ann141 Posted July 21 #1 Share Posted July 21 We are thinking of booking a cruise on Arcadia. We have sailed on her pre COVID and thought she was fine but recent reviews seem to imply lots of problems with leaks/ blocked toilets etc. We were on Ventura in February this year and although P and O have stopped certain things we still enjoyed our cruise. Has anyone sailed on Arcadia recently who can offer an opinion. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchileLauro Posted July 22 #2 Share Posted July 22 We eventually tried Arcadia for the first time in May this year. Yes she is looking more than a bit tired, no tatty/grubby in places, but we thought that generally the design of the ship suited us even if it didn't come up to the standards of Aurora which is easily our favourite ship. We were also aware that Arcadia may have some issues with the plumbing system evidenced by the failure of toilets to flush. A problem that seemed to arise in various locations throughout the ship. It would be a bit unfair for us to judge the ship fully because our cruise was a short three day cruise and spoiled for us by a lot of large single sex groups who treated it as a booze cruise with some very raucous behavior at times. We have experienced a short three day cruise to Amsterdam only a few months earlier on Aurora, and very much enjoyed it but this cruise on Arcadia certainly had an entirely different passenger make up. Never again will we even consider a short break cruise, far from pleasant, well it certainly was on Arcadia. Perhaps on Aurora the crew are less tolerant of bad behavior. On our short Arcadia cruise staffing levels were evidently a real problem, with very long delays to be served in nearly all the bars. We were also disappointed that some areas of the ship, East bar for instance, much to my annoyance had been taken out of service for the duration of the cruise. Would we consider sailing on Arcadia again? Well yes maybe, but only on longer cruises where the other passengers are likely to be more thoughtful and less determined to drink the ship dry. She's not up to the standard of Aurora but for us undoubtedly superior to the larger newer ships of the fleet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathygh Posted July 22 #3 Share Posted July 22 I think Arcadia is due for a refit in November, hopefully that will resolve some of the issues. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchileLauro Posted July 22 #4 Share Posted July 22 39 minutes ago, Cathygh said: I think Arcadia is due for a refit in November, hopefully that will resolve some of the issues. Well in addition to sorting out the plumbing on the ship I hope that they do something to improve the dreadfully inadequate Belvedere buffet. On our short cruise the Belvedere was either absolutely ram packed full and it was impossible to get to a counter never mind find a seat, or the blinds were down and it was closed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplesea Posted July 22 #5 Share Posted July 22 I have read your comments with interest as we have a cruise booked in November. It will be our first time on Arcadia, but not the first time with P&O. Our cruise is for 16 nights, so hopefully we will not experiences like above. There was a short cruise on her itinerary after her refit, but before ours, but it seems to have disappeared. So it looks like our cruise is the first after her refit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
showingdiva Posted July 22 #6 Share Posted July 22 (edited) 1 hour ago, AchileLauro said: Well in addition to sorting out the plumbing on the ship I hope that they do something to improve the dreadfully inadequate Belvedere buffet. On our short cruise the Belvedere was either absolutely ram packed full and it was impossible to get to a counter never mind find a seat, or the blinds were down and it was closed. I haven't been on Arcadia post-covid, but prior to that enjoyed a lot of cruises on her of varying lengths, including her maiden. She's still my favourite ship in their fleet, and despite having since left P&O for numerous reasons, I will always have a soft spot for her. However .. whilst I certainly don't look at any ship with rose coloured spectacles, I don't understand the buffet being ram packed, let alone closed. In fact, I always felt that even at full passenger numbers, she was a ship where it was never difficult to get a seat, get a drink, have a meal without carrying a pager, standing in a queue etc. So, what has happened? Edited July 22 by showingdiva Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulatsea Posted July 22 #7 Share Posted July 22 1 hour ago, Cathygh said: I think Arcadia is due for a refit in November, hopefully that will resolve some of the issues. Nov 7-25 refurb I believe. Be interesting to see what is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplesea Posted July 22 #8 Share Posted July 22 3 minutes ago, paulatsea said: Nov 7-25 refurb I believe. Be interesting to see what is done. Those were the dates that I have seen, but the 25th November cruise seems to have dropped on the itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecttr Posted July 22 #9 Share Posted July 22 1 hour ago, AchileLauro said: Well in addition to sorting out the plumbing on the ship I hope that they do something to improve the dreadfully inadequate Belvedere buffet. On our short cruise the Belvedere was either absolutely ram packed full and it was impossible to get to a counter never mind find a seat, or the blinds were down and it was closed. IMO the worst buffet in the P&O fleet. Two problems come to mind. 1. Arcadia has no senior staff mess so part of the seating and serveries is cordoned off in the evening. 