Azura A409 Western Med

Reports about cruises on Azura
User avatar

Topic author
oldbluefox
Ex Team Member
Posts: 11305
Joined: January 2013
Location: Cumbria

Azura A409 Western Med

#1

Post by oldbluefox »

Despite being a Bank holiday we had a good ride down from Cumbria despite being held up for an hour or more due to a jackknifed lorry. Thank goodness we go down to Southampton the day before the cruise as we would have struggled to make it in time otherwise.

After a comfortable overnight stay at Ibis we set off early for Dock Gate 4. It took us over half an hour to complete the final 200yds due to the road works. However it was not long before we were safely installed on Azura, safety briefing over and on our way.

Daib GC had kindly organised a forum meeting for those on CC so it was a good opportunity to meet others on the forum. Cornmillgirl and her husband Popeye were there as well as MicheleW and her husband whom we met later on. Not sure why CMG’s husband is called Popeye though. They looked perfectly normal to me!! All joking apart I couldn’t help thinking how fortunate we have been on the forum to have attracted and retained such nice people and hopefully we will all meet again.

After a smooth crossing of the Bay of Biscay the sun came out and the temperature started rising. It was to stay with us all holiday long although some days were cooler than others.

In Cadiz we did a tour to Seville which was fascinating architecturally due to the large number of buildings representing the various countries in the Expo 1992 Exhibition. Most startling of all was the Spanish Pavilion which looked nothing from the outside but once inside the open space was quite breathtaking and totally unexpected.

Barcelona was………..Barcelona. We had heard how pleasant it was down by the marina so on this occasion we decided to have a wander down there. We were rather disappointed as there was not a lot to see except we were on the bridge when the siren went for it to open. Images of flying up in the air only to slide down to the bottom and into the water came to mind although the bridge was cleared before anything happened and instead of opening up, it was a very cleverly constructed swing bridge allowing yachts to pass through. After the marina we had our usual stroll up La Ramblas. The market was just as colourful (and crowded) as ever but there didn’t seem to be as many street entertainers. Whether this is because we were early season or not I don’t know. From La Ramblas we took to the side streets eventually ending up at the cathedral before making our way back to the ship. Barcelona was the only port where everybody had their cruise cards scanned to ensure everybody who was on a Saver fare paid their £3 each way fare.

We had been to Cannes before and there is actually not a lot to see apart from the designer shops and very select hotels so we decided to take the excursion to Antibes. It is a delightful place with its picturesque narrow streets. It also has a lovely market selling all manner of local produce such as olives, herbs and spices and beautiful vegetables. It was at a vegetable stall I wanted to take a photograph of some lovely avocadoes and red peppers but was told quite curtly by the stallholder, “Monsieur, pas de fotos!!” Not wishing to cause an international scene I didn’t take the photograph and chose another stall where the holder was less touchy (and had better produce on show!!).

In Civitavecchia we decided to stay at the port rather than go into Rome. Crew on the ship had been told not to go into Rome because of the crowds who were there for the canonisation of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. Having never been into Civitavecchia before this was a good opportunity to explore. Queues for the shuttle bus were enormous so we relaxed on the balcony until they died down but when we did go we had a bit of a shock. Normally they stop by the Citadel. Due to road works the bus sailed past, under the old Roman city walls and through the toll barrier. We were beginning to wonder if we had got onto the wrong coach and were now winging our way to Rome. Fortunately it did turn off and dropped everybody off at a sort of cruise/ferry bus station.

Civitavecchia is a strange place. It’s a strange mix of beauty and ugliness, some streets being unkempt and badly maintained contrasting with the more modern areas which are pristine and well kept. On the promenade the statue of the American soldier kissing a nurse is a replica of the photograph taken in Times Square. Judging by the amount of development taking place in the town they certainly seem to be doing their best to tidy the place up. All the area around the fort is being paved so in future Civitavecchia could be a very pleasant port to walk around and is certainly worthy of closer inspection. For anybody wanting to go into Rome independently a return ticket by train costs €12 return and includes bus travel in Rome. I call that good value and with three trains an hour a good service.

