Iona January 2023

[Eglesbrech]

Here is a short summary of my experience on Iona, the more detailed version is below if you can be bothered to read it. The ship was not full which was an advantage, reception quoted 4270 passengers onboard. 

 

Embarkation - very efficient and cases came to the cabin quickly too.

 

The Ship - modern, clean, lots of nice little areas and a beautiful wraparound promenade. This ship absolutely connects with the sea, you don’t forget you are on a cruise and not just in a hotel.

 

Cabin - a little small but fine non the less. Bright, clean and has everything we needed.

 

Entertainment - daytime is very limited. Evening excellent choice of really good shows. The vast majority we thoroughly enjoyed. Some  good films on the on demand video in the cabins, we watched a couple if we wanted an early night.

 

Shuttles- we had  no issues but we tend to go out early and come back before the rush others onboard had a very different experience from what they have related.

 

Food  - Breakfast, good choice and all exactly as expected and served hot.

 

MRD Lunch lack of choice, extremely poor quality, stodgy and twice very greasy. Every day there was a sharing plate which further limited the choice for anyone on their own. (We checked out the menus in the passing each day and were uninspired).

 

MDR dinner, again very limited choices with the same items on the menu over and over again. Small portions of fairly bland food in general with the odd tasty gem. The food in the Quays was better but queues to get it and I don’t like buffets. Olive Grove, lovely fresh food. Much of the price included food in the MDR lets this beautiful ship down imo. NB the Olive Grove is no longer bookable, it’s now on the virtual queue.

 

Speciality extra charge dining - all very good and we tried them all at least once. Tasty food served hot and with a smile.

 

Pricing onboard - the speciality restaurants are reasonably priced for the quality. The Spa has lots of great offers (quiet ship). Tours over priced imo. Drinks way overpriced imo, much higher than even city prices at home (but the cruise was well priced so they have to make some profit). Beer and soft drinks are not too bad but wine is prohibitive for what is being served (in what is after all a tax free environment).

 

Weather and Sea - we were so lucky, calm seas in the majority of the cruise and very decent weather.

 

Health - the Captain made a general ships announcement at noon on the second last day that there is gastro intestinal issue onboard but any one who pays attention and with half a brain cell knew about this long before now. Lots of trays of room service and red bags in corridors. Buffet being served by staff along with tea, juice etc behind red barriers, tags on tables to say they had been sanitised, missing menus etc. A letter was also issued to all cabins with instructions on how to limit the spread.

 

Also a lot of coughs and sniffles around but then that’s the same at home.

 

Long version

 

Well we have sailed on every P&O ship in the fleet for decades so I wanted to keep up to date. We had Iona previously booked in a suite but it was cancelled during the early days of the pandemic. Roll forward to January 2023 and we booked Iona again, this time as a last minute cruise in a standard balcony for (hopefully) some winter sunshine.

 

While it is vulgar to discuss pricing and I would never do it while onboard, we got a good deal on this cruise. Consequently my expectations were tempered by the cost to an extent.

 

We booked a few nice tours in advance. Unfortunately one of the better ones, a walking tour through the food markets with a chef and cookery class, in Barcelona, was cancelled before the cruise. No matter, there is always something to do there. 

 

I managed to book some meals in advance of boarding so we had bookings for Epicurean x 4, Sindhu x2, the Chefs table x2 and Limelight.  I was able to book 4 shows before getting onboard.

 

Day 1 Embarcation

 

Embarkation was fine and took around 1 hour 15 minutes from arriving at the dock, through dropping off the car to actual embarkation. Our cases came fairly promptly as well.

 

Immediately on arriving on the ship we started to try to book shows etc for the rest of the cruise. Some things were almost fully booked already eg the 710 club which we managed to get for just two occasions. With thanks to @Grahpau for his instructions which helped (and we were also able to assist others onboard).

 

It is worth noting that you can only see what you have actually personally booked. Luckily enough I had made all the booking so the virtual diary was showing everything (and my husbands showing nothing at all). Worth sticking to using one account to make life easier.

 

I added a few shows and a couple more restaurant bookings which once I  sampled the food in the MDR I was very happy to have done. 

 

The cabin is absolutely fine. A little tight for space but perfectly adequate. Nice fresh decor and very clean. Wardrobe space is at a premium and the lack of drawers is a bit of a loss but nothing that can’t be worked around. As I was aware of the lack of drawers we put small items like socks in snappy bags so we could access them easily from the shelf and not have lots of loose items falling out and that worked out well.

 

The bathroom is a good size and the shower good pressure. Lots of open storage here for toiletries etc.

