Arvia K308 - All aboard

[Britboys]

10 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

There's nowt to stop you going in, ordering coffee, and every dessert on the menu. Now, that sounds like my kind of party! 🤭🐷

Now that I could do! Maybe I'll book an Arvia cruise - if they offer a two-night itinerary without any single supplements...😄

[Fionboard]

Rarely see your steward in the mornings as they tend to be busy inside cabins. More likely to see them doing their other jobs around the ship! 

[TigerB]

6 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I am cynical I would stick with your first statement. On our recent cruise on Iona we saw our cabin steward on first day on embarkation to introduce himself. Didn't see him at all for 14 nts and he suddenly appeared on morning of disembarkation to ask if everything was OK. Cynical of me was that he was hoping for a cash tip.

 

That's not good! We did occasionally see a couple 'slacking off' at the end of the corridor, away from the cameras.

To be fair to ours, we did see her every day, and she actually listened to us on the first meeting, bringing us the things we asked for, and a bucket of ice at 13:00 everyday, like clockwork.

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Now that I could do! Maybe I'll book an Arvia cruise - if they offer a two-night itinerary without any single supplements...😄

😱

[david05]

Friends of ours were on this cruise. They loved the ship but hated all the queues and will probably not sail on her again because of this.

[TigerB]

I've just realised that I didn't post photos of our first meal in Sindhu, on the 21st. How remiss of me!🫢

Here ya go...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TigerB]

Post Cruise Thoughts

 

We've been home a few days now and I've found some spare time to write a few post cruise thoughts.

 

Some of you may recall that this was our second cruise on Arvia; we were on the maiden Transatlantic cruise at the beginning of January.

 

What were the main differences?

The cabin for starters!  Last time we were spoilt with an upgrade from our inside forward cabin on deck 9 to a very roomy midship balcony on deck 11.  This time, with the introduction of upgrade bids, and the fact that we booked only eight days before sailing, we didn't expect an upgrade. That matters not, we were very lucky in the first place that there were accessible cabins available so close to sailing, and of the three available in the grade we chose (PC), we were allocated our preferred one on deck 15. It was a smashing cabin, with sufficient room for our lass in her wheelchair; and it was so quiet. See post #59 for photos.  And at £92 per day for the two of us, we had no complaints whatsoever; apart from it being a dead zone for mobile phone signal. 

If there is a wheelchair user in your party, and you are put off by the inside accessible cabins on Arvia and Iona being downgraded to partly-accessible, don't be. Just so long as the chair isn't a behemoth, you'll be fine.

 

On our January cruise the ship was just over 80% full; I was informed by an officer that this one was full.  Granted, there weren't the thousand kids that were supposedly on the Easter cruise, but there were a few. Just like January though, it really didn't feel full; there's always somewhere to escape to. The only time we really noticed that is was busy was when trying to eat of an evening, with the physical queues at some restaurants, and the number of folk in the virtual queues, particularly for the MDRs and Olive Grove.  We didn't notice that so much in January because we pre-booked Zenith for the same time each evening, and cancelled those nights we had booked other restaurants.  That wasn't possible for us on this cruise, but we knew that before we boarded, and had decided that we would likely only eat in the MDR for a few nights. As it happens, apart from the last formal evening, we only ate an evening meal in the MDR once; and we were absolutely fine with that.  On the other evenings we dined in Epicurean (x2), Sindhu (x2), Beach House (x2), 6th Street Diner (x2), Green & Co., Glass House, Keel & Cow, and at the Chef's Table.

 

Chef's Table:

I write about that in post #70.  We won't do it again.

 

Epicurean:

A favourite of ours. Top notch food and a first class service is maintained on this bigger ship. And at just under £23 each, if booked in advance, it represents good value. I am already scheming for our June trip on Iona, with the intention of trying Operation Double Dessert again! For the uninitiated, see post #211. Photos of the both meals are in posts #66 and #214

 

Sindhu:

Another favourite of ours, but we were disappointed that they only have one menu throughout the entire cruise. See posts #220 and #231 for photos.

