Selbourne Live from Iona!

[TigerB]

20 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

We went to the aft lifts today as it’s the only one not being used for disembarking, even though we pass the midships ones on the way and yes it was easier, although yesterday with midships we couldn’t even go up to come back down! I considered moving to the aft lifts but the rest of our group were waiting for us midships having used the stairs. 
 

It is a great shame that it has put us off Iona and Arvia, but my wife had just summed it up by saying that she now dreads every time that we need to change floors, and that’s not right. She has enough to worry about given her plight. I’m sure that it would be easier out of school holidays, but one of our daughters partners is a teacher so we are stuck if it’s a family holiday. 

 

Yes indeed, she doesn't need unnecessary stress on holiday.

 

I meant to ask, do they charge for the fancy coffees in the MDR?

[Fionboard]

One of the things I disliked about Iona was the atrium and surrounding eating and drinking venues. Too open. Noisy, no atmosphere and no privacy. Just like an airport terminal. 

[jeanlyon]

26 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

But the atrium on Iona is also a bar area and also the location of Costa coffe.

I love coffee and I love beer that’s why I like atrium.

On Celebrity Silhouette the atrium is the main evening focus of the ship.

On Ventura it’s Costa coffee and watching the dancers with a nightcap,,,you don’t know what you are missing.

On Britannia with a turn on it’s we’re most people go for a pre dinner drink or for a after dinner coffee and brandy.

Thank you.  That explains it very well.  I only sail on Aurora or arcadia.

[Selbourne]

18 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

Yes indeed, she doesn't need unnecessary stress on holiday.

 

I meant to ask, do they charge for the fancy coffees in the MDR?

No charge for the fancy coffees. On other ships in the past they would have to get them from the coffee shop, so would charge, and few would ask as you’d be aware that it was an inconvenience for the waiters when they were already rushed off their feet. 
 

Apparently they now have a machine within the MDR galley. Our breakfast waiters have been offering them daily, even before the others ask for them! 

Forgot to answer your question about the singer. No she’s not been the busker. Definitely go and see her if she’s on a cruise you are on though. A huge talent. 

[Beckett]

@Selbourne As before, thank you Selbourne for your detailed and informative posts. I am so sorry your holiday is blighted by inconsiderate and uncaring fellow passengers, but a big shout out to the young lad, his mum, and the two teenage girls who have behaved splendidly. 

 

with little hope that the lift situation improves, I wish you and Lady S and your family a happy rest of cruise. Best wishes. Jane xxx

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

I have asked this before and never got an answer.  What is it about atriums that seems to bother people.  How much time do you spend in an atrium?  We don't spend any time, so it would hardly matter if it had a wow factor or not.

 

Quick shocking about the lift situation Selbourne and glad you said something.  Absolutey right.

Many cruise lines make the Atrium a focal point of the ship by having lots of entertainment and lots of  bars. So a glitzy atrium is far more beneficial than a bland airport terminal style.

 

[mrsgoggins]

I had a conversation with a cheerful couple on Celebrity Silhouette today; he the pusher with his wife in wheelchair. I asked about the lift behaviour and they said people, and staff could not be more accommodating and they have had no problems at all, which I was delighted and relieved to hear.

 

Selbourne I do hope that your next cruises go much more smoothly in that regard. You have been very fortunate with your dining room treatment, but that does not compensate for your wife's feelings about changing floors on Iona.

 

The poster who mentions people using the lift for one or two floors, in a disparaging manner, could do well to withhold judgement. I may do this and DH will often say, if the lift is fullish, 'You get in and I'll take the stairs', and there is a reason for this which would not be obvious to the casual observer.

 

We will shortly leave Kristiansand, our final port, and so I wish us all smooth seas for our return to Southampton. Thank you so much for posting and keeping us updated.

[Selbourne]

33 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

I had a conversation with a cheerful couple on Celebrity Silhouette today; he the pusher with his wife in wheelchair. I asked about the lift behaviour and they said people, and staff could not be more accommodating and they have had no problems at all, which I was delighted and relieved to hear.

