Isolation cabins on Iona?

[SarahHben]

Hello

Does anyone know where the current isolation cabins are on Iona? Maybe @molecrochip?

My sister has just text to say she thinks our 3 cabins are all in an isolation area 😳 

 

Panicking slightly 😞

Thanks

Edited February 18, 2022 by SarahHben

[davecttr]

I think from reading on here that they are in the MID AFT section between the central and rear staircases, apparently all balconies including soma adapted cabins. The section has fire doors at each end which can be closed. Don't know which decks though. For example 12602 to 12628

 

don't quote me though

[SarahHben]

28 minutes ago, davecttr said:

I think from reading on here that they are in the MID AFT section between the central and rear staircases, apparently all balconies including soma adapted cabins. The section has fire doors at each end which can be closed. Don't know which decks though. For example 12602 to 12628

 

don't quote me though

Thank you. 

My sister sent me a photo from facecloth giving cabin numbers that took out all of mid ship deluxe balcony cabins on decks 9,10, 11 & 12 😳

I've just called P&O, selected 'book a new cruise' and got through immediately 😂 The phone operator told me the quarentine areas can change on a cruise by cruise basis. 

I feel all unsettled again and feel like the cruise may not happen for us. 

[purplesea]

When we were on Iona three weeks ago cabins 12532 to 12502 were the only ones in use in that secion on the port side. The ones either side of those numbres were blocked off, but how far in each direction I don't know as we only accessed our cabin using the midships lifts.

[SarahHben]

10 minutes ago, purplesea said:

When we were on Iona three weeks ago cabins 12532 to 12502 were the only ones in use in that secion on the port side. The ones either side of those numbres were blocked off, but how far in each direction I don't know as we only accessed our cabin using the midships lifts.

Thank you, that ties in with what my sister has seen on FB.

We are due to have 2 deluxe cabins and 1 standard balcony cabin all mid-ship, starboard side of deck 11.

I'm just going to have to accept that our cabins may change. I really don't want an 'upgrade' to a deck 8 balcony cabin, although I'm so desperate to actually cruise that I might even accept one of those if it's a choice of that or nothing.

[pennib]

I am struggling to believe what you were told by P&O that cabins are changed on a cruise by cruise basis. On Azura at Christmas the quarantine cabins were all isolated and the corridor doors were locked with special fabric on the floors. Can’t see all that being changed on a cruise by cruise basis. Don’t know when you are sailing but P&O told us about our switch of cabins a good 3 months before the trip.

[smokey01]

4 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Thank you. 

My sister sent me a photo from facecloth giving cabin numbers that took out all of mid ship deluxe balcony cabins on decks 9,10, 11 & 12 😳

I've just called P&O, selected 'book a new cruise' and got through immediately 😂 The phone operator told me the quarentine areas can change on a cruise by cruise basis. 

I feel all unsettled again and feel like the cruise may not happen for us. 

In October we were moved from a deck 9 mid ship deluxe to deck 15 due to our cabin being used for quarantine. But did manage to upgrade to a deck 12 mid ship deluxe. I think I remember seeing the corridor that would have taken us to deck 12 mid aft cabins blocked off.

[SarahHben]

1 hour ago, pennib said:

I am struggling to believe what you were told by P&O that cabins are changed on a cruise by cruise basis. On Azura at Christmas the quarantine cabins were all isolated and the corridor doors were locked with special fabric on the floors. Can’t see all that being changed on a cruise by cruise basis. Don’t know when you are sailing but P&O told us about our switch of cabins a good 3 months before the trip.

Our cruise is 3 months away.
She said the amount of cabins set aside for quarantine changes. It does sound like the areas have moved since cruises started up again.

I don’t know , just hoping it works out ok.

[SarahHben]

27 minutes ago, smokey01 said:

In October we were moved from a deck 9 mid ship deluxe to deck 15 due to our cabin being used for quarantine. But did manage to upgrade to a deck 12 mid ship deluxe. I think I remember seeing the corridor that would have taken us to deck 12 mid aft cabins blocked off.

