Iona

The ship

SkyDome nights and a British megaship holiday

Iona is P&O Cruises’ first Excellence-class ship, delivered in 2020. She carries SkyDome, an infinity-style aft pool, the Conservatory buffet and a British holiday tone at roughly 5,200 guests. She is formal enough for P&O regulars and open enough for families who want soft entertainment under glass rather than a US-style waterpark skyline. She is British megaship living — not a small traditional ship.

Main dining rooms and the Conservatory cover included evenings. Specialty nights are the paid layer. Epicurean, Sindhu and Keel & Cow sit among the rooms guests book for, with The Beach House and other alternative spaces filling quieter nights. Sea-day specialty tables book out quickly — reserve early if a steak or Indian night matters to your week. Freedom dining habits vary by restaurant, so check your sailing rather than assuming walk-up everywhere.

Evenings run from SkyDome shows under the glass roof to Headliners Theatre productions and Limelight Club’s more intimate music-and-supper nights. Daytime is the infinity-style aft pool, Oasis Spa — treatments are extra — and Club House kids’ clubs that fill in school holidays. She is British megaship living: not Royal Caribbean thrills, and not a small traditional ship.

On board

SkyDome, Headliners, Limelight

1. 01

   Eat the P&O way

   Main dining rooms and the Conservatory cover included evenings and the buffet circuit. Specialty tables worth booking early are Epicurean, Sindhu and Keel & Cow — those rooms sit outside the included dining and vanish on sea days if you wait. Gastropub and café corners fill the between-meal hours. Freedom dining habits vary by restaurant. Check your sailing rather than assuming you can walk up everywhere at half past seven.

2. 02

   SkyDome, Headliners and Limelight

   SkyDome is the space guests remember first: entertainment, daytime lounge and weather-proof gathering under glass. Headliners Theatre runs the production shows and guest acts. Recent seasons have included Centre Stage — West End–leaning musical showstoppers rather than a single transferred title. Limelight Club is the music-and-supper venue for more intimate live sets — book it early. Programme titles change by season, so treat any named show as current-season colour. Book centre seats for the headline production on night one if that matters to you.

3. 03

   After dark

   P&O’s bar circuit covers pubs, cocktail rooms and live music rather than a megaship nightclub race. Expect a lively but recognisably British evening pace — quizzes, music, a late disco corner — with drinks packages outside the simple cruise. Decide what you will actually drink before you buy a package. Quieter lounges exist if you want conversation after the show without the SkyDome volume.

4. 04

   Pools and spa

   The infinity-style aft pool and main pool decks take the daytime sun. Oasis Spa and fitness cover wellness; treatments and some thermal access are typically extra. There is no roller coaster or Category 6 waterpark — Iona’s week is pools, views and spa time. Grab sunbeds early on sea days. With about 5,200 guests aboard, the same rails fill quickly once the sun is out.

5. 05

   Kids and Club House

   Club House and the kids’ and teens’ programme run family hours that shift by sea day and port day. Families who will use the clubs, SkyDome and the pools get the most from Iona. Couples seeking adult-only calm may prefer a quieter traditional P&O ship. Suites and club cabins unlock quieter lounges and dining perks if you booked them — nicer, not a second ship.

Fit

Who she is for

• UK families and couples who want a modern P&O megaship holiday — SkyDome, Freedom dining and kids’ clubs — especially Mediterranean and Canaries weeks sailing from Southampton.
• Guests who will budget for Epicurean, Sindhu or Limelight nights plus drinks, and who like British pub culture at megaship scale rather than a quiet mid-size ship.
• Not ideal if you want adults-only calm, a small traditional ship, or short walking distances. Choose Arcadia or Aurora for grown-up mid-size P&O instead.

Where

Where Iona tends to go

Southampton seasons for the Mediterranean, Canaries and Northern Europe have been central. Exact bases shift as P&O reshuffles Excellence-class sister ships.

Treat this as the ship’s range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.

Before you book

What the brochure skips

• Alternative dining, Limelight and drink packages add up quickly on a ship this size. Price the week as the cruise plus what you will actually buy.
• Compare UK agents on the same Iona sailing, cruise-only, two sharing. The hero price should be the lowest bookable one, not the first logo you recognise.