Reviews
![2023-02-15 20:26:28]()
The general standard had dropped ,the meals lacked variety with no chicken in general dining.The dining staff appeared very inexperienced and we never saw our cabin steward although the cabin was kept clean.People spent hours in the hot tubs so many others did not get the chance to use them.The entertainment was excellent
Reviews
![2023-02-15 19:55:52]()
a very poor food variety, all cooked at remote location and pretty luke warm/cold when it arrives.
i do think that p o have forgotten FRESH VEGETABLES, same old same old frozen, not even a different selection, watery and very poor quality.
poor food quality was my concern. service of cabins , less than to be desired, asked for several things, did not appear.
flowers - do not buy, poor quality and will last for 5-7 days longer forget it,
celeb shows with meal,, meal aweful celeb not much better,
plus factors, a super ship, shame cost cutting is affecting quality
Reviews
![2023-02-15 19:13:42]()
Having waited for so long for our cruise ( due to covid) my partner and I was ready to celebrate our friends Special 60th Wedding Anniversary. Unfortunately to cut to the point. IONA SHIP WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING. Our friends who are in their 80s and were unable to DOWNLOAD THE MY HOLIDAY APP ALONG WITH MANY MANY MORE SEA TRAVELERS. SO therefore we were in a Queue every single day FOR AROUND 1 TO 2 HOURS SO AS WE COULD BOOK OUR MEALS IN THE RESTAURANT, THEARTES, EXCURSIONS ETC. When we complained to male member staff at the EXCURSIONS DESK WE WERE TOLD WE HAVE TO LEARN TO USE THIS APP FOR FUTURE SAILINGS. TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT OUR FRIENDS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS BUT NOBODY LISTENED. I PERSONALLY FOUND THAT THIS SHIP HAD TOO MANY PEOPLE ONBOARD AS THE ALL THE ENTERTAINMENT AREAS ESPECIALLY
HAD NOT ENOUGH SEATING FOR THE AMOUNT IN THIS SHIP WHICH HAS NO SOUL TO IT AND THE STAFF WERE OVERWORKED SO THEY HAD NO HEART IN LOOKING AFTER CUSTOMERS. REALLY,REALLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS SHIP.
Reviews
![2023-02-15 19:12:55]()
Reviews
![2023-02-15 19:03:38]()
Christmas and New Year cruise 2022/23 - ship fully occupied.
Iona is a beautiful ship, however the soundproofing between decks isn't as good as I expected from a new ship. Our cabin was directly above the Club house and the noise was extremely loud til about 4.30a.m. Having been directly above Havanna on Ventura previously and had no problems with noise, I expected Iona to be the same or better for sound proofing. Fortunately both my friend and I are both deaf in varying degrees so did manage to get some sleep. I think the Club house needs to be listed as more of a night club or disco. The cabin was ok, the bathroom superb!! Fish and Chips in Hook Line and Vinegar were outstanding!!! Dining wise, we like to eat early and found if we went to MDR at 5.30-6pm and joined the line for "Happy to share or pager", we were seated quite quickly and experienced none of the problems other passenger encountered. Entertainment was ok, best acts were Ben Moss and Vocal Extr3me who were absolutely brilliant. The Pantomime from the Panto company was fantastic - an outstanding performance each day! We enjoyed our holiday and were lucky with, in the main, good weather. Would go on Iona again.
Reviews
![2023-02-15 18:55:54]()
Wow. We had a fantastic cruise thanks must go to Captain Wesley Dunlop and all his marvellous staff.
From embarking in Southport to disembarking a fortnight later, the whole experience was first class.
The food was excellent quality and cooked perfectly.
I can’t thank everyone enough for making our holiday so special.
Reviews
![2023-02-15 18:36:09]()
Good overall but not entirely to our taste
Reviews
![2023-02-15 17:59:52]()
Our third cruise this year and our second time on Iona, we had a brilliant time and are looking forward to our next cruise on Britannia in April followed by Aurora in October then Iona once again in December. We have definitely caught the cruise bug
Reviews
![2023-01-23 20:16:48]()
Disappointed that the weather was a bit too cold to sit on deck on sea days (But that is my fault for choosing that time of year) of which there were quite a few.
