P&O Arvia K307 - Not the experience we were expecting

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I’m not sure that elegant dining is a ‘thing’ these days. It was one of the big attractions for us with the old P&O, but it’s not, I think, what the P&O target market wants.

I would call it "old fashioned" or "silver service" dining. 

 

Which still has a place in the world. But in general is falling away. It's becoming more about the food and taste etc than about how the food is served pretty much everywhere in the world

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Harry Peterson]

2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I would call it "old fashioned" or "silver service" dining. 

 

Which still has a place in the world

 

 

Good service and good food in pleasant surroundings isn’t old fashioned, and it’s readily available in many places. It was on P&O too once, and not necessarily with silver service, which died out on P&O many years ago.

[Leomins]

When the Limelight club was introduced on Britannia, the tables were allocated as booked, the earlier bookers getting the best tables. I wish they would go back to this, much better than having to queue for 30 minutes for a table people have paid extra for. 

[Gettingwarmer]

16 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

I’m not sure that elegant dining is a ‘thing’ these days. It was one of the big attractions for us with the old P&O, but it’s not, I think, what the P&O target market wants.

 

3 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Good service and good food in pleasant surroundings isn’t old fashioned, and it’s readily available in many places. It was on P&O too once, and not necessarily with silver service, which died out on P&O many years ago.

I was happy to lose the silver service and mismatched vegetables once on P&O but still like waiter service and tablecloths. This I can see is now seemed outdated by newer cruisers and I shall have to chose my cruise ships carefully. 

[Megabear2]

Regardless of whether its old fashioned, silver service or fine dining, I appreciate being able to eat in pleasant surroundings in the company of those I choose and at the pace I want.

In the old days of fixed club dining (I still love it on my QM2 crossings for instance), I had no problem sharing a table with the same people every night, but come freedom dining I expected that to include choosing not to share a table with random other guests.  The situation with not enough room in the MDR would not enamour me to that cruise line anymore than the situation Vamps described on her MSC cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fionboard]

2 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

 

I was happy to lose the silver service and mismatched vegetables once on P&O but still like waiter service and tablecloths. This I can see is now seemed outdated by newer cruisers and I shall have to chose my cruise ships carefully. 

Different generations, different views! 

[Interestedcruisefan]

5 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Good service and good food in pleasant surroundings isn’t old fashioned, and it’s readily available in many places. It was on P&O too once, and not necessarily with silver service, which died out on P&O many years ago

This comment I honestly don't understand then?

 

100 per cent in numerous places on board I can get good food, good friendly service and pleasant surroundings on P and O

 

I honestly think you must be thinking of something else if you say it's no longer available on  P and O?

 

What exactly are you thinking of Harry?

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Thanks for confirming that there is a menu B. I have 2 bookings so will have to confirm onboard that I am not getting the same menu each time. Did menu B have pizza? menu A did not.

 

Sorry Dave, I can't remember; I've slept since then.😉

My sister and I are pescatarians, and when we saw menu A displayed outside we thought it looked good. When we were finally able to get in, on the second week, it was menu B and the choices for us were limited. The only fish based starter also had meat in it, and the only fish item on the mains was a load of deep fried whitebait and molluscs, which was greasy.

We'll go again, but only when menu A is on.

[TigerB]

7 minutes ago, Leomins said:

When the Limelight club was introduced on Britannia, the tables were allocated as booked, the earlier bookers getting the best tables. I wish they would go back to this, much better than having to queue for 30 minutes for a table people have paid extra for. 

 

That was a much better system.

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

From reading other places looks like I have to pre book the kids club. That’s going to not work brilliant as I usually drop them there when they are annoying me lol

 

On Britannia last September we would have loved to have just dropped off our lad when he was annoying us.  He's 27 🙄

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

That was a much better system.

Makes sense and an obvious way to stop a queue developing before a venue opens

 

Moleochip  - pass this on!

 

We need to keep removing real queues anywhere we can. If you do these guests would spend more on cocktails pre-dinner instead of wasting time in a queue

[Interestedcruisefan]

4 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

On Britannia last September we would have loved to have just dropped off our lad when he was annoying us.  He's 27 🙄

Give him 10 pounds and drop him in the casino!!

