We Tried Formal Night on P&O Iona... Was Paying Extra Worth It?
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
If you ask for thick toast, you get some really thick bread that is freshly cooked, always comes hot, and is perfect with a bit of butter on.
The steak though, was delicious. It melted in your mouth. The knife just cut straight through it.
We've never seen the atrium so full. Everybody was really getting involved. It was very funny, really entertaining, and it was great to see some of the senior members of staff out and about.
The only disappointing thing, the service was very slow. I think we were in there for over 2 hours.
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Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
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Join us for Day 3 of our P&O Iona Christmas and New Year cruise as we experience our first Formal Night onboard—and decide whether paying extra for the upgraded dinner options is actually worth it. In this vlog we take you through everything we experienced during a relaxing sea day at sea, including breakfast in the Coral Restaurant, festive events in the Grand Atrium, lunch in Pearl Restaurant, drinks in the Crow's Nest, our first Formal Night of the cruise, a five-course dinner in Opal Restaurant, the Digital theatre show, Motown music in The Club House and the late-night buffet. We also share our honest thoughts on P&O Cruises' new dining menus, including the optional paid-for dishes, reveal useful onboard tips, and show what a sea day on Iona is really like during the festive Christmas season. If you're planning a P&O Cruises holiday, considering a Christmas cruise, or researching P&O Iona's Formal Nights, dining options and onboard entertainment, this video will give you a detailed look at life onboard one of Britain's most popular cruise ships. In this video: ✓ Coral Restaurant breakfast ✓ Grand Atrium Christmas events ✓ Pearl Restaurant lunch review ✓ Crow's Nest cocktails ✓ P&O Iona sea day activities ✓ Formal Night on P&O Iona ✓ Opal Restaurant dinner review ✓ Are the extra-cost menu items worth it? ✓ Digital theatre show review ✓ Motown music in The Club House ✓ Late-night buffet ✓ Cruise tips and tricks Have you ever paid extra for a menu item in a cruise ship's main dining room? Was it worth it? Let us know in the comments below! P&O Iona Inside Cabin 15436 - https://youtu.be/WTDU8DRozLs P&O Iona Review - https://youtu.be/lxfA8720QMA P&O Iona Ship Tour - https://youtu.be/rKyLLDiC2Uc P&O Iona is one of the most innovative cruise ships sailing from the UK and remains the flagship of the P&O Cruises fleet. Built by Meyer Werft and launched in 2021, Iona was the first LNG-powered cruise ship operated by P&O Cruises and was designed specifically for British holidaymakers. At over 184,000 gross tons and carrying around 5,200 guests, she is the largest cruise ship ever built for the UK market. Stretching 345 metres in length, Iona offers a modern cruising experience with stylish interiors, expansive outdoor spaces, and a huge range of dining, entertainment, and leisure facilities. One of Iona's standout features is the impressive SkyDome, a glass-roofed entertainment venue that transforms throughout the day from a relaxing pool area into a vibrant space for aerial performances, live music, and spectacular evening shows. Guests can enjoy more than 30 places to eat and drink, including popular venues such as The Quays street food market, The Olive Grove, The Keel & Cow, and Sindhu by Atul Kochhar. There are also four main dining rooms, numerous bars and lounges, a luxurious spa, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, and four swimming pools. This festive Christmas and New Year cruise departed Southampton on 20 December 2025 for a 14-night voyage to Portugal, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. After crossing the Bay of Biscay, Iona called at Lisbon, Portugal's historic capital, before heading south to the sunshine of the Canary Islands. Ports of call included Lanzarote with its dramatic volcanic landscapes, Fuerteventura's stunning beaches, Tenerife and the iconic Mount Teide, and Gran Canaria with its vibrant capital, Las Palmas. The voyage also visited the beautiful island of Madeira, famous for its spectacular scenery, botanical gardens, and New Year celebrations. With Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Eve celebrated onboard, this cruise combined winter sunshine, festive entertainment, sea days, and unforgettable destinations for the perfect holiday escape. We are Tom and Dom and we experienced our first cruise on the MSC Virtuosa during her UK staycation cruises in 2021.Our mission is provide a fair and balanced review of our travels. We look at the types of food that is available onboard, from main dining rooms, room service, buffets and pool side snacks. We include menus for each of cruises so that we can share the selection of drinks and meals that are available. Entertainment onboard a cruise ship is important to us and we enjoy theatre production shows, live music, quizzes and game shows. We love to explore different ports and destinations and enjoy sharing tips and tricks so that you can make the most of each port. We often explore ports independently but also book excursions that are interesting to us. Join our CRUISE CHAT Facebook group 👉 https://m.facebook.com/groups/728759168363809/?ref=share Support us and receive exclusive benefits! 👉 https://www.patreon.com/tomanddomtravel/membership You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! You can find our Socials on https://linktr.ee/tomanddomtravel #POIona #POCruises #CruiseVlog #ChristmasCruise #SeaDay #CruiseReview #CruiseTips #CruiseLife #Cruising #TravelVlog #tomanddomtravel