The Retreat

[themommy]

Has anyone heard what the new booking arrangements are for the retreat on Azura please? I read somewhere that were reviewing their arrangements and would have information by the end of November but can't see anything.

Thank you

[LibraLass41]

Has anyone heard what the new booking arrangements are for the retreat on Azura please? I read somewhere that were reviewing their arrangements and would have information by the end of November but can't see anything.

Thank you

 

No I haven't seen anything new either, why not phone up and ask? Let us know if you get an answer please.

[38anchor]

Hi Gail, it was me that was trying to get the extra info from mid/end November.

 

Well I repeatedly emailed the contact I had (who originally told me to email her back at this time for more info) but got no answer, so I emailed general enquiries again, repeating my original query and asking if they had any more or up-to-date information. The answer I got wasn't exactly brimming with information:

 

Good afternoon Miss Greenhalgh

 

Thank you for your email

 

Please be advised xxxxxxxxxxxxxx is on Maternity leave this is why unfortunately you have not received a reply to your previous emails. Please forward all correspondence in future to celebrations@pocruises.com

 

The Retreat is only available for pre-booking if you have opted to purchase the Azura Spa Stateroom Package, and as stated in your e-mail the cost of this package would be £299 per person and currently includes 4 full day passes.

 

If you do not pre-book the Spa Package the passes for the Retreat are subject to availability and you will need to visit the spa on board to purchase any passes. Please find attached the current price list for the Oasis Spa, however you will receive the most up to date prices and information on board. As previously stated only those passengers who have booked the Spa Stateroom Package are able to prebook Spa treatments and Retreat, therefore you will have the same opportunity to book as all other passengers.

 

 

So I guess I will have to wait till I board on Friday to see how it actually works, but I have noticed that the Spa package is advertised as 4 half day passes and this has now increased to full day passes (as per the reply above) so I am guessing that they are not doing half days at all anymore, just full days.

 

BTW, I did read on a review somewhere about the Retreat, that even those that had booked a pass were still queueing for up to an hour to get in on a morning. I think it opens at 9am and some were queuing from 8am. Apparently there are not many great sunbed spots in the Retreat (many in full shade all day and even in quite 'windy' areas) so those that have booked want to get in fast to get the 'good' spots. I have to say the appeal of the Retreat is beginning to diminish rapidly, although I have learnt that some 'reviews' need to be taken with a pinch of salt sometimes!

[tom_uk]

Azura seems to me to be more 'Princess-ised' than Ventura: there's the Retreat and the movie screen, both of which have been seen on several recent Princess 'Grand' class ships. (I think their name for the Retreat is The Sanctuary.)

 

My take on these things is that they make much more sense in the Caribbean than in Europe, The Retreat especially. I can easily imagine that in a seven night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale in mid-summer, a day spent on a high deck, in shade but with the chance of a breeze would be excellent.

 

Not so good when the ship is slogging up the Channel or through the Bay with strong winds and under cloudy skies. I think that the Ventura/Arcadia/Aurora approach, with optionally-covered pools, is better for Europe.

 

But kudos to P&O for trying it.

[themommy]

Hi

My response from P&O says that its £6 for half a day on port days and £12 for sea days - to be booked at the spa and only in advance for those with the spa package.

My friend has just come off Azura last week and said she arrived on Saturday and all the sea days had been already booked by the Friday arrivals and that the ship really suffered by the lack of sunbed space due to the "loss" of one large pool.

I will reserve judgement

[kersh]

We are just back from Azura and used the retreat. You can book day passes at the spa but need to do so as soon as you board especially if you want sea day passes. Sea day passes are £20 per person per day and port day passes are £12.00 per person per day. The spa opens at 8am and the retreat at 08:30. The queue starts forming at 8am and everyone goes upstairs to the retreat in order from 08:30.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would definitely book it again. We went on 3 different port days as the sea days were booked up and we had been to the ports many times before.

 

Included in the price is early morning fruit juice and fruit platter, lunch which you choose from a menu and the steward collects for you from the grill, then later in the afternoon the steward comes round with iced flannels. One thing which is lacking is the provision of hot drinks. there is no tea or coffee available in the retreat,

 

The pool was never over crowded and we always managed to get a sun bed in the sun though I could imagine this being a problem on a sea day unless up there for 8am.

 

Sue

[southwinds]

When we were on Azura last Sept there was no lack of deck space BUT there are tucked aways areas which we found were empty. It pays to look at the deck plans .. everybody crowds around the pool areas.

We found a deck at the aft near where then 17 resturant is and it was empty most days.

[Mad4WDW]

Hi,

 

I guess I was on the same cruise as Kersh.

 

The only thing I can add is that if you're booking in advance, which you'll have to do if you want a sea day inside there is that you'll be at the mercy of the weather. It could be throwing down with rain on the day you booked a week prior.

 

I have no idea what the cancellation policy is but you might want to check.

 

Attached a couple of small resized images I took

 

Greg

[kevinyork]

Azura seems to me to be more 'Princess-ised' than Ventura: there's the Retreat and the movie screen, both of which have been seen on several recent Princess 'Grand' class ships. (I think their name for the Retreat is The Sanctuary.)

 

My take on these things is that they make much more sense in the Caribbean than in Europe, The Retreat especially. I can easily imagine that in a seven night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale in mid-summer, a day spent on a high deck, in shade but with the chance of a breeze would be excellent.

 

Not so good when the ship is slogging up the Channel or through the Bay with strong winds and under cloudy skies. I think that the Ventura/Arcadia/Aurora approach, with optionally-covered pools, is better for Europe.

 

But kudos to P&O for trying it.

 

I would agree. Having been on Ventura and Azura within a year, I prefer Ventura given that the vast space given over to the Retreat is open to all on Ventura. We had no problem with sunbeds on Ventura but struggled on Azura. We are back on Ventura on to the Med this year and looking forward to the covered pool whilst crossing Biscay.

[LEESRE]

It has been said by staff on Azura that by April of this year, Ventura will also be turned over to a Retreat for the Oasis Pool area.

[tartanexile81]

We're on Azura in September so we were interested to read this discussion. Last year, we were on Ruby Princess and it has The Sanctuary, equivalent to the Retreat. I have to say it was underused probably because our cruise was port intensive. However we never had any difficulty finding a sun-bed on Ruby provided we didn't want to be next to a pool. There was a large deck just outside The Sanctuary on Deck 17 and we could always find a sunbed very easily there. The Sanctuary guests used The Spa Pool and it was open to all adults. Is it different on Azura then? Agree with Southwinds: have a look at the deck plan and you can usually find some quieter sun-decks tucked away.