Live from Iona Norwegian Fjords 20th May 7 Nights

[CarlaMarie]

6 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Never seen queues on any ship at guest services on disembarkation day. Everyone intent on getting off the ship!

 

Same here! It is usually very quiet there as like you say everyone is ready and waiting to get off. 

[Cloudyrain]

2 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

I wouldn't have thought the Fjords was a popular place to take young kids. Unless of course it's on the parents' bucket list and they are dragging their offspring along.

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. 

[Dermotsgirl]

On 5/26/2023 at 11:49 AM, Interestedcruisefan said:

There was a big queue last night on Iona

 

6.40pm there were at least 100 people queuing all the way back to The Atrium to get into the Limelight Club that opened at 7pm. 

 

They didn't need to be queuing as they all have reservations but they chose to queue

 

They have made  the decision queuing to be given a table nearer the front was worth it to them 

 

Reminded me of the queues that happen when terminals at airports announce the flight is now boarding

 

I've learnt to stay sat down until everyone else has got on

 

Once you are in the Limelight the food is the same wherever you sit. The signing sounds the same.

 

And I've worked out 2 yards away from Gareth Gates earlier in the Cruise  and that's closer than the closest table to him in Limelight

 

So had I got a ticket for the Limelight I would have walked straight past that queue to Anderson's bar and headed back about 40 minutes later approx

 

But we all make our own choices according to what we prefer to do

A story from 'elsewhere' which may explain why people 'choose' to queue.

 

The person who posted the story knew that the doors opened at 7pm, so he arrived at 6.50pm, ready to go in at 7.

 

He was shocked to find out that the doors had already opened, and most people were already seated, only leaving the tables in bad positions. Indeed, the table he ended up with was behind a pillar, so he didn't see much of Gareth Gates at all !  He was understandably disappointed that he'd paid full whack for an obstructed view. 

 

Somebody else commented that the 'bloke on the desk' had said to him the best time to arrive in order to guarantee a good seat was 6.15pm at the latest! 

 

Personally, I'm not bothered about sitting at the front, but I would expect an unobstructed view.

 

If you had been booked, and had gone away and come back again 40 minutes later, you'd probably have been left with the dregs of the tables - behind a pillar and next to the kitchens and toilets! 

[Selbourne]

13 minutes ago, Cloudyrain said:

It’s a great place for children in our experience: no need to battle suncream/hats for a start 😂 

We have had 2 fjords cruises when it has been 25 degrees or warmer!

[zap99]

21 minutes ago, Cloudyrain said:

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. 

Our teenage neice and nephew are off to the Fjords for the third time. Their choice.

[Cloudyrain]

17 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

We have had 2 fjords cruises when it has been 25 degrees or warmer!

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

[AndyMichelle]

27 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

A story from 'elsewhere' which may explain why people 'choose' to queue.

 

The person who posted the story knew that the doors opened at 7pm, so he arrived at 6.50pm, ready to go in at 7.

 

He was shocked to find out that the doors had already opened, and most people were already seated, only leaving the tables in bad positions. Indeed, the table he ended up with was behind a pillar, so he didn't see much of Gareth Gates at all !  He was understandably disappointed that he'd paid full whack for an obstructed view. 

 

Somebody else commented that the 'bloke on the desk' had said to him the best time to arrive in order to guarantee a good seat was 6.15pm at the latest! 

 

Personally, I'm not bothered about sitting at the front, but I would expect an unobstructed view.

 

If you had been booked, and had gone away and come back again 40 minutes later, you'd probably have been left with the dregs of the tables - behind a pillar and next to the kitchens and toilets! 

I saw this as well. 

From memory, previously the earlier you booked, the better seat you got. 

Again, not sure why they had to change something that wasn't broken... 

They have created a reason to queue when it didn't seem necessary. 

Andy 

[Tdrott]

I’ve just come off this cruise and here are my thoughts.

It’s been six years since our last cruise and the two biggest differences we found were the boarding times and the booking app.

