Arvia Adventure Begins - May 2023

[Ardennais]

5 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Either you are very lucky or we are very unlucky! In all fairness, we haven’t had noise issues from neighbours when we’ve had forward suites on Britannia and aft suites on Arcadia and Ventura. However, we have had noise disturbance from neighbours on a good proportion of our Aurora cruises (balcony cabins), whenever we’ve had Superior Deluxe balcony cabins on Ventura or Azura and with an aft suite on Britannia (not neighbours in that instance, but the Live Lounge 2 decks below). I will admit that I am a light sleeper and I can be disturbed by noises that others can sleep through. My wife, like many people, is able to zone out noise and has a great ability not to hear things - including me moaning about inconsiderate neighbours 🤣 

I can also zone out noise - a skill I learnt in the classroom! 
 

Yes, we’ve probably been lucky. I think the worse noise was the air con on Iona which was quite annoying, 

[Technoman2]

4 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well I'm back on-board .... not sure whether to laugh or cry now!

 

Message at 14.28 - the cabin we were sourcing for you is no longer available. We wanted to update you and will continue to try to monitor the situation with noise. At present we are trying to source a solution.

 

And then the attached was outside the door. How rude do you think I can be when completing it ...

 

[Selbourne]

Like everyone, I’m keeping everything crossed that MB gets a resolution (and I have a hunch that she will, especially if P&O are alerted to this thread) but you have to feel for the passengers in the other 99 cabins that have similar problems. They can’t all be resolved. Some will complain, some won’t but may decide that cruising isn’t quite what they had expected. You only get one chance to make a first impression. 

 

I know that MB didn’t book a Saver, but this experience is a sobering warning to those that do, as you get what is left and savvy Select passengers will avoid these cabins like the plague, so your chances of getting a bad one are obviously higher. As they say with property - location, location, location!

[Technoman2]

Just now, Technoman2 said:

 

Well i guess if you are still short of toilet paper it could be put to some use .Keeping all things crossed for you. I wonder if there are any other P&O ships docking in Palma on Friday or Saturday that you could switch too. It may mean an overnight or 2 stay but lateral thinking may be a possible option?

[Britboys]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well I'm back on-board .... not sure whether to laugh or cry now!

 

Message at 14.28 - the cabin we were sourcing for you is no longer available. We wanted to update you and will continue to try to monitor the situation with noise. At present we are trying to source a solution.

 

And then the attached was outside the door. How rude do you think I can be when completing it ...

It would be a zero from me, a very forthright set of comments and I would ask for a copy to be emailed immediately to Paul Ludlow's office...

[Beckett]

10 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well I'm back on-board .... not sure whether to laugh or cry now!

 

Message at 14.28 - the cabin we were sourcing for you is no longer available. We wanted to update you and will continue to try to monitor the situation with noise. At present we are trying to source a solution.

 

And then the attached was outside the door. How rude do you think I can be when completing it ...

Are they having a laugh? Given that zero is the best you could give where are the minus numbers? Unbelievable!!!!! Jane xxx 

[Selbourne]

9 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well I'm back on-board .... not sure whether to laugh or cry now!

 

Message at 14.28 - the cabin we were sourcing for you is no longer available. We wanted to update you and will continue to try to monitor the situation with noise. At present we are trying to source a solution.

 

And then the attached was outside the door. How rude do you think I can be when completing it ...

I know from first hand experience that these are read and actioned. We were on a cruise once and had a dreadful cruise director (or entertainment manager, whatever they call them now). He did everything we hate - “are you all having a good time?”, “shake hands with the stranger next to you” etc etc. Absolutely cringeworthy and put me in mind of a holiday camp or old folks home, and I said so on the first impressions form. We returned to our cabin the following day to a voicemail from the cruise director saying that he would take my comments on board. 🤣 

[Britboys]

17 minutes ago, Technoman2 said:

Well i guess if you are still short of toilet paper it could be put to some use .Keeping all things crossed for you. I wonder if there are any other P&O ships docking in Palma on Friday or Saturday that you could switch too. It may mean an overnight or 2 stay but lateral thinking may be a possible option?

No other P&O ship calls for more than a week after Arvia...

[Selbourne]

37 minutes ago, Britboys said:

No other P&O ship calls for more than a week after Arvia...

Any Queens? MB is a loyal Cunard customer. If you don’t ask……

[Britboys]

18 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Any Queens? MB is a loyal Cunard customer. If you don’t ask……

No, no Southampton-based ships looking at cruisetimetables....

