Arvia - Accessible Balcony Cabin No. 11534 (GA grade)

Arvia Cruise Review to Caribbean

TigerB

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 49

Overall rating:

4.4 out of 5

Caribbean

Sail date: January 06, 2023

Ship: Arvia

Cabin number: 11534

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

CABIN REVIEWED IN RELEVANT SECTION Other Aspects (not mentioned elsewhere): Access for wheelchairs around the ship is very good, and a lot of doors are automatic. There are plenty of accessible toilets, and all have automatic doors, the only downside of which is that you have to wait a few seconds for the door to close; if you try and force it shut, it will open again. For most of the cruise, at each bank of lifts, forward, middle and aft, there were at least two out of service, occasionally three or four. I don’t know the reason for that, but it made for some interesting moments when folk would run for them as if their lives depended on it, totally oblivious to waiting wheelchair users and other physically disabled or infirm guests. I had to be vocal with such ignorant folk on several occasions. Arvia is a large ship, with a maximum passenger capacity of about 5200. However, apart from the formal nights when some folk were queuing a long time for the MDRs, it did not feel busy; there were plenty of areas you could escape to. It helped perhaps that the ship was only about 85% capacity for our cruise. Overall, we liked this ship; we have booked two more cruises on it.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We were a little bit early but that was no problem. The special assistance team were great.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

This ship has plenty of dining choices, and all venues were easily accessible for wheelchair users. The two MDRs are the same, albeit the Meridian does not have tablecloths except for the formal night. Apart from when we ate in speciality restaurants, we had the same table in Zenith for breakfast and dinner. Certainly, if you want to dine at a reasonable time in an MDR on a formal night, book well in advance. Of the extra charge restaurants, we had excellent meals in Epicurean, Green & Co, and Sindhu. If you book before you board you will benefit by getting cheaper prices. For example, Epicurean cost us £24 (less Peninsula discount) each before we boarded but was £30 if booked on board; Green & Co and Sindhu cost us a £10 cover charge (less the discount) before we boarded, and then we got 20% off all food items, which is deducted before they deduct the cover charge.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

There was lots to do on this ships. I particularly enjoyed the infinity hot tubs. I tried the high ropes course, which was good but scary.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

The main shows in the Headliners Theatre were technically good but not to our taste. More often than not, we were in the Live Lounge watching Pulse, who were good.

Children's Programs

We did not travel with children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Almost all the crew we encountered were very hard working and customer focussed, particularly in the restaurants. Our waiting team in Zenith were excellent; even under the extreme pressure of the first formal night.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

