A month of community, creativity and celebration on Arcadia

It’s been a busy few weeks on board Arcadia. Alongside delivering a 30-day USA and Canada cruise and preparing for public health inspections, colleagues have found time for everything from sports and crafts to celebrations, entertainment and activities supporting their health and wellbeing.

Here are just some of the highlights.

September’s USA and Canada cruise brought a packed programme for Arcadia’s ship’s company. Alongside their day-to-day roles and preparations for US and Canadian public health inspections, colleagues got involved in Tekken, darts, billiards and table tennis tournaments, as well as movie nights and arts and crafts.

To mark World Maritime Day, colleagues were invited to put their creativity to the test in a design competition. Mark Casino, Demi Chef de Partie, took the top spot with his handcrafted artwork showing colleagues working safely on board.

There was plenty of talent on show too, with six colleagues taking to the Palladium Theatre stage to sing and dance as part of the Crew Talent Show. Those able to spend time ashore also made the most of the ship’s Canadian calls, including an overnight stay in Quebec.

As Arcadia sailed back towards Southampton, the Galley Team and Ship Management Team brought everyone together for a special lunch in the Crew Mess, with good food, music and a chance to reflect on the voyage. A lively Bingo Night on 29 September rounded things off.

The same sense of community was at the heart of Arcadia’s Feast of Mother Mary and Rosary Prayer celebration on 28 September.

Colleagues from different nationalities, cultures and languages came together for an evening of prayer, hymns, music and food.

A particularly impressive centrepiece was a handcrafted miniature of Barcelona’s La Sagrada Família. Inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s famous church, it was created by colleagues under the leadership of Damas from the Restaurant Department.

Colleagues from Restaurant and Housekeeping helped bring the celebration together, while singers and musicians created the soundtrack and the Galley Team prepared food to share afterwards.

The result was an opportunity for colleagues to practise and share their faith while strengthening friendships across Arcadia’s multicultural ship’s company.

Community spirit goes hand in hand (no pun intended) with looking after one another, and on 10 October Arcadia turned its attention to a simple but important habit: washing our hands properly.

Working with the Medical Team and Public Health Officer, colleagues took part in a Handwashing Symposium exploring how effective hand hygiene helps prevent the spread of infection.

UV glow soap and a makeshift black box gave colleagues the chance to see areas they’d missed while washing their hands, providing an eye-opening demonstration of why a quick wash isn’t always enough.

Senior Doctor Liam also explored how germs can spread through cross-contamination, including from our hands when visiting shared spaces such as the Crew Mess.

It was a simple, practical reminder that small everyday actions can play a big part in protecting ourselves and each other.

The Palladium Theatre was back in the spotlight for another very different celebration when Arcadia marked National Coming Out Day with its annual Drag Queen competition.

Five colleagues took to the stage for Arcadia’s Drag Queen 2026, bringing plenty of creativity, confidence, talent and, of course, some fabulous costumes.

The audience got firmly behind the contestants, with awards including Darling of the Crowd and Best Talent.

HR Manager Yvonne, Hotel General Manager Taran and Senior Loyalty Manager Richard also joined the fun as judges.

And taking the 2026 crown was Allen, aka ‘Queen Paloma’, from the Restaurant Department, following a winning performance in front of colleagues and Arcadia’s Senior Management Team.

The evening was a colourful celebration of individuality, inclusion and the talents of Arcadia’s ship’s company.

From faith and culture to health, creativity and inclusion, these events might have been very different, but they all had one important thing in common: colleagues giving their time and energy to bring people together.

A huge thank you to everyone across Arcadia who organised, supported or took part in the activities. They’ve helped make a busy few weeks at sea memorable for the whole ship’s company.