Cloudyrain

I have always found lowest capacity in the Med to be be last week in September to the first in October: we have been lucky with weather then too. If you go towards mid-October you often get some extra families who take advantage of earlier half term breaks, or add a week on before half term so it can be busier. For the Canaries November (and some good deals too) but that’s also the time I have had the worst weather/seas, and the most missed ports!

I don’t think we got in to double figures 😂

It’s a great place for children in our experience: no need to battle suncream/hats for a start 😂 Plus there are some really good options at ports for self-organised trips, and for us the good paths/pavements are helpful, and not having to deal with shuttle buses or tenders is a massive bonus. We love the Fjords so much for our son that we have taken him twice in the same year because there was loads we didn’t get to do the first time.

There were major issues the other week but it was nothing to do with CPS, it was just the whole of Southampton being gridlocked, people struggling to get out and therefore people struggling to get in. On a full capacity Iona cruise at peak times it was 15 minutes for us: this included the time it took to get all our items out of the car, and get our sons wheelchair set up, and then giving the keys over and doing the photos pod the car etc.

We don’t do any queuing (we have a disabled child). For dining we use the restaurants, or occasionally the buffet/self-serve if they are quiet. We use the app queuing system, or speak to the Restaurant Manager and ‘book’ an MDR table at a specific time each day (they will accommodate this, even in freedom dining if you ask and have need). We haven’t ever queued for entertainment: we either get there a little earlier (e.g. cinema) or just as a show is starting and there are always available seats in our experience. Lifts are our main problem: but that’s usually due to overly entitled adults who seem to disregard disabled children and seem to happily push past him and feel that their age increases their entitlement to use the lifts. But this is a problem everywhere unfortunately, not just on cruises. I just have to bite my tongue and patiently wait and remind myself that the majority of people are actually nice and won’t barge in to us or ignore us. We do try and avoid moving about at busy times, and the change to Muster has massively helped in that respect.

I think compared to 4* hotels in Europe that P&O are more like a 5* when considering the food and entertainment options. We recently did a 4* Lanzarote that was very highly rated but the evening entertainment was the choice of two venues, most meals were buffet service, and the hours of available food were very limited in comparison. Also catering for additional needs and food/medical requirements was massively lacking. There may be better cruise options (MSC Yacht Club for example) but for the price I think P&O exceed the quality and service of 4* hotel options (in Western Med Europe, I can’t comment on other areas).

It is a select price. We don’t really drink much, so AI is not really an issue. Plus we have a selection of entertainment and childcare facilities. The drive including the petrol and parking is about £100, which admittedly is double the cost of a taxi to and from the airport, but we would also spend on food for 3 in the airport and on the plane and have to contend with a flight at often awkward times and deal with airports/airplanes (yuck). plus our price is for 3, not 2; and AI in a 4* hotel is no way comparable to the options on a cruise.

Lanzarote, 4* Full Board hotel: £2000 7 nights Iona in a balcony on the Fjords: £1700 (plus £240 OBC, so effectively £1460). No comparison. Although I’m one of the rare bread who cruised P&O 10 years ago and vowed never to return, and actually one trip just pre-Covid, and a couple post-Covid, they have won me around to the point that we will have done 4 in just over 12 months because of how much better they are now than then. For us everything has improved about P&O over that time. I’m not a cheerleader, I still think the buffet is the worst at sea and the hot tubs should be renamed cold-tubs, but it makes up such a small part of the overall holiday that it doesn’t really matter.

I knew I liked you ICF: You Reds!!! What a great way to celebrate too 😊

This is great to hear - thank you for sharing 😊

Totally agree. 2018 we went on a Marella cruise and I came home with the most awful cough that lasted months and I ended up on an inhaler. Most of the ship was coughing through the week. Ah the pre-Covid joys when you could cough in peace (or not!)

The toddler splash area is pretty quiet and covered so we changed our son there when we were using it: it’s not overlooked and we were usually the only one using it. In other locations there are baby change areas (disabled toilets it I recall). For nappies we just took our own bags and they went in the bin for us, or the bin in the toilet it we were out. We never had any special red bags in 3 P&O cruises with our baby.

We did the Iona in kids holidays and really formal night was more 50/50 - it wasn’t particularly awash with tuxedos and gowns, and plenty of people didn’t dress up. My husband wore a polo T-shirt and dark jeans and dark “fashion” trainers and no one gave him any looks for not dressing up . The Britannia in school holidays was more formal, more 75%, and seemed to be a lot more “traditional P&O cruising”.

