P&O Arvia Inside Cabin Tour - Cell Number 5466

[@cobbyclan3466]

Great video, Matt. I always choose the cabin and have a balcony, one of the best times at sea is the quiet early morning sail in to a new port.

[@MattsOceans]

I completely agree! But for me the equation is basically one cruise on a balcony or two cruises in an inside cabin?

[@stephendew]

Hi Matt, love your videos I think I was on Arvia the cruise before this (K320), and whilst I've not worked for Carnival/P&O before I am a regular guest. It would be my suspicion the separation wasn't done deliberately but is a shortcoming in the cabin allocation system prioritising Price Paid vs Cabin Grade ratios higher than putting booked rooms together. P&O are easily filling Iona and Arvia with little difficulty so there are very few (no) spare rooms to play with when it comes to moving people around based on preference. This is a case on most sailings. That said, I hope it didn't hinder your enjoyment of your holiday too much and you experienced the similar great weather Mum and myself had the week before :)

[@hendrikdevries9725]

Only just found your cruise channel, am on my first "more then a week" transatlantic on the Encore in December, balcony solo, absolute bargain (12 night cruise, solo balcony, flight back, luggage, access to Solo Cabin, all together for £995! ) also got a free at sea for the whole cruise for £299, open bar, 3 specially dinners, 300 minutes internet, and some shore excursions credit. Don't drink, but the mocktails, 0.0, and sodas and juices will be welcome !

[@MattsOceans]

That is indeed a bargain - repositioning cruises can be fantastic value as people don't like disembarking from a different place they boarded from.... Which is great for those of us who don't care!!!

[@ClaireD-bg8lu]

Aw that’s terrible that you were split up from your mum when you filled in the disability access form. That must have been so stressful. They couldn’t have put you any further apart if they tried. We have always found P&O to be great and the pre-sail booking staff have been amazing so I’m sorry you didn’t have a better experience. We had to take our granddaughter on a two week cruise with us very last minute because her mum took ill the day before we were due to sail. We phoned them and even though they had shut down the booking system by that point they reopened it up and added our granddaughter to the booking. We were so grateful that they did that. I am glad you had a good holiday overall (as per your first Arvia video) and the cabin didn’t ruin it for you.

[@MattsOceans]

Good to hear that P&O can be sympathetic, although I suspect in your case you were taking more money from you! Something I think P&O is usually happy to do!!!

[@chriscampbell4938]

Little tip Matt: I carry a cheap showerhead from which I removed the water restriction device. I replace theirs with mine for my shower and get huge pressure. Works on every cruise line I’ve used. They fit their own restriction devices to save water.

[@MattsOceans]

That is an amazing tip - not seen anyone suggest that in any videos I've ever watched.... I will certainly take one with me next trip. The cabin attendant doesn't notice / care???

[@cobbyclan3466]

Great tip, thanks for posting.

[@edvaira6891]

I’ve had walk in closets larger than your cabin in quite a few Vegas hotel rooms I’ve stayed in! Hope the cruise was at least entertaining! Really glad you’re back to doing videos

[@MattsOceans]

Now I think about it, so have I!!! The cruise was great - there is a video about it already on the channel

[@steve-marsh]

Hmmm P&O you seem like a lovely bunch. I particularly like the 'there's nothing we can do' line (which is clearly not true considering a big wedge of cash would change it). My advice is do what the screws tell you, keep out of trouble, don't smear anything on the walls, and you might get parole after 7 days.

[@MattsOceans]

I kept my nose clean, slopped out every morning and tried not to antagonise the screws and they did indeed let me out after 13 days - it was a longer sentence!!!!

[@ardavamik67]

New character unlocked! Bearded Matt

[@MattsOceans]

The winter beard is in development as I type this!

[@imsbvs]

I feel you have a valid point that needs regulatory assistance. With a people friendly government (so they would say) there needs to be regulatory requirement for tick boxes to be included on all booking forms for when passengers require to be placed together. Ideally on all journeys but at least on those departing the UK. Anyone who does not book a seat/cabin and ticks the box should expect to be placed next to others on the same booking, albeit by not selecting & paying for a specific location this may be at less favourable location.

[@MattsOceans]

Interesting point and I tend to agree.... I don't generally love regulation but for instances such as this one, that would have been really helpful

[@Dark-Lord3386]

Love the thumbnail lol

[@MattsOceans]

It felt appropriate!

[@cabair]

I'll never again pick the PO Saver fare. On our last two cruises we had very noisy cabins, underneath restaurant kitchens or opposite banging metal crew access doors etc. On both occasions its was near impossible to change once on board, I'm resigned to paying the extra to pick our own next time or go with another cruise company who are more sympathetic to their customers.

[@MattsOceans]

It is a fairly sneaky strategy from P&O I have to say....

[@BonkersAboutAlice]

You sir have fine taste in shirts.

[@MattsOceans]

Thank you very much.... Primark's finest with a few posh ones to mix things up!

