Southampton

We learnt today its worth checking if Southampton FC are playing at home on the same day a 5000-strong cruise ship is departing, because the traffic in Southampton was rather chaotic!

Despite the size of the ship, boarding was very quick and simple. The size of the ship and its 18 decks however did mean a considerable climb with our luggage to our cabins - no lifts allowed, as always.

We've a fabulous balcony cabin, with a lovely bathroom and nice seating area. The Iona is the most recently built ship we've been on and the decor in the room reflected that. However, doing a famex around the ship, a couple of things leapt out:

- the balcony cabins that end on the promenade directly are *very* weird. 100% no for us, thank goodness we did not book one
- 5000 people is *a lot*. No, really. And the vast majority are quite different to passengers we've come across on other cruises
- it is very clearly half term week. There are children everywhere
- the ship has some similarities to the Britannia, including - most annoyingly - that most of bars are also thoroughfares.

The main atrium is three floors high, with massive windows that bulge out like a bay window. However, it also feels a bit like an airport lounge. First thoughts - that ships this bit might not be our thing in the long run! That said, the two infinity pools do look nice, and the buffets run the width of the ship rather than length, which is always preferable.

We did manage to hole up in Anderson's Library bar for the evening, which was a pleasant and slightly smaller spot.Read more