We’re first time cruisers so chose our cabins very carefully & booked midship and not too high up. Hopefully we won’t get moved but if we do I think I will try to avoid being placed on deck 8 and the higher decks. I would be disappointed not to get our deluxe cabin.

 

[SarahHben]

43 minutes ago, smokey01 said:

In October we were moved from a deck 9 mid ship deluxe to deck 15 due to our cabin being used for quarantine. But did manage to upgrade to a deck 12 mid ship deluxe. I think I remember seeing the corridor that would have taken us to deck 12 mid aft cabins blocked off.

Do you remember how much notice you were given that your cabin had to be changed?

[molecrochip]

They don't change cruise by cruise, but can change.

 

I have no confirmation but suspect that if the world keeps improving then quarantine areas will change again to decrease in size. As has been pointed out, its generally the same section on multiple decks. 

[SarahHben]

8 hours ago, molecrochip said:

They don't change cruise by cruise, but can change.

 

I have no confirmation but suspect that if the world keeps improving then quarantine areas will change again to decrease in size. As has been pointed out, its generally the same section on multiple decks. 

Thanks Molecrochip. Hopefully it will work out ok 

[Stu UK]

Currently even number cabins being used on Iona, mid aft. 

[smokey01]

13 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Do you remember how much notice you were given that your cabin had to be changed?

We received the email 9th September for the cruise departing 8th October.

[molecrochip]

That was around the time that the quarantine areas were adjusted to include accessible cabins so it should normally be further out than one month.

[Gizmo19]

On 2/18/2022 at 1:13 PM, SarahHben said:

Thank you. 

My sister sent me a photo from facecloth giving cabin numbers that took out all of mid ship deluxe balcony cabins on decks 9,10, 11 & 12 😳

I've just called P&O, selected 'book a new cruise' and got through immediately 😂 The phone operator told me the quarentine areas can change on a cruise by cruise basis. 

I feel all unsettled again and feel like the cruise may not happen for us. 

I don't think the cabins can change. Sounds strange. If you have a cruise docking at 7am in Southampton for pure example and the same ship going out on another cruise at 5pm same day, how are P&O going to justify putting new cruisers in a cabin (s) that had been used by covid cases only hours previously. The staff will have cleaned them well, but even so, I would be furious if I found out our cabin had been a quarantine cabin only 6 - 8 hours before I boarded the ship.

I am sure P&O have put in place a sensible and viable system around this. The senior cabin steward on your area (once on board) may be able to shed light on that matter.

[grapau27]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:18 PM, SarahHben said:

Thank you, that ties in with what my sister has seen on FB.

We are due to have 2 deluxe cabins and 1 standard balcony cabin all mid-ship, starboard side of deck 11.

I'm just going to have to accept that our cabins may change. I really don't want an 'upgrade' to a deck 8 balcony cabin, although I'm so desperate to actually cruise that I might even accept one of those if it's a choice of that or nothing.

Sarah.@SarahHben.

Definitely avoid deck 8 last 2 photos and deck 9 first photo as you will have no privacy from people walking around the promenade deck.

We were on deck 10 midships on Iona in September.

We went to Epicurean restaurant deck 17 forward most nights and quarantine cabins were mid forward which meant we had to make detours every night to get to Epicurean.

Edited February 20, 2022 by grapau27

[purplesea]

The hotel guidelines last summer were  if a guest had covid, that room had to be left empty for at least  48 hours and thouroughly cleaned before it could be re-used by another guest.

[SarahHben]

12 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Sarah.@SarahHben.

Definitely avoid deck 8 last 2 photos and deck 9 first photo as you will have no privacy from people walking around the promenade deck.

We were on deck 10 midships on Iona in September.

We went to Epicurean restaurant deck 17 forward most nights and quarantine cabins were mid forward which meant we had to make detours every night to get to Epicurean.

Thanks Graham.

