Hi all, your responses are excellent food for thought and I really appreciate the insight, knowledge and thoughts. It's been so helpful!
We have spent about 3 solid days discussing it now and have also entered Britannia into the mix. Britannia and Iona mean compromising on itinerary slightly and repeating where we have been before but we loved those places previously, so we would still look forward to revisiting. The best thing we did on any holiday was hire a Twizy car out of Flam and drive up the mountain to the most exceptional view. It was 2 hours of pure laughter, views and entertainment, so to do that again would be worth it.
Britannia may be a nice ship between the 2, though the layout and service of late gets some negativity but nothing will ever be as it was pre-covid, I know that.
I'll be 40 next year, so in terms of age demographic we don't have huge expectations but we don't like things too rowdy but not too sedate either. We aren't big boozers, so crows nest bars with a good gin and a view will always be a happy spot for us. We do really enjoy the service in the main restaurants we've had previously and the little bits of banter with the amazing staff can make a cruise happier. I know standards have appeared to slip with the staffing issues but we are thinking of Sept 23, so hopefully that gives some time to bounce back a little.
I grew up cruising Canberra, Oriana and the likes with my Nana, so I am perhaps more used to a slower pace and that's why I feel a little intimidated that Iona may be too far the other way. The videos make me think of Vegas perhaps, and we love Vegas but not for the noise and booze - we have 2 days there for shows and then we hit the national parks, so we are more about scenery, good company and nothing too flashy. Of course, the more videos and feedback you review, the more you pick up on the negatives, rather than the positives, so I am trying to be impartial to our decision making. It should come down to itinerary but I just fear that we won't get enough from Arcadia as the evening entertainment is a little more limited, though we are more likely to find a quiet bar and watch the changing scenery with the light evenings.
Thanks @Selbourne for the detailed insight too and to @kruzseeka for the advice on Leknes, that was really helpful.
You're a very helpful bunch and it is greatly appreciated 🙂
Thank you