First Timers Iona August

[SunnyD800]

As a little intro we are a family of 5, 2 teens and a 3 year old. We have booked the Fjords in August on Iona which is our first cruise ever. We are split between a balcony and inside cabin. I’m beyond excited but hubby and the kids less so as they would have preferred our usual fly and flop all inclusive. I’m hoping that by being informed and planning everything I can win them over!! So I have a couple of questions.

 

If we but 1 WiFi package, could we share? I know we couldn’t use it at the same time but could we take it in turns? It’s not an issue for me as I can use roaming in ports but the big kids are freaking out!

 

It’s a relatively long journey to Southampton so thinking of staying in a hotel the night before, as we need 2 rooms it’s looking pricey, Portsmouth seems better on price. Could anyone tell me how long it would take to drive to the port on a busy embarkation Saturday. I can work out the standard journey but have no experience of what impact the volume of traffic would be.

 

We haven’t booked parking yet, I don’t mind paying the CPS price for convenience but wondered if there are any recommendations for alternatives that I can check out. Some options seem to include a taxi which I think might be an issue as we are a 5 and not a 4.

 

lastly any family oriented tips on essentials cruise items to pack, must do things on board or child friendly excursions in the fjords would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Sorry for the lengthy post and lots of questions 😊

[Mrs applehead]

Hi we have recently been on Iona to the fjords, I loved sitting out on my balcony watching the sail in to olden through the fjords in the early morning.

 

Definitely pack snacks as crisps and sweets are very expensive on board.

 

We did the viking village trip in Stavanger which was really interesting, we cooked bread, made necklaces and learnt how to use a longbow. We had a short stop at the 3 swords to take photos.

 

We used the Loen skylift cable car in Olden, I booked that online with Olden adventures before we went. They have a shuttle bus at the port to take you to the cable car. Make sure you are at the exit as soon as you are able to disembark to avoid long  queues.

Also look on you tube there are loads of reviews on there.

[AndyMichelle]

Portsmouth to Southampton is an easy journey with a few alternative routes, so no real worries there. I would allow about an hour. 

Be careful not to assume all hotels with a PO postcode are in Portsmouth, you could easily end up on the Isle of Wight... 

A suggestion for parking. Get hubby to drop you, the kids and your bags at the port and park in West Quay car park. It is a few minutes drive and 10-15 min walk back, costs £6 per day. You take your ticket with you, there is a barrier and pay when returning to your car. 

If you have the budget, the Loen skylift is worth doing. Exploring the snow covered mountains, going inside a real Igloo and messing about in the snow is great fun. 

Have a fantastic time. 

Andy 

[Thedonkeycentrehalf]

1 hour ago, SunnyD800 said:

As a little intro we are a family of 5, 2 teens and a 3 year old. We have booked the Fjords in August on Iona which is our first cruise ever. We are split between a balcony and inside cabin. I’m beyond excited but hubby and the kids less so as they would have preferred our usual fly and flop all inclusive. I’m hoping that by being informed and planning everything I can win them over!! So I have a couple of questions.

 

If we but 1 WiFi package, could we share? I know we couldn’t use it at the same time but could we take it in turns? It’s not an issue for me as I can use roaming in ports but the big kids are freaking out!

 

It’s a relatively long journey to Southampton so thinking of staying in a hotel the night before, as we need 2 rooms it’s looking pricey, Portsmouth seems better on price. Could anyone tell me how long it would take to drive to the port on a busy embarkation Saturday. I can work out the standard journey but have no experience of what impact the volume of traffic would be.

 

We haven’t booked parking yet, I don’t mind paying the CPS price for convenience but wondered if there are any recommendations for alternatives that I can check out. Some options seem to include a taxi which I think might be an issue as we are a 5 and not a 4.

 

lastly any family oriented tips on essentials cruise items to pack, must do things on board or child friendly excursions in the fjords would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Sorry for the lengthy post and lots of questions 😊

For the Wi-Fi, the official answer is that you can use multiple devices but only one at a time and you log one out as you log one in.

 

The unofficial answer is that you can set up one device and then use it as a hotspot to share.

