Arvia - Impressions from Maiden

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, Britboys said:

Having just caught up on the last 2 - 3 pages, boy am I glad I only sail on the two smallest ships and opt for Club Dining 😀.

Re the idea of handing out pagers at bars etc, whilst I can see the sense in that, we are talking P&O IT here. I could forsee countless people turning up at the same time that have all been allocated the same table.....

In fairness I've often had a pager on Britannia over the years before they added extra tables for 2.  However the queue to be given this was short, at most a handful of people so no huge queues.  Often you'd head to a bar and before you got there you'd be paged.  When you returned to the restaurant the allocation of the table still led to a discussion between staff as to where you were going - it appeared to depend on which section the available waiter was allocated to not who you were.

 

Looking at the photographs that's not what's been happening on Arvia.   Obviously the dodgy technology hasn't helped and hopefully it will get better but it still looks as if it's the idea of absolutely everyone being able to queue either by app or by pager that's been the problem to date. 6,000 into 1,000 or whatever simply doesn't work. The app users are arriving with no table free so they're waiting, the walk ins are queuing to get in as well.

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I was under the impression that you could reserve a table for more people than were in your cabin? Can someone confirm one way or the other? We are going on Iona with both our adult children and I was rather hoping that I could leave it to them to book a table for all of us each evening. Like many people, one thing that I love about cruising is not having to carry a phone around with me. It goes in the cabin safe once we leave Southampton and only comes out on port days!

We were 10 on Britannia last year and each had to reserve separately.  Not sure if that was covid related or is still in place.

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

We were 10 on Britannia last year and each had to reserve separately.  Not sure if that was covid related or is still in place.

So as we have 3 cabins, each with 2 passengers, how do we book one table for 6?

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Getting the pager doesn't (or at least it doesn't on other ships) put you at the back of the queue.  What it does is register you on the restaurant computer as waiting for a table and needing to be sat.  You do not become secondary to the app users.  The app users being given pagers is purely to try to clear the area which becomes overcrowded and not moving.  I've never come across this type of queuing with or without apps, telephones or medallions on any of ships, P&O or  anyone else. 

 

The app is very vague as well. It doesn't say you've got a reservation at x time, it merely indicates a time your table should be due, it's not a reservation per se such as you mentioned for land based restaurants.  The app is an algorithm apparently working on the idea a certain number of people will want to dine between two times and it allocates accordingly.

 

The most popular times to dine are from 7.00 to 7.30pm onwards judging by comments on these boards.  This would tally with on club dining the early sitting is too early for many while others state 8.30 too late.  With only freedom dining on offer it is inevitable that only having two MDRs will cause pressure points between 7.00 and 8.30pm.

 

If Auntie Ethel and her ilk go to dine at 6.30pm regardless of using the app she's taking up a seat in the restaurant in the lead up to the big rush.  There's an interesting article this month on one of the US travel forums about RC new menus and aim to make the whole dinner experience last 75 minutes.  Even by shortening the menu and adding staff they haven't been able to meet that target.  They have concluded 90 minutes minimum is required.

 

As you work in the food/dining industry you are of course familiar with table turning, ie a set amount of time for your tables to be occupied.  Ironically you have no control over how long your tables are occupied with freedom dining, with club dining and set times you did. Auntie Ethel may therefore enjoy a very long leisurely meal, maybe with a large group she's just met and occupy your table way past 90 minutes.

 

I note you say you pay to jump queues, I assume like the Disney Genie.  If you read into this in depth you will see that it's introduction has had a detrimental effect on a lot of visitors to Disney who simply are stopping travelling to parks due to the artificial queues of 4 hours plus the procedure is causing at peak times.  Park admissions are as a result going down with the comtomitent effect the prices are going up despite the new add on revenue source. One person paying a million bucks once probably sounds good but Chuck x 100,000 visiting multiple times will raise more cash over the long term.

 

Eglesbrech mentioned the MSC approach and you marked it as a like.  You referred elsewhere to the cheap fares.  If P&O adopted the MSC idea (which I personally think is good) late bookers such as you indicate would have to take what's on offer at the time of booking - which always happened before Arvia/Iona appeared with their freedom free for all.  Progress might be one step too far on this occasion?

 

Yorkypete makes a point elsewhere that the buffet on Iona was extremely busy at night.  I'd be interested in whether this is purely by choice or due to difficulties actually getting in to the main dining rooms.

 

Lots of stuff there Megabear

 

When I've personally used the app before I've chosen the MDR to join the queue for based on how many people are in the virtual queue 

 

I actually join the longest queue rather than the shortest one whilst we are getting ready to leave the cabin

 

To give us time to get a cocktail etc

 

I've then watched myself rise in the queue (sometimes quicker than expected) and so exited the queue and started lower down again!!