This was the second cruise; the ship was spotless.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Accessible Cabin No. 11534 (GA grade) – Deck 11, port side We paid for an inside accessible cabin, and selected 9229. There was nothing wrong with it, and although it had been downgraded to a partially accessible cabin, my wife managed fine in her wheelchair. After asking if there were any upgrades available, we were upgraded for free to a mid-ship GA accessible balcony cabin on the port side of deck 11, number 11534. It is located between an identical accessible cabin (11532) and a regular cabin (11536). It is about 40ft from the doorway to the middle elevators, and about 100ft from the nearest launderette; the latter being on the starboard side. The corridor leading towards it is 120cm wide, and opens to 190cm wide where the cabin door is. This was plenty wide enough for my wife’s wheelchair, which is 62cm wide. Main cabin: It was a smashing cabin with plenty of floor space for my wife to manoeuvre her wheelchair easily enough. The greatest main cabin floor dimensions between walls and/or fixed furniture are 6.37m x 3.66m, with the area between the right side of the bed and the balcony doors being 2.75m x 2.35m. See the photographs for relevant measurements around the cabin, including gaps between fixed furniture and walls. The main cabin doorway is 85cm wide and opens inwards; it is fully automatic, as is the bathroom door, and is perfect for a disabled person. There is one anomaly though; both doors are on a timer, to close again after opening, which means that you have to wait when leaving the cabin to ensure the door closes. However, it is very easy for the sensor to detect movement if you get too close, and the door opens again. Upon entering the cabin, the door to the balcony is at the opposite side, the bathroom is on the left, as is the bed; the wall mounted TV, the main wardrobe and dressing table are on the right. One thing that is missing from the cabin is drawers; just one set would have done for us to store underwear and socks, and bits and bobs. The automatic balcony door is easy to use and has a handle, which only requires the slightest of touch left or right to cause it to slide open or close; perfect for a disabled person. When it closes, the moving door pulls towards the door frame, creating a tight, soundproof seal; the only noise from outside we could hear was the occasional muffled announcement from the bridge. On the day before we disembarked, the door malfunctioned; it would not close automatically. I was able to close it manually but, as it was very heavy and there was resistance due to the motor, it was very difficult to do so. It was impossible for my wife, or anyone else with poor upper limb dexterity to close. After a visit from an engineer, it transpired there was a problem with the sensor. As an additional aide for hearing and visually impaired guests, when someone presses the doorbell or phones the cabin, a strobe light illuminates the cabin, and a claxon sounds. If you didn’t know otherwise you would think the ‘abandon ship’ call had been made. “Don’t panic, Captain Mainwaring”. As a further incentive to answer the door or phone, there is a vibrating pad that is placed under the mattress. For a quick thrill, all you need to do is lie on the bed and get someone to call you. A downside of this particular cabin was that one of the drains in the bathroom was blocked, causing flooding when the ship tilted towards port, and a stench, which was worse at night. It took three attempts to rectify it, but there was still a smell right up to the day we disembarked. Bed: The bed, for us, two singles pushed together as a queen, is on the left side of the cabin. Although it was comfortable, at 60cm high, it is too high for a full-time wheelchair user. I had to assist my wife in and out of bed, and an unaccompanied wheelchair user would find it very difficult to transfer. A more appropriate height would be 46cm to 50cm. Four pillows are provided; we got two more from our cabin steward. At either side of the bed are a set of bedside units, each with shelving; see the photographs for dimensions. Wardrobes: On the left side of the cabin, between the bed and the balcony door, is a wardrobe with three doors; the left side has shelving from top to bottom, the main part has high shelving and a low hanging area. On the right side of the cabin is another wardrobe with three doors; the left side has shelving and houses the fridge and safe, the main part has a high shelf on which the life jackets are stored. The large hanging space is underneath, and the clothing rail has a handle fixed to it which, when pulled, brings the rail down to the level of a wheelchair user. Dressing Table: At 75cm high, this is at a suitable height for a wheelchair user. The small upholstered chair can easily be moved, and my wife was able to sit comfortably at the dressing table in her wheelchair. There is a large wall mounted mirror and wall mounted slim shelving; the area is well lit. On top of the dressing table are the kettle and the tea and coffee makings. Bathroom: The bathroom is a good size and the automatic door opens outwards, into the bedroom area. The doorway is 82cm wide. The greatest bathroom floor dimensions are 2.37m x 2m. The tiled floor offers good grip and the good sized shower area has ample drainage, albeit we had a blockage. There is a good sized pull down bench seat which, at 47cm high, was easy for my wife to transfer to. There are plenty of safety bars in the bathroom, and the pull down one next to the toilet is height adjustable between 54cm and 78cm. The toilet was at an appropriate height for my wife to transfer to, made easier by the raised seat. The large sink is height adjustable between 47cm and 75cm, and is open underneath; my wife had no problem sitting in her wheelchair at it. Above the sink is a large wall mounted mirror with bright border lighting. The thermostatic shower, wand only, was very easy to use and there was no fluctuation in pressure or temperature. In the corner of the shower area there are two small shelves on which to place toiletries; these were difficult for my wife to reach when she was sat on the bench. It would have been better for her, and other disabled users no doubt, for a shelf or shelves to be located under the safety bar in front of the bench, see photograph. There is an emergency pull cord next to the shower area. There are no sanitary bags provided in the bathroom, so if you need them you will have to bring your own; not a hassle for us as we always have them with us. Balcony: As already written, the automatic balcony doors were easy to use, apart from when they broke down. With floor space of 3.8m x 1.75m, the balcony was not quite as long as the one we had on Britannia, but was 55cm wider. Furniture on the balcony comprises of two non-folding chairs, a foot stool and a small table. My wife’s wheelchair (W: 62cm / L: 82cm) could easily fit on the balcony, and we used it a lot. When on the balcony and looking to our right, I could see that the accessible cabins three across from us on our deck and on deck 12, had a larger corner balcony; those being cabin numbers 11528 and 12526. However, all deck plans I have seen do not show them as such. The corresponding cabins on Iona are 11514 and 12514. Overall, the problems with the balcony door and drain aside, and the bed being too high, this is a perfect cabin for a wheelchair user. Good points: Lots of room for a wheelchair user Lots of storage space, despite no drawers Comfortable bed Large bathroom Automatic doors Good sized balcony Poor points: Bed too high for a wheelchair user Position of shelves in shower Smelly drain in bathroom