Next stop Ajaccio, and another very pleasant port for wandering around. Pity that we were there on a Sunday so most of the shops were shut. It was a pretty little town whose main claim to fame is as the birthplace of Napoleon. Pretty, narrow streets, a lovely open area with fountains and a lovely little market (where they don’t mind you taking photographs!!!) along with an attractive marina make this an attractive stop. Here again much work was being done on the port front so it will be interesting to see the results on future cruises. This was the one day in the Med which was rather overcast although the sun did shine through for a short while in the afternoon.

However the evening was not so good. A local storm had blown up with a decent swell so that evening the ship got tossed around ‘just a little’. This was the very evening we had booked for XVII and judging by the number of empty tables most had cancelled. Ever had a meal astride a bucking bronco?!!! The meal was lovely, beautifully cooked with excellent service. However, even allowing for the rough sea state there was more than I could manage to eat. I keep telling SWMBO that I don’t eat much………….. The portions however, are generous.

And so onto Gibraltar where we docked next to Thomson Celebration looking decidedly dated next to her more contemporary neighbour. No excursions here except for a walk in the sunshine up the main street, shopping for our duty free spirits and then back to the ship ready to leave for La Coruna.

This was a new port for us and did not look too inspiring from the ship. It is famous for its glazed window balconies. Here again there was redevelopment going on around the promenade area. Once ashore there was more to the town than was apparent from the ship. The promenade seems to go on for ever. Even though it was rather chilly we came across three ladies swimming in the water and singing opera. Rather them than me. The old part of the city is well worth exploring. We came across a beautiful old church which was serene and calm inside. There are the usual little streets with all manner of shops and restaurants leading onto a large galleried square. Here you will find the town hall, a very imposing but attractive building. Being May Day the shops were closed, all except the cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. Wandering down through the town we heard the sound of drums and shouting and headed our way in that direction. We suddenly found ourselves caught up in a Communist parade campaigning against something or another. Needless to say we peeled off pretty sharpish.

So what of Azura? Overall I enjoyed the ship and all it had to offer. As one who enjoys the shows the theatre was lovely. I am not so sure about the sea screen. Who wants to sit outside on a cold, windy day to watch a film? Malabar also seemed a strange venue for showing films as many sight lines were obstructed by pillars and curtains and it sometimes struggled to cope with the number of people wishing to watch the film. They did have a decent selection of films such as Life of Pi, The Butler, Gravity, Captain Phillips etc. I also missed a quiet refuge like Crow’s Nest just to sit quietly, read, listen to music, have a relaxing drink in comfortable surroundings. There are plenty of bars onboard but most are lively affairs. If you enjoy a quiet drink without a quiz going on or loud music your best bet seems to be the Glass House (which is nothing like a military prison!). However this venue must have the most uncomfortable seats I have come across. The atrium gets well used for numerous activities such as dancing lessons (mainly Latin), line dancing (watching people dancing to Lord of the Dance was a revelation, as was seeing them untangle their feet afterwards!) and juggling lessons (for which some had come suitably attired in their circus outfits!!). The lack of a proper wrap around promenade deck gets a thumbs down from me even if you can cut across via The Playhouse. And what there is is very narrow. We were very grateful to have a balcony cabin.

Oceana and Aurora remain our favourite ships but I enjoyed the cruise and would be happy to go on Azura again.

User avatar

david63
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 9391
Joined: January 2012
Location: Lancashire

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#2

Post by david63 »

Did you not find the Plant Bar? - almost the same as the Crows Nest


Quizzical Bob
Senior First Officer
Senior First Officer
Posts: 3951
Joined: January 2013

Azura A409 Western Med

#3

Post by Quizzical Bob »

david63 wrote:
Did you not find the Plant Bar? - almost the same as the Crows Nest
Yes, not bad but not particularly spacious and a long walk there and back if you're billeted up for'ard.

(Planet Bar of course :))

User avatar

Topic author
oldbluefox
Ex Team Member
Posts: 11305
Joined: January 2013
Location: Cumbria

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#4

Post by oldbluefox »

Yes, we tried that one but as QB says it's not as spacious.

