Iona - A wonderful ship !
Iona Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 6
Helpful Votes: 117
Review summary
Summary- Don’t let the fact it’s a big ship put you off. It’s so much easier to get around than you think. You get a pocket map in your cabin and the lifts have instructions on as well. The ship booking app is so easy to use. Just use the QR code on the leaflet in your cabin and follow the instructions. We managed to book everything we wanted to during the cruise.Embarkation
Necessary covid tests at the port coupled with Southampton City Centre traffic left us waiting around for a good 3 hours before boarding Iona. Not the staffs fault but frustrating after a 3 hour drive down to Southampton ! I’m sure that on normal occasions it runs a lot smoother!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Food on Iona was of a good standard and we always found something to eat. Horizon Buffet was incredibly clean and easy to navigate. We always managed to find a table and loved the little booths for two ! Lots of different tables for all kind of groups. Staff worked incredibly hard to clear tables so that no one was waiting.
Special shout out to the Quays on Deck 8
Excellent Thai Green curry and the fish and chips were top notch !
Ripples were great too ! Lemon sorbet to die for:-) Olive Grove was our favourite, well worth any extra cost, (nominal at best) as the food was delicious. Baklava dessert was yummy :-)
Olive Grove wax our fav
Onboard Activities
We didn’t visit any
Entertainment
Didn’t visit any
Children's Programs
Not applicable
Service and Staff
Staff were amazing, nothing was too much trouble. They work incredibly hard and always with a smile :-)
Our room attendant Samir was brilliant, ( deck 15 ) cabin always clean and tidy but never intrusive ! Always cheerful !
Ship Quality
Iona was the biggest ship we have ever been on and we wondered if we would like it tbh. We so did !!! It’s a beautiful ship, design is modern and inoffensive, the layout is clear ( info via pocket map helps) and it was so much easier to get around than we thought it would be. Loved walking on the promenade and plenty of places to sit and take in the views. We also had no problem ever getting a lift (We were on deck 15) no long waits either ! Everywhere was absolutely spotless.
Cabin / Stateroom
Cabin one of the smallest we have ever had but perfectly serviceable. Samir looked after us really well and our cabin was spotless and we never lacked for anything ! Thank you Samir, you’re a credit to P&O !
Ship tip
Balcony cabin is a must ! The views make the cruise !
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
The covid testing wait times, the queues and the Southampton city traffic makes it a frustrating start but can’t be helped at times !
We did the oil museum trip and had a great guide. Had a walk around Gamle and the tourist office is very helpful. You can also post your postcards from here.
Visited the Aquarium and it was a good choice ! The outside areas were stunning with views to die for. The sea lions, seals and otters were also in this area. For families there were lots of interactive things for the children.
Disembarkation
We took self disembarkation and it was seamless. Would always choose to do this from now on.