[Cloudyrain]

As others have said: wifi can be shared/swapped about. You may also be surprised how long you get data roaming for: because of the length of the fjords we were often able to use our own roaming service.

 

We usually stay in the Ibis budget, and they do rooms for 3 from £45: but it depends on when you book. There is also quite a cheap travel lodge in Newbury. Or the airport premier inn isnt badly priced - again prices fluctuate a lot!
 

Parking is worth booking sooner rather than later as it doesn't get cheaper the closet you get. There are loads of options. We have used CPS, Parkside Meet and Greet (through Holiday Extras) and hotel and parking packages (also through holiday extras). 

I would recommend planning activities in each port and booking them so that you aren't just wandering around not sure what to do with bored teenagers complaining 😂 Whats In Port is a great resource. The Olden Skylift is popular with all ages, Stavanger has a Petrol Museum that the 3 year old would probably love, and Rib tours etc that the older ones might enjoy. Alesund had a great aquarium. Lots of these things can be done cheaper yourself by planning and pre-booking. P&O do offer some good excursions though, and they are a bit more than doing them yourself, but it all depends on the type of activity. You can also do things like take your own paddle boards or do free hiking etc. The more you plan, the more fun you will have.

 

In regards to the teens, I would recommend You Tube: there are loads of videos and reviews of the ship/resorts that might help make it more exciting. Also you could get them involved in the planning.

[SunnyD800]

Thank you all so much for the advice and tips! I can tick the Internet sharing off the research list now. 
 

I have watched none stop YouTube videos since booking a few weeks ago, so much so that it’s become a source of amusement with the kids, the 3 year old is now able to recognise some cruise vloggers 😂

 

I have a close friend who cruises on P&O 5-6 times a year but him and his wife’s circumstances mean that they have different interests to us, he has been great at answering questions about lots of things. The updates I get from his cruises started my obsession to get one booked. 
 

We are definitely planning on doing the Loen skylift, even the hard to please teens looked excited about that! 
 

I think I will make good use of the sunshine today and do some more research on ports and make a decision about parking 😀

 

 

[Harryjacobs]

As its your first cruise I recommend the CPS parking option.  Its expensive but hassle free at a time when your head will be all over the place trying to work out what is what on the day.

You dont mention where you are travelling from but we are from Norfolk and about 4 hour drive to Southampton so we break the journey up and stay at a Travelodge at Frimley just of Junction 4 on the M3.  Its just under an hour to port from there.

Edited May 11 by Harryjacobs

[Rustyman]

Re stopping overnight on the way to Southampton, we drive down from Scotland and break the journey anywhere from Stafford to Oxford wherever the Premier Inn is cheapest. It’s never a problem making Southampton by noon from any of the hotels and makes for a couple of easy, stress free drives.

The earlier you book your hotel the cheaper it is, especially with the likes of Premier Inns.

Port parking ie CPS is so convenient in particular at the end of the cruise when you just want to get on your way.

By way of advice for the kids all I’d say is get them into the kids clubs ASAP, they love making new friends and you will hardly see them outside of meal times and all of you will have a lovely time. Ours are older now but absolutely loved every cruise in the “groovy gang”.

[Thejuggler]

As above.  Look for Travelodge, Premierinn up to an hour or so from Southampton.  You will get a better deal and you have plenty of time to do the final stretch.

 

We have stayed in Cirencester and Banbury previously.

[SunnyD800]

Thanks everyone! I have booked CPS, the others that include parking were the same price or slightly lower and I take the point that everything will be new to us. 
 

We are in Nottinghamshire, friend who cruises frequently says it takes about 3.10, they usually stay in the holiday inn in Eastleigh, for 2 rooms it’s costly. Premier inn is fluctuating. We are on the fence about hotel the night  before as some of the lower budget one reviews are terrible. It ranges from on 170 to 300 for a budget room with parking. 
 

[Rustyman]

Notts, you’re just up the road from Southampton, easy drive down in the morning and save the cost of a hotel for spending on more enjoyable things.

Thejuggler, funny you mention Banbury, that’s our Premier Inn stop in August en route to Southampton. Decent rating and was by far the lowest price when we booked.