Waju

Thank you for that great review and I really enjoyed reading it very much.

We are on Arvia in a couple of weeks and hope we have as good a time as you did 😊

So if I can book the MDR at 6.30pm, or rather join the virtual queue, does that mean I have to be ready to go to the MDR immediately or sit in a bar waiting for maybe an hour and a half?

I much prefer fixed dinging and know that my table will be waiting at 8.30pm - perhaps I've chosen the wrong ship 😐

3 minutes ago, Andy24v said:

No, you can book up to 17:45 in advance as it's not a popular time. Booking for later dining opens at 18:30 on the day.

Phew!  Thank you for telling me that 😊

2 minutes ago, Andy24v said:

Went on Arvia for 14 nights last year. We pre booked a couple of speciality restaurants, and thought it would be OK to book the rest on board.

The reality was, in order to get a seat in an "included" restaurant, we had to do the "18:30 lottery" on the App. A bit like phoning the doctors at 8 o'clock to try to get an emergency appointment. 

The frustrating thing was, the only indication of wait time was queue length. We usually managed to get in at about 20 in the queue, but wait times varied from 20 to 90 mins. This made it impossible to book an 8:30 show unless we booked an extra cost venue, or ate at 17:30.

IMO, the app is a fig leaf to cover up the fact that there are not enough spaces in the included restaurants, by encouraging people to pay for speciality.

Omg this is stressing me out already!  So I should be booking now for the MDR even at a time I don’t want to go?

And aren’t the MDR’s included 😳

So, booking for restaurants has opened for my cruise in two weeks - this is a new'ish' system for me.  I looked at Olive Grove first and the latest times showing for me is 5.45 - does this mean all later tables are taken already??

9 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

It is a worry when some of our regulars disappear.

I got Pauline to join CC plus I email a couple of American friends who are on CC who would post if anything happened to me.

We have both been a bit poorly today and lay on the bed watching TV all day.

I hope you’re both feeling better tomorrow 🙁

Wishing your sister well Josy.

waju x

1 hour ago, kalos said:

 

Crazy how the big folk calling the shots run things .

 

We could never understand how our firm used to use a business supplier to 

buy biro pens that cost them £££'s and yet you could buy about 20 for £1  in 

the local pound shops .

Yet anything else we were told to keep the costs down 🤔

It was exactly the same where I worked!  
 

I have a friend whose company have just had their car park jet washed - one  man - it took a week.  Everyone I tell the story to guesses it cost around £2000?  They paid £8600 - madness!

24 minutes ago, Beckett said:

My daughter is a school cook. She really takes her role seriously and would love to have free rein to cook 'proper food' for the children but you're right Waju, things aren't the same nowadays. And of course the constraints are all about money, and the products the providers the schools are obliged to use provide. Strict rotating menus have to be followed and there's no room for flair or imagination. It's such a shame.  She tries very hard to add her own little twists to the menus for flavour and presentation because she really wants the children to enjoy her food. Jane xx

You're right it's all about money - my Uncle used to be a hospital cook many years ago and they used to have a budget, per person, per day - it was pennies.  

They should let the people like your daughter, who obviously know what they're doing and want to do a good job have free rein to do so!  Do you know, I bet they would be better off nipping to Aldi every morning for fresh ingredients for the day rather than using the huge suppliers of (probably) frozen stuff.

23 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Am I the only one in the world who liked tapioca pudding (frog spawn).

No!  I love milk puddings 🙂

11 hours ago, grapau27 said:

My late mam was the cook supervisor at the school near us.

My late Mother In Law was also a school cook.  That was when schools had 'proper' food, I don't think its the same nowadays.  Her ginger biscuits were legendary 🙂

Thank you all for your help, I've found it now.

I had a nasty foot injury last September and used crutches/walking stick for a while.  I don't use either at all now but was thinking about taking a little fold up stick in my case - After reading this thread I'm not going to bother as I'm 99.9% sure I wouldn't use it. 

59 minutes ago, solentsam said:

Hi it is in the before you sail section. on-bord needs

I must be having a blonde day, I’m still not seeing it!  I’ll try again later when I have more time.

Morning everyone, I’m just completing my paperwork for our cruise in a couple of weeks and was expecting to see a form asking about mobility but I can’t see it? Is it only there if in an accessible cabin is requested?

Great review of your cruise Bill Y, thank you!

On 5/14/2024 at 8:52 AM, implied said:

The information we have for our Ambition cruise states luggage must be under 23cm deep to fit under the beds.
This seems quite small as even our medium suitcases are larger. What have other travellers found?

Thanks,

We travelled on Ambition last year and I don't remember the under bed space being particularly small.  You could always slide them under fully open iykwim

Thank you everyone, that’s what I was hoping to hear!

Good evening,

Can anyone please tell me if the modern televisions in the cabins on Arvia have anything other a couple of dodgy news channels and a comedy from 1975 like Aurora does?

Many thanks 

29 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

I know what his answer will be, same as mine:  YES!

 

Some folk like it, but many more don't.  We've done it just the once, and won't bother again.

But if you like getting dressed up to eat in a canteen, where you are right on top of your neighbouring table, then go for it!😉

Thank you TigerB.  I thought it was too good to be true - there were reservations left and at no charge 🤣 I’ll check with our friends tomorrow and see if they want to cancel 

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Which ship? Chefs Table means different things on different ships. On Aurora, it’s an officer hosted fine dining event, for a dozen or so people, at a cost of around £75 per person. This includes the cost of paired wines with each course. On Arvia and Iona it’s a sectioned off area of the buffet where the main dining room formal menu is provided. It was created to alleviate pressure in the main dining rooms (Arvia, in particular, doesn’t have enough capacity in the main dining rooms for all those who wish to dine there on formal nights). As a result it’s no cost and the wines are just recommended, but not included, so in reality it’s no different to the main dining rooms in that you can have some, all or none of the wines and pay for those that you have. 

I've booked the Chefs Table for our up and coming cruise on Arvia thinking I was getting something special 😇 Do you think we'd be better sticking with the MDR Selbourne?

I have to admit, as an old fashioned cruiser, I don't much care for this booking so far ahead malarkey!

I've just been looking at the options for our June cruise and it would appear that bookings for the 'included' options are only open until 6.30pm?  I assume that if you want to dine later it will be a case of joining the virtual queue once onboard?  I had an Olive Grove booking in my basket that got taken while I was looking at the rest of the options!

I'm a bit confused though, I've had an email saying 55 days till your holiday and I can go onto the website (but i can't) and book dining.  Then further down the email it says I can do it 14 days before my holiday??

I can't get on 🙄

I don’t know what’s funnier, the horchata de chufa or the fartons 😆