P&O’s stunning new ship Iona to the Norwegian Fjords

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Departing on June 4th, my second cruise of 2022 saw me and some friends boarding P&O Cruises’ beautiful brand new ship Iona and visiting the stunning Norwegian Fjords for a week.

A photo of P&O Iona docked in Stavanger.

The ship is huge. With 18 decks, it dwarfs the ships I’ve been on previously (P&O Aurora and Marella Discovery 2) and its usual operating capacity is 5,200 guests and 1,800 crew. Although my two previous ships had undergone a refurbishment, they didn’t come close to the modern environment on board Iona. Some surprising facilities on Iona include a four screen cinema, acrobatic shows in the Skydome, more than 15 places to eat, and a gin distillery. The centrepiece of the ship is a beautiful, glass-walled atrium spanning decks 6 to 8, which during our cruise was decorated for the Queens Jubilee celebrations.

The atrium of P&O Iona with wide staircases and glass walls looking out onto the dockside.

As usual, I wanted to cruise as cheaply as possible, and this is particularly important for a cruise of the Norwegian Fjords as this route certainly isn’t the cheapest out there. So my friend and I opted for an inside cabin (e.g one without a window or balcony). It was small but comfortable and had plenty of storage. The shower was more powerful than mine at home!

An interior cabin on P&O Iona, setup with twin beds.

Another friend, travelling elsewhere on board with his family, opted for a balcony cabin. I visited during the cruise and it was very cool, I was definitely jealous of the views from it.

There were many great entertainment venues on board including The Clubhouse, where I also played a couple of games of Bingo, and The Skydome where I watched several music acts perform beside the pool.

A brand performing at The Clubhouse on P&O Iona.
A guitar playing busker performing in the Skydome on P&O Iona.
The stage set for a performance of Festivals, a show in the Headliners Theatre on P&O Iona.
The stage set for a musical performance by Kalon Rae in the Headliners Theatre on P&O Iona.

We attended The Headliners Theatre almost every evening and saw a variety of shows including one by singer Kalon Rae, a montage of show tunes, a variety performance called Festival, and a comedian named Manuel Martinez (who was hilarious, we saw him twice!).

But a cruise isn’t just about what happens on board, its also about the amazing places you visit, and the Norwegian Fjords did not disappoint! Whilst my previous cruises had mostly been about exploring new cities, this one was more about relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery. We visited Stavanger, Olden, Hellesylt and Haugesund. I only booked one shore excursion and that was a cable car to the top of a very tall mountain in Loen – worth every penny for the incredible views from the top!

The view from a bridge in Haugesund.
A view of P&O Iona docked in Hellesylt.
The view from the top of the Loen Skylift.
A view across a fjord in Olden.
A view across a lake in the middle of Stavanger.

If you’re looking for a cruise with sunning scenery then the Norwegian Fjords is definitely for you. And with several cruise lines offering itineraries to a variety of destinations, including some with Northern Lights tours, there’s lots of choices too. Iona is designed specifically with the fjords in mind and its a wonderful ship. I’ve already booked another cruise on her in December 2023! To see more of Iona, check out the video below from Emma Cruises.