P&O Arvia Cabins to Avoid, and Which to Book Instead

Most of Arvia’s cabins are perfectly fine. The deck plan is useful because it shows which sit beneath public areas, which have privacy issues, and which give you cabins above and below.

You can use that to rule out the cabins most likely to cause problems before you book.

The deck plan gives you most of what you need. The symbols tell you about things like steel-fronted balconies and obstructed views, while the decks above and below show you what might be sitting next to your cabin.

How to Read Arvia’s Deck Plan

The deck plan carries a key of small symbols, and each one tells you something about the cabin. They sit in the margin in six-point type, and they carry more useful detail than the prices do.

P&O publishes Arvia’s deck plans if you want to follow along with your own cabin number.

• Interconnecting doors: a connecting door through to the cabin next door. Useful for families, but something to consider if you’re travelling next to strangers
• Steel fronted balcony: a solid steel wall instead of glass, so you see the sea standing up but not sitting down
• Balcony is shaded: permanently overhung by the deck above
• Balconies visible from above, from neighbouring balconies, or from the Promenade Deck
• No balcony and visible from the Promenade Deck: a window the public walk past
• Cabins have obstructed view: usually a lifeboat or a section of superstructure
• Restricted access to balcony during high winds: the forward-facing ones, which get locked when the ship is making way in weather
• Adapted and partially adapted cabins, shower only, with PB, PC, PD, PE and PF marked as only partially adapted

Two notes in the margin matter particularly for forward cabins. Balconies in the forward section can be overlooked by the bridge. And every cabin on Arvia is shower only apart from the B4, B5 and B6 suites, so if a bath matters, that narrows the ship to three grades.

The Quiet Middle: Where to Book

The simplest rule on any big ship is to put cabins above you and cabins below you. On Arvia that points at decks 10, 11, 12 and 14, which run cabins from forward to aft with no public rooms on them at all. Their mid-ship sections are among the quieter parts of Arvia, with cabins above and below and no public rooms directly overhead or underneath.

Deck 14 is slightly unusual because Arvia has no deck 13. It sits directly above deck 12 and directly below deck 15, both cabin decks, so it keeps the height without the restaurant problem that affects deck 15 aft.

Deck 4 is the lowest cabin deck, with only the medical centre on deck 3 beneath it, so there’s no restaurant, bar or pool directly below. Being low and central also means less movement in rougher seas. Decks 4 and 5 are the only ones with standard sea view cabins, in the LB, LC and LF grades, so this is where to look for a window without a balcony price.

Suites are on decks 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15. Larger inside cabins are on decks 4, 5, 9, 11 and 14. Deluxe balconies with sofa are on the Promenade Deck and decks 9 to 15; the smaller balconies are on the Lido Deck and decks 9 to 17.

Which Cabin Should You Book?

The best cabin on Arvia depends on what would spoil your week. Work out which of these sounds like you, then read the plan for that one thing.

• Light sleeper: mid-ship on decks 10, 11, 12 or 14. Rule out deck 15 aft, deck 16, deck 9 aft and deck 8 forward before looking at anything else
• Prone to seasickness: as low and central as you can afford, so deck 4 or 5 mid-ship. Avoid the forward end on any itinerary crossing Biscay
• Want a private balcony: mid-ship on decks 10 to 12, and check for the shaded, steel-fronted and visible-from-above symbols first. Not the Promenade Deck, where the public walk past
• Travelling solo: balcony singles are on decks 9, 11 and 14, inside singles on decks 5, 8, 9, 12 and 14. Decks 11 and 14 are the quieter of those
• Travelling with children: decks 16 and 17 put you closest to Splashers, the Reef and the nursery, so they’re worth a look if those facilities will get plenty of use
• Using a wheelchair or scooter: book a fully adapted cabin, not a partially adapted one. P&O marks PB, PC, PD, PE and PF as only partially adapted, suitable for some mobility aids but not for wheelchair use
• Want to step straight out to a bar: deck 8, the Promenade Deck, puts you on the same level as most of the ship’s venues. Accept the passers-by and it is about as convenient as Arvia gets

Deck 15 Aft, Under the Horizon Restaurant

Deck 16 is the Lido Deck. Its cabins are all at the forward end, and from midship aft it’s public space the whole way: the Laguna Bar, Taste 360, the SkyDome pool, the Crystal Bar, The Beach House and then the Horizon Restaurant and Infinity pool at the stern. Deck 15 runs cabins the full length of the ship, so everything from its midship section back sits under one or other of those. A buffet starts operating early, while a pool deck brings foot traffic, loungers and other activity above the cabins.

