P&O Iona: Full Food Tour of All Restaurants & Menus

[@CruiseShowUK]

If you liked this video and are feeling VERY generous, you can buy me a coffee here ko-fi.com/cruiseshowuk

[@Onbehaard]

Going on the Iona in summer 2023 from Southampton to the fjords. So thanks for the video on the food. What's the food like in the main dining room, or did you not eat there? Love a Bakewell Tart, or two...

[@CruiseShowUK]

I don’t actually think we used the main dining room! There’s just so many places to eat on that ship. You will have a great time. Iona and the Fjords are both beautiful. I really do like a Bakewell!!!

[@janelopez6004]

Well what another splendid video I thought that the presentation of the food was lovely Look forward to the next video

[@CruiseShowUK]

Oh Ms Lopez! Thanks for your continued support. I really appreciate you watching and taking the time to leave a comment. David

[@lyndavey4392]

Thank you David really looking forward to our cruise in May....

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Lyn! Hope you’ll be sailing somewhere great!

[@lyndavey4392]

Off to Norway our 3rd time but it was 13 years ago! Our first on Iona...She looks amazing x

[@CruiseShowUK]

Fabulous! Iona is a great choice for the Fjords. So many outdoor/indoor spaces to view that beautiful scenery. Have a great time. David

[@laurawrightx]

Your videos are a pleasure to watch 😊will you be sailing on the Arvia?

[@CruiseShowUK]

That is very kind of you. And yes, it is on my wish list

[@tanyawhite2751]

Very informative vlog David, thank you. We’re off to the Fjords in June and we can’t wait. Think we’ll give the Beach House a miss. It didn’t look the most appetising. Can’t wait to try the Olive Grove and the Afternoon Tea looked lovely 😊

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Tanya! Yes don’t miss the Olive Grove, but make sure you book it as soon as you get onboard. It’s very popular and I’ve read many reports of it becoming fully booked. Enjoy Iona and the Fjords!

[@simondouglas3519]

That was a quick shirt change! Great video very informative 👍🏾

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Simon! David

[@kathrynmcd1]

Fabulous review. Thankyou, really enjoyed it. Can’t wait for IONA now 👌🏻

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks Kathy. Have a great time

[@jamesking1952]

An honest opinion which I appreciate. Keep up the good work!

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thank you James. 👍👍

[@jamesshore2730]

Going on the iona next November. I hope the sea isn't too choppy.

[@CruiseShowUK]

I’m sure you’ll have a great time. She’s a lovely ship with lots to offer! Thanks for watching. David

[@MichelleandNigel]

Great review of the food thanks. We’re on in 2 weeks so very helpful. Very excited lol

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching! Oh you are in for a great time! It’s such a good ship with something for everyone. Make sure you see Frankie and the Dreamers, it’s a great show.

[@peewee83838]

Thanks for sharing 👍 Excellent work 👏 👍 😀

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate it. David

[@terrilongden275]

Hi How do the extra charges be resolved, do you pay cash or add your debit card etc. I’m booking Iona for next year Norwegian fjords. And what about tips on here to? I know it’s a while away before I’m going but just want to be as prepared as possible. It’s two adults and three children going and I’ll be getting the drinks package included so then I don’t need to keep paying for drinks every five minutes x

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi Terri and thanks for watching! Yes, you register a credit/debit card at the beginning of the cruise. Any onboard charges, purchases in the shops etc get charged to your card at the end of the cruise. You can pay in cash if you want, but its easier to just use a card. You don’t pay tips on P&O, unless you really want to. Iona is a beautiful ship and I’m sure you will have a great time.

[@terrilongden275]

@@CruiseShowUK thanks for getting back to me I appreciate it. Of course yes will be a lot easier without having to use cash makes more sense with the card. This is our first cruise and even though it isn’t until next august I’m so excited, more excited than my two holidays this year 🤣. Thankyou for the information xx

[@CruiseShowUK]

@@terrilongden275 Iona is a great choice for a first cruise!! So many options on that ship, so many places to eat etc You and the kids will be amazed!!! And I bet it’ll be the first of many cruises in the future! Cheers and thanks again for watching.

