Lois : 𝙽𝚘 𝙲𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕

The long awaited arrival of P&O Iona is nearly over, it is only weeks until her Maiden Voyage sailing up to Iona in the Inner Hebrides. I am so excited to be sailing on her Maiden Voyage and can not wait to share my photographs and videos with you! Also booked for a couple of weeks later in the year. I am so excited! Unfortunately Iona wasn’t able to be introduced in the Ionafest style, welcome, planned. Covid unfortunately saw an end to that. However she had now arrived and boy are we so excited to welcome her!

Iona is P&O Cruise’s new flagship , taking over the title from her little Sister, Britannia. She has certainly been built to impress! Designed to make the most of natural light, to bring the outside in, to allow guests to relax in her spacious , stunning public areas. She is the first British Cruise Ship to be powered by Liquidfied Natural gas. This makes Iona an efficient, clean ship, the exciting start of a move from oil based fuels to cleaner natural gas!

Read on for 5 reasons why I am excited about the arrival of Iona.

1. Marabelle Gin

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I am very excited about the collaboration between P&O and Salcombe Gin. Marabelle Gin will be produced on board Iona in the worlds first gin distillery at sea. You will be able to find the distillery in Andersons Bar and Library aboard Iona . The Gin sill on board is called Columbia, named after the 6th Century founder of the Abbey on the Isle of Iona. Marabelle’s recipe has been inspired by the Isle of Iona, with heather among the 18 Botanicals used.

Come August, I can not wait to sip a perfect serve relaxing in Andersons!

2. There are 30 , yes 30 , places to eat aboard Iona.

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This is extremely exciting for two reasons, one, the food in every restaurant is going to be fabulous and two, you will not be able to eat everywhere in one cruise, so multiple Cruises need to be booked and multiple cruises are very exciting! ‘On Iona’, we are told ‘good food is an art form,’ Having admired The Keel and Cow’s signature burger, the Prime Minister, it definitely looks like artwork… an 8oz dry-aged prime beef patty, Isle of Wight Blue cheese, dry cured bacon, beefsteak tomatoes, pancetta jam, onion marmalade, roasted garlic mayonnaise and pickled gherkins in a salted bun. It certainly sounds scrumptious.

3. The Skydome

One of Iona’s most talked about venues is the innovative Sky dome. Spanning across deck 16 and 17, it is set to be a diverse location. Swim and relax during the day, be entertained with DJ sets and aerial performances by night. I get the feeling we will never be bored in Iona’s Skydome.

4. The Conservatory Mini Suite

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An exciting new type of cabin debuts aboard Iona. The Conservatory Mini Suite. It will offer you a unique space between your main cabin and your balcony, a conservatory. A space to relax and enjoy admiring the Ocean views with a cup of tea or a glass of bubbles!

5. Iona’s Grand Atrium.

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The atrium, the heart of a Cruise Ship, traditionally the focal point of a Ship, a bustling, exciting area come day or night. In Iona’s Atrium, the Sea takes centre stage. Ocean views can be admired from each of the 3 decks the atrium spans. A perfect place to people watch, you can alternate between views of the elegant , sophisticated guests dressed for a night aboard with sweeping, relaxing views of the Ocean. The Grand Atrium is also a key entertainment space aboard Iona, so once you finished admiring all the views, you can then enjoy a variety of shows, I’m very excited to experience Dream, a show performed in the Atrium, blurring the lines between Magic and Reality.

I am super excited to cruise on Iona soon! Even more excited to be aboard her Maiden Voyage and never have I been more excited for my priority embarkation, I’m going to be running up that gangway onto the Ship like a kid on Christmas Day!

Make sure you follow my social media accounts and this blog for future Iona Content very soon!