Iona - A few questions

[Minnie29]

As a first timer on P & O and on Iona can I ask a few questions?

We have booked an excursion in Olden through P & O for the Loen Skylift. The details say 12pm so I am assuming this is 12noon start time. Can anyone confirm that has done this trip with P & O in Norway?

Also I have booked an independent excursion in Stavanger on a boat trip. 
Can anyone recommend trips in Alesund and Hauugesund please?

I am found to book several of the speciality dining venues onboard and we are not huge fans of MDR’s. I see there is an afternoon tea in the Epicurean restaurant. What is the charge for this and is it daily or just sea days? 
How does this compare to the MDR afternoon tea? 
we have booked a conservatory mini suite on deck 9 mid ships. I am wondering if this comes with priority boarding etc? 
Thank you so much for all your tips and advice

[Selbourne]

Can’t answer about excursions but Epicurean afternoon tea is on just the odd sea day (just the last one on our cruise). It’s £17.50 per person but reduced to £14 if booked before you board. I don’t think they do MDR afternoon tea anymore, but the Epicurean one is massively different and far superior. It’s very filling though and a bit too much for many people, but we are doing it as it kills time on a sea day and is a nice treat and something different. 

[Selbourne]

Sorry, forgot to say that my understanding is that you do get priority boarding with a conservatory mini suite and access to the priority boarders lunch. I can’t believe that all the people at the lunch were high loyalty tier or full suites. 

[Thejuggler]

Trollstigen and Troll Wall from Alesund is worthwhile, but the downside is you can't book the weather.

 

If the weather is poor your only idea of what you should be seeing will be from the photos in the visitor centre,

[Minnie29]

Thank you. I think we will try the afternoon tea if it’s available in the Epicurean. Sounds great. 

[cruising.mark.uk]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Sorry, forgot to say that my understanding is that you do get priority boarding with a conservatory mini suite and access to the priority boarders lunch. I can’t believe that all the people at the lunch were high loyalty tier or full suites. 

Not sure about the lunch, but conservatory mini suites definitely get priority boarding.

[showingdiva]

Haugesund was my least favourite Norwegian port  - not helped by my visit there being on a Sunday (non-P&O cruise)    The hop on / off bus stops right next to the ship.   Otherwise, the walk into the town over the bridge isn't far 

[kruzgal]

Personally I wouldn’t book the Loen skylift with P&O. It is very expensive and the trip is somewhat weather dependent. There is a company ‘Olden Adventures’ just as you get off the ship and if it’s a clear day you can just get off, buy a ticket for half the price of P&O and off you go. Get off early to  avoid the queues or go in the afternoon if the weather is better than in the morning. Mid morning is the busiest. 
 

We had a lovely day in Haugesund but we were very lucky with the weather. When we got off the ship we picked up a local map for free. There are walking trails on there and we did the blue trail up the coast to the Rising Tide sculptures. It took about 3 hours round trip, with some stops on the many picnic benches along the way, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. 

[Clodia]

On 8/21/2023 at 7:10 PM, cruising.mark.uk said:

Not sure about the lunch, but conservatory mini suites definitely get priority boarding.

I had a conservatory mini suite last cruise on Iona and got both.

[Minnie29]

With the conservatory mini suite did you get invited to the embarkation lunch buffet and if so what was it like?

[Selbourne]

23 minutes ago, Minnie29 said:

With the conservatory mini suite did you get invited to the embarkation lunch buffet and if so what was it like?

@Clodia has confirmed that you do get invited. It’s much better than the welcome aboard buffet lunch used to be. Small chilled buffet food plus hot choices, such as Chicken Tikka Masala with rice, a sort of roast and things like small haggis filled pasties. The usual P&O mini puds that look nice but all taste the same 😂 We preferred the proper waiter served lunch that we got on Britannia but, as I say, it was a marked improvement on what we’ve had before.