 

Beach House:

We didn't eat here in January; I don't know why as we've found it to be fine on Britannia.  This time we ate there twice, with both experiences being perfectly acceptable. On the second occasion we pushed the boat out and have the lava rock steak (she) and hanging kebab (me). As it happens, that meal, with the extra charges and drinks, cost over £50; that was because we were overnight in Barcelona and incurred the Spanish tax. Photos of both meals are in posts #144 and #168

 

Keel & Cow:

We didn't eat here in January, but gave it a go on this trip. The food was fine, but the portion sizes were meagre. See post #161 for photos. When we are onboard Arvia again, we may give it a go for breakfast.

 

Glass House:

We ate here once, and that was enough for us. The menu choices were not what they were when we dined in here on Britannia, i.e., only trio plates as a main, with no option for a single dish. See post #148 for photos.

 

6th Street Diner:

We ate in here just the once in January, for breakfast, and weren't that impressed.  We believe in second chances though, so this trip we tried it for dinner. It wasn't bad at all, and we ended up going twice. See posts #217 and #221 for photos. The next time we are on Arvia, we will try it for lunch.

 

Green & Co:

We like this restaurant; the whole concept, and fresh and well presented dishes appeal to us, even though neither of us are vegetarian or vegan. It, like in January, was still severely underused by other folk and I fear they may scrap if after the first season; I hope they don't, though. See post #55 for photos.

 

The Quays:

We made more use of this in January, probably because it was new to us and it was closer to our cabin. On this trip, with us being on deck 15, it was easy enough for us to pop up to deck 16 and grab a couple of pizza slices and maybe a burger from Taste 360. We did intend to try it for breakfast one time, as ICF really loved it. As it happens, the only time we were in there early in a morning was when we were up early as the ship navigated the Gibraltar Strait, and I had a pre-breakfast snack of a fried egg on fried bread. It was very tasty too!

 

Horizon:

Two cruises on Arvia and we are still not fans; it is still like a cattle market, with very lax standards of hygiene observed by some guests. I occasionally popped in for a brew and some cake to take back to the cabin or our sunbathing spot.  One day, when our lass fancied a couple of salad bowls and some cake, I was checking out the salads when a woman picked two bowls one by one, put each to her face and sniffed them, before putting them back. I glared at her but she appeared oblivious. So, right in front of her I picked them both up and placed them on top of the cabinet, telling the crew member behind that they were contaminated. The woman still appeared oblivious to her unsanitary behaviour.  It was just as well the sandwiches were behind glass, or she would have been like those filthy sods you see in Lidl that handle the bakery items with their bare hands.

Once only we tried Horizon for breakfast; that was only because we had a lie in and didn't go to our usual breakfast venue, Zenith, and we were a few minutes late for The Quays.  Never again!🤢

 

Entertainment:

The shows by the Headliners gang were more or less the same as were performed in January, the extra one being the abridged Take That show; we were so not interested in that! The performers in the Limelight Club didn't interest us, and there wasn't much else we fancied. We would usually partake of a couple of Pulse's sets in the Club House. The line up had changed from January, and the new female singer was more extrovert than the previous one, and had a cracking voice with a good range.

I managed to book two slots, albeit late ones, in the 710 Club while we were in the terminal.  Unfortunately, I had to cancel both as our lass was unwell one evening and too tired the other.

There was a lass called Yzzy, who did a Paloma Faith tribute in the Sky Dome, or as she more accurately described it, the leisure centre. I'm not really a fan of Paloma Faith, but caught a little bit of her act, and she was fairly good.  On the last Friday of the cruise the Take That show was cancelled at late notice, and Yzzy stepped in at the last moment, performing as herself in a show called Siren Of The Sea (?).  I went along to see the 22:30 show, not expecting much at all. She was really good, not taking herself too seriously, and interacted really well with the audience.