 

The balcony is a small as well but better than on Britannia.

 

Our cabin steward was very pleasant and welcoming, he kept the cabin immaculate throughout the cruise.

 

Having checked out the cabin and walked around the ship to find out where things were we showered and changed for dinner.

 

Tonight was one of  the evenings I had managed to get into 710 and the band was really excellent. Pity they are now fully booked (except for quarter past midnight shows which are too late for me). If you get the chance see these guys, great musicians.

 

We were booked for the Epicurean and glad we had done that as we had a lovely meal without any of the hassles of queuing, virtual or otherwise. Very good food, nice relaxed setting and great service. The lamb was particularly good. Didn’t like their version of crepe Suzette but the cheese plate was nice enough.

 

Lovely comfortable bed unfortunately not a good nights sleep as we were woken in the middle of the night with an medical emergency call. I hope whoever was taken ill is better now, not a great way for them to start a holiday.

 

Day 2 at sea

 

Virtual queue and a fairly quick table for breakfast. Breakfast was fine, the usual foods and all perfectly adequate except imo the coffee. The coffee is like frightened hot water and one sip was quite enough of this tasteless brown liquid which was so thin I could see the bottom of the cup! You have been warned. I brought my aeropress and nespresso coffee pods just in case and I will need them as I’m not keen on Costa coffee either.

 

Went a long walk many times around the promenade, I really like this wrap around promenade which allows a decent stretch of the legs. As it was a little cold it wasn’t too busy. Nice just to breathe in the fresh sea air and enjoy a stroll. The cabins on deck 8 are unusual and will be fine for some folks but certainly not all, everyone walking past was looking in on them but that novelty will wear off. Some are right opposite a noisy jacuzzi. 

 

Thankfully my lungs are not too bad at the moment so I can manage the stairs most of the time if I go slowly and it’s only 3 or 4 decks, which is just as well. The demographic of the ship is very old and there are many people with strollers, sticks, wheelchairs and some with very large electric buggies. The lifts are busy and stop on virtually every deck every time. If P&O are aiming for the younger market they haven’t got it on this particular cruise at least. The lifts are a bit of a bugbear and I’m glad I can avoid them a lot of the time.

 

There are a lot of solo cruisers. We spoke to one lovely lady who said it was her first time in a balcony as the solo offers for this cruise were so well priced. As a result of all the solo cabins and lack of children taking third or fourth berths the cabins seem to be sold out but the ship is not full. 

 

Had a mooch around the shops which have a decent range of goods. Not a lot to do as Brodies is full for the quizzes, there is a lengthy queue for the cinemas in the afternoon and I’ve also heard the speaker a couple of times before (he is really very good but not for a third time). Happy to just chill and we did our own mini wine tasting with a couple of flights in the glass house. 

 

There was no facility to book the Olive Grove which showed as fully booked for the whole cruise when we embarked so I asked about it at the desk. I was told on day 1 that they were no longer allowing bookings on this venue and moving it to the virtual queueing system as lots of people had complained about it being snapped up  before they even got onboard  and there were lots of no shows as it is free (and it’s the only daily free table service restaurant other than the MDR).

 

So on day 2 today we tried to join the virtual queue and it wasn’t there so back to the desk. No ma’am you can’t have a table as they are all fully booked for today. Pointed to the person who had given us the information yesterday (who wouldn’t make eye contact) and repeated what I had been told. Oh we have an IT glitch and it allowed some people (not everyone) to book today. So I can join a virtual queue tomorrow then definitely? Answer -yes. Day 3 it was on the virtual queue but only for about 30 minutes then it disappeared again! Let’s see what happens next. It should be noted that in the Horizen the Olive Grove is now asterisked as chargeable and my hunch is that longer term it may well be.

 

So the quays were rammed full and Olive Grove booked. Joined the virtual queue for the MDR. Pathetic is the only word I can use for this with limited choices and very poor quality food most of which was vegan or vegetarian. The “choice” for mains was a ham sandwich, a vegetarian sandwich, a lighter bite spinach feta cheese and mushroom struddle, Cumberland sausage & mash or a veggie Indian sharing platter. We got the platter and it was swimming in grease so most of it got left. No one bothered to ask why. Not impressed. On the basis of this meal and the menu for the evening we booked the beach House for tonight,s dinner (no problems getting a booking for any of the extra pay for restaurants, those included in the price are however busier)

 

The MDR menus we have seen so far (on the big boards) have been heavily weighted to vegan and vegetarian food. I would be perfectly happy with that if they were well prepared but if you are a committed  meat eater, the choice is much more limited than in the past.

