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| Arvia cruise ship queues spoilt Christmas, passengers say | Arvia cruise ship queues spoilt Christmas, passengers say |
| (4 months later) | |
| Arvia is the latest ship to be operated by P&O Cruises | Arvia is the latest ship to be operated by P&O Cruises |
| Passengers on a cruise ship's maiden voyage have complained of "horrendous queues", problems with Christmas dinner reservations and a lack of internet. | Passengers on a cruise ship's maiden voyage have complained of "horrendous queues", problems with Christmas dinner reservations and a lack of internet. |
| P&O Cruises' Arvia left Southampton for the Canary Islands last Friday. | P&O Cruises' Arvia left Southampton for the Canary Islands last Friday. |
| Welsh travel reviewers Tom Hughes-Lewis and Dominik Scott, who are on board, said the ship had "a lot of unhappy people". | Welsh travel reviewers Tom Hughes-Lewis and Dominik Scott, who are on board, said the ship had "a lot of unhappy people". |
| P&O Cruises apologised IT problems had caused "dining issues" and delays for some guests on Christmas Day. | P&O Cruises apologised IT problems had caused "dining issues" and delays for some guests on Christmas Day. |
| Arvia is on its maiden voyage from Southampton | Arvia is on its maiden voyage from Southampton |
| Passenger Adrian Harvey, from Norfolk, told the BBC the dining queue on 25 December stretched for three quarters of the ship's length on two decks. | Passenger Adrian Harvey, from Norfolk, told the BBC the dining queue on 25 December stretched for three quarters of the ship's length on two decks. |
| He said he was shown to his reserved table an hour-and-a-half late only to find that it was already occupied by someone else. | He said he was shown to his reserved table an hour-and-a-half late only to find that it was already occupied by someone else. |
| In an email to the BBC, he wrote: "The queues were horrendous... there were still people waiting for main courses at 23:00. | In an email to the BBC, he wrote: "The queues were horrendous... there were still people waiting for main courses at 23:00. |
| "Queues, queues, queues at reception/internet/restaurants, even virtual queues where you make a booking... What an absolute shambles." | "Queues, queues, queues at reception/internet/restaurants, even virtual queues where you make a booking... What an absolute shambles." |
| The ship was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany | The ship was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany |
| Mr Hughes-Lewis, from Llandysul, Ceredigion, who posts travel videos online, said he and his partner experienced minor issues with their Christmas dinner, including missing courses. | Mr Hughes-Lewis, from Llandysul, Ceredigion, who posts travel videos online, said he and his partner experienced minor issues with their Christmas dinner, including missing courses. |
| "However, we have heard from many other passengers who often come to speak to us after seeing our YouTube channel that they really did have a negative experience," he said. | "However, we have heard from many other passengers who often come to speak to us after seeing our YouTube channel that they really did have a negative experience," he said. |
| "There are often queues on board, particularly for dining and reception, but we can see they are putting steps in place to address this." | "There are often queues on board, particularly for dining and reception, but we can see they are putting steps in place to address this." |
| P&O Cruises said it had resolved the dining issues. | P&O Cruises said it had resolved the dining issues. |
| In a statement, it said: "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. | In a statement, it said: "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." | "This service was certainly not up to our usual high standards and we wholeheartedly apologise." |
| The 16-deck ship, which accommodates up to 5,200 guests and 1,800 crew, is the operator's second to be powered by liquefied natural gas. | The 16-deck ship, which accommodates up to 5,200 guests and 1,800 crew, is the operator's second to be powered by liquefied natural gas. |
| It is due to sail from Southampton to the Caribbean on 6 January before returning to Europe in the summer. | It is due to sail from Southampton to the Caribbean on 6 January before returning to Europe in the summer. |
| Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. |
| A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS: Jazz up your New Year celebrations with festive classics from BBC NOW | A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS: Jazz up your New Year celebrations with festive classics from BBC NOW |
| IT'S SHOWTIME: Luke Evans hosts an unforgettable night of music | IT'S SHOWTIME: Luke Evans hosts an unforgettable night of music |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Llandysul | Llandysul |
| Cruise ships | Cruise ships |
| Southampton | Southampton |
| Hampshire |