After recently enjoying a glorious cruise on Iona I thought it a good time to share my thoughts on this magnificent ship in this P&O Iona Photo Tour. You see I had no desire to ever cruise with P&O. Why? I have no idea now, I think I just thought it would be a little dull, too reserved and a little too British. But I was so wrong, Iona has totally blown my mind.
P&Os Iona Photo Tour, Take A Look Around
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P&O Iona launched in 2020, with Dame Irene Hays as the Godmother and Gary Barlow as Music Director. She has a gross tonnage of 184,700 has a passenger capacity of 5200 an a crew of 1800. This is one very special ship indeed, a bit like a floating centre of gastronomy and entertainment.
The Main Atrium On Iona
The atrium is stunning, very contemporary and minimal but it really works as a big open space with lots of smaller bars and restaurants branching off.
There Is A Costa Coffee in The Atrium
You will also find a Costa Coffee bar which is included in your drinks package if you have one. The cakes are extra but wow they are delicious and have gluten free options.
Getting Around P&O Iona
To help navigate the ship there are wall maps at every lift area, the lift and stairwells are also colour coded to help you get your bearings.
There Are 3 Colours To Represent, Forward, Aft And Mid Ship
- Blue, to represent the horizon and seas views is at the front of the ship.
- Grey to represent the moon above is mid ship.
- Red for the sunset is at the back of the ship.
Iona Has An Onboard Cinema
I know all ships offer movie viewings, however IONA has an actual Cinema. We did plan to go and watch a movie, but there just wasn’t time. However what I can tell you is that there are four screens with a choice of movies showing daily and this does change several times throughout your cruise.
Shopping Onboard Iona
The promenade shop is located on Deck 6, this is filled with essentials, books, and goodies. A sort of onboard convenience store, there is also a Harbour shop on the Atrium, deck 8. Between the two you will find a lot of convenience products.
There Is A Shopping District
The Shopping District on Iona is called Avenue Shopping and it can be found on deck 7 midship. The choice of luxury items is astounding, its the perfect place to treat yourself.
Brands You Will Find Onboard Iona Include
- Mulberry
- Pandora
- Raymond Weil
- Molten Brown
- Calvin Klein
- Barbour
- TAG
- Jo Malone
- Clinique
- Joules
The Bars On P&O Iona
There are a whopping 18 bars on Iona, plus a gin distillery (I kid you not). This is great as it offers variety and choice for everyone, from late-night clubs to gin bars, bars with board games, and laid-back bars that offer the perfect opportunity to people-watch.
Bars You Will Find On Iona
- Beachcomber Bar (Deck 18) Forward
- Panorama Bar (Deck 18) Aft
- Vistas (Deck 6) Atrium
- Infinity Bar (Deck 16) Aft
- Sunset Bar (Deck 8) Aft
- Laguna Bar (Deck 16) SkyDome
- The Keel and Cow Deck 8) Atrium
- The Glass House (Deck 7) Atrium
- Crystal Bar (Deck 16) SkyDome
- Emerald Bar (Deck 6) Atrium
- The Crow’s Nest (Deck 17) Forward
- Brodie’s (Deck 7) Forward
- Anderson’s Bar (Deck 6) Midship
- The 710 Club (Deck 6) Atrium
- Sky Bar (Deck 17) SkyDome
- The Club House (Deck 8) Aft
- Sky Bar (Deck 17) SkyDome
- The Limelight Club (Deck 6) Forward
A Stylish Gin Bar
The gin bar is a great place to chill; it’s a quieter area that is attached to a library that also has afternoon board games.
Plus A Gin Distillery
Iona brews its own gin; you have to try it, it’s delicious.
The Sunset Bar Is The Perfect Place To Chill
Set at the art of the ship it was one of my favourite places to chill and listen to the sea with a cocktail.
Kids Clubs On Iona
The kiddies complex is fabulous, for obvious reasons we didn’t get to go in, however they looked interactive and inspiring when we peeked in before it opened one morning. Here are the Iona clubs and ages from our sailing.