 

Another thing to note, the virtual queue for the MDRs vanished at 1.24 and stated that the queue opens at 5.15 pm. The restaurant was supposed to be open until 2 pm but the queue on the app wasn,t. Same thing happens at breakfast, the app queue goes but you can still walk up and be seated.

 

The show tonight was a violin player and he was excellent.The house musicians in the theatre are also very talented, in general the quality of music onboard is excellent. The theatre  is showing s full on the app but it was only about 50% from what I could see. People are booking everything and then just not showing up so turn up and you will probably get in (at least on this quieter cruise).

 

Dinner at a half empty Beach House. A few people in front of us walked away when told that there was a £9.50pp charge. The Horizon is all to pot showing free restaurants like Olive Grove with an asterisk for a charge and chargeable ones without. There are no prices on the app either so it’s a guessing game re costs.

 

The food and service was good, I particularly enjoyed the curry goat and rum pineapple desert.

 

Day 3 at sea

 

Woken again this morning by an announcement (at 8.45 am, being lazy catching up on sleep from yesterday and actually 7.45 for my body clock as the time changed).This time a man overboard “for exercise”.

 

Skipped breakfast, had a decent coffee in the cabin and went for a long prom walk. 

 

Lunch at the Olive Grove (secured during the brief time the virtual queue was open then it was closed again for a while) lovely, far superior to the greasy offering in the MDR yesterday. It’s showing again today as chargeable on the Horizen but we were not charged. The Greek platter was very tasty and the pizza good.

 

The sea has been as calm as a mill pond so far. A bit colder than expected out of doors but still very pleasant.

 

We received vouchers for fizz for the Celebration night. Went to Anderson’s at 5.55pm and they would not honour them, it had to be after the Captains speech apparently but there was nothing on the voucher which says that. The queues both virtual and real for the MDR looked long - we looked along the deck when leaving Anderson’s. Probably fairly normal for formal night.

 

The Captain announced that there are 2400 Peninsular club members which seems quite low so a lot of new to P&O passengers onboard this cruise.

 

Really enjoyed the Festival show in the theatre, very upbeat.

 

Had a drink in the elegant Crows Nest then on to the Chefs Table. While this was in the buffet it was done well and looked nice with decent linen, glass and table ware. 

 

There was a wine waiter available and so we were able to order the wines to match the food. They all came at once but that was fine, better than waiting.

 

The gezpatchio was really nice but the English fizz not a great match,  it was not punchy enough imo.

 

The tian of shrimp was really tasty if very small and the kung Foo Girl Washington state wine an excellent match. The wine was really buttery with the starter, we both really enjoyed it.

 

The lamb was tasty but a really, really tiny portion even for me and I don’t eat a lot, it was just a few bites once off the bone. The Pinot Noir was fine if not exciting. Someone at the next table asked for more due to the small portions and was firmly told that was not possible.

 

The cheese was not what P&O advertise. It’s supposed to be Blue Monday, Hampshire Tunworth etc. What they actually served had been laid out for too long and was curling at the edges - brick hard Brie, an unidentified cheddar and a tasteless blue. Now those of you who are CC regulars know I like my cheese and I can tell a Hampshire Tunworth from cheap Brie. I showed the Manager what they advertise and bounced the Brie off the side of the plate. He took a photo of what is advertised, let’s see if it changes! There are a few little niggles like this but nothing that spoils a holiday.

 

For those who are interested the Beach Club was open on the opposite side from the Chefs Table on the Celebration night and bookable. This must have taken up a big chunk of the buffet area for those who did not wish to dress for dinner. Seemed like most people were in formal wear (of sorts)around the ship though.

 

After dinner we went to the 710 club which was unfortunately closed as one of the musicians is “poorly”. Shame to miss a good show but wish the person better soon.

 

Day 4 Vigo

 

Skipped breakfast and went into town to visit El Cortes inglis up the hill. Got some great bargains and a nice coffee here before exploring the town. Visited a little wine bar for lunch, amazing Rioja, lovely local ham and cheese eaten in the sunshine. It’s shorts with a fleece weather and a lovely change from cold, frosty and wet at home. 

 

The queue both off and back on was quick and efficient, the benefits of a slightly quieter ship.

 

Sitting on the balcony as I write this in the sunshine listening to opera from a lady singing in the harbour. Just idilic.

