Arcadia

The 2005-built Arcadia cruise ship is one of the P&O UK's "adult ships" - together with the fleetmate Aurora (since 2019).

The vessel (IMO number 9226906) is currently Bermuda-flagged (MMSI 310459000) and registered in Hamilton.

History - construction and ownership

P&O Cruises is a subsidiary company and two brands owned by Carnival Corporation - P&O UK and P&O Australia. In 2000, P&O Cruises became subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, which merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003. P and O is the world's oldest cruise company, starting passenger shipping operations in 1822 on the routes connecting England with Iberia.

The 2000-passenger ship Arcadia once sailed as the largest custom-built vessel for the British market - this was until P&O Cruises' Ventura joined the fleet in April 2008. Arcadia was not always marked to sail under the flag of P&O. Carnival Corporation had actually planned this vessel to be Cunard's Queen Victoria but later took the decision to allocate it to whichever one of its multifarious brands that could make the best use of it. Because of this, P&O Cruises fans might find Arcadia cruise ship's international style less to their taste than that of more classically British P&O UK liners such as Oriana; although like all the company's cruises, Arcadia scores highly on cleanliness and the kind of fluently running operation that results from the deployment of top-notch organizational skills.

Decks and Cabins

P&O Arcadia staterooms (1050 total, in 17 grades) include 62x Suites, 652x Balconies, 72x Oceanviews, 162x Inside, 6x Single cabins. Most cabins are sized 170-195 ft2 / 16-19 m2. Most cabin balconies are sized 55 ft2 / 5 m2. The largest passenger accommodations are the Aft Balcony Suites (450 ft / 42 m2, with terrace sized 300 ft2 / 28 m2).

The boat has 11 passenger decks, of which 7 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Spanning two decks, Arcadia's Meridian Dining Room (main restaurant) features a glass design and a grand central staircase. The restaurant is complimentary and serves good quality food. Breakfast features everything one would expect, from light and healthy options to British fry-up. Lunch is a la carte (including soups, lighter dishes, pies) while Afternoon Tea serves tasty treats of sandwiches, scones, cakes. For dinner, the Meridian Restaurant operates the usual dining system (with two sittings) allowing passengers to dine each night at the same table. The restaurant's upper level is for Freedom Dining, which means you can turn up at any time.

Follows the complete list of Arcadia restaurants and food bars.

• Meridian Restaurant (2-level aft Dining Room; for Breakfast 7:30-9 am, and Lunch 12:15-1:45 pm/3-course menu)
• Ocean Grill Restaurant and Bar (specialty dining by celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White; dinner only 6-10 pm, reservation-only; also serving Suite guests Breakfast)
• The Belvedere (buffet-style restaurant, complimentary, open for Breakfast and hot dishes until 10:30 am, Brunch, Lunch and Dinner 6:30-10 pm; with themed buffets)
• Neptune Grill (fast food bar, complimentary)
• Caffe Vivo (light food, coffee bar; complimentary)
• “East” Asian specialty restaurant by Atul Kochar; at surcharge PP/depending on cruise length, the cuisine includes Indian, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese dishes/4-course menu; open 6:30-9:30 pm, reservations recommended).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The 2-deck Palladium Theatre presents solid cruise entertainment. Passengers won't find West End shows but can expect a good spread of pleasing bands and comics, song and dance revues, aimed at British tastes. The theatre hosts 2 shows nightly, at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm, in order to accommodate the two dining times. Organized day-time activities include traditional staples like deck quoits, shuffleboard, talks about forthcoming ports and general interest topics including art. The entertainment hosts spin tunes around the Aquarius Pool from 2 pm, where things liven up during dance parties featuring a cocktail of the day. Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Internet/WiFi access, laundry/self-serve laundromats.

Follows the complete list of Arcadia lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Arcadia Atrium (2-decks central open floor area and social hub)
• The Palladium Theatre (736-seats, 3-decks, featuring large scale shows by “Headliners Theatre Company”)
• Spinnaker Bar (nautically themed, opens at 3 pm)
• Intermezzo Bar (Champagne bar, specialty cocktails)
• The Rising Sun Bar (English pub); Piano Bar; The Orchid Bar; Anderson’s
• Monte Carlo Casino; Electra Disco and Nightclub; Art Gallery
• Emporium Shop; Celebrations Shop; Piccadilly Shop; Photo Gallery and Shop; The Library (with Internet computers); Card Room; Horizon (Internet computers room); The Screening Room (30-seat cinema)
• Aquarius Pool; Neptune Pool (served by Neptune Bar); 2 jacuzzis
• The Retreat (relaxation room with large wooden floor for Yoga, Tai Chi, ballroom dance classes)
• Oasis Spa and Health Club (Thalassotherapy pool, Treatment Rooms, Steam Rooms, Beauty Salon)
• Gymnasium (complimentary equipment, Fitness classes; Yoga and Pilates at surcharge)
• The Crow’s Nest Lounge (dance floor, a stage for live music; with floor-ceiling windows for panoramic views; hosts art classes, quiz games, cooking demos during the day)
• Jogging Track; Traditional deck games area (Deck Chess, Deck Quoits, Shuffleboard); Sports Court (football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cricket); Table Tennis; two Golf Net cages.

