Just home from Iona

[posford]

Just back from my third Iona cruise in 3 months. My fifth P&O cruise in 5 months.

I do not wish to write a review as I could not match the quality of Selbourne or TigerB.

I do though wish to share a few thoughts on my experiences.

 

Iona rides the sea’s magnificently. Force 9 or 10 winds, 10 metre waves, no problems, just a mild sway.

The staff, especially the waiters LOVE working on Iona and actually ask to come back on next contract. That is good because they are the best we have had on our 20 years of cruising. I could name so many instances, but just one. A waiter, who was not our waiter, noticed my wife had lost her voice, so he went and got a plate of honey and lemons for her to take back to our cabin. He checked for the next couple of days to see if it had done the trick. Fantastic.

The organisation including embarking, disembarking, ports is first class.   Much better than all the other P&O ships.

One for Lady Selbourne, no problems at all with lifts, especially front and back.  The etiquette was exemplary. Wheelchairs and pushchairs were always were given priority.  Please give it another try outside of school holidays.

The food was good but was let down by the menus, which is company wide.

PLEASE P&O SET UP A PASSENGER PANEL TO ASCERTAIN WHAT PASSENGERS WANT.

The dining app works a treat because most use it.

The food in the Olive Grove is fantastic, why it is included baffles me.

The shows are good, enhanced by the quality high tech.

 

The Christmas decorations were fantastic as well.

 

Last thoughts.

Cabin steward gave us 4 packs of biscuits per day.

Ice when he did the cabin, usually when we were at breakfast.

 

If I told the waiter I liked something he always asked if I would like two. For instance, if I asked for a steak, he said “ would you like 2”. Nothing was too much trouble.

 

Yes, I know P&O is not what it was but it will do for me.

Especially as I booked the same cruise for next year and got £830 OBC No, I don’t know why!!
 

Selbourne - please give it another try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sandancer]

You’ve made my day with your comments. Can’t wait to board for our NYE cruise. 

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, posford said:

Just back from my third Iona cruise in 3 months. My fifth P&O cruise in 5 months.

I do not wish to write a review as I could not match the quality of Selbourne or TigerB.

I do though wish to share a few thoughts on my experiences.

 

Iona rides the sea’s magnificently. Force 9 or 10 winds, 10 metre waves, no problems, just a mild sway.

The staff, especially the waiters LOVE working on Iona and actually ask to come back on next contract. That is good because they are the best we have had on our 20 years of cruising. I could name so many instances, but just one. A waiter, who was not our waiter, noticed my wife had lost her voice, so he went and got a plate of honey and lemons for her to take back to our cabin. He checked for the next couple of days to see if it had done the trick. Fantastic.

The organisation including embarking, disembarking, ports is first class.   Much better than all the other P&O ships.

One for Lady Selbourne, no problems at all with lifts, especially front and back.  The etiquette was exemplary. Wheelchairs and pushchairs were always were given priority.  Please give it another try outside of school holidays.

The food was good but was let down by the menus, which is company wide.

PLEASE P&O SET UP A PASSENGER PANEL TO ASCERTAIN WHAT PASSENGERS WANT.

The dining app works a treat because most use it.

The food in the Olive Grove is fantastic, why it is included baffles me.

The shows are good, enhanced by the quality high tech.

 

The Christmas decorations were fantastic as well.

 

Last thoughts.

Cabin steward gave us 4 packs of biscuits per day.

Ice when he did the cabin, usually when we were at breakfast.

 

If I told the waiter I liked something he always asked if I would like two. For instance, if I asked for a steak, he said “ would you like 2”. Nothing was too much trouble.

 

Yes, I know P&O is not what it was but it will do for me.

Especially as I booked the same cruise for next year and got £830 OBC No, I don’t know why!!
 

Selbourne - please give it another try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s great to hear and many thanks for specifically feeding back on the lift etiquette, which was very much lacking on our cruise. You obviously had far more courteous passengers on your cruise!
 

As I said in my summing up of our cruise, there’s a lot to like about Iona. Our cabin was great, the quality and choice of food venues was (mostly) very good, we enjoyed the 710 Club and, aside from the lifts being too small, wheelchair accessibility was very good. 
 

