P&O Iona Cruise Review
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- Опубліковано 1 гру 2024
- P&O Iona Cruise Review | A Massive Game Changer for P&O Cruises?
#pandoiona #pandocruises #ionacruiseship #sailawaywithdanandjay #ionacruisereview #cruisereview
This is our P&O Iona Cruise Review - featuring P&O Cruises newest and most innovative ship yet! In this P&O Iona Cruise Review, we'll cover all of the topics that matter to you, including cabins, on board amenities and facilities, the swimming pools and which cabins you should avoid. Find out why we think Iona is a massive game changer for the world's oldest cruise line!
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I am delighted to let you know that the cruise director on Iona is very active now, introducing shows and also coming to events and interacting a lot. When I was in Iona in February, she was also very inactive but last week she was very active.
Hey Alessia, that great news to hear the cruise director is finally having a more active role! Thanks for keeping us all updated and we hope you had an amazing time! 😁
I just went on the Iona last week to Norway and there was NO cruise director. Was downbeat and lots of arguments on the ship.
Great review thanks, we are off on Iona in May this year to Norway, this will be our virgin cruise and if all goes well will be the start of more to come. Love the food review part as I was wondering how good the food would be. Also nice to see the extra cost on some menus is not over priced. I agree with you it would be nice to have one adult pool area out of the whole ship.
Hope you have an amazing time! Thanks for watching, and your feedback :)
So much better, Jay. That one change makes a huge difference. It reflects your effort and oracy.
It was misjudged, and for that I am sorry! Building this channel will only work if I listen to what my subscribers like, and appreciate. I know now, and your comment is appreciated :)
@@sailawaymag don’t get me wrong, I love a good swear, but not on here. It’s so much better now x
We travel 3/1/22. We are told today lots of facilities closed . Lots of protocols in place for covid.love your review thanks . ❤️
Hello Kitty. What a shame, we’re going on Anthem of the Seas on the 9th Jan, we’ve already had 3/5 ports cancelled so we’re not sure what to expect! Hopefully the world will return to normal soon, and we all learn to live with the risks of COVID. Glad you like my videos, I’ll keep them coming! All the best for 2022 - Jay :)!
Great review thank you. It would appear you have to book so much on your phone, restaurants shows etc.the phone is the one thing we go on holiday to get away from.do you have to book all the time or can you just wing it.
I agree Paul, having to book so much will annoy many people - particularly things like shows which I don’t think is necessary, it should be first come first serve like it always has been! However, the app was pretty reliable and I didn’t experience any issues with it! Hope you manage to make the best of it :)
@@sailawaymag do you have to book or can you just turn up, like the main restuarants etc
Love the deck 8 comments 😂, great review mate
Booked to go on a Norwegian Fjords cruise in Sept 2023 - already chosen cabin on Deck 9 - any feedback on the location ? It’s a conservatory mini suite - is it value for money? Will be our first cruise experience
Deck 9 is just above the Promenade Deck, so you’re not that high up. Iona offers great value for money. I’m sure you’ll be overwhelmed by how massive she is when you get onboard, and you see everything there is to do on board! A good tip, book the The Olive Grove as soon as you get on, as it gets booked up really quickly. It’s free of charge, and it’s the best Italian I’ve ever eaten hands down. You’ll have a great time!
We stayed on deck 9 and found it a great location. We were near the front
We have just finished our Iona cruise and have to say we absolutely hated the ship. It is too large, the booking app is chaotic and it was impossible after day 1 to book entertainment that required booking as it was all fully booked. The shows we booked on day 1 were so poor we came out early and from then on we lingered over dinner and went back to watch a film in our cabin. The meals were average and bore more resemblance to school dinners than cruise food we have had in the past. We also found it impossible to book some of the dining venues such as Sindhu and The Olive Grove because they were fully booked.
The compensation was that we visited some interesting destinations and the weather was good. If you book Iona you need to know what you are getting. It is 'lowest common denominator' cruising and people who have cruised in the past will no doubt be deeply disappointed.
Hello Jacqueline, hope you are well! Sorry to read that you didn't have good time aboard Iona - however we've read many reviews that echo your own. Our experience on Iona was pretty good, but it's worth noting that we were on one of the early cruises after the cruise shutdown, and the ship was only at 50% capacity which undoubtedly would have made a difference. Our recent cruises with P&O have all been pretty poor, especially Arcadia (it was diabolical). You hit the nail right on the head when you said about people who have cruised in the past, especially with other cruise lines will be disappointed in P&O. It does seem that those that only sail with P&O are very complimentary about their own experiences with the company, but those that have tried other cruise lines in recent months take a very opposing view. P&O Cruises is not the great company it once was, it's a shame!