Itineraries

P&O Arcadia itinerary program is based mainly on roundtrips from homeport Southampton, including an annual World Cruise and Transatlantic crossings (to the USA and Canada, and the Caribbean) - all are roundtrips from the UK. In Europe, the ship visits ports in the Mediterranean, Baltic (Norway Fjords), British Isles, Iceland and Norway, Western Europe (mini-cruises UK to Belgium).

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the ship was paused through March 2022.

MS Arcadia is one of P&O's adults-only liners - along with Oriana. Initially, the liner was ordered as Vista-Class vessel for Holland America Line. While still under construction, the shipowner Carnival Corporation allocated the vessel to Cunard Line (planned for operations as MS Queen Victoria). Shortly before the launch in 2004, Carnival decided to transfer the vessel to P&O UK.

P&O Arcadia (Fincantieri Marghera shipyard/hull number 6078) is powered by Wartsila-Sulzer marine diesel engines (models 16ZAV40S and 12ZAV40S) generating total power output 63,36 MW.

As a result of all these pre-launch changes, Arcadia's ship design has Cunard's mast (similar to RMS Queen Mary 2) and a modified funnel (instead P&O UK's traditional funnel). This makes the vessel sistership to Queen Victoria, also to Coral Princess and Island Princess, and partially to Costa's Luminosa and Deliziosa. These are Panamax vessels, meaning their dimensions allow transition through Panama Canal's old locks.

For P&O UK, Arcadia debuted in April 2005. The ship was named by Godmother Kelly Holmes (1970-born British athlete). The vessel underwent a major drydock refit (at Lloyd Werf shipyard in Bremerhaven Germany) in late-2008. During the refurb, it was upgraded with 34 new cabins and the stern was extensively remodeled.

Besides Arcadia, P&O ships with annual World Cruises (ex-UK roundtrips from homeport Southampton) are Aurora and Oriana.

Arcadia World Cruise 2023

Next table shows the Arcadia ship's first post-COVID World Voyage - the 99-night/100-day "World Cruise 2023" itinerary (booking code J301) roundtrip from the UK.

Prices started from GBP 10780 (EUR 12560 / USD 14900) per person with double occupancy.

World Voyage 2023 was also offered for booking in smaller segments.

• (Jan 13) 38 days from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney Australia
• (Feb 14) 58 days from Auckland to Southampton
• (Feb 20) 23 days from Sydney to Singapore
• (Feb 20) 52 days from Sydney to Southampton
• (Feb 22) 50 days from Brisbane to Southampton
• (Mar 15) 29 days from Singapore to Southampton
• (Mar 26) 18 days from Dubai to Southampton

P&O Arcadia refurbishments review

The ship is currently scheduled for a major drydock refurbishment in November 2024.

Arcadia's renovation project in 2023 (April-May) resulted in new chairs (in all passenger staterooms), new furniture (on all cabin balconies), and new deckchairs/furniture on all open deck areas. Neptune Pool's sundeck was upgraded with new garden furniture (loungers, sofas, tables, armchairs).

The list of deck plan changes after the 2017 drydock (November 1-14, done in Hamburg Germany at the Blohm+Voss shipyard) includes:

• Updates and re-designing of all Suites, public areas, bars, and restaurants - the job was done by the London-based UK company RPW Design specializing in interior design. Interior renovations included new carpeting, new furniture, soft furnishing refreshes, new color schemes.
• (aft on Lido deck 9) Aquarius pool and bar renovations included refreshed furnishings, new color scheme, updated chairs, sofas, bar stools, coffee tables, signage, wall tiles.
• The 3-deck high Atrium (including the ship's Reception) was updated with new carpets and furniture (chairs, banquettes, cushions).
• (forward on Lido deck 9) Oasis Spa's Reception was updated with new carpets and blinds. All loungers and armchairs were refreshed and cushions were added.
• (midship starboard on deck 2) Intermezzo Bar received a new color scheme, new carpeting, blinds and new furniture (chairs, sofas, stools, coffee tables, lampshades).
• All Suites were refreshed with new design, new color scheme, new furniture (sofabeds, armchairs, coffee tables, lamps), new curtains, bed cushions, throws.

The boat's 2013 drydock (November-December) resulted in:

• 24 new passenger cabins (of which 6 single-occupancy cabins), all cabins were refurbished (new carpeting, flat TVs)
• The Globe Lounge became the Electra Disco
• Orchid restaurant became “East”
• Crow’s Nest Lounge refit and renovation (added new bar).

The 2008 drydock (at Lloyd Werft Germany, 24-day refit at the Bremerhaven yards) included:

• Stern refit- 34 new passenger cabins were added, of which 10 single cruise cabins, 23 balcony rooms, 1 suite.
• Cyb@Study (Internet center) was converted into The Screening Room (cinema), while the Internet stations were moved to The Library.
• Ocean Grill Restaurant was renovated, Aquarius Bar was enlarged.

An additional 75-ton Sun Deck area was added (size 5920 ft2 / 550 m2).