Iona maiden voyage review 😁

[shopaholic6]

3 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Thank you for a great review. We are onboard on Saturday week. I was interested in your comments re parking. We are using Triangle Car Park and I understood you had to queue in your car for the test before parking. You parked, walked across and had your test near the ship. Is that the way to go next week, rather than wait in a line of cars ?

,

Yes that's right - I think the queuing in your car is something to do with CPS (although I'm not 100% sure) but we just followed the signs to the Triangle car park, parked up and then walked out of the car park the same way we drove in, turned right directly out of the car park, walked to the end of the pavement and you'll see the terminal on your right.  You can drop your baggage off first, walk to the terminal and there will be someone outside directing you to your COVID test. 😆

[bobstheboy]

13 minutes ago, shopaholic6 said:

Yes that's right - I think the queuing in your car is something to do with CPS (although I'm not 100% sure) but we just followed the signs to the Triangle car park, parked up and then walked out of the car park the same way we drove in, turned right directly out of the car park, walked to the end of the pavement and you'll see the terminal on your right.  You can drop your baggage off first, walk to the terminal and there will be someone outside directing you to your COVID test. 😆

Many thanks, very helpful.

[wowzz]

Basically if you are parking at the terminal,  (CPS, Parking4cruises) you use the drive through testing facility.  Theoretically,  if you use Triangle Parking I would have thought you should have also used the drive in facility as well, as you were arriving by car. 

[bobstheboy]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Basically if you are parking at the terminal,  (CPS, Parking4cruises) you use the drive through testing facility.  Theoretically,  if you use Triangle Parking I would have thought you should have also used the drive in facility as well, as you were arriving by car. 

I'll take the advice from someone that's been there.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, shopaholic6 said:

Well our disembarkation time was given as 6.40 to 6.50 - but I did notice it stated we definitely had to be out of our cabin for 8am - I don't know if this was the same for everyone although I assume it probably was.  If you are carrying your luggage off yourself I think you could leave at any time, provided it's not later than they want everyone off!  No one even checked our time, we just scanned our cards and walked off.  Allow 10 minutes for the walk down the tunnel thing and to get completely out of the terminal 😀 

I assume you were self disembarking at that time, in the past it has been 7:30 ish when normal disembarking starts, and I hope by October it will be to some sort of normal.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Basically if you are parking at the terminal,  (CPS, Parking4cruises) you use the drive through testing facility.  Theoretically,  if you use Triangle Parking I would have thought you should have also used the drive in facility as well, as you were arriving by car. 

Do you have that as official P&O policy wowzz? If not then I think we will drop our luggage off then park the car with P4C, and then go through the Ocean terminal testing station. No point in joining the usual CPS  queuing when that his why we switched to P4C.

[bobstheboy]

My instructions from P&O state if your arriving by car AND using CPS, enter gate 20 and queue for testing. No mention of any other car park, except to add if you are arriving by other means, in our case by foot after parking at Triangle, do what shopaholic6 said, so as I said, that's  what I'm going to do.

[Gettingwarmer]

It is interesting that P&O state CPS whereas Princess now doesn’t so they are slightly different. 

[Beckett]

7 hours ago, davecttr said:

Can you remember the range of disembarkation times? I need to arrange a collection time for my taxi home and as it is over a 2 hour trip I don't want to be left hanging around at the terminal for hours. Basically I want the latest time possible to help the drivers start time.

Hi Dave. We've just come back from an MSC cruise - say no more - and it was everyone out of their cabins by 8am and latest disembarkation time was 09:50am.  I would think it's pretty much the same for P&O.  We also took a taxi to So'ton and the driver said he would arrive at about 8am and hang around.  He also gave me his mobile number so that I could text him when we knew a definite disembarkation time. It all worked out very well and I wouldn't think twice about using a taxi again.  Worth every pound.  We didn't get a Tesla though!  Have a great time.  Jane.x

[wowzz]

57 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Do you have that as official P&O policy wowzz? If not then I think we will drop our luggage off then park the car with P4C, and then go through the Ocean terminal testing station. No point in joining the usual CPS  queuing when that his why we switched to P4C.

John, perhaps wrongly, I was assuming that Princess and P&O woukd have the same policy,  given that they are using the same testing facility. 

The Princess policy is posted below. It's very clear - if you arrive at the docks by car, you are expected to use the drive through facility. 

Of course, P&O may have a different policy - perhaps someone could post it.  

 

 

1. If arriving by car with parking booked

   To start your Princess Cruises holiday check-in, if arriving by car you will need to arrive via dock gate 20 and head to our drive-through COVID-19 testing centre (complimentary in the price of your holiday) adjacent to Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1HJ. The testing centre is accessed via West Bay Road. Look for signs directing you to the prenetics testing site. You will head to your embarkation terminal after you have completed the drive-through testing at Mayflower Cruise Terminal. Don’t worry, we will have staff on hand to guide you through. Please arrive at your allocated time. Please have your health declaration confirmation, travel insurance and vaccination statuses available as these are checked for all guests.

