thornegirl

If anyone has been on Iona could you advise what time the departure time is.  Its only saying depart afternoon on the itinerary.  

I'm trying to book Flor & Fjaere independently as the excursion through P&O has been cancelled.  The trip would return to Stavanger at 4.30 in the afternoon.

We booked this excursion for our August cruise, but had this refunded about a month ago as the trip was no longer available. Not appeared on the available excursions since.

Just reading on face ache spirit of discovery page two of the people offloaded in Barcelona are still in the cruise terminal and nobody knows what is going to happen to them. quote from person "apparently they were disembarked before official approval from the port of authority was given"

5 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

Nothing planned - staff must be totally overwhelmed at the minute, as one thing they excelled at (on the old ships, anyway) was the ability to arrange entertainment at extremely short notice when a port day became a sea day. 

 

Notify Saga within first 72 hours (48 if 7 nights or less) and then if Saga cannot improve it for you, you get passage home from the next available port. So add 24 hours for an attempt to mollify, then the time to reach a port from which Saga can arrange to fly you home.

 

Thanks for the information. 

30 minutes ago, Nelson PK said:

I understand that a number of guests used the “love it” guarantee for first timers, free five day holiday for them!

I thought you had to tell them within the first 72 hours (3 days) to use the 'love it' clause? how do you get 5 days free holiday?

20 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Just reading this in brochure. 

 

As you say , it says we guarantee you will love your first cruise or we will refund your fare, and cover cost of your return transportation. 

 

Conditions,  it must be your first ever Saga cruise, secondly must tell hotel director in first 72hrs. 

 

There will be endeavour to resolve issues. However only you can say you "love it". 

 

The last line says "further terms and conditions may apply". On the web it also says this doesn't apply  if you want to return due to "force majeure " conditions as stated in Saga standard conditions.  However when I search Saga standard ocean cruise conditions  (pdf on web) force majeure can't be found in it. Force majeure means things outside Saga control,  so not being able to enter port because of say Spanish rules is Force Majeure.  Only going on Saga excursions is a Saga self imposed rule , not force majeure. 

 

From my experience ( but I'm not a lawyer) other un-written , undefined,  further conditions, not in the brochure or on website have no standing. 

its the quarantine in your cabins for at least 5 days if you are a close contact or actually get Covid and not being able to go ashore except on a saga excursion which would ruin the cruise.  The enjoyment of going ashore and discovering little cafes off the beaten track, going into a beautiful church or a museum is what we look forward to.   Not being herded into a coach and driven around without  being able to get off and walk around  is not my idea of an excursion. 

19 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

If this is your first Saga  cruise if worst comes to worst you can use the "love it" clause and get them to return you from first port , full refund and they pay to get you home, you just need to tell them in first 72hrs that you don't love it

 

 

 

If this is still going on when I board, if they won't let me cancel beforehand, I will use this clause. £30,000 is way to much to spend half time in cabin, and a buffet instead of proper service. Although have sympathy for Saga, its not what i paid for.

Has anyone managed to use the "love it" clause onboard  a Saga cruise, it says subject to terms and conditions but doesn't elaborate what those T&C's are.

1 hour ago, SarahHben said:

Thank you. Hopefully we’ll get deck 9.

One of the reasons we booked a deluxe was the lack of space between the bed and the wardrobe in standard balcony cabins (in that particular configuration) and from what I’ve seen the main bedroom part of the conservatory cabins are the same size as standard ones. 
Oh well, we can only wait and see what we’re offered.

I remember Molecrochip saying that the bed is near the balcony if the door to the cabin is on the left;

 This is what he said:

If space to get to the wardrobe is important then book a cabin where the sofa is next to the wardrobe. From what I understand, for each pair of cabins as shown below, the cabin with the door to the left hand side of the cabin (from the corridor) has the bed by the balcony and the sofa by the wardrobe (so 12.528 in this case)

We have been on Iona in an outside cabin, really nice spacious cabin (they are 215sq ft) on deck 5 not too far from the lifts.  Good location and very quiet cabin.  Normally the outside cabins are quite a bit cheaper than the balcony.  We did saver fare on that cruise as the outside cabins are only on deck 4 or 5, and you could choose mid or mid aft cabin grade.

I've done dummy bookings for Iona going to the Fjords for May 2022 (we are going with extended family with 3 children in August) When you book with children it is not coming up with the section under important information re your holiday about vaccines.

 It is however coming up with that section about vaccines, which you have to tick, for bookings in April.

I'm assuming that its just for cruises up until the end of April 2022 that's being affected.  I'm hoping so as the cruise in August is a re-booked cruise from 2020.

I changed a cruise booked for July 2023 which was over £4K to a cruise in April 2023, for just over £2K on Tuesday.  No amendment fee at all.  That was through the Derbyshire travel agent.  The April 2023 cruise is an early saver fare

25 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Reading about the Limelight Club takes me back to the days of the Scampi and Chips in a basket circuit, in the likes of Baileys in Leicester in the mid 70s, watching the likes of the Drifters and Four Tops.

Anyone else remember those days?

Yes I do, we saw Dusty Springfield at The Bees Knees at Failsowrth in Manchester in the early 70's.  Collected the chicken in the basket near the stage door

9 hours ago, phoenix1975 said:

Thanks for all the help. I ended up joining the Facebook Group about Iona cabins, which helped to see photos of the cabins.

 

When I booked this evening, there weren't cabins available on Deck 4 where I wanted one, so have booked a Deck 5 one mid-forward on the port side.