 

Lol

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

But isn't that what you would expect from a speciality restaurant?

 

Once a week or more likely once a fortnight

 

These places aren't designed or planned to be every night dining?

It is under normal circumstances but if everywhere is either fully booked up, turning people away or only the buffet available when they are turned away, people are going to look at booking the speciality restaurants throughout their entire cruise - we already have people on here who deliberately eat only in speciality restaurants throughout their cruise.  Whilst I agree that they aren't designed to be every night dining it appears they regularly are  - probably good for P&O's coffers.  From reviews on CC and elsewhere Green & Co doesn't appear to be booked out every night so if you're not into buffets and fast food you may well find it your only option.

 

Much as I like a pizza or fish and chips I would get very unwell if I had to live on them for a fortnight!  I noticed in your blog you're very keen on quick turnaround when you eat which if it suits you is fine, however I eat far more leisurely and at a slow pace so the MDR or alternative restaurants are my choice.

 

If I find it difficult to do this I'll simply eat my main meal ashore but if I've paid for my food in the fare surely I have the right to expect to eat onboard apart from in the buffet?

[Harry Peterson]

37 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

This comment I honestly don't understand then?

 

100 per cent in numerous places on board I can get good food, good friendly service and pleasant surroundings on P and O

 

I honestly think you must be thinking of something else if you say it's no longer available on  P and O?

 

What exactly are you thinking of Harry?

Perhaps we just have different expectations. Let’s just agree to differ on our respective views of the present day P&O. 

[CarlaMarie]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

So you are counting virtual queues as queuing?

 

I thought that might be the case

 

I personally count that as drinking cocktail time!

 

Way better than the old days when you physically had to queue

 

And these so called queues at the theatre to check you in?

 

Be honest they are 30 seconds or a couple of minutes at the most! I've been there, seen it, bought the t-shirt. Not even worth mentioning tbh

 

Way better than having to arrive at theatres 30 minutes early

 

I really do sympathise with kids clubs being full for the people with kids. That's not good

 

But people worrying about virtual queuing times now shows how much cruising has actually improved

 

All they have to do is join a virtual queue earlier if it's genuinely upsetting them

 

Your post above about queues everywhere didn't ring true. And now you've  just explained why!

 

When you were talking about  queues everywhere you were misleading people above IMO

 

Queues do occur outside Limelight Club still as best seats  are allocated on first come first served basis

 

If they changed booking limelight to best seats being  allocated  via the app as people book rather than arrive at venue they  could  make that a virtual queue as well.  

 

 

 

 

If you are in a long queue for dinner, whether physical or virtual, then you are still in a queue and waiting.

 

We know from reports that it is very hard to judge when to join the virtual queue for dinner at the best of times, so I can only imagine that on a very busy ship that is even harder and can be a worry which you never had to factor in before. I cannot see how this is an improvement. 

 

Passenger experience varies from cruise to cruise which must be kept in mind. The poster is on the ship, we are not, so they are right in sharing what they and others are experiencing.

 

You only have to go back to Christmas to know that there clearly is some truth to the issues that passengers on Arvia are experiencing, especially when she is at capacity and filled with families during the holiday periods - which she was meant to be designed for.

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

23 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

It is under normal circumstances but if everywhere is either fully booked up, turning people away or only the buffet available when they are turned away, people are going to look at booking the speciality restaurants throughout their entire cruise - we already have people on here who deliberately eat only in speciality restaurants throughout their cruise.  Whilst I agree that they aren't designed to be every night dining it appears they regularly are  - probably good for P&O's coffers.  From reviews on CC and elsewhere Green & Co doesn't appear to be booked out every night so if you're not into buffets and fast food you may well find it your only option.

 

Much as I like a pizza or fish and chips I would get very unwell if I had to live on them for a fortnight!  I noticed in your blog you're very keen on quick turnaround when you eat which if it suits you is fine, however I eat far more leisurely and at a slow pace so the MDR or alternative restaurants are my choice.

 

If I find it difficult to do this I'll simply eat my main meal ashore but if I've paid for my food in the fare surely I have the right to expect to eat onboard apart from in the buffet?