2. If arriving by another means

   If arriving by coach, on foot, by taxi or being dropped off by friends or family, to start your holiday please proceed directly to your ship’s departure terminal. Please arrive at your allocated time. Please have your health declaration, travel insurance and vaccination statuses available as these will be checked for all guests. Once these checks have been satisfied, you’ll enter the walk-through terminal testing centre where you’ll have your COVID-19 test (complimentary in the price of your holiday). Don’t worry, we’ll have staff on hand to guide you through.

Edited August 20, 2021 by wowzz

[shopaholic6]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

I assume you were self disembarking at that time, in the past it has been 7:30 ish when normal disembarking starts, and I hope by October it will be to some sort of normal.

Yes we self disembarked ☺️

[besberry]

Do you happen to know if they still have an embarkation lunch/buffet for higher Peninsular Club tiers?

[Ardennais]

Thank you for a brilliant review. Next best thing to being on a cruise! 

[shopaholic6]

28 minutes ago, besberry said:

Do you happen to know if they still have an embarkation lunch/buffet for higher Peninsular Club tiers?

Sorry I don’t - I was a P&O newbie 😂

[shopaholic6]

20 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Thank you for a brilliant review. Next best thing to being on a cruise! 

Thank you! 😎😎

[Slugsta]

Great review, thank you. We're not on Iona until January so I guess many procedures might have changed by then - but the ship won't have 🙂

[thornegirl]

38 minutes ago, besberry said:

Do you happen to know if they still have an embarkation lunch/buffet for higher Peninsular Club tiers?

They had the embarkation lunch on the 3 day Britannia cruise in July, but on the Iona maiden they didn't but they credited each higher tier member who was eligible £25 pp.  Apparantely there were 600 higher tier people onboard Iona maiden.

[Gettingwarmer]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

 

The Princess policy is posted below. It's very clear - if you arrive at the docks by car, you are expected to use the drive through facility. 

Of course, P&O may have a different policy - perhaps someone could post it.  

If arriving by car with parking booked with CPS

To start your P&O Cruises holiday check-in, you will need to arrive via Dock Gate 20 and head to our drive-through COVID-19 testing centre (complimentary in the price of your holiday) adjacent to Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1HJ. The testing centre is accessed via West Bay Road; see here for further location information.

Your e-ticket/boarding pass will show your ship’s terminal but you will head there after you have completed the drive-through testing at Mayflower Cruise Terminal. Don’t worry, we will have staff on hand to guide you through. Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. You’ll wait in the car while e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses are checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied and testing is complete, you’ll drive to your ship’s terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass) where you’ll drop off your luggage and hand your car to CPS.

If arriving by another means

If arriving by coach, on foot, by taxi or being dropped off by friends or family, to start your holiday please proceed directly to your ship’s departure terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass). Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. Your e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses will be checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied, you’ll enter the walk-through terminal testing centre where you’ll have your COVID-19 test (complimentary in the price of your holiday). Don’t worry, we’ll have staff on hand to guide you through. 
 

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by Gettingwarmer

[bobstheboy]

2 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

If arriving by car with parking booked with CPS

To start your P&O Cruises holiday check-in, you will need to arrive via Dock Gate 20 and head to our drive-through COVID-19 testing centre (complimentary in the price of your holiday) adjacent to Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1HJ. The testing centre is accessed via West Bay Road; see here for further location information.

Your e-ticket/boarding pass will show your ship’s terminal but you will head there after you have completed the drive-through testing at Mayflower Cruise Terminal. Don’t worry, we will have staff on hand to guide you through. Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. You’ll wait in the car while e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses are checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied and testing is complete, you’ll drive to your ship’s terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass) where you’ll drop off your luggage and hand your car to CPS.

If arriving by another means

If arriving by coach, on foot, by taxi or being dropped off by friends or family, to start your holiday please proceed directly to your ship’s departure terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass). Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. Your e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses will be checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied, you’ll enter the walk-through terminal testing centre where you’ll have your COVID-19 test (complimentary in the price of your holiday). Don’t worry, we’ll have staff on hand to guide you through. 

The full version of what I said, only CPS is stated. I take that to mean I am arriving by another means.

[shopaholic6]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

John, perhaps wrongly, I was assuming that Princess and P&O woukd have the same policy,  given that they are using the same testing facility. 

The Princess policy is posted below. It's very clear - if you arrive at the docks by car, you are expected to use the drive through facility. 

Of course, P&O may have a different policy - perhaps someone could post it.  

 

 

1. If arriving by car with parking booked

   To start your Princess Cruises holiday check-in, if arriving by car you will need to arrive via dock gate 20 and head to our drive-through COVID-19 testing centre (complimentary in the price of your holiday) adjacent to Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1HJ. The testing centre is accessed via West Bay Road. Look for signs directing you to the prenetics testing site. You will head to your embarkation terminal after you have completed the drive-through testing at Mayflower Cruise Terminal. Don’t worry, we will have staff on hand to guide you through. Please arrive at your allocated time. Please have your health declaration confirmation, travel insurance and vaccination statuses available as these are checked for all guests.

