Iona Thoughts

[davecttr]

2 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I like the look of the atrium area with the large glass windows. On some new ships, it’s sometimes difficult to know that you are actually at sea, so I like the idea of the big sea views from the atrium.

 

I also like that some of the cafes/bars have outside seating areas on the prom deck. But, as others have pointed out, this makes the prom deck very cluttered. I wouldn’t have one of those balcony cabins on the prom deck, at any price. My balcony is my private outside space and it wouldn’t be private with people walking past all the time 

Remember Britannia's 'shelves'? No real promenade deck and the excuse I heard is they are no longer practical because of safety regulations. The real reason of course is far as the company accountants were concerned they were just wasted space, no revenue!. Then MSC showed the fix, a promenade deck that was also a revenue space, problem solved. Iona's promenade deck is a revenue space.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I think that it will be a challenge to push a wheelchair around it, that’s for sure!

Assuming the gaps are similar to those on the upper decks of the bigger ships, they should be navigable with a wheelchair, at least I hope so.

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Assuming the gaps are similar to those on the upper decks of the bigger ships, they should be navigable with a wheelchair, at least I hope so.

Im sure that they will be John, but my concern is the number of deck chairs in narrow stretches and the fact that the promenade deck is being used for many other things (dining etc) as well, so I suspect that it will be like a very long chicane rather than the clear run that we have become accustomed to on the other ships. At least it’s a step up on Britannia which doesn’t have one at all. 

[BouncingWheel]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I like the look of the atrium area with the large glass windows. On some new ships, it’s sometimes difficult to know that you are actually at sea, so I like the idea of the big sea views from the atrium.

 

I also like that some of the cafes/bars have outside seating areas on the prom deck. But, as others have pointed out, this makes the prom deck very cluttered. I wouldn’t have one of those balcony cabins on the prom deck, at any price. My balcony is my private outside space and it wouldn’t be private with people walking past all the time 

I can't make up my mind if I like the the atrium area based on the videos I have seen. I love the idea of light and airy and seeing the sea but at the same time I keep thinking "Airport Terminal". I think my hatred of airports after too many trips is my personal downfall.

[Dermotsgirl]

49 minutes ago, BouncingWheel said:

I can't make up my mind if I like the the atrium area based on the videos I have seen. I love the idea of light and airy and seeing the sea but at the same time I keep thinking "Airport Terminal". I think my hatred of airports after too many trips is my personal downfall.

I don't like flying at all, so rarely do it these days, and that was pre-pandemic.

 

Thinking about it, the Iona atrium does remind me a bit of Budapest airport - very light and airy, but an airport nevertheless!  I'll just have to wait until I get onboard Iona, which is unlikely to be until 2023 at the very earliest. 

[jeanlyon]

21 hours ago, SarahHben said:

This YouTube video shows a walk around the promenade deck and towards the end it shows people having a chat with people passing their balcony cabin.

 

That looks like the same thing they did on a Fred ship.  People were standing on their "balconies" with nothing on the top half, so they looked nude!  Awful. You wouldn't want a balcony like that with people outside chatting away in their chairs?

[SarahHben]

33 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

That looks like the same thing they did on a Fred ship.  People were standing on their "balconies" with nothing on the top half, so they looked nude!  Awful. You wouldn't want a balcony like that with people outside chatting away in their chairs?

I definitely wouldn't want one of these cabins. People walking past is one issue but people sitting there, scraping their chairs, talking etc would bother me if I was I trying to sleep or read, well to be fair it would probably bother me whatever I was doing!

[Camberley]

6 hours ago, Glitterati said:

 

Britannia’s atrium felt like a shopping centre to me, I hope they haven’t made the same mistake with Iona! 

 

 

Ah……there’s nothing quite like a lukewarm Costa and an indifferent pastry sat by the colour-changing fountain thing, watching people fumble with “the app” and hearing pleas from the above shops of “but Barbara, do you not think you can get this cheaper off Amazon when we get home?” 

 

We’re on Iona this Christmas and looking forward to being away, but I also have a mix of feelings about her: mostly positive but a few less so. But it will be great to see for ourselves of course. But then maybe I should stop hunting down passenger videos of the ship!  And surely I can’t be the only one addicted to watching passenger videos. Especially after just booking a cruise or in the run-up to a cruise: “Oh look Simon, THERE’S our balcony!”

 

Okay, less keen on those videos ruined by loud music that wouldn’t be out of place in a Benny Hill sketch (I know, “mute” is an option, but I’ve normally switched to another video) but the ones who take and publish a decent video and let the visuals speak for themselves, with the occasional bit of informative dialogue: rather than an item by item account of what she and Colin ate for breakfast in the MDR each morning! I look forward to seeing more videos in the coming months.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Camberley

[LondonLad60]

7 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

They do have a image problem in that respect. It depends what you want from a cruise. I am compiling a list of comparisions with P&O, although I only sail on Aurora or Arcadia now as I currently have a heart problem and could not manage the sheer amount of walking required on the bigger ships. They are more akin to the P&O of old. 

