Selbourne

It’s amazing how often P&O captains change. Every time I see a list of current captains there are always ones that I don’t recognise. Our favourite Captain was Chris Wells, who moved to Cunard and finally became Commodore prior to retiring. Always informative announcements, did Q&A sessions with passengers, was very engaging when you saw him around the ship and always did an entertaining ‘ships horn competition’ when we passed any other cruise ships in ports! I know that the Captains prime role is master of the vessel and all that entails, but as they aren’t required on the bridge 24/7 and are the most senior Carnival representative on board, it’s important that they add to the cruise experience as well IMHO. Talking of Cunard captains, I can’t remember the name of the chap we had on QM2 recently (an Asian gentleman from Leicester) but he ended every announcement with the one word sign off “Captain”.

That sounds like a very high risk strategy to me!

As you say, on Arvia the reserved tables are all very early times only, so would all be in use when you were in there. I may have misunderstood, but I thought that some were implying that on Iona tables could be reserved at later times, which would inevitably cause tables having to be kept for them. However, it does appear that Iona is not experiencing the levels of problems that Arvia has had on occasions, no doubt helped by having the two additional MDRs. Hopefully that’s the case on celebration night as well. Our two live bloggers both used speciality restaurants that evening, whereas we intend to use the MDR that evening (the Chefs Table doesn’t appeal).

I wish you well but can unfortunately predict the outcome. After a prolonged period of silence you will be told that it’s down to ‘Operational reasons’. If you push back and say that’s not an acceptable response you might get a small token gesture, such as a small amount of OBC or a gift on board. If you push back yet again you might get a small financial sum in return for signing a non-disclosure agreement. This has been P&Os form for years. You will never get an honest answer as to the reason. It’s not their style.

This is what I struggle with. Whilst I can quite understand why people will endeavour to get a set table at a fixed time each evening, it flies in the face of Freedom Dining and helps to explain why the new system doesn’t work as well as when Freedom Dining was just that - first come, first served. These ‘reserved’ tables are having to sit empty for periods prior to the selected time (which reduces capacity and slows throughput) and, of course, some folk won’t always communicate that they have opted to dine elsewhere. Thankfully, it sounds as though Iona isn’t as problematic as Arvia, but one of the two smaller MDRs could be converted to fixed dining, first and second sitting, which may then allow the Freedom Dining MDRs to operate as they should.

I am loving this blog TigerB. As well as being hugely informative, your sense of humour is very much aligned with mine. Ah, I’ve thought of a couple of things. Any plastic ducks scattered around or upside down pineapples on cabin doors? 😜🤣

Dividends? Now that’s a thought. Dividends didn’t even cross my mind when I bought the shares. Once I’d recouped the investment via OBC I effectively wrote them off in my mind, but some dividends in the future would be an unexpected bonus 😂

😂 It had crossed my mind 😂

We always avoid the MDR on the first night though, so may miss our opportunity. I’m hoping that we know the restaurant manager from a previous cruise though. We’ve always tipped the most accommodating ones and they tend to remember us 😉

Good info. Thanks. We want a table for 6 on our own but, as you know, you need extra space for the wheelchair so a table of 8 just for the 6 of us would be perfect.

Having bought at £7 and got our entire investment back within weeks with OBC for our future P&O and Cunard cruises, I have effectively written off the investment so don’t follow the share price. However, rather than the prospect of any appreciation in value, I’m keener to see the future of the company being secure, which means reducing the debt burden and not having to keep slashing prices to fill the capacity (although, of course, we benefit in the short term from the latter 😂).

We are deck 10, on the curved hump! Great to hear that you haven’t had any problems with waits for wheelchair users. We will be looking for a table for 6, suitable for a wheelchair user, at around 8pm on the formal night. Hoping that the early diners will be starting to vacate by that time!

Glad you got it all sorted. I usually find the maintenance staff to be excellent. We have often had maintenance issues with cabins and they are usually resolved very quickly. I can never understand why passengers put up with issues when the crew are so willing to fix them.

We had tried a couple of times to get on this cruise at the start of the year (as we liked the unusual itinerary), but as we need an accessible balcony cabin they were unsurprisingly sold out. I noticed after the balance due date that prices had dropped, so when calling our TA about a Cunard booking I mentioned this in passing and said that whilst I knew what the answer would be, could they just have a quick look for me? Much to my surprise, there was a choice of two accessible balcony cabins and one of them would have been one of our top choices, so we booked it on a Select basis as we wanted to secure that cabin. Also, the additional OBC and free parking made the price premium over a Saver virtually nothing. Others have reported a similar experience with other cruises, where prices have dropped after balance due date (when it’s too late for those already on the cruise to cancel and re-book at the lower price) so the window of opportunity may be the period between balance due date and when all the Saver cabins are allocated, which seems to be a month out.