Restaurant meals were excellent although the choice in the buffet areas was a little limited.
Very disappointed with the booking system for restaurants and theatre which always said 'fully booked'. Discovered that it was possible to go straight in if willing to share a table. Also found that one of the staff was able to book us in to see the various options in the theatre. (Why were we unable to do that?)
Did make a complaint, at reception, about the lights in the theatre shining in faces. Did not have any reply.
Reviews
![2023-01-22 22:35:13]()
Embarking is spot on. Disembarking is a joke! Love Iona but people were not sticking to the correct areas for smoking & vaping. And there is nobody challenging them!
Staff are wonderful & the seaview cabin this year on deck 4 was smashing. Last year a balcony on deck 15 was also great. The ship is beautiful & very stable. Very clean.
Shops are a waste of time selling really expensive jewellery & watches...to who? And I think the art galleries for sale are a waste of time. The entertainment was ok last year but absolutely dire this year, the worst I've ever seen on 10 cruises.
Reviews
![2023-01-22 16:46:23]()
Amazing ship but long queues especially at reception. Not a lot of choice for veggies in the Horizon and food not very warm.
Reviews
![2023-01-22 15:02:20]()
We were worried about this 'Spain and Portugal' cruise on Iona having read so many negative comments about the ship prior to sailing but as usual we shouldn't have put too much store in all that negativity as we had a great time. The itinerary was significantly changed (Valencia dropped for Malaga and Lisbon dropped for La Coruna) but it made for a better, more balanced itinerary and we actually preferred it. The ship is large but never felt crowded despite sailing at virtually full capacity. Food was uniformly good to excellent and service was perfectly acceptable. The ship still looks and feels new with generous spaces and an abundance of outdoor space and options for walking/exercise. Our cabin was spacious and comfortable and apart from a tendency to 'creak' in bouncy weather it was a great base for 14 nights. All in all a very good experience.
Reviews
![2023-01-22 12:06:11]()
It was my first cruise and I enjoyed it so much I will be back for another one. Staff were brilliant and helped so much. My partner and I were both on crutches and the staff were always happy to collect our trays and food and take it to the table for us. Bring us coffee and whatever else we needed. I found the food great and there was a great choice of restaurants to choose from. The excursions were good but not all to my choice for the future. Overall I would definitely say value for money. The only thing I would change personally is getting a room with a window rather than an inside cabin.
Reviews
![2023-01-22 11:58:04]()
we were so disappointed with our cruise. We had really high hopes that it would be fabulous but it wasn't on so many levels and has totally put us off cruising with P&O again. The ship was very disorganised, staff had no time for the guests, people were queuing for hours to go into a restaurant, for the theatre, for classes, for the spa. It was not an enjoyable experience! The ship lacked any atmosphere especially on Christmas day and New Year. The captain or senior members of staff never showed their faces for the whole duration of the trip, which is totally unacceptable. The reception desk staff were unable to answer questions and queries and had very little time for the guests. Everything was so expensive on board and the wifi charge was astronomical! Please do print this review so that other people are pre warned.
Reviews
![2023-01-18 00:39:10]()
Christmas and New year cruise to canaries Iona is a beautiful ship but is unexpectedly noisy between decks for a new ship. Entertainment wasn't as good as previously experienced on P&O, altho Vocal Extr3me were fantastic and Ben Moss was excellent.. Kalon Rae was very poor. Also The Panto Company panto Aladdin was brilliant. Food in mdr's was great, also hook line and sinker served the best fish and chips ever. The Olive Grove was also excellent. Too many passengers and too noisy for me, but an experience.
Reviews
![2022-12-10 19:10:19]()
P and O have have cut out a lot of the things we liked on previous cruises. No port talks , no port information literature available. Entertainment in the main was poor. Had to book to go to the theatre or shows. Those in the know had booked before they boarded hence some venues were unavailable for the whole of the cruise.
