Live On-Board Iona G208

[DamianG]

Riverside apartments just an hour from the city via cruise ship

 

[DamianG]

Other forms of transport are available

 

[DamianG]

The Hook of Holland

 

[DamianG]

“Tot ziens en bedankt” to our pilot

 

[pete14]

15 hours ago, DamianG said:

You're not sticking them in the fridge, are you Pete? 😜

Shouldn’t I be sticking them in the fridge then? I am always critical of restaurants on land and at sea who serve their red wine too warm. Am I the one at fault here? 🥴🍷

[lincslady]

No, 'room temperature' has been used since the olden days, when rooms were much colder.  A chilling of lighter reds, like Beaujolais, is what I believe the experts tell you.

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Shouldn’t I be sticking them in the fridge then? I am always critical of restaurants on land and at sea who serve their red wine too warm. Am I the one at fault here? 🥴🍷

Noooo!! White wine chilled and red wine at room temperature! Nothing worse than cold red wine. We ordered a bottle of red in the Beach House once and it was so cold it had condensation forming on the bottle. The waiter explained that he had got it from the outdoor bar. I asked him to stand it in warm water for a while so that it was drinkable 😂 

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, lincslady said:

No, 'room temperature' has been used since the olden days, when rooms were much colder.  A chilling of lighter reds, like Beaujolais, is what I believe the experts tell you.

Maybe it’s just me then. I cannot drink chilled red wine 🤢 Personally, I prefer them even warmer than room temperature 😉 

[lincslady]

OK,  I should have specified more - light reds lightly chilled!  Not anything like as cold as whites.

[Jennizor]

46 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Maybe it’s just me then. I cannot drink chilled red wine 🤢 Personally, I prefer them even warmer than room temperature 😉 

I am with you Selbourne. For me, chilled red wine has less flavour and spoils a good one.

[pete14]

3 minutes ago, Jennizor said:

I am with you Selbourne. For me, chilled red wine has less flavour and spoils a good one.

I can understand the chilling of light reds, maybe some Beaujolais, but Beefsteak Malbec (or any other Malbec), no matter where it is purchased and whatever ‘vintage’, can hardly be described as a light red. 

[pete14]

57 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Noooo!! White wine chilled and red wine at room temperature! Nothing worse than cold red wine. We ordered a bottle of red in the Beach House once and it was so cold it had condensation forming on the bottle. The waiter explained that he had got it from the outdoor bar. I asked him to stand it in warm water for a while so that it was drinkable 😂 

I have refused bottled ales on ships in the past because they keep them in the fridge. They normally are able to find one on some dusty shelf somewhere probably reserved for awkward so and sos like me.

[P&O SUE]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

“Tot ziens en bedankt” to our pilot

 

Love all these pictures Damian, we left Amsterdam a few years ago in daylight and it was fascinating especially the lock and all the ships.

 

I think you’ve done quite well to be ‘stuck’ in Rotterdam for a few days. A MSC ship has been stuck in Le Harve for a few days they’ve missed Zeebrugge and I think Amsterdam or Rotterdam. 

[Selbourne]

15 minutes ago, pete14 said:

I have refused bottled ales on ships in the past because they keep them in the fridge. They normally are able to find one on some dusty shelf somewhere probably reserved for awkward so and sos like me.

We must be long lost brothers Pete 😂 I’m totally with you on that. Lager chilled, ale at room temperature. Unfortunately it’s nigh on impossible to find draught ales that aren’t chilled in pubs these days, but good drinks waiters on P&O ships can always find some that haven’t made it as far as a fridge. The best ones remember that I don’t like chilled beers and when I order a beer, without me even saying they reply “room temperature, sir”. They always get a good tip!