We also found quite a few blind alleys and dead ends. Trying to find the right lift, or even set of stairs to get to XVII (in a gale) was also a strict examination of our navigational skills. Needless to say we failed!!

User avatar

Popeye The Sailorman
Third Officer
Third Officer
Posts: 111
Joined: February 2013

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#5

Post by Popeye The Sailorman »

Great review OBF.. thanks for the kind comments.. Really enjoyed your and Robina's company :D :D :D

I agree about the bar situation.. especially if you want a quiet drink after dinner.. Planet Bar is definitely our
favourite but as QB says it is quite a hike depending where you live.

Pops

User avatar

cornmillgirl
Senior Second Officer
Senior Second Officer
Posts: 407
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#6

Post by cornmillgirl »

Was very nice meeting all the people at the CC meet organised by Dai.

In answer to your question OBF as to why OH is Popeye, on the old P&O forum I was Olive Oyl (my real nickname that friends at home call me).
I had issues registering on this forum (all my fault) and so ended up having to re-register under a different name - cornmillgirl - and Popeye
is still Popeye but how appropriate Popeye and Olive ie P&O.

I have to say the turn out for the meeting was well attended and it was really good to meet up with Mr and Mrs OBF, Michelle W and her husband
Billy, Dai and his wife.

Have to say it is the only time I have been on ship in the presence of the Monocled Mutineer, I did not need to ask who he was, it was quite
apparent by his Monocle and bandana.

As to the issue with bars I would have to agree with OBF, we only liked the Glasshouse where we met Mr and Mrs OBF several times for pre-dinner drinks. However The Planet Bar was by far our favourite where we spent most nights propping up the bar for a pre and sometimes after dinner drink. I am now on a detox because when I checked our on board account, apart from tips and a few other things, the entire bill was alcohol. The guys behind the bar up there provided the evenings entertainment and kept plying us with canapes! The other bars were either part of a show lounge so not somewhere for a quiet drink if you wanted one and most had people walking through them, whereas the Planet Bar is completely separate.
And we did not like the Promenade deck, far too narrow and did not like having to nip through via the Playhouse.

However this is the first cruise where I have not attended the gym apart from two sessions of weight-lifting. I got so much exercise walking up and down
the stairs, even in high heels, that going to the gym was not required, imagine walking from deck 6 to the Planet Bar deck 18 in heels. I now have "thunder thighs" !
I have never seen so much queuing for lifts either especially at peak times like just before dinner, hence I got reverse leg work going down from the Planet Bar deck 18 to deck 6, not easy in high heels and not holding on to the handrails.

Great report OBF.

User avatar

emjay45
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1192
Joined: April 2013
Location: Ellan Vannin

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#7

Post by emjay45 »

Thanks for the report OBF. A good read. I'm very interested in your thoughts on the Azura and those of CMG's, it confirms my opinion that the ship would be too big for us, especially my son who can find hid way around the medium sized ships but would probably struggle with the large ones.(me too probably :D )

User avatar

barney
Deputy Captain
Deputy Captain
Posts: 5603
Joined: March 2013
Location: Instow Devon

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#8

Post by barney »

Thanks for the report Foxy

Glad you had a good time.

Ref the demo in La Coruna, we got caught up in a student demo in La Palma a few years ago but it seemed quite light hearted so we joined in.
Viva La Revolution :sarcasm:
Empty vessels .. and all that


CaroleF
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1857
Joined: January 2013
Location: Hampshire

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#9

Post by CaroleF »

OBF, I agree about the seats in The Glasshouse - those awful orange ones where you practically fall into them and then have to struggle to get out. I also agree about the lack of somewhere like Tiffany's on Oceana. There didn't seem to be a bar where you could just sit and watch the world go by - the Blue Bar is small and in the Planet Bar there is often live entertainment in the evenings. We arranged to meet some friends there one evening and could hardly hear each other speak as the singing was so loud. We have now been on Azura three times - principally because we wanted to go to the Caribbean and it was either Azura or Ventura. There is much I like about Azura but she certainly isn't one of my favourites.

Carole

User avatar

Manoverboard
Ex Team Member
Posts: 13014
Joined: January 2013
Location: Dorset

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#10

Post by Manoverboard »

Thanks for the report old chap ... tell me, were you promoted on board ?

