P&O Iona Hints & Tips!
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- Опубліковано 14 чер 2024
- Join me as I tell you some of my Hints and Tips to make the most of your time onboard P&O Iona!
In this video I'll highlight some of best features such as her fantastic aerial SkyDome performances as well as some things to be aware of, such as some interestingly positioned cabins on the promenade deck.
Recorded in August 2021
Do note that since recording, all smoker's areas are now on Deck 18
Are you going onboard Iona soon? Let me know in the comments below!
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We sailed on Iona last January; first time on P&O. I'm not keen on formal nights; I like to relax on holiday. Those that say we want more formal nights because we like to dress up; there's nothing to stop you dressing up every night ! I also don't like fixed time dining.
That's fair enough with regards to dress code! Everyone has a preference with regards to dining, I just wish there was the option of both. Like there was on other P&O ships :)
Formal nights bring people together (nearly everybody dresses up) like informal nights cannot; and if you dress up on an informal night, you'd look out of place. P&O Iona have it right by retaining just one formal night IMO.
Thank you Matthew for another interesting and informative vlog. I have just come back from a week on Iona and must say I liked her a lot more than I thought I would. We had an aft cabin overlooking the sunset bar and the wake which we loved. therefore we had to walk the full length of the ship to go to the theatre, because of the clever design of Iona it never seemed like a route march. I would happily cruise on her again. I agree that on a 7 day cruise there is a lot you just don't have time to see but what we did see was well worth it
My pleasure I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Oh that must have been amazing - you did forget her size although I did once walk all the stairs from the bottom to the top deck and I remembered how big she was then 😂
Thank you Matthew we're booked to go in May over my birthday and watching your video has given us some ideas xx
Woohooo that's so good to hear! Hope you have a fantastic time ❤️🚢
We went last October on this ship ,my frist time ever to do cursing, it was fantastic, I loved every part of it ,good every where to food ,drinks shopping, service to spot on with cleaning, staff was happy to help and nothing to much trouble, loved it so much have booked to go on it next year for our honeymoon 😀
So glad you enjoyed! Hope you have a fantastic honeymoon
Brilliant informative video, thank you! Going on in 3 weeks time for our first ever cruise!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for that Matthew - it was really, really useful. We are looking to first time cruise on the Iona towards the end of August. So much there that informed us and entertained. Thanks!
My pleasure I'm so glad you found it useful! Have the best time
We booked for March 2023.thank you for the excellent video. Ship looks amazing
You'll have a fantastic time!
Are you booked on the 14 night Western Med on 4th March Maxine?
thanks for making this video I've booked to go to Norway on Iona in July and can't wait!
My pleasure! I hope you have a fabulous time ❤️
I enjoyed this insight into Iona, we are booked for the summer and it was good to learn some of your tips and suggestions, thank you
Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy your time on Iona!
I saw a lot of people say about the promenade balcony rooms. I have booked one because like you said I’m personally not bothered by people walking past and it was cheap but I can see why people would be bothered. Thank you for the information
Indeed I think it depends on what type of person you are!
My pleasure :)
Nice to see you back onboard Matt.
It's good to be back!
@@CruisingWithMatthew absolutely. 🥰
Great video. We came off Iona a few weeks ago and loved it. We loved the promenade deck too. We loved the Olica Grove too. This is a great video, I wish we'd found it before we went! You 0:05 explain things really well. You got some lovely shots. We loved this. Cheers 🍻
Thank you so much that means alot ❤️ Glad you had a great time!
I'm so excited to work and seal with Iona...see u soon Gods will..❤️
Hope you have a good time!
Excellent, informative video. Thank you. Our first cruise to Norway on 11thnof June. I wish there would be more formal nights.
Thank you so much! Oh you'll have the best of times, hopefully it's something that'll change :)
Excellent review. Well done!
Thank you so much!
Brilliant video , will really help prior to my trip in April.
Thank you!
I do share your opinion on dining at set times, especially when the reservation app on our phone went down on formal night. As for formal nights it is a shame that there is only one a week. I love dressing up.