 

Sunbathing:

In January, especially when crossing the Atlantic, it was bedlam with folk 'reserving' sunbeds at sparrow's fart.  Not so much this time; it was slightly better. I did notice the yellow tags placed on some chairs and loungers, so it appears the crew are being more proactive.  We had a spot on the starboard side of deck 17 that we favoured, seats rather than loungers, and it was free whenever we went there of an afternoon.

 

Dress code adherence:

When we dined at Chef's Table, it was almost universally observed, albeit with some folk looking far too glamorous for what was essentially a canteen. On the second night, in Zenith, there were a few slackers but not that many. We were bemused though by a large group of Japanese guests; some of the women were glamorous, but some of the men thought trainers were the ideal accompaniment to their baggy and shiny suits.

We didn't attend the Crow's Nest on the second formal night, but when in there on the first one, it was new to us to see the waiters actively refuse service to folk who weren't dressed accordingly for the venue. There was one in particular who challenged two different groups near us, politely reminding them of the dress code and advising that they would get service later if they came back appropriately dressed. All took it well, and I'm glad to report that he did not get any abuse.

 

Shuttle Bus Service:

We were on a saver rate but only paid for two shuttle trips; that was in Valencia. It was a nightmare getting back that day, with a total absence of accessible transport for a long period of time, and nobody was scanning cards. The accessible transport was better in Marseille, and they had perfected it by the time we were in Barcelona; the dedicated assistance staff for each of those ports were more interested in getting those that need it on to the accessible transport than scanning cards.

 

Altitude Sky Walk:

Well, it didn't take them long to start charging for this; it's now about £7 for adults. That may have been the plan all along though; let the punters try it for free for a few cruises before then starting to charge. I'm glad I did it in January when it was free, although I wouldn't do it again, even if it still was free.

 

Launderettes:

I was surprised to find that deck 15 had such a tiny launderette, on the starboard side, with just two washers, two dryers and one ironing board. From recollection, I'm sure the one on deck 11 in January had six of each machine, and two, perhaps three ironing boards.  It was actually more convenient for me to bob up to the one at the front of deck 16 which, considering it serves decks 16 and 17, and less cabins than there are on deck 15, had four washers, four dryers, and two ironing boards.

 

Crew Members:

Just like in January, every crew member we encountered were so polite and eager to please; a slight difference though being that most appeared a lot more relaxed. 

 

Boarding And Disembarking.

Boarding was an absolute breeze! We arrived an hour early and saw that some folk were being corralled into a queue, supposedly to wait their turn. As we got closer to that area, we were told to go to the doors, where we were met by a member of the special assistance team. My wife said we were early, but we were told that was fine, and asked if she needed further assistance or could I manage. She told her that her husband could manage, and we were directed to the lift. We went through the checks upstairs quickly and were through security and on the ship in no time at all.

Disembarking was a totally different matter. In January we flew back so didn't experience what it was like when 5,500 passengers disembark from a ship and want to be away as quick as possible. I think we were spoilt when we disembarked Britannia last September, with there only being about 2,300 passengers on board, getting our luggage and being in the cars in about fifteen minutes.  This time it was so different! Our allocated time was 09:05, and we kept to that. But, once in the baggage hall it was bedlam; there were four queues of folk with their baggage all heading to the same point, the customs check area at the end; the funnelling effect only served to make the queues move slower, with some folk getting quite frustrated.

 

Captain Camby:

His daily briefings were informative and we listened in anticipation for the gem he was going to pull from his favourite Secret Santa present, The Bumper Book Of Thoughts For The Day For The Modern Sea Captain.

If was funny to see him about the ship, posing for selfies with members of his elderly fan club, like he was in a boy band.