 

Sometimes you get to the top of the queue and still need time. But it says you have 15 minutes to get to the restaurant so that helps

 

To date I've never waited on arrival more than a couple of minutes or had to take a pager having been in a virtual queue

 

Will report back if that changes for us in Feb

 

The fact you can see a queue going down ahead of you suggests to me this is more than just an estimate as to when a table will be free. Otherwise they could just tell you when to arrive immediately you join the virtual queue?

 

Maybe the pagers are different and maybe they aren't linked into the virtual app

 

If so no wonder it gets chaotic at busy times

 

 

[Megabear2]

21 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Maybe the pagers are different and maybe they aren't linked into the virtual app

 

If so no wonder it gets chaotic at busy times

I understand they are just basic pagers the same as on other ships so not linked in any way.  To be fair I dine early so never had a problem apart from wanting a table for 2.  I'm pretty sure it's just the staff looking into the computer when the staff state a readiness of a table.

 

I have had a pager on Celebrity and the queue is so small they have a couple of settees to sit on outside the restaurant next to the check in area.  On Arvia I think that there's no way it would work like that.  I have a personal suspicion they built the corridor specifically because they did anticipate quite large volumes waiting, if even only for a short period.

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I understand they are just basic pagers the same as on other ships so not linked in any way.  To be fair I dine early so never had a problem apart from wanting a table for 2.  I'm pretty sure it's just the staff looking into the computer when the staff state a readiness of a table.

 

I have had a pager on Celebrity and the queue is so small they have a couple of settees to sit on outside the restaurant next to the check in area.  On Arvia I think that there's no way it would work like that.  I have a personal suspicion they built the corridor specifically because they did anticipate quite large volumes waiting, if even only for a short period.

 

On Christmas Day the restaurant manager must have taken a look and said

 

"We're going to need a bigger corridor"

[NavyPanda]

50 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

So as we have 3 cabins, each with 2 passengers, how do we book one table for 6?

 

I've not used the P&O App, but I've used the Cunard app before which I understand is the same but just with different branding. 

 

Although we were on fixed dining in the evening, at lunchtime we could reserve a table for 2, 4, 6 or 8.   Since no cabins on the ship allow more than 4 guests then one assumes that people can book tables for 4, 6, 8 even if there is only two of you in the cabin. 

[Selbourne]

9 minutes ago, NavyPanda said:

 

I've not used the P&O App, but I've used the Cunard app before which I understand is the same but just with different branding. 

 

Although we were on fixed dining in the evening, at lunchtime we could reserve a table for 2, 4, 6 or 8.   Since no cabins on the ship allow more than 4 guests then one assumes that people can book tables for 4, 6, 8 even if there is only two of you in the cabin. 

That’s what I thought. Thanks for confirming. It wouldn’t make sense if you couldn’t book a table for your group. 

[DamianG]

3 hours ago, zap99 said:

We join the virtual queue when getting ready for dinner.  Sometimes we are told the table is ready before we leave the cabin, in which case the phone gets left behind, if not it goes with us. No big deal. If folk don't want to use the app, fine, but they should queue in a separate area.

 

This is what we did on Iona last April. Everything worked fine for us so we hope that things improve on Arvia (which we are due to sail on in August).

 

My only very slight grumble about booking dinner on the app was having to wait in a queue at our dining venue of choice on a handful of occasions despite having received the notification that our table was ready. Each time it appeared that we were waiting behind walk ups who hadn't booked, so I'd agree that some kind of separate arrangement should be in place for such passengers who don't have a reservation for whatever reason.

Edited January 20, 2023 by DamianG

[zap99]

46 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

This is what we did on Iona last April. Everything worked fine for us so we hope that things improve on Arvia (which we are due to sail on in August).

 

My only very slight grumble about booking dinner on the app was having to wait in a queue at our dining venue of choice on a handful of occasions despite having received the notification that our table was ready. Each time it appeared that we were waiting behind walk ups who hadn't booked, so I'd agree that some kind of separate arrangement should be in place for such passengers who don't have a reservation for whatever reason.

We had a few issues in 2020 when it was new. Last year on Britannia it worked fine. Only hiccup was it not refreshing itself all the time, occasionally needing a little ' nudge ".

[happy v]

I've read through all the post, and my head is spinning.

Only thing I can come up with is time.

Two systems will have to run until all the un apped can cruise no longer. Then all the 'bright young folk', with phones attached to the end of their arms can take over the ships.

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, zap99 said:

Often you can't get bookings in speciality restaurants. Just like on land, things fill up ,so you need to be flexible,just like on land.

Fair enough re speciality restaurants, if you can’t book then that’s that.
 

The issue appears to be access to the MDR which we have all paid for in full as part of our cruise fair.

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, UKsatcom said:

I am sure the dining issue will rage on and on.

 

Meanwhile a few pages back I mentioned "erroneous" charges to registered credit/debit cards post disembarkation.

 

A few of you responded and it was obvious this had been happening , unnoticed , for some time and with other carriers.

 

After requesting a refund post Arvia cruise I had the opportunity to bring it up with senior management The matter is to be investigated.

