Iona- beautiful ship, just one very wet design flaw! 😱

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

Ok, I loved the Iona. So spacious, fresh, open, tons of windows. She’s beautiful!

 

but for anyone booking cabins DO NOT BOOK AT THE AFT, facing the wake, in the middle cabins

there is a infinity pool above you. Deck 16 I think.
When people are in the pool water sloshes over the side onto the balconies below & if unlucky, straight onto your head! I’m not talking rain drops, I’m talking a bucket chucked over you sometimes!

next to us on out left their balcony was totally unusable getting a regular drenching. Only half our balcony was safe (balcony was HUGE). To our right, they were fine

we were cabin 10740

 

its such a daft design flaw. One more people need to be aware of

 

pic shows aft cabins with infinity pool in the top middle 

[Host Sharon]

So that's why there is a roof over the bar 🙂

[davecttr]

Lets face it, the infinity pool is a gimmick useful for idyllic images of people staring at the uncluttered horizon. So do you see loads of people in the pool just staring at the view? No, they are either swimming or jumping in and causing the problem splashes.

[Cathygh]

I thought they had remedied this by not having the pool full? But then it wouldn't be an infinity pool.

[DamianG]

11 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

Ok, I loved the Iona. So spacious, fresh, open, tons of windows. She’s beautiful!

 

but for anyone booking cabins DO NOT BOOK AT THE AFT, facing the wake, in the middle cabins

there is a infinity pool above you. Deck 16 I think.
When people are in the pool water sloshes over the side onto the balconies below & if unlucky, straight onto your head! I’m not talking rain drops, I’m talking a bucket chucked over you sometimes!

next to us on out left their balcony was totally unusable getting a regular drenching. Only half our balcony was safe (balcony was HUGE). To our right, they were fine

we were cabin 10740

 

its such a daft design flaw. One more people need to be aware of

 

pic shows aft cabins with infinity pool in the top middle 

 

Oh heck! We have 10742 booked for our cruise next August and it's a school holiday cruise so there's bound to be someone splashing around in the infinity pool regularly.

 

We had 10740 last April and didn't notice this at all but then again it wasn't generally warm enough for the pools to be that popular. We thought we'd "upgrade" to the slightly larger cabin!

 

Did you speak to the passengers in the cabin next door? I'm just wondering if they commented or said if they'd tried reporting it to reception maybe?

 

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Windsurfboy]

Same question what was P&Is response to complaints

[DamianG]

I've just read the "Cruise Mummy" website list of cabins to avoid and ours is one of them for the reasons mentioned above.

 

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.

[Son of Anarchy]

We were tempted to book one of these afties for our upcoming cruise but decided against it due to reports of the pool water drenching balconies underneath.  

 

Apparently there was a design flaw/engineering issue where a pump was not regulating the water level correctly, hence water sloshing over the edge when the ship was moving about beyond certain limits.  I think I read that they were going to reduce the water level as mentioned by Cathy.  Either they haven't done so or not enough.

 

Or, as Dave points out, it could be down to people's behaviour whilst using the pool.  Certainly don't see P&O dealing with that one.

 

It did cross my mind that by the time we're on board, weather conditions will be such that not many people will be using the pool, plus cruising outside of school holidays would reduce the amount of pool water going over the side.  Clearly not.  Usually aftie cabins are quite sought after.  We've had the occasional one on Ventura & Azura and think they are great.  Appears to not be the case on Iona.  I wonder whether they can/will resolve this issue on Arvia?

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

29 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Lets face it, the infinity pool is a gimmick useful for idyllic images of people staring at the uncluttered horizon. So do you see loads of people in the pool just staring at the view? No, they are either swimming or jumping in and causing the problem splashes.

I agree

Splashing from a pool should have been obvious to P&O. We went October half term so quite a few kids in pool as it was unseasonably warm (19-21 degrees). I can only imagine what it would be like when it’s very cramped in hotter weather in holidays 

[BouncingWheel]

I have heard people in those balconies are given a free umbrella🤣

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

Oh heck! We have 10742 booked for our cruise next August and it's a school holiday cruise so there's bound to be someone splashing around in the infinity pool regularly.

 

We had 10740 last April and didn't notice this at all but then again it wasn't generally warm enough for the pools to be that popular. We thought we'd "upgrade" to the slightly larger cabin!

 

Did you speak to the passengers in the cabin next door? I'm just wondering if they commented or said if they'd tried reporting it to reception maybe?

 

Thanks for posting this.

 

Although I did not study it carefully it appeared as though there was a large scoop shaped bucket covering the full width of the pool, presumably to collect any over spill. I assumed this had been added to overcome this issue, just a shame it does not work.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

Oh heck! We have 10742 booked for our cruise next August and it's a school holiday cruise so there's bound to be someone splashing around in the infinity pool regularly.

 

We had 10740 last April and didn't notice this at all but then again it wasn't generally warm enough for the pools to be that popular. We thought we'd "upgrade" to the slightly larger cabin!

 

Did you speak to the passengers in the cabin next door? I'm just wondering if they commented or said if they'd tried reporting it to reception maybe?

 

Thanks for posting this.