 

Selbourne I do hope that your next cruises go much more smoothly in that regard. You have been very fortunate with your dining room treatment, but that does not compensate for your wife's feelings about changing floors on Iona.

 

The poster who mentions people using the lift for one or two floors, in a disparaging manner, could do well to withhold judgement. I may do this and DH will often say, if the lift is fullish, 'You get in and I'll take the stairs', and there is a reason for this which would not be obvious to the casual observer.

 

We will shortly leave Kristiansand, our final port, and so I wish us all smooth seas for our return to Southampton. Thank you so much for posting and keeping us updated.

Thank you and I agree with your comments. 
 

Other than on disembarkation day (which is almost always a nightmare for us) we have never had a problem on the other P&O ships, other than at peak times (which we do our best to avoid) and when lifts are out of action, so would have answered exactly the same as the couple you spoke to. During the daytime lift usage is generally very low on the other ships and we get around no problem at all. We also find that the overwhelming majority of passengers are extremely considerate. 
 

Our lift experiences on Iona couldn’t be more different. I don’t think that it helps that the usual signs and announcements are completely absent, so it’s not in people’s minds that it’s more of a challenge for mobility impaired passengers to get around (I know it should be obvious though). 
 

Iona doesn’t feel massively bigger than Britannia to us, but I guess that the extra few thousand passengers makes all the difference although, interestingly, the number of additional lifts is in ratio. As I have said, I’m sure that being peak summer holidays hasn’t helped although the kids on board have been no trouble at all. There’s just a different attitude on this ship that has really caught us by surprise, plus the fact that the lifts are busy all the time, not just at peak times. The ship also feels massively busier than Britannia did in July. 
 

For those who don’t have the mobility challenges that we have, this is a ship that people shouldn’t discount without trying. The dining options and quality of food has, in the main, been excellent. Our daughters and their partners have barely used the lifts and really like the ship. They also really like the MDR and feel that they’d be happy to eat in there all the time if there were no other options. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Selbourne

[Selbourne]

I hope that I’ve answered most of the questions that people have posed as we’ve gone along but, after today, we only have a couple of days left, so if anyone would like me to find out anything whilst we are still onboard please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to assist. 
 

P.S. I noticed the star button in the lifts today so, yes, they definitely have them (for those who missed it, that’s the button to press for disembarking if you

cant remember which deck it was - or didn’t hear the announcement). Great idea. 

[gsmt47471015]

3 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

I had a conversation with a cheerful couple on Celebrity Silhouette today; he the pusher with his wife in wheelchair. I asked about the lift behaviour and they said people, and staff could not be more accommodating and they have had no problems at all, which I was delighted and relieved to hear.

 

Selbourne I do hope that your next cruises go much more smoothly in that regard. You have been very fortunate with your dining room treatment, but that does not compensate for your wife's feelings about changing floors on Iona.

 

The poster who mentions people using the lift for one or two floors, in a disparaging manner, could do well to withhold judgement. I may do this and DH will often say, if the lift is fullish, 'You get in and I'll take the stairs', and there is a reason for this which would not be obvious to the casual observer.

 

We will shortly leave Kristiansand, our final port, and so I wish us all smooth seas for our return to Southampton. Thank you so much for posting and keeping us updated.

If my comments regarding the use of lifts is seen as disparaging it was not meant to be ,it is purely an observation of peoples behavior,  it does not impact on us as we very rarely use the lifts , if folks want to use them for short ups and downs that's fine but should be mindful that some passengers are reliant on them to move about the ship, its not about holding judgement as a casual observer either when the very same people can manage a good sprint to be first on shuttle buses.

I stopped giving my opinions on these boards a long time ago as things can be misinterpreted and base my comments on personal observations only   

[Presto2]

1 hour ago, gsmt47471015 said:

If my comments regarding the use of lifts is seen as disparaging it was not meant to be ,it is purely an observation of peoples behavior,  it does not impact on us as we very rarely use the lifts , if folks want to use them for short ups and downs that's fine but should be mindful that some passengers are reliant on them to move about the ship, its not about holding judgement as a casual observer either when the very same people can manage a good sprint to be first on shuttle buses.