We had an outside cabin on deck 5, was perfect no noise at all.  Room a bit narrow but best bathroom on any ship 

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Re excursions it has always been that you can cancel upto 3 days before sailing and the money is refunded to the card you paid with.  Cancellations onboard are, if I recall correctly, refunded as onboard credit.  I have had tours cancelled by P&O and Cunard in the past due to lack of participants and this was also put onto my onboard account.

We cancelled an excursion whilst onboard once and were charged 10% cancellation charge.

6 minutes ago, weejenny said:

If there are several changes since the early sailings does the ship feel busy and is it still easy to 'distance'?

The ship doesn’t feel busy at all and it’s quite easy to distance If you’re still a bit nervous.  Still spacing in the headliners and the main restaurants.  There’s still mask wearing inside the ship at all times. We did have one sunny day and it was easy to find a sunbed, hoping for some sunny weather on the way back to Southampton!  

23 hours ago, amfc_lenny said:

Hi, does anyone know the number of passengers on Britannia at the moment, curious as we are on board next week and wondering how packed the interior and lido spaces will be

 

thanks in advance

We were told by the manager of the Glasshouse that there are 1600 onboard, there are a lot less people on this week than the previous cruise.   The trawlermen in the atrium are brilliant, the atrium is packed with people standing on the stairs watching their performances.  The Limelight club has John Partridge in, not been to see him yet. There’s also a good guitarist/singer called Gabor Auth in various venues who is also very good. 
The only problem we’ve found is that the ship is quite cold. 

11 minutes ago, firsttimer086 said:

Can you only dine with your booking party, so if you're travelling as a couple you're stuck eating at a table for two the whole time or do they allow mixed tables?

Yes you can share with others , we were asked do you want to share. Never had that on the other two staycations. We did share on the second night, was really good to be able to do that again.  
also no limits on people in the lifts, the 4 dots have gone!  Plus no tables ‘resting’ I the bars. Quite a few changes since our Iona maiden. 

8 hours ago, BABBY said:

Hi just seen you have come off of this ship - please can you let us know any of the following please?

 

• Can anyone please advise us as soon as possible on what we need to do or take on our cruise Sunday, as not booked a holiday online before.

 

• It says complete health declaration 3 days before - so will do that tomorrow, but do i have to log out and in for each person to do this? Also once completed can i come out and go back in and print off?
• Do p&o then respond by email to that health questionaire and that is what you take with you? as some information online is saying you print off and some info saying they email you.

 

• Also once gone in and checked in or completed health questionaire etc, can i go back in and either print or amend if need be if done something wrong, 

 

• I am taking it that i just check in and print/take my:
• Travel ins doc - download NHS app for covid vaccination evidence or print off the pdf that can download -  then once checked in my e ticket - boarding pass

 

• Re booking entertainment etc I have heard there is an app? is this called my holiday and can only be downloaded and then picked up on ships wifi once on board to book dining, shows etc. 
• How easy is it to book things once on board too please?

 

• Any information or advise greatly appreciated. 

 

Many thanks in advance

If you are travelling to Southampton by car and you are parking with CPS, ensure that you have printed off your vaccination documents for all passengers which must include your name date of birth and the date of your vaccinations .  There is no wifi or 4g at the testing station used by CPS.

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

It would be interesting to know if the Glasshouse menu is the same on both Iona and Britannia at the moment. Just thinking that it may be limited due to lower numbers on board or possible supply problems?

I think the menu on the glasshouse was a bit limited because there are so many other restaurants to choose from.  

We were on the Iona maiden cruise, we enjoyed it.  We liked the Olive Grove restaurant and The Quays, but didn't enjoy The Glasshouse.  It was too 'open' and the food menu was nowhere near like the Britannia menu, we ate in there once but wouldn't rush back. On Britannia we are in there nearly every night either for a drink or a meal.  The Club House at the back of the ship is a superb venue, headliners theatre is also good.  We didn't manage to get in the 710 club there was always a big queue, and didn't get in the Limelight club as that was booked up all week, but we have seen La Voix before.

We have decided that Iona is not for us, but we are on there again with our family next August going to the Fjords.  The grandchildren will love it, so many things for them to do, we checked out the kids clubs while we were onboard and the staff in there were lovely.  Our favourite ship is Britannia which we are on again on Sunday.  

Next year is a big wedding anniversary so we are on Saga at Easter, looking forward to that.

2 hours ago, jaydee6969 said:

Just checked my points again today, and my total now reflects the Britannia and Iona staycation points being added.

 

Still not showing past and future cruises, but positive step forward with the points balance.

Not had ours added for the 2 staycation cruises that we have done either

10 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I have had 3 auto replies but nothing else, my TA has had no amended booking statement, and no response from a request either. It's as though P&O have dropped through a black hole.

So it's not only me then, I was beginning to think I wasn't doing things correctly.  What has happened to their usually good customer service, you can't run a business with after sales service like this. Lots of complaints about this on one social media site.

23 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Sounds like your original email didn't go through if you didn't get the auto reply.

I don't know what's going on, just sent yet another email.  See if I get an auto reply this time

1 hour ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Are you using the right email

 

shareholderbenefits@carnivalukgroup.com

 

 

Yes, that's the one I've used.  You normally get an acknowledgment of them receiving the email and then a second email some days later confirming it's been added to your account.  This time nothing.

Had it for the Iona maiden

39 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Doesn't this whole tread yet again prove the point that booking via a good TA is far less stressful than booking direct.

That booking was with a TA, the one from Derbyshire, but they've had no success either.  I don't know what else to do. I know its only £60 shareholder benefit, but £60 is better than nothing.