Back from Aurora

[Britboys]

Arrived home yesterday from my 19 night cruise around the Med aboard the lovely Aurora. I was really ambivalent about a return to cruising post-lockdown but very much enjoyed the cruise whilst obviously noticing the differences.

I felt Aurora was in really great shape for a 22 year-old ship. My cabin, a standard outside, was in very good condition. No stains on the carpet, cabinetry and soft furnishings all in very good condition and a very comfy bed. TV was newer and larger (I am guessing maybe 22/24 inch?) than on my last cruise aboard but the picture quality wasn't exactly spectacular. Fortunately I seldom watch tv on a cruise. The bathroom was tired-looking but functioned perfectly well.

Check-in felt pretty much like normal at the Mayflower with the exception of having vaccination certificates inspected before being let in to the main area. The start of boarding was actually delayed by about 50 minutes which I believe may have been partly due to the separate disembarkation of pax still testing positive for Covid and a deep-clean.

Staff throughout the ship were really great, very friendly and always smiling behind their masks. We had a good pair of waiters on the table I shared - initially with 3 others and then with 5 others. It was supposed to be a table for 8. The team of waiters working the Crows Nest in the evening were exceptionally good. I definitely noticed increased cleaning taking place around the ship.

The Horizon daily sheet delivered to cabins suggested pax wore masks whilst moving around the ship indoors but few did this until about 4 days from the end of the cruise when we were informed that the number of cases on board had increased and mask-wearing was now required as opposed to suggested.

I very much enjoyed most of the ports visited - Cartagena, Cagliari, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Trieste, Messina and Gibraltar. I only took excursions in Dubrovnik and Messina. Only got off in Gib to get some wi-fi and Gin. The only decent deal for duty free booze on board was if you bought 4 litres and that was only on selected 'cooking' spirits...

There was a wide range of entertainment throughout the cruise but much of it was not to my taste, which is just how the cookie crumbles. There were four guest speakers presenting on Astronomy, News & Media, Jazz and Maritime History.

The lowlight of the cruise for me was the food. The current menu didn't really work for me and whilst there was never any danger of going hungry, some nights I struggled - especially with starters and desserts. On initial look, it seems a very comprehensive menu but now includes some of the "always available" dishes and vegetarian/vegan dishes. The quality was generally fine but there were some spectacular misses, including Limoncello Panacotta that was neither Limoncello nor Panacotta, a sausage & duck concoction in puff pastry that was no more than a (very small) sausage roll and a Wild Mushroom Tartlet that needed a pneumatic drill to get through the pastry case... There were sadly multiple repeated dishes on both the mdr and Horizon Buffet menus. Apart from a couple of nights when we got fudge and truffles, the end of each meal brought some pretty cheap after dinner chocolate mints.

The Headliners troupe were fine although one of the female vocalists was somewhat shrill. They performed a new show in Carmen's show-lounge based upon life in a Irish Bar with songs made famous by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Adele, Lewis Capaldi etc and featured a virtual fiddle-band projected onto the back of the stage. Undoubtedly the best thing I've seen on P&O in years. I also saw "Astonishing" for the the first time but personally would happily rename it "Underwhelming"...

I did miss my evening turndown but not for the 'high-quality' pillow-chocolate 😄.

In summary, I had a good cruise and met lots of nice pax, either individually or through the sea-day solo coffee meets and three LGBT+ meets held in the Uganda Room. I am very pleased that I went on it and even more pleased to see Aurora in such fine fettle. I am booked on her again next Summer to Norway for 12 nights and just hope the menu has improved by then.

Happy to try and answer any questions.

[yorkshirephil]

Welcome home Andrew, glad you enjoyed the cruise.

[galeforce9]

7 hours ago, Britboys said:

Arrived home yesterday from my 19 night cruise around the Med aboard the lovely Aurora. I was really ambivalent about a return to cruising post-lockdown but very much enjoyed the cruise whilst obviously noticing the differences.