Agreed it would be nice wouldn't it!
I'm with you. I love formal nights, which is why I like Cunard.
Great video thank you :-) I was on Iona recently and would agree with your observations. Re the formal nights, there were a lot of younger couples on the cruise and they got dressed up for formal night and were enjoying getting their pics in their formal wear.. Some looked really suave in fact.
Glad you enjoyed! Yes it's a bit of a shame there aren't two but nice to see everyone dressing up for it!
Great information, Matthew. We have just come off Ventura where we had 2 formal nights in a week, which we loved. Looks beautiful ship and we are off to the Fyords on her April 2024.
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed your cruise and you'll have a fab time on Iona I'm sure!
We sailed on her last year and despite her size walking her entire length took no more than 15 minutes. Our accessible cabin was amazing. We are booked for the Fjords next year.
Have a fantastic time!
Thank you for this information. I have been wondering how long it would take to walk around her.
How was the Fjords? We’ve booked for next May 2024 @cafsixtieslover
We're going on our first ever cruise on the 10th on Iona, and this has really helped. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed! That means alot thanks ❤️
@@CruisingWithMatthew I'm going tomorrow and this has been great. Thanks Matthew!
Just got back from a week in Norway on Iona , completely agree with you about the club dining , also waiting to be seated for our evening meal took up to 40 mins ,don’t think I would choose to go on such a big ship again
Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry to hear about the delay!
I am also a fan of the club dining and formal nights. As another of your comments says, I’d love to know where they get this information from, as everyone I speak to says they prefer the set dining times. Even from the comments on your video, there is only one that says they don’t like formal. As you say they should have allocated one dining room or even just an area of one dining room to set dining times, that way everyone is happy. 😀
Glad its not just me! I'd like to know too, I just hope they listen to feedback and maybe Arvia will have something similar when she's launched!
Great information thanks
My pleasure glad you enjoyed!
Sailing on her on the 21 may so looking forward to it
You'll have the best time!
So pleased to hear your opinions on club dining and formal nights. Apparently it's customer feedback - I'd like to see that as we've not had surveys for years now. We have been on iona twice and never managed to see Ariel shows due to various reasons - waste of a venue really.
Glas it's not just me!
Aw I do hope you get to one day!
We also love the formal nights, and as a holiday is a good opportunity to get dressed up, we are disappointed that these have been reduced to 1 per week. We started cruising in 1995 and there were also cocktail nights. When else do you get a dress-up? Only Christmas perhaps. We also agree about the set dining times, we meet some very lovely people during our evening dining, and also waiters. Cruising has changed over the years, but please keep some of the older traditions, dance lessons so you can show your skills and what you have learnt in the evening after dinner. We are going on Iona next April to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with 10 of our family, our first BIG ship, Ocena was our favourite but started on Canberra.
It is a shame although I believe this is only the case for Iona and Arvia! I'm sure you'll have a fantastic anniversary cruise!
Thanks for video Matthew. Heading to Iona soon. I personally like the gala nights and love the chance to dress up and it is lovely seeing everyone else dressed up. If you don’t like to dress up/smart, try a different cruise line. I’ve heard good things about Marella and I think Celebrity are less fussy. On another note, I prefer freedom dining.
My pleasure hope you have an amazing time!
Totally agree :) That's fair enough re freedom as it does give you lots of flexibility
We both love formal nights, that's one of the reasons we pick p+o.
Me too!
Looking at cruise on Iona next year, for me the freedom dining and less formal nights are a draw over the more traditional P&O ships, coming from lines like NCL and MSC that are more relaxed. Good time about the Olive Garden, love mezze and the like so will be visitng that!
That's fair enough! I hope you have a great time, the Olive Grove is a great place so I'm sure you'll enjoy 🚢
Well done Matthew...would edit subtitle to 'Cruises Are For Everyone.' Particularly like info re promenade deck options.
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you found it useful!
