Suite availability on Iona for Canary Islands cruise 13/11

[s.mac]

To all you knowledgeable P&O cruisers,

We have just booked the cruise around the Canaries and Portugal leaving Southampton on 13th November on the Iona. We are seasoned cruises but only once before with P&O. We would have liked a suite or deluxe balcony grade of cabin but there are NONE available 🤔. Is this just chance, or do P&O release cabins closer to the departure date? This is not something I have encountered before. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[terrierjohn]

Suites and limited number cabin types generally sell out during the launch period, which for November 2021 sailings was probably March 2020.

[daiB]

7 hours ago, s.mac said:

To all you knowledgeable P&O cruisers,

We have just booked the cruise around the Canaries and Portugal leaving Southampton on 13th November on the Iona. We are seasoned cruises but only once before with P&O. We would have liked a suite or deluxe balcony grade of cabin but there are NONE available 🤔. Is this just chance, or do P&O release cabins closer to the departure date? This is not something I have encountered before. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Yes suites fill up very quickly. On popular cruises often on day 1 of booking

[Will&Hel]

On 8/17/2021 at 12:40 PM, s.mac said:

To all you knowledgeable P&O cruisers,

We have just booked the cruise around the Canaries and Portugal leaving Southampton on 13th November on the Iona. We are seasoned cruises but only once before with P&O. We would have liked a suite or deluxe balcony grade of cabin but there are NONE available 🤔. Is this just chance, or do P&O release cabins closer to the departure date? This is not something I have encountered before. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

We have been successful twice with being "waitlisted " for a suite with P&O

[pete14]

On 8/17/2021 at 12:40 PM, s.mac said:

To all you knowledgeable P&O cruisers,

We have just booked the cruise around the Canaries and Portugal leaving Southampton on 13th November on the Iona. We are seasoned cruises but only once before with P&O. We would have liked a suite or deluxe balcony grade of cabin but there are NONE available 🤔. Is this just chance, or do P&O release cabins closer to the departure date? This is not something I have encountered before. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

If you look at the deck plans, you will see Iona has only 4 suites on each cabin deck (Conservatory mini suites seem to be more like larger balcony cabins so I haven’t counted them). Compare that to the numbers of other cabins and it is hardly surprising that there are none available).

[clevercruiser]

On 8/17/2021 at 8:08 PM, daiB said:

Yes suites fill up very quickly. On popular cruises often on day 1 of booking

 

8 hours ago, pete14 said:

If you look at the deck plans, you will see Iona has only 4 suites on each cabin deck (Conservatory mini suites seem to be more like larger balcony cabins so I haven’t counted them). Compare that to the numbers of other cabins and it is hardly surprising that there are none available).

 

This is what I don't understand about P+O - on the one hand as Dai says, highly expensive

(and therefore highly profitable) suites tend to "fill up very quickly", but then they go ahead

order two 5000+ capacity ships which will be hard to fill due to repetitive itineraries, with only

a couple of dozen suites on each which then sell out for 18 months!

 

Does anyone have any idea why they have done this?

 

  

 

 

[daiB]

55 minutes ago, clevercruiser said:

 

 

This is what I don't understand about P+O - on the one hand as Dai says, highly expensive

(and therefore highly profitable) suites tend to "fill up very quickly", but then they go ahead

order two 5000+ capacity ships which will be hard to fill due to repetitive itineraries, with only

a couple of dozen suites on each which then sell out for 18 months!

 

Does anyone have any idea why they have done this?

 

  

 

 

Errrr. No

[sueandphil]

There are only 24 full suites on Iona according to our Butler when we were on Britannia in 2019.  Not sure how many Butlers there are but there are only 4 on Britannia and you do not get the services of a Butler in the Conservatory suites

 

[Son of Anarchy]

2 hours ago, clevercruiser said:

 

 

This is what I don't understand about P+O - on the one hand as Dai says, highly expensive

(and therefore highly profitable) suites tend to "fill up very quickly", but then they go ahead

order two 5000+ capacity ships which will be hard to fill due to repetitive itineraries, with only

a couple of dozen suites on each which then sell out for 18 months!