 

Next door- the one you have, got cabin attendant to mop the balcony floor daily and I heard them complain to the staff member about it being ‘unusable’ and how upset they were when I was out on balcony in the safe right hand corner! 
I didn’t speak to them personally so I don’t know if complaint went beyond what we heard.

it didn’t improve at all in the week. We had unusually warm weather for October half term so kids were in the pool. Otherwise for oct half term I doubt we’d have such an issue

If it was hotter, unless P&O do something about it, you’d likely have more chance of getting even wetter. Sorry for the bad news. I hope if you decide to, you can change it?

 

10738 is fine. But that’s a deluxe balcony cabin. Not same grade as 10742

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

3 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Although I did not study it carefully it appeared as though there was a large scoop shaped bucket covering the full width of the pool, presumably to collect any over spill. I assumed this had been added to overcome this issue, just a shame it does not work.

It looks like it does have that but it really doesn’t work. Water hits that, flys upwards, lands below

it might have made deck 15 & poss 14 safer because they may have gotten the behind the waterfall effect now. The ones further out closer to the wake get wetter now 😬

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

1 hour ago, Son of Anarchy said:

We were tempted to book one of these afties for our upcoming cruise but decided against it due to reports of the pool water drenching balconies underneath.  

 

Apparently there was a design flaw/engineering issue where a pump was not regulating the water level correctly, hence water sloshing over the edge when the ship was moving about beyond certain limits.  I think I read that they were going to reduce the water level as mentioned by Cathy.  Either they haven't done so or not enough.

I don’t know if they tried that, but it definitely doesn’t work. We were in October half term in 19-21degree heat. Warmer than you’d expect for end of oct in North Sea!! kids were in pool having fun splashing but it’s not pool is packed out weather. In the summer it would be worse

 

only thing I could think of improving it was a higher piece of 90degree glass at the end of the pool

the scoop thing just sends water flying higher upwards before it comes down anyway

 

ps I’m not blaming kids- kids will splash. It’s a holiday! 

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

19 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said:

I have heard people in those balconies are given a free umbrella🤣

Didn’t see that personally but it really wouldn’t surprise me! 
 

[Britboys]

58 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said:

I have heard people in those balconies are given a free umbrella🤣

Which of course they can take home for "a little extra"...😉😂

[DamianG]

Panic over for us, as quickly pointed out by my wife we are booked on Arvia next August (not Iona). What a dozy sausage I am sometimes. Anyway, a quick check of the deck plan shows Arvia cabin 10742 further to the side next to the corner suite so we should be okay.

Thanks again for all the comments.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by DamianG

[9265359]

17 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

She’s beautiful!

 

Only when viewed from the inside.

[Windsurfboy]

16 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

Only when viewed from the inside.

 

Luckily most passengers spend far more time inside or looking out from the ship than looking at it from on shore.

 

The best looking ships were the old ones with no balconies,  smaller windows and sleek lines. Nice to look at but it's  nicer to sail on modern ship.

 

We are on Arvia in June 2024,  I hope spray doesn't reach corner suites. Looking at pictures shouldn't unless force 8 gale.

[Britboys]

7 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Luckily most passengers spend far more time inside or looking out from the ship than looking at it from on shore.

 

The best looking ships were the old ones with no balconies,  smaller windows and sleek lines. Nice to look at but it's  nicer to sail on modern ship...

Each to their own but I'd rather sail on an old ship. I rarely have a balcony and am quite happy with portholes...😀

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, Britboys said:

Each to their own but I'd rather sail on an old ship. I rarely have a balcony and am quite happy with portholes...😀

I think you are in a minority !

[Britboys]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I think you are in a minority !

I think so too sadly - which is why the pool of ships that I will sail on (within my budget) is ever shrinking...

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Each to their own but I'd rather sail on an old ship. I rarely have a balcony and am quite happy with portholes...😀

 

Just now, wowzz said:

I think you are in a minority !

I would be quite happy to sail on some of the older ships, like Ventura or Azura, if only P&O kept them in better condition, and upgraded the bathrooms, bedrooms and TVs when they became scruffy and outdated.

Oh and Aurora's pink bathrooms really are hideous.

[Britboys]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

 

I would be quite happy to sail on some of the older ships, like Ventura or Azura, if only P&O kept them in better condition, and upgraded the bathrooms, bedrooms and TVs when they became scruffy and outdated.

Oh and Aurora's pink bathrooms really are hideous.

Personally I don't consider Ventura and Azura as old in the context of this thread (I actually wouldn't consider them old full stop). Even Aurora isn't what I think of as especially old. As for Aurora's bathrooms, I have always found them perfectly functional with decent storage space so the pale pink is really not an issue for me - I don't spend much time in the bathroom tbh.

My cabin on Aurora in August/Sept was in very good condition and the only things I look at on the TV are the Navigation and News channels...

[wowzz]

Nothing wrong with old ships,  as long as they are kept up to date.

Crusing on Arcadia this year, after two Princess cruises was like stepping back in time. A shame because Arcadia, from our point of view is an  ideal size. 

But, P&O are sweating the assets, not upgrading the TVs, furniture etc. A shame, because if they actually invested some serious money, they would have a ship to compete with Saga, Oceania etc. and could charge accordingly.