Passengers aboard two P&O cruise ships reported significant issues on Christmas Day, with some waiting hours for dinner and experiencing booking problems. The incidents occurred on the Iona and the Arvia, the latter described as the “latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience” and on its maiden voyage from Southampton to the Canary Islands, Portugal, and Spain.
The complaints, shared on social media and with media outlets, detail a range of frustrations that some passengers said “ruined” their holiday celebrations. The problems on the Arvia, which cost passengers thousands of pounds for a two-week trip, reportedly included long queues for meals, a chaotic booking system, and poor Wi-Fi connectivity.
On the Iona, another large P&O vessel, a passenger named Claire tweeted that she experienced “the worst Christmas Day of my life.” She reported being given an 8:15 p.m. dinner booking despite having seven children in her party, followed by a “2 hour wait in a queue.”
Margaret Hardcastle, another passenger on the Iona, echoed these issues. She told Insider that restaurant reservations “played no bearing in what we were given.” After arriving for her scheduled 8:15 p.m. booking, she found herself in a queue of “several hundred people possibly” just to enter the Horizon buffet.
Hardcastle said that by the time she was seated, “the Christmas party spirit had gone for everybody. People were tired, bored, hungry, keen to get fed.” While the dinner itself was “OK,” she noted that some expected Christmas touches were absent.
A P&O Cruises spokesperson addressed the Iona issues, stating, “We are so sorry for those guests affected by an isolated IT issue on Iona which caused a delay to dining for a proportion of guests on Christmas Day.” They added, “This service was certainly not up to our usual high standards and we wholeheartedly apologize.”
The spokesperson for P&O Cruises on the Iona cruise added, “We are doing everything possible to ensure our guests have a wonderful holiday for the rest of their time on board this cruise and enjoy all the activities, entertainment, and celebrations.” The Iona is noted as the biggest cruise liner built for the UK market, with over 30 restaurants and bars and a capacity of 5,200 passengers.
Meanwhile, passengers on the Arvia’s maiden voyage also reported a difficult Christmas Day. Lynne Wheatley, 67, and her husband, Richard, 73, paid approximately £5,300, or about $6,400, for their two-week trip. They told The Times of London they had booked a table for Christmas dinner a month in advance but were told on Christmas morning that their reservation could not be found.
The Wheatleys said they were told to wait about an hour for a new booking, only to find upon arrival that their designated table was already occupied by another couple. Lynne Wheatley stated they ultimately waited “two and a half hours” for their dinner.
Describing the food she eventually received, Mrs. Wheatley said, “the food was awful. We were in a restaurant with no tablecloths — it was more like your kitchen table.” She also mentioned speaking to a couple who weren’t seated for their Christmas dinner until 11 p.m.
Lynne Wheatley expressed disappointment, saying, “Don’t get me wrong, the ship is beautiful [but] it’s a shame because it’s ruined Christmas for a lot of people.” The Arvia is equipped with features like a SkyDome pool with a retractable roof, an infinity pool, an aerial obstacle course, 16 decks, and 12 restaurants.
Beyond dining issues, some Arvia passengers complained about Wi-Fi connectivity. Gwyndaf Jones, 57, a restaurateur, described the Wi-Fi as “non-existent” and the “worst” he had experienced at sea, stating he couldn’t even access emails, let alone stream content as promised.
Jones also commented on the ship’s readiness for its maiden voyage, saying, “It’s a lovely ship, but in hindsight they were not ready to sail.” He counted himself “lucky” to have had an earlier seating for dinner compared to others.
Dominik Scott, 40, a secondary school teacher who reviews cruises on YouTube with his partner, Tom Hughes-Lewis, noted that some “teething” issues are often expected on a maiden voyage. He said his experience on Christmas Day was relatively smooth compared to others.
Scott recounted that passengers recognizing him from his YouTube channel would stop to talk, and “a lot of people aren’t very happy” about their experiences. He confirmed that while he and his partner were “quite lucky,” other people’s day “was an absolute disaster.”
A P&O spokesperson for the Arvia cruise acknowledged the problems, stating, “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.” Like the Iona statement, they added, “This service was certainly not up to our usual high standards and we wholeheartedly apologise.”
The captain of the Arvia also apologized to passengers over the ship’s Tannoy system, blaming the issues on “IT and connectivity issues.” P&O stated that technical teams had been working to resolve the problems and that they were “doing everything possible to ensure our guests have a wonderful holiday for the rest of their time on board and enjoy all the activities, entertainment and celebrations.”
The Arvia is due back in Southampton on January 6, and passengers faced the prospect of New Year’s Eve dinner potentially facing similar challenges. Despite the high cost and billing as P&O’s “latest evolution,” the Christmas Day experience left a notable segment of travelers feeling their festive cruise had fallen far short of expectations, illustrating that even the newest ships can face significant challenges on their inaugural journeys.