I stopped giving my opinions on these boards a long time ago as things can be misinterpreted and base my comments on personal observations only   

The problem is, as with all things, there are those who take the micky who make it difficult for the genuine people. A sad world in many ways.

Ps please share your views .... that's what CC is all about 

[Josy1953]

2 hours ago, gsmt47471015 said:

If my comments regarding the use of lifts is seen as disparaging it was not meant to be ,it is purely an observation of peoples behavior,  it does not impact on us as we very rarely use the lifts , if folks want to use them for short ups and downs that's fine but should be mindful that some passengers are reliant on them to move about the ship, its not about holding judgement as a casual observer either when the very same people can manage a good sprint to be first on shuttle buses.

I stopped giving my opinions on these boards a long time ago as things can be misinterpreted and base my comments on personal observations only   

Please don't assume that people who look fit are capable of walking up the stairs.  There are a lot of people with hidden disabilities. 

[Pink15]

I've always tried to take the stairs as I am quite fit, am mindful of others need, and in an attempt to burn off cake. But on one cruise I was many floors away from the action and determined that the stairs wouldn't beat me, I continued up and down all week. It took weeks after getting home for my tendons to recover. Now, I try to pace myself a bit better.

 

Stairs are hard work for a lot of able bodied people but I agree that wheelchairs etc should get priority, that's just manners.

[Eglesbrech]

All the comments on the lift issues seem to focus on the needs of wheelchair users versus the (apparently but don’t make assumptions) able bodied.

 

An alternative perspective. The cruise line should have sufficient lifts for all guests to move up and down the ship in a reasonable time?

 

 

[Stokie33]

I’m not out to upset anyone but noticed when we were on Sky Princess in both April and June the passenger demographic as changed from pre covid and now people are more about themselves and don’t think of others.

We held doors open for quite a few wheelchairs and scooters, who all seem surprised that we helped them,  as we were brought up to be respectful, we even got stuck in a lift one day as people had piled in after us and refused to move to let us out, we only got out after the person nearest to the buttons said we weren’t going anywhere until they let us off, so I think it’s just disrespect in general and people not bothering to think about how there actions affect others.

Cruising MSC next month, then back on Iona next year can’t wait.

[molecrochip]

I’m not being defensive but am surprised that the lifts are causing such issues. I fully understand the issues this causes and this is not my experience outside of peak passenger movement time.
 

It would be interesting to see the stats for the cruise to understand if there is a high number of registered assistance passengers (including those with non visible conditions), children in buggies etc.

 

I’d also be interested to see if there are any lifts out of service. A lift can be locked out of service without actually displaying out of service. It only takes a couple of lifts out of service to change the wait time massively.

I think the lack of announcement at the start of the cruise is interesting. Who is the captain?

On the atrium point, it was designed to make the view the feature, P&O have made no secret of this. That said, in Arvia a lot of the marble and silver is replaced by wood. The result is a much warmer feel.

 

On the inside cabin point, these two ships were designed to attract new cruisers. New cruisers typically start with an inside cabin then upgrade on later cruises. I’d say on that count Mr Ludlow has done his job!

 

On the gangway point, wheelchair access not usually mentioned if both are fine.

 

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your cruise despite the lifts.

[Selbourne]

DAY 5 - Hellesylt

 

Thankfully I had the first decent nights sleep since the cruise started. Today is a bittersweet day as we should have been in Geiranger. We booked this cruise at launch specifically because it called at Geiranger, which is the only one of the ‘top’ scenic fjord ports that we haven’t been to. The ship was only due to stop at Hellesylt en-route to Geiranger in order to drop off passengers who were booked on certain tours. 

 

About a year after we booked it was announced that we would no longer be going to Geiranger, but as a consolation we would do a scenic transit down much of the Geirangerfjord (past the Seven Sisters waterfall etc) after leaving Hellesylt, before turning around and heading back out to sea. In typical P&O fashion there was no apology whatsoever for this itinerary curtailment, but lots of mention of tours to Geiranger that we could do (which, as my wife is in a wheelchair we couldn’t) - all of which were at considerable extra cost (and additional profit for P&O). We reluctantly resigned ourselves to the fact that we wouldn’t get to Geiranger but would make the most of the scenic detour after departure instead. 