Interesting comments about service. We have been told by quite a few staff on the other ships that they and their friends really don’t like working on Iona and Arvia. In fairness, with one or two minor exceptions, we didn’t experience poor service on Iona, but the bars in particular were under staffed and the ship felt overcrowded. However, this was peak August school holidays and, as we know, cruise ships are unlike land based hotels in that they can’t flex their staff numbers up for peak periods, so it’s inevitable that service levels differ depending on how busy the ship is. 
 

I would be prepared to try Iona again out of school holidays, especially given how cheap some of her cruises can be, but I’ve just read your comments to my wife and she still isn’t keen. After our mammoth cruise on Aurora, which ends in March, we have no more P&O cruises booked, just two 14 nighters with Cunard. I’m keeping an eye on some future cruises on several P&O ships (other than Iona and Arvia) but they are all more than we are prepared to pay at present, so I might chance raising it again with her later next year. Time is a great healer 😂 

[molecrochip]

Those crew who were with the company pre-Iona tend to prefer to avoid the two largest ships.

 

I sense that this is now being reflected in rotations. Iona and Arvia tend to now be having lots of reoccurring crew who are new since the pandemic. Some are on their third long rotation so get it now!

 

Customer service is improving slowly across the fleet with more still to be done.

 

Yes - menus and dining room food still need work.

[Selbourne]

7 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Those crew who were with the company pre-Iona tend to prefer to avoid the two largest ships.

 

I sense that this is now being reflected in rotations. Iona and Arvia tend to now be having lots of reoccurring crew who are new since the pandemic. Some are on their third long rotation so get it now!

 

Customer service is improving slowly across the fleet with more still to be done.

 

Yes - menus and dining room food still need work.

That makes a lot of sense and fits with my experience. The staff that we spoke to on Britannia and Ventura had done multiple contracts on different ships and they all, without exception, said that they didn’t like working on Iona or Arvia and neither did their friends (who were presumably in similar situations). Conversely, I recall talking to a few staff on Iona who were on their first ever contracts with P&O so were unable to make comparisons, although one said that her friends who had done multiple contracts preferred other ships. 
 

It’s very encouraging to hear you say that service, menus and MDR food still need work, as that must mean that this is on the radar at P&O and we will continue to see improvements in these areas. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

That makes a lot of sense and fits with my experience. The staff that we spoke to on Britannia and Ventura had done multiple contracts on different ships and they all, without exception, said that they didn’t like working on Iona or Arvia and neither did their friends (who were presumably in similar situations). Conversely, I recall talking to a few staff on Iona who were on their first ever contracts with P&O so were unable to make comparisons, although one said that her friends who had done multiple contracts preferred other ships. 
 

It’s very encouraging to hear you say that service, menus and MDR food still need work, as that must mean that this is on the radar at P&O and we will continue to see improvements in these areas. 

2 female waitresses on either Arvia or Iona (can't remember which) working in epicurean and very experienced on P and O said they preferred the old days of serving the same customers every night and becoming friends with them etc

 

But that's not what modern cruisers are looking for of course. 

[Ranchi]

Could I ask about the ‘hi tech’ entertainment on Arvia & Iona? We haven’t been on either ship but have sailed quite a bit on P&O & other lines. In recent years we have become increasingly irritated by the sound in theatre shows on P&O - to our minds it seems the mantra is ‘if the amp goes up to 11 then that’s what is best - despite the distortion. 
pour most recent cruise was on Princess (Sky) and there were some aspects of the cruise we liked there were others which were disappointing. The theatre shows were impressive. The computerised graphics, backdrops and special effects really were good and certainly enhanced rather than detracted the performances. It was unfortunate that during two of the performances the computers froze and had to be reset. The sound levels during the shows was good and free from distortion. 
How do shows on Iona & Arvia compare to shows on say Britannia, Azura or Aurora?

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, Ranchi said:

Could I ask about the ‘hi tech’ entertainment on Arvia & Iona? We haven’t been on either ship but have sailed quite a bit on P&O & other lines. In recent years we have become increasingly irritated by the sound in theatre shows on P&O - to our minds it seems the mantra is ‘if the amp goes up to 11 then that’s what is best - despite the distortion. 
pour most recent cruise was on Princess (Sky) and there were some aspects of the cruise we liked there were others which were disappointing. The theatre shows were impressive. The computerised graphics, backdrops and special effects really were good and certainly enhanced rather than detracted the performances. It was unfortunate that during two of the performances the computers froze and had to be reset. The sound levels during the shows was good and free from distortion. 
How do shows on Iona & Arvia compare to shows on say Britannia, Azura or Aurora?