[@HayleyandAndy]

The food on the whole looks lovely, thanks for the honest opinions. I have read too many bad things about Iona so it is good to see they are getting it right now.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching. There’s a lot to like about Iona, she has so much to offer. I didn’t like everything, but I did like a lot. You should give Iona a try. Cheers, David

[@paulcoan7892]

Excellent video as always 👍🏻

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks Paul! Hope you are Claire are well?

[@gerardmackay8909]

For our 30th anniversary we are going in January on Iona (3-15th) and for a balcony cabin it’s £735 each. I simply cannot believe how they do it for the price and am left speechless by people on your blog who give this utterly stunning cruise experience the thumbs down 👎 You want all inclusive, pampered luxury? well get yourselves on a Silver Seas cruise but the teensy hitch is it will cost you TEN times as much. Conclusion to be drawn is that there simply is no satisfying some people with their vintage champagne expectations on a keg beer budget. Anyway cheers for a very informative vid and my appetite is well and truly whetted.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Gerard. You are absolutely right! Iona is fantastic value for money. I myself have seen some cracking deals to be had. I’m sure you’ll have a great time in January! She’s a beautiful ship with lots of choice. David

[@gerardmackay8909]

@@CruiseShowUK pleasure David I really enjoy your relaxed style of narration and your honest weighing up, as you found it, of the good (and not so good) without losing sight of how great it was overall.

[@williamhawthorne1375]

Phew we are going on the Iona to Norway Fjords next wk,i have watched too many pther peoples experiences to be honest,arent we all different with varied tastes in everything,i go with an open mind and am thoroughly looking forward to our trip . One thing? Where on earth did you put all that food,?Lizzie 😵‍💫😵‍💫😂

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi William. You’ll love it in Norway. I’ve done a video recently on Norway ports of call. I certainly enjoy the food on a cruise!

[@CruiseShowUK]

PS. You will love Iona, she’s a beautiful ship with so much to offer. I would sail on her again in the future.

[@janecarroll6282]

The Aqua restaurant does a lovely Afternoon tea from 3.15 to 4pm - no need to book or pay extra.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Yes! We went there and it was absolutely brilliant. So much better than the epicurean, especially as it was included. Highly recommended.

[@chloedunn4066]

Thanks for you brill review! What is the app called that you download to book the restaurant?

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi Chloe. Thanks for watching. You actually don’t need to download an app. It’s done through a web browser when you connect to the ship Wi-Fi. You simply go to myholiday.pocruises.com

[@aimeerogers5421]

I love this vlog and I am on a diet. I hope at the end of the year you will put out a vlog about your favorites for 2021. Favorite ship, favorite destination, favorite Cruise which isn't quite the same as your favorite ship, best all over food, best meal, best restaurant, best embarkation and disembarkation experience, best crew etc etc. You go on so many cruises, I'd love for you to make a year end wrap up a yearly thing.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Great idea. Thank you so much Aimee

[@susanwhitfield3616]

Hi just a query please do you pay tips on Iona getting lots of different answers saying you do and that you don't thank youxx

[@CruiseShowUK]

Tips are always included in the price on P&O, so you don’t need to pay any extra tips, unless you want to. Thanks for watching. David

[@carolynmurtaza1180]

I'm going on the Iona next year for the first time.... I think i will have to try out all the cakes. got a feeling I might put on the weight.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Have a great time on Iona. She’s a great ship with lots to offer! Where are you sailing to? And yes, the weight gain can be an issue!

[@carolynmurtaza1180]

@@CruiseShowUK The Norwegain fjords for my 60th

[@CruiseShowUK]

Oh it’s such a beautiful place to visit. You’ll have a great cruise. Thanks for watching my video. David

[@markgrosvenor2190]

Thanks for your vLog. It is a brave thing to do in terms of how some people have responded. At the end of the day the old adage will always be true "One man's meat is another man's poison". Your video footage showed what looked like great quality. How would you compare the food generally with say the food on Azura, Oceana, Britania ? We will be cruising on Iona's sister Arvia in May. I can't wait!