 

However, the icing on the cake came a few months ago when we had a further message that even the partial transit towards Geiranger was now cancelled. No explanation whatsoever was given (not even the usual ‘Operational reasons’ cover-all excuse) and, as expected, not even the slightest apology. P&O really do handle these things appallingly, and to say that we were disappointed was an understatement. 

 

Anyway, Hellesylt is a maiden visit for us so moving on. We docked facing the waterfall so had a lovely outlook. Stupidly, I tempted fate yesterday by saying how lucky we had been with the weather, as it became murky and drizzly soon after we left Olden and it was still a bit damp and dreary in Hellesylt, but still looked beautiful.

 

One of our daughters and her partner had booked a tour, so had an early breakfast in the buffet. They managed to get seated much easier this time. The rest of us headed off for breakfast at our usual table in the Pearl MDR with our fantastic waiters. I mentioned to our waiter that the desk hadn’t been keen to reserve us the table when I’d asked yesterday, and he said that he tells the desk at the start of every day to hold it for us and makes sure that nobody else gets it! 

 

After breakfast I picked up the Britain Today paper in Vista’s and when we returned to the cabin the steward hadn’t serviced it but turned up just after us, so we went back to Vista’s for a drink. We then headed ashore for a wander around. 

 

Hellesylt has a very different feeling to Olden. There are some small commercial places here and also a number of disused buildings, including the (no longer) Grand Hotel and a huge abandoned hostel high above , overlooking over the village. The place still has its own charm though and the highlight is the large waterfall that comes down through the village. There is also a small beach and some hardy souls were jumping in from a jetty and swimming. Rather them than me in those glacial waters, August or not 🥶

 

After an hour ashore we returned to the ship for our booked lunch in Olive Grove. This really is a super addition for P&O. The ambiance is good and the food is excellent. There is a choice of 3 sharing platters for starters (Greek Meze, Antipasti etc) and a nice variety of mains on mostly Italian and Greek themes. There are two puds I can thoroughly recommend - the lemon and orange flavour crème brûlée Catalania (I’ve probably got that wrong) and the lemon tart with rose (Turkish delight flavoured) ice cream. It a far better lunch venue than the Glass House, in terms of ambiance, location and choice of food. 

 

Another drink in Vistas before getting settled on our balcony for the sail away and transit down the fjord. A very sedate and silent departure in comparison the rousing send off that we ‘d had from Olden the previous day, but an even more scenic one as there was no rain. It was pretty cold though with no sun, so after an hour and a half we moved inside the cabin and watched the rest of our transit through the balcony doors 😂 

 

There are lots of little houses perched in the most precarious places along the sheer sides of the fjords and you wonder how on earth people get to and from them, given that there are no roads. I remember on a Northern Lights Cruise a guide telling us that people use skidoos in the winter when it’s snowy to get to their log cabins. These

slopes are too steep though and there’s no snow!

 

For dinner we had booked the Norwegian Tasting Menu in Epicurean. I had booked it for 8pm assuming that would be around the time when we were finally leaving the fjord. Thankfully that turned out to be a good guess, as when we left Hellesylt the captain said that we would be transiting the fjord for several hours before finally reaching the sea at around 8pm! The booking was just for the two of us, as the other members of our party preferred the Beach House menu. 

 

I am so glad that we booked this. It was a genuinely 10/10 experience. Every course was superb, even the course that I thought I wouldn’t like (trout). This menu is only available for one night on each Iona fjords cruise and it sold out within less than a day of going on sale 14 days before the cruise. We both agreed that it was the best meal that we’ve had on Iona - and we’ve had a number of very good ones!

