Host Sharon

Maybe Saga were offering too many Baltic cruises to be able to fill a September one. I am booked on the Gulf of Bothnia in August. Hope that goes ahead. 103 empty cabins at present.

The shuttle in Porto drops you off near the Clerigos Tower. You can then just walk or pick up a HoHo bus.

No, even I draw the line at that, but having said that an outside suited me just fine for 3 months. I had the whole open decks as a balcony and I would hapily have gone round once again when we reached Southampton.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and the rabbit hole (or should I say money pit) that is cruising. I would add that a couple of weeks to the Canaries on Iona, although nice, will not really give you any idea of a world cruise on say, Arcadia. The ships are just too different, not just in facilities but activities and space. On a world cruise you usually have up to 6 straight days at sea crossing the Pacific. There may also be days when the seas are rough, which you might not notice on a ship the size of Iona, but will feel different on a smaller ship. On the other hand, 3 months at sea, visiting wonderful far-away ports is fabulous. I would suggest 2 weeks on Aurora or Arcadia first to see if you like those ships and save Iona for other cruises.

Having spent three days on her pre-maiden - I agree. Each to their own. Off soon for a month on Spirit of Adventure 🙂

They are Prija toiletries. Large bottles, replaced when necessary.

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During the current crisis Cruise Critic are relaxing rules on off topic discussions - however it would be good to try and keep them on this thread rather than confuse threads on specific issues. So, to start things off - Day 5 @ home. I am self-isolating as in the vulnerable group with health issues so lots of spring cleaning accomplished. Fortunately I am a weaver, well stocked with lots of yarns, so hope to finish lots of stock ready for Christmas !! Loads of panic buying in this area so waiting to see how much of my booked Asda shopping I'll actually get come Wednesday 😞