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hello Mark. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I completely agree with you. I have only sailed on Iona and twice on Britannia. My 1st time on Britannia was excellent. I had a great time. 2nd time on Britannia was a big disappointment. I’ll put it down to the restart after Covid. In general, the food on P&O has been good. I would sail with them again in the future. I’m sure you will love the new Arvia. She’s almost identical to Iona, which is a lovely ship and has so much to offer. My top tip is to book the Olive Grove restaurant as soon as you get on board. You don’t have to pay and the food was really good indeed. Best wishes and thanks again. David

[@markgrosvenor2190]

@@CruiseShowUK We are relative novices in terms of cruising to be honest. We recently had only our 3rd Cruise, which was on Azura. Our first Cruise was on Oceana (western med), Our second was Caribbean on Britannia. So we only cruised P&O and we have enjoyed those cruises so much we have not cruised on other cruise companies for fear of not enjoying it as much as P&O. We have met quite a few "cruisers" - mostly lovely folks, but a few kind of turned their noses up to hear we are such novices. Frankly we can get those kinds of people in all walks of life, so we largely ignore their disdain and focus on having a great time.

[@iloveanimals1964]

The Epicurean was so good,we went twice 👌🏻( for dinner) Great review 👌🏻 I agree with everything you said

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for commenting. It just wasn’t that good for us… we found it very disappointing. My favourite place for food was The Quays. It was always really good. Second place was The Olive Garden. Cheers, David

[@iloveanimals1964]

@@CruiseShowUK yes I can see why you were disappointed. I ordered completely different to you,truthfully I think mine was better. I like your honesty. We're on the Sky Princess next week,first time ever. I have high hopes 🤞🏻

[@CruiseShowUK]

@@iloveanimals1964 Oh, she’s a beautiful ship. I’m sure you will like it. Hope you are sailing somewhere nice. Hope you have a great time. David

[@iloveanimals1964]

@@CruiseShowUK Thankyou David!🙌🏻

[@theresachaffey4404]

Good insight into food on Iona,looking forward to sailing on her in June. Wouldn’t be my choices but we all have different tastes.Think I will give those pancakes in Sindhu a wide berth 🤢😂Sticky Toffee pudding looked delicious 👍and I’m up for Ripples and Epicurean afternoon tea 👍looking forward to The Glass House again.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Theresa! She’s a beautiful ship and I’m sure you will have a great time. David

[@janecarroll6282]

The Olive Grove was fully booked for the whole of the two week holiday we just had.Very popular - not so quiet any more :)

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Jane! You’ll have to give it a try next time! David

[@apgx6032]

I haven’t cruised for 11 years and from this great vlog I get the impression passengers are now being guided towards dinning that incurs additional costs. Everything featured here would have once been included in your cruise fare. Is this the normal these days?

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi APG. You haven't cruised for 11 years? What happened?! It is true there are more options to part ways with your cash onboard. But you can still cruise and enjoy the many free options. On some cruises I disembark with a very small onboard account!

[@janecarroll6282]

I agree with your comments on the Epicurean - nice food but "something was missing" 2 & no Maitre D

[@CruiseShowUK]

It certainly wasn’t at its best. Thanks for watching.

[@peterbudd1803]

Hi, Is there no main restaurant on IONA or did you just not bother using that? I was surprised by Epicurian as we have always had excellent service and food on other P&O ships there. Also, it has been a rather theatrical type of restaurant in that the waiters give a lot of performance depending on what food you order, which I enjoy but I know some do not. Sindu is always our Favourite. I was a little surprised at the number of restaurants with extra cost as well. No Glasshouse? Always a favourite for Lunch for us. The ship did not appear to be very busy, Is that right ? was there a limited amount of people on board still?

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi Peter, yes they still have the main dining rooms, however we never ate there. Not on purpose, just that there are so many places to eat and we opted for other places. There was certainly no performance I the Epicurean. Maybe they were having an off day!!?? We did look at the glasshouse, because we also love it, however they have changed the menu, so we gave it a miss. My video probably came across as negative… I’ll just say, there is a lot to like onboard Iona. I would sail on her again. I like Iona, I don’t love Iona. Thanks again for watching. David

[@peterbudd1803]

@@CruiseShowUK Same with me with Britania, like but do not Love. Prefer Azura.