 

For The Future:

We will definitely sail on Arvia again; in fact, we have three cruises booked on her over the next two years. I think all the initial problems should be ironed out in the not too distant future. Our next cruise is on Iona, so it will be interested to see how that compares.

[Angel57]

@TigerB great review. Thank you so much for posting.

Was especially pleased to hear staff in Crow’s Nest were enforcing dress code. Appalled, but not surprised by issues with hygiene of some pax in Horizon.

[alpha whiskey]

7 hours ago, TigerB said:

Post Cruise Thoughts

 

We've been home a few days now and I've found some spare time to write a few post cruise thoughts.

 

Some of you may recall that this was our second cruise on Arvia; we were on the maiden Transatlantic cruise at the beginning of January.

 

What were the main differences?

The cabin for starters!  Last time we were spoilt with an upgrade from our inside forward cabin on deck 9 to a very roomy midship balcony on deck 11.  This time, with the introduction of upgrade bids, and the fact that we booked only eight days before sailing, we didn't expect an upgrade. That matters not, we were very lucky in the first place that there were accessible cabins available so close to sailing, and of the three available in the grade we chose (PC), we were allocated our preferred one on deck 15. It was a smashing cabin, with sufficient room for our lass in her wheelchair; and it was so quiet. See post #59 for photos.  And at £92 per day for the two of us, we had no complaints whatsoever; apart from it being a dead zone for mobile phone signal. 

If there is a wheelchair user in your party, and you are put off by the inside accessible cabins on Arvia and Iona being downgraded to partly-accessible, don't be. Just so long as the chair isn't a behemoth, you'll be fine.

 

On our January cruise the ship was just over 80% full; I was informed by an officer that this one was full.  Granted, there weren't the thousand kids that were supposedly on the Easter cruise, but there were a few. Just like January though, it really didn't feel full; there's always somewhere to escape to. The only time we really noticed that is was busy was when trying to eat of an evening, with the physical queues at some restaurants, and the number of folk in the virtual queues, particularly for the MDRs and Olive Grove.  We didn't notice that so much in January because we pre-booked Zenith for the same time each evening, and cancelled those nights we had booked other restaurants.  That wasn't possible for us on this cruise, but we knew that before we boarded, and had decided that we would likely only eat in the MDR for a few nights. As it happens, apart from the last formal evening, we only ate an evening meal in the MDR once; and we were absolutely fine with that.  On the other evenings we dined in Epicurean (x2), Sindhu (x2), Beach House (x2), 6th Street Diner (x2), Green & Co., Glass House, Keel & Cow, and at the Chef's Table.

 

Chef's Table:

I write about that in post #70.  We won't do it again.

 

Epicurean:

A favourite of ours. Top notch food and a first class service is maintained on this bigger ship. And at just under £23 each, if booked in advance, it represents good value. I am already scheming for our June trip on Iona, with the intention of trying Operation Double Dessert again! For the uninitiated, see post #211. Photos of the both meals are in posts #66 and #214

 

Sindhu:

Another favourite of ours, but we were disappointed that they only have one menu throughout the entire cruise. See posts #220 and #231 for photos.

 

Beach House:

We didn't eat here in January; I don't know why as we've found it to be fine on Britannia.  This time we ate there twice, with both experiences being perfectly acceptable. On the second occasion we pushed the boat out and have the lava rock steak (she) and hanging kebab (me). As it happens, that meal, with the extra charges and drinks, cost over £50; that was because we were overnight in Barcelona and incurred the Spanish tax. Photos of both meals are in posts #144 and #168

 

Keel & Cow:

We didn't eat here in January, but gave it a go on this trip. The food was fine, but the portion sizes were meagre. See post #161 for photos. When we are onboard Arvia again, we may give it a go for breakfast.

 

Glass House:

We ate here once, and that was enough for us. The menu choices were not what they were when we dined in here on Britannia, i.e., only trio plates as a main, with no option for a single dish. See post #148 for photos.