2. Numbers of lower staff grades that are allowed to eat in the buffet can arrive like a plague of locusts and strip the serveries of the best food. Ever had beef in black bean sauce without any beef? The beef had been fished out of the sauce by 3 staff members. How about the last two sandwiches being taken by a staff member, when I complained he put one back, with his hand. Passengers should ALWAYS get priority, after all we are PAYING. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchileLauro Posted July 22 #10 Share Posted July 22 2 hours ago, davecttr said: IMO the worst buffet in the P&O fleet. Two problems come to mind. 1. Arcadia has no senior staff mess so part of the seating and serveries is cordoned off in the evening. 2. Numbers of lower staff grades that are allowed to eat in the buffet can arrive like a plague of locusts and strip the serveries of the best food. Ever had beef in black bean sauce without any beef? The beef had been fished out of the sauce by 3 staff members. How about the last two sandwiches being taken by a staff member, when I complained he put one back, with his hand. Passengers should ALWAYS get priority, after all we are PAYING. That's terrible and totally unacceptable behaviour by the crew. The way that some of the passengers behave on occasion is bad enough but they should be setting an example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AchileLauro Posted July 22 #11 Share Posted July 22 2 hours ago, showingdiva said: I haven't been on Arcadia post-covid, but prior to that enjoyed a lot of cruises on her of varying lengths, including her maiden. She's still my favourite ship in their fleet, and despite having since left P&O for numerous reasons, I will always have a soft spot for her. However .. whilst I certainly don't look at any ship with rose coloured spectacles, I don't understand the buffet being ram packed, let alone closed. In fact, I always felt that even at full passenger numbers, she was a ship where it was never difficult to get a seat, get a drink, have a meal without carrying a pager, standing in a queue etc. So, what has happened? Only ever sailed on Arcadia for one short cruise so can only comment on what we witnessed on that cruise. Both my wife and I were of the opinion that crewing issues or rather the lack of sufficient crew numbers appeared to be the main issue. Sailing at maximum capacity with insufficient serving staff perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann141 Posted July 22 Author #12 Share Posted July 22 Thank you for your replies. The cruise we are considering is in October so before the refit but it is for 19 nights so hopefully too long a cruise for large groups on a stag/hen party Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike x ftc Posted July 22 #13 Share Posted July 22 We've sailed on Arcadia 4 times and the last time will definitely be out last. Our toilet kept stopping working - for hours on end, our friends actually overflowed onto the floor, guest services were not helpful at all, not once did any apologise. Over the years they have added far too many cabins to her without changing the dining room and there are relentless queues every night, all you hear is buzzers going off for hours on end! The self service is always packed with limited choice of food. There is a dreadful lack of staff in all the bars and restaurants, and the ship is simply not well maintained (IMO!) I have 2 more P&O cruises booked so I haven't given up on them, they're just not on their older ships. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sarah1974 Posted July 23 #14 Share Posted July 23 I did a 16 night cruise on Arcadia last August / September. I had read the reviews after booking and prior to the cruise and was anxious about the issues I'd heard about. I have to say we had a fantastic time and did not encounter any of the problems I'd read about. Wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again. A refit is scheduled for November this year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann141 Posted July 23 Author #15 Share Posted July 23 45 minutes ago, Sarah1974 said: I did a 16 night cruise on Arcadia last August / September. I had read the reviews after booking and prior to the cruise and was anxious about the issues I'd heard about. I have to say we had a fantastic time and did not encounter any of the problems I'd read about. Wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again. A refit is scheduled for November this year. Thank you. That's encouraging to hear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillme Posted July 23 #16 Share Posted July 23 We’re recently back from 16 nights on Arcadia and it was really good. There was one occasion when our toilet wasn’t flushing properly but we rang reception and 15 minutes later when we left the cabin the engineer was already in the corridor fixing it. We’re on her again for 30 nights in September and looking forward to it. Hope this reassures you in some way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann141 Posted July 23 Author #17 Share Posted July 23 30 minutes ago, gillme said: We’re recently back from 16 nights on Arcadia and it was really good. There was one occasion when our toilet wasn’t flushing properly but we rang reception and 15 minutes later when we left the cabin the engineer was already in the corridor fixing it. We’re on her again for 30 nights in September and looking forward to it. Hope this reassures you in some way. Really reassuring to hear thank you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire Blue Posted July 23 #18 Share Posted July 23 6 hours ago, Sarah1974 said: I did a 16 night cruise on Arcadia last August / September. I had read the reviews after booking and prior to the cruise and was anxious about the issues I'd heard about. I have to say we had a fantastic time and did not encounter any of the problems I'd read about. Wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again. A refit is scheduled for November this