 

We have the limelight Club booked tonight for Mary Mac. Wasn’t sure what to expect re the food but I was impressed by the quality for banqueting service. The amuse bush was Vegan, a mix of aubergine, mushroom and garlic on crostini and vey nice

 

The vegan starter was also excellent, mushroom “scallops” done in Sherry and miso which was very tasty. OH had the ham terraine which was also nice.

 

OH had the steak which looked good. I had a lovely bit of sea bass served with gnocchi and a lemon cream sauce, the bass was crispy on the skin and just done for the centre as it should be.

 

OH had the chocolate bomb which he enjoyed and I had the vegan pudding which was a nut strudel in a warm apricot sauce and it was delicious. I’m not veggie but I often select these dishes for a change  and on this ship they are often better than the meat dishes. P&O could be tapping into a major market with what they are offering. Most of my nephews friends are vegetarian or vegan, that generation just are.

 

The entertainment was also first class. Mary Mac (drag artist) gave 100% from the minute she came on stage. Funny, quirky, a good singer and a huge personality. Slightly risky at times but in an inoffensive way. I would recommend this show if you want to see something just a bit different. 

 

After Limelight we went to the sky dome for the ariel show Rise. Loved the costumes and it was entertaining but I suspect we didn’t see the full show  to its best two of the flyers were out of commission. The guy in the toucan costume was so funny, a masterclass in acting like a bird.

 

Day 5 at sea

 

Went to Aqua for breakfast this morning booking via the app. There was a bit of an issue at the desk as a older couple next to us were asking for a table and told it was full meantime we were being served and got a table having come to the desk just after them. He was not happy and described the technology as a queue skippers charter that young people use. (Now it has been a while since anyone described me as young but all things are comparative). The point however is that he stomped away very unhappy so the app is clearly annoying some.

 

Went for our morning walk and the selfish were out in force bagging sunbeds on deck 8 with books and towels. Some had also moved the beds to face into the sun getting right in the way of the walking space. It’s a lovely day and we just enjoyed the decent weather and walked.

 

The queue for the Olive Grove is not on the screen again today. I don’t know if someone is switching it off or it’s an It glitch again. The menu in the MDR for lunch looks dreadful yet again. Just have to wait for the Quays to quieten down or the queue for Olive Grove to come back up.

 

Went to the Olive Grove and apparently the app queue switches off once it reaches a certain capacity. They gave us a pager. I wish we had known that an hour ago! The food was however good.  So if you can’t see to queue for Olive Grove go to the desk.

 

While waiting we joined the vocal coaching in the Club House which was fun.

 

Checked out todays Horizon and in the (very) small print they are announcing  that there is a cycle race in Valencia which is extending shuttle times as some central roads are closed. Asked about our particular tour and couldn’t get a clear answer from them about the impact. Additionally we are having to shuttle in to the join the tour which was not the arrangements when we booked (private transfers both ways) so we cancelled it. I’m sure the cycle race closing down chunks of the city was known about long before now.

 

We had a 6.45 show tonight, the first we didn’t enjoy so left after 10 minutes.

 

Epicurian again tonight so a good meal guaranteed. We had the halibut “sharer” which was excellent though I don’t know why it is only available for 2 as we were served two fillets on our own plates.

 

Day 6 Gibraltar

 

We got up early, had a quick coffee in the cabin and headed into Gibraltar. Got some real bargains, the prices were very competitive compared to the U.K.  We have been here numerous times so just wandered and shopped. 

 

Headed back to the ship before the rush (made clear that there could be very long queues to get back onboard from the bridge in the arrival announcement). We had bought a bottle of vary unusual whisky, it would have been at least double the price at home. I tried to hand the bag to security and told them what it was but they were not interested in taking it  so we took it to the cabin (no intention of drinking this onboard as it is strictly for for a special occasion). 

 

Had lunch in the MDR. I do like this ship but the selection and standard of food in the main restaurants is not good. You certainly won’t starve and there is the odd gem but no overall consistency. Left the food there as it was dreadful  and got a portion of fish and chips to share at the Quays and it was lovely - hot, crispy and tasty.

 

As I write we re leaving Gibraltar with an honour guard of seagulls in tow, the ship must be churning up fish. I’m now on dolphin watch.

 

Dinner in the MDR and we both ordered the sirloin steak done medium well. The two steaks came out and mine was thin and over cooked (like a bit of beef ham / minute steak rather than steak) and OH got a lovely thick juicy sirloin but it was medium rare and fully pink inside. We split his steak which was actually very nice and left mine which was like shoe leather. Complete lack of consistency in the food and clearly no on overseeing it.

 

Day 7 Alicante

 

The ship is docked in the town centre so a pleasant 15 stroll (or shuttle if you wanted one which dropped at the start of the town).

