All P&O Arvia Horizon Newsletters from a Mediterranean Cruise

P&O Cruises’ new ship, Arvia, has so much to do onboard. Throughout the day there’s plenty to see, do, eat and drink so where do you start? We took a 14-night cruise on Arvia and used the daily newsletters to help us make the most of our time on this cruise ship. In this post, we share the daily P&O Arvia Horizon newsletters to give you an idea of what you can expect.

What is the P&O Horizon newsletter?

The Horizon newsletter is your daily guide to what’s happening throughout each day of your cruise. It provides:

• Information and times of activities
• The dress code for the evening
• Opening times for restaurants and bars onboard
• Important information about your cruise e.g. ship time changes
• Recommendations and highlights of things not to miss
• Special deals for the spa
• Shopping sales
• Port information
• Cinema listings
• Times of sunrise/sunset
• Weather forecast

Where do you find the P&O Horizon newsletter?

You will have a copy of the P&O Horizon newsletter delivered outside your cabin door every evening, ready for the next day.

Extra copies can be found at Reception and in the Grand Atrium on Arvia.

It’s currently not available on My Holiday, although it’s likely that it will be added in the future. In our opinion, it would be really handy to have access to it on our smart phones (rather than carry it around).

P&O Arvia Horizon Newsletters

Here’s all 14 of the P&O Arvia Horizon newsletters that we collected during our two-week cruise. This was a Mediterranean cruise from Southampton in 2023.

Each cruise is slightly different, depending on particular events and ports. For example, there were additional events on our sailing because Gary Barlow was performing, it was the King’s Coronation and the Eurovision Song Contest. Even so, most of the activities are regularly repeated on every cruise.

We would recommend using this to help with planning things such as formal nights, port days and when the best deals are offered for the spa and shops.

Guest entertainment does change but the rest of the entertainment in venues such as the Clubhouse, 710 Club and Atrium is likely to follow a similar schedule.

P&O Arvia Horizon newsletter – Embarkation Day

There’s lots of information about Arvia in the first newsletter. The clocks move forward an hour overnight to adjust to European time.

On embarkation day it’s worth popping in to see the spa and also register the children at the Kids Club.

P&O Arvia Horizon Newsletter – Day 2 (sea day)

The first day at sea is a good opportunity to get your bearings and explore Arvia. The P&O Arvia Horizon newsletters are useful to find out some of the sea day activities that are on offer.

Horizon Newsletter – Day 3 (La Coruna)

Day 4 and 5 (sea days and first Celebration Night)

The first Celebration Night is held on Day 4, this is a chance to dress up but you can also find out which venues don’t require the dress code.

On sea days there are daily activities that are always scheduled for the same time, such as fitness classes, quizzes and enrichment talks.

Horizon Newsletter – Day 6 (Alicante)

Throughout the Mediterranean season, Arvia will visit Palma de Mallorca or Alicante. Our cruise visited Alicante.

It’s worth knowing that the newsletter states that the port shuttle bus is chargeable to your onboard account but the shuttle bus in Alicante was free to use. Shuttle buses in all of the ports of call we visited were free, even though we were on the Saver Rate!

P&O Arvia Horizon Newsletter – Day 7 (sea day)

The events and activities on this day were slightly different for our cruise as it was the King’s Coronation. Many of the venues had live coverage but there were definitely plenty of other things to do for passengers who didn’t want to watch it.

Day 8 Newsletter (La Spezia)

A port day in La Spezia offers shore excursions to Pisa, Florence and Cinque Terre. La Spezia is easy to explore on your own once you get off the shuttle bus outside the cruise terminal.

P&O Horizon Newsletter on Arvia – Day 9 (Marseilles)

In the Horizon newsletter it states if you need to take your passport with you in port. Marseilles was the only port in the entire cruise we were required to take our passport with us. You can check this in the newsletter.

P&O Arvia Newsletter – Day 10 (Barcelona)

It’s useful to have the port information in the Horizon newsletter, make a note of important telephone numbers in case you need assistance whilst in port.

Day 11 Newsletter (sea day)

We would recommend watching Greatest Days: Official Take That Musical in the Headliners Theatre on this cruise. Be aware that there are highs and lows in this performance but the production is excellent quality.

P&O Arvia – Day 12 Newsletter (Cadiz)

The final port on this itinerary is Cadiz in Spain. The final sail away party takes place in the SkyDome.

Day 13 and 14 (sea days and second Celebration Night)

Day 13 is the first of the final two days at sea before arriving back in Southampton. This is the second Celebration Night on Arvia.

The ‘X’ show in the SkyDome on day 12 and 13 is a bit bonkers and does involve audience participation – you have been warned!

On the last two sea days you can expect it to be quite busy in the shops with additional sales. You may also want to take advantage of a spa deal.

The final sea day is also when quizzers need to claim their prizes.

Tips for making the most of P&O Arvia

• Take a photo of the port information in the P&O Arvia Horizon Newsletters on your phone in case you get into difficulty whilst in port
• Book as much of the dining and entertainment before your cruise to avoid missing out
• Arrive at the Headliners Theatre no later than 15 to 20 minutes before the performance to ensure you can sit together
• Once you’re onboard, book any 710 Club sessions you’d like to go to (on My Holiday) as these are fully booked by Day 2
• If you want professional photos on Celebration Night, do so on the second Celebration Night – it’s much quieter
• Family-friendly activities are indicated with stars on the Horizon newsletters
• Any entertainment you need to reserve in advance is indicated with theatre masks on the Horizon newsletters
• Some venues and activities are subject to weather so if you want to do something in particular, e.g. mini-golf or the Altitude SkyWalk, do it early in the cruise in case you have to reschedule
• The best spa deal was on our final sea day
• The shops are very busy on the final two sea days due to ‘sales’
• There is a Progressive Quiz on Arvia so if you want to take part, don’t miss it starting on Day 2 in Brodies