Thanks for tips! We live in Brisbane Australia, but will be sailing on Iona in April. The whole formal night ordeal is a bit of a drama for us. We just don't have a need for formal wear, ever. Having to go and buy outfits specially that we know we are probably only going to wear once is kind of a pain. I don't have any issue with formal nights, I just don't love the pressure to participate.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed them!
That's fair enough, there are venues you can go to on formal nights that don't have a dress code if you don't want to partake :)
On iona at the moment, been to deck 8 however can't see these balconies on the promenade even though I have walked round it multiple times. Still a great ship.
That's fair enough! Glad you had a great time!
I agree with you so much Matthew about both Freedom Dining and Formal Nights. We started cruising a couple of years ago because we enjoyed both of these elements. We have met so many friends as a result of set dining times in the evening and and lunch time. Also, in the modern world it is a real joy being able to get dressed up and know you will not stand out amongst people more casually dressed. I think the cruise companies are making a huge mistake in assuming that people want total informality. We certainly don't...so instead of P&O we are looking at other (perhaps more expensive) cruise lines for future holidays and have found we enjoy Cunard for that reason.
It is a big shame 😔 Hope you continue enjoy cruises, if not on Iona then other ships!
About to sail on iona to the norwegian fjords. great video. very informative, clear and well presented. thank you
that's a fabulous cruise, did it last year, watch sail away in olden
Fantastic tip! Definitely worth being on the port side, you get a fabulous sailaway ❤️
Thank you so much ❤️
Thanks for sharing Matthew an excellent video, I think you can best sum your review as something for everyone on Iona, can’t wait to try for myself
My pleasure! Thank you so much, you'll have a great time ❤️
I am travelling on Iona in March and I agree that the formal nights are wonderful and a shame that they have been reduced to one a week an Iona. My wife and I do enjoy the dressing up.
Glad you agree! It is a shame
Is there a good chance of seeing the northern lights on the Iona to Norway?
Can't say for certain! I'd say if you were onboard at the start or end of her Norway season then you'd be in for a chance!
Can you find out who is starring in the limelight club before your cruise. £25 seems to be a bit expensive if youre not interested in the act but youve paid for an evening that youre not particulary going to enjoy
Hey there :) Yes you can! I believe they release whose in the Limelight Club online about 2/3 weeks before departure
We are booked in a conservatory suite on Deck 9 above The Quays in September - is it a noisy area?
I doubt it will be as its mainly food venues in that area so I imagine it'll be okay!
@@CruisingWithMatthew thanks looking forwards to it!
yes extremely
How are you able to tell whether selected dishes in the restauraunts are free? You mentioned in one of the spots that was labelled as extra cost but some dishes were included? Thanks.
Hey there! That's for the Olive Grove and they're labelled on the menu quite clearly :) There isn't an overall cover charge for the restaurant too :)
@@CruisingWithMatthew Thank you very much, another question too if thats okay! Do you remember how much the little things like cake and ice cream were? Much appricated.
I think it was around 3 pounds for cakes and a little less for ice cream!
Thinking about the game show I was on an won .
Congrats!
Have you tried a suite on iona
Hey there - unfortunately not 😅
We got back from a cruise on Iona last Saturday. Your info re smoking area by Sunset bar is incorrect/out of date, smokers have to use 2 areas of deck 18
Hey there thanks for the feedback! Yes it is out of date that comment but I do mention it was recorded in August 2021 I believe so inevitably things do change! I'll put an edit comment on now for people to see though!
Can you say more about what the extra costs are?
Of course - this tends to be if you want speciality dining, WiFi, drinks spa treatment etc :)
Are there facilities for ironing on board ship ?
Hey there :) Yes there are and washing machines 😀
Hello Matthew I’m thinking of taking my family on Iona but my kids are gluten intolerant
Do they cater for this thanks
Hey there - exciting times! Yes they cater for all dietary requirements. If you make your booking agent aware when you book then they'll note it on their systems. I'd also reccomend speaking to the catering team when you're onboard so you know what to do!
@@CruisingWithMatthew thank you sir
If you want to eat at 6pm you are able to book this time slot, then it becomes freedom dining after that.