We only went to two shows on Iona, but they sound similar to those you watched on Princess. The graphics etc were very good indeed and definitely enhanced the shows. The singing was still a bit iffy though 😂 

 

As for sound levels, we have never had issues with the sound being too loud on any of the P&O ships, even though a few people mention this regularly, and Iona was no different. However, we sit right at the back of the theatre, so maybe that’s why. Perhaps that’s the solution?

[zap99]

11 hours ago, posford said:

Just back from my third Iona cruise in 3 months. My fifth P&O cruise in 5 months.

I do not wish to write a review as I could not match the quality of Selbourne or TigerB.

I do though wish to share a few thoughts on my experiences.

 

Iona rides the sea’s magnificently. Force 9 or 10 winds, 10 metre waves, no problems, just a mild sway.

The staff, especially the waiters LOVE working on Iona and actually ask to come back on next contract. That is good because they are the best we have had on our 20 years of cruising. I could name so many instances, but just one. A waiter, who was not our waiter, noticed my wife had lost her voice, so he went and got a plate of honey and lemons for her to take back to our cabin. He checked for the next couple of days to see if it had done the trick. Fantastic.

The organisation including embarking, disembarking, ports is first class.   Much better than all the other P&O ships.

One for Lady Selbourne, no problems at all with lifts, especially front and back.  The etiquette was exemplary. Wheelchairs and pushchairs were always were given priority.  Please give it another try outside of school holidays.

The food was good but was let down by the menus, which is company wide.

PLEASE P&O SET UP A PASSENGER PANEL TO ASCERTAIN WHAT PASSENGERS WANT.

The dining app works a treat because most use it.

The food in the Olive Grove is fantastic, why it is included baffles me.

The shows are good, enhanced by the quality high tech.

 

The Christmas decorations were fantastic as well.

 

Last thoughts.

Cabin steward gave us 4 packs of biscuits per day.

Ice when he did the cabin, usually when we were at breakfast.

 

If I told the waiter I liked something he always asked if I would like two. For instance, if I asked for a steak, he said “ would you like 2”. Nothing was too much trouble.

 

Yes, I know P&O is not what it was but it will do for me.

Especially as I booked the same cruise for next year and got £830 OBC No, I don’t know why!!
 

Selbourne - please give it another try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice to hear a report which gives an overview and doesn't nit pick every fault.

[Ranchi]

35 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

We only went to two shows on Iona, but they sound similar to those you watched on Princess. The graphics etc were very good indeed and definitely enhanced the shows. The singing was still a bit iffy though 😂 

 

As for sound levels, we have never had issues with the sound being too loud on any of the P&O ships, even though a few people mention this regularly, and Iona was no different. However, we sit right at the back of the theatre, so maybe that’s why. Perhaps that’s the solution?

Ah, we too sit at the back…I wondered if that was the problem ie the sound balanced for the centre of the theatre. Clearly not. I don’t have a problem with loud music but distortion irritates me. 
Thanks for your reply. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

The  hi Tec visuals to the side and behind the stage are better than I've been anywhere ever before on land or sea

 

Truly spectacular and really add to the shows

 

Must have cost an absolute fortune

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

The  hi Tec visuals to the side and behind the stage are better than I've been anywhere ever before on land or sea

 

Truly spectacular and really add to the shows

 

Must have cost an absolute fortune

We tend to sit near the front

 

Sound quality seemed excellent there

 

We also thought the quality of the vocals and dancers was top notch

 

It's so hard and competitive to win these places in the cast nowadays that they all need to be top top quality

Edited December 10, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Selbourne]

15 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

It's so hard and competitive to win these places in the cast nowadays that they all need to be top top quality

yet a few still manage to slip through….. 😂 

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

yet a few still manage to slip through….. 😂 

The worst one in the casts now would have been the best ones one the Britannia staycation cruise we did

 

Those casts/shows were obviously put together in a hurry

[zap99]

8 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

The worst one in the casts now would have been the best ones one the Britannia staycation cruise we did

 

Those casts/shows were obviously put together in a hurry

We did 3 staycation cruises. We enjoyed them all....Back on a cruise ship...yay. If you consider the ships had been parked up for 2 years and the entertainers were delivering pizzas,  they ramped things up quite well. Perhaps all those crew members  thought ' In the old days, passengers used to smile.'.

