P&O customers aboard a festive cruise have said that their Christmas had been ruined after various issues aboard the ship.
The Arvia cruise ship was making its maiden voyage this festive season, and it couldn't have gone worse for passengers, reports the Express. The ship's captain has apologised to those who were affected by a number of problems aboard the cruise.
These issues included booking errors, poor Wi-Fi onboard, and long waiting times for food. While saying sorry to guests on Tuesday, the captain placed the blame for these problems on “IT and connectivity issues”.
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The Arvia had been sold as the “latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience”. The main attraction, the 'SkyDome' pool, was fitted with a retractable roof and included an infinity pool and obstacle course.
However, passengers were left extremely underwhelmed. One couple from Lincolnshire spent £5,300 for a two-week break but were left furious after their Christmas dinner reservation was lost on the morning of the big day.
Lynne Wheatley, 67, and her husband, Richard, found that another couple were already eating at their table when they arrived.
Speaking to The Times, Mrs Wheatley explained: “We waited two and a half hours and the food was awful. We were in a restaurant with no tablecloths — it was more like your kitchen table. I spoke to one couple who got sat down at 11pm.
“Don’t get me wrong, the ship is beautiful [but] it’s a shame because it’s ruined Christmas for a lot of people.”
Other passengers claimed that the maiden voyage had come too soon for the Arvia, as basic things like the Wi-Fi hadn't been set up properly.
Gwyndaf Jones, a 57-year-old restaurateur from north Wales, said: “The Wi-Fi is non-existent. It’s the worst I’ve experienced at sea. I can’t even get my emails, let alone stream as they promise.”
He added that he was lucky to have no problems with his Christmas dinner but said that "in hindsight, they were not ready to sail”.
Teacher Dominik Scott, from Wales, has a personal YouTube channel where he reviews cruises alongside his partner Tom Hughes-Lewis.
He said that while he was lucky to not have any issues, it was clear that other passengers were having lots of trouble.
Mr Scott added: “We tend not to book maiden voyages because there are always teething problems.
"On Christmas Day we were quite lucky. Other people’s day was an absolute disaster. We didn’t experience anything half as bad.
"People like to stop and talk to us because they recognise us from YouTube and a lot of people aren’t very happy.”
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises told The Times: “We are so sorry for those guests affected by the IT and connectivity issues on Arvia’s current cruise, which caused dining issues and restaurant delays for a proportion of guests on Christmas Day.
"This service was certainly not up to our usual high standards and we wholeheartedly apologise.”
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