Azura A101 review

[38anchor]

Just back from our A101 Azura Caribbean Cruise. As I had asked so many questions prior to this holiday I thought it only fair to share my thoughts on my return.

 

First off, a bit of background. I was celebrating my 40th whilst onboard, and although both myself and my partner have cruised before we have never been with P&O. Previous cruises have all been on Royal Caribbean out of USA to the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera. We have sailed on Freedom, Mariner and Oasis so Azura was going to be the smallest ship we had ever sailed. Undoubtedly, because of this, comparisons were made against RCI throughout. I also should say that we totally love RCI and were trying P&O just to see what an alternative line would offer. We knew there would be differences but we did book the holiday with an open mind.

 

Flights – we were flying from Manchester with Thomas Cook and had pre-booked our seats (1A & 1B) in Premium. I was a little concerned about the weight restrictions and size of cabin luggage but careful packing meant we were just about OK. Personally I do find the 23kg a little restrictive and the ability to purchase more would be a welcome addition. There were a few initial problems at check-in as the plane had been changed and so the booked seats had not been transferred over. This meant we now had people sat in the booked seats. It did get resolved, but there were a few irate customers at the airport who were now being moved to less desirable locations and being split up. There were also a few customers who did not realise you could pre-book seats and they were also less than happy. Not sure if the fault for that should lay with P&O directly or the TA’s they had booked through.

 

The flight itself was excellent – food just OK but the crew were fab – really friendly and helpful. Also helped having row 1A & B as it meant we had loads of room.

 

When we landed I did recognise one thing that goes in P&O’s favour – bussed straight to the ship with no bother about reclaiming luggage. This was done very quick and we were onboard by 2.30pm.

 

First stop was to book the Retreat and speciality restaurants. I did think that you could do both in the Atrium, but the Retreat could only be done at the Spa so off we went and managed to get 2 sea days at a cost of £20 each. Back down to the Atrium where we booked Sindhu, XVII and the Supper Club (held in the Glass House) – we only knew about this by reading the forums although Nestor, the Glass House Manager did also mention it to us as he was dealing with the restaurant bookings. We managed to get the nights and times we wanted, although it was quite difficult to discuss the booking as a steel band was playing right next to us, so you did have to shout to try and get any communication going. I did also wonder how people on later flights and Saturday flights would fare – we were OK as we were the first flight in and one of the first people onboard.

 

Next was a visit to the cabin to drop off hand luggage. Again, we had spent quite a bit of time choosing our cabin and had decided on a Superior Deluxe on deck 9 – we went for D732 which was the very last cabin on the port side. This meant we had the extended balcony which was contained within the white superstructure of the ship. First impressions were very good – great size of both cabin and balcony and a good layout. We have had deluxe balconies and grand suites on RCI and this is definitely better than a standard deluxe balcony – probably equivalent to a Junior Suite. It was also good to see the tea and coffee facilities – and once we met our Cabin Steward Manish we placed our order for a bottle of Gin. Again, we only managed to do this as we already knew about it as there was no information in the cabin about this, or on the interactive TV. I think the TV did get updated with the information a day or two later. As it was we ordered without actually knowing the price as Manish had no clue either although we had a rough idea it would be around £11. Also another bonus was the ability to bring alcohol onboard. As it was my birthday we had bought a couple of bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rose with us, as we knew we couldn’t buy it on board. To be fair, they did have yellow label at a very reasonable price – as was all the alcohol and drinks onboard.

 

We then had our first wander and this is where I have to say I was a bit disappointed – although it is a new ship it did feel rather dated in its décor and design, with none of the wow factor that the RCI ships have. The layout was difficult to navigate, and I wasn’t that keen on having to go through one venue to get to another. There was a lift broken (which never got repaired) and although we did try to use the stairs as much as possible, when we did need to use the lifts there was inevitable a long wait. I was most disappointed with the public bathrooms – they did remind me of those found on a public ferry and the bins were constantly overflowing with paper towels etc. They were also quite hard to find, and when they were being cleaned it was always at the most inappropriate times eg outside the MDR during dinner or outside Manhatten just after a show – there seemed to be no thought about the best times to close them, and this often meant a long search to find one that was useable.

