Oh crikey - doesn't anyone like the Azura?

[SeaSickGill]

Hi Everyone

I'm so fed up, booked the Azura for 8th April and I was so excited....until I read the reviews:eek:

 

Is it really as crap as they say? It's my mums first cruise, after I've been going on for years how great cruising is.

 

Please cheer me up.

 

Gillian

[blitznbobs]

I loved it... it had it's down points (a promenade deck that you can't walk round and lay out on some decks is a bit weird and the buffet selection is a little limited compared to the american lines...) but we had a week cruise on it in september and had a fab time.

 

Their is a good mix of clientelle. The spa is fab. The kids facilities are second to none.

 

Nothing not to like ignore the critics it's a lovely ship

 

:)

 

Bx

[cruiseluvva]

We haven't been on her yet, and we have been on all the others in the fleet with the exception of Artemis, but we are still really looking forward to what she has to offer, when we go in exactly eight weeks today.

 

I think she will be a little different to most of the others, but so what, variety is the spice of life.

 

We intend to have a good time - and I'm sure you will too.

[jeanlyon]

As someone who wasn't that keen on Azura and I'm still not, I still had a great holiday. The food was excellent, there was a lot to do, staff were good, drinks are not expensive. I found her a bit crowded, sunbeds were one inch apart and I found her noisy, music playing constantly. However, from what I read, I think it has been toned down. You cannot decide on a ship from reviews. Go and enjoy, have a great holiday and see what you think. Jean

[u2cruiser]

I'm also looking forward to sailing on Azura in 9 months and I don't care what anyone else thinks.

 

We loved Ventura and you are hard pushed to find anyone with a good word about the ship :mad: :D

[MattyBarlow]

I gave up taking notice of reviews years ago. There is so much rubbish on some of these sites. Go and have a great holiday and experience Azura first hand. Then you can make your mind up.

[Rum Rat]

As someone who wasn't that keen on Azura and I'm still not, I still had a great holiday. The food was excellent, there was a lot to do, staff were good, drinks are not expensive. I found her a bit crowded, sunbeds were one inch apart and I found her noisy, music playing constantly. However, from what I read, I think it has been toned down. You cannot decide on a ship from reviews. Go and enjoy, have a great holiday and see what you think. Jean

 

Jean very interested in what you say about her being crowded. I was lucky enough to view her at the begining, complete with 'wine and dine'. I liked the ship, her decor, her dining, her food, she reminded me of the favourite of the fleet, Aurora, BUT, there were only 1500 of us on the show around and yes it felt crowded. OK, we were all 'moving around' that is what we were there for, but with a ship that size, you will always have lots of people 'moving around'. Not for me ANY of the 'blocks of flats'

 

Mike

[jeanlyon]

Mike, there were 3000 on our and for the first couple of days when the weather was cool, it felt very crowded indeed. As I said somewhere else, I enjoyed her in the evening, but not in the daytime. The pools were crowded, people always seemed to stand in doorways, entrances to theatre etc. She was not for me, but I went to give her a try. My next one is Arcadia. Will be interesting to compare.

[PRIORY ROAD]

We were on her in June last year. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and wouldn't hesitate to go on her again. There is just so much to do, particularly in the evenings. Yes, agree sunbeds are close together, but we find that on quite a few of the ships we have been on, but we headed to deck 19 and never had any problems. We didn't experience any problems with noise, yes the seascreen was on but we choose not to sit in that area, but that said, we did not find it annoying. Perhaps we were lucky with the mix of people on the ship - thats the chance you take. At the end of the day the experience is what you make it, don't listen to others, experience it for yourself. We don't all like the same things in life, that is why there is so much choice. I'm suire that you will have a wonderful time.

[laurakdy]

Oh I really feel for you, but please take note...

 

I booked my first full cruise last year going on the costa atlantica in november...

