Azura - Med Cruise - the highs and lows

[picsa]

Joined Azura last Thursday for a couple of weeks. 
 

Airport not too horrible as it was an early flight, but others didn’t seem so lucky as the P&O charters later in the day were delayed so Azura was an hour or so late leaving Valletta. 
 

The question about what is closed on Azura should perhaps be what is actually open. 
 

Sindu has been closed since April, Epicurean closed last week, the Glass House is open but isn’t doing food - and the  Beach House that is open - well you can have a booking for next week but this week - sorry, fully booked. 
 

No idea how full the ship is, but it doesn’t feel busy at all - even at breakfast on a port day you can have a pick of dozens of free tables to sit at and there are no queues to get back on board, or finding a seat in the theatre or show bar - Manuel Marinez the ‘Cuban’ comedian was joking last night about there only being forty people in the room so it didn’t matter about his performance - a joke but he was about right with the numbers. 
 

Aside from that things are returning to normal with masks now only needed in the medical centre and on tenders (or shuttle busses if the country requires it) but all the staff still are because it is recommended. 
 

A few more shows on board than before. Dance classes back. No limits on numbers in pools. Still no ship’s photographers. 
 

Azura is starting to look very tired in places though. Some of the furniture is showing wear and is dirty, and the carpets have seen better days. 

Anyway, if people are not flying out on for a cruise in June at the prices P&O are currently charging, then hard to see how they can afford to pay for the staff to actually open the closed venues. 

[ElmaLee]

Is MDR busy for dinner?  How is the P&O booking app working for tables?

[picsa]

25 minutes ago, ElmaLee said:

Is MDR busy for dinner?  How is the P&O booking app working for tables?

On fixed dining and second sitting isn’t that busy with plenty of tables being kept empty - I booked three weeks ago on a cheapo saver and got a table for two on my preferred sitting without issue. 
 

Haven’t heard any moans from those using Freedom about queues or the ‘app’ (quite why P&O refer to their MyHoliday webpage as an “app” eludes me). 
 

At the Playhouse theatre when you say “no” to the question “Have you booked in the app” between saying “just go in” and “let me book you in now” which they do on the tablet they are carrying. 
 

No ‘app’ booking is needed for breakfast or lunch - just the Freedom dining and the Beach House (which tells you ‘tough luck’). 

[Grandad John]

Long time ‘lurker’ now decided to join. Bear with me until I find my feet! My wife died in February after a lengthy illness and along with several other members of the family we booked a cruise on Azura for October this year. After some deliberation I have decided to still go on the cruise as I suspect by October I will be more than ready for a change of scenery. Plus I get to spend two weeks with my lovely, supportive family. The final balance for the cruise is due at the end of July and my only concern, apart from all the restaurants being open, revolves around the cabin I have booked with a select fare. The cabin is an aft one on B deck and I have a little concern as to whether this will fall in to an area of isolation cabins. Does anyone know which cabins are being used as isolation cabins on Azura?

[picsa]

19 minutes ago, Grandad John said:

The cabin is an aft one on B deck and I have a little concern as to whether this will fall in to an area of isolation cabins. Does anyone know which cabins are being used as isolation cabins on Azura?

No areas on B deck on Azura are blocked off for quarantine.
 

when I travelled on Iona last September the quarantine area was behind closed doors where they had closed the passage way doors to block access - nothing on B deck is similarly blocked off. 
 

And sorry to hear about your wife. 

Edited June 26, 2022 by picsa

[Grandad John]

Thanks Picsa, that at least is reassuring, however Moleys assertion that supply issues affecting the availability of speciality restaurants being down to U.K based ships tends to lose all credence, how long has Azura been based out of Malta?

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, Grandad John said:

Thanks Picsa, that at least is reassuring, however Moleys assertion that supply issues affecting the availability of speciality restaurants being down to U.K based ships tends to lose all credence, how long has Azura been based out of Malta?

Although many of the ship's supplies would be shipped to Malta from the UK, so shortages would still exist.

[picsa]

10 minutes ago, Grandad John said:

how long has Azura been based out of Malta?

Believe they just sent her down there a couple of months ago to do the ‘figure of eight’ cruises from Valletta stopping there each Thursday and alternating the weekly route. 

[Grandad John]

So does Malta not have any butchers, bakers and candlestick makers? If so, no wonder the Maltese are cross!

[purplesea]

We were on Azura at the end of April/beginning of May and the so call "app" wouldn't work in our cabin!

As we had booked last minute we had freedom dining, and because of the issues with the "app" just wandered down to the dining room when ready and always got seated. 

[bbtablet]

6 hours ago, picsa said:

"At the Playhouse theatre when you say “no” to the question “Have you booked in the app” between saying “just go in” and “let me book you in now” which they do on the tablet they are carrying."

I keep reading this but cannot work out what you are trying to convey.

I would be interested in a clarification as it is an interesting practical issue I have been wondering about.

6 hours ago, picsa said:

 

 

[picsa]

11 hours ago, bbtablet said:

I keep reading this but cannot work out what you are trying to convey.

I would be interested in a clarification as it is an interesting practical issue I have been wondering about.

 

It means that booking for the theatre seems irrelevant - either the staff tick you off if you booked, but if you didn’t they just wave you through or book you in themselves then and there. 
 

And they are only there before the show starts so arrive five minutes afterwards and you can just walk in anyway. 
 

In summary, the ‘app’ and booking for the theatre appears to be pointless. 