 

Food – first night was open seating but from then on we were assigned a table of 8, late dining in the Oriental. I have to say we had wonderful table mates that really made the cruise for us, which was a good job as we didn’t have a good time of it with the dinner itself. Our waiter seemed to be quite new and didn’t have a clue. On some nights it did look as if he was trying, but on others he was just surly with a bit of an attitude. I did mention on the first night my love of vegetables, especially broccoli and I would be extremely grateful if he could try and get me some most if not all nights – this never happened even if it was on a particular meal which I hadn’t ordered. I did try and request this again but just seemed to be going no-where. The food most nights was warm at best, and one night we just refused to eat it and it all got sent back. The replacement was not much better. We were constantly the last to be served, and have a feeling this may have gone towards receiving lukewarm food most nights. We did complain the maitre d’ quite a few occasions, but again he seemed just so disinterested! I would have thought he would come back to our table to see how we were getting on, but this never happened either.

 

One night my partner and another diner ordered the Pigeon off the menu. After waiting for our main courses for over 10 mins the waiter came over to tell my partner (but not the other diner) that they had ‘run out’ so would he choose something else. We all laughed saying that my partner had lucked out and the other diner had got the last of the Pigeon. As it turned out, the other diner got nothing – he had been forgotten about and had to re-order as we were all eating.

 

One night I did actually get my plate of broccoli but it was stone cold – having asked for it to be replaced I was given another stone cold serving. This was passed round the table for everyone to feel, including the waiter. He took it way, eventually bringing back THE SAME SERVING we had all touched saying he had put it in the microwave for 5 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!! Not the type of service expected within a main Dining Room aboard a modern cruise ship!

 

I did enjoy looking on the interactive TV to see that evening menu’s but invariable found it had slightly changed once we got to the dining room which was annoying. Example, 3rd formal night was meant to be a fish plate to include lobster tail, prawns etc. When I saw the actual menu it was prawns and cod. When I queried this with the waiter I was told the lobster had all gone, but the prawns were just as good….. Sorry but I know which I prefer………..

 

I also got food dropped down me on the last formal night by our waiter – very nice! No dry cleaning on board either. I did get offered £20 credit against dry cleaning when I got home, but if the dress was ruined and the stains wouldn’t come out then P&O take no responsibility and I would have to claim against my own insurance. This was said to me after I went to see guest services – bear in mind I initially mentioned it to them at 9am the next day, and after going back repeatedly I was only told this at 7pm. They were supposed to get back to me during the day but had ‘forgotten’!!!!!!!!!

 

Back to the Dining Room food – apart from the terrible service we received I would say the menus were very hit and miss. I realise that it has a very British theme, and some meals were very good, but some were plain awful. The Beef Wellington was wonderful whereas I have had better battered fish from a frozen Birds Eye packet! No one had a clue what type of fish it was – the TV said haddock, the menu said Perch. Even the waiter didn’t have a clue (surprise, surprise) and just said ‘fish is fish – does it matter!’

 

The portions were small, which personally I don’t find to be a bad thing, and you could request more. The vegetables and potatoes however only ever seemed to ‘go’ with one of the meals on offer that night, and some combinations seemed very odd. My partner also found the choices very limited compared to RCI, although I didn’t find it too bad and could always find something I thought I would like.

 

So how about the buffet……….. I’m afraid to say this was even worse in our eyes and we tried not to go as much as possible, both for lunch and breakfast.

 

The layout of the venues was awful, and it was just always busy. The serving stations were small with such limited choice – I couldn’t believe the same hot meals being served in the dining room were also being served in the buffet – I would have expected the choices to have been different. I also didn’t like the recycling of food – coq au vin for dinner and then back on the next days lunch menu. This happened a few times!

 

Personally I do try to eat healthy so the poolside grill serving pizzas, burgers etc wasn’t really an option, although I did find out they did baked potatoes, beans and cheese which I liked.

 

Maybe I wouldn’t have minded the buffet choices so much if I hadn’t been so spoilt on RCI. They always had so much choice with carveries every day, amazing salad selections, pasta etc……. I also found the ability to move around in RCI’s Windjammer just so much easier than having to queue and wait with your tray on P&O.

 

It was the little things that annoyed me, like not replenishing sauces and rolls etc, or not even having bowls and spoons next to the porridge, so I would have to go right back to the entrance to pick these up.

 

One time I did ask where I could find some tomato ketchup – I was shown where the correct location was but they had run out. When I asked could they get me some the assistant actually sighed at me like I was putting her out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I guess this sort of sums up the attitude I found most of the crew to have – just ‘can’t be bothered’. Having been used to RCI and the ‘nothing is too much trouble’ / ‘can do’ attitude I found this severely lacking on P&O, especially with the dining staff. There was no interaction, and when we did try to interact and have a chat or a laugh with someone we were just met with blank stares!