Sharon,

 

On the Saga cruise forum, under the thread First Saga cruise I've  posted a review of a Saga cruise my wife and I were on last year, and I make numerous comparisons between Saga and P&O. You may find it useful.

 

Bob

[Bin man]

Any ping pong tables or proper terms table tennis on Iona or is it banned under covid restrictions 

[Cathygh]

I've only just noticed there's  an actual jogging track on Deck 18. Not for me though.

 

[Presto2]

Sorry I am going to be totally dense and ask what the issue was with the dreaded app to book meals.

The only reason I'm confused is that in 2019 we sailed on Celebrity Edge and used an app there from our phones to book, cancel  restaurants etc and it was brilliant. We were able to make bookings in any of the 4 main dining rooms / speciality restaurants before our cruise and for the 4 main dining rooms (as the cost was included) you could cancel them and change them once aboard. It worked brilliantly and I remember one evening we hadn't planned to eat in the MDR but managed to get a table about 30 minutes before we had our meal, no problem.

 

Most things could be controlled from the app on your phone IF you wanted to - the lights in the cabin, the TV, it unlocks the door for you, we used it to do our on line booking. We booked  trip using it etc etc and very rarely saw people on their phones for the whole 11 nights. Fair enough this was in the days before the C word was ever heard of but it was amazingly efficient.

 

What was the issue with IONA when it came to booking the meals as the system we used seemed pretty fool proof (and that's saying something for Celebrity as their IT department is usually rubbish)

 

Is it not the same system or something different?

 

🙂

Edited August 17, 2021 by Presto2
Missed a word out so it didn't make sense :-)

[Selbourne]

18 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Sorry I am going to be totally dense and ask what the issue was with the dreaded app to book meals.

The only reason I'm confused is that in 2019 we sailed on Celebrity Edge and used an app there from our phones to book, cancel  restaurants etc and it was brilliant. We were able to make bookings in any of the 4 main dining rooms / speciality restaurants before our cruise and for the 4 main dining rooms (as the cost was included) you could cancel them and change them once aboard. It worked brilliantly and I remember one evening we hadn't planned to eat in the MDR but managed to get a table about 30 minutes before we had our meal, no problem.

 

Most things could be controlled from the app on your phone IF you wanted to - the lights in the cabin, the TV, it unlocks the door for you, we used it to do our on line booking. We booked  trip using it etc etc and very rarely saw people on their phones for the whole 11 nights. Fair enough this was in the days before the C word was ever heard of but it was amazingly efficient.

 

What was the issue with IONA when it came to booking the meals as the system we used seemed pretty fool proof (and that's saying something for Celebrity as their IT department is usually rubbish)

 

Is it not the same system or something different?

 

🙂

As I understand it from various posts and reviews;

 

1) It isn’t an app. It’s a web page.

2) It doesn’t work properly

3) You cannot book anything in advance of the cruise

4) Speciality restaurants sold out before the first day was over

5) P&O IT - enough said!

 

 

 

[shopaholic6]

1 hour ago, Bin man said:

Any ping pong tables or proper terms table tennis on Iona or is it banned under covid restrictions 

Yes there are 2 or 3 ping pong tables if I remember correctly! And people were using them 😀

[Presto2]

34 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

As I understand it from various posts and reviews;

 

1) It isn’t an app. It’s a web page.

2) It doesn’t work properly

3) You cannot book anything in advance of the cruise

4) Speciality restaurants sold out before the first day was over

5) P&O IT - enough said!

 

 

 

 

Ah hubby said it wasn't an app but with others calling it an app I go confused.

(To be honest I don't know the difference anyway, but will trust that there is one!)

 

Why couldn't anyone book before the cruise ? They've had enough time with no passengers to get it organised or am I being dense again?

 

Teething problems though I imagine, but if the technology for an app is available on new ships it is a shame that it has not been used. 

[Cathygh]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

 

Ah hubby said it wasn't an app but with others calling it an app I go confused.

(To be honest I don't know the difference anyway, but will trust that there is one!)

 

Why couldn't anyone book before the cruise ? They've had enough time with no passengers to get it organised or am I being dense again?

 

Teething problems though I imagine, but if the technology for an app is available on new ships it is a shame that it has not been used. 

Presumably the faciity to do that isn't ready yet. They need to get it working consistently, reliably and stress free with the few things it can do before adding more functions imho. I will see if it has improved next week when I am Iona, compared to how it was woking on Britannia a few weeks ago.

