Cruising The Norwegian Fjords Onboard Iona

Are you dreaming of dramatic landscapes, breathtaking views, and an unforgettable cruise experience? A cruise to the Norwegian Fjords onboard P&O Cruises' stunning ship, Iona, could be the perfect getaway!

Whether your cup of tea is scenic hikes, exploring charming towns, or simply relaxing while admiring sensational views from the comfort of your cabin, a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords has it all.

We heard from Cruise.co.uk's, Dimpna Lopez, on her experience of an Iona cruise to the stunning region of Norway from Southampton. Read on to delve into her day-by-day itinerary, highlights of the ship, and more!

Day 1 - Embarkation

As a first-time cruiser, this experience was completely new to me so I didn't have much to compare it to- just like many of our customers who have never cruised before.

We sailed from the port of Southampton for our Norwegian Fjords cruise onboard P&O Cruises' Iona. If you live outside of Southampton and don't have a car, I would advise taking a coach transfer if you're looking to save a few pennies, as it was surprisingly cheaper than taking the train. Plus, you don't have to worry about carrying your luggage with you on a busy train carriage!

Once I got to the terminal, the check-in process was very quick as most guests had already boarded the ship. Once onboard, I went straight to my cabin, which was a standard balcony located at the front of the ship. I was assigned a partial view balcony, however, this did not taint the wonderful view throughout the cruise at all.

For tonight's dinner, we headed to Sindhu restaurant; a speciality dining venue onboard Iona, dedicated to serving up Indian cuisine, with a twist.

I didn't order a starter, so instead went straight for a main of lobster and a chocolate dessert- which was so delicious that I forgot to take a picture before it was gone!

Day 2 - At Sea

Today was a sea day, so we spent the whole day exploring more of what Iona had to offer. For lunch, I opted for a classic fish and chips at The Quays restaurant, which is included as standard for all guests.

There are three different options to choose from: Hook, Line & Vinegar; Boardwalk Diner; and Fusion. Having lived in the UK for almost a year and a half, along with many trips as a tourist in the past, the fish and chips from Hook, Line & Vinegar were THE BEST FISH AND CHIPS THAT I'VE EVER HAD. Fresh and juicy cod, crunchy and freshly made batter, alongside a reasonable portion of chips- delicious!

After filling our bellies, we explored the ship further and also treated ourselves to an ice cream from Ripples.

Later on that evening, we dined at The Limelight Club; an adults-only venue onboard Iona that combines food with dazzling entertainment.

We were served an Amuse Bouche that consisted of a small crostini with smoked aubergine pate, caponata and almond cream. Then my starter arrived; a crisp honey-glazed Berkshire black ham hock. For the main, I chose line-caught seabass, followed by a dark and white chocolate mascarpone bomb for dessert.

My favourite dish was the starter that came with a green mint jelly- which sounds unappetising but had a very nice texture and a slightly sweet flavour that went very well with the ham hock.

After enjoying some entertainment at The Limelight Club, we decided to enjoy some karaoke at The Club House. None of us did any singing as we were afraid of making a fool of ourselves, but it was still great fun to watch!

Day 3 - Stavanger

We had a shore excursion booked to Lysefjord today onboard a veteran ship called the MS Sandnes. Even though it was very cloudy and rainy at times, the weather was not that cold. In fact, it felt very humid.

Once we started our journey to Lysefjord, the wind on top of the ship felt very refreshing and, as we got closer to the fjords, the views were fantastic. I couldn't help but put on my earphones and listen to Enya- which, in my opinion, matched the magnificence of this place perfectly! When the rain started pouring down, I decided to try some Norwegian pancakes that were simply DELICIOUS.

At 4 pm, I had an appointment at the Thermal Suite. I enjoyed the saunas and hydrotherapy which helped me release some tension.

Later on, we watched the show, Digital, at the Headliners Theatre on Iona, and then headed to the Opal Restaurant; one of the main dining rooms onboard Iona, which are included for all guests. I ordered a mushroom soup for the starter, beef brisket for the main and apple strudel with custard for dessert. My favourite dish was the mushroom soup- very tasty.

