Mediterranean Cruise life Family

“There are so many happy memories” – an unforgettable family holiday on Arvia

Guest Nick Williams recently enjoyed a fun-filled Mediterranean cruise with his family on board Arvia. He tells us what they got up to, from family dinners to football stadiums.

5 min 01 Sep 2023

Nick Williams

Author

Peninsular Club member Nick Williams and his wife Dianna, from Ringwood in Hampshire, are in their early sixties and newly retired. They’ve been avid cruisers since 2009 and have tried several different cruise lines but keep coming back to P&O Cruises. Having spent 78 nights on board they are now Atlantic-tier Peninsular Club members and enjoy a 7.5% discount for on-board spending. They travelled on Arvia last Easter with their daughter Jessica and son-in-law Marc, grandchildren William and twins Isabella and Emilia, and Marc’s parents Lynn and Dave.

It is such excellent value for money. The destinations and the excellent food and entertainment on board are unsurpassed.

Nick Williams

Over to Nick…

Cruising is such a great way to visit multiple destinations in luxury at an affordable price. This was our first trip on Arvia, but we have travelled on her sister ship Iona twice before. Arvia is beautiful and really does cater for everyone and all ages. The cabins are well designed, and the spacious bathrooms are probably the best of their class on any ship.

We had planned well ahead for this trip as we were a large party. It was the first time the children had been on a cruise ship – we were all very excited!

Nick and Dianne with Arvia in La Coruna

Family fun

Our daughter Jessica had booked for Marc and the children to do the Altitude Skywalk. Jessica took on the challenge while the twins enjoyed a game of mini golf, right below the high ropes.

The children’s clubs were very well run, and the grandchildren loved going; in fact, the girls enjoyed it so much they asked to go again some evenings. William has remained in contact with a boy he met on the holiday – he would always be able to find someone at the football court for a kick-around. Another highlight for William was when he met the captain on one of his regular walks around the ship. He was so friendly, as were all the staff on Arvia.

Marc, William and Jessica taking on the Altitude Skywalk

Memorable meals

We LOVE food, and P&O Cruises ships never disappoint. Having raved to the family about our experience at Sindhu on Iona, we decided to eat there on the first night. The quality, presentation and beautiful surroundings really set the scene for the whole trip.

For breakfast we would usually meet up at the Meridian Restaurant, although on a couple of occasions we took William to Sixth Street Diner for brunch, where the waffles are the stuff of nine-year-old-boy dreams! The children loved the Beach House and we took them there while Jessica and Marc enjoyed a bit of alone time at Epicurean.

Zenith and Meridian had a good menu every night and as a large party we always got a good table. The staff were all so kind, polite and attentive, especially to the children.

6th Street Diner

Awesome entertainment

We have always found P&O Cruises evening entertainment excellent, and this trip was no exception. The singers and resident performers put on great shows and the girls loved the costumes and dancing. The whole family loved the Celebration Nights. We all dressed up. It was great to sit in the Atrium, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing everyone looking so glamorous.

Jessica and Marc with their children William, Isabella and Emilia enjoying Celebration Night

Favourite destinations

Our Easter cruise took in some fabulous ports, and we found sightseeing on our own very easy with the help of the transfer buses. We loved wandering around Cádiz, with its whitewashed houses and fancy watchtowers. La Spezia in Italy was convenient for a day trip to Florence and Pisa. We arrived early on Easter Sunday – our lovely guide on the bus made sure no time was wasted. Our first stop was Pisa and we had amazing views of the leaning tower. In Florence, we had plenty of time to see the sights and the Easter procession.

Barcelona was a big hit: Marc and William especially loved their tour around Barca’s Camp Nou. And we all enjoyed Mallorca. We went on an organised trip to the Caves of Drach, which were huge and teeming with stalagmites and stalactites. Our coach driver also took us to Porto Cristo, a pretty village with a beautiful beach. The Majorca Pearl Factory was a great place to purchase gifts.

And relax…

One of the nicest things about cruising is that everyone can spend time as they want. During sea days there was always lots to do on board and we were rarely all together as we have different interests. We were blessed with good weather, so we were able to sunbathe and swim in the infinity pools.

The main speaker on board our trip was from ORCA, a marine conservation charity, and she held several interesting talks in the theatre. We met up with her a few times on deck and she was always happy to have a chat and tell us what sea life was around us.

Jessica and Marc bought a seven-day pass for the spa – Jessica says she had the best facial ever! Marc also burned off some calories in the gym and on the running track on deck.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on Arvia. There are so many highlights and happy memories. We can’t wait to book our next family holiday.