 

An example being that I needed a plastic glass from one of the deck bars for some water. I went up and asked if I could take one and I was told no. When I asked why, and told them what I wanted it for I was told they didn’t have many and they were only for beer anyway!!!!!!! The guy then just turned away – how rude!

 

Anyway, on a more positive note the ‘pay for’ dining experiences were fabulous.

 

The Glass House itself was a great place to go, and probably our favourite on the whole ship. It was really nice to be able to get such a variety of wines by the glass, and they even had these miniature glasses so you could try a small amount of each wine for free. The staff serving here were lovely and so friendly, especially Nestor the manager who was fabulous.

 

We did try the tasting plates (3 for £4.95) which were great – everyone seemed to the love the prawns but for me the best was the bean and chorizo cassoulet.

 

We also did the supper club here one night (its only held on a formal night) and the meal was outstanding with each course matched with a wine. Before the evening Nestor made sure we were happy with the set menu, and on the evening was very entertaining, giving us a commentary on the food and wine we were having.

 

We also dined in XVII (on my birthday) and this was just amazing. Everything from the food to the service couldn’t be faulted and Tony had even arranged for a bottle of champagne to be presented to me by and officer, and a cake to be delivered to the table. Wonderful experience, not to be missed.

 

The final dining option was Sindhu, which again we tried for an evening meal and the tasting plates during the day. Both meals were superb although we did have long waits inbetween courses during the evening meal. Again talking to other passengers this did seem to be the norm, and for some it did actually spoilt the experience. Thankfully not for us.

 

I should also mention here that the alternative dining options booked up extremely fast, and many people were left not being able to get in anywhere. If you want to try them – book as soon as you board as you may be left disappointed!

 

So now onto the Retreat which was another aspect of the ship I was really looking forward to. Unfortunately I was again left quite disappointed. We had booked sea days and I knew from reading various forums that you had to get their early to get a lounger in the sun. Well people started to get there and queue from about 8.30am and I saw on both occasions people getting quite angry as they couldn’t get a bed in the sun. There are just over 50 spaces in total and I would say that 75% are in the sun, the rest in the shade.

 

On our first visit we were given a booklet which explained the ‘use’ of the Retreat and loungers. Now one of the first things the booklet stated was that you could get breakfast and lunch within the Retreat. Breakfast was served from 9am – 10.30am and on both visits we never did get offered anything. When I did query this I was told it is up to the guest to request it from one of the 2 stewards, not the other way round.

 

Lunch again was a bit of a strange one. From about 12pm I saw the stewards wandering round asking certain people what they would like to order – there seemed no system to who they were asking. Even though we were one of the first people in the retreat I had to call the Steward over about 1pm to ask what was happening with lunch. I was told he would be back in the next 20 mins (it was more like 45) and then lunch would take another 20 mins as they were so busy. I think the problem is that they only have 3 or 4 tables to serve lunch from (that only seat 4), for all 50+ passengers. The 2nd time we did say we were happy to eat at our lounger but it was still a wait. You wouldn’t mind but they were only serving wraps and fries (and only one bowl of fries per couple, as apparently fries are classed as a complete meal so it should only be a wrap OR fries!!!!!!!!)

 

Another issue I had was although this was meant to be a ‘quiet’ area we had quite a large group near us who got quite boisterous – it would have been good if the stewards had dealt with it themselves. As it was, I got chatting to this (actually very nice) group, who had actually booked every day of the whole cruise at a discounted rate. This wouldn’t have bothered me that much but we knew plenty of people who had wanted to book into the Retreat but it was fully booked. This group also seemed to be able to add ‘friends’ at a last minute notice, and certainly received preferential treatment. This included having their towels laid out in prime positions (as we realised on our 2nd visit) by the stewards before the Retreat was open to anyone else!

 

The retreat itself was very nice, although the Lavender smell must have long gone. I never saw anyone having treatments, and no-one ever came round offering them. The loungers were very comfy, although the towels were looking very sorry for themselves considering how long the ship has been in service – stained and fraying. It was great having use of the pool and 2 hot tubs but I do have to question the whole concept of the Retreat. On sea days it was absolutely jam packed out on deck, and times it was hard to get from A to B. A wheelchair user I befriended said it was nigh on impossible moving round on deck on a sea day and I can understand why.

