Arvia - Impressions from Maiden

[majortom10]

Having read this thread and those who have put their actual experience of the maiden cruise is damning. Having said that when you get the President in his press statement saying 99-9% had a fantastic cruise and NYE was the best ever and he congratulated magnificent staff will things change.....NO. It is obvious senior managers are happy with the product being sold as is so will not be making any significant, or any, changes. Having said all that people will still carry on sailing with P&O and will not have a wrong word and day they are the best and it is those that P&O will rely on for future bookings. Welcome to the new world of P&O cruising.

 

 

 

[kalos]

34 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Having read this thread and those who have put their actual experience of the maiden cruise is damning. Having said that when you get the President in his press statement saying 99-9% had a fantastic cruise 

 

Two sides to every story and the actual experiences are there for everyone to read but not everyone will post ,so it shows that figure by the president to be ..well ?

Sure they will be plenty who have loved the cruise, no doubt about that .

The ship will hopefully improve ,lets hope so for those who will sail on her .

As for the ships presidents ,believe what you will. We have one saying 99.9% loved it whilst 

another president, sits his ship in a dry dock and tries telling people, who payed  for a Christmas cruise they should be grateful for sat in a dry dock a few days .

They get it wrong but should we dam a cruise line for ever ? 

I say sit back keep calm as they will be plenty more future reviews , hopefully good ones .

Edited January 7, 2023 by kalos

[GemC]

Well i will be hoping 🤞 that things improve,

My wife and i are booked on Arvia 03/03/23 for 14 nights, this will be 1st time with P&O so not got anything to compare it to, my thoughts will have to be based on first impression,

Time will tell 🙂

 

Gem

 

[bobstheboy]

35 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Having read this thread and those who have put their actual experience of the maiden cruise is damning. Having said that when you get the President in his press statement saying 99-9% had a fantastic cruise and NYE was the best ever and he congratulated magnificent staff will things change.....NO. It is obvious senior managers are happy with the product being sold as is so will not be making any significant, or any, changes. Having said all that people will still carry on sailing with P&O and will not have a wrong word and day they are the best and it is those that P&O will rely on for future bookings. Welcome to the new world of P&O cruising.

 

 

 

A certain number of die hards will continue with P&O but the vast majority will have a red line of service and food quality and if they continue to let their standards fall, these customers will look elsewhere. I have cruised with P&O for about 25 years and about 70% of all my cruises have been with them. I have friends who are similar and they all say the same, if standards keep falling, they will go elsewhere.

 

I hope Moley reads all these posts. He did say he would respond after the New Year and suggested senior management knew things needed improving. I am on Iona in a week, so it will be interesting what I find.

[Eglesbrech]

14 hours ago, wowzz said:

I guess the real issue is that on a ship with 5000 passengers,  and only 250 (? -who knows) comnent on social media,  how does an outsider decide what is the truth ?

 

Absolutely and there is also the issue that one persons truth may not be other people’s - but it’s still true.
 

We could both go on the same ship and get the same food and service but one hates it, one thinks it brilliant from their perspective.

 

We could both go on the same ship and I could have plumbing or noise issues which affect my view of the holiday and others don’t.

One gets onboard at 1pm and gets booked for everything they want, another gets the last slot and it’s all gone by the time they get onboard. No speciality dining, shows etc.

 

I think it seems more polarised on P&O now as more experienced cruisers don’t like and probably won’t accept what they see as reduced standards of food, service and access to facilities. New cruisers have less of a starting reference.

 

We have one last cruise booked with P&O and I suspect it might be our last  based on what I am reading but I’m going with an open mind and will enjoy it regardless (but they have already cancelled a booked excursion and we have a late check in so not a promising start).
 

We cruise mainly with Princess, Fred and MSC (YC) now. P&O was always my first go to in the past but it’s changed so much and I’m not the demographic they are catering to anymore which is fine, lots of lines to choose from.

 

[Somerset Cruiser]

16 hours ago, doog442 said:

We're on next month 🤣

 

For the price we're paying as a last minute saver I'm not expecting much, perhaps a 3 star hotel equivalent, anything else will be a bonus but its a means to an end...the Caribbean.

 

Nice to hear the beds are comfy but sorry to hear you had a bad time.  There really is no excuse. That said we went on the Enchanted Princess in July and that was a complete mess...massive queues for the MDR, new staff, broken lifts...usual stuff. We'd said we'd never cruise again but here we are   

Which cruise?

[Denarius]

17 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

A certain number of die hards will continue with P&O but the vast majority will have a red line of service and food quality and if they continue to let their standards fall, these customers will look elsewhere. I have cruised with P&O for about 25 years and about 70% of all my cruises have been with them. I have friends who are similar and they all say the same, if standards keep falling, they will go elsewhere.

 

I hope Moley reads all these posts. He did say he would respond after the New Year and suggested senior management knew things needed improving. I am on Iona in a week, so it will be interesting what I find.