Despite not dining in MDR we never found time to eat at the following restaurants for dinner

 

6th Street diner (we had lunch there)

Keel and Cow

Sindhu

Green and Co

 

We did dine in the evening at

 

Mizhuana

Epicurean x 2

GlassHouse

Beach House

Limelight 

Olive Grove

 

And we went to Oistins Fish Fry off the shop in Barbados one evening

 

Numerous afternoons I had hot dog and fries or rotisserie chicken at  the food place next to the pool

 

So by my reckoning we did 6 nights buffet or Quays in amongst our 14 nights

 

Would happily have repeated any of the speciality we only had once above. But would have liked to have found time to try

 

Green and Co

And

Sindhu

 

But we just run out of nights

 

Bearing in mind we never did MDR once it showed us we would never be short of food choices.  Never felt even slightly repetitive to us because when did buffet or Quays we tried different food alongside favourites

 

And we did buffet and quays when we had more than one show we wanted to fit in on an evening or when we were tired etc and just fancied not having to get ready for dinner and an more low key night

 

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

25 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Perhaps we just have different expectations. Let’s just agree to differ on our respective views of the present day P&O. 

Fair enough

 

Let's agree to disagree

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

20 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

 

If you are in a long queue for dinner, whether physical or virtual, then you are still in a queue and waiting.

 

We know from reports that it is very hard to judge when to join the virtual queue for dinner at the best of times, so I can only imagine that on a very busy ship that is even harder and can be a worry which you never had to factor in before. I cannot see how this is an improvement. 

 

Passenger experience varies from cruise to cruise which must be kept in mind. The poster is on the ship, we are not, so they are right in sharing what they and others are experiencing.

 

You only have to go back to Christmas to know that there clearly is some truth to the issues that passengers on Arvia are experiencing, especially when she is at capacity and filled with families during the holiday periods - which she was meant to be designed for.

 

Sorry but there is a huge difference between real queues and virtual queues. And it's scare mongering to suggest different. 

 

It worries people needlessly. I had to ask to get the answer that its virtual queues where people have waited an hour 

 

Xmas was a different matter and we aren't talking about Xmas now.

 

New cruisers at the start of a cruise using an app for the first time might go and sit in a bar and then join a virtual queue  and at that stage see there's a 60 minute wait in a virtual queue

 

The next day they realise thats possible so just join the queue earlier. It's simple and its way different to waiting in a real queue which really would be horrible I agree

 

On busy cruises then join the queue when getting ready in a cabin

 

On quiet cruises join the queue when your cocktail or drinks are served as you might be called quicker

 

Either way If you get called quicker than you wanted just relax and join the queue again 

 

The OP himself says it's got better. 

 

All that's happening is people understanding the way it works better

 

In so many other places people pay significant money to upgrade to become VIPS to get access to virtual queuing systems so they don't have to physically queue

 

Places like theme parks and water parks etc

 

It's something to embrace and appreciate. Not complain about. 

 

Real physical queues are something to complain about. They used to be everywhere on cruise ships and waste so much holiday time for everybody on board. 

 

Virtual queuing on cruise ships is a godsend IMO

 

Pagers were a godsend at one stage. Don't even need to leave your seat to get a pager now

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[CarlaMarie]

I am mid thirties, and I have to say I really enjoyed and miss the P&O of old. The evenings spent in the MDR which I always thought looked elegant (with tablecloths!),  the waiters who served you and whom you got to build a conversation with over the course of your cruise, the wine waiter who you also go to know. It was a personal touch and added to your whole cruise experience. That to me is what I associate cruising with and I must be very "old fashioned".

 

Yes the speciliaty dining venues were introduced back then and could be used (they were never that busy though), but at the same time using the MDR was never an issue. I wouldn't have expected that to have changed so much.

Edited April 9, 2023 by CarlaMarie

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

 

Sorry Dave, I can't remember; I've slept since then.😉

My sister and I are pescatarians, and when we saw menu A displayed outside we thought it looked good. When we were finally able to get in, on the second week, it was menu B and the choices for us were limited. The only fish based starter also had meat in it, and the only fish item on the mains was a load of deep fried whitebait and molluscs, which was greasy.

