I thought the freedom dining worked really well. Join the queue while you're getting ready, go down for a drink and then you get the notification that your table is ready. So much more flexible than a set time like on the other ships.
Thats only when the app works properly. We were in the glass house queue a couple of days ago. Only 2 were in queue. We left, went to join again and now 5 were in queue. Decided to just visit it to check and asked. Guy gave us a seat for 2, no queue waiting and then no one else of those 5 in queue appeared. But this cruise they've had massive problems with the main wifi then the app. At one point their ordering system went down for about a day and a half and they had to move to paper.
I had the same ‘toilet door’ problem but only once, I had inadvertently used a disabled toilet and as far as I remember it was only in those where you needed to press the button to close the doors - obviously a very useful feature for disabled people as it allows the user to close the door to suit their individual access needs.
Interesting. I too found the dining system needed improving, but usually could find a table at the restaurant we wanted, and we got bookings at all the shows and speciality restaurants and the food was top notch. I especially loved the outdoor space, particularly decks 16/17 which were deserted after 6pm or so on our Mediterranean cruise. Seems everyone likes going inside to prep for dinner cos I was able to swim and jacuzzi in pretty much any hot tub or pool I wanted, all by myself. We tended to do this, I would then come back to the cabin around 7 and be ready to dine around 7.30 or 8. The buffet is especially good for all day eating, open till 1am if I remember rightly. Re the entertainment, I did find it a little hit and miss but curious as to why you rated it so poorly. What exactly did your partner hope to find? I was satisfied with the cabaret and musical shows, the quizzes, the talks, game shows, live music and the trapeze acts, though I think the Skydome really isn't good for music, since the acoustics are pretty poor, and there's limited seating. Whilst on seating, I agree the ship has so much space. I would argue it must be impossible to be not find a quiet spot in or outside the ship- Anderson's bar was especially nice and relaxed, and outside deck 18 was always good, even managed a jog one day, till I realised how boring it was running 22 laps to do a 5k. I stopped after 7 😁 All in all I really enjoyed my time on the ship.
Overall I loved my time onboard P&O’s IONA. Just a few little Con’s but nothing is perfect. The pro’s definitely outweighed the negatives. Just watch them sliding doors 😂😂
Really handy to know as we had been thinking about the Retreat. I think you balanced this vlog well. 20 days until we board and still looking forward to it 😉 x
What did you think of the metal balcony fronts? We were on the front in January in 9108, so on the opposite side to you and one down. They were ok if you were leaning on them but if you sat you couldn't see a thing. Apart from that we loved everything and cannot wait to go again.
Thanks for another great and honest video Danny 😀 These are really valid points (both the good and bad) 😊 We agree 100% about the web page (it's not an app no matter what P&O say). Its connectivity is iffy half the time (like the WiFi) and the virtual queues can be really long. The way we got around this on both our Iona cruises was by booking every meal for the entire cruise as soon as we got on board (so the only meal we queued for was the first meal upon embarkation). That way we had everything booked and didn't have to stress over the queue - we would question whether this is true "freedom" dining as we had to tie ourselves in to bookings to avoid the queues and potential disappointment. We don't book ship WiFi packages as we've never found the coverage to be truly good on any line, so that didn't really impact on us (we can see why it would be a huge problem of you need it though!). We also don't book the Retreat on P&O ships as we don't think they offer much more than the standard offer (especially as the public spaces on P&O's ships are so good). We think Rise is aimed at young families so probably not for everyone. We enjoyed it, but massively preferred Triboo (another Sky Dome acrobatic performance). We agree with all your positives as well, especially the food, service, and cabins ❤ We really loved this video - so helpful to anyone considering cruising on Iona ❤❤ Hope you have an amazing time in Florida 🤩
Hey! Have you tried Virgin for Con? They rave about their vegetarian and vegan options for food but the entertainment is supposed to be a bit different too.
We're doing this exact cruise next week. We've never been on P&O before - we've only ever don Disney cruises. Freedom dining sounds good on paper, so we'll have to wait and see.