[daiB]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

As I understand it from various posts and reviews;

 

1) It isn’t an app. It’s a web page.

2) It doesn’t work properly

3) You cannot book anything in advance of the cruise

4) Speciality restaurants sold out before the first day was over

5) P&O IT - enough said!

 

 

 

My understanding is that the app/web site is just this side of useless. Not surprised at all that the speciality restaurants are fully booked as the cruises are so short. However apart from the IT and deck 8 cabins I not seeing many complaints. The main plus seems to be the standard of food.

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, daiB said:The main plus seems to be the standard of food.

That’s interesting because some of the comments that I’ve read on here said that the MDR food was disappointing. Also, one of the video reviews that I watched last night said that the food in the Beach House on Iona, whilst now free, was not as good as before. I hope that you are right though as, with a few small exceptions, we have always enjoyed the food on P&O, including the MDR’s. 

[Presto2]

1 hour ago, Cathygh said:

Presumably the faciity to do that isn't ready yet. They need to get it working consistently, reliably and stress free with the few things it can do before adding more functions imho. I will see if it has improved next week when I am Iona, compared to how it was woking on Britannia a few weeks ago.

 

I'm trying not to be negative but they have had long enough to sort it out and check it works ............. its not like the ship has sailed early. It should be the best system they have ever developed !

If it was an industry first then ok but when it is not and other cruise lines are already way ahead then they need to question those who 'developed' it

Edited August 17, 2021 by Presto2

[davecttr]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

That’s interesting because some of the comments that I’ve read on here said that the MDR food was disappointing. Also, one of the video reviews that I watched last night said that the food in the Beach House on Iona, whilst now free, was not as good as before. I hope that you are right though as, with a few small exceptions, we have always enjoyed the food on P&O, including the MDR’s. 

I think with restricted table space which also leads to lack of availability they will have less staff in the speciality restaurants and may well be providing a somewhat restricted menu.

[davecttr]

5 hours ago, Selbourne said:

As I understand it from various posts and reviews;

 

1) It isn’t an app. It’s a web page.

2) It doesn’t work properly

3) You cannot book anything in advance of the cruise

4) Speciality restaurants sold out before the first day was over

5) P&O IT - enough said!

 

 

 

1 - nothing wrong with this approach

2 - bad design, implementation and inadequate testing/ staff training

3 - see 1 above, some would say this is better otherwise everything would be booked before the cruise sailed, actually you can book entertainment via the P&O site

4 - probably reduced availability due to social distancing

5 - Good IT development staff are in short supply. If you pay peanuts you get........ 😲

 

Probably several months before the bugs are ironed out, if ever

 

Of course my opinions may change after next week

[Cathygh]

9 hours ago, davecttr said:

 

3 - see 1 above, some would say this is better otherwise everything would be booked before the cruise sailed, actually you can book entertainment via the P&O site

 

It's true you can book a couple of things-headliners etc but you can no longer book speciality restaurants, Limelight etc and this is causing a lot of disatisfaction and in my case stress and anxiety as I have special events to celebrate and as I won't get on board till about 5 I will have no chance of booking the restaurants I want on the days I want which was the whole reason for booking this particular cruise. Fisrt World Problems!

 

[Host Sharon]

On 8/17/2021 at 1:54 PM, jeanlyon said:

That looks like the same thing they did on a Fred ship.  People were standing on their "balconies" with nothing on the top half, so they looked nude!  Awful. You wouldn't want a balcony like that with people outside chatting away in their chairs?

Thanks for the link Jean. It only confirms my thoughts on what an awful prom deck. The only place I could happily sit is at the stern but I bet that would quickly get full. I also realised that all the accommodation with balconies is set back and that the prom deck is open to the sky. So even the option of sitting on a balcony looking down at the sea is impossible because you look down at the deck - can't even watch the pilot embark. Dreadful design and definitely not for me.

[indiana123]

8 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

Dreadful design and definitely not for me.

 

 

I admit to not being as excited as I usually am when a cruise is looming.  I'm usually over the top excited.

 

Our attitude on this one is "Ok.. lets just make the most of it... lets just make the most of just getting away again.  It may turn out just fine"

[zap99]

43 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

Thanks for the link Jean. It only conifrms my thoughts on what an awful prom deck. The only place I could happily sit is at the stern but I bet that would quickly get full. I also realised that all the accommodation with balconies is set back and that the prom deck is open to the sky. So even the option of sitting on a balcony looking down at the sea is impossible because you look down at the deck - can't even watch the pilot embark. Dreadful design and definitely not for me.

When you look over the side of the balcony on many ships, your view of the pilot boat is obscured by the life boats. Many of the latest large ships are similar. Once I come off her in 3 weeks I can make a judgement. I won't prejudge.