We’d normally rock up about 12ish (we’ve an 350 mile drive so leave early to avoid as much heavy traffic as possible) and get straight on the ship however I hadn’t realised the new arrangement, hence we arrived at 12 with a boarding time of 4pm. So had a 3+hour wait outside. The boarding time was on the check in document but I never give it a thought to look in to it. Perhaps a highlighted explanation may help others.

As for the booking app, it’s brilliant…….for those that are able to use it first! Strangely I managed to book a couple of theatre events a few days before boarding but I couldn’t book any restaurants. So by the time I was “apped” up everything was gone which was extremely disappointing as I wanted to try out some of the specialty restaurants. It was even more annoying to hear a number of people booking 2 or 3 times at these restaurants even more galling when someone brazenly said they didn’t turn up for one booking. I don’t know what P&O could do about that, perhaps a disclaimer “subject to availability “ would help although these restaurants are a big plus for the ship and they don’t want to put people off.

We had a few meals in the MDR’s (Pearl & Coral) which were quite nice without being outstanding although the portions seem to have shrunk over the years, eating two plates of everything wouldn’t have been a challenge for most. However the breakfast in the Pearl restaurant was superb so I’d certainly recommend that.

The Horizon buffet was ok but didn’t seem to have the variety of choices Azura or Ventura had but my biggest gripe was the temperature of the food, mostly lukewarm when you picked it resulting in cold when you ate it, this could also be said for the MDR. Unlike Azura and Ventura there were plenty of seats and we never had a problem getting one at any time through the week.

We managed to get an early booking for the Aqua restaurant which was described as having an a la carte menu, unfortunately it didn’t so we had the normal MDR menu.

The Quays eating establishments were also very good and the food was hot. Again small portions but you could keep going back for more so it wasn’t a problem.

The Headliners were, as always, terrific and put on excellent shows. We also saw the magician but didn’t think he was up to much.

Iona is mahoosive and it took us the best part of the week to get used to her but she is what she is, a cruise ship for the masses.
 

We did enjoy our week but would probably prefer a smaller ship, queueing and scrambling for appointments is not my idea of a holiday but I appreciate some people don’t mind

[Dermotsgirl]

37 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

I saw this as well. 

From memory, previously the earlier you booked, the better seat you got. 

Again, not sure why they had to change something that wasn't broken... 

They have created a reason to queue when it didn't seem necessary. 

Andy 

It seems that the concept of the Limelight Club has changed over time.

 

I only ever went to the Limelight Club once, on the Britannia Maiden.  I remember strolling in at around 7.30, and being shown to a reserved table. I was on a special diet at the time, and they had kindly agreed to do me a soup for starters, and the table was laid appropriately.  The act was Kiki Dee and her musical partner. They came out before the meal to do a couple of numbers, then did another couple of songs between the main main course and dessert, and did their main set after the meal was over. We came out after they had finished and it was about 11.45pm.  They evening had flown past, and it felt like a genuinely special occasion.

 

No, it seems like it's get there early to bag a table, have a fairly average meal, and a short set by the entertainer, and out by about 9.30 pm 

[Interestedcruisefan]

13 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

It seems that the concept of the Limelight Club has changed over time.

 

I only ever went to the Limelight Club once, on the Britannia Maiden.  I remember strolling in at around 7.30, and being shown to a reserved table. I was on a special diet at the time, and they had kindly agreed to do me a soup for starters, and the table was laid appropriately.  The act was Kiki Dee and her musical partner. They came out before the meal to do a couple of numbers, then did another couple of songs between the main main course and dessert, and did their main set after the meal was over. We came out after they had finished and it was about 11.45pm.  They evening had flown past, and it felt like a genuinely special occasion.