To add to my last comment; I never managed to get a table in the Indian restaurant and it disappeared from the 'app' after a couple of days. I bought an Indian takeaway as soon as I got home 😂
Have to agree with you on Rise. Hardly anyone watch them after the first couple of nights. It was just awful. We did find the live acts in the else where a lot better, and the entertainment in the pub was great fun. Freedom dining wasn't too bad either as the ship was only at about 65% capacity. The staff and food was amazing and you couldn't ask for more.
I love your vlogs I’m going on my first cruise in September on the Disney wish And although I’m soooo excited I’m also so terrified about the unknown, I’ve not cruised so I have noooo idea what to expect so by watching you honest opinions on cruising is really helping I know it’s not the same cruise ship or company but watching you on a cruise ship is so reassuring Thank you for sharing danny xx
Hi thank you for your vlog. This is my first cruise in September. I’d be interested to know which is the best you’ve been on/to. Thank you in advance x
P&O's IT is really terrible. Their website for managing your booking has some terrible session management, and it constantly asks you to log back in whenever you move to a new page. It's like the developers don't know what a session is.
I completely agree with your comments re: those automatic doors. I didn't find them on my P&O Ventura cruise, but they absolutely were there on Celebrity last summer - the doors took YEARS to close, and there would always be someone on the other side not realising you were in it, who would press it 'just in time' for the wait to start all over again, haha!
Been on Iona Twice always ate either fish and chip bar or buffet food wasn't brilliant in buffet but the sweets was lush.dont even mention WiFi it's so expensive.
Sorry but your observation about the toilet doors is wrong. This is a great feature. Why are you worried if the door opens, it's a gents loo. This happens all the time.
I am a massive engineering buff and booked on Iona in July. Id love and engine room tour, Is there such a thing ? I bet that's a question you've never been asked. Lol
Hey Claire, yeah a few things really, he was hoping for more lively entertainment but on our sailing it seemed to be bingo and show each night which he is not keen on. I still had a great time xxxx
I have to agree that the entertainment was dire. Rise was the most bizarre and pretty awful thing I have ever sat through..it was like watching a high school production. When we were on it only the inside hot tubs were working, all the 12 outside ones were freezing cold! The app is appalling, not just on Iona but on Ventura in May we waited 1.5 hours then went to the restaurant..and finally got sat down at 9.45, and had our food literally thrown at us! On Iona we went to eat every night at 9pm and got sat down immediately. The only toilet ,doors I saw on Iona that had electric doors were the disabled ones, I never saw them in the loos with urinals, apart from the door into the toilet rooms..not the cubicles. Found the food was good, apart from every night had broccoli and green beans. Glad you had a good time.
I spent Christmas and new year. The worst ever! Didn’t like sky dome. And Christmas dinner was at 11.30pm! Would I go on it again? No! I’ve sailed with P&O several times. Only this one was poop. WiFi poop. Food was fine for me.
Lol, I'm totally with you on Rise, utterly rubbish. Iona is a wonderful ship but them acts in the SkyDome, wow!... omg, and I totally know what you mean with those toilets as well, I remember some poor old dear flashing the whole ship as the door opened on her mid act! so bad... haha. Personally I quite like the freedom dining, it made us not have to rush getting ready for any set meal times and there are so many places to choose from to eat.
Aw thanks for this comment. Was really worried about doing this video as didn’t want to sound like a grump. Obviously loved the IONA, but just a few little things. But overall loved the ship xx
Danny, if you're at the Magic Kingdom, pop by Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary for their stack cheeseburger lunch! It's about eight minutes walking. And a reminder to get the free triple-filtered Trenta-size large ice water from Starbucks at the Parks! Ask for two! I cannot allow you to buy water at the Parks LOL! And FFS, it's 2022 and every cruise line's WiFi should be of the Royal Caribbean Voom standard. Do you hear me Disney Cruise Line! Get strawberries and blueberries and raspberries for your breakfast bowl. Fill your plate with lots of veggies to fill your tummy instead of another salmon fillet! So excited for your next Disney series! 👍
Iona cruise Nov/Dec 2022, most hated thing is the lifts ,I'm a wheelchair user and never had so many people totally ignore me to stampede first in to the lift. Lot of cruisers attitude is appalling ,self entitled better than you kind of folk that I will not choose to holiday alongside again.