I felt Aurora was in really great shape for a 22 year-old ship. My cabin, a standard outside, was in very good condition. No stains on the carpet, cabinetry and soft furnishings all in very good condition and a very comfy bed. TV was newer and larger (I am guessing maybe 22/24 inch?) than on my last cruise aboard but the picture quality wasn't exactly spectacular. Fortunately I seldom watch tv on a cruise. The bathroom was tired-looking but functioned perfectly well.

Check-in felt pretty much like normal at the Mayflower with the exception of having vaccination certificates inspected before being let in to the main area. The start of boarding was actually delayed by about 50 minutes which I believe may have been partly due to the separate disembarkation of pax still testing positive for Covid and a deep-clean.

Staff throughout the ship were really great, very friendly and always smiling behind their masks. We had a good pair of waiters on the table I shared - initially with 3 others and then with 5 others. It was supposed to be a table for 8. The team of waiters working the Crows Nest in the evening were exceptionally good. I definitely noticed increased cleaning taking place around the ship.

The Horizon daily sheet delivered to cabins suggested pax wore masks whilst moving around the ship indoors but few did this until about 4 days from the end of the cruise when we were informed that the number of cases on board had increased and mask-wearing was now required as opposed to suggested.

I very much enjoyed most of the ports visited - Cartagena, Cagliari, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Trieste, Messina and Gibraltar. I only took excursions in Dubrovnik and Messina. Only got off in Gib to get some wi-fi and Gin. The only decent deal for duty free booze on board was if you bought 4 litres and that was only on selected 'cooking' spirits...

There was a wide range of entertainment throughout the cruise but much of it was not to my taste, which is just how the cookie crumbles. There were four guest speakers presenting on Astronomy, News & Media, Jazz and Maritime History.

The lowlight of the cruise for me was the food. The current menu didn't really work for me and whilst there was never any danger of going hungry, some nights I struggled - especially with starters and desserts. On initial look, it seems a very comprehensive menu but now includes some of the "always available" dishes and vegetarian/vegan dishes. The quality was generally fine but there were some spectacular misses, including Limoncello Panacotta that was neither Limoncello nor Panacotta, a sausage & duck concoction in puff pastry that was no more than a (very small) sausage roll and a Wild Mushroom Tartlet that needed a pneumatic drill to get through the pastry case... There were sadly multiple repeated dishes on both the mdr and Horizon Buffet menus. Apart from a couple of nights when we got fudge and truffles, the end of each meal brought some pretty cheap after dinner chocolate mints.

The Headliners troupe were fine although one of the female vocalists was somewhat shrill. They performed a new show in Carmen's show-lounge based upon life in a Irish Bar with songs made famous by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Adele, Lewis Capaldi etc and featured a virtual fiddle-band projected onto the back of the stage. Undoubtedly the best thing I've seen on P&O in years. I also saw "Astonishing" for the the first time but personally would happily rename it "Underwhelming"...

I did miss my evening turndown but not for the 'high-quality' pillow-chocolate 😄.

In summary, I had a good cruise and met lots of nice pax, either individually or through the sea-day solo coffee meets and three LGBT+ meets held in the Uganda Room. I am very pleased that I went on it and even more pleased to see Aurora in such fine fettle. I am booked on her again next Summer to Norway for 12 nights and just hope the menu has improved by then.

Happy to try and answer any questions.

Thank you for your review.   We’re the speciality restaurants open/the Glass House for drinks if not food?

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, galeforce9 said:

Thank you for your review.   We’re the speciality restaurants open/the Glass House for drinks if not food?

Sindhu and Beach House open. Glass House only offering drinks and a "Signature Cheese Plate". I've seen a rumour on the current cruise that the Glass House is about to resume offering a full food menu...

[Jill85]

We enjoyed sailing on Aurora and agree with your comments. We would rather not see a green been again! Food is still an issue with us! Back on her for Xmas and New Year! this year.