 

Does anyone have any idea why they have done this?

 

  

 

 

What goes on within Carnival House is a mystery, especially to those who work within Carnival House...😱

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, clevercruiser said:

 

 

This is what I don't understand about P+O - on the one hand as Dai says, highly expensive

(and therefore highly profitable) suites tend to "fill up very quickly", but then they go ahead

order two 5000+ capacity ships which will be hard to fill due to repetitive itineraries, with only

a couple of dozen suites on each which then sell out for 18 months!

 

Does anyone have any idea why they have done this?

 

  

 

 

Carnival are the worlds biggest cruise company, they did not become that by making bad decisions, so I guess they know just how many of each type of cabin they need.

[wowzz]

Suites have to be in certain locations, in the same way that penthouse suites are limited in any building. 

So, given the limited number of available suites, the cruise line then prices them accordingly,  and, obviously benefit from the additional profit. 

Interestingly,  Princess are now offering "club class" options on some mini-suites. Preferential dining arrangements, but not much else,  as far as I can see.  

But,  in due course I wouldn't be surprised to see P&O offering club class mini suites for a  £500 premium for a 14 day cruise.

[Cruise Puss]

On 8/27/2021 at 9:47 PM, sueandphil said:

There are only 24 full suites on Iona according to our Butler when we were on Britannia in 2019.  Not sure how many Butlers there are but there are only 4 on Britannia and you do not get the services of a Butler in the Conservatory suites

 

I can tell you exactly how many Butlers there are as we had a front Suite on the Maiden Voyage on Iona.  There are only two Butlers - one for the front Suites and one for the back Suites. Not enough, but that is how P&O have gone with Butlers I'm afraid. I remember when a Butler only had to look after 5 Suites each, now they have around 14 each (depending on how many there are on a ship obviously).

 

Our Butler (Raj) could not understand why they had not put some in the centre of the ship - there is certainly the room!  There are virtually no Suites available on Iona for the next year and a half - I've checked as we were wanting to go back on her. We have managed to get two Cons Mini-Suites next November and have gone on a Waiting List for a Suite.

 

By the way, the Cons Mini-Suites are lovely.  My M-i-L had one on the Maiden and she loved it. They are really really nice. The only drawbacks that we found were the small bathroom, the tiny bedside tables, and the fact that none of them overlook the sea, but then none of the cabins on Iona overlook the sea!

 

Iona is stunning by the way. 😁

 

[Cruise Puss]

1 hour ago, Cruise Puss said:

I can tell you exactly how many Butlers there are as we had a front Suite on the Maiden Voyage on Iona.  There are only two Butlers - one for the front Suites and one for the back Suites. Not enough, but that is how P&O have gone with Butlers I'm afraid. I remember when a Butler only had to look after 5 Suites each, now they have around 14 each (depending on how many there are on a ship obviously).

 

Our Butler (Raj) could not understand why they had not put some in the centre of the ship - there is certainly the room!  There are virtually no Suites available on Iona for the next year and a half - I've checked as we were wanting to go back on her. We have managed to get two Cons Mini-Suites next November and have gone on a Waiting List for a Suite.

 

By the way, the Cons Mini-Suites are lovely.  My M-i-L had one on the Maiden and she loved it. They are really really nice. The only drawbacks that we found were the small bathroom, the tiny bedside tables, and the fact that none of them overlook the sea, but then none of the cabins on Iona overlook the sea!

 

Iona is stunning by the way. 😁

 

I've got to slightly change my statement about none of Iona's cabins overlooking the sea as I've just seen a video of a balcony cabin on deck 5 that certainly does look directly over the sea, and was extremely nice with a lovely window next to the door leading out on to the balcony. 😊

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, Cruise Puss said:

The only drawbacks that we found were the small bathroom, the tiny bedside tables, and the fact that none of them overlook the sea, but then none of the cabins on Iona overlook the sea!

I'm confused (no change!)

If the cabins do not overlook the sea, what do they look over ?

