Arvia Review

Arvia is P&O Cruises' second Excel-class ship, the sister ship to Iona, which launched in Southampton on December 23, 2022 and was christened by Nicole Sherzinger at a beachside ceremony in Barbados in March, 2023. 

The 5,200-passenger ship has several new-to-the-line features debut for P&O Cruises, including a Take That musical, the first rum distillery at sea, the line's first escape room, a top deck ropes course and a swim-up bar. 

Arvia also has many of those venues made popular on other ships in the fleet such as the Glass House, Epicurean, Brodie's pub and Sindhu.

What is Arvia Cruise Ship's Capacity? 

Arvia has capacity for 5,200 passengers across 2,614 cabins and is structurally identical to Iona, though Arvia has plenty of new features and venues. 

Are Arvia Cruise Ship Pictures Available?

Yes. Cruise Critic was at the Christening Ceremony in Barbados which featured Nicole Sherzinger, Olly Murs and DJs Sara Cox and Trevor Nelson.

Arvia Deck Plan Maximises Outside Space, Play On the Line's Popular Venues 

Arvia, meaning "from the seashore", will sail year-round in the sun, with the line promising views of the ocean and shore maximised from every location onboard. There's a swim-up bar, Infinity and Panorama Pool and Bar, and a dazzling Grand Atrium with ocean views. 

Arvia will offer the same new-to-the-line features that debuted on Iona -- plus many new additions -- including the 970-sqm SkyDome with a pool and stage featuring aerial performances, movies on SeaScreen and theatre productions; The Keel & Cow and The Olive Grove restaurants and Conservatory Mini-suite accommodation.

Other entertainment includes aerial shows in the Grand Atrium and classic movies will be shown at the triple-height Ocean Studios.

Among the 20 dining venues and eight bars, are all of the line's favourites: Sindhu, Epicurean, The Glass House, The Limelight Club, and main dining rooms Meridian and Zenith. Among the bars are Sunset Bar, Brodie's pub, Anderson's Bar, Beachcomber Pool and Bar and The Crow's Nest. The Club House is Arvia's late-night party venue.

Arvia Features Conservatory Mini-Suites, Made Popular on Iona

The Conservatory Mini-Suite made its debut on sister ship Iona and offers a midway cabin option, more expensive than a regular balcony cabin, but cheaper than a suite. As with Iona, there are 95 on Arvia, all of them including a sleeping area, a lounge, the conservatory and a balcony, in that order. The conservatory allows you to open the doors to the balcony, making the cabin feel much bigger. The Conservatory Mini-Suites include a few extras such as a world atlas and binoculars.

Other cabin types include Inside, which measuring up to 213 square feet. Some accommodate up to four people; Outside and Balcony. There are a total of 55 accessible cabins and 26 suites.

What New Features Are Being Introduced on Arvia?

Here’s a Breakdown of What's New In Daytime Fun & Entertainment 

• A submarine-themed escape room called Mission Control, which replaces one of the four cinema spaces passengers can find on Iona.

• Altitude activity zone featuring an aqua zone at Splash Valley; Altitude Skywalk, a 54-metre-high ropes course, and Altitude Minigolf, a nine-hole course located below Altitude Skywalk.

• A swim-up bar: The swim-up bar forms part of an infinity pool with uninterrupted wake views.

• Arvia will also be the only place in the world where passengers will be able to watch the stage musical, Greatest Days -- The Official Take That Musical by Tim Firth. "Greatest Days" is an adaptation of the acclaimed West End musical The Band, which features the songs of Take That and is a beautiful story by Olivier Award-winning writer Tim Firth and co-written by P&O Cruises' musical director Gary Barlow.

• Arvia debuts "Wavelength", an interactive game show starring presenter and game show host Ben Shephard.

Restaurants & Bars

• 6th Street Diner: An all-American restaurant complete with a juke box playing classic Americana tracks serving dishes such as fried chicken and waffles with bourbon mascarpone.

• Green & Co featuring Mizuhana: A fish, plant-based and sushi restaurant (Mizuhana is the sushi part). There’ll be a sushi bar from where you can watch as dishes are prepped

• Roast in The Quays: This is a new addition to The Quays, which was rolled out on Iona. Roast in The Quays has a roast carvery -- but in a wrap! -- for fans of the classic Sunday roast.

• Amber Lounge: Located within Arvia’s Grand Atrium, Amber Lounge will offer crafted cocktails and ocean views.

• A partnership with The Tidal Rum will see exclusive rum cocktails create for Arvia's Caribbean sailings. P&O Cruises is billing this as the first rum distillery at sea since the rum’s first production run will take place in Arvia's custom-made still in Anderson's Bar. 

Health & Wellness

• P&O Cruises is introducing a dedicated grooming area for men, featuring a barber's station stocking American Crew, Clinique for Men, Barbour Pro and Clarins for Men. 

• The Salon offers premium beauty and grooming services for both women and men. The Salon includes a speciality colour bar, advanced technology, Kerastase hair treatments and expert technicians.

• The Oasis Spa offers new wellness features, including a cool room, a restorative salt sauna and an invigorating Kneipp Walk, which combines a pebble foot massage with hot and cold water treatments to stimulate circulation and boost vitality.

• Arvia introduces two exclusive wellness suites -- one featuring a hammam, the other a steam shower -- both with private treatment baths, lounge space and refreshments, as well as 18 individual treatment rooms. The zoned wellness spaces include a Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy with heated and cooling chambers, heated lounge chairs and a pre-treatment Relaxation Lounge.

• The Retreat is an outdoor sanctuary exclusively for adults with loungers, a pool, refreshments and beautiful vistas.

• The gym has state-of-the-art Technogym equipment and expert guidance from personal trainers. Classes include Tour de Cycle, Body Sculpt Bootcamp, Pure-Form Pilates and Yoga and Functional Stretch. Wellbeing consultants are also on hand for professional advice on nutrition, sleep and stress management.

The Avenue Retail Space Features Experiential Shopping Zones

The Avenue retail space, a staggering 1,300sqm area, featuring 'experiential shopping zones,' with a design-your-own fine jewellery bar; Pandora Brilliance lab-produced diamonds; and the first-at-sea Swarovski ‘Wonder Lab’ Concept Store. New brands will include Rado watches, Floral Street fragrances, Cotswolds Distillery, as well as popular existing brands Mulberry, The White Company and Apple.

Where Will Arvia Sail?

Arvia is currently based in Barbados until April offering seven- and 14-night cruises.

Arvia will return to Southampton in April 2023 to offer Mediterranean no-fly cruises through the summer 2023 season.