Cruise in Modern Adult Only Luxury.

 

Arcadia is the largest Adult only ship in the P&O fleet, but what a lot of people don’t know that she was not originally drawn up to be a P&O ship. When the plans all went through and the ship building started she was due to be a Vista Class ship for Holland America, this all changed shortly after and she was then due to be the Queen Victoria for Cunard. Finally it was the decided to meet the demand of guests wanting P&O she then became the Arcadia.

From the Outside the Queen Victoria and Arcadia are almost identical. Next time you see them in port have a look!

The interior of the ship couldn’t be any more different. Arcadia is what P&O call to be there contemporary ship in the fleet. They have different styles for the different ships.

Adonia, Aurora, Oceana and Oriana are classed as the Classic style, the décor found on-board is very traditional and more of the old style of cruising, very grand and some would even say county house style.

Arcadia, Azura and Ventura are the Contemporary ships, the décor is much more modern, with a large use of light and glass. The finish is much more minimalist with lots of clean cut lines.

Take for Example,

The Atrium on the Aurora

The Atrium on the Azura

Now the funny thing about the Arcadia is that she doesn’t actually have an atrium as such, she has a staircase that runs the bottom half of the ship but there is nothing grand about it,

Especially when you think the Atrium on the Queen Victoria looks like this,

It’s not a huge issue not having the grand open atrium, although it’s always nice to have a meeting point and somewhere large and open for photos, personally I think Azura has one of the best Atrium’s, and I not a huge fan of the modern concept but that is the real heart of the ship, you have people looking around in the ships, the panoramic lifts, a large seating area where you can get a coffee or something a little stronger should you wish. That said Arcadia due have plenty of other cafes and bars where you can go so this would not stop me sailing on her.

So why don’t you take a look around and let me know what you think?

G Deck is the lowest deck on board, this tends to be where you will board and disembark at the end of your cruise, you are taken on at the bottom of the Atrium, so you will see what I mean about it being quiet a small enclosed area. Down here you also have the Reception and the Tours office.

Down here you also have all the Clear view Oceanview staterooms. Directly at the front you have the lower level of The Palladium, this is 3 levels high and extremely modern in here with a large stage for the West End style shows. There is a large use of Blues and Purples in here.

Moving up a level to F Deck, at the front of the ship you have the second level of The Palladium. As we venture AFT next we have the Monte Carlo Casino which is smaller than the one found on the Cunard ships but bearing in mind this is always the case on English Ships.

Just of the Casino you have the Rising Sun which is the English Pub on-board, which is similar to the Golden Lion on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth.

Directly in the middle of this deck you have The Globe, this was inputted on the December 2013 refit, this is your on-board nightclub but I must say I love the way it’s been designed, on the Celebrity Eclipse its wide open so that you get blasted by the music as you walk by, the Globe on Arcadia has been designed within a circular room, it is all soundproofed so it causes no one walking past to have to take it in unless they want to go in.

Outside here you have a lovely sitting area which is combined with a small Art Gallery

Marco Pierre White does have one of his restaurants on board the Arcadia so if you fancy treating yourself to something special you can come up here and for a small fee, dine from his chosen menu. Well worth doing if you are celebrating a special occasion but I will stress that the food is all included and to an A La Carte standard so you do not need to dine in here.

Intermezzo is just down the corridor and this is a charming little bar, a perfect place to grab a window seat and watch the world go by, an example that the Arcadia is more designed with lots of little meeting places rather than one big area.

Down from here you have the Spinnaker Bar, this again is a lovely little bar area, more of a café where you can have a light snack and a cup of coffee, all coffee served on board P&O is Costa Coffee in the Bars.

On the Aft of this deck is the Meridian Restaurant, set over two floors. The décor in here is a contrast between light wood and creams, I must say the lights used in here are lovely, the star light effect really does work, and they can look tacky on some ships but not in this case.

As we venture up to the Prom Deck, on the Aft you have the upper level of the Meridian Restaurant. It is also worth noting that the Arcadia has a full wrap around Promenade deck which is great for walking of that wonderful 5 course meal you have just had.

As we venture towards the back with have the Photo Gallery which is where you can come and get some of those special memories in frames.

To the left you have a shop stocking lots of treats and branded goods such as Harrods.

Towards the middle you have the top of the atrium area which does have the most stunning light, up here you have the Piano Bar which is a splendid place to come and chill out.

Here is also where the panoramic sea facing lifts start, and run all the way up to the Sun Deck, not a wise idea if you are afraid of heights but a great way to see the ports of call and something rather unique to Arcadia as only a small number of ships have these.

Heading toward the front you have the Emporium which is the on-board shopping mall, here there is a selection of Boutiques from Clothes to Jewelry, to Perfume and branded goods.

In this area you also have the Library and Internet café, great from coming and grabbing a book to chill out with on the pool deck.

After this you have a bit more of a shopping area, and after those long hours shopping you can get a cup of coffee from Café Vivo.

You also have the Screening room, which is a small and very private cinema room with about 30 seats in.

Horizon is across the corridor and this is more of a private function room.

Deck E,D,C,B and A Deck is given up to accommodation

Lido deck is the main pool deck, Arcadia doesn’t really have a large amount of Deck space and in fact the back of the Lido deck is the main outside area, there is a large pool here and two whirlpool spa’s.

Aquarius Bar is also on the back so you don’t even need to leave the pool deck to get a drink.

It’s also worth noting that up a deck and on the bar is where you will find the Sports Court.

Belvedere is buffet on board and this covers both the starboard and port side, a large open plan space with lots of light. The array of choice up here is fantastic.

One of my favourite places is the Neptune Pool, Bar and Grill, this is what you would class as the main pool deck. This pool is covered by a sliding roof so if the weather is bad they keep the roof shut and if it’s good they open it up.

On the front you have the Oasis Spa, again a beautifully laid out area with a private Hydro Pool for guests using the spa. The spa also has a selection of treatment rooms, Sauna and Steam rooms.

You also have the Salon if you fancy a manicure or getting your hair done.

On the very front of the ship you have the Gymnasium.

There is not much on the Sun Deck, the back of the ship is open, so a great place if you are looking for a quiet outside space, on from here in the middle you have deck space which is open to the deck below and this is where you can see the sliding roof in all its glory.

The Retreat is also up here which is a private function room for parties and they will also have lessons and classes in here.

Directly on the font is the Crowns Nest, this is my favourite area on board, a stunning bar with simple superb views.

Attached to this you have the Viceroy Room which is where the main wedding venue is on board.

Final you have the Sky Deck, split in to two parts the front of this part is completely open for sun bathing. The back part is where Cunard reserve for Princess and Queens Grills guests, but on Arcadia this is where you will find East, this is Atul Kutar restaurant on board and this does come with a small cover charge but being on the top deck this has some of the best views to be found on board.

East Bar can also be found here which is where you can come up to before your dinner reservation and after your meal and enjoy a little tipple.

So that’s it for our tour around Arcadia, I was going to put on the different levels of accommodation however I will add this part later on but in the meantime if you want pictures of the accommodation then please get in touch.

Let me know what you think?

www.tomstravels.co.uk – 0800 408 6143 – [email protected]