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Thanks a lot David you didn’t Mark up Sindhu for me it’s a 10 out of 10. We liked Eric Lanlard on Britannia a few weeks back, though not sure it was worth that much, tried the free afternoon tea, to us it was just ok, Is the food better on Britannia?

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi John, Sindhu was rather exceptional wasn’t it! The free afternoon tea on Iona was superb. One of the best we’ve had at sea. I highly recommend that over the Eric Lanlard afternoon tea. I think the food on Iona is better than Britannia, of course you also have a much wider choice of venues too. Thanks again for watching. David

[@scottmackintosh5934]

I like how you’re a little bit harsher on the restaurants that charge extra. They should be obviously better than the included in the price restaurants.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Oh absolutely. If they are charging you extra, then I think it should be exceptional. Thanks for watching. David

[@donnaharrison972]

2 out of 10 for the beach house surprised me. We loved it in there

[@CruiseShowUK]

@donnaharrison972 Thanks for watching the video! Sorry to say, it just wasn’t very good on that occasion….. but that was a few years ago now, so I’d like to think they have improved things. David

[@dilligaf_at_all]

Does the ship serve any other form of potato other than chips? why no MDR review...your title says "All the restaurants"?

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching.

[@Amahl1971]

I want to know ports of call and number of days on board. Also, take better pix of menus. We want to see it all!!

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for the feedback. I put the link to the full menus in the description of the video. Here it is cruiseshowuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PO-Cruises-Iona-Menus.pdf

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for the feedback. I put the link to the full menus in the description of the video. Here it is cruiseshowuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PO-Cruises-Iona-Menus.pdf

[@1950rking]

Really enjoyed the video. Nice job. It did convince me not to sail on P&O. Too much money IMHO to pay for the optional food venues. I’ve always felt that if there is an upcharge for these venues, it should only reflect the additional cost of the food over the main dining room.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks Robert! I appreciate you watching. Honestly, P&O do offer great value for money and you can really get a cracking deal at times. I’m sure there were people on our cruise who only ate in the main dining room, so had nothing additional to pay. Also worth noting, on Iona, there are many alternative options without any additional cost. I would sail with them again if the price, itinerary and ship was right for me. Cheers, David

[@wellardsmith3629]

@@CruiseShowUK its nice to know, there are many other eating venues/choices that you don't have to pay more for.

[@jacquiereid6635]

Another triumph David.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks so much for watching again. I appreciate your support. David

[@wellardsmith3629]

Thanks for the insight. I do feel somewhat uneasy about going on P&O later this year. But I guess I shouldn't compare American lines with British.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Don’t feel uneasy Wellard. You’ll have a great time. 🤞I’d be interested to hear your thoughts when you return.

[@janete1292]

We are on Iona in January 👏👏 but we have came off the sky app worked brilliant, on regal on Tuesday hope it still works , loved sindhu on Britannia 👏👏

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks Janet. Hope you enjoy Iona in January. Not long now

[@samctimms]

Omg there's no pleasing some people. You chose the wrong thing on the beech house menu and then told people to avoid it. I think your scores were reflective of how incredibly hard to please you are!

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thank you for your advice

[@janecarroll6282]

Food choices still restricted due to current Covid Policies - ie no self serve Buffet & not yet full capacity of staff/passengers & also Delivery of certain items. Also affected one of the Hotels we stayed in in Southampton prior to Cruise.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching and commenting Jane. Interesting to read your thoughts

[@Explor182]

Great video shame about all the adverts

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thank you for commenting 👍👍

[@lukecalladine1683]

Praying for a Chicken Salad.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Almost one at Sindhu.👍👍

[@lesleyhall3222]

You're only scoring the meals you chose not the restaurant so it's a bit unfair.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Lesley!

[@PurplePumpkin]

I do hope the Iona improves on their food and service by the time we sail on her in 2022... not impressed so far having watched your review of the food.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi and thanks for watching. I’m sure you’ll have a great time. The food wasn’t the best, however The Quays and the Olive Grove were excellent. Cheers and thanks again. David

[@janicelowden2884]

I have watched loads of vlogs about Iona and 99% of them have nothing but praise for the food. I must say all the food shown looked beautiful but didnt seem to please you at all.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, I really appreciate it. I like to give my honest opinion and everyone is different I suppose.

