75 TIPS & TRICKS TO HAVE A GREAT TIME ABOARD ARVIA.
Arvia is a big ship. A very big ship. And while you’ll quickly find your feet, a few bits of early knowledge can make the difference between feeling slightly overwhelmed and feeling quietly smug that you’ve worked things out.
These are the things we learned, sometimes the hard way, that made our cruise smoother, calmer and more enjoyable.
Here are some pointers to help you navigate Arvia.
Port & starboard
On a boat, the left side and right side are referred to as port and starboard respectively (when facing the bow.)
You’ll notice that cabins with an even number are located on the port (left) side of the boat, whilst those with an odd number are found on starboard (right).
Forward, mid & aft
Arvia is divided into three sections – the forward (front of the boat), mid (middle) and aft (back of the boat.) In each of these areas, you’ll find lifts and stairwells – the lifts are colour coded according to which section you’re in.
Personally, I didn’t find it that helpful to look at the colour coding. But I did find it useful to remember markers near to the lifts for our cabin.
It can be helpful to remember that Zenith and Meridian restaurants are “aft” or at the back of the ship. And for outdoor spaces – the Beachcomber is Forward, whilst the Sunset Bar, Infinity Pool and Panorama Pool are all aft.
The atrium is your anchor
The atrium is the heart of the ship and one of the easiest reference points when you’re feeling lost. It spans several decks (6 to 8) and connects many of the key public spaces (bars and main dining rooms), so if you can find the atrium, you can usually find everything else.
Finding water fountains
Water stations to refill your bottles are available at various points in the ship – but unhelpfully not near cabins.
You can find two in the Sky Dome (deck 16), then at various points around the atrium (decks 6-8). There’s a water fountain in the gym (deck 5), and water stations in the pool areas (but not for refilling bottles).
I’d recommend locating your nearest one as soon as you get onboard and keeping extra bottles in your fridge, so you don’t have to go out late at night in search of water.
Finding coffee stations
During breakfast, lunch and dinner services in Zenith and Meridian, you will be offered coffee and tea.
For the rest of the time, coffee is available at The Quays (deck 8) – except between breakfast and lunch service. Or, in Horizon restaurant (deck 16) from 06:30 right the way through until 01:00.
You can also pay for coffee at Vistas (Deck 6) between 07:00 and 23:00.
Deck Three
Deck Three is normally where you will disembark from the boat and get back on. Otherwise, you probably won’t visit this deck.
Deck Eight
Deck Eight is a useful space to suss out – not only is it home to The Quays restaurant, but it’s also where you’ll find the “promenade” that allows you to walk around the boat. There are also sun loungers dotted around as well as tables and seating to rest or eat outside.
Deck sixteen
Deck Sixteen is also an important deck that you will undoubtedly spend some time on. To the mid-forward of the boat is Sky Dome (the indoor pool and hot tub area by day and events space by night.)
There are bars in this area and the “Grab and Go” lunch spot. Helpfully, there are also staircases going up to the 17th floor, from which point you can get outside to deck.
At the mid-aft of the ship on the 16th floor is the Horizon restaurant (the buffet.) And at the very aft of the ship, is the Infinity Pool and swim up bar area.
Deck Seventeen, Eighteen and Nineteen
Decks seventeen to nineteen are the outdoor spaces.
You’ll find deck games on the seventeenth, as well as sections of the kids areas. On the eighteenth, the Panorama Pool is to the aft (as is the running track) and the Beachcomber Pool area (and The Retreat) is at the forward.
On the nineteenth floor of Arvia, there are extra sun loungers forward, and the mini-golf, basketball court and high ropes course to the aft.
Use the maps
The deck plans displayed near lifts and stairwells are invaluable, especially in the first few days. You’ll also be given a small fold out map on your first day.
Arvia is big, and it takes time to build mental shortcuts. Don’t feel silly checking the maps repeatedly, everyone does.
Use the deck phones
There are phones on the walls on all decks. You’ll find them on the walls in corridors and in bars, around pools and in the gym.
You can use these phones to call any cabin – we used them to arrange meeting places. For example, I could call to say that I was leaving the gym and headed for breakfast.
You can also leave voicemails – endless entertainment.
Pool towels
You can swap your pool towels for fresh ones between 07:00 and 19:00. On sea days, you can find towels stationed at every pool area on decks 16, 17 an 18. But on shore days, you’ll only find towels at the Sky Dome (deck 16) or sometimes when you get back on the boat on deck 3.
Use the Horizon Magazine to plan
Horizon Magazine is delivered to your door every evening. And it’s more useful than it first appears. It lists daily activities, venue opening times, events, port information and dress code info. Spending five minutes with it each evening helps you avoid missing things you’d actually enjoy.