 

I didnt find these boards until after I had booked the cruise and boy I initially wished I hadnt...:confused: Apart from 1 or 2 loyal costa fans I couldnt find anyone with a good word to say about the atlantca...It made for grim reading, believe me...:rolleyes:

 

Then as I got used to the boards I realised that some people (and I did say some), will moan and groan about anything and everything...

 

Silly things like, not enough towels, or sunbeds, or being a bit crowded or noisy aound the pool...People who dont dress up for dinner or having a chocolate or your pillow at night...To me these are utterly tivial and wouldnt put me neither up nor down but to some it can make or break their holiday...

For instance, I wouldnt choose somewhere where there's the potential for

3.500 people if I didnt like to queue for a bit, or liked things 'quiet', perhaps wait around for a sunbed but for others it can make them utterly miserable and spoil their holiday...I personally dont get that...

 

The atlantica turned out to be wonderful ship with a lovely mixture of culture, nice food, service impeccable and plenty on offer...

 

So dont worry as Ive read some fabby reviews about the azura and I for one cant wait to go on her...

 

Did I mention I was sailing on her in novmber ? :D:D

[andyc567]

The atlantica turned out to be wonderful ship with a lovely mixture of culture, nice food, service impeccable and plenty on offer...

 

I couldn't agree more..

 

We was on the Costa Alantica round the Baltic in May 2010 and she really is a superb ship..

 

A nice size, 2000 passengers I think and a truely wonderful Italian experience.

 

I will recommend her to anyone !!

 

Now for our next cruise, Carribbean on Ventura, I hope she is as good as the Atlantica..

[LibraLass41]

First, must say I too had the same feelings about my first cruise on Arcadia 6 years ago, as Arcadia had a lot of anti-cruisers who didn't like her modern contemporary design and fittings, the small atrium (i won't say lack of Atrium, just small) but once she slotted into place with people who understood she was nothing like the similar sized Aurora , Oceana and Oriana, she's been very popular with adult passengers and you rarely see discounted cruises on her compared to the other ships, I ignored the comments and loved my first cruise, and went on to sail on her again to Venice and later The West Med.

 

Now, Azura.

I've been on her twice since April. Once for the fantastic naming ceremony where I saw all the cabins, had a tour of the ship, and was wined and dined with celebrities , tried out a balcony cabin, the wonderful dining room food and bars.

 

Then I went on a cruise on her in July. Loved the GlassHouse wine bar , and the meals they served, the great idea of 3 shows a night in the theatre which meant , as we were on 2nd sitting we could see a show before dinner, and see a tribute band or comedian after dinner in one of the venues.

 

Enjoy

Have photos. Have a look if you want.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/AuroraPartyCruiseSueV/AzuraApril10#slideshow/5458865881615893010

[SeaSickGill]

thanks everyone - feel more chipper now - loved the photos posted by Libralass:D

 

love gillian xx

[u2cruiser]

Enjoyed the photos LibraLass. I've seen them before, but now we've booked Azura and can see our balcony :D

[boozer21]

Went on the Azura for month at Christmas It was our first Pand O cruise and we were really looking forward to it but, like you, put off somewhat by the critisism.

Yes it is big and it takes a while to get used to the layout. Yes it is crowded but we got a sunbed when we wanted one... no we didnt save one...Enjoyed the food and most of the entertainment. Met some lovely people and unfortunately some not so nice who moaned constantly about everything and anything and looked down their noses at people who they considered " were letting standards drop" Why go on holiday to moan?

[u2cruiser]

Went on the Azura for month at Christmas It was our first Pand O cruise and we were really looking forward to it but, like you, put off somewhat by the critisism.

Yes it is big and it takes a while to get used to the layout. Yes it is crowded but we got a sunbed when we wanted one... no we didnt save one...Enjoyed the food and most of the entertainment. Met some lovely people and unfortunately some not so nice who moaned constantly about everything and anything and looked down their noses at people who they considered " were letting standards drop" Why go on holiday to moan?