[@oliverbutterfield9844]

Do you think they are doing the allocating at time of booking? My assumption has always been that they just kept track of the numbers of people who had not booked a specific cabin, then as soon as that caning class hits full occupancy, they allocate any non-booked cabins. Maybe all the deck 15 cabins had been picked at booking time. What would be interesting is to understand in what order and using what logic they allocate the remaining cabins of that class to their lucky occupants

[@MattsOceans]

My booking showed up as "cabin unallocated" for several months after booking, then one day the allocated cabin popped up. So even though deck 15 was available when we booked, you are right that they might all have been snaffled by the time the allocation algorithm ran. All a bit opaque, but what seems clear is that medical data is not available to the allocation algorithm!

[@adamingleton8529]

Tetley tea, needs to be Yorkshire!!!!

[@MattsOceans]

Ooooh - that's a big debate! I'm on the decaf tea these days to help my prostate and that narrows the choices even further....

[@richardstreet7518]

Narrow sir.. not big enough for 2 !! I upgraded from deck 5 onboard on day 1 -£200 to a balcony...

[@MattsOceans]

That sounds like a bargain!!!

[@wellardsmith3629]

Did the laundry cause any bother?

[@MattsOceans]

I spent a half hour trying to video the vibrations from the laundry on a glass of water, but it wasn't impactful enough to include in the video!!! Honestly - there's a range of noises and vibrations from a working ship, and the laundrette was just another one, albeit a close and noisy one!

[@wellardsmith3629]

@@MattsOceans thanks.

[@MrPerfect-om5ns]

Claustrophobic wouldn't like to stay in that.

[@MattsOceans]

Don't take a cat you'd intend to swing....

[@danielmorris1527]

I'd genuinely prefer to not go on a cruise rather than have an inside cabin

[@MattsOceans]

2 cruises in an inside versus one in a posh balcony????

[@danielmorris1527]

​@@MattsOceansI'd take the one cruise every time!

[@mike_maple]

Had similar issue with sister line Princess this summer. We booked in the winter for a sailing at the end of June, but didn't get our cabins allocated until 3 days prior, me in the aft, my 80 year old althzheimers suffering mother in the fore and several decks up, by which time it was too late as the ship was full. First time this has ever happened to us as we always go for guaranteed cabins, and have always been either next door or a few steps away. We made it work in the end, but it made for a stressful start to the voyage for her.

[@MattsOceans]

It feels like we're being punished for not paying a ridiculous extra amount to the cruise line....

[@farangtravels3956]

Shocking 😮

[@MattsOceans]

Not the best....

[@stevedowdeswell139]

Not a very nice ship, even in a balcony cabin. The dome is the best area.

[@MattsOceans]

The dome is lovely but I hope you understand the point about the accoustics

[@rogerbird380]

Next to the launderette? Ugh. 😬

[@MattsOceans]

It felt like a punishment....

[@chrish961]

Inside cabins are like that on many shops. I live them and choose them. Have great rest and never in them on the day...not sure why so negative

[@MattsOceans]

The laundromat was the short straw here - I always pick inside cabins and they're usually fine - small and dark, but take out my hearing aids and turn off the lights and who cares!!!!! Disregarding my need / wish to be close (ish) to Mum was the issue here....

[@simonwilliamson7211]

We've done 24 cruises and never set foot on a P&O ship. There are numerous poor reviews such as this that it puts us off trying them, preferring to stick to Celebrity or Princess. Another recent P&O review reported passengers throwing water from the upper decks into guests on their balcony below and people being thrown off the ship for fighting. Great review Matt but we'll continue to avoid P&O for now.

[@MattsOceans]

Cheers Simon - its not that bad!! Re the water - there's a design flaw where water from the pool can slosh over the edge - its an infinity pool so the water goes up to the edge - and if the ship is moving the water can miss the small catchment channel and land on balconies below. If there's a bit of horseplay in the pool the volume of water can increase.... So I doubt its bad behaviour causing this - just a design oversight.

[@IndochineUK]

Oh the schadenfreude of P&O Cruises doing a travel KZbinr so dirty. I think you might have missed what I would suggest was the biggest offense in your cabin/cell - that hideous carpet! Just think how filthy it’s going to be in a couple of years time. Grim.

[@MattsOceans]

Ha ha! I'd almost be flattered if P&O knew I was a KZbinr - I really think they don't!!! As for the carpet - I'm so used to strange design choices I don't even notice them any more!!!

[@ss-xy2im]

Very nasty

[@MattsOceans]

Not the best....

[@robp4682]

P&O should be ashamed

[@MattsOceans]

I doubt they are!

[@ianloveland2726]

So u booked inside cabin and your not happy lmao book balcony then buddy. You do classic clickbait pic try get popular.Its not like nobody hasn't done reviews on inside cabins on arvia.🤣🤣🤣

[@MattsOceans]

I thought it was a good thumbnail! And being next to the laundrette wasn't great - 99% of inside cabins aren't...