Jayestravellingadventures

As I have cruised for 20 years on multiple ships with P&O, I have a good understanding of cabins I try to avoid as well as, cabins I will run to book. If you haven’t already read yesterdays post, it is full of information regarding the types of cabins on offer and the cabin grade breakdown. I suggest reading that one then coming back. Now, lets jump straight in to the cabins you would want to avoid.

Ones to Avoid =

There are cabins which suit everyone, so these are ones which I wouldn’t want to book. I also think that you wouldn’t know about them if you have never sailed on Iona or Arvia before.

When booking a balcony, you often think of a space which is solely yours with a sprinkle of privacy however, this isn’t the case with some balcony cabins. There are a lot of cabins which you would like to avoid when it comes to having some privacy. On the Promenade Deck (Deck 8) there is a walk way which passes balconies before reaching the ocean. If you choose a balcony or Mini Conservatory balcony on Deck 8, other passengers will be able to walk past and look into your balcony. If choosing a balcony on Deck 8 Forward then you’ll notice the walkway gets higher, causing the balcony rails to be at your waist level rather than chest level.

If you would like your peace and quiet when closing your cabin door, then these might not be for you. Located right above the Headliners Theatre are cabins numbered 8140 to 8235, these will be able to hear the shows that go on until midnight. others which are located above the nightclub are numbers 9701 to 9744 which can go on until the early hours of the morning. Arvia’s midship sky dome located on Deck 16 has a retractable roof, causing it to be open at night for shows, which means cabins on Deck 16 Mid Forward and 15 Mid ship might hear some noise. The last two locations you might want to avoid if you enjoy to sleep in would be ones directly under the sunbathing areas (All cabins on Deck 17), and ones directly under the gym (4201 to 4532) odd Numbers only.

When sitting on your balcony you may want to sit looking out at the stunning views, however some balconies have obstructed views. With lifeboats being more commonly the cause Arvia and the Iona have a unique way to obstruct your view. There are hot tubs which are situated outside some balcony cabins and not offered at any discounted price, these cabins to avoid are 839 to 8312 and 8322 to 8330.

If you are likely to be seasick you might want to chose a cabin which has less movement, such as cabins Mid ship and low down. When booking a high deck Forward or Aft, you will be able to feel the movement of the ship a lot more. Having a balcony or ocean view might also help, as it is advised to watch the horizon when rough. Cabins to avoid are 17201 to 17320 and 16201 to 16337. Ships have become more modern and larger throughout the years so, any movement will be minimised in relation to the smaller ships as. these don’t have the same stabilising equipment.

With the ship being 345 metres long, it can take on average 4-5 minutes for someone without mobility limitations to walk the whole ship. So booking a cabin that isn’t too far from the ships amenities is a must. Cabins which are located in the Midship are a good choice as, you are in the middle with the need of walking halved. Cabins on deck 4 (4201 to 4657) are at the very bottom on the ship near the gangways. This means they are a good distance from any entertainment or restaurants etc.

Arvia have utilized the space and created cabins frontward facing, which could be a problem with regards to wind. Weather is never guaranteed so it is a big risk choosing these cabins, it is also the main reason why other cruise ships don’t have forward facing cabins. The cabins to void are 8101 to 8108, 9102 to 9109, 10101 to 10108, 11101 to 11108, 12103 to 12110, 14101 to 14110 and lastly 15101 to 15108. If the weather is deemed too windy then a storm door will be closed across your balcony, causing you not to be able to go outside. However, there is a small window which you will be able to see out of but, if you are travelling to the Caribbean in hurricane season you definitely need to avoid this cabin. These balconies are slightly larger than the others and some people love to see where the ship is going.

If you do end up in one of these cabins, this doesn’t mean that you’ll have a terrible cruise. This guide is to help you avoid any small issues which you could face. Hopefully this has helped you finalise your decision. If you would like a more information as well as lists of cabins to snatch up, I have written three other blogs to this one. These are; Arvia’s Cabin Breakdown, Best Cabins to book on Arvia, and Choosing a Cabin on Arvia .