Hi Danny I have booked on Iona for 2024 to Norwegian Fyords. Have mobility issues . What is the app for booking your dining on. Have watched the video twice and still don't get it.can you please explain it. TIA.
You have to wait till your on the ship to set it up, there are instructions in the cabin, or go to customer service desk and thay will help you with it.
We take a litre each of spirits even take our own coke the beer lager good prices cocktails a bit expensive but we honestly find it cheaper not to do the drinks package
Overall, the whole package was exactly what I was expecting. The entertainment sucked but I knew it wasn't for me when I booked. Food was ok, although I thought the desserts were incredibly bland. One restaurant in particular stands out as being very poor and that was Pearl. Have to say it was one of the worst restaurant meals I've ever had. Service was brilliant but the food was over cooked. However, Norway is stunning, which made up for it.
I'm on IONA right now and I agree with you to 99% but... (and there is always a 'but') who programmed the algoritm for the lifts? I have been on larger ships than Iona (MSC) and they managed it without any problems, but on IONA I sometimes have to wait for 15 minutes before there are any lift that isn't full already. If larger ships can transport large amount of people up- and down, why can't IONA? I'm just saying...
I’ve never really understood people complaining about P&O. It’s the cheapest all-round cruise liner to sail out of Southampton to the best destinations. If you want better Wi-Fi, shows and dining - cruise on RCI, NCL, Celebrity, MSC. You’re literally buying the cheapest cruise line and complaining about it.
found the ship not big enough on sea days also freedom dining a joke if a restaurant is half full you have to wait a while because of lack of staff, app is useless not fit for purpose
I thought the freedom dining worked really well. Join the queue while you're getting ready, go down for a drink and then you get the notification that your table is ready. So much more flexible than a set time like on the other ships.
Thats only when the app works properly. We were in the glass house queue a couple of days ago. Only 2 were in queue. We left, went to join again and now 5 were in queue. Decided to just visit it to check and asked. Guy gave us a seat for 2, no queue waiting and then no one else of those 5 in queue appeared. But this cruise they've had massive problems with the main wifi then the app. At one point their ordering system went down for about a day and a half and they had to move to paper.
Aw wow, sounds like a pain. Bloody technology. Glad you got sorted in the end xxx
Thank you for this review, my husband and I are looking into booking for this coming June so am watching all the videos I can. ;)
I had the same ‘toilet door’ problem but only once, I had inadvertently used a disabled toilet and as far as I remember it was only in those where you needed to press the button to close the doors - obviously a very useful feature for disabled people as it allows the user to close the door to suit their individual access needs.
Interesting. I too found the dining system needed improving, but usually could find a table at the restaurant we wanted, and we got bookings at all the shows and speciality restaurants and the food was top notch. I especially loved the outdoor space, particularly decks 16/17 which were deserted after 6pm or so on our Mediterranean cruise. Seems everyone likes going inside to prep for dinner cos I was able to swim and jacuzzi in pretty much any hot tub or pool I wanted, all by myself. We tended to do this, I would then come back to the cabin around 7 and be ready to dine around 7.30 or 8. The buffet is especially good for all day eating, open till 1am if I remember rightly. Re the entertainment, I did find it a little hit and miss but curious as to why you rated it so poorly. What exactly did your partner hope to find? I was satisfied with the cabaret and musical shows, the quizzes, the talks, game shows, live music and the trapeze acts, though I think the Skydome really isn't good for music, since the acoustics are pretty poor, and there's limited seating. Whilst on seating, I agree the ship has so much space. I would argue it must be impossible to be not find a quiet spot in or outside the ship- Anderson's bar was especially nice and relaxed, and outside deck 18 was always good, even managed a jog one day, till I realised how boring it was running 22 laps to do a 5k. I stopped after 7 😁 All in all I really enjoyed my time on the ship.
