After a fantastic flight on British Airways business class and two glorious days at the Barbados Beach Club, it was time to move on. I took a taxi to Barbados port and Boarded the P&O Arvia for a transatlantic journey to Southampton, UK.
Note: I can’t believe the random person I asked to take my photo above as I joined the ship. He lived only around the corner from me. It’s a small world.
This is a review of my personal experience travelling solo in Arvia. It’s a big, friendly ship. Combined with solo meet-ups and extensive entertainment, you can’t fail to make a few friends if you wish to.
I was allowed to access my cabin within half an hour of boarding. Balcony, midship, level 10. I chose my cabin carefully and paid for the select fare rather than saver. On saver, you can’t choose your cabin, but it is a cheaper price.
Generally, I find the onboard credit compensates for the fare difference. It was well appointed with the usuals: a fridge, tea and coffee-making facilities, a sofa bed, and a TV opposite the bed. I find P & O's choices of TV stations and films to be the best of any cruise line.
The films are the same ones you could see in The Studio, the on-board 3-screen cinema. You need to watch the safety video on the screen and get marked off at your muster station.
The plug sockets are EU and UK, and there’s a USB socket under your bedside lamp. On the balcony, there are two chairs and a table - the perfect place to have your first cuppa as you watch the gentle waves of the Caribbean.
The bathroom is as you’d expect: it has a large mirror, plenty of towels, and shelves for toiletries. However, there is no toothbrush or shaver charger, so you need an adaptor.
So if you are on a saver fare your cabin is allocated near to departure. You could end up with this; see the photo below. It’s on the promenade, deck 8. It wouldn’t matter to some, but I wouldn’t want people peering into my cabin and balcony.
It’s important to me, as I may spend some time in my cabin travelling solo. There is no view on deck 8 other than of passing guests. Also, watch out for deck 5. Cabins on deck 5 are in the hull of the ship.
If the weather gets bad, the crew will close your balcony doors. It will be less rocky, though, and it’s handy for getting on and off the ship when in port. I hope that helps you decide if you favour a balcony.
If you travel solo like me, you could always opt for a single cabin, but they are very small and not always substantially cheaper.
Arvia is the biggest ship in the P&O fleet. It accommodates 5,200 and up, depending on the third and fourth occupation. It has 19 decks. It’s the sister ship of Iona but has a few more sparkly sunshine additions, including this swim-up bar.
Arvia has four pools, plus the Thermal suite pool in the spa. On deck 18, there’s the Beachcomber and the Panorama pool. On 16 the Infinity pool and the SkyDome pool, which has a retractable roof. I enjoyed the SkyDome pool, but unfortunately, as soon as we left the Caribbean, the roof was closed making it a bit stuffy.
Arvia is a fun ship; the programme is quite extensive. In the photo above, you can see Wallace and Gromit, which is fun for the children and offers many photo opportunities.
I enjoyed the entertainment on Arvia. On my favourite evening, I joined some other solo friends in The Limelight Club, a ticketed venue. We had a great three-course meal and saw La Voix, a comedian and singer. Fabulous.
A large tiered venue for singers, dancers, comedies, game shows and the Headliner show. Look out for the Take That musical, Greatest Days. All were excellent. There are usually 2 or 3 performances to fit around your dinner times. I joined a few others, and we never had a problem finding seats. All locations were good
This is an intimate musical venue. Gary Barlow is the musical director of this club. It offers opportunities for up-and-coming musicians to perform. It is a great venue for lovers of British music. Gary Barlow has been on board Iona and is performing some charity performances in September and October 24. Arvia is the sister ship to Iona. They both have a 710 Club.
It’s a great venue where you can dance to the resident band, The Pulse. It gets very busy, as a lot of people tend to remain there the whole evening. It’s also used for comedians. There’s a large bar, and the bar crew is run off their feet, taking orders. If you're travelling solo and you like to dance, just get on that floor; you’ll be part of a crowd.
Over the pool, the small stages and moveable platforms spring to life with dancers and acrobatic acts. There are music trivia quizzes and movies on the big screen. There’s usually a guitarist performing in between. There are seats on several levels to watch the show.
My most memorable fun time here was in St Kitts, where we were moored opposite Brittania, and when both ships were getting ready to depart, it turned into a big party and a dance-off between the two ships.
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Brodies is a venue like a British pub. It hosts many quizzes and has a pool table and dart board. It gets very busy, and it was hard to find somewhere to sit. You need to get there early if you want to participate in the quiz.
The Crows Lounge is on deck 17. It’s a sophisticated area in the evenings. A good place to meet friends and have a cocktail. There’s a pianist and singer, but nothing overwhelming to make conversation difficult. Quite often, the solo meetups are held here in the mornings.
If you want something low-key, visit the Amber Lounge. There’s usually a pianist or a guitarist to add to the ambience.
It's a great place to sit and chat with friends. The Grand Atrium spans levels 6, 7, and 8. Occasionally, there will be aerial acts and silent discos.
The sunset bar is on deck 8 at the aft of the ship. If the weather is good, it’s a great place to chill and watch the ship's wake and the disappearing land. In the evenings, there would be a D J at Sail Away.
P & O are brilliant at keeping the children entertained. My granddaughter has taken advantage of the club on Iona. They love it. It’s called the Reef. They divide the children into age groups of 2 to 4, 5 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 17. Providing areas appropriate for their ages. There’s also a complimentary night nursery.
Splash Valley is a fun place to be, where kids and families can run through the water on a hot day or find shade.
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Unique to Arvia is an escape room set out like a submarine. It’s a simulation with 3D surroundings depicting an underwater challenge. You must overcome obstacles and solve puzzles to escape. You are taken to the bottom of the ocean through canyons.
A boutique cinema with three screens showing the latest blockbuster, I love this place. It’s a good place to escape from a busy ship.
It is so extensive. I never had a bad meal, and a few that were good. I particularly liked the 6th Street Diner. It's an American Diner with fantastic burgers, waffles and pancakes for breakfast.
I also loved The Beach House. It was themed to Carribben, and a lot of people tried the goat. Desert was brilliant, I couldn't move afterwards.
That's my brief view of Arvia. It's a fun ship. In my next article, I'll summarise the ports we visited and my experience crossing the Atlantic in rough seas.
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