Thanks for all the photos. Your cabin looks great and appears to be very spacious. Like you, we were booked in one of those accessible balcony cabins for the original 2020 Maiden cruise that never happened. For our August cruise we are actually in an accessible deluxe balcony cabin, which is slightly bigger and also has a sofa. DaiB has stayed in it and reckons it’s almost as big as many suites he’s used. I can’t remember if you use the MDRs at all but, if you do, I shall be really interested to know how long it takes you to get a table, particularly on the formal night when demand is at its highest. I believe that there is an option to tick on the ‘app’ if you are a wheelchair user, so wait times may be entirely different to those who don’t tick this box. I think I might decline your offer of some pole dancing photos, but feedback on the meals, including MDR, would be much appreciated 😉

We didn’t go to the sail-away on QM2, but did you see the firework display that the Port of Liverpool put on for us as we departed? Luckily our balcony was on the right side to watch it. The Liverpool themed music that they played prior to the display was also very enjoyable.

So pleased to hear that you enjoyed Epicurean. Prior to Covid, Epicurean on Britannia was our favourite restaurant at sea. I had read one or two reviews saying that it wasn’t as good now, but the last two or three people to feedback (including yourself) have been extremely positive, so my faith is restored and we are very much looking forward to it in August! Did you make the reservation in the 2 week booking window before the cruise or whilst on board? Interesting that you walked straight in to an MDR, presumably without joining a virtual queue? We were thinking of just using the MDR on the formal night (for the better menu), but we know that demand will be much higher that night. If you don’t experience long delays during the rest of the cruise we might consider a second night in the MDR. I will be interested to hear how you find the meals in the MDR. There have been a number of reviews recently saying that MDR meals aren’t great, but I don’t think any of those reviews were from Iona.

We have had two summer fjord cruises where it’s been at least 25 degrees (hotter than at home) and we were sweltering even in shorts! As others have said, it’s cooler in the evenings. Temperatures inside the ship tend to be the same wherever you are, but some find the air con to be a bit chilly.

Yes, I should think it’s that, plus maybe the fact that cabins have been blocked out for the new chargeable upgrade scheme?

The answer depends on whether or not you have paid the full balance or not. For a non-fly cruise, the policy is that after the balance has been paid no refund is due. If the cancellation is before the balance due date there is a cancellation fee (which may equate to the deposit for the cancelled passenger) and the price for the other cabin occupants is adjusted to reflect the price that would have applied at the time the original booking was made. There are no refunds or credit in lieu I’m afraid. It may be more complicated for a fly cruise depending on the status of the flight tickets,but hopefully someone else can advise on that. Either way, your travel agent (or P&O if booked direct) can give you the precise answer and cost implications, but do ask about any cancellation fee, as our TA failed to mention this when we had to remove a passenger from a booking.

I shall look forward to following your thread as we are on this cruise in August. I will be very interested to hear how you find the main dining rooms, especially on the formal night (Day 2?). Are you seeking a table for 2 and, if so, how long is it taking from joining the virtual queue? Reports seem to vary wildly. Those who like to dine very early seem to have no issues, but those who prefer to dine later (as we do - usually around 8/8.30pm) can encounter problems. Have a great cruise. Your balcony looks lovely!

Would that be the germs from the food debris and bodily fluids kindly showered over you by nearby guests waving the napkins that they have used to catch their food spills and blow their noses with? 🤢😂

Did you use assisted embarkation and, if so, was it ok? No mention of queues which sounds encouraging. Have a great time. Looking forward to your updates.

That’s the same issue we have. I hope that we get to Geiranger one day, but it won’t be on a P&O cruise. A very similar thing happened to us on a previous P&O fjords cruise. They don’t have good form on this and seem to have a scant disregard for the reasons why passengers book specific cruises. The ship is not the destination for us.

This is the BS from P&O about this. No apology or acknowledgment that people might be disappointed about this but, of course, a sales pitch on paying extra for excursions to where we were supposed to be going anyway! We hope that you are looking forward to your Norwegian fjords holiday on board Iona.As Iona transits the UNESCO Geirangerfjord world heritage area on your way to Hellesylt, you’ll be treated to some of the most breath-taking views. Sunnylvsfjorden will wow you as you wind your way along its 16 miles of craggy cliffs, tall waterfalls and glassy waters before reaching Hellesylt. Whilst we are no longer sailing past the Seven Sisters waterfall you will be able to visit this spectacular sight from Hellesylt on one of our shore experiences. There is also the opportunity to see the breath taking Hellesyltfossen waterfall, which literally splits the village in two. Visit My P&O Cruises to see everything on offer in Hellesylt. Places are limited, so book now, to snap up your favourite. As we depart from Hellesylt, you’ll be treated again to sweeping waterscapes, soaring, snow-dusted peaks and forested slopes that plunge down to the water's edge as you sail though the Storfjorden. We are looking forward to welcoming you on board Iona. Kind regards,P&O Cruises