Whoever heard of music playing in the Library? Iona is not the ship for me.

For such a huge ship we were very disappointed and shocked at the width of our single balcony cabins on decks eleven and fourteen Aft. I measured mine and found it to be 5 feet 10 inches (178cm) wide, out of which came the width of the single bed!! No wonder this ship accommodates 5,200 people. I mistakenly thought having a balcony would be a treat for my sister who has not cruised before. I am 72 and have spent over two years at sea including three world cruises so am very familiar with the cruise experience and different cabin styles/sizes but I have never been squashed in like this before. I also dislike being more or less forced to use holiday Apps to book theatre seats and food. I booked the Keel and Cow in person at the counter and was invited to have a drink and wait 35 minutes plus a further estimated 25 minutes for the food to cook. I sat for 50 minutes and would still be there if I hadn’t gone back to the counter to complain. The staff only look at their tablets for prompts, real people are ignored. The pie was good but not worth the wait or the cover charge. I found the most irritating thing of all was the constant music all over the ship. On the Promenade deck there are speakers situated at every third seat and also music playing in the Library. It was almost impossible to get away from it. I felt as if I was in an Airport lounge when sitting in the Atrium – there is no such thing as a relaxing coffee. Watching two different shows in two different venues on the same night is very challenging unless you are prepared to go from Aft to Stern and up two floors or even up 10 floors to the skydome. I didn’t get to see all of the ship, it’s impossible in a week but the only outdoor swimming pool I saw was the small infinity pool. The cinema seats are also uncomfortable. Most people in there changed seats one or twice and always shuffle about. Have P&O adopted what they think is an experience more welcoming to younger people or is this the American way ? If you like the relaxed style of cruising stick with Aurora or like me, try Saga next year. I am booked on another new ship, Spirit of Adventure and yes another single superior cabin. It will be an interesting comparison.