 

Had a nice wander round the shops then had a seafood lunch at a pavement cafe and people watched. The weather is still being very kind.

 

The show tonight was about travel and while it was a bit slow at the start the section in China was great with the dancing red lions. I won’t spoil it for those who have not seen this one but there are lots of great special effects.

 

Dinner in Sindhu was excellent and as we had booked before we boarded there was a 20% discount. I had the vegetarian menu and it packed a real flavour punch. The paneer dosa was really tasty. The veg thalli was interesting with a variety of both flavours and textures. OH had the signature thalli with duck, beef and lobster which he also really enjoyed.

 

Day 8 Barcelona

 

Ordered smoked salmon for breakfast expecting the thin slices. What came was a delicious thick filet of salmon which had been oak smoked. If you like fish, try it.

 

Got the shuttle into town. We picked the right time both ways as no queues.we did however hear lots of grumbles about waiting in the sunshine for ages.

 

I am still traumatised by the price of two small beers in Barcelona at 18 euros! A pavement cafe not even on Las Ramblas.

 

Singer in the theatre tonight from the Voice and yes she do have a good one.

 

Braved the main dining room for dinner. The mushroom pate was really tasteless so I didn’t eat it. The vegetarian main was unusual but it actually worked, ever had dal on top of lettuce, cauliflower and spinach before - don’t knock it until you try it. OH had bland but inoffensive roast chicken. Cant say I’m excited by the food in the MDR.

 

As we were in Barcelona until 9pm the Spanish Tax hit everything onboard. A lot of people were not aware of it and grumbling when their bottle of wine was 10% more but it was clearly highlighted in the Horizon(and again for tomorrow in Valencia).

 

Day 9 Valencia

 

Well as noted above we cancelled our tour as the cycle race got in the way. We decided to just go for a walk as the city would be congested. It’s around a 30 to  40 minute walk out of the port but on a nice promenade looking over the yacht marina and a couple of small restaurants. On the other side of the bay there is a lovely beach and some bars about a further 20 minutes on. On the way back we discovered there is a free port shuttle which would save much of the walk but we wanted the exercise. There is also a bridge across to the beach area which would cut much of the walk but it was open for the boats as it was a Sunday.

 

Lots of complaints about the lengthy shuttle into Valencia but this is a one of with a major cycle event closing off roads.

 

Tried a couple of gin flights in Anderson’s. A good way to try out some new ones, some I enjoyed and some not but that is the joy of trying them in small measures.

 

Magician in the theatre tonight and after dinner the space aged Ariel show. Both entertaining.

 

Gave the MDR room once last chance. It was poor imo. The deep fried Brie was an empty crust. The main course cold and the pudding inedible hard sponge. Now booked solid for speciality for the rest of the week. I’m clearly not the only one who feels this way as the speciality dining is filling up and the longest app queue onboard is for the included Olive Grove.

 

Day 10 Sea

 

Brilliant sunshine and calm seas on a perfect sea day. I’m sitting on the balcony enjoying the view and the Captain has kindly just slightly adjusted course to keep me in the sunshine - very nice man. No joking we just about went into shade then the ship moved west.

 

The Captain and bridge staff have been very chatty and informative. The Entertainments manager has been missing in action, the only time I have heard from him is when is trying to sell something.

 

In the queue for lunch at the Olive Grove with  27 ahead, by contrast the main dining room has just 2! That’s the difference in the food quality, people vote with their feet.

 

Watched digital in the main theatre, great special effects but the music is not as memorable. Also watched a really good Irish quartet in the Club House (which was mobbed) the Four Harps. First time we have been in here in the evening and seems to be the busy venue.

 

Day 11 Cadiz

 

We docked in the middle of the city a short walk from the port. Walked for miles enjoying the sites then did a Sherry tasting. The bodega is in the centre of the city just a few minutes from the port and serves 16 different varieties of Sherry in an authentic setting, it’s been run by the same family for generations. We had 4 (small) Sherry,s each, olives, jamon and sheep cheese for under £25.

 

Epicurean for dinner. We ordered the frogs legs which were small but tasty and the Dover sole which I generally like. The whole fish came and by the time I filleted it  on the plate and removed the bones it was stone frozen cold! They used to bring it on a hot skillet and the staff deboned it before serving on a hot plate. While Epicurean is still excellent there are elements missing like deboning fish, cracking and de shelling lobster, table side crepe Suzette etc etc.

