P&O Cruises’ flagship Iona has entered Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam for her first planned drydock since commencing service in 2021. The maintenance period, which began earlier this month, marks a key technical milestone for the vessel and necessitated the cancellation of two scheduled cruises.
The drydock was initially planned for March 2025; however, limited shipyard availability prompted the operator to advance the schedule to October. P&O Cruises confirmed that Iona will return to commercial service on October 23rd, 2025 following a program of essential maintenance and technical enhancements.
The affected itineraries include a 14-night Canary Islands voyage originally departing Southampton on October 4th and a 7-night Northern Europe sailing set for October 18th. Passengers booked on these departures have been informed of the adjustments and offered full refunds together with GBP 100 per person in onboard credit as compensation. The company has indicated that it is assisting guests with rebooking arrangements or applying the credit toward future sailings.
Upon completion of the refit, Iona will resume operations with a short 2-night voyage, followed by a 7-night itinerary to Spain and France departing from Southampton on October 25th.