 

6th Street Diner:

We ate in here just the once in January, for breakfast, and weren't that impressed.  We believe in second chances though, so this trip we tried it for dinner. It wasn't bad at all, and we ended up going twice. See posts #217 and #221 for photos. The next time we are on Arvia, we will try it for lunch.

 

Green & Co:

We like this restaurant; the whole concept, and fresh and well presented dishes appeal to us, even though neither of us are vegetarian or vegan. It, like in January, was still severely underused by other folk and I fear they may scrap if after the first season; I hope they don't, though. See post #55 for photos.

 

The Quays:

We made more use of this in January, probably because it was new to us and it was closer to our cabin. On this trip, with us being on deck 15, it was easy enough for us to pop up to deck 16 and grab a couple of pizza slices and maybe a burger from Taste 360. We did intend to try it for breakfast one time, as ICF really loved it. As it happens, the only time we were in there early in a morning was when we were up early as the ship navigated the Gibraltar Strait, and I had a pre-breakfast snack of a fried egg on fried bread. It was very tasty too!

 

Horizon:

Two cruises on Arvia and we are still not fans; it is still like a cattle market, with very lax standards of hygiene observed by some guests. I occasionally popped in for a brew and some cake to take back to the cabin or our sunbathing spot.  One day, when our lass fancied a couple of salad bowls and some cake, I was checking out the salads when a woman picked two bowls one by one, put each to her face and sniffed them, before putting them back. I glared at her but she appeared oblivious. So, right in front of her I picked them both up and placed them on top of the cabinet, telling the crew member behind that they were contaminated. The woman still appeared oblivious to her unsanitary behaviour.  It was just as well the sandwiches were behind glass, or she would have been like those filthy sods you see in Lidl that handle the bakery items with their bare hands.

Once only we tried Horizon for breakfast; that was only because we had a lie in and didn't go to our usual breakfast venue, Zenith, and we were a few minutes late for The Quays.  Never again!🤢

 

Entertainment:

The shows by the Headliners gang were more or less the same as were performed in January, the extra one being the abridged Take That show; we were so not interested in that! The performers in the Limelight Club didn't interest us, and there wasn't much else we fancied. We would usually partake of a couple of Pulse's sets in the Club House. The line up had changed from January, and the new female singer was more extrovert than the previous one, and had a cracking voice with a good range.

I managed to book two slots, albeit late ones, in the 710 Club while we were in the terminal.  Unfortunately, I had to cancel both as our lass was unwell one evening and too tired the other.

There was a lass called Yzzy, who did a Paloma Faith tribute in the Sky Dome, or as she more accurately described it, the leisure centre. I'm not really a fan of Paloma Faith, but caught a little bit of her act, and she was fairly good.  On the last Friday of the cruise the Take That show was cancelled at late notice, and Yzzy stepped in at the last moment, performing as herself in a show called Siren Of The Sea (?).  I went along to see the 22:30 show, not expecting much at all. She was really good, not taking herself too seriously, and interacted really well with the audience.

 

Sunbathing:

In January, especially when crossing the Atlantic, it was bedlam with folk 'reserving' sunbeds at sparrow's fart.  Not so much this time; it was slightly better. I did notice the yellow tags placed on some chairs and loungers, so it appears the crew are being more proactive.  We had a spot on the starboard side of deck 17 that we favoured, seats rather than loungers, and it was free whenever we went there of an afternoon.

 

Dress code adherence:

When we dined at Chef's Table, it was almost universally observed, albeit with some folk looking far too glamorous for what was essentially a canteen. On the second night, in Zenith, there were a few slackers but not that many. We were bemused though by a large group of Japanese guests; some of the women were glamorous, but some of the men thought trainers were the ideal accompaniment to their baggy and shiny suits.