Now I’m over my initial panic I’m hoping our cabins will be ok. IF they get changed I will definitely try to avoid those cabins! I suppose if the worst came to the worst we would have to decide if not going at all would be better or worse than one of those cabins. Hopefully it won’t be an issue though 😊

[MaisieMoo123]

Currently the following cabins are being used on Iona for isolation 

Deck 9: 9402 - 9468

Deck 10: 10401 - 10463 and 10402 - 10468

Deck 11: 11401 - 11471 and 11402 - 11470

Deck 12: 12402 - 12470, 12601 - 12629 and 12602 - 12628

Deck 14: 14601 - 14633 and 14602 - 14632

Deck 15: 15601 - 15633 and 15602 - 15632

[SarahHben]

2 hours ago, MaisieMoo123 said:

Currently the following cabins are being used on Iona for isolation 

Deck 9: 9402 - 9468

Deck 10: 10401 - 10463 and 10402 - 10468

Deck 11: 11401 - 11471 and 11402 - 11470

Deck 12: 12402 - 12470, 12601 - 12629 and 12602 - 12628

Deck 14: 14601 - 14633 and 14602 - 14632

Deck 15: 15601 - 15633 and 15602 - 15632

Well I sincerely  hope it changes because our 3 cabins are all included in that ☹️

[Harryjacobs]

I remember the deck 15 isolation area because I accidently walked through it to get to my cabin.  There was a no entry sign up on the corridor door that was closed but as I couldnt be bothered to walk all the way back I pushed on through to take the shortcut.  It wasnt untill I saw the cabin doors that had the isolation notices on that it dawned on me what is was!

 

[Selbourne]

4 hours ago, MaisieMoo123 said:

Currently the following cabins are being used on Iona for isolation 

Deck 9: 9402 - 9468

Deck 10: 10401 - 10463 and 10402 - 10468

Deck 11: 11401 - 11471 and 11402 - 11470

Deck 12: 12402 - 12470, 12601 - 12629 and 12602 - 12628

Deck 14: 14601 - 14633 and 14602 - 14632

Deck 15: 15601 - 15633 and 15602 - 15632

Blimey. Well that begs a number of questions.

 

1) Why so many? How many cases of Covid are there that we are unaware of to warrant such vast numbers of isolation cabins?

 

2) Who, in their infinite wisdom, decided to use the prime locations, which people who book early will have deliberately chosen?

 

3) All the Superior Deluxe Accessible balcony cabins are in the quarantine area. If you have booked one of them (as we have) then presumably our cruise would have to be cancelled?

 

It is my sincere hope (as it is everyone’s) that by next year there will be no need for quarantine areas at all and, at worst (if Covid is still an issue) people will just be asked to quarantine in their own cabin (as with Norovirus). However, if this current situation remains next summer then we shall have to cancel three bookings, as our cabin and both our daughters cabins are in the current quarantine area and we would not accept any other location. We deliberately chose the ‘rump’ as the cabins are bigger and they are the only balconies where there are no public seating areas on the promenade deck underneath. I probably shouldn’t worry as a lot can happen in 18 months but a bit of me is now wondering if I might regret having made these bookings. 

 

 

[MaisieMoo123]

Selbourne I think these cabins are directly above the medical centre so easy to transport guests up and down as necessary, not sure why they need so many

 

Up to now guests in affected cabins have been allocated other cabins but guests needing accessible cabins have mainly had to cancel their cruise.  I advise people who are due to sail shortly to ring and ask which other cabins are available in the same grade and ask to move, that way you stay in control of your cabin position and not leave it to P&O

[Megabear2]

A bit off key but having just booked a Celebrity cruise for June I tried to find out their policy on quarantine cabins to avoid detours and they refused the information based on "changing needs".   I don't think any line can say definitely what they may require.

 

One other point of interest from that conversation was that apparently Celebrity are going to continue to require passengers to take a PCR test 48 hours before they sail and interestingly UK guests may continue to need this for fly cruises in particular due to the new non testing if positive rules coming in. 

 

I assume P&O will possibly continue testing for the foreseeable - I guess I find out come 1 April.