Experiences on current Caribbean cruises

[JohnCoffield]

A few comments to add to this thread having returned from 2 weeks on Azura on Saturday 22nd.

• Staff were on the whole very helpful, & in the restaurants were working very hard.
• Initial communication from the captain was poor. We arrived on Jan 7th & our cabin was close to the isolation area on deck 9 (there was isolation cabins on most decks) & it was clear there were passengers & crew in quarantine. When we enquired at reception about Covid on board we were fobbed off, however up on Oasis which was closed along with the gym, the staff there were very clear that the cause was covid. Not the best start to a 2 week cruise.
• The booking system on MyP&O was poor at first - we waited over 1 1/2 hours on the second night to get a table for two. It did improve, but surely lessons for this were learnt from the other ships? We were on Britannia in October & the system worked well.
• The ship was about half full so there was plenty of space, though for the first week or so only one pool was open which, as previously stated meant it was busy & kind of defeated the constant reminders for social distancing.
• Azura - I agree with other comments regarding the cabins. We had a deluxe balcony cabin & it was looking very dated. The whole decor needs an uplift & modernising. I like the layout of the ship & the size, but it's looking 2nd class compared to even Britannia, let alone Iona.
• Entertainment - some performers literally only had a handful of guests which didn't make for much of an atmosphere. The house band was pretty good, as were the Headliners. The guest artists were, in my opinion, also good with the Flyrights proving to be very popular.
• Communication improved significantly when the new captain joined at the beginning of the second week. 
• On three islands you could only go beyond the port terminal on either a P&O trip or on an official taxi/minibus excursion. This is changing weekly & is down to each island. One thing is clear, is that as tourists the islanders are very pleased to have us back.
• Testing - we didn't have any testing on board, however speaking with other passengers everyone agreed how stressful it was in the days leading up to the flight. With the final test on the morning of the flight it is only after passing that do you know for certain you are going. It's a first world problem, but it doesn't lesson the stress.
• Was it worth it? - Yes. two weeks of sunshine, 28c, warm seas, beautiful islands, good food & entertainment & staying covid free meant it was worthwhile. For those passengers who had to enter quarantine whilst out there I'm sure there's a different view.