Dining & Drinking
Here are some tips for dining and drinking aboard Arvia.
Zenith and Meridian are essentially the same
Zenith and Meridian offer identical menus, service styles and dining times. The food is the same, the staff are equally excellent, and the dress code applies to both. The difference is mainly in size and atmosphere, not quality.
Find our detailed guide to Zenith and Meridian here.
The Epicurean is worth it for a treat
If you want one elevated dining experience, The Epicurean is a genuine step up in terms of ambience, service and pacing (in our opinion.) We didn’t get a chance to try Sindhu but it has rave reviews and is a popular spot.
Find our detailed review of the Epicurean here.
The drinks package may not be worth it
Drinks packages suit some travellers, but not everyone. If you’re port-heavy, up early, and moderate in your drinking, paying as you go can be significantly cheaper without feeling restrictive.
You can find our full guide to the drinks packages here.
Find your preferred breakfast location
One thing that just about everyone we met has a preference for, is the breakfast dining location. I’d recommend trying them all on your first few days until you find your “happy place.”
Perhaps it’s just me, but breakfast is mega important to me – so I wanted to find somewhere less hectic where I could relax into the day. For us, this meant eating at The Quays (freshly made omelettes and less crowds) for shore days and having an early breakfast at Meridian on sea days.
But, you’ll find your own routine that works for you.
Pick your dining times carefully
Even more important than location, is timing when it comes to dining. I’ve read lots of bad reviews of Arvia which focus on long queues for dining. Honestly, I think if you try to dine at peak times – this could be an issue. And frankly, what do you expect with 5,000 people on board.
We opted for early breakfast slots and late dinner sessions – this worked for our schedule and meant we rarely had to queue for anything.
On board, you’ll find a guide to peak times in each restaurant – if you want a more relaxed experience, avoid these times.
You can order whatever you like in the restaurants
There’s no limit on courses in the main restaurants. If something sounds good, order it. If you want two starters or two desserts, that’s absolutely fine.
Dine outside
If you want to eat outside, there are a few handy places you can do so onboard Arvia. Outside of Ripples and The Quays (deck 8) are some outdoor tables, that in our experience were rarely busy.
You can also take food from the Grab and Go on the 16th floor and eat on any of the upper decks.
Finally, to the aft of the ship there are a few tables outside of Horizon restaurant – so you can eat anything from the buffet outside.
Book certain things in advance
Speciality dining, spa treatments, kids clubs and popular experiences (like the 710 club) are easier to secure if booked ahead of time. Leaving everything until you’re onboard can mean limited options.
Use the virtual queuing system
The My Holiday App’s virtual queue saves standing around and allows you to relax with a drink while waiting for a table. You have 15 minutes from when your table is available to get to the restaurant – so no need to rush.
Packing & Cabins
Here are some tips for packing and cabins on Arvia.
Consider your hand luggage carefully
Your bags will most likely arrive onto the ship between 3-5 hours after you have arrived. Subsequently, it’s useful to pack a few toiletries, swim wear and an evening outfit for when you arrive. Consider gym kit as well if you want to workout.
The night before you disembark, you will have to leave your hold luggage outside your cabin to be collected. This means that you will need to keep back anything you need for the next day and the airplane in your hand luggage.
Stow everything
Cabin aboard Arvia have excellent storage. Take your time to stow everything, it’ll keep your cabin much tidier.
Put cases under your bed
All cabins have space under the beds to stow your empty suitcases, so you don’t need to spend two weeks tripping over them.
Get to know your light switches
For our first two nights onboard, I had to sleep with an eye mask because there was a light on the wall under the bathroom and I thought it wasn’t possible to turn it off. It in fact was – the switch was by the left side of the bed.
When you get into your cabin, take a moment to learn what all of the light switches do – it’s not as obvious as you might think.
Use the USB ports
USB ports are hidden under the bedside lamps on Arvia. They are not immediately obvious, but they are there!
Use the “gone exploring” sign
This tells stewards you’re out so they can clean your room. It helps them to manage their time better and makes sure your room gets serviced.
Pack laundry tablets
If you are on a two week cruise, you will most likely need to do laundry – especially if it’s a hot cruise or you’re exercising.
The laundrettes onboard are excellent (and free), but you’ll need a couple of laundry tablets, so pack a few in your case.
Pack a reusable coffee cup
If you like the idea of taking a coffee out onto deck, or back to your cabin, pack a reusable coffee cup.
We didn’t do this and quickly found out that it was a little tricky trying to carry mugs of hot coffee from the breakfast area to the deck.