Awful cruise line never again first and last with p&o - a 3* cruise at 5* prices- no thanks I’ll stick to RCL, Disney Celebrity & princess- all those that like it clearly haven’t sailed with anyone else!
Since this video, we’d agree with much of what you say! We sailed on Iona when she was only at 40% capacity. Every cruise with P&O since then has been between mediocre and poor! We’re on Celebrity Apex at the moment, and you can certainly see the huge difference in standards between what P&O offer, and Celebrity. P&O used to be very good, it’s a shame that they went in a different direction!
Thanks very informative. Iona will be our first cruise on P & O in January. Not sure if it is our type of ship as we normally use Celebrity but we have a really low price. We are cruising to Spain and Portugal including the Canaries an Madeira so I’m sure we’ll have an enjoyable cruise.
Hello Andrew, glad you found it helpful! Well, fingers crossed you enjoy it - but out of any P&O ship this is as close to Celebrity you’re going to get, especially with regards to interior design, service and food quality! Celebrity is the best company I’ve cruise with so far, I must say!
Very informative video! Just wondering, how did you get the drone footage? I'm heading to Norway on the Iona next month, and P&O have told me it's strictly forbidden for me to even bring my camera drone aboard in my luggage (even when planning to only use it when ashore in Norway, following all rules and regs). Seems a vastly outdated policy to blanket ban something which is, nowadays, a pretty common piece of photography equipment.
Thanks for your comment Mike! The footage of Iona was captured before it was made known about P&O’s new policy. Since March, and going forward we’ll capture all of the footage in our videos before embarkation. Their policy seems like madness to us too, but we’ll have to work around it unfortunately.
My wife and I are in are 50s and want to take this ship to Norway. Is it overwhelmed with young kids and if it is what other ship would you recommend?
We went in November, and I remember us being quite shocked at the lack of children onboard - however the ship was at 42% capacity because of COVID! I’d imagine as things get back to normal, it will be very popular with families. It’s a massive ship, but we loved it - however it’s a shame that there’s no Adults Only pool area. If you’re looking at cruising with P&O and are looking for a more relaxing cruise to the fjords, I’d check what Aurora and Arcadia are doing, as they are both adults only! Moving away from P&O, Celebrity Silhouette are doing a few Norway cruises this year out of Southampton - and they offer a very premium experience, and have Adult Only areas like the Solarium and Spa! Celebrity is the book cruise line I’ve sailed with so far - no cruise line has beat them on service, cabins, food and cleanliness!
Iona is a fantastic ship though, but I think if you went during a school holiday you might be overwhelmed with children. Go in term time, and you might be okay! 🤞🏻
Just got off her today and we took our kids. Wasn’t loads or kids on there I thought. Most were in the dome area.
Me and my partner are looking into going on our first cruise together and thinking on going on Iona, we both don’t suffer from sea sickness but do you feel the boat moving or is it smooth?
Hello Mark, you’ll be fine! Iona is a very sturdy ship, and we felt very comfortable on board. We were on here During Storm Arwen in November 2021, which was categorised as a hurricane on the Beaufort Scale, and we were both surprised at how well she coped with what nature was chucking at her!
Really interesting! Loved that ship
How was the ocean or the life on the the ship?
We loved it! She handled the sea very well, especially seeing as we were on her during Storm Arwen with wind recorded at 110 knots on the bridge. Very little movement. In terms of things to do, there’s loads! Entertainment is very good, especially with the Skydome which acts as an additional venue! Food was nearly as good as what you get on Celebrity, and believe me when I say - that’s praise!
Best review I have seen for Iona. Thank you. We are due on Iona in May but are in two minds as to whether we will enjoy this very large ship. Looking forward to cruising back on Arcadia later in the year. Thanks again for great review.