[@amandapeterken5228]

I am on Iona in September. Have sailed on Celebrity where they rave over the food. The up charge restaurants were good but way more expensive than P&O, only tried them as part of a cruise critic group with heavy discount. Main dining room food and service nowhere near as good as I had on Arcadia’s 2020 world cruise. We all have different tastes.

[@CruiseShowUK]

A world cruise! How lovely. That’s interesting to hear about Celebrity. I have a cruise booked next month on the millennium so I’ll report back. 👍

[@amandapeterken5228]

@@CruiseShowUK Enjoy Celebrity to put in perspective I sailed Celebrity Southampton to New York then onto Fort Lauderdale in Nov 2019 then sailed back on QM2. Celebrity was much better than Cunard which I personally rate way below Marella.

[@davidpowell3691]

looks to me like the decent places to eat are all extra money. Sorry but if I pay 2 grand for a week's cruise I expect most of it to be included. as for the drinks package - wow , most drinks not included but it's 40 quid per day and if there is 2 of you in a cabin you both have to have it. Then you've got 25 quid a day for wifi!!!! Was going to book but think we will just go to the Canaries for a week instead.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Princess Cruises are a good option if you want a drinks package and Wi-Fi. £30 pppn for drinks Wi-Fi and tips

[@lianne9999]

It was nice to see examples of the food, but a good food critic you are not! I felt you were giving scores for things you personally liked or didn’t like but not enough reasons about why. Was the food not fresh? What did you mean by ‘your waiter was off’? Was he rude? Did he get your order wrong? Was the food not served at the correct temperature? Were the portions too small/too big? Was it the texture? Was there a poor combination of flavours? Just because you personally don’t like something doesn’t mean you tell people to avoid the entire restaurant after just one dish. Be honest but be balanced. I hate aniseed so I wouldn’t like a meal or drink that was flavoured with that, but I wouldn’t order it and then tell people to avoid the restaurant. When you had the West Indies dark chocolate tart and said it was too chocolatey, I actually laughed out loud. It’s a dark chocolate tart it’s meant to be chocolatey!

[@CruiseShowUK]

Glad the video made you laugh. Thanks for watching.

[@raydesborough7333]

You sound hard to please perhaps you should sail with Ociana and pay the rate

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. No, I’m really not that hard to please. If it’s good, I say so. If it’s bad, I also say so. Iona is a great ship with lots to offer.

[@susieburden9811]

We loved the Keel & Cow. I’m surprised you only gave it a 7 since your comments were all positive and the only negative was more chips. You obviously have very high standards as most of your scores were low. Really surprised you didn’t experience the great crew service at any of your restaurants either. They were all incredible on our Iona cruise, especially your server in the Keel & Cow, she was lovely. It must be so hurtful for them to watch these videos back 😞

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi Susan, thanks so much watching. I did like the Keel & Cow, I just didn’t love it. Not sure about the location either… don’t get me wrong, I certainly liked the Grand Atrium, those windows are spectacular. I’m just not sure I would have put the steakhouse there, I think it deserved somewhere more secluded, like Sindhu. Thanks again and hope you are off sailing again soon. David

[@rajindernijjer]

Cruise cancelled

[@CruiseShowUK]

Oh no, what happened?

[@rajindernijjer]

@@CruiseShowUK your review foods crap so I cancelled it.

[@dennismills6887]

That chilli doesn’t look good, in fact I’d only feed it to my ex wife 👿👿👿👿👿👿👿👿🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@CruiseShowUK]

Hi Dennis. Oh dear! I think I remember the chilli you are on about. I think that was in the Beach House and was a vegan chilli. Hideous! Thanks for watching. David

[@keithenglish4762]

I counted half a dozen adds in 30 mins. You need to sort out this with KZbin as you have lost me as a potential viewer. Normally I wouldn’t watch all of the video because of this but was intrigued to see how many they could cram in. Points for you as it seems to be your thing, 3/10.

[@CruiseShowUK]

Thanks for watching Keith and taking the time to leave a comment.