Pack a water bottle (or two)
You won’t regret packing a large reusable water bottle or two. I seemed to spend a lot of time refilling at water stations and wished I’d had a larger bottle in my room so I didn’t have to make so many trips.
A jacket or cardigan is useful even on “hot cruises”
In our experience, Arvia always felt like a good, moderate temperature. But occasionally, we would find a few cooler areas – Headliners theatre and Horizon restaurant for example. If you feel the cold, a light jacket or cardigan may be useful.
Motion sickness tablets might save the day
I am perhaps rare, but I could get motion sick just swimming in the sea. So for me, one of my main concerns was about motion sickness on Arvia.
Even in the Caribbean, at times the ship was a little rocky. A reminder that we were on the ocean. Personally, I had to take motion sickness tablets for every sea day.
If you are sensitive – I’d recommend packing them.
Books and games for sea days
There are some games in a cupboard in Anderson’s Bar (deck 6) but it’s not the best selection. There’s also a lovely book swap cupboard.
I’d recommend taking books and games to enjoy on your sea days and in the evenings. Remember you won’t have access to the internet (unless you buy WiFi)- so things like crossword puzzle books, cards and board games can work well.
Store hand luggage on your last day
If you want to go ashore on your disembarkation day, you can store your hand luggage in The Headliners theatre.
Exercising onboard
Here are some tips for exercising onboard Arvia.
The gym is busier on sea days
It’s inevitable, but the gym is always busier on sea days, particularly in the morning. If you want to avoid crowds, you can go at around 06:00, or wait until mid-afternoon.
I went every morning and found on shore days that the gym was consistently fairly quiet in the mornings.
The gym is open 24/7
If you want to, you can go to the gym at any point day or night.
No treadmills or free weights between 20:00 – 08:00
Because there are cabins close to the gym, you cannot use the treadmills before 08:00 or after 20:00 – they are automatically switched off.
Free weights are also banned – but from what we observed, as long as gym goers were considerate (not dropping them on the floor), this wasn’t enforced.
The running track is best used in the morning
The running track (deck 18) is small but really useful if you want to run outdoors. That said, it winds past sun lounger spaces and the smoking areas. We found that it was best to use the track early (06:00 – 06:30) to avoid busy decks and hot weather.
You can get your steps up using the stairs
I was genuinely surprised by how many steps I go in whilst on the boat. One sea days, typically around 20,000 steps. If you take the stairs, it really contributes to keeping steps up onboard.
For walking, go to deck 8
If you want to walk rather than run, deck 8 gives you a longer stretch to walk, compared to the running track on 18.
Avoiding crowds
Here are our top tips for avoiding crowds aboard Arvia.
Use the stairs
The lifts quickly became our least favourite part of cruising. If you want a bit more freedom and space – take the stairs.
Go ashore
On a few mornings, we decided to head out to shore as soon as the gangways were open. This worked really well as a chance to explore the towns early in the morning, then we returned for breakfast when things were a bit quieter on board, before heading out for the rest of the day.
Pick unusual shore excursions
There are certain shore excursions that are very popular – in the Caribbean there are particular beaches that are easy to get to, therefore crowds from Arvia descend.
Pick something a little different, use public transport rather than cabs and cruise shuttles or just head to an unusual beach.
Do everything early
We were passionately trying to avoid crowds – and we realised that getting up early was the best way to do this. Gym or jogging at 06:00, breakfast at 0700 and the ship feels like your own.
Or late
In the evening, we might have a pre-dinner drink at around 19:00 and then head for supper between 20:30-20:45. We found there was much more space in restaurants at this time. Often we would be the last at our tables.
It’s quiet on deck after 16:00
If you want to swim or spend time on deck, head up at 16:00. Lots of people go into their cabins at this time to get ready for the evening, we loved these quiet moments.
Pick breakfast venues carefully
If you want to avoid crowds, skip breakfast in The Horizon – disaster.
Enjoy the atrium in the morning
Our favourite time of the day in the atrium was between 07:00-10:00 on sea days. This is a chance to quietly read a book, play a game or just gaze out the windows with a coffee before people descend.
Drink in The Crow’s Nest
Many of the bars get crowded – Brodie’s for example is always busy in the evening. We sought solace from the crowds in The Crow’s Nest (deck 17). It has a sedate vibe and plenty of lovely seats.
Do not do laundry on a sea day
Under no circumstances attempt to do laundry on a sea day – even early or late. It’s a faff and there will be queues. Instead, do it on a shore day. The machines are fast, so you could do it between 17:00 and 18:00 with no bother.