year. Likewise we did an 18 night cruise in November 2023 and had no problems whatsoever. Whilst not quite as good as Aurora, she is much better than the big ships and being "all adult" means no children. I am not against children (I've had three of my own but now prefer to cruise with adults only). No sign of the booze cruise types on any cruise more than 3 or 4 nights so you will be fine. The only issue for us on a longer cruise is the limited speciality restaurants - only 2 plus a pop up glass house on some sea days. We like to eat in the speciality restaurants every other night (MDR on the other nights) so having only the two available for dinner can be limiting. I hope a further restaurant (Beach House or permanent Glass House) will be added in the refurb. She was perhaps looking in need of a minor refit in some places (and pleased to see this is scheduled shortly) but nothing major. We would book again without hesitation Enjoy 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanlyon Posted July 23 #19 Share Posted July 23 We are on her in October and get back on November 7th. Haven't sailed on her in 10 years, but it was a good deal with a lot of OBC and free parking. So we will see how we find her. Speciality restaurants don't bother us and we mostly eat in the MDR, although if Aurora is anything to go by, the food was very boring for our taste, but luckily I don't cruise for the food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsmt47471015 Posted July 23 #20 Share Posted July 23 Having spent 99 nights on her in January its fair to say that in that amount of time you tend to notice things you probably wouldn't on a normal length cruise, there is no doubt she has lacked serious investment in certain areas (seating in the rising sun were way past their useful life ,in fairness we did not frequent that venue often) the public toilets' were a constant issue ( not working or blocked) carpets in some areas were ready for replacing and paintwork again in certain areas needed refurbishment , one major problem was leaking ceilings in the belvedere with towels often laid out on the floor, the upper decks had water under them and the mock flooring did bubble up when it rained , and our balcony was in a poor state with severely worn fixtures. All this should not detract from the fact that she is an older ship and has been mentioned is due a refit ,quite what will be done during this work is an unknown factor but mention on our cruise was that most of the work was to be mechanical not cosmetic. This was our fourth time on Arcadia and we did enjoy our cruise but it has to be said that upgrading needs to be done for her to compete with other lines who appear to have bigger budgets to keep their older vessels in good repair. We are on Aurora next which appears to have aged better than Arcadia. Hope you have a wonderful cruise and enjoy all Arcadia has to offer😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann141 Posted July 23 Author #21 Share Posted July 23 Thank you for your replies.We mainly cruise for the itinerary so as long as our cabin isn't one with constant problems we will probably enjoy the cruise. Ventura had poor reviews but when we were cruised on her in February we thought she was ok and we enjoyed our cruise.Like you Jean as long as the food is edible that is ok with us( we don't tend to book speciality restaurants) Hopefully as we won't have high expectations we won't be disappointed . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Cruise Posted July 23 #22 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 10 hours ago, Sarah1974 said: I did a 16 night cruise on Arcadia last August / September. I had read the reviews after booking and prior to the cruise and was anxious about the issues I'd heard about. I have to say we had a fantastic time and did not encounter any of the problems I'd read about. Wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again. A refit is scheduled for November this year. We did 19 nights on Arcadia in June and had such a great time we booked another 19 nights for next year. Edited July 23 by Pete Cruise misspelling 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexMcSpot Posted July 24 #23 Share Posted July 24 We are new to cruising with only two so far, Arcadia last year and Arvia this year, two vastly different ships and two vastly different experiences. If we had believed all the negativity we would probably not bothered going on either, but we went on both with open minds and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. If you go looking for faults, you will almost certainly find them. For the record we would have no hesitation in booking on either of the two ships we have been on, if the itinerary suited us, but would probably favour Arcadia. We look forward to trying other ships, and maybe cruise lines in the future. Oh and we've already booked two more cruises on Arcadia. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisdriving Posted July 24 #24 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Was on Arcadia to Iceland for 16 nights last August, we had a pretty poor opinion of the ship, plenty of leaks onboard, vibrates like crazy in some places and poorly laid out. Prefer Aurora by far, but tbh we do not really care about the ship as such, it is just a method of transport so long as it gets us there it will do. We would book on it again if a suitable holiday came up. Edited July 24 by Chrisdriving 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouncingWheel Posted July 24 #25 Share Posted July 24 Arcadia was full of leaks last year when we were on it with lots of buckets around and the leaks from the ceiling in the buffet the worst. If that could be fixed in the refurbishment then she would be a nice ship. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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