Good to know :)
We had the most comfortable and large porthole/window-view cabin ever on this ship. ie you can sit in the window and watch the waves and wildlife go by. The MDRs disappointing, limited menu and very smelly waiters with BO (ie lack of showers and deodorant. After a few days we gave up on the MDR for this reason as much as the bland food) Olive grove restaurant was excellent with much nicer waiting staff and the free menu food was better than the paid extra menu the buffet up top was also a limited menu compared to any other ship we have been on. The takeaway trio of outlets was really good. The indoor pool was great except for the people sitting around it but not swimming and tut-tutting after swimmers getting out wet?!? The whirlpools around the indoor pool were hogged all day by non swimmers, some of them for hours. The outdoor pools are poor and more for getting wet on a hot day. Nowhere outdoors was sheltered from the weather so if its raining you will get wet outside unlike most older ships with sheltered proms and alcoves around the pools. The prom was good on nice days for a long walk. There was lots of entrainment around the ship at night but mostly of low quality and the main production team who were brilliant had to do 3 per night but only every 3rd night or so, with lots of tacky single male and boy band type singers which were not worth watching. The cinemas were good for rainy days and boring nights. A good ship if the itinerary and price is right, ie cheap and not worth paying for a posh cabin.
Hey there - sorry to hear you had a mixed bag on Iona! Thanks for the in depth review :)
@@CruisingWithMatthew Thanks, it was a very Jeckle and Hyde, Love/hate ship/cruise
I've cruised on Iona twice this year and it is ultimately underwhelming. The atrium is too large and lacks grandiosity.; it is like sitting in a large airport terminal with little to no intimacy. In the Skydome, the water is the pools and whirlpools were pretty chilly compared to any of the many other ships I've cruised on. The shows in the Skydome were bizarre, and the pool closed at about 6pm in order to set up for the evening performances. The Triboo show was OK, but the one with the birds and large egg was interpretative dance and pretty naff. However, top of the naff league was the Headliners theatre and the Airways show which was so amaterish it was embarassing. However, they are capable of putting on decent shows because the Rock-themed show worked and we saw an amazing performance of Let it Go from Frozen. Pulse were, as per usual, Butlins at sea. It really annoys me that the backing musicians have such obvious skill and yet the songs are regularly crucified by the singers. Pulse on Britannia this year, however, were the pits. The Limelight Club a definite positive. The buffet and restaurant food on Iona was average, but they had sorted out the coffee problem second time around. Epicurean was a disappointment, particularly our dessert, a Grand Marnier orange crepe suzzette (unflambeyed) that had sat in the kitchen getting cold and soggy. To compound matters, they us an orange sorbet immediately beforehand so that's just poor menu planning. The best meals were from The Glass House and The Keel and Cow. The Olive Grove was virtually empty most of the time, but they always made a point of asking for your booking if you just turned up and asked to be seated - very annoying. The food in the Olive Grove was OK, but no better than that. The Quays is unfussy, but IMHO a hdden gem, at least as far as the quality of the cod & chips and the asian fusion (chicken katsu - yum) is concerned. P&O have yet to sort out the never-ending problem with baking decent bread - if every other cruise line can serve half-decent bread, why can't P&O? Ripples is cool and the cinema multiplex fab except for the first cruise where nobody had worked out how to turn the volume knob above three. P&O have also started making Costa coffee with pasteurised milk rather than UHT which meant a huge improvement in the quality. The in-cabin entertainment system is excellent. The rooms were set-up pretty much identically to MSC Virtuosa with the same cabinetry that came out of the student Ikea section. The Virtuosa is a superior ship aesthetically, even though it appears to be the same ship design as Iona, and the bog-standard coffee and bread is an order of magnitude better than P&O. The restaurant and buffet food lets MSC down compared to P&O, but if you get to know these ships, you learn very quickly how to get the best out of the dining options available. MSC V breakfast was superior to P&O (under no circumstances should you order the smashed avocado on toast), and quality of shows vastly better. The Virtuosa atrium and LCD ceiling are really classy and put Iona to shame. Iona is stilla 4-star ship, however, and I'm off again for a two week cruise on Iona in a couple of months time.
