The mistakes people make on P&O Cruises usually don’t start onboard. They start before you’ve even unpacked your suitcase.Something as simple as not packing swimwear in your hand luggage can immediately put you on the back foot. While some passengers are already in the pool with a drink, others are still waiting hours for their bags to arrive outside their cabin door.
Then once you step onboard, everything happens at once. You need to complete your muster drill, check your dining arrangements, work out how to get around the ship, and at the same time there’s a full daily schedule of shows, quizzes and activities. On larger ships like Arvia and Iona, it can feel overwhelming very quickly.
This guide walks through the ten mistakes to avoid on P&O Cruises, based on real experience across multiple sailings, so you can avoid the stress and make the most of your time onboard.
Watch: The 10 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises (Full Video Guide)
If you want to see exactly how these mistakes play out onboard, including real examples from Arvia, Britannia and more, watch the full video below.
This will give you a clear guide before we break each mistake down in detail.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Getting Embarkation Day Wrong
One of the easiest ways to start your cruise badly is by not preparing properly for embarkation day.
P&O Cruises will give you an allocated arrival time, and in most cases you should aim to stick to it. If you arrive early, you may be held in a waiting area until your group is called. That said, boarding doesn’t always run exactly to schedule. On one Arcadia sailing, a mid-afternoon slot turned into a midday boarding because the terminal was moving quickly. The mistake is not being prepared for both scenarios.
More importantly, many people forget how long luggage delivery can take. It can be several hours before your suitcase arrives at your cabin, particularly on busy turnaround days in Southampton. If everything you need is packed away, you’re effectively waiting around doing nothing.
Keeping essentials in your hand luggage makes a noticeable difference. Swimwear, a change of clothes, medication and valuables should always stay with you. That way, you can head straight to the pool, explore the ship, or get something to eat instead of waiting for your bags.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Trying to Do Everything on Day One
The first day onboard is where many people start to feel overwhelmed.
There are announcements, safety procedures, dining arrangements to check, and a full programme of activities already underway. It’s easy to feel like you need to understand everything immediately.
You don’t. Every passenger onboard is adjusting at the same time. The ship will feel unfamiliar, and that’s completely normal. The mistake is trying to force everything into the first few hours. A better approach is to slow things down. Walk the ship, get your bearings, and focus on just a couple of key things.
Embarkation day is the ideal time to complete the essentials. Do your muster drill early so it’s out of the way. Check your dining table or speak to the maître d’ if you need to make changes. Identify where the main venues are so you are not constantly searching for them later. Everything else can wait. You have the entire cruise ahead of you.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Not Learning How to Navigate the Ship
P&O ships can feel confusing at first, and one of the most common mistakes is not taking time to understand how they are laid out. The result is people constantly getting lost, taking longer routes, and relying entirely on signage.
Each ship has built-in systems that make navigation easier, but you need to recognise them. On Arcadia, the carpet colours indicate your position. Grey means aft, blue means midship, and red means forward. Once you know that, you can orient yourself instantly.
On Arvia and Iona, the lift banks are colour-coded. Blue lifts are forward, white are midship, and red are aft. Cabin numbers also follow a pattern, with odd numbers on the starboard side and even numbers on the port side.
There are also smaller details that help. Corridor artwork often indicates direction, with sunrise images pointing forward and sunset images pointing aft. Interactive screens near the lifts can show the quickest route to any venue. Taking a short amount of time early in the cruise to understand these systems makes the rest of the week far easier.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Not Understanding Select, Early Saver and Saver Fares
One of the most common pre-cruise mistakes is not fully understanding the type of fare you have booked. P&O Cruises offers Select, Early Saver and Saver fares, and the differences matter.
Select fares give you the most control. You can choose your cabin, get priority dining times, and often receive extras such as onboard spending money or parking in Southampton. The downside is the higher price.
Early Saver tends to offer better overall value. You won’t choose your exact cabin, but you will know the type, and you still retain some flexibility with changes. You also get second priority for upgrades and dining.
Saver fares are the cheapest but come with the most restrictions. You usually pay in full upfront, your cabin is allocated later, and you have the lowest priority for upgrades and dining. Cancellation terms are also stricter. The mistake is not comparing the real value between them.
There are also smaller details that get missed. If parking is included with a Select fare, it still needs to be booked separately through CPS. Leaving it too late can result in no availability. If you have chosen a specific cabin location, opting into automatic upgrades can move you somewhere you don’t actually want to be.
Understanding the trade-offs before you book avoids problems later.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Choosing the Wrong Cabin Location
Even when you have the option to select your cabin, not all locations are equal. On Arvia, some Deck 8 balconies are overlooked by the promenade deck, which reduces privacy. Forward-facing balconies can be exposed to strong winds while the ship is moving.
Cabins positioned above or below busy venues can also be problematic. Theatres, nightclubs and buffet areas can generate noise early in the morning or late at night.
If you are prone to seasickness, location becomes even more important. Midship cabins on lower decks tend to be more stable, particularly in rougher conditions. The mistake is focusing only on cabin type and not its position on the ship.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Not Budgeting Beyond the Cruise Fare
A common assumption is that once the cruise is paid for, everything else is included. While a lot is included, there are still plenty of additional costs that can build up over the course of a week.