We'll go again, but only when menu A is on.

I found menu B online and still no pizza. Your grazing option was the Bolinhos and mine on Iona was the Italian Antpasti, just for me with a salad and glass of wine, cheaper than the Glass House

[Interestedcruisefan]

9 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

I am mid thirties, and I have to say I really enjoyed and miss the P&O of old. The evenings spent in the MDR which I always thought looked elegant (with tablecloths!),  the waiters who served you and whom you got to build a conversation with over the course of your cruise, the wine waiter who you also go to know. It was a personal touch and added to your whole cruise experience. That to me is what I associate cruising with and I must be very "old fashioned".

 

Yes the speciliaty dining venues were introduced back then and could be used (they were never that busy though), but at the same time using the MDR was never an issue. I wouldn't have expected that to have changed so much.

Some of the waiters who worked back then also miss the chance to build rapport and relationships 

 

 I spoke to one in Epicurean who missed the MDR experience of old times

 

But 100 per cent this  experience also heavily involved set dining at set times on shared tables 

 

Something that cruiselines are never ever going to be able to promote to younger demographics 

 

The cruise lines know that. People want more choice and freedom and definitely don't want to share tables with people they don't know

 

We felt the same way before we first cruised and were worried about sharing tables but actually enjoyed it

 

But it's a hard idea to sell to people for sure nowadays

Edited April 9, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

31 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Fair enough

 

Let's agree to disagree

 

That's a new one for you!  

[davecttr]

The pre cruise booking restaurants may have another problem. The Olive Grove has 2 menus which change every 3 days. i have booked twice but might end up with the same menu but there is no way of knowing which menu in advance.

 

Does the cycle start at the beginning of the cruise? if so I have booked the same menu twice.

What about the odd days at the end of the cruise. Does this mean the 3 day cycles are for the whole season?

[Megabear2]

49 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Despite not dining in MDR we never found time to eat at the following restaurants for dinner

 

6th Street diner (we had lunch there)

Keel and Cow

Sindhu

Green and Co

 

We did dine in the evening at

 

Mizhuana

Epicurean x 2

GlassHouse

Beach House

Limelight 

Olive Grove

 

And we went to Oistins Fish Fry off the shop in Barbados one evening

 

Numerous afternoons I had hot dog and fries or rotisserie chicken at  the food place next to the pool

 

So by my reckoning we did 6 nights buffet or Quays in amongst our 14 nights

 

Would happily have repeated any of the speciality we only had once above. But would have liked to have found time to try

 

Green and Co

And

Sindhu

 

But we just run out of nights

 

Bearing in mind we never did MDR once it showed us we would never be short of food choices.  Never felt even slightly repetitive to us because when did buffet or Quays we tried different food alongside favourites

 

And we did buffet and quays when we had more than one show we wanted to fit in on an evening or when we were tired etc and just fancied not having to get ready for dinner and an more low key night

 

 

Sorry, I've missed the point or misunderstood you.  You've got 5 nights in pay extra restaurants on there.  Several people have made the point that don't see why they should be forced into using them.  You've also said you didn't book for them but indicated you managed to coerce the restaurant into giving you the booking.  Judging by what's apparently happening now Gary and his fellow passengers haven't got that luxury.

 

I politely suggest his experience is way different to yours and perhaps in trying to be a denier and blaming it on the good folk who've booked a family ship for them and their children you might just this once say Arvia is sadly not coping on this occasion and P&O have dropped a clanger.  

 

This thread is about Gary's experience on his cruise and the Arvia appreciation thread may be more appropriate to sing her praises.

Edited April 9, 2023 by Megabear2

[zap99]

3 minutes ago, davecttr said:

The pre cruise booking restaurants may have another problem. The Olive Grove has 2 menus which change every 3 days. i have booked twice but might end up with the same menu but there is no way of knowing which menu in advance.

 

Does the cycle start at the beginning of the cruise? if so I have booked the same menu twice.

What about the odd days at the end of the cruise. Does this mean the 3 day cycles are for the whole season?

Like most ' Chain ' restaurants on land. Introducing our new spring/summer etc menu. They change a few times a year. If P&O change the menu every 3 days, that's well done to them isn't it ?.