 

So, what other views have I got on Azura and P&O……….. Well I thought the laundry was excellent – much better than having to rely on RCI to do your pressing and washing. I also enjoyed the varied ports and the cruise did seem more port intensive than RCI.

 

More importantly, even though I love cruising with an international passenger list, I found the all British pax wonderful. We met some fabulous people, and even though we had quite a few gripes we did have a wonderful time and met some lovely people.

 

Now I know that everyone has their own opinions on a cruise and you may think that it was only us that found Azura to have a few problems, but we did speak to many, many other passengers and the general consensus was that it just wasn’t up to scratch. On the last morning we went to the main dining room for breakfast. During our meal the captain came over the PA system to wish us all a good flight home, and to say how pleased he was to receive so many ‘excellent’ feedback forms. Everyone around us either started to roll their eyes or commented on how it wasn’t them who had submitted that form…………….

[tom_uk]

That's an excellent, thoughtful review. Thank you for taking the time to post it.

[cruiseluvva]

Thanks for posting such a detailed review - it made very interesting reading, but oh dear, I'm sorry your cruise wasn't as good as you had hoped.

 

To be honest it doesn't sound terribly encouraging for our cruise in March, however, we'll just try and make the best of what is good and try not to get het up over what is less positive - much as you seem to have done.

 

Will you be going back to RCI next time?

[38anchor]

We are actually booked on a Princess Hawaii cruise for next year. As much as we love RCI we do want to try other lines, as one may even suit us better.

 

After Princess I guess we would really like to try Celebrity next, especially on one of the Eclipse class ships.

[cruiseluvva]

We really like Princess - I am sure you will enjoy that more.

 

Have fun.

[u2cruiser]

Thank you very much for your comprehensive review. In hindsight, I wonder if you would have been served better had you requested a table move? Sounds to me like a badly positioned table and inexperienced servers? Never a good combination.

 

I'm pleased to hear about the speciality dining venues, especially the supper club you mention in the Glass House. I didn't know about that. Do you remember the cost of it? We are on Azura in October.

 

I agree in principle about the buffet, though only been on Ventura with P&O so far. We always had room service breakfast apart from one day when we tried the MDR. Our problem with buffets is that they are always closing down the side we are on whenever we decide to use the buffet, and we end up with half a meal. Same thing happened on our Princess cruises so we've almost given up on buffets, apart from a quick lunch which we eat outside at the aft terrace pool tables.

 

The retreat sounds too stressful if that isn't a contradiction in terms lol! We'll give that a miss!

 

We spent much of our time during the first week comparing P&O to Princess, then decided we were having a great time anyway. Like you, we were a little worried about being with all Brits, but we enjoyed some great company and cameraderie onboard. Enough to make us want to do it again this year.

 

We found the mainly Indian crew initially to be more reserved than the Filipino crew we are used to on the American lines, but I kind of liked that they appeared less subservient and more self sufficient. I don't like in your face service, but I don't like a 'couldn't care less' attitude either.

 

Thanks again for your honest review :)

[u2cruiser]

We really like Princess - I am sure you will enjoy that more.

 

Have fun.

 

cruiseluvva, are you on the March or October Transatlantic?

[tom_uk]

We are actually booked on a Princess Hawaii cruise for next year. As much as we love RCI we do want to try other lines, as one may even suit us better.

 

After Princess I guess we would really like to try Celebrity next, especially on one of the Eclipse class ships.

 

Which Princess ship will you be on?

[MattyBarlow]

Maybe I wouldn’t have minded the buffet choices so much if I hadn’t been so spoilt on RCI. They always had so much choice with carveries every day, amazing salad selections, pasta etc……. I also found the ability to move around in RCI’s Windjammer just so much easier than having to queue and wait with your tray on P&O.

 

It's strange how we all have our different perceptions of the same scenarios. I would have to say that i found the Buffets on P&O better laid out with a better choice than RCI.:rolleyes:

 

One thing you didnt mention and must have been a plus for Azura; the cost of drinks and excursions onboard?

[38anchor]

u2cruiser - a table move would have been ideal, but there were 8 of us and as the sailing was full I don't think they could have accommodated us all anywhere else. The location actually was perfect - just the waiter who wasn't!

 

I'm sorry I can't remember how much the supper club was but I do know it was only held on 2 of the formal nights, and 8 couples per night.

 

tom_uk - we will be sailing on Sapphire in April 2012.

