Back onboard P&O Arvia - Will it be better this time? Embarkation on Arvia's busiest ever sailing
We’re back! Join us, Lisa and Peter (Cruising Through Our Lives), as we kick off a brand new series on P&O Arvia. We sailed on May 24th, 2026, right in the middle of a Southampton heatwave—and trust us, it was scorching! In this first episode, we take you through our seamless embarkation process, meet up with our friends Nathan and Amy from Namy Does Cruising, and give you a quick tour of our 'controversial' aft balcony cabin. Does the Infinity Pool really soak you? We find out! We also explore the many dining options onboard, chat about cruise dress codes (spoiler: it’s not all posh!), and enjoy a stunning sail away. Stick around for a look at the late-night buffet and a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the rest of the series, including our stops in Gijón, La Coruña, Vigo, and Cherbourg. In this video: Our easy coach travel and boarding experience. Quick tour of an Arvia aft balcony cabin. First drinks at the Beachcomber and Infinity bars. A guide to the dining venues on board. Late-night entertainment and first-day impressions. If you enjoy the video, please consider subscribing and hitting the like button—it’s completely free and really helps our channel grow! Join the conversation: Have you sailed on Arvia or her sister ship Iona? What are your thoughts on the aft balconies? Let us know in the comments! #PandOCruises #Arvia #CruiseVlog #ShipTour #Southampton #cruisingthroughourlives 00:00 Welcome back to Arvia! 00:50 Easy embarkation & coach travel 01:36 First impressions & ship stats 03:10 Meeting up with NAM Does Cruising 03:40 Aft balcony cabin tour (the splash zone!) 06:05 Grabbin' a drink at Beachcomber Bar 08:24 Sail away from Southampton 09:34 Checking out the Infinity Pool 11:40 Where to eat on Arvia: Dining options 12:41 Is the "splash balcony" really a problem? 14:15 Sunset views & cruise vibes 16:21 What to wear: Cruise dress codes 17:32 Dinner at Keel and Cow 18:31 Late night at The Clubhouse 19:56 The midnight buffet & series preview