 

Day 12 Lisbon 

 

Had a light breakfast and headed into the city for a wander. Enjoyed some local specialities and shopping before heading back to the ship for a late lunch.

 

Lunch at the Olive Grove, good food but very slow service from the generally miserable staff who work in here. Most of the staff in here are just not friendly verging on sullen, unlike the other venues onboard. I think they are perhaps overworked as this venue is very popular.

 

Show and then dinner. Had a brilliant on the bone aged steak tonight, really delicious.

 

 

Day 13 sea

 

We were up too late for the restaurant breakfast in the MDR and we have been avoiding the buffet areas as I had noticed the room service trays and red bags etc in the corridors for days now.

 

At noon the Captain formally announced the GI health issues onboard and the precautions to be taken were coming in a letter to all cabins which he requested everyone to cooperate with. 

 

Personally I avoid the buffets and the public toilets anyway and we eat at a table for 2, carry anti bad foam etc so far so good avoiding it.

 

Had lunch at the Keel and Cow. The baked Tunworth was excellent and I enjoyed the Prime Minister burger but in particular the Stokes Bloody Mary ketchup which I’ll be looking for once back at home.

 

Boring sea day with very little to do, mostly sales talks or bingo neither of which is of interest. Entering the Bay of Biscay which is a bit rougher today than 2 weeks ago.

 

Our “loyalty” vouchers came and instead of a party we get one cheap drink. Gone are the days of nice cocktails, canapés and music. The voucher even restricts what you can get to sparkling plonk, house wine, carlsbug, Orange or soda fountain (not even a can!).

 

Booked for Centre Stage tonight then the chefs table. The show was fine as was the meal. A lot of empty tables at Chefs table but the sea has been a bit more rough today so some green looking people heading back to their cabins.

 

The staff are working so hard to contain the spread of the GI issues by serving everything, wiping down surfaces etc meantime so folks are undermining their efforts. We have seen several couples move table to one they preferred in the Glass House and in the Crows Nest before it has been washed and when the card is clearly showing waiting to be sanitised. The public toilets are also busy in spite of being asked to use your own cabin facilities.

 

Day 14 at sea

 

Quiet day packing and not too much going on on the ship. Enjoyed a long walk around the promenade, one of the best features of the ship imo and a quiet drink outside in sunset bar.

 

Mdr menu looked boring so tried for lunch in the olive grove but it was fully booked so we had tapas in the Glass House which was very pleasant. Jamon ham and tomato bread, scallops with chorizo, lamb cutlets, king prawns, manchego, spicy chicken wings all washed down with a bottle of really excellent 2009 sparkling English wine. Really lovely lunch with a sea view.

 

Sindhu booked for tonight and an excellent meal. The Irish quartet were also back on, great act.

 

Well the cases are out and we just walked along the corridor to see a gentleman in a skimpy towel delving in his case for something. The towel fell, I averted my eyes but had already seen …….. too much. A warning to all, make sure you keep clothes for the final morning!

 

Day 15 Southampton

 

Opted to self disembark and selected 6.30am to get off as we have a long drive home.

 

So would I go on Iona again? It wouldn’t be a first choice as I found having to juggle about to book everything a bit stressful but I would never say never. If I got a good price and at a quiet time of the year I would definitely consider it. 

 

The ship was busy enough while we were on so I would dread to see it full but others may really enjoy the biz and buzz. 

 

Do your homework and know what you like and don’t like, this ship is certainly not for everyone but definitely provides a good cruise holiday.

[Gettingwarmer]

27 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Embarkation - very efficient and cases came to the cabin quickly too.

Can you advise the time you arrived to embark as this could make a difference to the position. 

[Eglesbrech]

18 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Can you advise the time you arrived to embark as this could make a difference to the position. 

Around 1pm. We had planned to get rid of the car and have lunch in Southampton but we asked at embarkation if we could join the queue as it was short and they nodded us through. 
 

There were lots of coaches for this cruise so they were probably happy to check people in before these arrived later in the afternoon.

 

Very  few self disembarking at 6.30 this morning either so again perhaps fewer cars.

[grapau27]

Excellent review @Eglesbrech.

I really enjoyed reading everything.

Pauline asked them to take the lobster out of the shell in Epicurean and they did this.

I Hope you have a safe drive home.

Our drive took 6 hours yesterday from Heathrow airport.

I'm pleased my app information helped you.

Graham.

[P&O SUE]

Great detailed review thank you. MDR food sounds disappointing.

 

I’ve recently watched a cruise video of Arvia and they thought it was better than Iona, though they thought Arvia being in the Caribbean helped as the sea dome was open most of the time.