Meanwhile.....did anyone else get this email from P&O this morning?

 

.

You may have noticed that an additional charge has been made against the credit/debit card used for payment of your on board account, following your cruise on board Arvia.  We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and would like to assure you that any incorrect charges have been refunded and will be credited to your card, if you have any questions please contact your card provider. Once again, we do apologise for any confusion caused.  Kind regards, P&O Cruises   Not had one of these before and suspect could be as a result of my discussion .   Check you accounts ..... look for that extra unaccountable charge and please let me know if you find one.

Sounds like another P&O IT glitch, I wonder if anyone ever gets sacked, or just promoted out of the way.  I wonder if Paul Ludlow ever worked in IT?😜

[Megabear2]

We now seem to have four threads all dealing with these dining issues, this one, food on Iona, food on Ventura and cutbacks on P&O.  Perhaps we could ask Sharon to organise them all into one thread re restaurants and dining before it gets too complicated?

[Dermotsgirl]

I used to be one of the 'leave my phone in the safe' crowd, but that was before I started using a smart phone.

 

Now, I'm 'why would I leave it in the safe' crowd.  It's my camera, it records my daily steps, it's got my puzzles and music on it.  I still use my Kindle for reading, but I could do that on the phone as well if I wanted. 

 

I'd be happy using an app to do things on board..... but my perception of the P&O app (I know it's not really an app) is that it's flaky and unreliable.

 

There are various reasons why I haven't wanted to go back to P&O yet, and the app is one of them.  If it was reliable and meant I could just saunter into the MDR at my allotted time it would be an asset, but I'm not sure if this is the case just yet. 

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

This is what we did on Iona last April. Everything worked fine for us so we hope that things improve on Arvia (which we are due to sail on in August).

 

My only very slight grumble about booking dinner on the app was having to wait in a queue at our dining venue of choice on a handful of occasions despite having received the notification that our table was ready. Each time it appeared that we were waiting behind walk ups who hadn't booked, so I'd agree that some kind of separate arrangement should be in place for such passengers who don't have a reservation for whatever reason.

Agree entirely with that

 

Otherwise why use the app ?

[Interestedcruisefan]

31 minutes ago, happy v said:

I've read through all the post, and my head is spinning.

Only thing I can come up with is time.

Two systems will have to run until all the un apped can cruise no longer. Then all the 'bright young folk', with phones attached to the end of their arms can take over the ships.

 

 

By then we will all have microchips implanted in our ears and our ear lobes will buzz and go bright red when the table is ready

 

(Some of us probably won't even notice the buzzing hence the need for the flashing red light so someone else nearby can tell us it's time to go and eat)

 

Ps if they ever do sort the dining system what else will we be able to queue for instead?

 

It's tradition on cruises to have to queue for something isn't it?

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

By then we will all have microchips implanted in our ears and our ear lobes will buzz when the table is ready

 

 

Did you watch Years and Years?  A very dangerous proposition that one!

I can auure you I'll be long gone before I'd accept microchips in my body.

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I'll be long gone before I'd accept microchips 

Is that another cut back in the MDR?

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

By then we will all have microchips implanted in our ears and our ear lobes will buzz and go bright red when the table is ready

 

(Some of us probably won't even notice the buzzing hence the need for the flashing red light so someone else nearby can tell us it's time to go and eat)

 

Ps if they ever do sort the dining system what else will we be able to queue for instead?

 

It's tradition on cruises to have to queue for something isn't it?

 

In 50+ cruises I've never queued for anything for long bar an ice cream when a lady couldn't decide on her flavours.  There's queues which are quite normal but nothing untoward.  I hope my Iona cruise isn't going to destroy my faith!

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, yorkshirephil said:

Is that another cut back in the MDR?

Well I suppose they could give me a microwave to do some McCain micro chips ... would go well with my fish finger sandwich mentioned on another thread by someone.

[Eglesbrech]

19 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

It's tradition on cruises to have to queue for something isn't it

Not if it can be avoided, no. Life is too short to waste it in a queue.

 

The bigger the ships have got the more pinch points there are but it doesn’t have to be the case. Someone just has to design them out of the system. 
 

Some good old fashioned systems thinking based on an average customer journey would be a good starting point.

[happy v]

59 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

We now seem to have four threads all dealing with these dining issues, this one, food on Iona, food on Ventura and cutbacks on P&O.  Perhaps we could ask Sharon to organise them all into one thread re restaurants and dining before it gets too complicated?

Before it gets complicated????? 🙂

[Harry Peterson]

50 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Did you watch Years and Years?  A very dangerous proposition that one!

I can auure you I'll be long gone before I'd accept microchips in my body.

Yes. Chilling.

[happy v]

One cruise on Oriana. Long before apps. There was a queue. Being British I obviously went to see what for. It was the queue to get into the restaurant. It was 5.30pm! Apparently all the old dears wanted their favourite seat.