We didn't attend the Crow's Nest on the second formal night, but when in there on the first one, it was new to us to see the waiters actively refuse service to folk who weren't dressed accordingly for the venue. There was one in particular who challenged two different groups near us, politely reminding them of the dress code and advising that they would get service later if they came back appropriately dressed. All took it well, and I'm glad to report that he did not get any abuse.

 

Shuttle Bus Service:

We were on a saver rate but only paid for two shuttle trips; that was in Valencia. It was a nightmare getting back that day, with a total absence of accessible transport for a long period of time, and nobody was scanning cards. The accessible transport was better in Marseille, and they had perfected it by the time we were in Barcelona; the dedicated assistance staff for each of those ports were more interested in getting those that need it on to the accessible transport than scanning cards.

 

Altitude Sky Walk:

Well, it didn't take them long to start charging for this; it's now about £7 for adults. That may have been the plan all along though; let the punters try it for free for a few cruises before then starting to charge. I'm glad I did it in January when it was free, although I wouldn't do it again, even if it still was free.

 

Launderettes:

I was surprised to find that deck 15 had such a tiny launderette, on the starboard side, with just two washers, two dryers and one ironing board. From recollection, I'm sure the one on deck 11 in January had six of each machine, and two, perhaps three ironing boards.  It was actually more convenient for me to bob up to the one at the front of deck 16 which, considering it serves decks 16 and 17, and less cabins than there are on deck 15, had four washers, four dryers, and two ironing boards.

 

Crew Members:

Just like in January, every crew member we encountered were so polite and eager to please; a slight difference though being that most appeared a lot more relaxed. 

 

Boarding And Disembarking.

Boarding was an absolute breeze! We arrived an hour early and saw that some folk were being corralled into a queue, supposedly to wait their turn. As we got closer to that area, we were told to go to the doors, where we were met by a member of the special assistance team. My wife said we were early, but we were told that was fine, and asked if she needed further assistance or could I manage. She told her that her husband could manage, and we were directed to the lift. We went through the checks upstairs quickly and were through security and on the ship in no time at all.

Disembarking was a totally different matter. In January we flew back so didn't experience what it was like when 5,500 passengers disembark from a ship and want to be away as quick as possible. I think we were spoilt when we disembarked Britannia last September, with there only being about 2,300 passengers on board, getting our luggage and being in the cars in about fifteen minutes.  This time it was so different! Our allocated time was 09:05, and we kept to that. But, once in the baggage hall it was bedlam; there were four queues of folk with their baggage all heading to the same point, the customs check area at the end; the funnelling effect only served to make the queues move slower, with some folk getting quite frustrated.

 

Captain Camby:

His daily briefings were informative and we listened in anticipation for the gem he was going to pull from his favourite Secret Santa present, The Bumper Book Of Thoughts For The Day For The Modern Sea Captain.

If was funny to see him about the ship, posing for selfies with members of his elderly fan club, like he was in a boy band.

 

For The Future:

We will definitely sail on Arvia again; in fact, we have three cruises booked on her over the next two years. I think all the initial problems should be ironed out in the not too distant future. Our next cruise is on Iona, so it will be interested to see how that compares.

Thanks for you review.

We were also on this cruise and pretty much echo your thoughts.

All in all a good cruise with great weather and very calm seas. 

I am sure you will like Iona, just as we did. The Olive Grove is definitely better. 

We are trying Britannia next 😉

[TigerB]

24 minutes ago, alpha whiskey said:

Thanks for you review.

We were also on this cruise and pretty much echo your thoughts.

All in all a good cruise with great weather and very calm seas. 

I am sure you will like Iona, just as we did. The Olive Grove is definitely better. 

We are trying Britannia next 😉

 

Oh yes, the sea; I forgot to mention that. Like when it was foggy and the sea was like a mill pond.

[Ardennais]

Great review. Glad you had such a good time, 

[Jazzytelly]

On 5/2/2023 at 5:44 PM, Fionboard said:

Rarely see your steward in the mornings as they tend to be busy inside cabins. More likely to see them doing their other jobs around the ship! 

