onboard p&o azura

[yes!yes!yes!]

Well a few of you asked me to post on here even though this cruise is not in Australia or New Zealand.

I'm on this p&o Azura cruise from Malta to Athens, Kusadasi, Rhodes and Santorini for 7 nights. Flying in from Gatwick return on a package deal. I'm cruising with my son and a cousin and her partner. 

May I start by saying P&O UK is much better and alot different to p&o Australia. This ship is the same class as the grand princess but much newer. 12 years newer. It has a very similar  layout to the grand and identical rooms.

I have attached a few daily schedules and menus and spa menus.

[MicCanberra]

Enjoy your cruise. I look forward to your postings.

I have been on the Azura, it is a nice ship.

[yes!yes!yes!]

3 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Enjoy your cruise. I look forward to your postings.

I have been on the Azura, it is a nice ship.

we like this ship too. although the Vista lounge/Manhattan  is poorly laid out.

[yes!yes!yes!]

I don't really like to compare cruise lines too much as they all have good and bad points.

But to put it briefly, the service is pretty  poor. It almost feels understaffed  in the dining room and barely any staff smile.

The food is good.

P&O enforce the dress code. no suit jacket, no dining room or 2 of the paid extra restaurants on formal nights. I like to dress up, but our travel mates don't so we have been eating elsewhere on formal  nights.

I still dress up.

English people in general  dress up much nicer than Americans or Australians and I like that. They are also very good at queueing.

[yes!yes!yes!]

We booked this cruise at fairly short notice. I  think it was less than 3 weeks prior. There was no inside rooms available and our travel mates managed to get a balcony room (it became available whilst going thru the booking details), we only got an outside view room. P&O require proof of travel insurance on confirmation of booking which I haven't come across before.

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They allow 2 litres of alcohol per cabin on boarding. this can be wine, champagne and spirits.

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I'm not really a cocktail girl, but I have enjoyed a few of these passionfruit martinis

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That is a shot of prosecco that you can add to the cocktail or drink on its own like a shot

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some food shots

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The glass house food. you just pay per dish for these. very cheap and good

[arxcards]

3 minutes ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

some food shots

Those English can eat. Was that just one meal? 

[yes!yes!yes!]

some more food

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2 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Those English can eat. Was that just one meal? 

I'm a big eater

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I will post more tomorrow.

[yes!yes!yes!]

here are some sailaway photos from Malta 

[MicCanberra]

Lots of food.

My cruise on her was pre covid, and service was great but then service across most lines is poorer since covid. This may because of lack of trained staff wanting to come back, staff shortages and also cut backs by the cruiselines.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, MicCanberra said:

Lots of food.

My cruise on her was pre covid, and service was great but then service across most lines is poorer since covid. This may because of lack of trained staff wanting to come back, staff shortages and also cut backs by the cruiselines.

Service on Coral at the moment has been very good, except in the Wheelhouse Bar for some odd reason.

[resordanis]

8 hours ago, yes!yes!yes! said:

here are some sailaway photos from Malta 

Thank you once again for letting us share your holiday.

[Belmont Babe]

Hope that food tasted as good as it looks! Its lunchtime and my mouth is watering.

[Ondine]

2 hours ago, Belmont Babe said:

Hope that food tasted as good as it looks! Its lunchtime and my mouth is watering.

It's lovely to see British food that looks like what I eat instead of watermelon soup etc which gets served on Princess.

[yes!yes!yes!]

6 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Lots of food.

My cruise on her was pre covid, and service was great but then service across most lines is poorer since covid. This may because of lack of trained staff wanting to come back, staff shortages and also cut backs by the cruiselines.

I agree. There are not enough bar staff anywhere. 

[yes!yes!yes!]

3 hours ago, Belmont Babe said:

Hope that food tasted as good as it looks! Its lunchtime and my mouth is watering.

most dishes are very good. desserts can be a bit bland now and again. but the puddings don't disappoint 

[yes!yes!yes!]

had dinner last night at the beach house, which has an 11 pounds door charge. it has a lot of Mexican stuff.

the crab tostadas were very good. the filled steak on the hot stone was 7 pounds extra, it was lovely, the king prawns that came with it were average. the dulce de Leche was average, apple pie was good

[yes!yes!yes!]

the internet  has been excellent. I got the basic package. you can switch devices. its pricey tho

[yes!yes!yes!]

breakfasts are good