Hello Patricia! Thanks so much for you positive feedback, it’s always nice to hear that our videos have been helpful. I was a massive fan of Iona, but as I said in my video; it’s not for everyone! I cruised on Arcadia in 2017 and I loved it. Arcadia offers a very homely, quiet cruising experience. That isn’t the sort of experience offered on Iona though. Let me know what you end up going for :)
Really enjoyed this review, am considering booking a cruise on here with a group of friends, can I ask what sort of entertainment is there during the day ? Are there any quizzes/trivia activities etc ? And is the evening entertainment on till late ? Thank you 🙂
Hello Sara. So, please bear in mind that because of the pandemic, entertainment was more limited than usual. But to give you an idea, during the day there were activities like quizzes, trivia and bingo going on inside the ship during the day. Wine tasting and afternoon tea at a variety of dining venues was also available. We used the spa a couple of times, which was very relaxing - charged at £35 for 2 hours for use of the hydrotherapy pool and thermal suite. There's also a really impressive cinema with 4 screens if the weather outside is undesirable. Guest speakers were also speaking in lounges, on a variety of topics if that is your thing.
Entertainment of an evening was great, with main entertainment taking place at 3 venues - The Theatre, Club House and Skydome. During out cruise, we saw comedians, jugglers, a lady gaga tribute, Pink tribute, Eric Clapton Tribute, Adele tribute, a magician and of course several Headliner shows which P&O are renown for.
We did miss the lack of Sailaway parties etc, however I live in hope that they will return at some point in the not too distant future. Hope I've helped :)
@@sailawaymag thank you so much for replying, as you can tell by my other comment I m undecided on what cruise line to go with , but this is really helpful, thank you 😊
Excellent, honest and thorough review will certainly watch future reviews. on Iona for Canaries in February and the restaurant reviews particularly helpful. many Thanks
Thanks John :) glad you found it helpful.
Have you sailed on P&O Iona recently? Let us know how much you loved it by dropping us a comment below!!
Uh... haven't you already uploaded this video? I saw it a few days ago.
While I enjoy watching your cruise videos, as my wife is in a wheelchair, we notice that you (and other reviewers) never seem to mention disabled access. We looked at all the pools and hot tubs but could not see one with a hoist for disabled access. It was also helpful that you did occasionally say how much "extras" are like ice cream and coffee. Also, how is the access and availability at shows for wheelchair users?
Hello! Thanks for your comment. With our reviews going forward, we will certainly give disabled passengers more consideration. With regards to Iona specifically, I can’t confirm that Iona is the friendliest ship I’ve been on for disabled people - and if truth be told, I’ve never been on a ship with so many disabled passengers. With regards to pools, there was definitely a hoist at the Beachcomber pool! Hope this helps
@@sailawaymag Thank you. We were quite disappointed on the Aurora as although there was a hoist in the covered pool, there were so many sunbeds around it you couldn't get to it, and as my wife hates fuss, she wouldn't ask anyone to let her have access. So no swimming for 3 weeks and no hot tub access either
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Hi Jay
As much as I agree with a few things my experience and that of most passengers we spoke to this ship was the most boring I have ever been on, no atmosphere at all and on 2 days at sea both ways no entertainment during the day at all The food in the buffet a real hit or miss and mostly miss. The entertainment dont like shows in the theatre but the 710 club was fantastic the boys in there were amazing. The resident group yes they were brilliant. The drink package what a rip of very expensive and the measures got smaller and smaller as the days went on and they ran out of the more popular alcohol how can a company this size run out I couldn’t quite believe it, so my drinks package wasn’t worth the money. This was my first and last experience with P&O never again. Yes the ship was lovely but that’s it If P&O want to cruise bigger ships they need to get their act together with entertainment during the day and have a serious look at their buffet. This is my own experience and I dare say not everyone’s We are all different so what one person thinks might not agree with another’s view
Hello Andrena. I would agree on the entertainment part - I think it could have been so much better than what it was, but I put that down to having a practically absent cruise director. Similarly to the buffet, it was evident that large sections were closed off however I’m sure that this a COVID protocol - as they did the same on Marella and Princess for this purpose! I would totally agree about the drinks package, I think P&O offer one of the worst packages in terms of value for money! However, overall I had a really great experience and am looking forward to going back - sorry to hear that you had a different experience! What cruise line do you like to sail with?
@@sailawaymag really enjoy your calm unhurried delivery and the dining options look stunning. Not sure why some people need 24/7 entertainment but I guess some don’t have the attention span to simply enjoy a walk round the prom deck or curl up with a good book in beautiful surroundings and watch the world go by. I’m increasingly dubious my January trip on Iona will go ahead but if it does your vlog has made me really look forward to it.