sandancer

Well, I’ve binge read your review and can’t quite express how impressed I am. I’m especially pleased by your use of the word “hoy”. Hubbie has a folding wheelchair so on our recent Azura cruise we were able to use the regular shuttle buses and the chair was folded and put in the luggage compartment. Likewise in the dining room he transferred to a regular chair and I folded the chair and asked for it to be stowed in any convenient free area. So much easier than your lady wife except of course I’m pushing. This extra exercise justifies 2 puddings a night I think. One of the drawbacks of a folding chair is that they are very reluctant to let us book an accessible cabin. So thanks again for a very enjoyable read.

Thanks Tiger. Great advice. I’ll read your review. It’s NYE so going to be busy. We have already been asked which seating time we want for the NYE dinner and we chose 5.30 although we wouldn’t normally eat so early. The alternative was 8.30 and I had visions of us still at the table at midnight.

First time on Iona so it would be great if I could get an opinion on which MDR is the best choice, bearing in mind we have a wheelchair. I know the menu will be the same in all of them. We always request a table for 2. We will eat in most of the speciality restaurants if possible, booking in advance but will still eat in an MDR some nights.

Way easier for the OP to book a Princess cruise but they do mention that other cruise lines are more expensive.

You can’t beat a Toblerone. The fruit and nut one especially. We bought a big one to take on Azura. Never touched it. Brought it home and within 3 days it was gone. Those post cruise blues have a lot to answer for.

After many years cruising only on US cruise lines we are now only cruising with P&O and Cunard as we no longer take long haul flights. You will see a difference but this should not stop you enjoying your cruise. The food portions will be smaller, but you can always ask for extra. You may want to check the terms of booking. If you are booking with a UK company, even through VTG, you may find the deposit is non refundable. This is standard practice here. Also you will not be allowed to travel without holiday insurance (I think it is called vacation protection in the US). This may sound strange but we have met many cruisers over the years who do not buy this. Whilst we Brits are, in the main, more reserved, I think you’ll find once that American accent is heard lots of people will want to chat.

Thanks for that. Fingers crossed we have the sofa near the balcony. I’m sure we’ll manage whatever we get. We are pretty good at making the best of things.

Thinking back I’m pretty sure I was told at one point that only people with motorised scooters/chairs can book an assistance cabin. I hope I’m wrong. Anyone else hear this?

They asked if it was a foldable wheelchair and if it was needed to move around the cabin. It is and no, not in the cabin. The accessibility form was completed. I have to admit that I haven’t seen any posts about people being forced into booking an accessible cabin. This is the email response to the completed form. I have added the use and measurements of your manual wheelchair to both bookings. Please be aware that mobility aids must be stored safely away from the cabin door inside the cabin when not in use, which will reduce the floor space available. Public walkways and stairwells must be kept clear in case of emergency.　

We are in a standard balcony which is not ideal as there doesn’t appear to be anywhere suitable to stow the wheelchair. We were on Azura recently and the wardrobe area was ideal as it is a hanging rail without doors and the chair fitted in there really well. I watched a U tube video of a cabin the same as ours and it’s definitely going to be a little hiccup. We can’t leave it outside the cabin for obvious reasons. Please don’t take this as a complaint, far from it, we booked late and knew we would have to take what was available even though it was not a saver fare. We will manage and it won’t stop us enjoying our cruise. Still, it would be good if we could get a bigger cabin, possibly paying more but def not bidding.

My plan is to have gin and slimline tonic but somehow I regularly find a mudslide or pina colada in my hand. On Princess I used to drink a cocktail called Dirty Banana, sounds revolting but was delicious. Dread to think of the calories.

We are on the same cruise and had the same email. We are waitlisted for an accessible cabin. Nothing available when we booked. Our TA called P&O yesterday and was told the ship is completely sold out. Like yourself I did wonder why they would bother sending the upgrade email but I presume it is probably sent automatically when the cruise gets closer. As molecochip says, there is always the chance of last minute cancellations.

Hope you’ll enjoy Epicurean as much as we did. It’s great service and lovely food. Well worth the extra cost.

I wonder now if the email only went out to top tier Peninsular members. I usually get P&O marketing emails but not this one.

I’m confused about this 10% offer. Didn’t get the email so not sure how this works. Don’t you always get 10% off when you book and pay online? Then the loyalty discount. So why the marketing email if it’s just the same discount?

Is that for the deluxe package. We haven’t had the email and the best I can get is £1281 which is the 10% for booking in advance plus 7.5% loyalty discount.

Excuse me. I’m 77 and hubbie is 79 and we are definitely not old people. Not so mobile perhaps but well up for cruising. For at least the next 10 years. When we were 30, 40 was old. So on and so on. Now we consider only people in their 90s to be old. On our Azura cruise in October there was a lady traveling alone who celebrated her 94th birthday on board. She was so sprightly and what’s more she was off to Egypt a couple of weeks after the cruise.

You certainly make a good case for the DP. I also like Prosecco, but I like Aperol Spritz even more and that’s only available on the DP. I’m not paying for a package and then paying again to have my preferred drink. Even with the 20% discount, 2 a day would be around £180.

Moretti, Corona, Carling just as an example. Not being a beer drinker I wouldn’t know what a premium beer was. My point was simply that you didn’t have to drink bottled lager.

You can have draft lager, so 15 pints a day. You don’t have to count coffees or soft drinks. Some other cruise lines have the same limit. Cunard and Princess do. Or are you referring to MSC?

We are on the same cruise and although we have never sailed on Iona, we have been on Arvia. Not just big ships, huge ships. NYE cruise will be very busy and we’re planning to book as much as possible beforehand. You won’t get the same service as either Regent or Celebrity. No evening turn down, no robes, no chocolates. None of these matter to us. We love the choice of dining and entertainment, are never bored and also love to dress up for Celebration nights. Hoping there will be three.

My husband had a very spirited discussion on a Princess cruise when we were told to move as the “gentleman” sitting in the row we had chosen pointed out that 10 of the seats were taken even though he was the only one sitting there. When he realised he was not going win this one he stormed off and reserved his 10 seats in another row.

We did not need a wheelchair on Arvia so just booked like everyone else. On Azura I folded the wheelchair and put it to one side and we used one wheelchair user seat and one next to it. There was never anyone in the theatre to help so just got on with it. Not sure how it will work on Iona.

Virtual queuing is the best thing ever to happen for us. We both have mobility problems and while standing in line is an ordeal for me, it’s an impossibility for hubbie. We get past the queue moving too quickly scenario by getting settled into the nearest bar to the restaurant we are eating in that night and then join the queue. Worked a dream on the Arvia. Just hope it works as well on Iona.

It may be that your travel agent arranged a bespoke package for you. Some travel agents do that.