- Night Nursery (0-4 year olds) 6.00pm-12.00am
- Splashers (2-4 year olds)
- Surfers (5-8 year old)
- Scubas (9-17 year olds)
- Scene (13-17 year olds) 2.00pm-5.00pm & 6.00pm-10.30pm
The Shows And Entertainment
There is soooo much to do, I was doubtful I would love the shows on Iona, yet all entertainment was the the highest quality. The theatre decor and facilities are a quality and standard, one that any city centre theatre would kill for, with interactive stages that really enhance productions.
Our Favourite Shows Of The Week
- Ray Quinn (Limelight Club)
- Festival (Theatre)
- Centre Stage (Theatre Music)
- Richard And Adam
Dining Options On P&O Iona
The food is so easy to review; in short, it’s fabulous, some of the best I have ever experienced on a cruise ship.
Speciality Dining On P&O Iona
The beauty of P&O is that the eight speciality dining venues offer plenty of choices, these cost extra. Bt are less expensive than other cruise lines.
- The Keel & Cow
- The Olive Grove
- Sindhu
- Epicurean
- The Beach House
- The Glass House
- Limelight Club
- Ripples Ice Cream Bar
If You Are A Lobster Fan Head To The Chefs Table On Formal Night
You have to book you seats in the Horizon Restaurant as soon as you can. It’s a menu curated by Marco Pierre White and Olly Smith that offers a wonderful dining experience, which is also free of charge.
Dining Included In The Price Of Your Cruise On P&O Iona
We dined in all the the main dining venues, (yes we packed in a LOT of food that week) and none disappointed. The restaurants all feel more intimate, so although they may be busy the feeling is always chilled.
- The Quays
- Horizon Buffet Restaurant
- Coral
- Pearl
- Aqua
- Opal
- Taste 360
- Sundaes
Food Allergies On P&O
I am gluten free and this wasn’t an issue on Iona. On the first night the head waiter came to see me and explained all them menus. When sailing on P&O you can plan meals ahead and chef’s with specially prepare options not ordinarily gluten free on the menu.
Pools And Tubs On Iona
There is sooooo much outside space on Iona, thus offering a good selection of pools. The amount of pools and tubs on Iona is astounding, and they are spread out which means so are passengers when on deck. You will find;
- Beachcomber Pool, Deck 18 forward
- 2 Tubs In The Retreat, Deck 18 Forward
- 2 Tubs Deck 18 Midship
- Panorama Infinity Pool, Deck 18 Aft
- 2 Tubs In The Skydome Deck 17
- Kiddies Splash Pool And Splash Pads On Deck 17 Aft
- Skydome Pool plus 2 Tubs in the Skydome, Deck 16
- Infinity Pool On Deck 16
- 6 Deck Tubs on Deck 8 Mid Forward
- 2 Tubs Deck 8 Aft
There Is A Kiddies Splash Zone
This is a great place for kiddies to cool down on a hot day.
Plus An Infinity Pool
This is a glorious place to chill and watch the ocean.
Open Decks On P&O Iona
Like all areas on Iona the outside areas are so well planned, there are lots of pockets of outdoor seating and sunbathing areas giving the feeling on space. If pools aren’t important to you there are lots of areas near hot tubs to get away from the buzz of the pool and also dine outside on warmer weather cruises.
The Retreat
The retreat is a separate adult-only area at the front of the ship. We booked the retreat for £140pp for the week, and it was worth every penny. You get a keycard to gain entry and for the price can enjoy a peaceful area with squashy sun-beds, superb waiter service, snacks, tea, coffee, water, lunch and afternoon tea.
Sports Deck
This is an area we would have spent a lot of time had our sons been with sailing with me! The sports deck was huge and there was lots going on.
The Laundry Room
It’s so handy having a laundry room on a ship and there are 9 laundry rooms across the ship. Thus meaning they can be found on most floors with accommodation. As you can see they are very spacious, ours on deck 16 had 4 washers, 4 dryers and 2 ironing boards.
The machines are free to use and you can purchase laundry capsules from the shop. However you can also use your own, which is better if you have sensitive skin or prefer a certain brand.
Want To Know All About P&O Drinks Packages
Check out our comprehensive guide to P&O Drinks Packages.
Also See More About The P&O Cruise Fleet
Check out all the P&O ships by age and size.