 

To end the evening we had booked the 10.30pm 710 Club session, the theme of which was rock. That couldn’t be more of a contrast than last night! When we got there we assumed that they hadn’t started letting people in as there was a huge arc of over 50 people surrounding the venue. I asked someone if this was the queue and was told that it was everyone who was on standby hoping to get in, as the show was a sell out. Thankfully as we had booked we were able to walk straight in but, of the 50 or so hopefuls only around 6 were let in. 

 

Another great set by Fenmore (Canadian singer and pianist) and the band which we really enjoyed. Thankfully the drummer didn’t sing this time, but all other band members took the lead vocal at various times and all did a great job. As has been documented many times on this forum, book as soon as you board as these are very limited capacity shows and sell out quickly. One negative which we hadn’t had experienced during our previous 2 visits was that the atrium outside was absolutely full of people participating in the silent disco, which was far from silent, it was deafening. Even though the 710 performance was a loud rock set, I could still hear hundreds of people singing songs like ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘I will survive’ over it! The single set of doors to the 710 Club is insufficient to separate the noise if they are going to host discos in the atrium. They need two sets of doors and lobby between them to stop the sound bleed. Even writing this now at midnight in our cabin 2 decks above the top of atrium and a fair way along the corridor from the stairwell, I can still hear the singing. Never have so many tone deaf people been gathered together in one place at one time 🤣 

 

The rest of our party also enjoyed their meal  in the Beach House and the late performance of Triboo in the SkyDome afterwards. So a good day was had by all. Tomorrow is our last stop of the cruise - Haugesund. 

[ParisHilton]

Quick warning, ship to Haugusand is quite a walk..

We paid about 100NOK I tihnk for five of us to jump on a hop-on/off bus to get us back to the ship as we were all pretty weary. Cash only and pocketed by the driver I think.

It was a nice walk there over a lovely bridge (I do like a good bridge).

 

I know they can't do it 'all' the time, but could some of your family come and act as lift 'supervisors'. I get that it shouldn't need to happen but someone to vocally request people make space for you and your wife? I suspect the worst that would happen would be a bit of tutting and the best be that newbie cruisers start to 'see' you and be more accommodating in future.

 

I think with able bodied people, they just get into the habit of heading to the lift without thinking about it. Me and the youngest default head to the stairs, wife and other child the lift (other child is overcoming minor mobility issues).

 

I consider myself 'fit' and I'm hoping to do a half marathon in a 6 weeks or so (ping me for a sponsorship link), and I cursed the thought of 12 flights up. Even down was tiresome, though not 'work'.

Interestingly, we nearly always beat the lift .

Edited August 24, 2023 by ParisHilton

[Selbourne]

7 hours ago, molecrochip said:

I’m not being defensive but am surprised that the lifts are causing such issues. I fully understand the issues this causes and this is not my experience outside of peak passenger movement time.
 

It would be interesting to see the stats for the cruise to understand if there is a high number of registered assistance passengers (including those with non visible conditions), children in buggies etc.

 

I’d also be interested to see if there are any lifts out of service. A lift can be locked out of service without actually displaying out of service. It only takes a couple of lifts out of service to change the wait time massively.

I think the lack of announcement at the start of the cruise is interesting. Who is the captain?

On the atrium point, it was designed to make the view the feature, P&O have made no secret of this. That said, in Arvia a lot of the marble and silver is replaced by wood. The result is a much warmer feel.

 

On the inside cabin point, these two ships were designed to attract new cruisers. New cruisers typically start with an inside cabin then upgrade on later cruises. I’d say on that count Mr Ludlow has done his job!

 

On the gangway point, wheelchair access not usually mentioned if both are fine.

 

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your cruise despite the lifts.

Good morning @molecrochip . I have deliberately not mentioned the lift issues in yesterday’s report (just posted) because I would just be repeating the same issues and this subject has somewhat derailed the thread, and almost all other aspects of the cruise have been great, but to answer your points;

 

We are also extremely surprised to be experiencing these issues as, aside from peak times and in particular disembarkation morning, we have never experienced anything like this on any of our other cruises (20 plus with P&O). The lifts on here are busy almost all the time. I hadn’t seen any ‘lift out of service’ messages until yesterday, when I noticed just one on one lift only. As to whether there are others out of service but no message showing I guess it’s impossible for me to know. 
 

