P&O Cruises Arvia Cabins Review: Conservatory Mini Suite, Tiny Inside Cabin and Why We Dodged the Upgrade

If you’ve ever tried to fit a baby’s travel cot, three suitcases, a toddler’s toy stash, and actual humans into a cruise cabin, you’ll know it’s basically a game of maritime Tetris. On our recent two-week P&O Cruises Arvia sailing around Europe, we stayed in a Deck 9 Conservatory Mini Suite, while my mum had a single inside cabin.

Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and why we politely declined the offer of an upgraded cabin.

🛋️ Our Conservatory Mini Suite

Let’s get one thing out of the way - the name “mini suite” is doing some very heavy lifting here. If you’re imagining two TVs, a bath, a separate sitting area… that’s not what you’re getting.

What you do get is:

• 🛏️ A sofa bed and coffee table.

💡 Tip: The sofa becomes the bed at night (your cabin steward will do this for you) but there are no edges or handrails. My eldest fell out more than once, so if that’s a risk for your little one, ask for extra pillows to cushion the fall.

• 📐 A little extra floor space compared to a standard balcony.
• 🌤️ A “conservatory” area (more on that in a second).
• 🛁 A slightly bigger bathroom - though not by much.

The space felt modern, comfortable, and like somewhere you could happily wind down after a long cruise day. Little confession from me: I once walked past a family’s open cabin door and saw Dad in the conservatory, Mum on the bed with a book, and a teenager lounging on the balcony. To me, pushing a pram with a sleeping baby in and not daring to breathe, it looked like bliss.

🧳 Storage - Weirdly Lacking

For a cabin category clearly aimed at families, storage is a bit of a puzzle. The wardrobe and drawers were fine, but the conservatory - which could easily have housed more shelves or cupboards - was completely lacking. Ours became a teddy bear den, which my eldest loved, but I’d have preferred a few more places to actually put things away.

💡 Tip: If you’re bringing a travel cot, plan your layout before unpacking. The best spot for ours ended up being in front of the TV (bye-bye evening movies), and we collapsed it each day for more space. That works for a baby; once they’re toddler-sized, you might need it out full-time so they don’t crawl under the bed.

🌙 Sleep & Lighting

If you like a pitch-black cabin, Arvia might (read: will) test your patience. Our shower light never switched off (by design) and the glow was impossible to fully block. Even with a baby sleeping bag laid out like a doorstop.

Add to that a slightly damaged cabin door that whistled at night (not the soothing sea sounds you have on an app!), and sleep wasn’t always perfect.

The door issue was fixed on the last day, but for a ship launched in 2022, I didn’t expect those little signs of wear so soon.

💡 Tip: Bring magnetic hooks and blackout material (or even a big towel) to block persistent light sources. Your 3am self will thank you.

🗺️ Deck 9 vs Deck 8 - Why Location Matters

Not all conservatory mini suites on Arvia are created equal. On Deck 8, your balcony sits directly on the promenade deck. That means joggers and tired parents strolling past, or bathrobe-clad hot tub youths holding court while it’s Love Island, all whilst you sip your morning coffee. Privacy? Gone.

Deck 9 is one level up, with a proper balcony, a view, and zero strangers peering in. It’s the reason we paid to choose our exact cabin - not because we’re fancy, but because I didn’t want to gamble and end up on Deck 8.

💡 Tip: Always check what’s above, below, and directly outside your cabin on the deck plans. The word “balcony” does not guarantee privacy.

🚫 Why We Didn’t Upgrade to a Family Suite

Before boarding, we were offered an upgrade to a Family Suite for less than £100 per person. Sounds tempting, right? Sure. Until you check the location.

These suites are at the very front of the ship, with floor-to-ceiling windows that look directly onto the promenade. People walk past all day. Plus, you feel more movement in rough seas, and you’re a trek from the nearest lifts.

Call me a control freak but I like to choose my cabin location, and the risk of ending up in a “technically bigger but actually worse” cabin isn’t worth it to me.

Read my blog here about why Bigger Isn’t Always Better (in cabins…!).

🕳️ Mum’s Single Inside Cabin

My mum thrives in an inside cabin. She likes the darkness, doesn’t mind the lack of a view, and prefers to spend her money elsewhere. But even she was shocked by this one…

The single inside cabin is tiny. One single bed, small table, and barely any floor space. I’m 5ft and even I found it a squeeze.

Worse still, she paid way over the odds thanks to the solo supplement - and for that price, you could easily get a standard double inside cabin on many sailings.

💡 Tip: If you’re cruising solo, compare the price of a standard double inside vs the “solo” cabin. Sometimes the regular inside is cheaper and bigger.

🤔 Would We Book the Same Again?

For now, yes. The Deck 9 mini suite gave us enough room to manage two small kids, a pushchair, and all the baby gear without going full chaos. But if we were travelling child-free, I’d save the money and go for a standard balcony.

If you’re planning your own P&O Arvia cruise, I’d say:

• 🧭 Research your deck before booking
• 🧠 Think about how you’ll use the space
• 🏷️ Don’t assume “suite” means what you think it does

And if you want to see the cabin layout, including where we finally wedged the travel cot - check out my full video review here.

🛏️ Planning Your Cruise Cabin?

You might also like:

• 📐 Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better in Cruise Cabins
• 🛳️ Full P&O Arvia Review

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