Hey there - thanks for your views! MSC Virtuosa is definitely a ship I'd like to look at too but hope you have a good cruise on her!
I love Iona.. but I hate the promenade deck. I much prefer the inset ones with no glass. I found it VERY noisy and felt if I had a balcony above the whirlpools it would have been horrible for noise. Another thing I did not like was the music everywhere.. all public spaces not matter what time of day.. it was annoying.
Sorry to hear that!
I don’t like all the large open lounges , I like to see more smaller lounges like on the smaller ships.
That's a shame! I'd reccomend trying Aurora etc if that was the case :)
I love to dress up and I enjoy the formal nights very much!
They are brilliant aren't they ❤️
@@CruisingWithMatthew It really annoys me that people want silver service and to see the staff in smart uniforms while they dress like plebs! Once we stop dressing up society is finished!...so I say!😆😆🥂🥂💃💃💫💫
Me too. It was lovely to see everyone dressed up.
@@iloveanimals1662 agreed! Was in Epicurean and the men sat on the table next to me were in t - shirts and trainers. :-(
@@NetworkNorm Heartbreaking when the staff make so much effort
I'm fairly new to cruising but the Iona is not for me and will steer clear of the big ships. I saw some describe it as Butlins at sea and didn't believe it but yes, it's like Butlins at sea.
Sorry to hear Iona doesn't appeal to you but there's plenty of other ships out there!
I've never been to Butlins granted but I've enjoyed my two cruises on Iona 🚢
@CruisingWithMatthew Plenty of people do enjoy Iona and I'm genuinely pleased for them. The experienced cruisers I spoke to weren't keen and said they wouldn't book again. They are trying to cater to a different demographic and so those who like the more traditional cruise are less likely to like the holiday camp style approach. We went on Azura and although dated had a feel of class compared to the Iona. We're off in Jan on a Regent Seven Seas and I'm looking forward to the all-inclusive luxury.
Hope you enjoy your cruise!
Just got home today after a week cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. The slightest bit of wind and they canceled 2 of the stop overs and spent 2 days coming back to Southampton.
This was my first cruise and my last, the ship is nice but don't expect WiFi for much less than £15/£20 per day, and as for the horizon at lunch time it was like a flock of seagulls fighting over the food. the Staff were second to none but the entertainment was pretty poor for such a grand looking ship. from what a family member has told me, Royal Caribbean is way better all round.
Hey there - sorry you didn't have the best experience!
Why all the negative waves Matt
Not sure what you mean exactly? 🤔
How many people on iona
5,200 people, passenger wise :)
I am also sad that Iona doesn't have 2 formal nights, so we dress up every night, no matter lol. I agree, you can't do everything on offer in just a week. So, going on her again to try and do the rest.
Haha love it! Me too 😂
Prom cabins - you can see into the balcony, BUT not inside the cabin!
I believe I mentioned there's reflective stopping people viewing in but thanks for confirming!
If you like formal nights then I am sure you can dress up whenever you want? Seen people complaining about there being less formal nights and not liking that? Its basically complaining about others not dressing up? If you enjoy it do it every night, nothing is to stop you?
Good point but I just prefer it when everyone is also dressed up formally too :) it really helps give a sense of occasion. Like I said in the video it's only a small thing and I still loved my time on Iona but just my opinion 😊🚢
Not quite. Everyone is at liberty to wear what they like, but there is something special about everyone dressing up in the evening. The buzz and the atmosphere is rather different to just you wearing black tie/evening gown when the rest of the ship is just wearing a shirt and trousers/cocktail dress.
