Less than 6 months after our very first cruise we made the plunge and booked our first transatlantic trip. It was a 15-night cruise onboard P&O Arvia sailing from Southampton to the Caribbean.
These transatlantic cruises, which occur in the Autumn or Spring are referred to as ‘repositioning cruises’. The ship leaves Northern Europe or the Mediterranean after the summer season and heads to the Caribbean for the winter.
Our cruise departed from Southampton for 3 days at sea, crossing the infamous Bay of Biscay before the first port of call in Gran Canaria. It was back onboard for 6 sea days before reaching Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The cruise continued around the eastern Caribbean with stops in St Kitts, Martinique and Barbados. Finally, it was an overnight stay in Barbados before flying back to the UK with TUI.
One thing we noticed in the short time we’ve been cruising is that the onboard internet has greatly improved, even in the middle of the Atlantic so we could still work, with the best VPN I could even upload a video.
So let’s take a closer look at our transatlantic cruise experience and then we answer the question, would we do it again?
Embarkation Day
We leave from Bournemouth Airport and transfer to the Ocean Terminal, Southampton.
How was the boarding process for a ship this large? And what were our first impressions of Arvia as we settled into our balcony cabin?
What is there to do on such a long crossing?
Crossing The Bay Of Biscay
We leave the English Channel and head south across the Bay of Biscay.
The captain announces that the wind is gusting 50 knots and the swell is over 5 metres. Unsurprisingly, most of the outside areas and the promenade deck of the Arvia are closed.
Did we get a chance to get in the ship’s hot tubs?
Arvia Reaches The Canary Islands
After 3 days at sea, we spend a day in the Port of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria before embarking on another 6 days across the Atlantic.
It’s Halloween as we set sail and there are some strange people onboard. Well, stranger than usual!
Sea Days, Sea Days And More Sea Days
This part of the transatlantic cruise will include 6 sea days in total as we begin our journey between Gran Canaria and the British Virgin Islands.
With all the time the sea days give you we try some other restaurants, including the 6th Street Diner, the Olive Grove and Zenith, one of the main dining rooms.
The Caribbean Approaches
Arvia’s transatlantic cruise approaches the Caribbean but there are still 1400 miles to go. The weather has warmed up and the sea is calm.
We try some other speciality dining venues including the Keel and Cow for breakfast and The Beach House for dinner.
British Virgin Islands And St Kitts
After 3000 miles from Gran Canaria, P&O Arvia finally reaches the Caribbean. We visit our first ports of Tortola, British Virgin Islands and St Kitts.
We try a couple of tours and as we’re now in the Caribbean we have to try some of the local rum.
Martinique And Barbados
We reach our last couple of islands Martinique & Barbados.
Firstly, the French Caribbean Island of Martinique where we walk the town and then our last port for two nights in Bridgetown Barbados.
Finally, after 15 nights on Arvia, we have to fly back to the wet and cold UK.
So, that was our first transatlantic cruise on P&O Arvia. Did we enjoy it? It was definitely a yes for both of us. We would recommend the trip if you have the chance. We liked it so much we have booked for next season, this time sailing with Celebrity Cruises from Southampton to Florida.
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