Specialty restaurants, drinks outside of packages, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, taxis in port, and onboard experiences all come at an extra cost. On ships like Arvia, activities such as escape rooms and certain venues are not included.
If you don’t plan for this, you can end up spending the cruise trying to avoid spending money, which takes away from the experience.
A better approach is to budget for a few extras in advance. That way, you can enjoy what the ship offers without constantly second-guessing every decision.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Relying Too Much on the My Holiday App
P&O’s My Holiday system is often described as an app, but in reality it is a web-based platform accessed through the ship’s Wi-Fi. It allows you to book dining, check your onboard account, and join virtual queues. However, it is not always as straightforward as people expect.
One mistake is relying on it completely without understanding how it works. Closing the webpage can sometimes remove you from a virtual queue, and during busy periods it may not update as quickly as expected.
Another mistake is not logging in early. As soon as you board, other passengers will already be booking dining reservations, particularly for popular venues.
If you prefer not to use it, there are alternatives. Restaurants can issue pagers, and bookings can be made in person. In some cases, this is quicker and less frustrating than relying on the system.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Not Making the Most of Dining Options
Many passengers fall into the habit of using the buffet for most meals, assuming it is the main included option. In reality, the main dining rooms are included on all P&O ships and offer a more structured dining experience.
On Arvia and Iona, venues like The Quays provide multiple casual dining options in one area, while places like The Olive Grove and 6th Street Diner add more variety. On Britannia, venues such as The Glass House and Sindhu offer higher-end dining experiences at an extra cost.
The mistake is leaving it too late. Popular venues can book up quickly, particularly early in the cruise. Waiting until later in the week often means limited availability.
Making reservations early gives you more choice and allows you to spread your dining experiences across the cruise.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises: Underestimating Sea Day Crowds
Sea days are when the ship feels busiest, and this is where expectations often don’t match reality.
Turning up mid-morning and expecting to find a sunbed by the main pool is one of the most common mistakes. On larger ships, prime spots are often taken early. While crew do remove unattended towels after a set period, it can still be difficult to find space in the busiest areas.
The better approach is to look beyond the main pool deck. Promenade decks often have quieter loungers, and certain areas, such as aft pools on ships like Britannia, tend to be less crowded.
If you prefer a guaranteed space, paid areas like The Retreat offer a more controlled environment, but these need to be booked early.
Mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises : Getting Disembarkation Day Wrong
The final mistake happens at the end of the cruise. Leaving everything until the last minute creates unnecessary stress. If you are using the luggage service, bags must be placed outside your cabin the night before. Missing that deadline means you will need to carry everything off yourself.
If you choose to self-disembark, you need to be prepared for an early start and potential queues. Timing also matters when arranging onward travel. Booking trains or flights too early leaves very little margin for delays. Disembarkation can be affected by port clearance, immigration, and the number of passengers leaving at the same time.
Allowing extra time avoids unnecessary pressure at the end of your trip.
What To Do Next
These are the 10 mistakes to Avoid on P&O Cruises that come up time and time again, and most of them are easy to avoid once you know what to expect.
But avoiding mistakes is only part of the picture. Each ship in the fleet offers a very different experience. Arvia, Britannia, Iona and the others all feel completely different once you’re onboard.
Choosing the right ship is just as important as planning the cruise itself. This Video may help you choose the right ship for you
Useful Cruise Items to Consider
These are a few simple items that can make your cruise on P&O Arvia more comfortable and help you stay organised onboard.
I personally use variations of these when cruising, and they’re all practical rather than essential.
Magnetic hooks Perfect for extra storage in your cabin
Packing cubes Keep your suitcase organised
Cruise luggage tags Protect your tags at the port
Travel Extension Lead UK For charging multiple phones, cameras, and laptops
Toiletry organiser Great for small bathrooms
You can also browse my full Cruise Essentials list for more useful items I use or recommend for cruise holidays.
This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Staying Connected at Sea
If you don’t want to rely entirely on the ship’s Wi-Fi, another option is a cruise eSIM.
Saily has recently launched cruise eSIM plans that provide mobile data both at sea and in supported ports. Depending on your itinerary and how you use your phone, this could be a convenient alternative for messaging, maps and general internet browsing.
You can check the latest plans and coverage here: Saily Cruise Esim
Use code SOLOTRAVEL10 to receive 10% off your purchase.
Affiliate disclosure: This section contains an affiliate link. If you purchase through this link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I haven’t personally tested Saily’s cruise eSIM yet, so please check the latest coverage, data allowances and device compatibility before purchasing.
Useful Guides
P&O Arvia Dining Options (2026 Guide) – A full breakdown of included and specialty restaurants, menus, and what’s actually worth paying extra for.
What I Wish I’d Known Before a P&O Arvia Cruise – Practical tips that first-time cruisers often miss, including onboard costs, booking strategy, and common mistakes.
P&O vs Princess Cruises: Which Should You Choose? – A direct comparison of pricing, drinks packages, ships, and onboard experience.
Barcelona Cruise Port Guide (2026) – If your cruise starts or ends in Barcelona, this guide explains exactly how the port works, transport options, and what to expect.