[davecttr]

On Iona last year the Brodies Doom Bar was too cold and the room temperature one too warm. This was solved by getting one of each and mixing them. The staff were happy with this although I complicated matters by ordering a Banana Beer now and again. 😁

 

I am starting to think about my eating/drinking for my May cruise. I have £160 OBC, that's £22.85 per day and I am not planning on using the main dining room except for perhaps the peninsular buffet lunch but maybe best to keep my distance. As it is a holiday I will invest £120 for £40 per day on food/drink but might exceed that. Then there is the casino bankroll, at £5 minimum bet the Blackjack can get expensive.  Booked the Pulpit Rock excursion for Stavanger which is a real fjord trip plus coffee and cake. No other excursions booked.

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, pete14 said:

I have refused bottled ales on ships in the past because they keep them in the fridge. They normally are able to find one on some dusty shelf somewhere probably reserved for awkward so and sos like me.

 

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

We must be long lost brothers Pete 😂 I’m totally with you on that. Lager chilled, ale at room temperature. Unfortunately it’s nigh on impossible to find draught ales that aren’t chilled in pubs these days, but good drinks waiters on P&O ships can always find some that haven’t made it as far as a fridge. The best ones remember that I don’t like chilled beers and when I order a beer, without me even saying they reply “room temperature, sir”. They always get a good tip!

A few years ago on Oceana with friends we discovered the delights of Thornbridge Jaipur.  After a couple of days the bar staff always had two bottles at room temperature, and one bottle chilled waiting for us.  Great service.

[DamianG]

Thursday 7^th April

 

I had another funny night’s sleep, not helped by the late night cleaning of the infinity pool one deck up and one cabin across from ours. It took us a while to work out what the hose down and brushing noises were, not what you want to hear at 11pm. I still woke up early though, but it took several attempts for us to wake up Kyle. We eventually were ready for 9:10am and the Coral restaurant breakfast booking notification came through very quickly yet again. Michelle and I both chose items from the cooked breakfast list and Kyle had Rice Krispies and a chocolate muffin. We were glad that he picked something this time and ate it.

 

After breakfast we went to Vistas as usual and stayed there for 20 minutes or so while deciding what to do for the day. Yet again we were invisible where we were sat, as was another passenger who was there before us. Eventually I flagged down a waitress just as the other chap had caught the attention of a waiter, so we went from zero to 2 staff members in an instant (just like buses). Kyle did not want to go ashore but Michelle said that I could if I wanted to so I briefly considered a grand tour of the remaining 2 professional football grounds in Rotterdam (Sparta Rotterdam and Excelsior). Both seemed to be within 30 minutes of the city terminal but in the end I decided to just stay onboard, mainly so that Michelle wasn’t just stuck in the cabin again.

 

We had some leisurely time in the cabin then Michelle and I went for a stroll around the ship, primarily to view those conservatory mini suite cabins on the promenade deck (8). Even though the promenade deck was deserted and it was quiet I just cannot imagine having one of those cabins with the lack of balcony privacy. We also tried to arrange lunch at the Olive Grove but they were fully booked so instead we made a reservation for tomorrow. From there we stopped at the Keel and Cow for a glass of Pinot Grigio each (it was after 12pm) before we visited reception to book self-disembarkation. While queueing we witnessed an obnoxious man giving the receptionist a really hard time. “You cancelled Hamburg…you cancelled our trip to Amsterdam…this has not been a cruise…we’ve only been to 2 ports…we’ve been stuck here for 3 days…you shouldn’t send these high sided ships North if you know they may have a problem in high winds…you’re mugging us off…” he said, going on and on, all the time in a loud, angry voice. Fortunately our request was quickly processed so we were soon able to move on without having to hear any more. Regardless of whether he had some valid complaints to make, his rude manner and generally aggressive behaviour was awful and we felt really sorry for the lady on the receiving end.