If you’re a light sleeper, deck 15 from midship aft is the part to rule out first. Move to the forward end of the same deck and you’re back under cabins.

Decks 16 and 17, Where the Children Are

This is where Arvia differs most from her older sister. Deck 17 carries the nursery, the night nursery, Splashers, Scubas and the Reef, and they sit from midship aft. The Crow’s Nest, the Ivory Suite and Epicurean are at the forward end. What matters for choosing a cabin is that decks 16 and 17 only have cabins forward: 82 on deck 16 and 26 on deck 17, all of them ahead of midship. There are none behind the children’s areas, because the Lido deck is what sits below those.

The forward cabins on those two decks have their own thing to check, and it isn’t the children. Deck 17’s forward cabins sit directly under the Beachcomber pool and bar and the sunbathing area on deck 18, which is the same early-morning problem as deck 15 aft. Deck 16’s forward cabins sit under deck 17, which is cabins for most of that stretch, apart from the very front where Epicurean and the Ivory Suite are above.

Deck 8, Deck 9 Aft and the Promenade

The Promenade Deck, deck 8, is the one place on Arvia where cabins and public space share a level. Forward and mid-forward are cabins. Aft of them are the Keel and Cow, Sindhu, Mizuhana, the Quays, the Club House and the Sunset Bar, with the Avenue shopping running between them.

That layout creates two separate issues, and the second is easy to miss. The first is privacy: the BA, CZ, EZ and GZ grades are on the Promenade Deck, and two of the plan’s symbols exist for this deck alone, marking cabins and balconies visible from the promenade. People walk past while you sit outside. If you want a private balcony, book higher.

The second is that deck 9 aft sits directly above those venues, the Club House included, and the Club House runs late. Deck 9 is fine otherwise, so don’t rule it out. Just book forward or mid-ship instead of aft.

Deck 8 forward has a different problem beneath it. Deck 7 has no cabins at all: it is the Headliners Theatre, the casino, the Glass House, reception and the Avenue shopping. Forward cabins on deck 8 therefore sit above a theatre, and a theatre finishes late.

Deck 5, the Gala Deck and the Gym

The Gala Deck, deck 6, is the other all-public level: the Grand Atrium, the Limelight Club, the Amber Lounge, the Oasis Spa and the lower level of the Headliners Theatre. Deck 5 is cabins, directly underneath. Restaurant and lounge noise comes later in the evening than pool noise, it’s chairs and trolleys instead of footsteps, and it stops. Whether that bothers you is personal.

Deck 5 forward is a separate case. The gym, the thermal suite and the changing rooms are on the same level, so those cabins sit beside the spa instead of under a lounge. A gym starts earlier than a nightclub finishes, which suits some people and not others.

Deck 17’s forward cabins have the same thing higher up, sitting below the Beachcomber pool, its bar and the sunbathing area on deck 18. A pool deck above a cabin is a specific kind of early morning, and unlike a buffet it does not stop after breakfast. Deck 18’s jogging track and golf nets are midship and aft, so they’re not above any cabin.

Forward Cabins, the Bridge and the Wind

Two of P&O’s own notes apply to the forward end specifically. Balconies in the forward section can be overlooked by the bridge, so bear that in mind if you were planning a quiet morning outside in a dressing gown. And forward-facing balconies carry the restricted-access symbol, meaning they are closed when the ship is making way in a strong wind.

Forward is also where a ship pitches most. On a Caribbean or Mediterranean sailing that rarely matters. On a February crossing of Biscay it does. If the forward view is why you’re booking, it’s a trade worth making on purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions