Live from Iona Norwegian Fjords 20th May 7 Nights

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

We nare coming up to 60 cruises and unless on Iona/Arvia have a table for 8 second sitting every time. Only one poor table which my wife did not like. We still communicate with people from our first two  cruises as well as many others.

Like you Dai we have some wonderful friends from previous shared tables from 25 plus years ago that we still keep in regular contact with them.

 

We had some folks at bigger tables we were not quite so keen on but they were diluted by the others. 
 

I gave up counting at over 100 cruises and from them all I have only ever asked for a change of table once. 

[Megabear2]

3 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

I have received this for nearly every P&O or Cunard cruise I have booked. If it’s the same it’s just generically general in scope and not ship or itinerary specific. 

Thank you. I've never had one. The first question was confirm you have booked Britannia so I assumed it was ship specific as it referred to areas on Britannia.  Mind you I had a real survey  about my Arvia cruise too and I haven't seen one of those in several years.

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

That’s a relief. The one thing that I hate most about a P&O cruise is disembarkation, especially as they make such a meal of it compared to some other lines. We tend to have a relaxing breakfast in the MDR (when we can get there, lifts being an absolute nightmare on disembarkation day when you are with a wheelchair user) and then attempt to get off. I just couldn’t be doing with being held in public rooms for ages and we avoid the buffet like the plague.
 

We just couldn’t believe how much better the Cunard disembarkation process was. Zero hassle and the whole process was completely different and so much easier. Why on earth P&O don’t adopt it is beyond me. 

On my P&O disembarkation Sunday I was given 9.15 to 9.25 disembarkation time and advised to have breakfast at least an hour before 9.15.  I had to leave my room by 8.00am so went at 7.45am.  Normal service about three quarters of an hour so quicker than previous days.  My meeting point was Headliners Theatre deck 7 at 9.05.  We went in and were made to walk down to the lower level to sit in rows to wait.  We were told there were delays so to wait until released. The okay was given at 9.30 and left the theatre to join a slowly moving queue. This took about 5 minutes and then the queue actually started once off the ship to get to collect luggage.  It was very slow.  On arrival in the shed I found my luggage very easily as my decks had been released much earlier - I had the later time due to my assistance for queuing etc.  

 

There were two exits from the ship which emerged as you entered the building, it worked fairly smoothly.  Although I didn't use one trolleys and people helping seemed in good supply.  Nowhere near as bad as I'd expected. I was outside at 10.15.  However my husband did not turn up until 10.35 as he informed me there were huge queues to get into the terminal area. 

 

One thing I did notice was that people were arriving, parking and unloading for the next sailing, and this was at 10.15.  One woman complained loudly to a staff member why weren't the recepticles for luggage open and he politely told her that they would still be disembarking people for a while - I had noted a lot of luggage in the areas for higher floors so I'm guessing at least another 45 minutes or so.

 

Although not too bad i agree compared with Cunard far more difficult but then 5,400 or thereabouts compared with 2,400 is quite s difference in bodies to move through.

 

One thing from a conversation while I waited for my husband, by accident I saw the man who'd helped me on boarding and he told me both of the big ships only need one hiccup for mayhem to occur.  Hopefully not too often, it seemed slow but organised although those trying to unload for the next sailing were undoubtedly causing problems as there were problems for pick up drivers to find a space to stop on occasion.

[Britboys]

3 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Why has Iona done away with ballroom dancing and dance hosts,,,many people enjoyed this activity.

There is plenty of room for it,,,like Ventura and Azura they could have it in the foyer (nothing else happens there except the Silent Disco now and then),,like the Ventura and Azura the Costa Coffee outlet is in the same room.

It would certainly add some life to what is a lifeless area.

 

I don’t dance ballroom or sequence but as it never finished until Midnight loved watching the good dancers with a Macchiato and Jameson’s nightcap.

Probably because the new ships really are designed and operated to attract a younger, more casual passenger demographic...

[davecttr]

6 hours ago, ParisHilton said:

 

Do you know what the 'realistic' minimum bet for a blackjack hand is?  I know casinos advertise low minimum bets, and then you can't find tables with them.

I enjoy the chat that can go on around a black jack table. Not quite as frenetic as roulette or craps.

 

£100 a hand, I assume someone that can afford to lose a lot of case.  Not a bad way to launder money I suppose 🙂

P&O only have small casinos so there should be 2 blackjack tables and both have the same minimum bets etc as I have described, £5 minimum bet and 3:2 payout. I enjoy the social aspects of blackjack as well although I only came out ahead in 2 sessions last cruise. As a dealer said to me, you really know how to play the game but you just don't get dealt the right cards, story of my life 🙄

 

The roulette tables were frantic at times, i like to play in moderation but most nights you could not get near the table, luckily they would open the second one but you had to dive in quickly.

[Deeliteful]

 

“3 card poker is not my game but it was popular but the amount bet per hand was outside my limits”

hi Dave can you tell me what the bet per hand was please? 
 

thanks

Pat

 

 

[davecttr]

4 minutes ago, Deeliteful said:

 

 

“3 card poker is not my game but it was popular but the amount bet per hand was outside my limits”

hi Dave can you tell me what the bet per hand was please? 
 

thanks

Pat

 

 

The minimum bet was £5 but there were a lot of side bet boxes as well. It seemed to me that a lot of players were ignoring the ante/raise bet and betting £10 on the pairs plus and some more. About £15 to £20 per hand. There is no skill in playing that way so you might as well play blind. Basically they were all chasing the £1000 maximum win. I got burnt chasing that over 10 years ago and blew over £1000. NEVER AGAIN 😠

[ParisHilton]

8 hours ago, Britboys said:

Probably because the new ships really are designed and operated to attract a younger, more casual passenger demographic...

 

I was wondering this.  I think my wife would like a few ballroom beginner lessons and I'd give it a go. It seems a great opportunity to try.  I'd like to think we are the younger generation to a degree.

I could understand them choosing to ditch it if the space were being used for something else, eg regular silent disco, but it doesn't appear to be *.

I wonder if just the 'image' of ballroom dancing on a cruise ship is counter to the one they are trying to put out there.  Do most people have the fancy frocks and , well whatever it is that level of formal dress for men is called on this kind of ship?  That said, the image is surely a lot younger thanks to the celebs on strictly.

 

Anyone know if there's bingo that kids can play, love a game of bingo, especially if the caller has an interesting set of phrases to accompany the numbers.  Last time we played it was 10-Teresa's den. How times have changed ... 

 

 

* I am patenting the concept of a mash up of silent disco with ballroom dancing, where the ballroomers have to tango around those pogoing to Nirvana or whatever.

[Megabear2]

50 minutes ago, ParisHilton said:

 

I was wondering this.  I think my wife would like a few ballroom beginner lessons and I'd give it a go. It seems a great opportunity to try.  I'd like to think we are the younger generation to a degree.

I could understand them choosing to ditch it if the space were being used for something else, eg regular silent disco, but it doesn't appear to be *.

I wonder if just the 'image' of ballroom dancing on a cruise ship is counter to the one they are trying to put out there.  Do most people have the fancy frocks and , well whatever it is that level of formal dress for men is called on this kind of ship?  That said, the image is surely a lot younger thanks to the celebs on strictly.

 

Anyone know if there's bingo that kids can play, love a game of bingo, especially if the caller has an interesting set of phrases to accompany the numbers.  Last time we played it was 10-Teresa's den. How times have changed ... 

 

 

* I am patenting the concept of a mash up of silent disco with ballroom dancing, where the ballroomers have to tango around those pogoing to Nirvana or whatever.

Can't speak for Iona but Arvia had four silent discos in the Atrium over two weeks. They started at 10.00pm.  No ballroom dancing anywhere, actually the Atrium looked like the only place they could have run it.

 

Interestingly P&O had a tie up with Strictly for a number of years and thesecruises were extremely popular.  Before the pandemic scuppered everything a number of these were planned for Iona on seven night cruises.  Where Anton and Co would have strutted their stuff is a matter of conjecture, perhaps someone with more knowledge of those plans might tell us.  For my part I'd love to see them back but with ports curtailed to 5 or 6 on the larger ships the opportunity to swap in and out the celebrities would seem more difficult to achieve.

Edited May 31, 2023 by Megabear2

[Britboys]

51 minutes ago, ParisHilton said:

 

I was wondering this.  I think my wife would like a few ballroom beginner lessons and I'd give it a go. It seems a great opportunity to try.  I'd like to think we are the younger generation to a degree.

I could understand them choosing to ditch it if the space were being used for something else, eg regular silent disco, but it doesn't appear to be *.

I wonder if just the 'image' of ballroom dancing on a cruise ship is counter to the one they are trying to put out there.  Do most people have the fancy frocks and , well whatever it is that level of formal dress for men is called on this kind of ship?  That said, the image is surely a lot younger thanks to the celebs on strictly.

 

Anyone know if there's bingo that kids can play, love a game of bingo, especially if the caller has an interesting set of phrases to accompany the numbers.  Last time we played it was 10-Teresa's den. How times have changed ... 

 

 

* I am patenting the concept of a mash up of silent disco with ballroom dancing, where the ballroomers have to tango around those pogoing to Nirvana or whatever.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there - not the image they want to portray any more. As Mr Ludlow has just said, his P&O provides "contemporary, mainstream holidays" and the company is "Aligned with" people like Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger. Strictly Come Dancing may be current but 20 years after it started is it really contemporary?