Overall I loved my time onboard P&O’s IONA. Just a few little Con’s but nothing is perfect. The pro’s definitely outweighed the negatives. Just watch them sliding doors 😂😂
Really handy to know as we had been thinking about the Retreat. I think you balanced this vlog well. 20 days until we board and still looking forward to it 😉 x
What did you think of the metal balcony fronts? We were on the front in January in 9108, so on the opposite side to you and one down. They were ok if you were leaning on them but if you sat you couldn't see a thing. Apart from that we loved everything and cannot wait to go again.
Thanks for another great and honest video Danny 😀 These are really valid points (both the good and bad) 😊
We agree 100% about the web page (it's not an app no matter what P&O say). Its connectivity is iffy half the time (like the WiFi) and the virtual queues can be really long.
The way we got around this on both our Iona cruises was by booking every meal for the entire cruise as soon as we got on board (so the only meal we queued for was the first meal upon embarkation). That way we had everything booked and didn't have to stress over the queue - we would question whether this is true "freedom" dining as we had to tie ourselves in to bookings to avoid the queues and potential disappointment.
We don't book ship WiFi packages as we've never found the coverage to be truly good on any line, so that didn't really impact on us (we can see why it would be a huge problem of you need it though!).
We also don't book the Retreat on P&O ships as we don't think they offer much more than the standard offer (especially as the public spaces on P&O's ships are so good).
We think Rise is aimed at young families so probably not for everyone. We enjoyed it, but massively preferred Triboo (another Sky Dome acrobatic performance).
We agree with all your positives as well, especially the food, service, and cabins ❤
We really loved this video - so helpful to anyone considering cruising on Iona ❤❤ Hope you have an amazing time in Florida 🤩
Hey! Have you tried Virgin for Con? They rave about their vegetarian and vegan options for food but the entertainment is supposed to be a bit different too.
Ahh fellow North Easter? And fellow cruiser 👋👌 we have iona coming up soon 🎉
We're doing this exact cruise next week. We've never been on P&O before - we've only ever don Disney cruises. Freedom dining sounds good on paper, so we'll have to wait and see.
Hope you have an amazing time xx
Freedom worked awesome for us on the same cruise to Norway .. if you were worried about eating go to open dining ?
To add to my last comment; I never managed to get a table in the Indian restaurant and it disappeared from the 'app' after a couple of days.
I bought an Indian takeaway as soon as I got home 😂
Have to agree with you on Rise. Hardly anyone watch them after the first couple of nights. It was just awful. We did find the live acts in the else where a lot better, and the entertainment in the pub was great fun. Freedom dining wasn't too bad either as the ship was only at about 65% capacity. The staff and food was amazing and you couldn't ask for more.
I love your vlogs
I’m going on my first cruise in September on the Disney wish
And although I’m soooo excited
I’m also so terrified about the unknown, I’ve not cruised so I have noooo idea what to expect so by watching you honest opinions on cruising is really helping
I know it’s not the same cruise ship or company but watching you on a cruise ship is so reassuring
Thank you for sharing danny xx
Hi thank you for your vlog. This is my first cruise in September. I’d be interested to know which is the best you’ve been on/to. Thank you in advance x
Have fun! Xx
P&O's IT is really terrible. Their website for managing your booking has some terrible session management, and it constantly asks you to log back in whenever you move to a new page. It's like the developers don't know what a session is.
Freedom dining worked far better when you could go and queue and were seated when they opened the doors.
I think it's good to hear all aspects of a holiday, it helps everyone I think 😁🇦🇺🙋♀️
Aw thanks so much. Really wanted to do this video just to explain our thoughts xx
I completely agree with your comments re: those automatic doors. I didn't find them on my P&O Ventura cruise, but they absolutely were there on Celebrity last summer - the doors took YEARS to close, and there would always be someone on the other side not realising you were in it, who would press it 'just in time' for the wait to start all over again, haha!