 

From reception we went down to the Glass House on deck 7 for more drinks, then we returned to the cabin to check on Kyle. An hour or so later we dragged him out for lunch at the Quays, hoping that he would try the Katsu Chicken Curry, but he was having none of it. We got fish and chips for ourselves, with curry sauce for Michelle and mushy peas along with a pickled onion for me. The standard was fantastic, again far superior to our local chippies at home. By the way, Sauvignon Blanc goes really well with fish and chips! We finally persuaded Kyle to have some fries from the burger bar, but as soon as I brought them back to the table he smothered them in sugar by accident. A waiter happened to see this and rushed over “No, no, no, that’s sugar! You can’t eat them!” and within seconds he’d whisked the fries away. Michelle got Kyle another portion and this time he carefully coated them in salt and vinegar. Talking of which, the condiments section of the Quays is really good and worthy of a mention, with ketchup and mayonnaise available via pumps used to fill ramekins, accompanied by HP (brown) sauce bottles and huge vinegar bottles.

 

After lunch we returned to the cabin yet again before Kyle asked for it for himself in order to FaceTime his friends. So off we strolled again, wandering around the ship, paying a visit to Future Cruise Sales to make an enquiry about transferring our August cruise to something in 2024 (as we cannot find someone to look after our puppy in August so far) before settling in the Glass House again. Michelle stuck with the Chilean Merlot again and I tried Manolesakis Estate Exis White from Greece, all in the name of research and in preparation for our visit to the Olive Grove tomorrow of course.

 

We had a leisurely afternoon (and day in general) and it was nice to be “busy doing nothing” for a change. We picked up our usual Proseccos before heading back to the cabin and while I was typing up the blog just after 6pm I noticed that it had suddenly become very dark outside. Just as I opened the balcony door an almighty downpour started and the wind really got up. I heard some deck furniture move upstairs then screams from the jacuzzis on the aft deck below, where some children had been caught in the storm. Then just as Michelle stuck her head of out the balcony door there was a flash of lightning. It was all very dramatic and straight away I thought that this must be the force 8 the captain had referred to. However, it soon blew through and 15 minutes later it was all over, with the last of the day’s sun trying to break through the clouds.

 

We chose the Pearl MDR for dinner and yet again our table ready notification came through straight away, meaning that we’ve only had to wait (briefly) once all week. We were seated on table 407 in an extremely quiet corner, so I can now suggest table 406 for anyone who wants a truly secluded table for 2. The waiters looked puzzled as I took photos of the empty tables so that I could post them (below). Michelle and I both had Indonesian Salad with Lime Dressing for a starter (looked deceptively small but was tasty and very filling) followed by Guinea Fowl for her and Salmon Fillet for me. Mine was very well cooked but I’m not a huge fan of fish (I generally eat it because it’s good for you) and I should have got the Guinea Fowl which was excellent. Michelle had a glass of Silk and Spice, whilst I tried Giovanni Puiatti Puiattino Pinot Grigio (try saying that when you’re tipsy, not that I was, honestly) which was very superb. We both had cheese and biscuits for dessert. Drambuie was one of the after dinner drinks choices so we both tried a glass. Never again, unless we’ve run out of tickly cough medicine and I’m desperate.

 

After dinner we made the long trek to the Crow’s Nest. We were quickly seated quite centrally but the pianist “Musical Director Taff” was playing for one night only and it was far too loud given how close were sat. We managed to move further round the Crow’s Nest and found ourselves in kiddies corner, with the children of 2 families happily playing including 2 boys running up and down occasionally. We only stayed for 1 drink then took the long walk back to our cabin 10:15pm.

[DamianG]

Table for 2 number 406 in a deserted corner of the Pearl MDR

 

[lincslady]

Glad to read you are getting through a fair number of the wines, a bit at a time.  If you pace yourself like this you probably can get your money's worth of the package without getting tipsy, and trying lots of different drinks.  And he world does seem a bit sunnier.  Maybe the horrible man would have been more cheerful and pleasant if he had been on a drinks package?

[howmuch!]