 

No, it seems like it's get there early to bag a table, have a fairly average meal, and a short set by the entertainer, and out by about 9.30 pm 

The quality of meal I had in Limelight was really  good on Arvia

 

Didnt manage to get a booking in there for Iona

 

But overheard 2 ladies saying the  fillet steak was the best they had ever  had in their lives and melted in their mouths

 

Which reminded me of my steak in there. I also remember the dessert I had was amazing

 

I said at the time the meal was close to Epicurean standard and justified the cost with or without the entertainment for us

 

Hence we wanted to re-book

 

People obviously like the Limelight and what they are getting. And word clearly spreads. As it's quite a large venue on Arvia and Iona and getting sold out very early

 

Which speaks for itself

 

It certainly makes more sense for tables to be allocated on first booked/best  allocated basis. They could also have slightly staggered times for arrivals if they really want to remove the queues

Edited May 28, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

Something I forgot to mention about Haugesund on this cruise is its the one port we docked at where you might need a shuttle if you arent a good walker 

 

The town centre was a 15 to 20 minute pleasant walk away. Which involved one relatively steep up and down bridge to walk across

 

Shuttles were provided in and out for those that needed them. No idea if any costs were involved 

 

I don't think getting shuttles was a problem as many were choosing to walk regardless

 

Alternatively there was a road train  tour as well you could have paid to use immediately you disembarked

 

We had booked a walking tour via the ship and that involved walking in for the 20 mins but 2 stops on the way which broke the walk up

 

And then you could either walk back or get the shuttle back

 

We walked back

 

 

[davecttr]

P&O don't provide a shuttle at Haugesund and the private one is chargeable even for Select fare passengers. After 3 visits there is little left to see so I will stay aboard and save my legs.

[CarlaMarie]

1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Something I forgot to mention about Haugesund on this cruise is its the one port we docked at where you might need a shuttle if you arent a good walker 

 

The town centre was a 15 to 20 minute pleasant walk away. Which involved one relatively steep up and down bridge to walk across

 

Shuttles were provided in and out for those that needed them. No idea if any costs were involved 

 

I don't think getting shuttles was a problem as many were choosing to walk regardless

 

Alternatively there was a road train  tour as well you could have paid to use immediately you disembarked

 

We had booked a walking tour via the ship and that involved walking in for the 20 mins but 2 stops on the way which broke the walk up

 

And then you could either walk back or get the shuttle back

 

We walked back

 

 

 

This has been noted alot over the past few weeks. P&O used to provide a shuttle in Haugesund, but not this year.

 

The shuttles that you saw are private ones and can be used by passengers but at a cost (for both select and saver). I think it is about 140 NK return for 2 people. I am not sure whether there is an accessible shuttle.

 

So it is something to keep in mind for anyone who may have mobility issues or is not as confident with their walking. 

[SeaJane]

On 5/23/2023 at 9:36 AM, Interestedcruisefan said:

No

 

Although it's on the trolley they didn't wheel it to us which was disappointing

 

Nor crepes suzettes. I had to go to the trolley to watch it being made

 

Health and safety gone mad!!!

We’ve just got off Ventura (will give full feedback when I get a chance!) In Epicurean the ham was served at the tables and the crepes suzettes were also flambéed at each table often in pairs. It was spectacular to watch and created significant heat.

[zap99]

On 5/27/2023 at 4:45 PM, Dermotsgirl said:

It seems that the concept of the Limelight Club has changed over time.

 

I only ever went to the Limelight Club once, on the Britannia Maiden.  I remember strolling in at around 7.30, and being shown to a reserved table. I was on a special diet at the time, and they had kindly agreed to do me a soup for starters, and the table was laid appropriately.  The act was Kiki Dee and her musical partner. They came out before the meal to do a couple of numbers, then did another couple of songs between the main main course and dessert, and did their main set after the meal was over. We came out after they had finished and it was about 11.45pm.  They evening had flown past, and it felt like a genuinely special occasion.