[Host Sharon]

Thanks Andrew. I really enjoyed my cruise on her last April - except for the food. I was told they had 'supply issues'!

[paulatsea]

Thanks for the review - we are going twice next year on Aurora - September to Spain Portugal and December to Canaries.

Glad that you had a good cruise and that  Aurora is doing ok ! Cheered me up.

[jrmende63]

Can't wait for R420 ( October 17, 2024) for our turn on Aurora.

Thanks for the review.

[galeforce9]

Will report back from 12 October Aurora cruise.  Hoping the Glasshouse is open for food. 

[molecrochip]

Thanks for sharing the review. Aurora is a lovely ship.

[Britboys]

14 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Thanks for sharing the review. Aurora is a lovely ship.

She is indeed. An air of understated elegance throughout. Carpeting in stairwells and lifts is ready for replacement though but everywhere else looks in tip-top condition. We won't see the likes of her again in the P&O fleet, although to be fair, I haven't been on Britannia.

[Cruisemeister2002]

Great to hear from a fellow cruiser and glad you enjoyed Aurora. Amongst our favourite ships along with the now departed Oriana. It would be nice if P&O replaced her, when the time comes with a similar ship of a similar size. I have my doubts as the days of the 1800 passenger ships seem past. Of course there are other Companies available but although all inclusive are very much more expensive. To give those an idea of the price increases we booked a cruise for 35 nights on Ventura Caribbean and US which departs early next year. It cost for an inside cabin around £6,200. Looking ahead to 2024 there's a cruise on Arcadia to US and Canada for 30 nights and an inside is £8,500. So an extra £2,300 and five nights less.  

[BouncingWheel]

Just got off Aurora - 4 night trip to Amsterdam that never made it and we bobbed around for 3 days and popped into Zeebruggee for the last day. Agree that Aurora is still a beautiful ship though sure the main atrium feature was a water feature and it now looks a bit tired and non glistening without it. Some carpets and generally toilet areas in need of replacing as stained but the majority is still in excellent condition. The prom deck is still magnificent though Afternoon Tea is apparently a thing of the past according to the purser's desk and you have to make do with afternoon snacks (same food plus a few extras) in the horizon buffet instead - definitely not the same. All in all, I was personally very glad to be back onboard her.

 

Finally, thought the entertainment was very good including both Headliner shows that both had a storyline - yes we also had the shrill lady vocalist previously mentioned but it didn't spoil the shows for us.

Heard quite a few unhappy 1st time cruisers onboard (mainly due to the fact of itinerary changing just beforehand and then the port being cancelled) but I also felt that Aurora was not the right type of ship for many of them anyway as it is not really a booze cruise type of cruise ship.

 

[Angel57]

1 hour ago, BouncingWheel said:

Just got off Aurora - 4 night trip to Amsterdam that never made it and we bobbed around for 3 days and popped into Zeebruggee for the last day. Agree that Aurora is still a beautiful ship though sure the main atrium feature was a water feature and it now looks a bit tired and non glistening without it. Some carpets and generally toilet areas in need of replacing as stained but the majority is still in excellent condition. The prom deck is still magnificent though Afternoon Tea is apparently a thing of the past according to the purser's desk and you have to make do with afternoon snacks (same food plus a few extras) in the horizon buffet instead - definitely not the same. All in all, I was personally very glad to be back onboard her.

 

Finally, thought the entertainment was very good including both Headliner shows that both had a storyline - yes we also had the shrill lady vocalist previously mentioned but it didn't spoil the shows for us.

Heard quite a few unhappy 1st time cruisers onboard (mainly due to the fact of itinerary changing just beforehand and then the port being cancelled) but I also felt that Aurora was not the right type of ship for many of them anyway as it is not really a booze cruise type of cruise ship.

 

Pleased to hear your cruise was enjoyable, albeit a bit of a mystery tour. Just watched Aurora leave for Canada on the Netley webcam. Got friends whom I normally travel with on board so was ever so slightly envious.