[TigerB]

9 hours ago, davecttr said:

The minimum bet was £5 but there were a lot of side bet boxes as well. It seemed to me that a lot of players were ignoring the ante/raise bet and betting £10 on the pairs plus and some more. About £15 to £20 per hand. There is no skill in playing that way so you might as well play blind. Basically they were all chasing the £1000 maximum win. I got burnt chasing that over 10 years ago and blew over £1000. NEVER AGAIN 😠

 

No, I think we will stick with Lobstermania.

Mind you, on our last trip we saw one young fella on there who had almost £300 credit showing; in the twenty minutes or so while we watched him, he lost all of that and another £200 that he had put in.

Even the minimum stake of 75p is still a bit rich for us!

[daiB]

11 hours ago, davecttr said:

The minimum bet was £5 but there were a lot of side bet boxes as well. It seemed to me that a lot of players were ignoring the ante/raise bet and betting £10 on the pairs plus and some more. About £15 to £20 per hand. There is no skill in playing that way so you might as well play blind. Basically they were all chasing the £1000 maximum win. I got burnt chasing that over 10 years ago and blew over £1000. NEVER AGAIN 😠

Dave sorry that is not correct. The minimum bet on Iona was £3. and on other ships it was £2. I do spend quite a lot of time playing the game.

[daiB]

11 hours ago, Deeliteful said:

 

 

“3 card poker is not my game but it was popular but the amount bet per hand was outside my limits”

hi Dave can you tell me what the bet per hand was please? 
 

thanks

Pat

 

 

Pat, tyhe co9rrect answer to your question is £3 on Iona and I assume Arvia on all the rest itb is £2. This low figure reflects the number of people wanting and willing to play. At £5 you have an empty table most of the cruise. As I have said to Dave I am on the tables every evening, when open.

[Deeliteful]

23 minutes ago, daiB said:

Pat, tyhe co9rrect answer to your question is £3 on Iona and I assume Arvia on all the rest itb is £2. This low figure reflects the number of people wanting and willing to play. At £5 you have an empty table most of the cruise. As I have said to Dave I am on the tables every evening, when open.

Thanks Dai but understand it costs more than £3 to play a hand. My game is Texas Hold em but obv not played on P&O

[Fionboard]

14 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Thank you. I've never had one. The first question was confirm you have booked Britannia so I assumed it was ship specific as it referred to areas on Britannia.  Mind you I had a real survey  about my Arvia cruise too and I haven't seen one of those in several years.

Have not recieved a proper survey for any of my 13 cruises since covid. Only the feefo star rating one. 

[daiB]

1 hour ago, Deeliteful said:

Thanks Dai but understand it costs more than £3 to play a hand. My game is Texas Hold em but obv not played on P&O

Yes the minum to play a hand is either £4 or £6.

[P&O SUE]

On 5/23/2023 at 12:20 AM, emam said:

ICF with regards to your photos, I think it's because the file is too big, or maybe a portrait photo saving the same way as a landscape one.

 

Great blog, don't tell too many people to walk a bit further for tables or everyone will do so.

We always walk to the far end of the buffet on Ventura and Azura, always plenty of seats there ☺️

[P&O SUE]

On 5/23/2023 at 1:07 PM, Interestedcruisefan said:

And also after today I have to give the Norwegian Fjords full credit. They are stunning and Scottish Western Highlands definitely have some serious competition all of  s sudden here

 

And unsurprisingly my photos don't do the Fjords justice

 

 

when I went to Norway our first stop was Stavanger and I thought ‘it’s lovely but no more stunning than the Lake District’ - then we went to Olden and Flam and my jaw dropped!

[P&O SUE]

On 5/25/2023 at 6:12 PM, Selbourne said:

If you ever go to Walt Disney World (or Disneyland Paris), don’t go on the “It’s a Small World” ride. I think we last went around 15 years ago and I can still remember every note 🤣 

When we went on that ride it broke down! But the music didn’t stop! 😳😀

[P&O SUE]

I’ve only just got round to reading this thread ICF - thanks for all your posts, I’ve enjoyed the cruise with you!

[zap99]

1 hour ago, P&O SUE said:

We always walk to the far end of the buffet on Ventura and Azura, always plenty of seats there ☺️

The far end of the buffet on Azura is also the beach house in the evenings, so a bit more spread out and a bit pusher at Lunch and breakfast. Queet refined.

[happy v]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

The far end of the buffet on Azura is also the beach house in the evenings, so a bit more spread out and a bit pusher at Lunch and breakfast. Queet refined.