[mandymac]

Great review and very helpful to people who are trying to plan ahead which I am.. although we are going on the Arvia im guessing things will run much the same.

 

[showingdiva]

As always, an excellent review,.  Whilst nothing major, this has just cemented my decision to jump ship off Iona this spring.

 

Which begs my question .... when are you back in Yacht Club?

[Eglesbrech]

1 minute ago, showingdiva said:

As always, an excellent review,.  Whilst nothing major, this has just cemented my decision to jump ship off Iona this spring.

 

Which begs my question .... when are you back in Yacht Club?

Nothing booked as we already had quite a few cruises booked for this year with various lines but we will be back! Next thing for me to look at now that I have found it, it’s high up my preference list.

 

We had a good holiday and there is lots that is good about Iona. Your tastes and preferences may be completely different to mine so I hope nothing I have said has put you off. 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

As I was aware of the lack of drawers we put small items like socks in snappy bags so we could access them easily from the shelf and not have lots of loose items falling out and that worked out well

I think the removal of drawers is a great idea. We always seem to have cabins next to someone who feels it necessary to open and shut every drawer at 7am !

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Our drive took 6 hours yesterday from Heathrow airport.

Six hours with jet lag - brave man !

I used to fall asleep halway between Heathrow and Peterborough when driving back from my New York business trips.

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Six hours with jet lag - brave man !

I used to fall asleep halway between Heathrow and Peterborough when driving back from my New York business trips.

Nice to see you back.

We stayed overnight in a Heathrow airport hotel which helped a lot to catch up on our sleep after a lovely meal there.

I booked 2 nights so we could check in early morning after getting off our plane.

 

 

[Ilovemygarden]

Thanks for your review Eglesbrech.  Very helpful - I am due on Arvia in September which I imagine will be similar.   Welcome back Wowzz - we missed you!  

[Harry Peterson]

Fascinating review - thanks so much for taking the time to write it. I know you take your food as seriously as we do (you and I have discussed it more than once!) and I’m sorry it didn’t live up to expectations - particularly the Epicurean, which used to be faultless.

 

The MDR used also to be reliable, even for lunches, so in the light of your comments I’m not surprised that it’s difficult to book alternatives. 
 

It’s a far cry from our cruises with P&O, even 12 years ago, when I’d have found it difficult to find a single fault. That was what hooked us on cruising, despite derision from some quarters, but I can’t say I’m much tempted to return now.

[wowzz]

20 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Nice to see you back.

We stayed overnight in a Heathrow airport hotel which helped a lot to catch up on our sleep after a lovely meal there.

I booked 2 nights so we could check in early morning after getting off our plane.

 

 

Extremely sensible - I expected nothing less from you !

And yes, thank you, pleased to be back.

[wowzz]

15 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

Thanks for your review Eglesbrech.  Very helpful - I am due on Arvia in September which I imagine will be similar.   Welcome back Wowzz - we missed you!  

Thank you

[Eglesbrech]

10 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Fascinating review - thanks so much for taking the time to write it. I know you take your food as seriously as we do (you and I have discussed it more than once!) and I’m sorry it didn’t live up to expectations - particularly the Epicurean, which used to be faultless.

 

The MDR used also to be reliable, even for lunches, so in the light of your comments I’m not surprised that it’s difficult to book alternatives. 
 

It’s a far cry from our cruises with P&O, even 12 years ago, when I’d have found it difficult to find a single fault. That was what hooked us on cruising, despite derision from some quarters, but I can’t say I’m much tempted to return now.

The Epicurean was still excellent Harry, just a few less bells and whistles. All of the pay for venues were very good, at a price. I suspect that’s now the model.

 

Iona seems to be aiming squarely at the younger market and this extends to food. There were usually 2 vegetarian and 1 vegan choice on the menus so it limited the other choices.

 

Caesar salad and tomato soup were on the menu every night plus the above so effectively just one or two at the most choices if you aren’t keen on veg. A strange fruit salad option for dessert was also on many nights. Someone next to me ordered it and it was the fresh fruit bowl they serve at breakfast with cream over it!

 

I’m definitely a foodie so yes I probably concentrate more on that element than others might.

[bobstheboy]

Having cruised to the Canaries on Iona last month, I agree with almost every comment, especially regarding food in the MDR. I have two more booked, Arvia to the Med in September and Iona in Jan 25 to the Caribbean, booked because we wanted to visit the Caribbean without flying. If the Arvia MDR is similar it will be goodbye to P&O.