7 hours ago, DamianG said:

Thursday 7^th April

 

I had another funny night’s sleep, not helped by the late night cleaning of the infinity pool one deck up and one cabin across from ours. It took us a while to work out what the hose down and brushing noises were, not what you want to hear at 11pm. I still woke up early though, but it took several attempts for us to wake up Kyle. We eventually were ready for 9:10am and the Coral restaurant breakfast booking notification came through very quickly yet again. Michelle and I both chose items from the cooked breakfast list and Kyle had Rice Krispies and a chocolate muffin. We were glad that he picked something this time and ate it.

 

After breakfast we went to Vistas as usual and stayed there for 20 minutes or so while deciding what to do for the day. Yet again we were invisible where we were sat, as was another passenger who was there before us. Eventually I flagged down a waitress just as the other chap had caught the attention of a waiter, so we went from zero to 2 staff members in an instant (just like buses). Kyle did not want to go ashore but Michelle said that I could if I wanted to so I briefly considered a grand tour of the remaining 2 professional football grounds in Rotterdam (Sparta Rotterdam and Excelsior). Both seemed to be within 30 minutes of the city terminal but in the end I decided to just stay onboard, mainly so that Michelle wasn’t just stuck in the cabin again.

 

We had some leisurely time in the cabin then Michelle and I went for a stroll around the ship, primarily to view those conservatory mini suite cabins on the promenade deck (8). Even though the promenade deck was deserted and it was quiet I just cannot imagine having one of those cabins with the lack of balcony privacy. We also tried to arrange lunch at the Olive Grove but they were fully booked so instead we made a reservation for tomorrow. From there we stopped at the Keel and Cow for a glass of Pinot Grigio each (it was after 12pm) before we visited reception to book self-disembarkation. While queueing we witnessed an obnoxious man giving the receptionist a really hard time. “You cancelled Hamburg…you cancelled our trip to Amsterdam…this has not been a cruise…we’ve only been to 2 ports…we’ve been stuck here for 3 days…you shouldn’t send these high sided ships North if you know they may have a problem in high winds…you’re mugging us off…” he said, going on and on, all the time in a loud, angry voice. Fortunately our request was quickly processed so we were soon able to move on without having to hear any more. Regardless of whether he had some valid complaints to make, his rude manner and generally aggressive behaviour was awful and we felt really sorry for the lady on the receiving end.

 

From reception we went down to the Glass House on deck 7 for more drinks, then we returned to the cabin to check on Kyle. An hour or so later we dragged him out for lunch at the Quays, hoping that he would try the Katsu Chicken Curry, but he was having none of it. We got fish and chips for ourselves, with curry sauce for Michelle and mushy peas along with a pickled onion for me. The standard was fantastic, again far superior to our local chippies at home. By the way, Sauvignon Blanc goes really well with fish and chips! We finally persuaded Kyle to have some fries from the burger bar, but as soon as I brought them back to the table he smothered them in sugar by accident. A waiter happened to see this and rushed over “No, no, no, that’s sugar! You can’t eat them!” and within seconds he’d whisked the fries away. Michelle got Kyle another portion and this time he carefully coated them in salt and vinegar. Talking of which, the condiments section of the Quays is really good and worthy of a mention, with ketchup and mayonnaise available via pumps used to fill ramekins, accompanied by HP (brown) sauce bottles and huge vinegar bottles.

 

After lunch we returned to the cabin yet again before Kyle asked for it for himself in order to FaceTime his friends. So off we strolled again, wandering around the ship, paying a visit to Future Cruise Sales to make an enquiry about transferring our August cruise to something in 2024 (as we cannot find someone to look after our puppy in August so far) before settling in the Glass House again. Michelle stuck with the Chilean Merlot again and I tried Manolesakis Estate Exis White from Greece, all in the name of research and in preparation for our visit to the Olive Grove tomorrow of course.