[Megabear2]

I emailed Paul Ludlow's office and my contact 45 minutes ago.  I've just been told to pack, at 5.30pm they'll know what's happening.  No idea myself.  Anyway I now have an even senior guy looking after me who tells me he's waiting for instructions from HO and top management onboard.  Meantime he has cancelled my 6.00pm dinner reservation at Green & Co and moved it to 7.15pm as he is confident I'm going somewhere around 6.00pm.

 

Just been sitting in the little side room with four others all making complaints rather loudly including two gents who are in a full suite and have no amenities (whatever they are) and have been told all select restaurants are fully booked for the entire voyage.  Another lady has some sort of Deck 8 forward suite thing and has had kids standing on chairs staring in at her!

 

While I was queuing to hand in my questionnaire and to meet the guy who called me the man in front posted his questionnaire and said to me "they won't be very happy with that".

 

I feel sorry for the staff.  

[Son of Anarchy]

Hopefully everything will be satisfactorily resolved for you tonight and you can have a relaxing lovely dinner. 🤞

[Britboys]

14 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I emailed Paul Ludlow's office and my contact 45 minutes ago.  I've just been told to pack, at 5.30pm they'll know what's happening.  No idea myself.  Anyway I now have an even senior guy looking after me who tells me he's waiting for instructions from HO and top management onboard.  Meantime he has cancelled my 6.00pm dinner reservation at Green & Co and moved it to 7.15pm as he is confident I'm going somewhere around 6.00pm.

 

Just been sitting in the little side room with four others all making complaints rather loudly including two gents who are in a full suite and have no amenities (whatever they are) and have been told all select restaurants are fully booked for the entire voyage.  Another lady has some sort of Deck 8 forward suite thing and has had kids standing on chairs staring in at her!

 

While I was queuing to hand in my questionnaire and to meet the guy who called me the man in front posted his questionnaire and said to me "they won't be very happy with that".

 

I feel sorry for the staff.  

Keeping everything crossed for you! I bet reception staff don't last long on Arvia...

[happy v]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I know from first hand experience that these are read and actioned. We were on a cruise once and had a dreadful cruise director (or entertainment manager, whatever they call them now). He did everything we hate - “are you all having a good time?”, “shake hands with the stranger next to you” etc etc. Absolutely cringeworthy and put me in mind of a holiday camp or old folks home, and I said so on the first impressions form. We returned to our cabin the following day to a voicemail from the cruise director saying that he would take my comments on board. 🤣 

I think they did.

I remarked in October about them doing away with the cringeworthy first night. Where are you from?? Yey clap clap clap 😕

On Iona they didn't even bother announcing the act!

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Bless you. Thank you for your understanding, it's always easier to deal with these things when you're not on your own.

 

The annoying thing is the ship itself is good and I'm certain if you aren't one of the hundred or so people in the dud cabins you'd have a lovely holiday.

 

What's exacerbating it for me is all the promises of meetings, moving etc when no one turns up.  I'm sure they don't mean to be unkind but the truth is the ship is full and if your one of the unlucky ones they can't help you no matter how much they might wish to.

 

Any way the good news is there's a 17.40 flight to LHR from Palma on Friday with decent availability for £168 and if they don't sort me when I go back my husband's booking me on.

 

I take it that Paul Ludlow and Carnival HQ will get to hear of this debacle. Sound like the customer ' service " people are either incompetent,  or simply don't care. If his minions don't monitor SM they deserve to be sacked. Terrible treatment. We are on that flight in 4 weeks. I hope you don't need to be on it today.

[Megabear2]

Well I'm still here! Someone is apparently on their way, but I'm none the wiser where I'm going.

 

Much as I appreciate its tempting I'd be glad if this doesn't turn in to a why are we cruising with P&O  thread. It's bad enough it's taken the turn it did with me, it's meant to be a happy thread!

 

In my case after my last three cruises on P&O and Princess it should probably be why are you cruising on anything to do with Carnival, but then I remember my much loved Queens and think I'll just have to become more selective - warts and all with duck a'lorange and caviar if they put it on the menu as mentioned elsewhere.

[happy v]

This is not applicable to Mb. I would also hate this cabin.

However everyone who is in the Lounge until it closes would not be affected so cabin would be fine for them

[CarlaMarie]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well I'm still here! Someone is apparently on their way, but I'm none the wiser where I'm going.

 

Much as I appreciate its tempting I'd be glad if this doesn't turn in to a why are we cruising with P&O  thread. It's bad enough it's taken the turn it did with me, it's meant to be a happy thread!

