Excellent first cruise experience
Iona Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 35
Review summary
Oh my gosh! It’s taken me 122 days to get round to posting this review! This was our first cruise and although the seas were a bit rough for a couple of days (and our cruise was extended by a day because it wouldn’t have been safe to return to Southampton), we loved every single minute of it. The Iona is a gorgeous ship and as it was a 2 week cruise we had plenty of time to explore. The captain was quintessentially British and we loved listening to his announcements every day as he explained how we would leave the port by “turning on a sixpence” or “pirouetting gracefully”. Amazing cruise, I’m addicted, I need to go on another one!!Embarkation
Embarkation was busy but seemed very organised. Covid test results were texted through to mobiles very quickly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Food on the Iona was excellent. We ate at the Coral Restaurant (one of the main dining rooms), the Keel & Cow, the Horizon buffet, Taste 360 and the Quays, which did both awesome breakfasts and evening meals.
Onboard Activities
The pools never seemed overcrowded and even finding an empty hot tub was pretty easy (although this cruise was not running at full capacity). We particularly enjoyed the silent disco that took place outside at the Infinity Bar.
Entertainment
There were some great acts and shows on during this cruise, especially the busker in Brodies and the Eric Clapton tribute.
The Headliners were good but their Tribute to Musicals show really stood out. The lighting and sets were amazing throughout!
Service and Staff
Staff were really friendly and helpful (except for one waiter in the Crow’s Nest). Our room steward, Rose, was amazing and made our first cruise experience great!
Ship Quality
Everything was spotless and common areas were constantly being cleaned and sanitised. The layout was good and the colour coded artwork on the stairs was a great idea and made navigating the ship really easy.
Cabin / Stateroom
This balcony cabin was a great size with ample room for 2. The bed was comfy and the bedding was good quality. We had plenty of wardrobe/storage space. The bathroom was a good size and the shower had a door rather than a curtain which was great.
Ports of call
My least favourite port out of all the places we visited (but only because the streets all looked the same to me and I got completely lost!) There seemed to be a lot of cultural sites and tourist attractions, but we didn’t book anything and just wandered around till we found the ship again!
Thumbs Up
1
The noise as the ship passed under the bridge on the way into Lisbon woke me up, but the view was well worth it :) The Iona stayed in port overnight here. We didn’t book an excursion, but we went on a bus tour around the city on the first day and rented a scooter on the second. Gorgeous city…(which I didn’t take any pictures of :( …must go back!!)
Went on the ship excursion to the Siam Waterpark. The sun didn’t really come out till we were waiting for the transport back to the ship, unfortunately. There was a bit of a mixup with the entrance tickets which the cruise line rectified later on with a partial refund :) The park itself was a decent size with a lazy river, lots of slides, pools and loungers. There was plenty of space and minimal queuing this time of year.
Nice waterfront area with lots of places to sit, have a drink or something to eat. We didn’t book an excursion but just jumped on one of the bus tours, which was very informative (although admittedly I did fall asleep for some of it! But that’s just me and buses! :D
Didn’t book an excursion but made our own way to the beach which was quite busy as it was warm and sunny. Spotted an amazing sandcastle as we headed back to the ship.
Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
It was hot and sunny on this day and it made all the difference. We didn’t book an excursion but just walked past the marina along the waterfront to the beach, which was almost completely empty!
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was very, very busy but the whole process seemed very organised and we found our luggage fairly easily.
Traveler Photos
