Iona

What Iona is

Iona is operated by P&O Cruises and built around the idea that a large ship should feel like a destination in itself. Her Grand Atrium rises through multiple decks and anchors the social life of the vessel — the Emerald Bar sits at its heart, where bartenders mix everything from classic daiquiris to house specialities while pop-up performances appear without warning. Beyond the atrium, the ship spreads across 11 decks of bars, lounges, restaurants and entertainment spaces, each with its own character. She carries 34 cabin grades across inside, outside, balcony and suite categories — the full breakdown, with deck plans, lives on Iona’s cabins and deck plans page.

Bars, lounges and entertainment on Iona

Few ships match the breadth of Iona’s bar and lounge programme, and each space has been given a distinct identity rather than a generic shipboard feel. The 710 Club is an adults-only venue with live music and vintage charm — the place for sophisticated cocktails on a dressed-up evening. The Crow’s Nest sits high on the ship, trading sweeping ocean views by day for live piano and vocals after dark. Intermezzo offers soft lighting and elegant furnishings for a refined pre-dinner cocktail or a nightcap; the Crystal Room pairs chandeliers with themed dance evenings and special parties.

For something livelier, Havana brings a Cuban nightclub atmosphere — salsa rhythms, DJ sets, cabaret and karaoke, with fresh mojitos to match. Carmen’s show lounge runs cabaret, quiz shows, bingo and dance classes through the day, then shifts to an energetic disco as the evening develops. The Manhattan Show Lounge stages theatrical evenings in the spirit of New York. Brodie’s Bar & Lounge is the ship’s British pub, with the largest selection of British and international beers, ciders and ales on board, and a programme of live sport, quizzes and game shows. Champions Pub offers a more casual alternative with live music and sports on screen.

Planet Bar takes the concept further — floor-to-ceiling screens cycle through iconic sights from around the world while you sip continent-inspired cocktails and watch the ocean beyond. Malabar evokes Mumbai’s Marine Drive, with cocktails, wines and spirits accompanied by live music from intimate piano concerts to dynamic bands. Anderson’s Bar, the Blue Bar, the Red Bar, Masquerade and Raffles each offer their own atmosphere for a drink before or after dinner. For something lighter, Caffè Vivo serves coffee, fresh juices, salads, bagels and pastries in a Mediterranean-style setting with leather sofas and wooden floors; Java provides an open terrace for watching the deck life below; and Spinnaker offers Costa Coffee and comfortable seating for a lazy morning. The swim-up bar in the Infinity and Panorama Pool area brings cocktails and silent discos to the pool itself on summer evenings.

Entry to all bars and lounges is complimentary; drinks carry a separate charge unless covered by a beverage package.

Cabins and suites

Iona carries 34 cabin grades — eight inside grades, three outside, eight balcony and fifteen suite grades — giving a wide range of options whether you are travelling as a couple, a group or seeking more space. The suite collection alone spans fifteen grades, so there is considerable variety at the top of the range. Full descriptions, dimensions and deck-by-deck plans are on the Iona cabins and deck plans page. Cruise1st can help you match the grade and fare inclusions to what you actually need — our Australian cruise experts are on the phone seven days a week.

Where Iona sails

Iona’s biggest programme is in the Southern Caribbean, where she runs 14-night round-trips from three different island homeports during the winter season (November through February). Round-trips from Bridgetown, Barbados typically call at Antigua, Philipsburg, Charlestown (Nevis), St. George’s, Castries, Road Town (Tortola) and Fort de France — a broad sweep of the southern arc of the islands, from A$1,479pp*. Equivalent 14-night round-trips depart from Antigua, visiting Bridgetown, Philipsburg, Castries, St. George’s, Charlestown, Road Town, Fort de France and Dominica, from A$1,429pp*. A third rotation leaves from Charlestown itself, calling at Antigua, Bridgetown, Philipsburg, Castries, St. George’s, Road Town and Fort de France, from A$1,379pp*. All three programmes run from late 2027 through early 2029.

From Southampton, Iona sails three distinct programmes. Her Norway fjords sailings run 7 nights and visit Haugesund, Stavanger, Olden, Innvikfjord (Stryn), Nordfjord, Ålesund and Sognefjord — a comprehensive sweep of the western fjord corridor — in a seasonal programme running in April, May and September, from A$1,679pp*. Cruises from Southampton in 2027 and cruises from Southampton in 2028 both include these sailings.