[Astrajet]

@Britboys Thank you for a very informative review.  It is great to hear Aurora is in good shape and that you enjoyed your cruise. She is our favourite ship too and although we have just returned from a pleasant cruise on Britannia, we just can't wait to be back on Aurora next year. 

[DamianG]

Great review Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your measured and balanced thoughts. You're definitely right about the "always available" menu items being incorporated into the selections for each course and therefore making the number of choices seem bigger. It would be interesting to know if the disappointing selection on your cruise was due to a lack of, or cost of, supplies, or a somewhat unimaginative head chef (though I don't know how much influence they have these days), or a bit of both. I love a sausage roll but wouldn't have one for dinner at home, never mind in the MDR on a cruise ship.

[Chrisdriving]

On 9/18/2022 at 5:10 AM, jrmende63 said:

Can't wait for R420 ( October 17, 2024) for our turn on Aurora.

Thanks for the review.

Will they still have her then?, personally i would hope so but worry they will sell the ship by then.

 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Chrisdriving

[Ranchi]

We were on the same cruise as Britboys and did enjoy it. It was certainly eventful. I must agree with Britboys’ comments. The MDR menus seemed to rotate on a 7 day cycle (I’m sure the numbers on the bottom rhs of menu were at least a 14 day cycle pre Covid.) We tended to use the buffet for breakfast & lunch which was unusual for us but the service was very slow in MDR. There were very few curries ( no regular sea day curry) and those that did appear ( with one exception) were pretty uninspiring. Whether the limitations of the menu was due to supply problems or inexperience/shortage of staff is unclear. Certainly, there were several evenings when the MDR doors were late in opening. 
In the buffet there were items missing towards the end of the cruise eg Weetabix & marmalade. I’m not sure if this was owing to shortages or simply not being replenished on time. 
We didn’t use Sindhu but had a lovely meal in the Beach House. 
We did enjoy the Irish Bar show which was new to us and was in Carmens. We didn’t fancy much of the evening entertainment in the Curzon (I find the sound set up in the theatre on P&O over driven and too bright- but that’s just me.) It was disappointing that all dancing took place in Masquerades.
Re reading this it all looks like a moan, it’s not meant to be that. We did enjoy our cruise. It was lovely to be back on board Aurora.  

[Britboys]

21 hours ago, Ranchi said:

We were on the same cruise as Britboys and did enjoy it. It was certainly eventful. I must agree with Britboys’ comments. The MDR menus seemed to rotate on a 7 day cycle (I’m sure the numbers on the bottom rhs of menu were at least a 14 day cycle pre Covid.) We tended to use the buffet for breakfast & lunch which was unusual for us but the service was very slow in MDR. There were very few curries ( no regular sea day curry) and those that did appear ( with one exception) were pretty uninspiring. Whether the limitations of the menu was due to supply problems or inexperience/shortage of staff is unclear. Certainly, there were several evenings when the MDR doors were late in opening. 
In the buffet there were items missing towards the end of the cruise eg Weetabix & marmalade. I’m not sure if this was owing to shortages or simply not being replenished on time. 
We didn’t use Sindhu but had a lovely meal in the Beach House. 
We did enjoy the Irish Bar show which was new to us and was in Carmens. We didn’t fancy much of the evening entertainment in the Curzon (I find the sound set up in the theatre on P&O over driven and too bright- but that’s just me.) It was disappointing that all dancing took place in Masquerades.
Re reading this it all looks like a moan, it’s not meant to be that. We did enjoy our cruise. It was lovely to be back on board Aurora.  

The Crunchy Nut Cornflakes seemed to disappear from the buffet about 3 or 4 days into the cruise...😱😂

[Cruisemeister2002]

On 9/19/2022 at 11:16 AM, DamianG said:

Great review Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your measured and balanced thoughts. You're definitely right about the "always available" menu items being incorporated into the selections for each course and therefore making the number of choices seem bigger. It would be interesting to know if the disappointing selection on your cruise was due to a lack of, or cost of, supplies, or a somewhat unimaginative head chef (though I don't know how much influence they have these days), or a bit of both. I love a sausage roll but wouldn't have one for dinner at home, never mind in the MDR on a cruise ship.

