Key Aspects:
- Iona will skip a planned stop in Le Havre, France on Sunday, October 18, 2026 due to civil unrest across the nation.
- The ship’s modified itinerary moves the call to Vigo a day earlier than planned and adds more time in A Coruña for an overnight stay.
- There is no change to the rest of the 7-night itinerary and Iona will still call in Bilbao-Getxo on Thursday, October 22 as scheduled.
Paris is a top destination for travelers worldwide, and for cruisers, that means a visit to Le Havre, the cruise port nearest to the City of Light. For guests boarding P&O Cruises’ Iona in Southampton, UK on Saturday, October 17, 2026, however, that visit will not be possible and two other port visits on the ship’s itinerary have also been revised as a result.
Guests were notified of the change prior to embarkation, including what other shifts were made in the schedule for the 7-night Spain and France sailing.
“Due to ongoing protests and civil unrest in France, Iona will no longer visit Le Havre on 18 October,” the email notification explained. “Instead, you’ll now enjoy an overnight stay in La Coruna on 20 and 21 October, giving you more time to explore the city and enjoy everything the destination has to offer at your own pace.”
The visit to Le Havre was to have been a full-day stop and was the only port visit scheduled for France on the two-country itinerary. Now, the voyage will only be visiting ports in Spain, and with a revised schedule.
Following the departure from Southampton on Saturday, Sunday will now be a day at sea and Iona will call on Vigo, Spain on Monday, October 19 instead of Tuesday as originally planned. A Coruña was to have been only a day visit on Wednesday, October 21, but the ship will now arrive on Tuesday and remain in port overnight and into Wednesday.
The remainder of the itinerary, including the stop in Bilbao-Getxo on Thursday, October 22, is unaffected and the 184,089-gross-ton ship will return to Southampton as planned for debarkation on Saturday, October 24.
P&O Cruises confirms in the email notification that any shore experiences booked through the cruise line for Le Havre will be cancelled and refunded. If guests have tours for Vigo or A Coruña that are impacted by the schedule changes, those tours will be adjusted if necessary. Guests will be contacted by the Shore Experiences team if there are other concerns.
What Civil Unrest Is Impacting Iona?
The civil unrest in France is related in part to government budget and service cuts amidst rising cost-of-living expenses, rising fuel costs, and frustrations with the quality of student education and resources available in classrooms.
According to Le Monde, more than 600 demonstrations were planned for Saturday, October 17, 2026. Although Iona was not scheduled to arrive until Sunday, any protests that grow more violent than expected could still make the situation dangerous for cruise guests the next day.
Previous protest actions have included demonstrations and rallies, traffic disruptions, fires, and occasional violent altercations with police and other authorities, some of which have raised questions of police brutality. Police have arrested thousands of protesters in recent weeks.
Because some of the protests were planned to block key roads and infrastructure, disruptions for guests visiting Le Havre who hoped to venture to Paris for the day could also be impacted. The capital of France is a 2.5-hour drive from the cruise port and is a common destination for full-day excursions.