 

We had a leisurely afternoon (and day in general) and it was nice to be “busy doing nothing” for a change. We picked up our usual Proseccos before heading back to the cabin and while I was typing up the blog just after 6pm I noticed that it had suddenly become very dark outside. Just as I opened the balcony door an almighty downpour started and the wind really got up. I heard some deck furniture move upstairs then screams from the jacuzzis on the aft deck below, where some children had been caught in the storm. Then just as Michelle stuck her head of out the balcony door there was a flash of lightning. It was all very dramatic and straight away I thought that this must be the force 8 the captain had referred to. However, it soon blew through and 15 minutes later it was all over, with the last of the day’s sun trying to break through the clouds.

 

We chose the Pearl MDR for dinner and yet again our table ready notification came through straight away, meaning that we’ve only had to wait (briefly) once all week. We were seated on table 407 in an extremely quiet corner, so I can now suggest table 406 for anyone who wants a truly secluded table for 2. The waiters looked puzzled as I took photos of the empty tables so that I could post them (below). Michelle and I both had Indonesian Salad with Lime Dressing for a starter (looked deceptively small but was tasty and very filling) followed by Guinea Fowl for her and Salmon Fillet for me. Mine was very well cooked but I’m not a huge fan of fish (I generally eat it because it’s good for you) and I should have got the Guinea Fowl which was excellent. Michelle had a glass of Silk and Spice, whilst I tried Giovanni Puiatti Puiattino Pinot Grigio (try saying that when you’re tipsy, not that I was, honestly) which was very superb. We both had cheese and biscuits for dessert. Drambuie was one of the after dinner drinks choices so we both tried a glass. Never again, unless we’ve run out of tickly cough medicine and I’m desperate.

 

After dinner we made the long trek to the Crow’s Nest. We were quickly seated quite centrally but the pianist “Musical Director Taff” was playing for one night only and it was far too loud given how close were sat. We managed to move further round the Crow’s Nest and found ourselves in kiddies corner, with the children of 2 families happily playing including 2 boys running up and down occasionally. We only stayed for 1 drink then took the long walk back to our cabin 10:15pm.

Great blog. Enjoyed reading it all week. 

[oleb84]

23 hours ago, Selbourne said:

We must be long lost brothers Pete 😂 I’m totally with you on that. Lager chilled, ale at room temperature. Unfortunately it’s nigh on impossible to find draught ales that aren’t chilled in pubs these days, but good drinks waiters on P&O ships can always find some that haven’t made it as far as a fridge. The best ones remember that I don’t like chilled beers and when I order a beer, without me even saying they reply “room temperature, sir”. They always get a good tip!

I think you're confusing "room temperature" and "cellar temperature". I really hope so anyway! 🤣🤣

Edited April 9, 2022 by oleb84

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, oleb84 said:

I think you're confusing "room temperature" and "cellar temperature". I really hope so anyway!

Not necessarily! Some cellars can be very cold and that’s not how I like my red wine or ale for that matter. I’m not really bothered about what the experts might say. I know what I like and what I don’t 😂 

[Eddie99]

Are you still onboard Damian?

I was wondering if Glass House wines (or at least a decent number of them) fall within the Drinks Package price ceiling?

[oleb84]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Not necessarily! Some cellars can be very cold and that’s not how I like my red wine or ale for that matter. I’m not really bothered about what the experts might say. I know what I like and what I don’t 😂 

Fair enough but letting the experts have their say just for one moment...

Cellar temperature is a steady 11-13 degrees. Anything higher than this and proper beer (ie, traditional English ale) will consist of mostly foam and turn to vinegar before you know it. Terminology such as "room temperature" is why the English have such a bad stigma around the world for drinking "warm flat beer". It's not warm, it's just stored in a temperature controlled environment that is not as cold as other countries serve their beer.

 

Anyway, please excuse my rant! Publican here that prides himself on perfect beer quality and taste!

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

Are you still onboard Damian?

I was wondering if Glass House wines (or at least a decent number of them) fall within the Drinks Package price ceiling?

I believe Damian said it was a 7 night cruise so he will be off now.