I agree. Like you I have been sailing with P&O for 25 years - first cruise 1997 on Oriana. Whilst I have also cruised with other lines P&O have been my mainstay. I have cruised with them 35 times, most recently on Azura last year. Over recent years however, I have become dismayed by the steady reduction in standards to such an extent that for the first time since that 1997 cruise I do not have any future cruises booked with them. I have taken my business elsewhere.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Denarius
grammar

[Eglesbrech]

8 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

A certain number of die hards will continue with P&O but the vast majority will have a red line of service and food quality and if they continue to let their standards fall, these customers will look elsewhere. I have cruised with P&O for about 25 years and about 70% of all my cruises have been with them. I have friends who are similar and they all say the same, if standards keep falling, they will go elsewhere.

 

We are very similar and we have mainly taken our business elsewhere now. 5 cruises booked this year and only 1 with P&O. Previously most would have been with them.
 

 

[jeanlyon]

yes we are the same.  Booked on Aurora (moved 3 times) in October 2023, but if we find it really badly changed, we will try one of Fred's new ones, but a last minute.  To be honest cruising might have lost its glamour for me.

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, Denarius said:

I agree. Like you I have been sailing with P&O for 25 years - first cruise 1997 on Oriana. Whilst I have also cruised with other lines P&O have been my mainstay. I have cruised with them 35 times, most recently on Azura last year. Over recent years however, I have become dismayed by the steady reduction in standards to such an extent that for the first time since that 1997 cruise I do not have any future cruises booked with them. I have taken my business elsewhere.

 

9 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

We are very similar and we have mainly taken our business elsewhere now. 5 cruises booked this year and only 1 with P&O. Previously most would have been with them.
 

 

Very much the same feeling here. It was a brand I identified with and very much liked - but now it isn’t. Nothing wrong with that, and I’m sure they know their intended market. I’m equally sure that they won’t miss my custom, because it will be replaced by a rather younger customer much more inclined to spend freely onboard. And perhaps rather more keen to wander around in a vest than I ever was. Not an exaggeration - just outside the MDR.

[Somerset Cruiser]

Just now, Harry Peterson said:

 And perhaps rather more keen to wander around in a vest than I ever was. Not an exaggeration - just outside the MDR.

I spent much of Christmas, on Iona, wondering when it became a fancy dress party. 

[bobstheboy]

Moley has responded on several threads but not this one, which is a shame. Maybe this post will prompt him.

[galeforce9]

3 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

A certain number of die hards will continue with P&O but the vast majority will have a red line of service and food quality and if they continue to let their standards fall, these customers will look elsewhere. I have cruised with P&O for about 25 years and about 70% of all my cruises have been with them. I have friends who are similar and they all say the same, if standards keep falling, they will go elsewhere.

 

I hope Moley reads all these posts. He did say he would respond after the New Year and suggested senior management knew things needed improving. I am on Iona in a week, so it will be interesting what I find.

Same as us.  Well put

[Essex Racer]

We were P&O all the way, sailed on Iona in July and not impressed. Having cruised Princess a couple of times now - P&O really need to have a hot itinerary to get us back but they are all same old routes so guess we wont be back!!

[sandancer]

20 hours ago, doog442 said:

We're on next month 🤣

 

For the price we're paying as a last minute saver I'm not expecting much, perhaps a 3 star hotel equivalent, anything else will be a bonus but its a means to an end...the Caribbean.

 

Nice to hear the beds are comfy but sorry to hear you had a bad time.  There really is no excuse. That said we went on the Enchanted Princess in July and that was a complete mess...massive queues for the MDR, new staff, broken lifts...usual stuff. We'd said we'd never cruise again but here we are   

Enchanted Princess must have really upped the game then. We were on in November and had a great cruise. Our only grumbles were poor shopping choices but that’s not really a problem for us personally. Took us a couple of days to work out the best MDR service. As we are on Arvia in March I can only hope that we will see the same service improvement. 

[zap99]

4 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

A certain number of die hards will continue with P&O but the vast majority will have a red line of service and food quality and if they continue to let their standards fall, these customers will look elsewhere. I have cruised with P&O for about 25 years and about 70% of all my cruises have been with them. I have friends who are similar and they all say the same, if standards keep falling, they will go elsewhere.

 

I hope Moley reads all these posts. He did say he would respond after the New Year and suggested senior management knew things needed improving. I am on Iona in a week, so it will be interesting what I find.

We have been on over 30 cruises, about 40% on P&O. For every cruise we look at all the alternatives. Last year we were on P&O, Celebrity and RC. We enjoyed them all. Celebrity was the best quality but also the highest price. RC was quite good, but once tips were added, cost more than P&O. P&O were quite acceptable in both price and quality, but we will continue to review each time we decide to book another cruise.  2 booked this year. Both on P&O. Far from die hards we are more like ' floating voters '.

 

[Presto2]

Sorry if this is off topic, but know of a colleague who did the Canary Islands over Christmas on IONA.

She was not impressed (long story) and will not cruise with P&O again.

