LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ZENITH AND MERIDIAN RESTAURANTS ONBOARD ARVIA?

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If you’re cruising aboard P&O Cruises on MS Arvia, you’ll quickly become familiar with the two main dining rooms: Zenith Restaurant and Meridian Restaurant.

For us, and others onboard, there was a little bit of confusion as to whether these restaurants are interchangeable, or if there were actually differences between the two.

If you’re wondering whether one is “better” than the other, the short answer is that it depends far more on space and atmosphere than on food.

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What’s the Same in Both Restaurants

Let’s start with the similarities, because there are many.

Both Zenith and Meridian are included in Freedom Dining, meaning there’s no additional cost to eat in either. They are à la carte restaurants, serving three courses on standard evenings and five courses on Celebration Nights.

Breakfast is served between 07:30 and 09:30, while dinner runs from 17:30 to 21:30 in both venues.

They’re also located in the same area of the ship, right at the aft. Meridian sits on Deck 6, with Zenith directly above it on Deck 7. The décor is similar, elegant and contemporary, though not identical.

Staff

The staff are another shared strength. While I can’t say for certain, it certainly felt as though many of the same team members worked across both restaurants.

Service in both was consistently excellent: polite, efficient, and impressively hard-working given the scale of the operation. Nothing ever felt careless or rushed by individual staff members, even when the dining rooms were busy.

Booking

The booking system is also identical. You can reserve an early table in advance, or you can queue on the evening itself – either physically (waiting outside and receiving a buzzer) or virtually via the My Holiday app. Dining times and availability operate in exactly the same way for both venues.

Food

Perhaps most importantly, the food is the same. On any given night, Zenith and Meridian serve identical menus. A typical dinner includes around eight starter choices, eight main courses and six desserts, along with a handful of optional upgrade dishes at an additional charge. Whether you order your steak in Zenith or Meridian, it will look the same.

Dress code

Dress code is also consistent across both restaurants. Most evenings are “Evening Casual”, which essentially means no sportswear, no shorts (even tailored ones), and an expectation that you make a bit of an effort. On Celebration Nights, both switch to Black Tie.

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Where the Differences Appear

Despite all of this overlap, Zenith and Meridian don’t feel quite the same.

Size & vibe

Zenith is noticeably smaller, and because of that, the queues often feel longer. You have to choose which restaurant you want to queue for, you can’t hedge your bets and join both, and Zenith’s more limited capacity means waits can stretch. That, in turn, gives it a slightly more exclusive feel, whether intentional or not.

Zenith also has tablecloths, which adds a small but noticeable sense of formality. It feels a touch more traditional.

Meridian, on the other hand, is a much larger space. Because of this, it’s generally easier to get a table, particularly if you’re joining the queue later in the evening.

One of Meridian’s biggest draws is its layout. It has tables positioned along the windows, offering views out over the wake and open water. These are understandably popular and hard to secure, but they do add something special when you’re lucky enough to get one.

Location

As Meridian is on the 6th floor, it lends itself to a pre-drink in the Anderson’s Bar – a pleasant bar with decent glassware and a good vibe, even if it sometimes does feel like everyone in there is waiting for dinner! Conversely, Zenith is on the 7th floor – pre-drink options on that deck include The Glass House (nice), or Brodies (not our favourite space.)

Lunch

There’s also one very practical difference: Meridian serves lunch, while Zenith does not. If you’re looking for a sit-down lunch option rather than the buffet or casual venues, Meridian is your only choice of the two.

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Which Did We Prefer?

For us, Meridian edged it.

While Zenith’s smaller size and tablecloths lend it a slightly more refined feel, we preferred Meridian’s sense of space. The room simply felt more comfortable, especially on busier evenings, and the possibility of a window table, even if it didn’t actually materialise, was a definite plus.

That said, because the food and service are the same, neither restaurant ever felt like a compromise. If Zenith had the shorter queue on a given night, we were perfectly happy to eat there. Likewise, Meridian never felt like the “second choice”.

Find the full details for Zenith and Meridian restaurant’s on the P&O cruises website.

Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

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