They are being removed. From the fleet. They were there, and soon they won’t be there. unless everyone complains and stops cruising, in which case P&O may retract their plans.

This thread feels like the tray-version of the Monty Python dead parrot sketch 😂

Yes, they were on the Iona and Ventura last time we went, but they are slowly removing them from the fleet. They were there, but the plan is that they won’t be in future.

Not for much longer, the tray monster is heading the Arvia’s way soon - unless a hoard of tray-wielding Iona passengers destroy it first 😉 In all seriousness it’s going to be a buffet-disaster zone in the Summer holidays when there are hundreds of parents trying to get food and drink for their children in one trip. There will be water, beans and hot coffee obstacle courses in the morning 😬 If anyone sees me and my son trying to navigate it all I recommend you avoid us: we are clumsy enough even with a tray, never mind child, bag, plate, cup and mug juggling… 😂

I think “sitting in the cabin being bored” is a tad extreme because there wasn’t a headliners show you can go and see: but each to their own. A smaller ship, maybe adult only, would maybe be better if you want a more intimate/older style. I cannot imagine why you would pick the Arvia if that’s what you want. Plus the newer “family” ships have lots of facilities to target even young-oldies: just because someone is over 50 doesn’t mean they don’t want to listen to modern music. Having said that I’ve heard oldies complain that music from the 80s was “modern rubbish” on a previous P&O cruise - so I suppose perspective and personal taste comes in to it a lot 😂

P&O are phasing out trays: they are advising customers who need to use trays to ask for assistance in the buffet and staff will carry things. As it was explained to us they don’t have trays available to borrow, just staff to carry things. It’s to reduce food waste apparently.

Stavanger: loads of museums. The Petrol museum is close by and well worth a visit (more interesting than it sounds), plus the Viking VR, canning and maritime museum are close too. Also it’s relatively flat. There is also a HOHO bus. Alesund: the HOHO bus takes you to the top look out and the aquarium. Olden: the self-arranged trip on the sky lift is possible with the bus being outside the ship and is ok for mobility issues. There is also a little land train.

You need to call them and they will do it over the phone: it’s because the website doesn’t (currently) let you check in with less than 6 months validity regardless of destination requirements that are on their website. If you call them though they can do it for you very easily and it will save you any headache at the port!

1. Use one device or buy a multi-device package for one person and then log the multiple devices under one persons name, rather than buying several single Wi-Fi packages. 2. Take your drinks in with you. 3. There is unlimited food, 4/5/6 courses if you want to add extra courses in. People don’t starve on a cruise. 4. No problems with the app/website. 5. Muster is great! No crush on the stairs or lifts, no standing around for half an hour squashed in a small area with a bunch of strangers. It’s so much better than the old style drills. 6. Pre-cruise stuff was no worse than any other pre-cruise prep with any other line. It’s sometimes great, sometimes a faff, but really it’s not that much of a problem. 7. Lots of lines charge extra for shows: every line I have been on has had upgraded options. The reviews of the upgrade shows are very good. We never bother as the included entertainment is adequate for our needs. 8. The theatre is a 40 minutes show isn’t it? Thankfully we can manage 40 minutes without a drink.

Penninsular club level also affects things: we had 1.30 for a balcony and an inside (separate bookings) and our neighbour had 3.30 for a balcony. We are level 1 loyalty, and they didn’t have any loyalty.

We were on the Iona the other week with different boarding times as a group, but they allowed us all to board at the same (earlier) time: there was never any suggestion of those who were early waiting. I also didn’t see any passengers get their times checked, or see them send anyone off to a naughty corner to wait who had arrived early. However this was around 2pm so I think they just wanted everyone on and out of the way by that point 😂 I would recommend anyone with standing issues on the Iona book assistance so they can have a chair while they wait to get off as the queues to leave can be long!

I don’t think that P&O is stricter, and I think much of it depends on who is on the door on the day. We went on a Marella the other year and my Dad was refused entry twice on the same night for his attire not meeting standards: he was furious and barely spoke all night, we were trying not to laugh. Then we went on P&O and he purposely wore a full suit, shirt and tie and on the table next to us sat a couple both wearing hoodies, trainers and jeans. After that he stuck to the buffet 😂😂