P&O Arcadia ship visit

A very different day at the office as I travelled to Southampton to visit P&O Cruises Arcadia. With a maximum capacity of 2094 passengers, it’s not quite the smallest ship in the P&O fleet, although it didn’t feel small as we navigated our way up and down between the decks, and along its full length! My first impression as I boarded into the atrium was clean and fresh. We spent the morning visiting one of all the different cabin types available on the ship; suite, mini-suite, balcony, ocean view and inside. Different cabin types to suite all budgets and personal preferences. Many with a bath, some had a separate bath and shower, the inside cabins had a walk-in shower. All cabins had tea and coffee making facilities. The sizes varied, but there was lots of wardrobe space in all cabin types.

There’s a choice of restaurants; the main buffet and Meridian Restaurant (a la carte) are included. For that special occasion or just a change Ocean Grill is available for a small supplement and the Indian restaurant Sindhu will add some spice to the trip. Whatever your mood there’s a bar to enjoy a drink, pre-dinner, post-dinner, a nightcap or just because.….

The Palladium Theatre was simply amazing – covering three decks, it wouldn’t be out of place in London’s West End and has the capacity to hold almost all the guests onboard!

The gym had lots of equipment available for guests to use any time, free of charge. For a small additional fee, they can join one of the many classes available. The spa smelled gorgeous and offers many treatments, there’s even a twin room to enjoy a treatment with a friend or partner.

The library is a cosy room to access WiFi or read a book, whilst watching the world go by. And the cinema regularly changes its screenings for film buffs. The shops have all the necessities guests inevitably forget to pack, along with some things they didn’t forget, but decide they need anyway.

Before disembarking we were treated to a 3-course meal in the Meridian Restaurant. An a la carte menu with a choice of 4 starters, main courses and desserts, followed by tea a coffee. Something for everyone, with vegetarian and vegan options available. The food was beautifully presented and very tasty.

Every area of the ship we visited, every cabin we viewed was spotlessly clean with no visible signs of wear and tear, which is remarkable. In my opinion a beautiful ship, large enough without being too big. As we left the ship, we passed by guests boarding for their holiday to Norway and Iceland. It just left me wondering whether they’d have the time to experience everything on offer as well as visiting the many destinations enroute!