and if you don't turn up then it gets charged to your account. I understand they do something like that for speciality restaurants. That would hopefully dissuade all the 'happy bookers' that book everything they can, as soon as they can, without thinking about the knock on effect if they simply can't be bothered to turn up.

[JDB78]

15 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Never need to eat again at that time of night.  Why would you?

Must admit I do like a late snack. Not much of a daytime eater, usually have a decent breakfast, a light lunch and early dinner. It usually means a bit peckish later on. The portion sizes in the mdr aren't massive and usually with so much walking, it does work up an appetite.

 

It's the people who have a massive breakfast, then a couple of hours later stack their plates high with chips, burgers and hotdogs etc that I don't get. Each to their own I guess.

[Red Ray]

On 4/1/2023 at 9:01 AM, ean1 said:

Due on an Arvia cruise and have looked at the entertainment for week one. Same old Headliners shows from when I was on the Iona. Found them quite boring, rely to much on the technology. Second rate supporting acts on what is fast becoming a second rate cruise company in all aspects. Been a P&O customer for over 20 yrs. This will be my last cruise with them. Sailed with several other cruise companies and will now transfer my custom to one of them.

Thanks for your negative input and enjoy your new cruise company.

[Clodia]

On 4/1/2023 at 7:11 PM, majortom10 said:

Well we have just returned from Iona and in general liked the ship and didn't encounter any of the problems you had, in fact the service was very good.

I was on the same cruise as you and ditto; delighted with food venues and excellent service.

[happy v]

14 hours ago, amajaa said:

Silly question but some people must be managing to book otherwise it wouldn’t be booked up so how are they managing I wonder? 

When we arrived on the ship 710 was showing 'not available'. At approx. 4pm bookings for that evening came up. I booked this and then all the show for the week started appearing. I don't know when the second week came up.

 

[Froxfield]

On 4/1/2023 at 12:08 PM, Interestedcruisefan said:

I suggest just go and enjoy the parts of Arvia you can enjoy

 

Avoid the parts you can't. It's a big enough ship to easily avoid places. 

 

It's also big enough to ensure there will be plenty you don't like. But enjoy the cruise. Dont write it off before you've even been.

 

And then if you don't like it. Do as you suggest  and take your business somewhere you prefer. 

 

Right now for my wife and I we love the value Arvia and Iona can deliver us

 

 

Absolutely agree!  One benefit of larger ships, which I had not appreciated until going on Iona, is that you can easily avoid what you don't like: particularly in respect of entertainment.  Wild horses wouldn't get me to the Limelight or (probably) 710: even (sacrilege!) Gary Barlow. But I can avoid and still have plenty to do and it is great for those who do like those things!  Iona and Arvia are now our favoured ships, although I do concede that the itineraries are a bit limited: mostly to places we quite like to go!

[JeanieC,Aston]

Just for info…..

When the show finishes in the Limelight Club,,,at 22:30 they open the doors to the non paying public.

In Feb there was a trio and lady lead singer,,a good way to end the night with a bit of live music and there is a small dance floor.
I think it was overlooked by a lot because it was never crowded in there.

A couple of nights it was the venue for karaoke.