 

MattyBarlow - yes, the drink prices were good in comparison, especially the wine but it did mean we spent a lot more than usual because of it. Can't complain about that though :D I have to admit I did miss seeing Bud light on the bar list, and the few cocktails I did try were quite weak and (dare I say) poorly made. I did observe them making them on a couple of occasions and was quite shocked to see them putting all the ingredients into the blended, inc the carefully measured alcohol - turning it on and pouring into the glasses. When they realized they had too much froth to fit all in I actually saw them spoon the froth out and top up with fruit juice, and then throw the rest of the mix in the blender away....... not great me thinks so I tended to steer away after that!

[u2cruiser]

We are actually booked on a Princess Hawaii cruise for next year. As much as we love RCI we do want to try other lines, as one may even suit us better.

 

After Princess I guess we would really like to try Celebrity next, especially on one of the Eclipse class ships.

 

We keep fancying the Hawaii RT on Princess and I always read the reviews of this itinerary. The one thing that puts me off is that they often have bad weather and miss ports, which must be a bit disappointing after so many sea days and having to bypass these lovely islands. :(

[mrspjotter]

Thanks for your report - we are flying out to join Azura on A103a next weekend and we too have a superior deluxe balcony on D deck.

 

Having previously done 2 RCI cruises on Explorer and Freedom to the caribbean out of the US we will obviously be comparing too!

 

I am looking forward to the desserts as I never felt RCI could do desserts like the british can!:rolleyes:

 

Can I ask were there any deck bbq's like they have on RCI and did you have a chocolate buffet?

 

Also just out of curiosity what do you think the average age was on your cruise?

[38anchor]

That worries me too, and from what I can gather there doesn't seem to be a better or worse time of year to go either. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we are OK

:)

[SeaSickGill]

It's strange how we all have our different perceptions of the same scenarios. I would have to say that i found the Buffets on P&O better laid out with a better choice than RCI.:rolleyes:

 

One thing you didnt mention and must have been a plus for Azura; the cost of drinks and excursions onboard?

 

I agree, I've just read this and for me the pro's outweigh the cons - cheaper bar prices , launderette, no Americans, and I must admit I like the food, or it really has gone downhill since my last cruise in 2005.

Maybe it's a 'value for money' thing and if you pay for superior cabins, you have higher expectations with everything. I always book an inside cabin and for what I pay I'm always delighted - I think we've paid just over £900 for two weeks in April.

 

Food for thought though (BTW it isn't a criticism:) - probably spelt that wrongly)

 

Gillian x

[38anchor]

Can I ask were there any deck bbq's like they have on RCI and did you have a chocolate buffet?

 

Also just out of curiosity what do you think the average age was on your cruise?

 

There was one deck BBQ which we didn't attend I'm afraid. I think this may have been a sea day when we were in the Retreat.

 

There was a 'chocolate buffet' which we did visit but I have to say I wasn't impressed. It was held in one of the buffets during afternoon tea and basically meant that all of the offerings were chocolate themed. I think there was also a chocolate fountain near the drinks also. It was a far cry from RCI speciality buffets where you go in an hour before just to take pics.

 

I would say the average age was probably around 50-ish. There were not many below the age of 30, but again not may above the age of 70.

 

Gillian - the type of cabin shouldn't affect the cruise experience you receive. If anything we were more than happy with the cabin, it was just most things outside of this that we were disappointed with.

 

Also, the 2 weeks on Azura actually cost us pro rata much more than any other RCI cruise cost us - including 2 weeks on Oasis.

[mrspjotter]

38anchor - thanks very much for that can I also ask what sort of films were shown on the sea screen if you ever watched any - we have 3 kids aged 10,7,7 so I keep being pestered to find out!:D

 

And presumably you got all the extras promised in the Superior Deluxe Cabin?

[38anchor]

The only films I can remember were

 

Casino Royale (Bond night)

Mama Mia

Inception

Salt

Eat Pray Love

 

Regarding the stateroom amenities:-

 

Mineral water on arrival - yes

Luxurious pamper pack - not sure what it was meant to be but don't think we got

Bathrobe and slippers - yes

Atlas and binoculars - yes

Flowers - no

champagne and chocolates on arrival - yes

Fruit bowl - one apple, one plum and some grapes

Canapes once a week - yes but one lot didn't arrive till turndown and were so soft had to be thrown away

and a selection of magazines - yes

[jeanlyon]

Hi - very interesting report, most of which I also encountered last September, but some I didn't. We had great waiters, the food was hot always. However, on the Gala Night, supposed to be lobster, my favourite, there wasn't any! Surprise, surprise!

