Advice for P&O newbie for Azura

[japanese]

Hi everyone!

I've been cruising on NCl and Celebrity in the past.

Now, I'm trying the Azura in a couple of weeks.

To save me the trawling through the forum, could someone kindly let me know the following, please:

 

1. Are the electrical socket(s) in the staterooms American/Continental/British?

 

2. On other cruiselines, I try to arrive at around lunchtime (they usually allow boarding by noon) and head for the buffet. Is lunch available on the Azura on embarkation day?

 

3. Will I be allowed to take multipacks of bottled water onto the ship?

 

4. Will the gratuties be denominated in £ ?

 

5. Is tipping on board in £?

 

6. Is it difficult to book for the paying restaurants or would spaces always be available?

 

Any helpful hints/advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

[kevinyork]

Hope this helps.

 

 

Hi everyone!

I've been cruising on NCl and Celebrity in the past.

Now, I'm trying the Azura in a couple of weeks.

To save me the trawling through the forum, could someone kindly let me know the following, please:

 

1. Are the electrical socket(s) in the staterooms American/Continental/British?

 

British.

 

2. On other cruiselines, I try to arrive at around lunchtime (they usually allow boarding by noon) and head for the buffet. Is lunch available on the Azura on embarkation day?

 

Yes the Waterside buffet is open for lunch from 11.00

 

 

3. Will I be allowed to take multipacks of bottled water onto the ship?

 

Yes, no problem.

 

4. Will the gratuties be denominated in £ ?

 

Yes.

 

5. Is tipping on board in £?

 

Yes

 

6. Is it difficult to book for the paying restaurants or would spaces always be available?

 

They can get busy. I recommend booking on embarkation. They hve desks in the atrium as you board.

 

 

Any helpful hints/advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

[japanese]

Many thanks Kevin.

That was useful.

[old git]

Hi everyone!

I've been cruising on NCl and Celebrity in the past.

Now, I'm trying the Azura in a couple of weeks.

To save me the trawling through the forum, could someone kindly let me know the following, please:

 

1. Are the electrical socket(s) in the staterooms American/Continental/British?

 

2. On other cruiselines, I try to arrive at around lunchtime (they usually allow boarding by noon) and head for the buffet. Is lunch available on the Azura on embarkation day?

 

3. Will I be allowed to take multipacks of bottled water onto the ship?

 

4. Will the gratuties be denominated in £ ?

 

5. Is tipping on board in £?

 

6. Is it difficult to book for the paying restaurants or would spaces always be available?

 

Any helpful hints/advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

 

1 one english socket,take an two to four extension for extra odds and ends you/ll need plugged in

2 WE ARE NEVER THERE THAT SOON but self service should be open

3Think so never tried it

4 YES

5 YES

6 17 fills up fast try to book when you get on board

 

enjoy

[Essexlass2]

Why is 17 so popular then? Is it free?!?!

[lady scout]

Came off Azura 3rd July after a very enjoyable trip to Iceland & Norway. 17 is not free there is a cover charge but worth it as the food is yummy - the staff lovely and you feel very spoilt! Have fun! :)

[bee-ess]

Why is 17 so popular then? Is it free?!?!

 

Because it is good

[Host Sharon]

Welcome to Cruise Critine Japanese and have a great cruise.

 

Sindhu is even better than XVII I am told !

[annieuk]

I think it depends on your individual taste. We went to both Sindhu and Seventeen. We are not great fans of Indian food but we wanted to see what Sindhu was like. It was certainly different from an Indian restaurant in this country. There was nothing wrong with the food but it just wasn't to our taste - that's more a reflection of us not liking the spices rather than the quality of the food. On the other hand we found Seventeen absolutely fantastic. We shared the most wonderful Chateaubriand which was great as was the rest of the meal. On our cruise on Azura next year we will go twice to Seventeen to sample both the menus.

 

I know other people have said Sindhu was fabulous for them - just a matter of taste.

[Catherine Janaway]

My friend and I will probably try most of the 'premium' restaurants so we make an informed decision.