 

No, it seems like it's get there early to bag a table, have a fairly average meal, and a short set by the entertainer, and out by about 9.30 pm 

We have been to the Limelight a few times.  We expect a decent table a short session from the entertainer, a decent meal and a full set afterwards, perhaps till we'll after 10pm. If it ended at 9.30 I would feel cheated.  Our next cruise is Britannia in December.  If it is reported that it is ending at 9.30 our OBC will go elsewhere.

[Ardennais]

Limelight with Lee Mead on Iona, Feb 14th. We had a starter, then the house band played a few songs with the hostess singing.  Then the rest of the meal before Lee came on. Finished around 10.00 I think. 

 

Limelight with Joel Harper-Jackson on Britannia last month. Hostess came on to welcome everyone. Then the whole meal before Joel did his stint. It was finished by 9.45 as I have a timed photo of us with him then. He only had a pianist so there wasn’t a band, 

[July morning]

5 hours ago, SeaJane said:

We’ve just got off Ventura (will give full feedback when I get a chance!) In Epicurean the ham was served at the tables and the crepes suzettes were also flambéed at each table often in pairs. It was spectacular to watch and created significant heat.

Shall be interested in your feed back on Ventura as we're on her in October and it's been a while since sailing on Ventura. 

[Cathygh]

@Selbourne I am on board now. Yesterday the weather was wonderful. The pools especially Skydome were busy but there were places to sit on the sides of the decks. The top sundecks were quiet as it was very windy up there. Inside the shops were quite crowded . In the afternoon we sat near the Infinity Pool which was sometimes full of kids but not all the time

Today I am sitting in Glass House and I can see a empty chairs around in here and in the Keel and Cow and in Emerald Bar.

Overall the ship feels full but manageable.

Celebration Night was a pain. We have 4 cabins 8 adults in total so each cabin tried to join a different  virtual queue at 6.30. The plan was to cancel the other queues when we got called. We managed to get on the list for Pearl and Opal. Coral and Aqua were closed and weren't taking walk ins. Anyone who wasn't in the virtual queue had to have a pager. 

We waited 2 hours. I checked out the Chef's Table and saw that it had taken up maybe 75% of the buffet. I don't know what service was like up there but in future on Iona I would book the Chef's Table for a specific time instead of the MDR.

Hope that helps

 

[Selbourne]

47 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

@Selbourne I am on board now. Yesterday the weather was wonderful. The pools especially Skydome were busy but there were places to sit on the sides of the decks. The top sundecks were quiet as it was very windy up there. Inside the shops were quite crowded . In the afternoon we sat near the Infinity Pool which was sometimes full of kids but not all the time

Today I am sitting in Glass House and I can see a empty chairs around in here and in the Keel and Cow and in Emerald Bar.

Overall the ship feels full but manageable.

Celebration Night was a pain. We have 4 cabins 8 adults in total so each cabin tried to join a different  virtual queue at 6.30. The plan was to cancel the other queues when we got called. We managed to get on the list for Pearl and Opal. Coral and Aqua were closed and weren't taking walk ins. Anyone who wasn't in the virtual queue had to have a pager. 

We waited 2 hours. I checked out the Chef's Table and saw that it had taken up maybe 75% of the buffet. I don't know what service was like up there but in future on Iona I would book the Chef's Table for a specific time instead of the MDR.

Hope that helps

 

Thanks. A 2 hour wait for a table in the MDR really is rubbish. I wonder how much of that delay was because there were 8 of you? We would need a table for 6. I really don’t fancy Chefs Table at all, so we do intend to use the MDR on celebration night. We plan to dine later when hopefully those who dined early are moving on. I hope that it improves for you. 

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, Cathygh said:

@Selbourne I am on board now. Yesterday the weather was wonderful. The pools especially Skydome were busy but there were places to sit on the sides of the decks. The top sundecks were quiet as it was very windy up there. Inside the shops were quite crowded . In the afternoon we sat near the Infinity Pool which was sometimes full of kids but not all the time

Today I am sitting in Glass House and I can see a empty chairs around in here and in the Keel and Cow and in Emerald Bar.