Short European round-trips of 5 or 7 nights from Southampton call at Rotterdam, Zeebrugge (Bruges), Hamburg and Cherbourg, running in February, March and October — from A$1,128pp*, making them among the most accessible sailings in the programme. Longer 14-night round-trips from Southampton also venture to Lisbon, Funchal (Madeira), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Arrecife (Lanzarote), Vigo, La Coruña, Puerto de Mogán and Seville in February and March.

The Canary Islands programme runs 14-night round-trips from Southampton in October, November and December, taking in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lisbon, Arrecife (Lanzarote), Puerto de Mogán, Funchal, Seville, Vigo and La Coruña, from A$1,903pp*.

For longer passages, Iona also runs one-way Caribbean crossings of 16 or 21 nights from Southampton to Antigua or Charlestown in October, calling at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Bridgetown, Philipsburg, Dominica, Road Town and Fort de France on the way — from A$2,499pp*. These are natural repositioning legs for anyone wanting to begin or end a Caribbean cruise without a return crossing. See Caribbean cruises in 2027 and Caribbean cruises in 2028 for the full picture, or browse Caribbean cruises from Sydney if you are planning the whole trip from Australia.

All of Iona’s sailings are sold without a cruise-included flight, which means the cruise is the centrepiece of a wider trip — Cruise1st puts the flights from Australia, the hotels and the transfers on the same booking as the cruise through our Cruise1st Packages service.

Well suited to longer voyages

With itineraries running to 21 nights and a ship designed to keep guests entertained across a full fortnight at sea, Iona is a natural fit for travellers who want to settle in and explore a region slowly rather than rush through it. The depth of the bar, lounge and entertainment programme means there is always somewhere new to spend an evening, even on a long passage.

The P&O Cruises fleet

P&O Cruises currently has seven ships on sale with Cruise1st. The fleet includes Arcadia, Aurora, Britannia, Azura, Arvia and Ventura alongside Iona — each sailing its own programme of itineraries.

Why book with Cruise1st

Cruise1st offers a Best Price Guarantee on Iona sailings, with Australian cruise experts available seven days a week to help you choose the right cabin grade, the right homeport and the right fare for your circumstances. Because Iona departs from Southampton and from Caribbean islands, most Australian guests will be flying to join the ship — our Cruise1st Packages bring the international flights, any hotel nights either side and all transfers onto a single booking alongside the cruise, so nothing is left to chance.

Questions about booking Iona from Australia

Do I need to fly to join Iona?

Yes — all of Iona’s sailings depart from Southampton, Bridgetown, Antigua or Charlestown, so Australian guests will fly to reach the ship. Cruise1st treats this as the starting point, not an obstacle: our Cruise1st Packages bundle the international flights, any hotel nights you need at either end, and all port transfers onto the same booking as the cruise itself.

Which Caribbean homeport should I choose?

Iona’s Southern Caribbean programme departs from Bridgetown (Barbados), Antigua and Charlestown (Nevis) on separate rotations, each calling at a slightly different set of islands across 14 nights. Bridgetown tends to include Antigua and Charlestown among its calls, Antigua’s rotation adds Dominica, and Charlestown’s rotation covers both Bridgetown and Antigua. The right choice depends on which islands you most want to see and which flights suit your dates. Our team can map it out — call us seven days a week.

How long are the Norway sailings?

Iona’s Norwegian fjords programme runs for 7 nights, departing from Southampton in April, May and September. Ports typically visited include Haugesund, Stavanger, Olden, Innvikfjord (Stryn), Nordfjord, Ålesund and Sognefjord. See Norway cruises and cruises from Southampton for the available departures.

What is the shortest sailing available on Iona?

The shortest sailings in the current programme are 5 nights, on Iona’s European round-trips from Southampton calling at ports including Rotterdam, Zeebrugge (Bruges), Hamburg and Cherbourg. These run in February, March and October and are the entry point for the programme from A$1,128pp*. Browse cruises from Southampton in 2027 for dates.

Are there alternatives on similar routes?

Two Cunard ships sail some of the same waters. Queen Mary 2 — see her page at Queen Mary 2 — also departs from Southampton and calls at Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Netherlands Antilles and Grenada among others, making her a straight alternative for Caribbean sailings with no additional flying required. Queen Anne — Queen Anne on Cunard — shares Barbados, St. Lucia, the United Kingdom and Spain with Iona’s programme and also sails from Southampton.