Iona

[davecttr]

17 hours ago, Fitzplumbago said:

I have noticed something recently from pictures. It appears as though most of the upper public decks and the promenade deck has 6+ foot plexiglass behind the hand rails, front and sides. Only lower plexi at the rear and directly outside the atrium (Dining?). Obviously they don’t want anyone escaping! Slightly disappointing for people like me who like taking photos of sunsets, etc. Could be wrong, although that’s how it appears from the images...

 

Luckily I booked a balcony for summer. 🙂

 

 

Fascinating, anyone got any photos? I wonder why they have installed the screens and have they also installed them on Britannia?

[jaydee6969]

Quick screen grab from a video, but it certainly looks like it is the case.

[jaydee6969]

Found a couple of photos I had stored from the build, shows it clearer.

[Adawn47]

To my eye, it only looks to be as high as the normal handrail would be, photos can be decieving so I could be wrong. The only thing I can think is that it's temporary, so they don't have to keep re-varnishing and repainting handrails. After all, she's been floating around a while. I'm sure in the original photos, she had the usual handrails fitted.

Avril

[jaydee6969]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

To my eye, it only looks to be as high as the normal handrail would be, photos can be decieving so I could be wrong. The only thing I can think is that it's temporary, so they don't have to keep re-varnishing and repainting handrails. After all, she's been floating around a while. I'm sure in the original photos, she had the usual handrails fitted.

Avril

Some of these photo's were taken before Covid became what we now know, so I believe these are permanent full height screens as you normally get on the higher decks.

 

Also, these photos below are from Smeralda in service, I know its a sister, but the screen heights are as Iona.  In particular around the central atrium is a lower height compared to the rest of the sides.

[Adawn47]

Ah, so only normal handrail height, that's what I thought when I looked. No obstruction at all and you still have clear views. Less upkeep too, unless you count the cleaning of course.

Avril

[davecttr]

And the high screens will help to keep the wind off the decks?

[jaydee6969]

14 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Ah, so only normal handrail height, that's what I thought when I looked. No obstruction at all and you still have clear views. Less upkeep too, unless you count the cleaning of course.

Avril

It is only normal handrail height for the small central atrium area and the stern.  All along the remainder of the sides of the promenade deck will be 2 metre high glazed screens.

 

As the previous poster stated, if you are taking photos through all these glazed screens it does.

Edited April 14, 2021 by jaydee6969

[jaydee6969]

5 minutes ago, davecttr said:

And the high screens will help to keep the wind off the decks?

 

Yes, I think it will.  Iona does have outside areas for eating along the promenade deck so may have been a consideration.  Its a trade off I suppose.  If you want clear unobstructed views head to the central atrium or stern.  And the screens might stop napkins etc flying off the tables into people strolling around the promenade deck.

[tring]

How horrid being closed in like that, would make being at sea a bit pointless IMO.  Will be fun when leaving ports and in scenic locations, like the Fjords, since everyone will be heading to the same parts of the deck to get a clear view!  Even if glass screens are clean regularly, there are always some deposits on them that would affect the view.

 

View from balconies usually restricted to one side of course,  and not all cabins have balconies.  Puts me right off the ship and our Vera as well if they do the same with her.  Not that we would be that keen to go on ships of that size anyway.

[Britboys]

On the last couple of P&O cruises I have done, window cleaning of both cabins and public areas could definitely have been better. They will have to up their game to make sure these are kept sparkling.

[bobstheboy]

37 minutes ago, tring said:

How horrid being closed in like that, would make being at sea a bit pointless IMO.  Will be fun when leaving ports and in scenic locations, like the Fjords, since everyone will be heading to the same parts of the deck to get a clear view!  Even if glass screens are clean regularly, there are always some deposits on them that would affect the view.

 

View from balconies usually restricted to one side of course,  and not all cabins have balconies.  Puts me right off the ship and our Vera as well if they do the same with her.  Not that we would be that keen to go on ships of that size anyway.

Ship sizes are an acquired taste, some like smaller, where you can get to know people, others, like our selves like the monsters, where there is more options for entertainment and dining.

 

P&O have a good mix IMO, so will appeal to most.

[tring]

46 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

P&O have a good mix IMO, so will appeal to most.

 

Compared to the mainstream cruise lines, maybe, but for how long remains to be seen.

 

Shame they do not have any desire to provide variety in their itineraries though.  Same stuff year on year with some itineraries being exact replicas of those offered in previous years.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Ship sizes are an acquired taste, some like smaller, where you can get to know people, others, like our selves like the monsters, where there is more options for entertainment and dining.

 

P&O have a good mix IMO, so will appeal to most.

Yes, P&O do have a good mix - for now. Of course, we all define "monster" differently. For me, it is Azura/Ventura upwards. Consequently, I am finding less and less choice with P&O since Oriana and Oceana were sold off. I have accepted that my days of cruising with them are numbered as they are going in a direction that I don't wish to sail in. I have also accepted that cruising on smaller ships will cost me more as each year passes. C'est la vie - that's my choice.

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, tring said:

 

Compared to the mainstream cruise lines, maybe, but for how long remains to be seen.

 

Shame they do not have any desire to provide variety in their itineraries though.  Same stuff year on year with some itineraries being exact replicas of those offered in previous years.

The itineraries now seem to be devised with a keen eye on maximising profits Barbara. The bigger ships tend to do largely one or two repeat itineraries across the season. I am sure they will get a better deal on port charges and shore excursions by making multiple calls into the same locations. 

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Ship sizes are an acquired taste, some like smaller, where you can get to know people, others, like our selves like the monsters, where there is more options for entertainment and dining.

 

P&O have a good mix IMO, so will appeal to most.