Just like you, eh Zap?😀

[TigerB]

3 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

When we went on that ride it broke down! But the music didn’t stop! 😳😀

 

And you've been in therapy since then!😵‍💫

[Merry25]

On 5/30/2023 at 12:30 PM, Interestedcruisefan said:

If I stop posting for a while again (I have to due to work) do you not think the  balance will go too much to people just complaining about stuff ?

 

And new  posters becoming too  worried about their upcoming cruises? When they might appreciate some positive stuff?

 

Be honest?

 

It seems like the Alamo on here to me sometimes responding to all the negative stuff with positives when I can?

 

And I genuinely get concerned when I see people on here that I believe  are actually getting  scared or anxious  about their future cruises ?

 

When they actually should be excited and looking forward to them?

 

I honestly think if I'm not posting the balance will fall away?

I read your all your posts on your recent cruise on Iona with great interest as we're going (first cruise!) next year, it was fabulously reassuring and I loved all the detail you went into.  (congrats on the new shirts ha ha).  I was really pleased to see that you enjoyed the MDR so much, as that's mostly where we intend to eat in the evenings.  So thank you!

 

I kind of agree with your thoughts on you offering a different/balanced perspective.  However I think most new cruisers tend to be on the FB groups so won't be scared away by the people voicing their opinions here on how terrible it's all become.  I'm kind of in the middle as I'm a new cruiser but my age (mid 60's) means I won't be happy to accept the unacceptable.  Not that I'm expecting anything unacceptable...  

 

The only thing that I find worrying on the FB groups is everyone chatting about the drinks packages and how easily they can drink their money's worth every night!   Hope it won't be full of rowdy drunks!!  if so, we will retreat to our balcony.

 

 

 

 

[Cathygh]

@Selbourne

Now I am off Iona and back with better wifi, I asked and was told that there was 5,700 passengers and 1600-1700 crew. There are meant to be 1800 crew. From what I coud see the shrtages were evident in Vistas - there was often a long queue for take away coffee, and in clearing tables in the restaurants. This delayed service

 

The ship was busy but we could always find somewhere to sit and as long as you don't want to be by a pool it's fine. Having said that we still found beds by the Infinity Pool on our first sea day which was a very warm and sunny day. Sometimes there were chairs by the Skydome Pool but the comfy ones which face the windows were always taken.

 

Getting 8 adults seated on Celebration night was a challenge. As we had 4 cabins we tried to join 4 queues at 6.30. We managed to get in the queues for Pearl and Aqua but the others were full and stayed full. I went to enquire about walk ins and was told there were 200 people ahead of us. We finally got called at 8.30. I fodn the wait stressful as some of our party eat early and one is a type 1 diabetic. We did not order drinks in case we were called before they were ready.

 

The next night  2 of us looked at the queues at 6.30. All queues were full and stayed full. At 7.45 went to Coral and we were told there were 300 people ahead of us but the lady let us in.

 

Other members of our group who eat early joined a queue every night at 5.15 and were called at about 6pm. One night 2 of them joined the same queue 5 minutes apart, both asking for a table for 4. The one who joined last was called first.

 

The dining situation was very stressful. We found it hard to plan our evenings as we either were still waiting for dinner before a show or we missed a show due to dinner being late. However another passenger told us we could collect a pager between 5.30pm and 6pm and tell the restaurant what time we wanted to eat and we would be called when the table was ready.  So after that we got a pager and said we wnated t eat at 8pm. We didn't wait for the pager to go off, we went to the restaurant at 8pm and were seated straight away. A much better system which P&O could communicate better. 

 

Getting a table for 8 was so difficult we only did it once. We also booked  Sindhu for 8 people but the maximum table is for 6 so we had to do 2 separate bookings at different times- 7.15 and 7.45. I asked if we could merge the booking so we could all eat at 7.15. this was not possible! we were offered 6pm. As this was a surprise for my DH's 70th birthday and he eats late, I knew that wouldn't work. We were then offered 6.30. After a discussion we agreed that some of our party would turn up at 6.30 to hold the table and we could come at 7.15 and he would seat us near each other. I was not satisfied with this but it was te best I could get. So 6 people went at 6.30 and DH and I turned up at 7.15  I looked around and noticed it would have been easy to put tables together which were in booths but they had just put some tables togther right in front of the kitchen. This was not ideal but I was too stressed to do anything about it. I felt it was uncomfortable and we missed out onthe ambience of the restaurant. The food and service were fine.

As Iona is mseant to be family friendly I think P&O did not plan adequately for multigenerational parties. If the children had not been in the kids club we would have had needed a table for 11, and this is not possible. 

 

The children loved the kids club, the shows etc and there was lots of choice of food for them to eat.

 

Hope that helps