Ah thanks so much for this comment. I really appreciate the support. Overall we loved the Iona but just the first few things were a little negative xx
Thank you so much for this review. So nice to hear your perspective.
Thanks so much. Really appreciate this xx
Been on Iona Twice always ate either fish and chip bar or buffet food wasn't brilliant in buffet but the sweets was lush.dont even mention WiFi it's so expensive.
There’s 24 night cruise coming up on sky princess Around the Baltic and then up to Iceland you’ll probably enjoy that
Ah that sounds amazing xx
Thanks for this, we’re due to sail soon on Iona, very helpful
Aw thanks Jill! You will honestly have the best time
Thanks for the wifi info. I'm also self employed and also need my wifi! For some reason, this info is impossible to find anywhere else online...
Sorry but your observation about the toilet doors is wrong. This is a great feature. Why are you worried if the door opens, it's a gents loo. This happens all the time.
Cool 😎
I am a massive engineering buff and booked on Iona in July. Id love and engine room tour, Is there such a thing ? I bet that's a question you've never been asked. Lol
Would be really interested to hear what entertainment they didn’t have to suit your partner? Thinking of booking for next year, thanks xxx
Hey Claire, yeah a few things really, he was hoping for more lively entertainment but on our sailing it seemed to be bingo and show each night which he is not keen on. I still had a great time xxxx
Just booked Arvia, naming ceremony cruise, I agree p & o need an app. Looking forward to seeing the totally vegan restaurant.
Aw have the best time xxx
I have to agree that the entertainment was dire. Rise was the most bizarre and pretty awful thing I have ever sat through..it was like watching a high school production. When we were on it only the inside hot tubs were working, all the 12 outside ones were freezing cold! The app is appalling, not just on Iona but on Ventura in May we waited 1.5 hours then went to the restaurant..and finally got sat down at 9.45, and had our food literally thrown at us! On Iona we went to eat every night at 9pm and got sat down immediately. The only toilet ,doors I saw on Iona that had electric doors were the disabled ones, I never saw them in the loos with urinals, apart from the door into the toilet rooms..not the cubicles. Found the food was good, apart from every night had broccoli and green beans. Glad you had a good time.
We had no problem booking restaurants. Didnt have to wait too long
Ah that’s brilliant xx
Same here. Worked really well. A lot more flexible.
I’m going on this cruise in 2 weeks time!
Have the best time xxx
I spent Christmas and new year. The worst ever! Didn’t like sky dome. And Christmas dinner was at 11.30pm! Would I go on it again? No! I’ve sailed with P&O several times. Only this one was poop. WiFi poop. Food was fine for me.
Aw sorry this happened to you, sounds awful xxx
Lol, I'm totally with you on Rise, utterly rubbish. Iona is a wonderful ship but them acts in the SkyDome, wow!... omg, and I totally know what you mean with those toilets as well, I remember some poor old dear flashing the whole ship as the door opened on her mid act! so bad... haha. Personally I quite like the freedom dining, it made us not have to rush getting ready for any set meal times and there are so many places to choose from to eat.
Aw thanks for this comment. Was really worried about doing this video as didn’t want to sound like a grump. Obviously loved the IONA, but just a few little things. But overall loved the ship xx
Danny, if you're at the Magic Kingdom, pop by Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary for their stack cheeseburger lunch! It's about eight minutes walking. And a reminder to get the free triple-filtered Trenta-size large ice water from Starbucks at the Parks! Ask for two! I cannot allow you to buy water at the Parks LOL! And FFS, it's 2022 and every cruise line's WiFi should be of the Royal Caribbean Voom standard. Do you hear me Disney Cruise Line! Get strawberries and blueberries and raspberries for your breakfast bowl. Fill your plate with lots of veggies to fill your tummy instead of another salmon fillet! So excited for your next Disney series! 👍
I didn’t like the spa on board Iona. Staff gave me the hard sell to buy expensive Elemis products which I didn’t want.