So what is different? The only things that we have noticed are;

 

1) we have never been on a ship with 5,700 passengers. The lift numbers are in ratio with Britannia, but Iona feels considerably busier by a significant margin (we were on Britannia last month). 
 

2) It’s the first ship we’ve been on where the Captain (Andrew Wolverson in this case) didn’t request in his welcome & muster address that priority is given at the lifts to those with wheelchairs or other disabilities. This message has also been repeated once or twice throughout the cruise on other ships, but not once on Iona. 
 

3) There are none of the usual signs at the lifts making the same request. When I raised this issue (and the issue above) at reception, telling them that we were struggling, the lady gave me the usual palmed off response (I’ll register your complaint sir - without taking any details whatsoever) and when realising that I felt this was insufficient she went to see the reception manager and came back 5 minutes later to tell me “there is no priority given to wheelchair users or people with disabilities on this ship Sir”. That sounded to me like a conscious decision that had been made. As I have said numerous times, we don’t expect priority, but just some consideration that it is far more challenging and to just remind people of that fact. Whilst a lot of lifts are full, many are arriving with enough room for one or two people to get in. Thankfully, this means that those with hidden disabilities (who can presumably stand if the disability is hidden) would be able to get in, and we are often waving those who arrived at the lifts after us into them as there’s room for them, but not for us (the lifts are very small and we need around a third of the lift space). 

 

4) Whether it’s due to a combination of points 2 and 3 or just coincidental I don’t know, but on the other P&O ships I am constantly thanking fellow passengers for the consideration shown to us at lifts. That consideration is almost completely absent on this ship with the sole, but notable exception, of children and teenagers who have been fantastic.

 

Our cabin is situated between the midships and forward lifts, the midships lifts being closest. We have realised that the midships lifts are the most challenging for us and we have now taken to using the aft lifts as much as we can as we find the waits to be shorter, but that makes for a lot of ‘push miles’ on a ship this size (no bad thing I guess given the food I’ve consumed) 😂 

 

I would like to stress that there has been a lot to like about Iona. Whilst we dislike the decor in some public areas that’s trivial and wouldn’t put us off a ship. The food offering is great and the other members of our party are having a fabulous time. As with Britannia, we have found the MDR to be brilliant, which has been a pleasant surprise given all the negative comments I’ve read about P&O MDRs since Covid. The only negative we have noticed in the MDR post Covid has been the reduced menu choices, but we can usually find something we like. 
 

However, the difficulties we have had in moving around the ship and the lack of consideration shown by the vast majority of passengers (youngsters aside) has forced us to come to the reluctant decision that we wouldn’t risk a future cruise on Iona or Arvia. I suspect that out of school holidays it’s a lot better, but it’s not a chance we are prepared to take. 

[Stokie33]

Hi Selbourne I’ve really enjoyed reading the your thread and the other recent ones on Iona, so much so that after doing the seacation and saying never again I’ve been reminded of the good points this ship as to offer and have booked to go on her in June next year, my hubby is especially looking forward to the Olive grove and the Quays.

Its awful to hear of the issues with the lifts you are having but like you’ve said you’ve still enjoyed the ship and hopefully made some lovely family memories travelling with your 2 daughters and partners.

Having sailed on nearly all of the P&O ships but not with this captain before it would be interesting to know who’s decision it is on the announcements made on embarkation day whether it’s corporate or captain?

[david63]

Not wanting to perpetuate the lift saga but could some of the problem on Iona be due to the number of decks? Britannia, for example, has 12 lift accessible decks whilst Iona has 16 and whilst the lift/passenger ratio is the same on Iona there is a greater usage especially going up.

[Gettingwarmer]

13 minutes ago, david63 said:

Not wanting to perpetuate the lift saga but could some of the problem on Iona be due to the number of decks? Britannia, for example, has 12 lift accessible decks whilst Iona has 16 and whilst the lift/passenger ratio is the same on Iona there is a greater usage especially going up.