:clap:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being

User avatar

Suekersh
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1562
Joined: January 2013
Location: Lancashire

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#11

Post by Suekersh »

Thanks OBF, many of the ports you reviewed we are doing in June on Azura. Interesting about Civvitavechia as we will be staying local.. Having been to Rome many times we are going to have a break from it this year.

I must check the itinerary to see if it is a Sunday when we call at Ajaccio.

Yes just checked and it is a Sunday.
Sue

User avatar

Topic author
oldbluefox
Ex Team Member
Posts: 11305
Joined: January 2013
Location: Cumbria

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#12

Post by oldbluefox »

Manoverboard wrote:
Thanks for the report old chap ... tell me, were you promoted on board ?

:clap:
I have sat all year long biting my fingernails down to the quick, apart from the times I have been to watch them, and I missed the most enthralling part of the season. Bad planning on my behalf especially as we were on second sitting so had to wait until we got back to the cabin to catch up on the scores on Sky Sports News. Why do they always break off for adverts just as the result you are looking for comes up? We had already been promoted but just needed a few more points to get us promoted as champions which we did courtesy of Bolton Wanderers.

Sky Sports on the TV got a big thumbs up for me on Azura although I'm not sure how much Mrs OBF appreciated it.


hopefultraveller
Cadet
Cadet
Posts: 58
Joined: February 2013

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#13

Post by hopefultraveller »

If Dai is reading this, I would be interested to know how he got on in Ajaccio, La Coruna and Barcelona with his scooter. We sail on Azura on Monday to the med. Many Thanks.
Val

User avatar

Dark Knight
Deputy Captain
Deputy Captain
Posts: 5119
Joined: January 2013
Location: East Hull

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#14

Post by Dark Knight »

hey Ho Foxy
sounds great, very much the same ,as one we did some years ago
Agreed about the glasshouse, more of a funny corridor than a venue and I really disliked Malabar, too dark and gloomy
As for the sea screen, they do bring blankets for you to wrap up in, so its quite good fun of an evening
Nihil Obstat


oldtimer
Third Officer
Third Officer
Posts: 125
Joined: August 2013

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#15

Post by oldtimer »

This was our 4th time on Azura only because it was going to where we wanted at the time of year, but far from my favourite ship. Manhattan lounge must be the worst designed venue ever, unlike Oceana's equivalent the seats can be moved anywhere by customers so it's an obstacle course to get around, there are also partitions and pillars to block your view. Whoever designed it must have realised his mistake and installed the many TV screens, if I wanted to watch a live act on TV I would have stayed in my cabin. The sea screen is also annoying, you are sitting there reading or sun bathing when the silence is suddenly broken by the thunderous sound of a film coming on which nobody is watching. I had a disagreement with the librarian who would not let me take out a book to read because it had a sticker on it marking it as a reference book, she would not listen to my explanation that it was stories not a reference book and also had no explanation when I showed her amongst the books I could take out many books that were in fact reference books. I wrote a polite complaint asking for the books to be looked at again regarding classification, but no reply, guess P&O could not be bothered. Also they could not be bothered when arranging the cruise dates and ports of call to avoid Sundays and Bank Holidays at ports of call. We could have done Gibraltar or La Coruna on the way out instead of on the way home which would have avoided the problem. Also had a problem when handing over my free glass of champagne voucher at sail away when the waiter took my voucher and then ignored me and went off to do something else.

Apart from all that enjoyed the cruise but will try to avoid Azura, and Oceana favourite ship, on Oceana arms of seats in show lounge open up to form a tray for drinks, rows of seats in theatre arranged at different heights so you can see over some ones head, a bigger buffet area and a one way system not people coming from all directions as on Azura, and real wood on promenade deck not Azura plastic. Why they did not copy Oceana when designing Azura god only knows, lets hope they don't make the same (Azura) mistakes on Britannia.


