sandancer

Our cruise is end of August so not paid in full but I have made dinner reservations for the whole cruise on the app.

We were given a debark time of 9.15 on Iona. Not only were we on the coach but also had booked assistance. I tried to explain to the agent on reception that the allocated time really wouldn’t work but they were adamant that 9.15 was the correct time. Decided to make an executive decision and go to the meeting point at 8.15. The assistance staff told us that it was the right thing to do. The coach left at around 9am - whew!

We had until 11pm to put our bags out on Iona although they do request an earlier time if possible. Unlike most other cruise lines P&O do not issue return bag tags so remember to leave the original ones on your luggage. We invested in some of the plastic bag tag covers and they’ve been invaluable, we’ve used them several times. No worries about losing the flimsy paper ones.

They do. £2.50 charge on account for each delivery regardless of how many items. This was on Iona.

And pay £2.50 for it.

We had the Bon Voyage package on Iona. They were offering 14% discount for Valentine’s Day (our cruise was not until March) so plus loyalty discount it was worth a punt. This is what we received. Flowers, chocolates, bottle of champagne, robes and slippers, portrait photo and champagne breakfast in bed with half a bottle of champagne. I think we paid £113 and it was a really nice treat. For a birthday it would work for us.

You must tell P&O even if you don’t take your own wheelchair. The assistance desk has a list and unless you are on it you won’t get the required help.

As you say that your DH can not walk far without a wheelchair then I would have thought so. I assumed you were taking a wheelchair with you.

Eavesway will drop off at the coach stop. You won’t have to deal with your luggage, the driver will take it to the porters and it will be outside your door later that day.

You need to complete a passenger assistance form which is accessed through your P&O account. Even if not taking your own wheelchair you should contact P&O to ask if you can have assistance to board. There are wheelchairs and pushers in the assistance area in the terminal. It is essential that you arrange this in advance. As for the coach, there is a coach lane outside departures but you have to get from there to the terminal. Are you on an Intercruises coach?

We got them in October on Azura also. Just not on Iona.

Have to agree with Selbourne here. When we disembarked Iona the Limelight Club was packed and we saw a lot of people who had been out and about without any mobility aids but now needed a wheelchair and pusher. Being of a skeptical nature I couldn’t help wondering if this was partly because the pushers were helping to find the luggage and then taking the passenger + escort out of the terminal. One group had 3 wheelchairs and 3 pushers with one walking stick between them. I am well aware that not all disabilities are visible, my DH has both visible and hidden, so we are very understanding but there is a limit. We would be very happy to go back to the days when we didn’t need help, we didn’t appreciate at the time how much more difficult things are for guests with a mobility/medical problem. As for the lifts grrrrr!!

May depend on the airport but at Newcastle we were able to check our luggage in after 4.30 the evening before our scheduled flight to Malta to join Azura.

You also get 20% discount in Sindhu for booking in advance. So when you get the bill check to make sure your £10 deposit pp has come off + 20% off. Never had to query this as they know you booked before boarding.

Can’t recommend the Chefs Table. We enjoyed it on our NYE cruise but on our latest cruise it was like school dinners. There are so many better options on Iona, as Harry pointed out, the MDR is a much better option or if you want to splash out book the Epicurean. You’ll need to be sharpish though and book as soon as it’s available 2 weeks beforehand. As for the hairdryers, I found it no different to my hairdryer at home. I remember the days when the dryer was in the bathroom, they were usually hopeless. I used to say that my DH could blow on my hair and it would dry more quickly.

Much has been said recently about P&O attracting young families to the 2 big ships. Here is an interesting twist. On our recent Iona cruise there was a young family, four of them in an inside cabin down the corridor from us. On Celebration night they all appeared in full bridal finery. Turned out the wedding had been just prior to the cruise and they were going to have their wedding photographs taken on the ship. Given the serious cost of a professional wedding photographer I had to admire their initiative. I expect it was no more to take the cruise than pay for it at home and had a honeymoon thrown in.

I didn’t. Not important enough for me to make it an issue. We had a fairly serious medical problem so more pressing problems. I take this opportunity to commend the excellent medical staff on Iona. Couldn’t fault the service.

Unfortunately not John. Our cabin attendant told us that she was not allowed to give us either unless we were in a suite. I can live without a face cloth and I bought some body lotion at our first port.

We recently cruised on Iona (I think we got off as you got on John). There were a lot of young families onboard. In fact I said it was the first cruise where there were as many buggies as wheelchairs. For the OP, if not having a turn down at night, no body lotion, no facecloths and reduced portions at meal times, no trays in the buffet and paying a delivery charge for room service matters to you then you might not find P&O suits you now.

Funny enough we just said exactly the same about P&O.

Why can’t people just follow the rules. They are there for a reason and that is to keep everyone safe.

So I decided to go back and double check but as today is the last day there were around 15 people in front of us I abandoned the idea. Better get on with the packing.

Right now on Iona I have not seen either a buggy or a wheelchair left outside the cabin. However when we were on in January someone 3 doors down from us left an electric wheelchair outside all the time.

If it is only a folding wheelchair then you should be fine. If, like us you also have a rollator which is the same size as the wheelchair then a de luxe cabin is the least size we can manage comfortably. We were refused by the P&O agent to book anything other than an adapted cabin. Perhaps some training is in order.

Our very efficient travel agent has replied and is sure the agent is incorrect. Not going to bother now with another new booking. As long as we are able to carry on with our existing bookings we will be satisfied. We will want something in writing from P&O confirming that we will not be refused boarding. The agent swears this is not an action taken by P&O but a new maritime law.