Yes I agree and luckily we are all different and having different choices but I do think that some people do look for the pettiest of reasons for not liking the large ships. 

[tring]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

Yes, P&O do have a good mix - for now. Of course, we all define "monster" differently. For me, it is Azura/Ventura upwards. Consequently, I am finding less and less choice with P&O since Oriana and Oceana were sold off. I have accepted that my days of cruising with them are numbered as they are going in a direction that I don't wish to sail in. I have also accepted that cruising on smaller ships will cost me more as each year passes. C'est la vie - that's my choice.

 

It is certainly a problem for you if looking for single occupancy.

 

You will no doubt have noticed my change of stance from even P&O's "mid sized" ships being big for us, to booking a couple of Azura cruises and a long Aurora one, albeit in balcony cabins which have not figured highly in our previous travels (only 11 weeks in total), and which we feel will make a big difference to us, as we tend to find a quiet spot to sit rather than head to the entertainment venues.  The price has cinched it along with the fact it could well be difficult travelling to less developed countries in the next couple of years, though we still hope to slip in something really interesting if we can and/or visit relatives in Canada and the US.  At present the most important thing is just to be able to go somewhere warm during our winter, which has miffed us a lot this year.  We always said we could "do" Europe when we get older, so a number of ports there are still new to us and perhaps now is the time to consider ourselves older 🙂

 

The prices we are seeing for the smaller ships is getting silly to say the least and we are not really into cruising for cruising sake, so are more likely to go with land holidays which can allow much longer in good locations and not have the constraint of having to return to a ship at a set time in the evening, which always seems a great shame.  The P&O cruises are also a trial for us, so will be interesting to ourselves in some respects how we feel about them.  At the price we can spend much of the winter away, covid and health permitting.  We still have that Indian visa for the next few years though, so will be heading off there, with car and driver for part of our stay ASAP.

 

Enjoy your travels, whatever they are,

 

Barbara  

Edited April 14, 2021 by tring

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, tring said:

 

It is certainly a problem for you if looking for single occupancy.

 

You will no doubt have noticed my change of stance from even P&O's "mid sized" ships being big for us, to booking a couple of Azura cruises and a long Aurora one, albeit in balcony cabins which have not figured highly in our previous travels (only 11 weeks in total), and which we feel will make a big difference to us, as we tend to find a quiet spot to sit rather than head to the entertainment venues.  The price has cinched it along with the fact it could well be difficult travelling to less developed countries in the next couple of years, though we still hope to slip in something really interesting if we can and/or visit relatives in Canada and the US.  At present the most important thing is just to be able to go somewhere warm during our winter, which has miffed us a lot this year.  We always said we could "do" Europe when we get older, so a number of ports there are still new to us and perhaps now is the time to consider ourselves older 🙂

 

The prices we are seeing for the smaller ships is getting silly to say the least and we are not really into cruising for cruising sake, so are more likely to go with land holidays which can allow much longer in good locations and not have the constraint of having to return to a ship at a set time in the evening, which always seems a great shame.  The P&O cruises are also a trial for us, so will be interesting to ourselves in some respects how we feel about them.  At the price we can spend much of the winter away, covid and health permitting.  We still have that Indian visa for the next few years though, so will be heading off there, with car and driver for part of our stay ASAP.

 

Enjoy your travels, whatever they are,

 

Barbara  

Thanks Barbara. I still very much enjoy my cruising but there are some land holidays on my wishlist. I want to do the Golden Triangle in India, Safari in South Africa, and maybe a land tour of Jordan incorporating Petra. When travelling is 'normal' again, I would also like to cruise right up to Svalbard in Norway and the cruise up the Amazon.

[davecttr]

20 hours ago, tring said:

How horrid being closed in like that, would make being at sea a bit pointless IMO.  Will be fun when leaving ports and in scenic locations, like the Fjords, since everyone will be heading to the same parts of the deck to get a clear view!  Even if glass screens are clean regularly, there are always some deposits on them that would affect the view.

 

View from balconies usually restricted to one side of course,  and not all cabins have balconies.  Puts me right off the ship and our Vera as well if they do the same with her.  Not that we would be that keen to go on ships of that size anyway.

That is the last thing P&O want at the moment, crowds of people jostling at the rails

 

Set your camera to infinity and take the photo through the screen or use a selfie stick with your phone , who still uses a camera? I do, because my camera has a viewfinder which I can use with my normal specs but using my mobile I have to change to reading glasses - grrrr!

[SarahHben]

17 minutes ago, davecttr said:

That is the last thing P&O want at the moment, crowds of people jostling at the rails

 

Set your camera to infinity and take the photo through the screen or use a selfie stick with your phone , who still uses a camera? I do, because my camera has a viewfinder which I can use with my normal specs but using my mobile I have to change to reading glasses - grrrr!

I'll be taking my camera with various lenses, I bought a wide angle lens specifically to take to Norway. I will be hunting out the best spots on Iona to get photos from.

[tring]

25 minutes ago, davecttr said:

That is the last thing P&O want at the moment, crowds of people jostling at the rails

 

Set your camera to infinity and take the photo through the screen or use a selfie stick with your phone , who still uses a camera? I do, because my camera has a viewfinder which I can use with my normal specs but using my mobile I have to change to reading glasses - grrrr!

 

We prefer to just look out from the ship with our eyes rather than have a camera in hand and many other people do as well.  A screen will reduce that ability considerably, so I suggest there will be a lot of people wanting to access the few places were that is possible.

 

[Son of Anarchy]

Looks like Iona is due to head over to Rotterdam again.

[Son of Anarchy]

[Son of Anarchy]

[Son of Anarchy]