Bry1108 0 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Having sailed on all of the P&O Fleet, with the exception of Azura, could some one, who has sailed on it pass on some Information etc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ahoy 170 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Really nice ship, almost the exact same as Ventura Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sammy sun 1084 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I agree, nice ship and worth considering. Sindhu is lovely and Seventeen is also a very nice restaurant. I personally rate Azura as one of the best in the fleet. Sailaway 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
candmat 1 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I have only sailed once with P&O and that was on Azura this summer. As with everything in life it comes down to individual likes and dislikes. Personally, I would never sail on Azura again but plenty of people seem to find it great. The passenger handling regards embarking and disembarking for shore trips was chaotic and farsical. Not just huge queues but backed up crowds over several staircases on the ship and when returning from shore trips there was the choice of two exceedingly long dockside queues. When waiting aboard ship one morning, right infront of the midships disembarking desk that was not yet in operation and with time getting on, one passenger asked a crew member when would they be starting to let us through. The short answer was "the other exit is open". The main restaurant served reasonable meals but I found the buffet selection for lunch and dinner repetative and boring compared with that on Celebrity cruises. I used Freedom Dining and never found a problem getting a table straight away but service was unpredictable, some nights so slow I nearly gave up. If you rate drinking, high on your priority list, then this ship will cover your needs well, there's never a bar far away however, they are all very ordinary and a bit akin to working men's club atmosphere. There is no piano bar in which to enjoy a relaxing drink or specialist cocktail bar. Another consideration is your intended use of the swimming pool; none of the pools are covered which means that on cooler/wet days, particulary coinciding with sea days, you cannot lounge around a pool or enjoy a swim unless you are of the hardy sort; and, for those hardy sorts there is no changing facilities on deck to enable a change back into dry clothes afterwards so a trek back to your cabin (in wet gear) is required. The theatre is too small to seat the number of passengers wishing to use it and this may have been made worse by the ill chosen times of the twice nightly shows, the later show being so late that anyone needing to be up early next morning for a shore trip avoided it. Hence, if there was something you particulary wanted to see you needed to be at the theatre entrance very early and join the queue - not my idea of how to spend a holiday. Captain Kidd II 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels36 450 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 Having sailed on all of the P&O Fleet, with the exception of Azura, could some one, who has sailed on it pass on some Information etc I think that if you detailed your likes and dislikes of all the other ships in the fleet, it would be easier to know what was important to you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sinbad10 757 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I have only sailed once with P&O and that was on Azura this summer. As with everything in life it comes down to individual likes and dislikes. Personally, I would never sail on Azura again but plenty of people seem to find it great. The passenger handling regards embarking and disembarking for shore trips was chaotic and farsical. Not just huge queues but backed up crowds over several staircases on the ship and when returning from shore trips there was the choice of two exceedingly long dockside queues. When waiting aboard ship one morning, right infront of the midships disembarking desk that was not yet in operation and with time getting on, one passenger asked a crew member when would they be starting to let us through. The short answer was "the other exit is open". The main restaurant served reasonable meals but I found the buffet selection for lunch and dinner repetative and boring compared with that on Celebrity cruises. I used Freedom Dining and never found a problem getting a table straight away but service was unpredictable, some nights so slow I nearly gave up. If you rate drinking, high on your priority list, then this ship will cover your needs well, there's never a bar far away however, they are all very ordinary and a bit akin to working men's club atmosphere. There is no piano bar in which to enjoy a relaxing drink or specialist cocktail bar. Another consideration is your intended use of the swimming pool; none of the pools are covered which means that on cooler/wet days, particulary coinciding with sea days, you cannot lounge around a pool or enjoy a swim unless you are of the hardy sort; and, for those hardy sorts there is no changing facilities on deck to enable a change back into dry clothes afterwards so a trek back to your cabin (in wet gear) is required. The theatre is too small to seat the number of passengers wishing to use it and this may have been made worse by the ill chosen times of the twice nightly shows, the later show being so late that anyone needing to be up early next morning for a shore trip avoided it. Hence, if there was something you particulary wanted to see you needed to be at the theatre entrance very early and join the queue - not my idea of how to spend a holiday. The late show in the theatre is designed for those on fixed dining on second sitting if it was any earlier they would miss it due to dinner. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sinbad10 757 Posted September 17, 2015 Report Share Posted September 17, 2015 I agree, nice ship and worth considering. Sindhu is lovely and Seventeen is also a very nice restaurant. I personally rate Azura as one of the best in the fleet. Seventeen is a lovely restaurant but has been renamed Epicurean in line with Britannia and Ventura and the menu has changed to the same menu on Britannia. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2torts 345 Posted September 18, 2015 Report Share Posted September 18, 2015 On our Fred Olsen cruise in June they were trialling having the the theatre shows on during the fixed dining times so it was either show then dinner or dinner then show. Seemed to be working ok. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oldworldtraveller 2225 Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 Found this which may help you Bry1108 http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/review/cruise/147277-review-azura I am sailing on Azura next month so looking forward to trying it for myself as like you have sailed on all the other P&O ships. Some have been OK some I would never go on again. So where will this one fit in? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Kidd II 798 Posted September 20, 2015 Report Share Posted September 20, 2015 I agree with much of what candmat has said. I have only been on her once and my wife vowed never again. The ship seemed, to us, impersonal and very much like an average hotel rather than giving the cruise experience you get on smaller ships. We compained whilst on board and to P&O when we got off as we found the ship to be dirty and in breach of H&S regulations. Service was poor and the food mediocre . Staff morale was not good and all this led to a very poor experience one which I have not encou tered on other P&O ships. These are my personal observations and will no doubt be challenged by many others who will think, quite rightly, different. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stella Maris 0 Posted September 27, 2015 Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 Oh dear oh dear, we booked the Azura yesterday for the Caribbean in February next year for my husbands birthday, it will be the first time we have been on a cruise, which he has always wanted to do, we have booked the best of everything and paid an arm & a leg but just having read your comments we feel absolutely deflated after previously being super excited-what have we done??!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Kidd II 798 Posted September 27, 2015 Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 Stella - I am sure you will have a fantastic time. It is only when you get a couple of cruises under your belt that you start to nick pick! Enjoy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sailaway 21 Posted September 27, 2015 Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 We have sailed on Azura four times now. We cannot rate this ship high enough. We expect high standards and have never been disappointed. I hope those of you who are sailing for the first time on this ship have a fantastic time, and are not put off due to other passengers negative comments. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie3 55 Posted September 28, 2015 Report Share Posted September 28, 2015 is the Azura the same as Ventura? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter D 24 Posted September 28, 2015 Report Share Posted September 28, 2015 Ventura and Azura are sister ships with Ventura being the eldest. Having been on both we prefer Azura, there is just that something about her that makes her better than Ventura. Welcome to the world of cruising. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sea Cruiser 89 Posted September 29, 2015 Report Share Posted September 29, 2015 Azura is beautiful - sister ship to ventura so if you have been on ventura i am sure you will enjoy azura! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cruise chef 866 Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 Everbody tells me how good the Glass House is and my freinds recently brought be back a bottle of the selected wines from onboard, maybe I might have to give it a go Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels36 450 Posted October 1, 2015 Report Share Posted October 1, 2015 We would probably book Azura again, but for me the large ship's need a very careful internal design regarding the allocation of space, and on Azura there are too many mistakes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Portside 36 Posted October 2, 2015 Report Share Posted October 2, 2015 Lovely ship and always worth considering. Have sailed on both Azura and Ventura, preferred Azura out of the two. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Solent Richard Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Oh dear oh dear, we booked the Azura yesterday for the Caribbean in February next year for my husbands birthday, it will be the first time we have been on a cruise, which he has always wanted to do, we have booked the best of everything and paid an arm & a leg but just having read your comments we feel absolutely deflated after previously being super excited-what have we done??!! Good morning Stella and welcome to the Forum. Sorry I'm a little late in responding but I have been 'out of the country'. Let me assure you that you are in for a great time on Azura. I have been on her twice, once in the Caribbean and once on a Black Sea cruise for over three weeks. We had a wonderful time. Just go with the intention of enjoying yourself and you will... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J-Dog 136 Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Oh dear oh dear, we booked the Azura yesterday for the Caribbean in February next year for my husbands birthday, it will be the first time we have been on a cruise, which he has always wanted to do, we have booked the best of everything and paid an arm & a leg but just having read your comments we feel absolutely deflated after previously being super excited-what have we done??!! Hi Stella, After reading some of the comments on here I feel a little put out by this ship too, but a holiday/cruise is what you make it and if you expect perfection from everything then get ready for disappointment as perfection can never be achieved! (IMO) I feel some people are just the moaning types and will constantly pick fault even if there isn't fault! Just their nature! I will be sailing on her in the Caribbean this December and I will be going excited as I always do! I will let you know how it goes! I most certainly wouldn't be put off or feeling deflated as I have never had a 'bad' experience when sailing with P&O Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cruise chef 866 Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Always think Stella for 1 bad comment there are probably 10 or more people who have had a fabulous time and dont feel the need to say anything, usually its only bad press when people feel the need to say something. Give it a go and judge for yourself! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oldworldtraveller 2225 Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 Am on Azura next week for 14 days and the Retreat is closed for the entire cruise. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rachel 44 Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 I love Azura, it was the first ship I sailed on and i think it is a beautiful ship, I love Sindhu on there x Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oldworldtraveller 2225 Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 It will be an interesting experience. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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