 

That's reassuring boozer21, and sounds exactly the same as our experience on Ventura. The moaners were the only downside of our cruise. Some were even threatening to get off and fly home! I wish they had :mad: We quickly learned to avoid them.

[southwinds]

We loved it .. not all ships suit all people just like we wouldnt all like the same holiday resorts or hotels.. thats all .. its choice...

[lancashire_cruisers]

Another Azura fan here! We loved our time on her so much we transferred our booking on Grand Princess for this year over to Azura:D.

 

We've been on all of P&O's family friendly ships, most of them more than once:o, and have never had a bad cruise yet. Of course no experience is perfect but we've only experienced niggles.

 

After the furore surrounding Ventura's first season I've learned not to take any notice of the reviews and make up my own mind.

 

Debbie:)

[phileas fog]

Evening all:)

We went on Azura in August for 16 nights and had a cracking holiday,good food ,great staff,5th P.O cruise and good as any previous one:)

[mrspjotter]

Libralass thanks for the photos they were great - 2 weeks tomorrow we will be flying to Barbados to join Azura so seeing your photos has made me even more excited - if that's actually possible :D This is our 1st P&O cruise!

[kevinyork]

We were on Azura's third cruise last year. We enjoyed it. We then went on Ventura at Christmas based on our enjoyment of the Azura cruise. On balance we prefered Ventura but its only marginal (we enjoyed the passenger mix more and the added deck space due to Ventura not having the retreat area). Most seem to sway the other way. I think part of the issue with Azura comes from the marketing which suggests it is a more classy cruise experience and doesnt target children when in fact there isnt a lot to choose between Azura and Ventura. If people believe the advertising then they may feel a little let down when they experience Azura and find it is mass market cruising with over 3000 people on board.

 

We felt Azura and Ventura handled the large number of passengers better than the IOTS where everyone crowded onto the Royal Promenade. All ships attract some bad reviews but you have to balance them out. There are lots of excellent reviews of Azura, especially by new cruisers, and the really bad ones seem to come from experienced cruises who's expectations were not met.

 

With any mass market cruise there will be ups and downs and we are learning to take a more balanced view. You will have a great time Im sure.

[Hilltoppers]

Back today from a 2 week cruise on Azura sailing around the Caribbean.

I have been viewing the comments made about Azura for some time and as many others were a little worried about our trip.

This was our second cruise the first being on Ocean Village II; we had such a great time on Ocean village sailing around the Caribbean in 2009.

It was my 50th Birthday on January the 10th, and had the trip booked for some 18 months previous.

My wife and I had a Superior Deluxe cabin and my sister and brother in law had the same type of cabin next door, we had the adjoining balcony door opened.

The flight Birmingham was scheduled for Friday 7th of Jan at 9.20am, P & O contacted us on the Wednesday evening informing us that the flight had been changed to 19.50hrs the same day.

We arrived at the airport at 16.50hrs and after waiting was told that there was a further delay and we eventually took off at around 23.00hrs.

We were issued a £5 food voucher each, but as we received the voucher a lot of the food outlets were closing, so the food choice was limited, but after a little Panini range it all settled down.

So after a long wait we eventually departed for Barbados, I am a big chap but found the leg room very good, the seat was very hard especially for 9 hours. We were served a basic meal nothing fancy but ok, the drinks were free on board, and the staff was very pleasant.

When we arrived in Barbados we were swiftly transferred to a bus and whisked away to the ship. On arrival at the ship the boarding process was very easy, you show them your passports and credit card, they take your picture and then issue you your cruise card which is also you door key. Then everything is charged to your room via your cruise card.

We boarded Azura and went straight to our cabin where a plate of sandwiches and water were waiting for us our cabin, along with a complimentary bottle of wine, there was also a letter from P&O apologising for the delay.

The delay had made us miss an afternoon and evening, but after a couple of hours sleep we woke to a beautiful warm sunny day and an extra £357 per cabin on board credit for the delay.