 

The buffets, have to agree, a bun fight at best. badly designed, so people can come in from each end,, so you end up not being able to get through. Knives were terribly heavy at one end and so everyone kept dropping them.

 

The ship is very odd to walk around and you are right, you have to walk through a bar or a venue to get to the next bit. Also, when you are walking through there are no windows, so you can't tell if you are walking aft or forward or even side to side. You get used to it after about a week, but a strange layout.

 

Loos - hopeless. 6 washbasins and only 3 loos, usually with one or even two out of order.

 

not for us again. I'm looking forward to Arcadia.

[southwinds]

Interesting report.. We enjoyed Azura.. we found that the deck area up on the Sun Deck 17 is it .. was empty or hardly used most days as so few people bother to walk up the stairs to it.. so we never had an issue finding a quiet area to sit.

We were on freedom dining and that really suited us... As to poor service in the restaurant.. you really can be one table away from good service.. so sorry you were unlucky...

For us the down side was the lovely coffee bar Java on sea days people would stay int he same seat all morning so getting a coffee was imposable due to seat hoggers !! who sit there and watch the dancing etc in the atrium area.

[jeanlyon]

Goodness - when were you on board? The decks were absolutely stuffed with people and even if you could get a sunbed, you were one inch from the person next to you? Did you have had weather?

[LibraLass41]

I was on anther P&O ship - Aurora with Southwinds in November, and found the table service and food pretty average to poor as well. Others on our cruise (60 of us from another cruise chat site) said their food was good, hot and they had great waiter service...So perhaps its the luck of the draw literally if you get a good waiter team, are first or 2nd of a group of 6 tables the team have to serve, and if you know to ask for more (like Oliver!) ie. more veg, bigger portions.

 

Azura compares well with the other ships in the fleet for me, and I've been on all of them.

The GlassHouse food was interesting and well presented, loved Seventeen too.

 

A very fair review agree with all you say. I did like the 3 performances of the shows each night which meant you could see a show, dine then see another form of entertainment like a tribute band or comedian each night..and they entertainers are UK based unlike unknown artists on RCI....Other positives for P&O as mentioned are the very reasonable pub prices of alcohol - british beers for the men, reasonable port tours, tea and coffee in your cabin, British Officers and passengers etc.

 

Thanks for posting, enjoyed reading.

[English Rose]

Hummmm very interesting. I have the same sort of cruising experience as you and am about to book Azura for next winter. I'm still looking at reviews etc and trying to get a balanced view. My last trip was a week on Oasis of the Seas and Norwegian Epic. This all sounds a little bit more like Norwegian.

 

However, the pros of booking a local airport (Bournemouth) and the ease of everything along with a great itinerary (we've done all the RCI islands so many times), I think it may well be worth the risk and I am aware that everything will not be perfect. I can make the best of most things, and certainly Norwegian gave me a bit of a challenge and I still enjoyed my cruise with them. Thanks for the review and I think I might just give it a try.

[daiB]

One point to remember is that if you have a problem with a mamber of staff then that has little do do with the ship as the staff do move round, including the senior staff. P&O have clearly had to employ far more staff with the expansion in the fleet and so getting a rogue waiter might be expected. Perhaps a word with the head waiter may solve the problem

 

We must be very lucky as we have always had exellent service on all of the P&O shgips we have been on.

 

It is a pity your view of P&O has been tainted by your experience.

 

With regard to the layout of the ship.Iit is interesting that Ventura so roundly blasted by some cruisers has now been voted the second favourate ship by the contributers to a well used cruise TA's web site. QM2 being the first. Ventura is a sister ship to Azura.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[tom_uk]

So perhaps its the luck of the draw literally if you get a good waiter team

 

That must be any cruise line's management team's biggest problem, in fact. Most passengers routinely see barely a dozen crew members on a repeat basis during a cruise: their waiters + wine waiter, cabin steward, plus a few drinks waiters at whatever bars they decide they like. All it needs is for one or two of that particular 10 or 12 crew members to be having a rough time, and it'll affect your cruise. Another set of passengers, on the same cruise, might have a completely different experience because of the 10 or 12 crew members they meet.

 

I'm still telling my story about the excellent sommelier we had on one of our Celebrity cruises. I even told it to Carol Marlowe......

[Quercus]

38 Anchor, I would be most interested to know how you managed to book the Retreat for sea days & 17 for that matter, we couldn't.