Arcadia

On the plus side, the food was amazing and the communal facilities including the gym, pools and cinema were excellent. The communal areas had clearly benefitted from a recent refurbishment. However, the plumbing was not good as toilets frequently got blocked. Repairs also took a long time to arrange, as we had to wait two days for a functional shower. The cabin and bathroom were in a poor state, with taped and cracked lights, a stained and cracked shower bottom and damaged mirrors. They should have refreshed all of this long ago. However, the bed was very comfortable, inside cabin space was adequate and the air con worked well. I thought the activities on the ship were really good too, and included lots of health and fitness such as meditation and pilates, and several daily quizzes. The library was well stocked with books, games and puzzles. It was very much aimed at the 'typical Brits abroad market/kiss me quick hat brigade, but that may have been the particular route we chose.

My least favourite ship now. The cabin was dark, dank and needed a coat of paint and a new bathroom. Tfa walks had dirty Mark's all over them where old pictures used to be and the bathroom cabinet mirror was rusty beyond belief. The noise and vibration woke us up every morning at 6.45 am and so it was impossible to have a leisurely life in! The worst of all was what is now known as the 'Arcadia Whiff' - the smell of sewers in the public areas, especially in the piano bar became unbearable at times. No improvement since we complained about it 9 months ago when we had the same problems. I will no longer use this ship.

Arcadia is an adult only ship and therefore it is no surprise most passengers are much older than other ships. As such the entertainment is mostly geared up for those passengers with much more easy listening music and shows. The plus side of course is that it is a much quieter and sedate experience. If you want a lively atmosphere and modern pop music this isn't the ship for you. I've seen a few bad reviews from those on the preceding cruise (99 night World cruise), reporting widespread sickness and very poor food. I can happily report I didn't experience either on this 19 night itinerary. Yes there were a lot of coughs and colds, but no more than you'd expect amongst 2000 older passengers at this time of the year. Food was no different to the other P&O ships I've been on (Ventura, Brittania and Aurora). The buffet is somewhat limited in choice and not always brilliant quality, but it's ok. The poolside grill offers burgers, chicken goujons and fish and chips cooked fresh to order. There is also a made to order sandwich bar. Both compliment the buffet at lunch times well. The menu in the MDR has plenty of options, but too often all the choices on a particular evening are too samey (ie lots of fish choices, or all quite fussy or rich dishes). That said, there is always plain sirloin steak, salmon or roast chicken. It's also possible to get a simple omelette if you want it. Portion sizes are on the small side. Same as most lines these days, but when serving fish and chips, 5 small chips are not enough! The waiters are always happy to bring you more and the simple solution is to order extra potato or veg in the first place. I even ordered two currys for myself one night as I knew the portion would be small and it was my favourite dish. Not a problem at all, the waiters couldn't be more accommodating. We always asked for the next night's menu to check there were choices for everyone in my group. If there wasn't, it was possible to pre-order a dish from the lunch time menu instead. So there's not really an excuse to go without or be unhappy with your food choices; just ask for what you want. The ship is 15 years old now and despite a minor refresh in 2017, some areas do show their age. A lot of public spaces have been spruced up and the decor is in keeping with newer P&O ships. Most carpets have been replaced but some are stained, as are some wall panels in accomodation corridors. The ship does creak and groan quite badly in anything more than a slight sea. It was particularly bad on B deck, port side around B58-B52. The roof over the midship pool was out of action on this cruise and was being repaired by contractors for most of the cruise. It should be fixed by now, but it was a real shame as the weather was rubbish and if they had been able to close it, it would have made the solarium a nice place to relax. There are some rather unpleasant smells around the midship atrium at times, but this isn't just an Arcadia problem. I've experienced it on many ships. There did seem to be quite a lot of leaks all over Arcadia with blowers, towels and buckets often dotted around. The windows in the Crows Nest leak badly in severe weather resulting in damp smells in places and sections being cordoned off. The weather during this cruise was diabolical. Can't blame P&O for that! The Med can be unpredictable at this time of year, but the Captain kept telling us Arcadia copes well in rough seas, but I wasn't so sure. Admittedly we were sailing through extreme conditions - force 11-12 winds (yes, really!) and the ship did keep going, but it wasn't comfortable. A gust of over 100 mph caught us on the starboard side at one point causing a severe and sustained list to port. The Captain came on to reassure us everything was ok and the ship soon came back under control. It was a little concerning, but it was good that the Captain reassured us. I experienced something similar on an RCI ship and there was no mention of it by the Captain. The itinerary was pretty good and I was glad that the Captain ploughed on through the bad weather to get us to all the ports on time. The staff were all very good at their jobs and friendly enough. There was a sense that everyone was overworked and didn't seem to have time to fully engage with passengers. Probably a sign that the ship is understaffed. All in all Arcadia isn't going to be for everyone. If you like a quieter ship and enjoy the company of mostly senior citizens, along with all the usual P&O Britishness, then you might just enjoy it.