Interesting as we saw ours every morning and he either waved to us or if we were nearer said Good Morning. But we always go to breakfast before 8.30 , he knew that so did our cabin early. Unfortunately for the poor chap some of the cabins near us, in fact at least 4 of them, didn’t leave their cabin till about 1 o’clock so he was waiting around to get in to do their cabins. I guess therefore he missed his break as he had to work on the deck in the afternoons. Saw lots of cabin Stewards waiting around to get in the cabins. 
 

I think it depends when you go out as if at a busy time, mid morning, they will be very busy. 

[Son of Anarchy]

Great review TigerB.

 

We didn't use the speciality dining as much as yourselves, but we did dine at Olive Grove twice.  Would like to add that both times we booked using the virtual queue, and were notified that our table was ready within about 15 minutes each time.  I think we joined the queue on both occasions soon after 1900.  The menu was changed part way through the cruise and we ate from both.  Good meals each time, and although the first time we thought service was a bit slow, we still got the show we were doing and got decent seats.

 

Like you, we won't be doing Chefs Table again.  Same menu both times.  Although on the second time there were noticeably less people in there, service was initially very slow with regard to taking food and drink orders though did improve.  Noticed another couple who had been seated near us complaining to the MD whilst we were on our way out.

 

Used Taste 360 a couple of times, better than the usual poolside grills we have encountered on other ships in the fleet.  Although they did seem to be putting out pre-plated burgers and chips a lot of the time.

 

Had a lunch and an evening meal in The Quays.  Couldn't believe the size of the queue for fish & chips at lunch so I had the Thai seafood thing which was very nice and probably healthier!  Got fish & chips as an evening meal the day we had the Peninsula Lunch.  Very nice.  Must admit, the yorkies in the carvery looked somewhat flat.  I usually like a yorkie pud, but those ones didn't tempt me.

 

Overall, a good experience.  Currently no future bookings on either Arvia or Iona, but the right itinery at the right price, will go again.

[Windsurfboy]

Thank you some valuable lessons for others.

 

Normally we like to depart about 9am , but we will go for early slot to beat crowds.

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Jazzytelly said:

Interesting as we saw ours every morning and he either waved to us or if we were nearer said Good Morning. But we always go to breakfast before 8.30 , he knew that so did our cabin early. Unfortunately for the poor chap some of the cabins near us, in fact at least 4 of them, didn’t leave their cabin till about 1 o’clock so he was waiting around to get in to do their cabins. I guess therefore he missed his break as he had to work on the deck in the afternoons. Saw lots of cabin Stewards waiting around to get in the cabins. 
 

I think it depends when you go out as if at a busy time, mid morning, they will be very busy. 

We left the cabin about 8.30/9.00 .when the door banged shut he often came out to say good morning. No complaints about the cabin cleanliness at all. Would still like a chocolate on the pillow at bedtime.😁

[Technoman2]

We have been at sea for last 2 days. First day off portugal rain most of the day so watched elvis movie. Very good. Only 50 seats in cinema so count how many in queue if going to watch about 30 people queued but didnt get in. We have eaten the last 2 nights in Olive Grove. First night was Celebtstion night i had the yellow fin tuna with caviar as a starter and fillet steak for main course. Very nice. Last night it was the greek mezze starter, then tuna steak for main. Both nights took over 2hrs to get finished. In at 6pm out at aroynd 8.10. Saw ODY. C show 2 last night which was good and josh Adams comedian, same jokes but still made us laugh. Dont mention manu game. The queue for the meridien at 5.45 last night was 20yds past olive grove and we thought it was for our restaurant. It was moving ok though. Tuna starter pic and anyone want to blow onboard spend on a double whiskey lol. 

[Technoman2]

Forgot to say going though Gibraltar straits at 1pm yesterday we saw several pods of porpoise or dolphins at least 50 mostly baby ones but mrs t loved seeing them on the starboard sunny side of ship. 