2. If arriving by another means

   If arriving by coach, on foot, by taxi or being dropped off by friends or family, to start your holiday please proceed directly to your ship’s departure terminal. Please arrive at your allocated time. Please have your health declaration, travel insurance and vaccination statuses available as these will be checked for all guests. Once these checks have been satisfied, you’ll enter the walk-through terminal testing centre where you’ll have your COVID-19 test (complimentary in the price of your holiday). Don’t worry, we’ll have staff on hand to guide you through.

 ‘

If arriving by car with parking booked with CPS       To start your P&O Cruises holiday check-in, you will need to arrive via Dock Gate 20 and head to our drive-through COVID-19 testing centre (complimentary in the price of your holiday) adjacent to Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1HJ. The testing centre is accessed via West Bay Road; see here for further location information. Your e-ticket/boarding pass will show your ship's terminal but you will head there after you have completed the drive-through testing at Mayflower Cruise Terminal. Don't worry, we will have staff on hand to guide you through. Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. You'll wait in the car while e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses are checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied and testing is complete, you'll drive to your ship's terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass) where you'll drop off your luggage and hand your car to CPS.

If arriving by another means       If arriving by coach, on foot, by taxi or being dropped off by friends or family, to start your holiday please proceed directly to your ship's departure terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass). Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. Your e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses will be checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied, you'll enter the walk-through terminal testing centre where you'll have your COVID-19 test (complimentary in the price of your holiday). Don't worry, we'll have staff on hand to guide you through.

 

As bobstheboy said, we effectively arrived ‘on foot’ because we haven’t used their car park. I certainly wasn’t going to ‘hand my car to CPS’ as stated at the bottom of the paragraph!  If I had chosen to park at a hotel, I would still have arrived by car but wouldn’t do the drive through testing - I don’t see this as any different.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, besberry said:

Do you happen to know if they still have an embarkation lunch/buffet for higher Peninsular Club tiers?

Others have said they are still offering this, but it is now waiter service rather than a buffet, it sounded more like the higher tier loyalty lunch, so should be good.

[Cruiserjules]

We parked in Triangle and walked to the terminal, dropped off our cases and then joined the queue for testing ...never even crossed our minds to use the drive through as we thought it was only for those using CPS.

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, shopaholic6 said:

 ‘

If arriving by car with parking booked with CPS       To start your P&O Cruises holiday check-in, you will need to arrive via Dock Gate 20 and head to our drive-through COVID-19 testing centre (complimentary in the price of your holiday) adjacent to Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1HJ. The testing centre is accessed via West Bay Road; see here for further location information. Your e-ticket/boarding pass will show your ship's terminal but you will head there after you have completed the drive-through testing at Mayflower Cruise Terminal. Don't worry, we will have staff on hand to guide you through. Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. You'll wait in the car while e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses are checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied and testing is complete, you'll drive to your ship's terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass) where you'll drop off your luggage and hand your car to CPS.

If arriving by another means       If arriving by coach, on foot, by taxi or being dropped off by friends or family, to start your holiday please proceed directly to your ship's departure terminal (as shown on your e-ticket/boarding pass). Please arrive at your allocated time, as stated on your e-ticket/boarding pass. Your e-tickets/boarding passes, Health Declaration confirmation emails and vaccination statuses will be checked for all guests – please have your paperwork ready! Once these checks have been satisfied, you'll enter the walk-through terminal testing centre where you'll have your COVID-19 test (complimentary in the price of your holiday). Don't worry, we'll have staff on hand to guide you through.

 

As bobstheboy said, we effectively arrived ‘on foot’ because we haven’t used their car park. I certainly wasn’t going to ‘hand my car to CPS’ as stated at the bottom of the paragraph!  If I had chosen to park at a hotel, I would still have arrived by car but wouldn’t do the drive through testing - I don’t see this as any different.

All I can say is, that whoever wrote the policy seems to have been ignorant of the fact that other parking companies are available, other than CPS. 

Just as a rider, it appears that I may have appeared to be confrontational in some of my posts, which (for a change) was not my intention. We have a Princess cruise booked later in the year,  and I have been skipping between both forums to decide which parking option to choose.

Given the small sample size on both forums, it appears that the drive in testing centre is far more speedy and civilised than the walk in centre, especially if it is raining. However,  much depends on how many ships are in port, pax mix, and adherence to the boarding time policy.

I have to say, that I would rather wait for 30 minutes in my car,  than 30 minutes on foot queueing for the terminal test facility.   

I'm going to wait and see how the first international cruises pan out, before finalising my parking option.

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by wowzz

[PJL1973]

Well I arrived on foot to the terminal and only waited about 10-15 minutes before the test when I embarked on Brittania on Sunday. So it's definitely not taking a long time to do it at the terminal.

[thornegirl]

5 hours ago, PJL1973 said:

Well I arrived on foot to the terminal and only waited about 10-15 minutes before the test when I embarked on Brittania on Sunday. So it's definitely not taking a long time to do it at the terminal.

What time did you get to the terminal?