 

Fingers crossed we will be able to make some reservations

 

(avoiding the formal nights as I believe the meals in the main restaurant is very good on those nights)

[bee-ess]

Another one to try is the Glasshouse Supper Club (Taster Menu), although this only happens on a couple of evenings per cruise and for a very small number of people - so you need to book as soon as you get on board, I don't think it can be pre-booked. Ther is a different wine served with each course and seems to be very well recommended, we are hoping to try it when we go next week.

[CUPPODELMONDO]

Another little treat is the small plates at lunchtime in The Glasshouse, particlarly the chorizo cassolet and the king prawns mmmmm, I'll be in there next week with a crisp rose.

We are going to try Sindhu as well this time, we've heard good reports from other passengers, the same applies to seventeen.

[cruiseluvva]

Another one to try is the Glasshouse Supper Club (Taster Menu), although this only happens on a couple of evenings per cruise and for a very small number of people - so you need to book as soon as you get on board, I don't think it can be pre-booked. Ther is a different wine served with each course and seems to be very well recommended, we are hoping to try it when we go next week.

 

Oh I would definitely recommend this. It cost just under £25 pp and was truly superb. It was heavily over subscribed on our cruise so they did three evenings, and without a doubt, it was the best meal ever.

[Catherine Janaway]

I'm going to have to take notes with me so I can make the bookings as soon as we get on board.

 

Will it be easier to get a sitting if there are only 2 people?

[cruiseluvva]

I'm going to have to take notes with me so I can make the bookings as soon as we get on board.

 

Will it be easier to get a sitting if there are only 2 people?

 

It won't be easy however many you are, but go along as soon as you board and beg - good luck because it is so worth the money. And make sure you have plenty of the Canadian Peller Ice Cuvee - fab!

[LibraLass41]

Catherine/ Japanese

After boarding and sorting out your luggage in your cabin, wander along to Seventeen and Sindu and have a look at the menus displayed outside restaurant. Decide which one (or both) you want to eat at and book THEN for a table at the time and night you fancy (Formal nights are best in main restaurant).

If you have a sea day do try the GlassHouse at lunch time , being a wine bar it tends to be a child-free relaxed experience with a excellent menu for a supplement of £5 a head. The supper club sounds very good if you want to pay again one night a supplement of around £50 for two, but it gets expensive to try ALL supplement restaurants on one cruise, as wine and water are ocourse added to each evenings bill. The main dining room menus are good anyway.

[cruiseluvva]

Catherine/ Japanese

After boarding and sorting out your luggage in your cabin, wander along to Seventeen and Sindu and have a look at the menus displayed outside restaurant. Decide which one (or both) you want to eat at and book THEN for a table at the time and night you fancy (Formal nights are best in main restaurant).

If you have a sea day do try the GlassHouse at lunch time , being a wine bar it tends to be a child-free relaxed experience with a excellent menu for a supplement of £5 a head. The supper club sounds very good if you want to pay again one night a supplement of around £50 for two, but it gets expensive to try ALL supplement restaurants on one cruise, as wine and water are ocourse added to each evenings bill. The main dining room menus are good anyway.

 

Sorry Sue, but wine and water are not added to the bill in the Glasshouse Supper Club - it is a wine pairings meal so everything is included. If I remember correctly, the meal came with 4 different glasses of wine per person

[Benjamin1981]

I have just read through this thread and am now full of ideas and things to try when we travel on Azura in October.

 

Thanks for all the tips guys!

 

The Peller Cuvee sounds great!!

[bee-ess]

Another one to try is the Glasshouse Supper Club (Taster Menu), although this only happens on a couple of evenings per cruise and for a very small number of people - so you need to book as soon as you get on board, I don't think it can be pre-booked. Ther is a different wine served with each course and seems to be very well recommended, we are hoping to try it when we go next week.

 

We did the Supper Club and thoroughly enjoyed it, The food and wine were superb, but you do need to book it as soon as you get on board. They only did one evening on our 7 night cruise and it was for 20 people on 5 tables of 4. We were a party of 4 anyway so that was OK, but i'm sure that some of the tables were mixed groups of 2.