[Cruise Puss]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I'm confused (no change!)

If the cabins do not overlook the sea, what do they look over ?

Don't worry, it is confusing.

Most of Iona's cabins, that are on higher decks, overlook the Prom deck, admittedly some from quite high up.

I have just replied to my own post as I had not realised that cabins on low decks, like deck 5, do, in fact, overlook the sea.

Sorry to have been confusing.

 

I will say Iona is a really lovely ship and I would highly recommend her. 😊

[wowzz]

8 minutes ago, Cruise Puss said:

Don't worry, it is confusing.

Most of Iona's cabins, that are on higher decks, overlook the Prom deck, admittedly some from quite high up.

I have just replied to my own post as I had not realised that cabins on low decks, like deck 5, do, in fact, overlook the sea.

Sorry to have been confusing.

 

I will say Iona is a really lovely ship and I would highly recommend her. 😊

But, if sitting on your balcony,  you look out to sea?

It's all a bit academic,  as I will never be sailing on her anyway!

Edited August 29, 2021 by wowzz

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

But, if sitting on your balcony,  you look out to sea?

It's all a bit academic,  as I will never be sailing on her anyway!

I'll let you know what you're missing wowzz after we sample her next February.

[Cruise Puss]

5 minutes ago, wowzz said:

But, if sitting on your balcony,  you look out to sea?

It's all a bit academic,  as I will never be sailing on her anyway!

Yes, you do,  but there are those of us who like to lean on the balcony and actually look down on the sea, which you can't do on a lot of her cabins.

[terrierjohn]

12 minutes ago, Cruise Puss said:

Yes, you do,  but there are those of us who like to lean on the balcony and actually look down on the sea, which you can't do on a lot of her cabins.

Many ships have similar vertical views, all the Grand class cabins above D deck look down on the D deck balconies. But move your gaze only a few degrees and you have a clear view of the sea, so it's not a major issue  IMO.

 

[Cruise Puss]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Many ships have similar vertical views, all the Grand class cabins above D deck look down on the D deck balconies. But move your gaze only a few degrees and you have a clear view of the sea, so it's not a major issue  IMO.

 

It's not just a direct view, straight down, of the sea, it's also the peace you get with just the sound of the sea and nothing else. Looking over something like a prom deck you tend to always have a certain amount of background human noise. It's just our preference not to have that. 😊

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, Cruise Puss said:

It's not just a direct view, straight down, of the sea, it's also the peace you get with just the sound of the sea and nothing else. Looking over something like a prom deck you tend to always have a certain amount of background human noise. It's just our preference not to have that. 😊

So, the higher up you are, away from the prom deck, the quieter it will  be.

[Cruise Puss]

On 8/29/2021 at 11:25 PM, wowzz said:

So, the higher up you are, away from the prom deck, the quieter it will  be.

No, unfortunately not. You still get human noise. The sea is completely peaceful. 

 

[picsa]

On 8/27/2021 at 7:40 PM, clevercruiser said:

 

 

This is what I don't understand about P+O - on the one hand as Dai says, highly expensive

(and therefore highly profitable) suites tend to "fill up very quickly", but then they go ahead

order two 5000+ capacity ships which will be hard to fill due to repetitive itineraries, with only

a couple of dozen suites on each which then sell out for 18 months!

 

Does anyone have any idea why they have done this?

 

 

 

Because what they are selling is exclusivity and there is a limit to that. Put in too many suites and suddenly the ability for the very few to look down on the many is lost.

 

And there is a limit to the price they can charge on the suites before the cost starts to overlap with the prices for Carnival's more premium brands.

[zap99]

On 8/29/2021 at 4:26 PM, terrierjohn said:

I'll let you know what you're missing wowzz after we sample her next February.

Next week for us. The reviews all looking good. Shame there isn't a dodgem track like on Saga.🤣

[daiB]

2 hours ago, Cruise Puss said:

No, unfortunately not. You still get human noise. The sea is completely peaceful. 

 

You must listen very hard for it. I find the only thing i can here is there sea.