P&O Iona, at 184,089 Gross Tonnage capable of carrying 5206 passengers and a crew of 1762, yes she's big. Having already cruised on Aurora, Arcadia, Britannia and Azura it was our time to experience this large ship and see if size does matter, it does…Having read previous reviews we knew what to expect and how many staircases we would need to climb multiple times daily to keep those calories at bay!
So first thing first embarkation. Very straightforward we kept to our arrival time and passed through booking in and security swiftly, yes we had to queue but considering the size this was to be expected. Upon arrival onto the ship, you are greeted with the Grand Atrium, set over three decks with glazed walls you certainly have a panoramic view.
Plenty of natural light floods into this area and you can see why people call this the focal point of the ship. The central curved staircase leads you up through the decks providing plenty of seating, over these three decks you will find the Glass House, Keel & Cow, Vistas Café and the Emerald Bar. The Grand Atrium also offers entertainment throughout the day so keep an eye on the daily Horizon leaflet.
Although the Atrium is impressive with its glass panoramic views, we felt it lost the intimacy of the smaller ships that we have come to love. Of course, this is subjective and we are sure many cruisers love the area and will sit for many hours taking in the uninterrupted views.
Getting around the ship can feel daunting at first especially when you see she has 19 decks, even at the end of the cruise people were still asking for directions. We found the layout very simple, with three main staircases and lifts located front, middle and back and plenty of signage. It’s worth remembering decks six, seven and eight have most of the restaurants and entertainment venues. From deck sixteen up the Horizon Restaurant, SkyDome, Glasshouse and outdoor areas, the decks in between are cabins. On arrival you will be given a map of the layout of the ship, just remember your Port and Starboard, how do you do that easily? As those used to sailing will remember ‘there's no Port left in the bottle’ thus Port will be on your left if you stand in the direction of travel, easy
After mustering we located our room, for this cruise, we chose a large inside located on deck four midship. The room was perfectly functional with the third bed being a single sofa bed made up daily which we had to ask for. These cabins do not offer evening attendance by stewards, however, due to our medical requirements this was arranged. We heard no ship-wide noise apart from the usual creaking during rough seas which we did experience thanks to storm Kirk!
After viewing our room and collecting our cruise cards we set out to grab some lunch in the buffet and explore the rest of the ship. We found over the cruise the Horizon Buffet to be a mixed bag, some days it had an excellent selection whilst on others the choice was either repeated or not to our taste. We did again find issues with the allergen labels, which we brought to the attention of the head waiter, please remember, if in doubt, always ask and make sure you get the answer from the chef. P&O recommend highlighting any food-related intolerance or allergies prior to eating in the buffet, food can be provided separately reducing the risk of cross-contamination. We did do this, however, at times we felt we were a burden, especially during busy periods. The choice at the buffet and indeed throughout the restaurants is limited for those with allergies, especially nuts. Yes, adaptations can be made but we found many items are prepared off ship so are off the menu and no alternative is given. Afternoon tea was extremely hard, most cakes contained nuts after asking, and only fruit or panna cotta was offered, not the best afternoon tea. There did seem to be plenty of choices for those who are on a gluten-free diet with pre-packaged food as well, hopefully, this will soon be the case for nut allergy sufferers as well.
On the first day, those with dietary requirements are requested to visit the restaurant to discuss their dietary needs and pre-order the evening meal. During your evening meal you will receive the next day's menu and the head waiter will take your order. On Iona you can dine in any of the four restaurants, although you do need to pre-book on the holiday portal which is free to use on the ship's wi-fi, just remember to keep your phone on aeroplane mode to avoid the costly maritime charges.
You will also need to visit any of the other restaurants to pre-order food, we loved the Olive Grove with its Mediterranean feel and highly recommend the Greek Gyros and the Sicilian lemon tart. Whilst discussing food don't forget the Quays located on deck eight, with its freshly cooked fish & chips, Asian inspired dishes as well as American fare you certainly won't be spoilt for choice. Compared to all the other ships we have sailed on, Iona did seem to offer the greatest offering of food venues, yes you do need to pre-book some of the venues and some are an extra cost. Apart from the Olive Grove, we didn't visit any paid-for restaurants so cannot comment on these, items we chose at the Olive Grove were included in the price of the cruise and came at no extra cost.
We have always loved the entertainment on board and have seen some fantastic acts and speakers, the main difference on Iona compared to other ships we have sailed is the pre-booking. Most evening acts including the Headliners will need to be booked before embarkation, this can be done fourteen days prior to sailing, be warned they fill very quickly. We found over the fourteen nights the shows are repeated, something we have not encountered on previous cruises. The SkyDome with its aerial acts doesn't require booking but again is repeated. Overall we found the entertainment better on previous ships, with more choice and multiple guest speakers on sea days, we didn't like the need to pre-book but given her size and passenger number we understood the need for this. Iona has four cinemas on board all showing different films throughout the day, no need to book just turn up, they are not that big and fill up very quickly. The quality and sound of the movies shown were excellent although the seats are slightly uncomfortable!
The outside area on Iona has plenty of seating and sun beds available, so we didn't have any problems finding somewhere to relax outside. The Promenade deck is very busy so if you want to exercise we would suggest using the jogging track on deck eighteen or the gym.
Overall our cruise on Iona was enjoyable and the itinerary allowed us to visit some beautiful locations, have we been converted to the large ships no. I would say Iona is very much like Marmite, for some especially with children she offers everything you require, for others who prefer the older more quintessential cruise we would suggest Arcadia or Aurora. All cruise ships have their followers, for us, we enjoy experiencing the differences some good and some bad, our next adventure is aboard Ventura the journey and experience await.
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