Good point. People are not able to travel up the extra amount of stairs on this compared to others. 

[Selbourne]

48 minutes ago, Stokie33 said:

Hi Selbourne I’ve really enjoyed reading the your thread and the other recent ones on Iona, so much so that after doing the seacation and saying never again I’ve been reminded of the good points this ship as to offer and have booked to go on her in June next year, my hubby is especially looking forward to the Olive grove and the Quays.

Its awful to hear of the issues with the lifts you are having but like you’ve said you’ve still enjoyed the ship and hopefully made some lovely family memories travelling with your 2 daughters and partners.

Having sailed on nearly all of the P&O ships but not with this captain before it would be interesting to know who’s decision it is on the announcements made on embarkation day whether it’s corporate or captain?

Thank you for your kind words. I don’t consider myself to be either a P&O cheerleader who can see no fault, nor an unreasonable critic who can see no good. I just try to give balanced reviews on things as we find them - good and bad. 
 

If my honest assessment of our cruise has encouraged you to return to cruising then I am delighted. Whilst we were looking forward to spending quality time with our family (which has, of course, been the highlight) my wife and I had many concerns about Iona based upon what we had read. Ironically, none of those things have been an issue for us. The one big issue that we have had has never been raised by anyone else (as far as I can recall) so it may just be down to the fact that the ship is at its busiest. However, able bodied folk and even those with hidden disabilities would have no issues getting around. Whilst a good amount of lifts are full, many also have room for 1 or 2 standing. Sadly, that’s just not enough room for a wheelchair. 
 

I would have no hesitation in recommending this ship, in particular for those who don’t need a wheelchair. For those who love their food, P&O have nailed it with this ship (and, I’m sure, Arvia too). Whilst we have had special treatment in the MDR at breakfast, the virtual queues seem to work far better on here than on Britannia. I’d be reluctant to do Freedom Dining again on Britannia unless they sort it out, but wouldn’t worry about it on Iona. 
 

We haven’t eaten in the Quays. It’s always been rammed when we’ve walked through (queues at the counters have been negligible but the seating area seems full). However the food looks great.
 

I’m sure that you will have a lovely time on Iona.  

[Selbourne]

58 minutes ago, david63 said:

Not wanting to perpetuate the lift saga but could some of the problem on Iona be due to the number of decks? Britannia, for example, has 12 lift accessible decks whilst Iona has 16 and whilst the lift/passenger ratio is the same on Iona there is a greater usage especially going up.

I think this may also be a major factor David. I have seen far more people using the stairs on this ship than others, but I’ve put that down to the younger demographic and also I’ve noticed that a lot of passengers give up waiting for a lift that they can get in, so use the stairs as it’s quicker. However, with 16 floors accessed by lifts, you’d have to be super fit to use them all the time if going up. I know that I couldn’t 🥵 

[Eglesbrech]

10 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

 

Can you please explain the difference between the two systems?

 

As far as I can make out, with the lifts on Arvia and Iona, when you press the button a particular lift (A) is assigned to your deck. But, when the doors open there may not be enough room. As soon as the doors close you press the button again, hoping that lifts B or C, which are only a couple of decks away, stop at your deck. But they bypass your deck!  I presume that is because, at the time you pressed the button again, lift A was still shown on the system as assigned to your deck. 

Am I anywhere close or am I, as our lass frequently says, talking out my **se?

As Stokie33 says you put in the deck you want to go to and get assigned a particular lift. So all the people in the lift are going to the same one or two decks, consequently the lift doesn’t stop at every single floor on the way up / down as it sometimes can on other ships.

 

As there are no buttons on the inside it stops people going down to go up, taking up space. If they do then they are just wasting their own time as they may never get to the floor they actually want.

Fewer stops mean the lifts are free again much more quickly for use. No buttons on the inside mean no one pressing multiple buttons.

 

One bone of contention is that Yacht Club guests can override the system on the forward lifts to get priority by using their cabin card. Personally I didn’t use it or feel the need to use it as we found the lifts efficient. However Selbourne if you were in a YC suite that facility would be available to you.