Avoid the sunbeds and pools on a sea day
I’ll be honest, on our first sea day I was quite shocked to see that most sunbeds had been “reserved” by about 08:00. The decks do get hectic, especially if you want to be by a pool.
The crowds thin out between 15:00-16:00, so if you want a relaxed time – head out then.
Budgeting
Here are our top tips for budgeting on Arvia.
Inside cabins are an option
We stayed in an inside cabin – a budget option. And it was great! Our first tip – stay in an inside cabin to save money.
You can find our detailed review of inside cabins on Arvia here.
Cocktails are cheaper in certain bars
Certain bars have a “signature cocktail” and prices are a little cheaper than elsewhere. For example, a Negroni is only £8.50 in the Club House, an Espresso Martini is similar in Amber Lounge and The Crows Nest. And the outdoor bars also have Margarita’s and Pina Coladas for £8.50.
Sprits without mixers are better value
Mixers are quite expensive in comparison to spirits. We learnt to love drinking Tidal Rum on the rocks (not difficult – it’s delicious!)
The house wine is perfectly drinkable
The house white and red are really nice and drinkable bottles of wine for only £24. The red is a grenache-syrah blend, smooth as you like. The white is fresh and zesty.
Don’t pay for ice cream
One of my greatest disappointments aboard Arvia was discovering that ice-cream at Ripples was not included. Whilst it is reasonably priced, if you are on a budget – don’t give in!
Instead, pick ice-cream for your pudding at one of the restaurants.
Bring wine aboard
Each adult passenger can take one bottle of wine or fizz aboard at embarkation. These can be consumed in your cabins.
Bring soft drinks aboard
There’s no limit on bringing soft drinks on board to consume in your cabin.
Buy coffee on shore not at Vistas
If you like a good cup of coffee, wait until you are onshore. Unless you’re on a Scandinavian cruise, it’s most likely that coffee will be cheaper ashore.
Find the freebies
Not often, but occasionally there are freebies to be had aboard. The spa might host an event with free products, or the art gallery might offer a glass of fizz. Look out for these in Horizon Magazine.
Pack a snack
Don’t judge me, a few times I took a snack from breakfast to enjoy during the day ashore. I don’t know if this is strictly allowed – but I saw no harm in taking an extra muffin.
Going ashore
Here are our top tips for going ashore from Arvia.
Plan ahead
Ports can be a bit hectic. As soon as you arrive there are most likely going to be tour guides and taxi drivers looking to help you. It’s less chaotic if you have a clear plan for your day and know whether you need a cab, tour or not.
Know taxi fares
Find out how much you can expect to pay for taxis in advance. If you’re not sure, ask tourist info at port.
Follow advice about passports
Before you go ashore, one of the Captains will inform you about the best procedure for passports – whether you need to take them with you or not. If you miss the announcement, you can find the same information on the screens near the lifts.
Don’t forget your cruise cards
They’re essential to get off and back on the boat.
Take important info with you
The Horizon Magazine has some useful information – contacts in port to call if you have any issues getting back on board. Take a quick pic of it before you get off the ship.
Check you have everything before leaving your cabin
Based on bitter experience, check and re-check that you have everything you need for the day before you leave your cabin. It’s going to be a tad annoying if you get to the gangway or port and realise you’ve forgotten something – sunscreen and wallets were our biggest misses!
Know the rules and safety measures
Find out about the country and port you’re visiting before you get off the ship. Know whether it’s safe to walk around or whether there are any local rules.
Take it easy in the sun
When you’re on the ship on deck, it may not feel as hot as it does on land. Take it easy in the sun to avoid any medical issues ruining your cruise.
Get an e-Sim
A local SIM card can be super handy so that you don’t have to spend time hunting for WiFi and you can explore more ashore.
We use Airalo SIM cards, which we find to be well priced and easy to install.
Take a power bank with you
If you haven’t used your phone at sea, no doubt you have lots to do ashore. Take a power bank with you and a cable so you can charge at your leisure.
You can take pool towels
No need to pack beach towels in your luggage, pool towels from Arvia can be take ashore. That said, if you prefer not to carry a full sized towel ashore, you may wish to slip a trek towel, sarong or similar in your luggage.
Don’t miss the boat!
Check and double check your “sail away” time before you leave in the morning. Make sure you plan your day properly and adjust your watch/phone to the same time zone as the boat.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
British travel writer and long-distance hiker, native to Kent. Emma has walked the Camino de Santiago more than ten times, completed trails across Europe from the Corfu Trail to the Fisherman’s Trail, and covered thousands of kilometres on foot. She always writes from first-hand experience. Her goal? Inspire just one person to go on their first long-distance hike.
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