Personally I was new to cruising this year and formal nights totally put me off. I have had to wear formal wear for years for work and I’m on holiday I don’t want to be around guests suited and booted. I can understand why people are put off cruising simply by mentioning dress to impress nights, I am so glad they have reduced the number of nights as we’re on Arvia next year for two weeks. One thing I would say is the conservatory mini suite is perfect for us as we have a 2 year old and she’s a world champion rock climber in the making, she’s no fear what so ever and these rooms offer a double barrier which is perfect for us. We refer to it as the child restricted rather than a view restricted. Great video, informative content and gave us a real insight on what the ship has to offer 👌
Hi Matthew I understand what you mean about dressing up and having others dress up for the 'occasion', but if I am honest? I spent hours getting dressed up and couldn't understand the point? P&O made no effort. We went to the same restaurant and had the same food that we had on previous nights. Yes, we got a free drink, but other than that? It was the same as any other night aboard. A real let down. I wouldn't go to that effort again.
@@darrenclarke667 Perhaps the cruise lines should look into offering different cruises with several formal nights or none at all, so that those of us who like to dress up and those who don't will both be catered for. If they can do cruises without children (bliss!), then I'm sure this is not beyond the realms of possibility.
My wife and I agree that there should be more formal nights and that people should adhere to the dress codes and SHOULD NOT be allowed into the restaurants unless dressed correctly, even if they complain loudly! We are going on Iona for new year with friends and we will be dressing in formal dress every other night.!
Hope you have a great time!
Thanks for the tips. Having been on her in Jan I’d disagree in respect of - club dining. I have zero interest in getting to know a waiter I will probably never see again, I’d just prefer any waiter to do a good job. Just prefer the flexibility of anytime dining. Formal nights- we are over it. Done it for years and now prefer to be smart casual any night. It’s now a tad pretentious and there are other ships to go on if people want that formality. The sooner they drop the one a week the better. Aerial shows- the one about birds was woeful, childlike and very poor. They sort of got better as they went on but lame stories and never really pushed the aerial artists much.
Glad you enjoyed it! That's fair enough, there's something for everyone on these mega ships! I just wish there was still the option for club dining even if the vast majority was freedom :)
1 formal night is 1 too many for me. We're onboard in July and will probably dress up for it but I'm not happy about the oppressive dress code the rest of the time. Didn't realise P&O are so old fashioned when I booked.
Sorry to hear that! Not sure what you mean by the dress code the rest of the time. With the exception of that night it's smart casual in the evenings (so trousers, shirt/polo etc) and whatever you'd normally wear during the day!
There is technicaly no dress code just don't walk around like a scruffbag
Keel and Cow is relaxed dress all week try that instead on formal night
@@josephdelahunt5014 I was onboard 2 weeks ago. Almost everywhere apart from speciality restaurants and MDRs are 'relaxed' but that's not the point. We did formal night, got dressed up, got the photos etc and it was nice. But I still didn't like having to worry about if my t-shirt was smart enough on any evening to go anywhere on the ship. Or feeling out of place in trainers. It was a lovely ship and cruise but P&O just isn't for me - too old-fashioned, stuffy and even pompous.
If you want to go out for dinner wearing a t shirt, maybe you should try Marella or Norwegian instead?
We have cruised with P&O for over 12 years, But will never go on these new oversize ships as they have cancelled ballroom and latin dancing. why? With that extra size they could have included a moderate space for a ballroom. No, but they do cater for pop music. Shame on you for ignoring us. It seems that you are dumbing down, perhaps Butlins at sea? If your other ships go the same way we will go elsewhere.
Hey there - sorry to hear they haven't catered for what you like. There's still plenty of ships in their fleet which do have dancing spaces.
Well presented video. Less talking may help.
Thanks! Good to know thanks for the feedback :)
Giving advice and as much information as possible is actually very good in this video, I don’t think he talked too much. 👍 Good job Matthew
Hi I found you on google as we are sailing on her this December. It is the first time for my husband but 9th for me. My first time on P&O and such a big ship. Your hints were super helpful and I will subscribe. My husband will love the fish and chips bar and it is good to know it is free as we are on a budget. The Olive Grove will be on my list.
That really means alot ❤️ Hope you enjoy! I'd reccomend booking the Olive Grove as soon as you embark as it can be quite popular!