[gsmt47471015]

1 hour ago, picsa said:

It means that booking for the theatre seems irrelevant - either the staff tick you off if you booked, but if you didn’t they just wave you through or book you in themselves then and there. 
 

And they are only there before the show starts so arrive five minutes afterwards and you can just walk in anyway. 
 

In summary, the ‘app’ and booking for the theatre appears to be pointless. 

Totally agree

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, gsmt47471015 said:

Totally agree

Although the app seems not to be essential for the theatre it did seem to be well used on Britannia, and even when the theatre was full, which was not often, there were hardly any last minute attendees rushing around looking for 2 seats together.

Similarly we generally used the app for dinner and never experienced any queues at the MDR check in desks. We did turn up unbooked once and waltzed through without any problems, but it is so easy to used the app that I do hope it stays and becomes the norm, especially if it does away with queues.

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, picsa said:

It means that booking for the theatre seems irrelevant - either the staff tick you off if you booked, but if you didn’t they just wave you through or book you in themselves then and there. 
 

And they are only there before the show starts so arrive five minutes afterwards and you can just walk in anyway. 
 

In summary, the ‘app’ and booking for the theatre appears to be pointless. 

Interesting! Whilst we all supported the measures designed to prevent the spread of Covid when we didn’t fully understand it and had no vaccination programme, over time it became apparent that many of the rules and restrictions were nothing more than kidology (e.g. having to wear a mask walking into a pub or restaurant only to remove it the second that you sat down). Thankfully, all these things have now been consigned to history ashore, so why they persist with such nonsenses on cruise ships is beyond me. 

[loveheart]

3 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Interesting! Whilst we all supported the measures designed to prevent the spread of Covid when we didn’t fully understand it and had no vaccination programme, over time it became apparent that many of the rules and restrictions were nothing more than kidology (e.g. having to wear a mask walking into a pub or restaurant only to remove it the second that you sat down). Thankfully, all these things have now been consigned to history ashore, so why they persist with such nonsenses on cruise ships is beyond me. 

I wonder when the crew will be allowed to stop wearing masks. Passengers are all swanning round maskless while all the crew are masked up to the hilt.

[Selbourne]

3 minutes ago, loveheart said:

I wonder when the crew will be allowed to stop wearing masks. Passengers are all swanning round maskless while all the crew are masked up to the hilt.

I must confess that, as a glasses wearer, I really struggled with masks and always felt very sorry for those trying to perform a job wearing them. 

[picsa]

29 minutes ago, loveheart said:

I wonder when the crew will be allowed to stop wearing masks. Passengers are all swanning round maskless while all the crew are masked up to the hilt.

When P&O stop recommending passengers wear them around the ship - the staff can’t be seen not wearing them if it is recommended that you do, even if nobody does (although not actually nobody as there are still half a dozen or so passengers wearing them when walking around). 

[Fionboard]

 Obviously, cruise ship environments are different to on shore establishments. When captain asks you to wear masks as there is an outbreak on board, as on Britannia last week, he is only trying to protect his crew as much as possible, especially with some staff shortages already.

[Megabear2]

On international cruises all countries have different regulations and requirements so the ships are following as much as possible the land based requirements.  We had no masks on Celebrity Edge last week but it was mandatory on the flight to Rome and back from Barcelona to wear a KN92 mask.  There were no exceptions.  The excursion buses required masks, again strictly enforced.  This applied in Italy and Majorca.

 

The US and Canadian passengers on the ship were puzzled by UK having no regulations or monitoring of covid.

 

As a result we cannot guarantee what the situation will be for voyages.

[Selbourne]

26 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

 Obviously, cruise ship environments are different to on shore establishments. When captain asks you to wear masks as there is an outbreak on board, as on Britannia last week, he is only trying to protect his crew as much as possible, especially with some staff shortages already.

Understand, but you don’t catch Covid by walking past someone, only by being in close proximity to them for a matter of minutes or when sat in a poorly ventilated enclosed space. So asking people to wear masks whilst walking around the ship falls under the ‘kidology’ banner, and always has done, with the possible exception of lifts. 

[Fionboard]

Agree, but informing about an outbreak and advising mask wearing at least makes people aware of the risk and the need to be more vigilant, which is not a bad thing. One of my table mates was feeling rough and subsequently isolated with covid, poor thing. Luckily I seem to be OK!

[wowzz]

41 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

but it was mandatory on the flight to Rome and back from Barcelona to wear a KN92 mask. 

I think it very much depends on the airline. We flew to Barcelona and returned from Athens on BA a few weeks ago, and mask wearing was not compulsory. I'd say no more than 10% of the passengers wore masks.

Cabin crew on the Barcelona sector were masked, unmasked on the Athens flight.

[gsmt47471015]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Although the app seems not to be essential for the theatre it did seem to be well used on Britannia, and even when the theatre was full, which was not often, there were hardly any last minute attendees rushing around looking for 2 seats together.

Similarly we generally used the app for dinner and never experienced any queues at the MDR check in desks. We did turn up unbooked once and waltzed through without any problems, but it is so easy to used the app that I do hope it stays and becomes the norm, especially if it does away with queues.

No problem if using the app is the only way to get into places but on a personal level I just want to get away from having a tablet or phone attached to me , don't mind a wait to get in the MDR as there is always a bar to have a pre meal drink in ,and we always allow plenty of time to get seats in the shows we want to see, as usual its horses for courses🙂

[davecttr]

Om my last Iona cruise once I realised I could access my account on the in cabin TV I put my phone in the safe and left it there. Never had to queue for a meal either 🙂