[Selbourne]

A brilliant review - thank you. I tend to ignore reviews that are either 100% negative or 100% positive as both lack credibility IMHO. Nothing beats a balanced review - good and bad. 
 

I have read enough reviews from people whose opinions I value now to know that the MDR experience is now below standard. In the few years prior to Covid we felt that it had declined (celebration nights excepted) to a 3 star hotel experience, but it sounds as though it has headed further south. Frankly, I don’t give a damn whether the problems are staff shortages, supply issues or organisational problems. They are all issues that P&O can, and should, resolve urgently and none of them are excusable after this length of time. 
 

We are on Iona in August when the ship will be a lot fuller and, as a result, there is the potential for a lot more to go wrong than an out of season cruise at this time of year. I was thinking of using the speciality restaurants for all dinners other than celebration nights, but I’m now wondering if we need to give it a wide berth for everything other than breakfast. I can see it becoming a very expensive cruise!

[Scorpio41]

Very insightful review. Thank you for sharing. 

[Scorpio41]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I think the removal of drawers is a great idea. We always seem to have cabins next to someone who feels it necessary to open and shut every drawer at 7am !

I’ve cruised in the cabin next to that couple too. 😂

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

Nothing booked as we already had quite a few cruises booked for this year with various lines but we will be back! Next thing for me to look at now that I have found it, it’s high up my preference list.

 

We had a good holiday and there is lots that is good about Iona. Your tastes and preferences may be completely different to mine so I hope nothing I have said has put you off. 

 

I will book something on Iona at some point, but unlikely before 2025 now.   I jumped ship a couple of months back.  Being half the price was the deciding factor on a virtually identical like for like basis.

I've got both Britannia and Arcadia heading my way this summer to work with.

[Dermotsgirl]

Thank you for your in depth review, which was very interesting to read.

 

We were due to go on Iona next month, but cancelled a long time ago, and your review confirms some of the reasons that we cancelled are still happening now. 

 

It seems as if if its a bit more effort to  book dining venues these days, the app still seems a bit flakey on occasion, and the MDR menus still lack choices. especially with meat dishes. I like to eat vegetarian or vegan sometimes, but I'm essentially an omnivore, so I do like to eat meat and fish as well.

 

The quality of the food in the MDR seems to be very disappointing.  If we were still sailing, I think we'd eat often in the alternative dining locations.  If we had booked a low price fare, I could probably have 'swallowed' this - but in our case, we had booked very early on as this was a transfer of a cruise from the shut down period,  so  our fare would be full price.  I'd have been very disappointed to have paid that and have ended up with low quality food. 

 

For now, we continue to give P&O a wide berth. 

[smokey01]

3 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

MRD Lunch lack of choice, extremely poor quality, stodgy and twice very greasy. Every day there was a sharing plate which further limited the choice for anyone on their own

Once I wanted the sharing platter but my fellow diner didn’t and it was no problem having a half size portion of it suitable for one person.

[Windsurfboy]

Good review, message seems to be , be prepared to pay for dining, and do it asap

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Thank you for your in depth review, which was very interesting to read.

 

We were due to go on Iona next month, but cancelled a long time ago, and your review confirms some of the reasons that we cancelled are still happening now. 

 

It seems as if if its a bit more effort to  book dining venues these days, the app still seems a bit flakey on occasion, and the MDR menus still lack choices. especially with meat dishes. I like to eat vegetarian or vegan sometimes, but I'm essentially an omnivore, so I do like to eat meat and fish as well.

 

The quality of the food in the MDR seems to be very disappointing.  If we were still sailing, I think we'd eat often in the alternative dining locations.  If we had booked a low price fare, I could probably have 'swallowed' this - but in our case, we had booked very early on as this was a transfer of a cruise from the shut down period,  so  our fare would be full price.  I'd have been very disappointed to have paid that and have ended up with low quality food. 

 

For now, we continue to give P&O a wide berth. 

That’s part of my frustration. I don’t mind a 3 star experience if we have paid 3 star prices but, like you, we booked at launch and our Iona cruise is certainly not a cheap cruise, admittedly not helped by the fact that it’s in August. We need an accessible cabin so cannot afford to hang on until the last minute.
 

Ironically, we tried to book the cruise that Eglesbrech has just returned from, having read on this forum how cheap it was, but all accessible cabins were sold out. Our expectations would have been low, but so would the price.
 

We have two more P&O cruises booked, but aren’t prepared to book any more until we have experienced the post Covid P&O for ourselves. My sense is that we will probably still use P&O if the price matches the experience, but if we are going to spend decent chunks of cash on a cruise it’s going to be with other operators.