 

In my case after my last three cruises on P&O and Princess it should probably be why are you cruising on anything to do with Carnival, but then I remember my much loved Queens and think I'll just have to become more selective - warts and all with duck a'lorange and caviar if they put it on the menu as mentioned elsewhere.

 

I hope they come soon so that you don't miss your rearranged dinner reservation! 

[Selbourne]

50 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Well I'm still here! Someone is apparently on their way, but I'm none the wiser where I'm going.

 

Much as I appreciate its tempting I'd be glad if this doesn't turn in to a why are we cruising with P&O  thread. It's bad enough it's taken the turn it did with me, it's meant to be a happy thread!

 

In my case after my last three cruises on P&O and Princess it should probably be why are you cruising on anything to do with Carnival, but then I remember my much loved Queens and think I'll just have to become more selective - warts and all with duck a'lorange and caviar if they put it on the menu as mentioned elsewhere.

Well said. Admittedly the Duck a’lorange was our least favourite a’ la carte dish in Princess Grill 2 weeks back, but we’d be happy to slum it with the chateaubriand, rack of lamb (my favourite) and the crepes Suzette any time soon. Made me smile each time the restaurant managers checked that they weren’t under a sprinkler before chucking in all the alcohol to flambé them. The caviar on the crab and langoustine starter was also nice, as we don’t tend to eat it at home. I’m cooking a pasta bake at present 😉 

[AndyMichelle]

BLIMEY!!! 

Just catching up with your days activities MB, reading them out to Michelle, we can't believe it!!! 

We are usually very tolerant people, but would be devastated if we were being treated like this... 

All we can do is keep our fingers crossed for you and hope that you get some sort of satisfactory resolution soon. 

Best wishes, 

Andy & Michelle x

 

[cbjroms]

@Megabear2 Feel that you have been treated appallingly and yet you are being so patient and positive - hats off to you.

 

Cant understand why the Hotel General Manager (or even Captain Camby) has not stepped-in to resolve this situation to your satisfaction. I have a feeling that P&O depend on the fact that by passing problems through the hirearchy (and thus putting you in the hands of people who are powerless to do anything) the vast majority of people will give up.

 

Fingers crossed that the tide turns and this time tomorrow you are in the best suite the ship has to offer.

[LLOM]

Sorry to hear about your situation MB, it is very similar to what happened to us on Azura, we booked a select cabin and a couple of days prior to sailing we got an email saying because of operational reason we were being moved to another cabin, this cabin was one we would NOT have chosen, I rang P&O to complain and ask for a refund which they replied we could cancel but would loose our money as their T/C cover this situation. Once onboard we went straight to customer service and registered our complaint, we were also given the run around like your self, we did manage to get a suitable cabin on the 2nd night but only for the first week then we had to return to the cabin P&O had allocated us, we did speak to the officer who was in charge of cabin allocation and after a lengthy discussion we were offered the difference we had to pay for our original select cabin which we agreed to, we are still waiting for the cheque to arrive !! still it’s just under 4 weeks since we returned so fingers crossed it will arrive soon ! 

[Bill Y]

I am truly sorry to hear of your problems Megabear, the time it’s taking to get this resolved and quite frankly your holiday being ruined. One goes in holiday for rest and relaxation and you should not be ticking off the hours until you can escape home and then need a holiday to get over this one. Others may say that you are just one of many, but the fact that you are on your own makes you predicament many, many times worse. This is not a spat over the soup being cold!

 

Joking aside movies have been made about less, but if you do decide to sell the film rights insist on being an executive producer so you can have a say in who is cast in the starring role. To take your mind off this dreadful ordeal try and think of an interesting project. You could have P&O the panto, with the sheriff of Southampton, who would the principal boy be? someone from customer services or a hapless impotent captain prancing around. There must be a part for a Percy the purser, plenty to think about.

 

I hope that by the time you read this that P&O have sorted this out. You could suggest that you swap cabins with someone appearing in a late night venue, as has been pointed out they would not be affected. We hope to read there has been an acceptable resolution.

[Angel57]

As always, it’s how a company deals with a problem and how quickly they explain how they are going to resolve the issue.
P&O appear to be failing miserably for @Megabear2 and others by the sound of it. I truly hope a satisfactory outcome is soon reached.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Angel57
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[Ardennais]

Such a horrible experience. Thing is, this issue needs resolving once and for all instead of trying (and failing) to pacify passengers on a cruise by cruise basis. The problem isn’t going to go away by itself.