Will Iona sink before she has even floated?

Will Iona sink before she has even floated?  This is a question I have been asking myself the last few weeks.

In case you have been wondering, Iona is the newest ship in the P&O fleet and she will be sailing in 2020.  And at 183,000 tonnes carrying over 5000 passengers she is going to be a big girl. As with any ship launch, there is a lot of hype and excitement surrounding her and there are a lot of regular P&O customers, as well as those new to P&O and cruise talking about her.  

With this in mind, you might be wondering why I have titled this post as I have.  Surely a new ship with all this excitement cannot fail. Well the main reason for asking myself the question, is nothing to do with the actual ship, as I am sure she will be outstanding, and I am certainly one of those people who cannot wait to see her.  Rather, it is more to do with her itineraries.

P&O have recently announced that her inaugural season will see her feature the Norwegian Fjords throughout spring and summer 2020.  Now, the Norwegian Fjords are a fantastic and beautiful destination that I do think everyone should see for themselves, and a cruise is the perfect way to do this, as you literally sail right inside them.  So you would think, new amazing ship plus perfect cruising destination would be a recipe for success. Well, maybe.

My first thought when I saw this was are there going to be 5200 people who want to visit the Fjords every week, week in, week out?  (Fjord itineraries are typically 7 nights from Southampton). With the size of her, is this sustainable? Plus, if you do book a cruise on her to the Fjords, do you want to be part of a group of 5200 people visiting some of these small town destinations.  Could overcrowding be a problem?

In all honesty, I am not sure.  I think I was kind of hoping for some more new and different itineraries to be opened up with the launch of a new ship.  But then again, the fact that she is new, makes me want to sail on her no matter the destinations she visits, and i probably will still book her which is how a lot of people will think.

We don’t have long to find out though.  Pre-Registration for her maiden season opens soon.  Give me a call and if you, like me, let curiosity get the better of you.