[DamianG]

Thanks for a great review and also appreciated are the extra thoughts of others onboard. We’re really looking forward to our August cruise on Arvia and feel better prepared for what to expect.
Based on everything we’ve read we’re planning to eat in the MDRs around 8pm most evening in the hope that any queues will have died down by then.

Edited May 5, 2023 by DamianG

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Technoman2 said:

We have been at sea for last 2 days. First day off portugal rain most of the day so watched elvis movie. Very good. Only 50 seats in cinema so count how many in queue if going to watch about 30 people queued but didnt get in. We have eaten the last 2 nights in Olive Grove. First night was Celebtstion night i had the yellow fin tuna with caviar as a starter and fillet steak for main course. Very nice. Last night it was the greek mezze starter, then tuna steak for main. Both nights took over 2hrs to get finished. In at 6pm out at aroynd 8.10. Saw ODY. C show 2 last night which was good and josh Adams comedian, same jokes but still made us laugh. Dont mention manu game. The queue for the meridien at 5.45 last night was 20yds past olive grove and we thought it was for our restaurant. It was moving ok though. Tuna starter pic and anyone want to blow onboard spend on a double whiskey lol. 

Man Utd game? The one where Brighton won in the 99th minute? Okay, I won't mention it... 😂.

Really can't imagine they are going to sell much of that Dalmore whiskey at those prices.

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Technoman2 said:

We have been at sea for last 2 days. First day off portugal rain most of the day so watched elvis movie. Very good. Only 50 seats in cinema so count how many in queue if going to watch about 30 people queued but didnt get in. We have eaten the last 2 nights in Olive Grove. First night was Celebtstion night i had the yellow fin tuna with caviar as a starter and fillet steak for main course. Very nice. Last night it was the greek mezze starter, then tuna steak for main. Both nights took over 2hrs to get finished. In at 6pm out at aroynd 8.10. Saw ODY. C show 2 last night which was good and josh Adams comedian, same jokes but still made us laugh. Dont mention manu game. The queue for the meridien at 5.45 last night was 20yds past olive grove and we thought it was for our restaurant. It was moving ok though. Tuna starter pic and anyone want to blow onboard spend on a double whiskey lol. 

 

That's the menu I would have preferred in Olive Grove, the one with the tuna steak on; but, on the days we thought about maybe joining the virtual queue, it was the second menu. I'll see if it's on next month, on Iona.

I like a nice whisky, but I think I'll keep my cash in my pocket on that one.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, and I hope the weather picks up for you.

[Jazzytelly]

2 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

That's the menu I would have preferred in Olive Grove, the one with the tuna steak on; but, on the days we thought about maybe joining the virtual queue, it was the second menu. I'll see if it's on next month, on Iona.

I like a nice whisky, but I think I'll keep my cash in my pocket on that one.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, and I hope the weather picks up for you.

Iona has a much better menu for Olive Grove plus it opens at 12 and goes through the afternoon and Evening. 

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

Thanks for a great review and also appreciated are the extra thoughts of others onboard. We’re really looking forward to our August cruise on Arvia and feel better prepared for what to expect.
Based on everything we’ve read we’re planning to eat in the MDRs around 8pm most evening in the hope that any queues will have died down by then.

 

If you're planning to eat at that time, maybe join the virtual queue about 19:00.  I joined it once at 18:30 at position 18, and it hardly moved in half an hour, so we sacked it off. That was probably because of the early diners still being in. The queue was moving more quickly an hour or so later.

[TigerB]

4 minutes ago, Jazzytelly said:

Iona has a much better menu for Olive Grove plus it opens at 12 and goes through the afternoon and Evening. 

 

I was looking at the sample menu for Iona the other day; the tuna steak is shown as an included item, which suits me, but the fritto misto, which I really didn't care for in January, has the additional charge.

We'll probably try it over a lunchtime.