It was all starting to look ok, we explored the ship and found her at first a little confusing but after a couple of days it was quite easy to navigate our way around.

We dined at the Meridian, which was freedom dining, it worked out very well, we were a party of 4 but never had to wait for a table and only shared a table once, and they were a very nice couple.

Food in the Meridian was ok, not bad but not great, portions are quite small but you can ask for more if you want. We had a litre of house white wine with dinner which was around £15.00.

We ate once at Seventeen, that was excellent as was Sindu and the Glass house, these were also excellent, but make sure you book your table early, we tried to book Seventeen again for the second week but they were fully booked, but at least we got to try it.

We used the top deck a couple of times for Sun bathing, never had a problem getting a bed.

The beds are quite close together, but the sun was shining so it wasn’t a big problem.

With the Superior deluxe balcony you are overlooked from the passengers in cabins above, which did not bother us, but the good thing was if the top decks were getting a little busy you could come down to your balcony and sunbath on your own little terrace, throw in little room service Perfect!!.

All the drinks on board were good value, we tried to have a least one cocktail a day, Miami Vice on ice was the favourite.

We also did not have any problems taking drink on board, the duty free prices on board are acceptable, but we found the Rum in Barbados for around $8.50 a bottle, so we were able to sip Pre dinner Rum and cokes on the balcony .

The dress codes were adhered to very well, although I did not take a jacket for the semi formal nights, I had smart trousers and a dress shirt and was not questioned once.

On the formal nights everyone dressed up, and the atmosphere was wonderful, the women looked stunning and the men looked very smart, it did get hot towards the end of the evening, so some of the guys took off the jackets again not a problem.

On several occasions we had burgers or pizzas from the bar side grill, no charge and very tasty.

There were plenty of chairs and tables to sit at to eat both inside and outside, we never had to wait for a table in the buffet.

We did a couple of excursions from the ship, but mostly did our own thing, getting local buses or taxis, you will save a lot of money, just give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship.

The shows performed by the headliner theatre group were great; the comedian/magician Manuel Martinez was excellent.

The ship is sometimes classed as an up market Ventura, well I was in Brodies bar on Sunday where they screened a couple of premiership football matches, and it was full of men and women drinking beer and cheering on their teams, maybe not very upmarket but it was passengers just having a great time, which is what is all about.

So for anybody feeling a little apprehensive about comments on Azura don’t be.

The ship was beautiful, it was very steady and didn’t rock around badly in semi choppy seas, and the staff on board are very efficient and helpful.

If you are like me who has saved up for his holiday please do not be hesitant, just enjoy it and all it has to offer.

We were also delayed by 4 hours on the way home, so we sat in Brodies playing scrabble and pool, we were served tea and coffee at no charge, we could not do anything about the delays so there is little point in shouting and raging at the reception staff, whose fault it wasn’t either.

Go and enjoy!!!

 

[cruiseluvva]

Thank you for a very reassuring, positive post. It sounds like you went with the right attitude - and had a great time. We are looking forward to Azura in less than 8 weeks.

 

Belated birthday wishes.

[u2cruiser]

What a pleasure to read such a positive post. Just the kind of cruiser I like to cruise with :D

 

I read about the delays but this is the first post I've read about the way P&O handled the delays, with food in your cabin and OBC.

[SeaSickGill]

Thanks everyone - feeling much better!

 

Is the food in the Meridian different to that served in other main restuarants, I was assured by the TA that there wasn't any difference. Also, can you have a served breakfast in the dining rooms or is it just available in the self service restaurant?

 

Do P&O do the midnight and chocoholic buffets or is this an American thing - I went on the Oceana a few years ago and I just can't remember! They did do the champagne fountain trick - only to pour it away - health & safety gone mad:eek:

 

I'm sounding like some mad foodie! :D

 

Love

Gillian x