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My husband and I have just returned from a weeks cruise on the P&O's Arcadia ship.
This was our 6th cruise all previous ones have been with Cunard.
The Embarkation was quite drawn out, we were ushered quickly onto the ship as we were priority but then were herded up into the 'Crown Nest' (a room at the front of the ship at the top) and served uneatable nibbles and bucks fizz. We were kept there until after 2pm as the cabins were not ready, we then had to wait until after 5pm before our cases arrived!
We were very disappointed with the ship and the crew. We found the Arcadia to be in desperate need of an update, it is old and tired. There is no ballroom, the films are shown in a freezing cold space called the Globe or in a screening room that only sits 30 people meaning one has to queue for an hour just to secure a place. People complained about the cold in the Globe but nothing was done, a lot of people walked out the rest sat in their coats.
We found the food to be very poor in the Meridian restraunt and the staff surley. There was no 'anytime' dining and we had to eat at 8.30 on a table with 8 strangers. The Grill restaurant was excellent with a very good staff but their menu only changed twice making eating there a bit repetitive.
The captains cocktail party was held at the swimming pool area as there was no room anywhere else. Neither the captain or his crew mingled with the guests, he made a short speech then vanished.
Our cabin was a suite, it was large, with a whirlpool bath, two sinks and a stand alone shower, (larger than on the equivalent grade on Cundard) but it was shabby and not very clean. The beds and bedding were of a low quality and the cabin steward unhelpful.
There appeared to be only a couple of launderettes on board, this would cause a problem on a long voyage with people having to queue and one had to provide their own soap powder.
The library was a small tatty room with a few computers in it which one had to pay 20p per minute to use.
Nothing would induce us to travel with P&O again.
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