Great vlog...Going on Iona in May xx
Hope you enjoy it! and thanks so much xxx
Iona cruise Nov/Dec 2022, most hated thing is the lifts ,I'm a wheelchair user and never had so many people totally ignore me to stampede first in to the lift. Lot of cruisers attitude is appalling ,self entitled better than you kind of folk that I will not choose to holiday alongside again.
I am sorry you had a bad experience with the elevators and cruisers xxx
Hi Danny I have booked on Iona for 2024 to Norwegian Fyords. Have mobility issues . What is the app for booking your dining on. Have watched the video twice and still don't get it.can you please explain it. TIA.
You have to wait till your on the ship to set it up, there are instructions in the cabin, or go to customer service desk and thay will help you with it.
@@JohnSmith-ef8nr thank you.
how was cruising without a drinks package ?
We found it to be absolutely fine, honestly, had no issues. We drank a lot of pop and saved money that way xx
We take a litre each of spirits even take our own coke the beer lager good prices cocktails a bit expensive but we honestly find it cheaper not to do the drinks package
Overall, the whole package was exactly what I was expecting. The entertainment sucked but I knew it wasn't for me when I booked.
Food was ok, although I thought the desserts were incredibly bland. One restaurant in particular stands out as being very poor and that was Pearl.
Have to say it was one of the worst restaurant meals I've ever had. Service was brilliant but the food was over cooked.
However, Norway is stunning, which made up for it.
One gripe I had was the size of single cabins. Too small, nowhere to easily store bags.
Under the bed. I find out four days into the cruise
I'm on IONA right now and I agree with you to 99% but... (and there is always a 'but') who programmed the algoritm for the lifts? I have been on larger ships than Iona (MSC) and they managed it without any problems, but on IONA I sometimes have to wait for 15 minutes before there are any lift that isn't full already. If larger ships can transport large amount of people up- and down, why can't IONA? I'm just saying...
Where was the swirly sausage and mash fron please
How do you use the web page to book dining if you don't pay for the wifi? x
You don’t need to pay for WiFi to use the webpage xxx
Oh that's good. Thanks for the reply hun x
P&O have their own free wifi for all guess to book restaurants, excursions and see you expenses and your weekly dairy while on broad.
Agree with everything you said.
I’ve never really understood people complaining about P&O. It’s the cheapest all-round cruise liner to sail out of Southampton to the best destinations.
If you want better Wi-Fi, shows and dining - cruise on RCI, NCL, Celebrity, MSC.
You’re literally buying the cheapest cruise line and complaining about it.
Thank u so much🌝
Aw glad it helped, always happy to help xxxx
@@DannyDalimore godbless
found the ship not big enough on sea days also freedom dining a joke if a restaurant is half full you have to wait a while because of lack of staff, app is useless not fit for purpose
Omg you go off on so ,any tangents just keep to the subject
Don’t bother watching Karen
Until i watched i didnt know did i
Cool
Oh squirrel shinny light...
Every ship has bad points! Even the expensive ones! Take these comments with a pinch of salt.
It’s a shame that the review started out so negatively.
I put the negatives first so we could end with the positives. Positives out way the negatives xx
@@DannyDalimore I didn’t watch the full video as I got too depressed. :-(
@@davetotherescue6468 lol :)
The lifts 😐
9:55 Only the disabled ones are like that.
Ah okay xx
@@DannyDalimore Does that mean the whole time you were using the disabled?
Hey Steven, no I did not. Have a lovely day
@@DannyDalimore That's odd as just got off the boat and the only ones that were like that were the disabled ones.
Ah no worries, hope you had a lovely cruise xx
Cancelled the cruise on the strength of this review..🤣
That’s a shame, IONA is an amazing ship
Going on the Brittana October what do you think
@@hughlawther3399
Brittania was nice, I would go on that ship again.