Ardennais

Our tour guide in Guadeloupe got quite sniffy when I told him that we were Welsh, not English - he kept referring to everyone as being English. He was quite dismissive and said something like “same thing”. Didn’t give him a tip!!

When you say ‘sailing full’, do you mean all cabins full but not the additional 800 children? As I’ve said before, we really enjoyed Iona but there were very long queues in the buffet, especially late at night, and we failed to get into the cinema to see any films as they were full a good half hour before screening time. That was half term Feb when it was really full including all the children.

They might have more staff for the clubs. However, when I posted after our February half term cruise on Iona that they were understaffed, someone replied by saying that all the crew berths were full, and that it was therefore fully staffed. We had a great cruise, BUT, we had never before seen tables piled with dirty crockery left uncleared for ages. They would normally clear the tables in the Costa place straight away, but passengers were moving used crockery from one table to another just to have a clear table. We had no option but to cruise during school holidays at one time as I was still teaching and our children were still in school. The offering should be the same, regardless.

Are you on your back already?!

I think the school holidays are going to pose more problems. We were on the Iona half term February cruise, and it was very very busy. We thought that they were very understaffed in places. We hadn’t realised that the southern half of England were on half term - Wales was the following week. Still had a great cruise! I love seeing children around.

We were also on Iona in February and had a great time. We definitely want to sail on Iona again as there was a lot going on and we really loved The Quays. We also enjoyed the silent discos in the atrium. I agree with some of your points. There should definitely be two stations open in the late buffet. I have never ever seen queues like that late at night. It was half term and very busy. I imagine it will be the same in July/August. The acoustics were very poor in the Dome - we didn’t understand a word the girl group sang. However, the acrobatic/dance shows there were quite entertaining. Service was slow, as you say it’s easier to order at the bar/counter. Apparently they’re fully staffed, but we thought that they needed more staff in places.

Me too! I thought they were terrible.

Yes, there are shuttles to the city centre, just off the Rathaus. Well organised on Iona.

We would mostly agree having spent a wonderful week on Iona last month. The only ‘problem’ was slow service but that was probably because it was half term and packed full. I can’t wait to sail on Iona again, but the next few cruises are on different P&O ships because we don’t really want to visit the Fjords again any time soon.

We always visit the Boathouse at Saundersfoot.

We had a very leisurely full breakfast in the Coral restaurant on Iona before disembarking. I didn’t want to leave!

Radical! I think there’s a limit to the amount of money people will spend, especially if they’ve forked out for a balcony. We were very careful with onboard spend when our 3 children were teenagers. We always had a balcony and an inside opposite, but tried to limit onboard spend, apart from excursions.

And what that might be, do you think?

But P&O still take their money and they fill the cabins.

We feel exactly the same. We do have a 4-5 hour drive, but we’re never in a rush to leave!

Didn’t you say that Arcadia was freezing last year?

Do you all lock your cases?

Things can only get better! Best wishes.

Years ago, when the children were teenagers, we disembarked and found our cases all together. My eldest daughter had a fairly distinctive red case and thought that the one by our group was hers. On closer inspection she discovered it wasn’t her case and by now, the baggage hall was nearly empty. It was evident that someone had mistakenly taken hers and had left their own red case. Luckily there was a mobile number on it and I called the number. My daughter’s case was halfway up the M4 on the way to South Wales as the man on the other end confirmed that his case was red! I told him I would visit the helpdesk and sort everything out, so took his red case to the desk and explained everything. My daughter’s case was delivered to our home in about 5 days without any hassle or payment from our side of course. Sorry to ramble, but I forgot to add the point I was trying to make, which is that having your mobile number on the tag is a good idea. In our case above, the case had well and truly left Southampton but it could still have been in the car park or close by.

Unless you opt for self-disembarkation and carry everything off yourself.

Pembrokeshire is lovely indeed. We try to go to Tenby every couple of years for a week or so.

Roughly where in South Wales?

That’s my worry too. We really loved Iona and will definitely sail on her again!

Why? Depends entirely on what you like to listen to/watch and also what you read. I couldn’t be less interested in Lewis Hamilton if I tried so not au fait with his love life!

The 20 minute walk from the bus park in Bruges isn’t such a problem if you can do it in your own time. We did it in 2013 with my parents and we were escorted to the city centre at quite a cracking pace. Last month, the escort just gave us directions which was better really for everyone,