On Iona now 28th Sept

[DamianG]

6 hours ago, Technoman2 said:

Queued outside 710 club at 7.10pm doors open at 7.30 for show that starts at 8pm.....

 

So that's why it's called the "710 Club" - queue any later and you won't get in! 🙂

[picsa]

The other cost cutting measure seems to be the laundries - they seem to be fewer and the one near my cabin has two washing machines,  two driers and one iron. Can see ‘discussions’ ensuing.
 

On the plus side the machine does tell you how long it has to run before finishing. 
 

On the negative side the machine says it is on ‘free vend’ so no charge, but presumably they could change that at some point in the future…

[Technoman2]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

So that's why it's called the "710 Club" - queue any later and you won't get in! 🙂

Witty hahaha😂

[picsa]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

 

So that's why it's called the "710 Club" - queue any later and you won't get in! 🙂

Due to the design of the bar there is a cheating method to get in when it is full which I have seen some people use. 

[davecttr]

sneak in via the Ocean studios/bar entrance/fire escape?

[picsa]

15 minutes ago, davecttr said:

sneak in via the Ocean studios/bar entrance/fire escape?

No, just through the main door. 
 

There are no toilets in the 710 club so once people are in they need to leave to find one. Theoretically the staff should keep an eye on people leaving and returning, but in practice…

[Technoman2]

Lovely day in Malaga yesterday 15 minutes to beach from ship and 40 mins to old town. Good tourist info as you get into Old Town area free map and advice. Ship was doing 19 knots last night and you could feel a constant vibration at the stern of the ship where we are on deck 15 and yes no sun on balcony due to overhang of deck 16 otherwise all OK so far. 

[jeanlyon]

That vibration doesn't sound good.  Have done 23 knots on other ships with no vibration at all.

[davecttr]

Ventura was the same at high speed with a lot of vibration in Metropolis. I though that Iona's pod propulsion would have cured it. Rear suite occupants are not going to be happy. Or me either because as a solo cruiser the ONLY standard balconies i could book were at the rear of the ship. I wonder if i could get a different cabin

[Britboys]

16 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

That vibration doesn't sound good.  Have done 23 knots on other ships with no vibration at all.

Mind you, Oriana had terrible vibration in certain sea conditions at speed. Really not what you expect on a brand new ship today though...

[BrianI]

19 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

That vibration doesn't sound good.  Have done 23 knots on other ships with no vibration at all.

Did you not go on Oriana?

Brian

[Britboys]

4 hours ago, Technoman2 said:

Lovely day in Malaga yesterday 15 minutes to beach from ship and 40 mins to old town. Good tourist info as you get into Old Town area free map and advice. Ship was doing 19 knots last night and you could feel a constant vibration at the stern of the ship where we are on deck 15 and yes no sun on balcony due to overhang of deck 16 otherwise all OK so far. 

Struggling to understand why it took 40 minutes to get to the City centre. The docks are pretty much in the city centre at Malaga...🤔

[picsa]

50 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Struggling to understand why it took 40 minutes to get to the City centre. The docks are pretty much in the city centre at Malaga...🤔

It is a 1.5k walk from the cruise terminal out on the pier to the roundabout by the Pompidou, so 20 minutes, then another 10 or 15 minutes walk along through the park to the cathedral. 
 

Similar today in Alicante, a 1.7k walk to Plaza Puerto del Mar. 
 

Or alternatively if not Select, paying £8 each for the shuttle bus.

Edited October 1, 2021 by picsa

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

That vibration doesn't sound good.  Have done 23 knots on other ships with no vibration at all.

Don't forget Oriana Jean😉

Avril

[picsa]

1 minute ago, Adawn47 said:

Don't forget Oriana

Who could forget that rust bucket.

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, picsa said:

It is a 1.5k walk from the cruise terminal out on the pier to the roundabout by the Pompidou, so 20 minutes, then another 10 or 15 minutes walk along through the park to the cathedral. 
 

Similar today in Alicante, a 1.7k walk to Plaza Puerto del Mar. 
 

Or alternatively if not Select, paying £8 each for the shuttle bus.

Gone up then since the last time we used a shuttle.

[Son of Anarchy]

1 hour ago, picsa said:

Who could forget that rust bucket.

She wasn't that bad!!

[Technoman2]

1 hour ago, picsa said:

It is a 1.5k walk from the cruise terminal out on the pier to the roundabout by the Pompidou, so 20 minutes, then another 10 or 15 minutes walk along through the park to the cathedral. 
 

Similar today in Alicante, a 1.7k walk to Plaza Puerto del Mar. 
 

Or alternatively if not Select, paying £8 each for the shuttle bus.

Yep agree we walked into Alicante and it took 25 mins to get to beach area and main strip. Tried to use elevator for access to castle but was closed no idea how long for then walked left along mosaic walkway and stopped at bar to the right of macdonalds cafe. 2 beers a Latte and bottle of water 6.40 euros 

[picsa]

7 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

She wasn't that bad!!

The leaking atrium wall feature, half the toilets out of action all the time…

[Britboys]

5 hours ago, picsa said:

It is a 1.5k walk from the cruise terminal out on the pier to the roundabout by the Pompidou, so 20 minutes, then another 10 or 15 minutes walk along through the park to the cathedral. 
 

Similar today in Alicante, a 1.7k walk to Plaza Puerto del Mar. 
 

Or alternatively if not Select, paying £8 each for the shuttle bus.

Ah, thanks. I was thinking purely in terms of the bus transfer from the Cruise Terminal.

[Britboys]

5 hours ago, picsa said:

Who could forget that rust bucket.

Each to their own picsa. I'd much rather sail on Oriana than Iona but understand why others wouldn't...

[Billish]

4 hours ago, Britboys said:

Each to their own picsa. I'd much rather sail on Oriana than Iona but understand why others wouldn't...

Me too

[Waju]

It’s always lovely to read everyone’s comments on here!  Can I just ask, are passports scanned/needed when getting off in ‘foreign’ ports?   Thanks

[picsa]

28 minutes ago, Waju said:

It’s always lovely to read everyone’s comments on here!  Can I just ask, are passports scanned/needed when getting off in ‘foreign’ ports?   Thanks

Apparently passports are required today in Barcelona, but were not in Vigo, Malaga, or Alicante. But this is probably just because of Barcelona wanting to be different. 

[picsa]

14 hours ago, Britboys said:

Each to their own picsa. I'd much rather sail on Oriana than Iona but understand why others wouldn't...

I suppose some have a nostalgia for old, worn out and broken things, but have never understood it.