[Cathygh]

I like the concepts and the songs in the shows but not the singing in broad American accents and the screaching girls. This is not how the cast is taught on their performing arts courses, this is how the Production Team in Southampton tell them to sing. Even US singers sing in a mid atlantic accent,  not the broad accents I have heard in the shows. IMHO the Production and Musical Directors need to be replaced. And the Sound Engineer who makes the drums drown the other instruments out. I am referring to my recent cruises on Arcadia and Britannia, the one I did on Iona on May had much better singing. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Cathygh said:

I like the concepts and the songs in the shows but not the singing in broad American accents and the screaching girls. This is not how the cast is taught on their performing arts courses, this is how the Production Team in Southampton tell them to sing. Even US singers sing in a mid atlantic accent,  not the broad accents I have heard in the shows. IMHO the Production and Musical Directors need to be replaced. And the Sound Engineer who makes the drums drown the other instruments out. I am referring to my recent cruises on Arcadia and Britannia, the one I did on Iona on May had much better singing. 

The quality on the bigger ships just seemed way higher to when we cruised on azura and brittania

[Clodia]

The Take That inspired show on Iona was one of the best I've  seen on P and O.

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Clodia said:

The Take That inspired show on Iona was one of the best I've  seen on P and O.

Some shows are better than others imo

 

But all are entertaining and fun and colourful and bright

 

And you are on holiday. Just enjoyable stuff with talented cast

 

Compare to what you might get at a hotel abroad on a land holiday?

 

No comparison at all

[zap99]

17 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Some shows are better than others imo

 

But all are entertaining and fun and colourful and bright

 

And you are on holiday. Just enjoyable stuff with talented cast

 

Compare to what you might get at a hotel abroad on a land holiday?

 

No comparison at all

Did the entertainment entertain me ? ?....yes. job done.

[Red Ray]

2 hours ago, Clodia said:

The Take That inspired show on Iona was one of the best I've  seen on P and O.

Strange isn't it - we love the Headliners theatre shows and must have seen them all over the last 20 years but we thought the Take That one was the worst of the lot.

[yorkshirephil]

11 minutes ago, Red Ray said:

Strange isn't it - we love the Headliners theatre shows and must have seen them all over the last 20 years but we thought the Take That one was the worst of the lot.

We like the headliners shows and like you we have seen pretty much all of them or variations of them. It is 34-45 minutes of easy entertainment, sometimes some of the singers leave a bit to be desired sometimes they are excellent. It is the same with guest artists, most of the cruise lines seem to use the same selection, some acts do not ring my bells and some do. 

 

I always remember a long CMV cruise where the team did nine shows over the 5 weeks then they gave everyone the option to vote for which show they wanted to see again at the end of the cruise, the theatre was full for the announcement and first show but when The rocky horror show was given as the winner quite a few people got up and left. 

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Cathygh said:

I like the concepts and the songs in the shows but not the singing in broad American accents and the screaching girls. This is not how the cast is taught on their performing arts courses, this is how the Production Team in Southampton tell them to sing. Even US singers sing in a mid atlantic accent,  not the broad accents I have heard in the shows. IMHO the Production and Musical Directors need to be replaced. And the Sound Engineer who makes the drums drown the other instruments out. I am referring to my recent cruises on Arcadia and Britannia, the one I did on Iona on May had much better singing. 

I can't say that I have ever been able to identify an accent when listening to most music, except where the singer is deliberately emphasising it.

[Red Ray]

10 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We like the headliners shows and like you we have seen pretty much all of them or variations of them. It is 34-45 minutes of easy entertainment, sometimes some of the singers leave a bit to be desired sometimes they are excellent. It is the same with guest artists, most of the cruise lines seem to use the same selection, some acts do not ring my bells and some do. 

 

I always remember a long CMV cruise where the team did nine shows over the 5 weeks then they gave everyone the option to vote for which show they wanted to see again at the end of the cruise, the theatre was full for the announcement and first show but when The rocky horror show was given as the winner quite a few people got up and left. 

I would have been amongst them - can't stand that show!

[zap99]

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I can't say that I have ever been able to identify an accent when listening to most music, except where the singer is deliberately emphasising it.

We just enjoy the shows. Some are better than others, but that can apply to all entertainment. On NCL epic they had some American entertainers. The Beatles spoke in Liverpool accents. Quite amusing.