Day 4 - Olden

As I woke up to the most astounding vista of beautiful Olden, I grabbed a quick bite at the Horizon Restaurant before heading to my second shore excursion: Briksdal Glacier. This almost deserves a post of its own, what a magical place!

After a marvellous excursion in Olden, back on the ship it was our time to dine at one of the fanciest restaurants onboard- Epicurean. We had a seven-course dinner, consisting of crispy chicken skin for amuse; pickled beets for starter; lightly smoked trout and lamb for main; cream cheese ice cream for pre-dessert; a white chocolate espuma and cloudberry sorbet for dessert; and finally, coffee and petit fours.

Day 5 - Alesund

This morning, I decided to have fuel up and have a bigger breakfast at the Horizon Buffet, as I would be exploring the town of Alesund with a shore excursion today. I never usually have fruit at a buffet because, most of the time, I end up disappointed. However, I was not disappointed by the fresh and juicy fruit on offer. The eggs that I opted for were also on point.

Every time that I ate at this buffet, I could always find something that I liked- not to mention the great variety and portion sizes. My only regret is not having more than one chocolate crème brûlée; this was the best dessert that I had throughout my entire stay on the ship!

At the shore excursions desk, I was given some vouchers to enter a museum in Alesund, vouchers to exchange for a cinnamon bun and a coffee, plus a map of the city. I had a wander around looking for the coffee shop to claim my cinnamon bun and decided to have a more relaxed day, as I was still tired and sore from the shore excursion to the glacier the day before!

For dinner tonight, we dined at Pearl Restaurant (included for all guests onboard). I went for the signature selection for starter; dressed lobster claw on a gruyere sable biscuit with lobster crème anglaise. My main was pan-fried chicken, and for dessert I chose the signature selection once again, which was a chocolate tart.

Day 6 - Haugesund

Haugesund was the last port of call in our itinerary today- home of the Viking kings! I had a wander around the centre of the town with the ever-changing weather of the Scandinavian countries.

In the afternoon, I decided to try Coral Restaurant. This time, I went with the set menu and ordered a savoury sun-dried tomato cheesecake to start; two vegetarian mains (a baked avocado with herb cream cheese in a shortcrust pastry; and wild mushroom, madeira and truffle tartlet); and finally a warm chocolate praline fondant with ice cream for dessert. My choices were unexpectedly vegetarian which I'm not. However, the tomato cheesecake was FANTASTIC.

Day 7 - At Sea

Today we joined in with a quiz after breakfast, which gave us the opportunity to learn more about P&O Cruises and also test our general knowledge.

After another wander around Iona later in the day, we took some pictures and then headed to the 710 Club to listen to some 90s tunes played by a resident band. Here, I enjoyed a cocktail called "Fairground the World in 80 Days"- this drink alone deserves a five-star review!

Tonight for dinner, we dined at The Glass House, located in the middle of the ship's hustle and bustle. Here, the portions were certainly bigger! I had a seafood trio, followed by a global fusion trio for dessert. We had so many assortments of tapas for starters that I honestly don't remember exactly which ones I had. But, what I do remember is that I liked them all!

The Glass House restaurant comes at an additional cost for guests, however, it isn't ridiculously expensive; cheaper than some fancy restaurants in the UK!

Day 8 - Disembarkation

On a day-to-day basis in my job, we receive a lot of queries from customers asking about disembarkation times and when and where this information is available for guests.

On the day, before disembarking, I received a leaflet in my cabin advising me of the time and place that I was required to be at the next day. It also contained information about how to handle your luggage or how to settle your account among other things that help make this process easier.

When my time came to disembark, I grabbed all of my stuff and just had to board the coach which was already waiting for us outside the cruise terminal in Southampton.

And with that, my first cruise had come to an end. I can now say, I am officially part of the real cruise people!