Iona – My new favourite ship

Another fantastic holiday cruising with P&O. Nearly everything was very good to excellent, with just disembarkation a (minor) grumble.
Food in the evening at various venues was always very good as a minimum and excellent at it’s best. We also loved the ‘Fusion’ and ‘Quays’ dining areas.
Morning at the buffet breakfast was perhaps our least favourite, probably because of how busy it was. Plenty of selection there to suit everyone.

A big shout out to the staff of the IONA. Everyone was polite, friendly, super courteous and keen to help and please. The waiting staff in dining and drinking areas were simply exceptional. How they maintain their enthusiasm in the face of some of the less respectful customers is simply staggering. The cleaning staff were at it seemingly 24/7. It was hard not to walk past several at any one time, busy at their work.
The ships design caught my eye and was easy to navigate and beautiful to see. I loved the light constantly illuminating the middle of the ship on different levels. Views inside to outside, especially in the Fjords was often breath taking. I also liked the numerous spa pools dotted around ship and these proved very popular with passengers at all times. The infinity pool was fantastic.
Entertainment was varied and in the main very good but I have seen better on other ships, notably the Ventura. We enjoyed the various ‘quiz’ events, again varied in type and nature. The ‘busker’ was a pleasant late night listen and we enjoyed several of his shows.
Our first time to the Fjords, picture postcard pretty villages and towns with magnificent scenic backdrops of snow covered mountain tops.
This is about our eighth cruise and Iona is my new favourite ship.
Our experiences have always been positive and enjoyable. The vast majority of fellow passengers are like us, courteous, friendly and respectful and the small minority of rude ones do nothing to minimise our pleasure.
Disembarkation was the poorest that I have experienced. More specifically collection of our cases and then joining disorganised queuing lines stretching a hundred yards or so. Cases in the middle of the area, folks queuing each side, poor signage and a lack of staff present. Not great, as in previous years, but nothing that detracted from our wonderful cruise experience.
My wife and I feel privileged to cruise the seas in these fantastic ships, served and entertained by wonderful staff and we hope to continue for many, many years to come.