Overall the ship feels full but manageable.

Celebration Night was a pain. We have 4 cabins 8 adults in total so each cabin tried to join a different  virtual queue at 6.30. The plan was to cancel the other queues when we got called. We managed to get on the list for Pearl and Opal. Coral and Aqua were closed and weren't taking walk ins. Anyone who wasn't in the virtual queue had to have a pager. 

We waited 2 hours. I checked out the Chef's Table and saw that it had taken up maybe 75% of the buffet. I don't know what service was like up there but in future on Iona I would book the Chef's Table for a specific time instead of the MDR.

Hope that helps

 

 

In my opinion, the only thing that the Chef's Table has for it is that you can book from home and know you have a fixed dining time. Other than that, I can find nothing else that would redeem it for us. Tried once, won't again.

I don't want to put you off though, if you fancy it in the future.

[Cathygh]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks. A 2 hour wait for a table in the MDR really is rubbish. I wonder how much of that delay was because there were 8 of you? We would need a table for 6. I really don’t fancy Chefs Table at all, so we do intend to use the MDR on celebration night. We plan to dine later when hopefully those who dined early are moving on. I hope that it improves for you. 

The table size was part of it. Chefs Table is dressed as an Mdr with table service. The queues for dining tonight are all very busy with 40+in each queue and it's only 7.45.

As for dining later it will depend on what time. We saw people hoping to walk in at 8.30 and were turned away. I don't know if they got in later. 

I do feel it's an unsatisfactory arrangement and must be worse on Arvia as there are only 2 mdrs.

[RA10]

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

In my opinion, the only thing that the Chef's Table has for it is that you can book from home and know you have a fixed dining time. Other than that, I can find nothing else that would redeem it for us. Tried once, won't again.

I don't want to put you off though, if you fancy it in the future.

 

I have read mixed reviews on Chef's table.  I understand that it's part of the buffet restaurant which is sectioned off for Celebration night and is set up for table service with table cloth etc.  My interest is that we can book it in advance before we board.  Does anyone happen to know if it's the same menu as the MDR or something different?  

 

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

The table size was part of it. Chefs Table is dressed as an Mdr with table service. The queues for dining tonight are all very busy with 40+in each queue and it's only 7.45.

As for dining later it will depend on what time. We saw people hoping to walk in at 8.30 and were turned away. I don't know if they got in later. 

I do feel it's an unsatisfactory arrangement and must be worse on Arvia as there are only 2 mdrs.

Given the size of the MDRs, a queue of 40 should be absolutely nothing and should shift within 10 minutes or so. I am intrigued and anxious, in equal measure, to see how things pan out for us on Britannia in July and Iona in August. We know one of the senior food and beverage managers very well and I am really hoping that he is going to be on one of those cruises 😂 

[Cloudyrain]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks. A 2 hour wait for a table in the MDR really is rubbish. I wonder how much of that delay was because there were 8 of you? We would need a table for 6. I really don’t fancy Chefs Table at all, so we do intend to use the MDR on celebration night. We plan to dine later when hopefully those who dined early are moving on. I hope that it improves for you. 

We were a party of 6, occasionally 8 if friends joined, and the table of 6 was always lots quicker than for 8. Unless it was just how it fell on the day but it was our experience very different. For 6 we never waited more than 5-20 minutes for a table, even on celebration night, for 8 it was 30 minutes both times.

Edited May 29, 2023 by Cloudyrain

[Megabear2]

39 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Given the size of the MDRs, a queue of 40 should be absolutely nothing and should shift within 10 minutes or so. I am intrigued and anxious, in equal measure, to see how things pan out for us on Britannia in July and Iona in August. We know one of the senior food and beverage managers very well and I am really hoping that he is going to be on one of those cruises 😂 

Can't speak for Iona but on Arvia 40 in the queue meant around an hour.  Waiters were rushed off their feet and tables were very slow to be cleared which meant people not moving through.