I find it sad

[peteukmcr]

23 hours ago, Dentist at Sea said:

Likewise we are now home and dry after what can only be described as an abysmal 14 days cruising on P and O ARVIA     65 cruises and still counting on various cruise lines around the world, this wasn't the worst cruise we have been, it was by far the worst we have been on. It was almost as if it was P and O maiden cruise.. You can gloss over minor complaints what you cannot gloss over is that 61% ( a figure given to me by a senior officer" of dining room staff had never set foot on a cruise before  and boy did it show. Overwhelmed unsure and completely taken by surprise.was how I would put it. The poor service was reflected throughout the ship, from the restaurants to the reception desk. An area so unfit for purpose with such long lines that people if they waited long enough could celebrate their next birthday. I kid you not. Add to this an IT and App system that went terribly wrong and created a perfect storm. I didn't see people leave the ship but I believe a good number decided enough was enough by the time we got to Madeira.  We had the standard outside cabin with balcony which we find  average with glaring omissions No shaver socket, no USB ports a distinct lack of everything in the bath room including glasses and face cloths. Breakfast in bed costs delivery service of £2.50 but don't ask for toast they don't do it. What about some morning tea in a pot? sorry sir not possible make your own with the kettle provided. In truth if I wanted to go camping I wouldn't have brought my Tux  nor would I have spent thousands.!!!!

Lets not forget the no turn  down service or the small chocolates  or towel animals all the nice touches that made cruising so enjoyable. Then the straw that broke the camel's back .a telephone system that any overseas call centre  would have been proud of. Three days into the cruise the cabins were supplied with a telephone directory. A piece of card with three numbers on !!! If you want toilet  rolls or you had a flood . there is no number for housekeeping. Get through to reception ( or as they call themselves the "My holiday experience" who then relay  your message on to housekeeping  who forget all about it. 

Ronan Keating was very good but no matter how many ovations he received didn't make up for the cold soup and the lack of any urgency by P and O to rectify the situation.

Marks out of 10  just 1   It would have been zero  but at least the beds were comfy

D@C

 

USB ports are under the bedside lights. 

[Windsurfboy]

Worrying.

 

We're not going till 2024 , but if reviews stay same will write off £300 deposit. 

[Bazrat]

7 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Having read this thread and those who have put their actual experience of the maiden cruise is damning. Having said that when you get the President in his press statement saying 99-9% had a fantastic cruise and NYE was the best ever and he congratulated magnificent staff will things change.....NO. It is obvious senior managers are happy with the product being sold as is so will not be making any significant, or any, changes. Having said all that people will still carry on sailing with P&O and will not have a wrong word and day they are the best and it is those that P&O will rely on for future bookings. Welcome to the new world of P&O cruising.

 

 

 

 

[Bazrat]

They should really rename this thread those who are no longer sailing with P&O, than you will know what your in for when you start reading it.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Bazrat said:

They should really rename this thread those who are no longer sailing with P&O, than you will know what your in for when you start reading it.

Well I have 2 cruises booked this year on Iona and Arvia and 2 in 2024 on Arvia and Britannia and over 30 cruises since 2000. So I think this gives me reason to have concerns and worry the way P&O are heading.

Edited January 7, 2023 by majortom10

[Bazrat]

2 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Well I have 2 cruises booked this year on Iona and Arvia and 2 in 2024 on At is and Britannia and over 30 cruises since 2000. So I think this gives me reason to have concerns and worry the way P&O are heading.

No problems with your personal concerns we all have them, but the point is and it as been noted on other sites how anti  P&O are on this site

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

It's called drifting and you will find the problems on other lines are glossed over

In my opinion the posts were perfectly valid in the context they were made so I'll leave it at that.  If the posts are removed you will be able to say I told you so but sadly you are just proving my point that posters on CC are so busy contradicting each other and point scoring that even if P&O did choose to look at CC to see how customers felt it wouldn't be worth their while.

[Ardennais]

Just now, Bazrat said:

But you defended princess would you be so willing to do the same with p&o just asking

If, and I stress if, you had read my comments over the years, you will find that I have had fantastic cruises with P&O. Very little reason to complain about anything. I think that I’ve only visited reception twice in 15+ cruises with P&O - once regarding lost property and once regarding a poor excursion experience which was very different to the schedule advertised. Our last cruise with them was just before the pandemic - 35 brilliant nights on Ventura. 
 

We were booked for Iona last September and had to cancel due to family reasons. I was annoyed that Gerianger had been dropped - you will probably recall the discussion at the time and many passengers were rightly annoyed with P&O. I managed to change the booking and will now sail on Iona next month. 
 

The Enchanted Princess cruise was a last minute booking and yes, it was very very good. We unfortunately had to cancel another cruise early last month, again family reasons. That was with FO. 
 

I have no particular loyalty to any cruiseline, as you can see. I will give anyone a go as long as I don’t have to fly and as long as it’s in my price range. We have had fantastic cruises in Cunard, RCI, FO, Carnival, CMV, Princess and NCL too. 
 

I report based on my experience and I will do the same after my Iona cruise. We also have another cruise booked with P&O later in the year.