Items such as steak were as you say available as an alternative. I remember our first cruise in 2002 onboard Victoria, for those not familiar it was a small ocean going ship, formerly the Kungsholm. We had separate beds and a port hole in our cabin which was closed going through the Bay of Biscay. An elegant ship with lots of wood and etched glass in the MDR. We had a table of six and our fellow diners were lovely people. One Gentleman told me of the fact that steaks were available if you didn't like what was on the menu. I do believe they were then of a better quality than those available in the MDR's now. But of course, you are now expected to fork out extra if you want something a bit better now.

[GOQ]

Thanks for the report, the Aurora is definitely on my cruise list now.

Edited September 21, 2022 by GOQ

[my marina bay]

The food on your cruise was no different to ours on Arcadia. No way could it be described as fine dining. Limited options in buffet as well. Luckily I like fish and oh likes steak which were always available. However I would describe the food as follows:

microwaved /

airline reheated /

frozen fast food.

 

They would not deviate from menu except to offer chips on the side.  I was very disappointed certainly not what we've been use to in the past. I use to look forward to their soups now its out of a packet. Not prepared to pay premium prices for fast food.

 

 

[jh1809]

On 9/18/2022 at 4:50 PM, BouncingWheel said:

Just got off Aurora - 4 night trip to Amsterdam that never made it and we bobbed around for 3 days and popped into Zeebruggee for the last day. Agree that Aurora is still a beautiful ship though sure the main atrium feature was a water feature and it now looks a bit tired and non glistening without it. Some carpets and generally toilet areas in need of replacing as stained but the majority is still in excellent condition. The prom deck is still magnificent though Afternoon Tea is apparently a thing of the past according to the purser's desk and you have to make do with afternoon snacks (same food plus a few extras) in the horizon buffet instead - definitely not the same. All in all, I was personally very glad to be back onboard her.

 

Finally, thought the entertainment was very good including both Headliner shows that both had a storyline - yes we also had the shrill lady vocalist previously mentioned but it didn't spoil the shows for us.

Heard quite a few unhappy 1st time cruisers onboard (mainly due to the fact of itinerary changing just beforehand and then the port being cancelled) but I also felt that Aurora was not the right type of ship for many of them anyway as it is not really a booze cruise type of cruise ship.

 

I'm surprised by the lack of afternoon tea, as I'm sure they were still doing it when I was on Aurora in April and you'd expect things to have improved since then.

[terrierjohn]

7 hours ago, my marina bay said:

The food on your cruise was no different to ours on Arcadia. No way could it be described as fine dining. Limited options in buffet as well. Luckily I like fish and oh likes steak which were always available. However I would describe the food as follows:

microwaved /

airline reheated /

frozen fast food.

 

They would not deviate from menu except to offer chips on the side.  I was very disappointed certainly not what we've been use to in the past. I use to look forward to their soups now its out of a packet. Not prepared to pay premium prices for fast food.

 

 

I don't think you could call P&Os fares, premium prices.

[Britboys]

8 hours ago, my marina bay said:

The food on your cruise was no different to ours on Arcadia. No way could it be described as fine dining. Limited options in buffet as well. Luckily I like fish and oh likes steak which were always available. However I would describe the food as follows:

microwaved /

airline reheated /

frozen fast food.

 

They would not deviate from menu except to offer chips on the side.  I was very disappointed certainly not what we've been use to in the past. I use to look forward to their soups now its out of a packet. Not prepared to pay premium prices for fast food.

 

 

Most of the meals I had were tasty and fresh. Can't say they appeared to be microwaved or tasted like frozen fast food. I was more concerned with the reduced choice and repetition. No, it certainly isn't 'fine dining' these days but that is generally reflected in the price point.