We are just off Iona yesterday and had a conservatory suite on deck 9. Before the cruise we too were watching all of the you tube videos etc however be aware that some of that information is already a bit out of date and we found our expectations were not matched by what we had seen reported elsewhere! We chose a cabin towards the aft and just between the Olive Grove and Clubhouse on deck 8 below.
On boarding day we had an 11:45 priority boarding time and arrived at the terminal around 11:15, we were onboard by about 12:15 after a bit of a wait in the terminal whilst they got security screening ready. Although we were not given any written confirmation we were advised on boarding that there was a welcome lunch in the main dining room Coral (conservatory cabins are classed as suites for that purpose) and so immediately followed the directions to go there. We checked in with the host and were seated by a window which was great as we could then place all of our carry on luggage out of the way. It's a buffet style lunch (limited selection but ok and lines did form as more people arrived) and you get a welcome glass of fizz and also red and white wine with top up's. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours waiting for the cabins to be ready, although was a little bit merry after all that wine 🙂
When we got to the cabin there was a bottle of champagne in the fridge (not in a bucket of ice) and a box of chocolates - and that was it! The white company toiletries gift box thing seem to have been replaced by fixed dispensers of the shower gel, shampoo and handwash in the bathroom. There were also bathrobes and slippers in the cabin which were nice and we used a lot.
There is a coffee machine that uses Lor coffee pods which is nice if you like some decent coffee and the pods were replaced daily, there was also a good selection of teas, sugar, milks and other instant coffee along with some biscuits (I quite liked the coconut ones!) again replenished daily. There is a card for detailing your fruit preferences and a bowl of fruit was delivered about day 2 or 3 although was never replenished once used. You also get canapes on the formal nights delivered to your cabin. We also didn't have a plant or flower in the room although other cabins we saw on deck 8 did so not sure if it was just us! There was an atlas but no binoculars so again not sure if was just us or perhaps other guests have pinched them!
Although we found the actual cabin itself to be compact the conservatory was lovely to sit in and the doors to the balcony can be opened fully to the full width of the balcony which was lovely on a sunny day. Very light and airy feel. The balconies in the cabins above all look down directly onto your balcony but we were not bothered by that. On sunny days when the sun is shining on the side where your balcony is then the promenade deck 8 does get very busy with people on the sun loungers and chairs. Although when sitting in the conservatory you can't see them and them you, when sitting on the balcony then you can see - however again this didn't affect us really. Some quests are noisier than others so it depends on who is outside. There was a lot of furniture scrapping on balconies on sunny days as people move things about!
The soundproofing was good as we were not affected by the sound from the Clubhouse late at night which you could hear in the corridor but not in your cabin.
Overall the cabin was great and the conservatory bit something really a bit special - we loved sitting in there having drinks before going out in the evening. If you go with an open mind I'm sure you will enjoy the cabin.