Quizzical Bob
Senior First Officer
Senior First Officer
Posts: 3951
Joined: January 2013

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#16

Post by Quizzical Bob »

oldtimer wrote:
Why they did not copy Oceana when designing Azura god only knows, lets hope they don't make the same (Azura) mistakes on Britannia.
I think you'll find they have :(. All these modern ships are a completely different sort of cruising which we don't like.

There are 3 sister ships to Oceana but they are all with Princess, Sea Princess, Sun Princess and Dawn Princess. Sea Princess was briefly with P&O as the (previous) Adonia and we thoroughly enjoyed her but there were many complaints for some reason. She now operates out of Australia. It will be a great loss when Oceana moves to Venice/Genoa fly cruising.

User avatar

Popeye The Sailorman
Third Officer
Third Officer
Posts: 111
Joined: February 2013

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#17

Post by Popeye The Sailorman »

hopefultraveller wrote:
If Dai is reading this, I would be interested to know how he got on in Ajaccio, La Coruna and Barcelona with his scooter. We sail on Azura on Monday to the med. Many Thanks.
Val
Hi Hopeful.. Not sure Dai will reply he stopped on the Azura for the current 7 night Fjords cruise.

You might just catch him before you get on..

Popeye

User avatar

Topic author
oldbluefox
Ex Team Member
Posts: 11305
Joined: January 2013
Location: Cumbria

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#18

Post by oldbluefox »

Forgot to mention in my report, we had James Cusack onboard. What a character he is. Never short of a word or two in his lovely Irish brogue. :clap:

User avatar

Manoverboard
Ex Team Member
Posts: 13014
Joined: January 2013
Location: Dorset

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#19

Post by Manoverboard »

Foxy, you have a one track mind ... the ' promotion ' I had in mind was of the ' Golden Tier ' variety :lol:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being


Frank Manning
First Officer
First Officer
Posts: 1972
Joined: August 2013
Location: Poole Dorset.

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#20

Post by Frank Manning »

Many thanks for this report OBF. It make intersting reading, and especially for someone like me who is prejudiced against these massive cruise liners on safety grounds.

You are right about James Cusack, he was on Aurora once and we went into the shop where we caught him buying a massive bar of chocolate. At seeing our faces, he said "Oh its not for me; its a present for someone!" ;) :roll:


daib GC
Senior Second Officer
Senior Second Officer
Posts: 666
Joined: February 2013
Location: North East

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#21

Post by daib GC »

Popeye The Sailorman wrote:
hopefultraveller wrote:
If Dai is reading this, I would be interested to know how he got on in Ajaccio, La Coruna and Barcelona with his scooter. We sail on Azura on Monday to the med. Many Thanks.
Val
Hi Hopeful.. Not sure Dai will reply he stopped on the Azura for the current 7 night Fjords cruise.

You might just catch him before you get on..

Popeye
Ahhh that would be it, I wondered why I had not seen this and you reminded me....we were on another cruise. :lol:

It was good to meet so many people from here. I thought it was a great cruise. I really liked the Glasshouse I think it has become my favourite bar. Well equal with The Lords Tavern. The food there was excellent. We actually ate in there more often during our second cruise than the first although we did have the taster meal with Michelle and her husband.

One thing I have found is that we do not like freedom dining. We did it during the second cruise so that we could try all the other venues intending to go to the MDR a couple of times. We managed one. We found it to be disturbingly noisy. Perhaps once was not enough but it was enough to tell us never again. When I say never I mean only on a big ship with lots of other restaurants.

Thanks OBF for your report I think you did much as we did in the ports apart from Cadiz which was always stay in as we do like it. We keep on finding bits of Cadiz which are new to us and we have been at least 6 times.


Gan Canny


Dai

User avatar

Topic author
oldbluefox
Ex Team Member
Posts: 11305
Joined: January 2013
Location: Cumbria

Re: Azura A409 Western Med

#22

Post by oldbluefox »

'I really liked the Glasshouse I think it has become my favourite bar'.

We noticed!!! :lol:

It was a pleasure meeting you dai and hope you had a good follow on cruise. The next time we are on we want to try eating in the Glasshouse and also give Sindhu a visit. On a ship as big as Azura there are so many options it's difficult to pull everything in you want to do. I think we covered most of the other eateries but not all. Oink! Oink!

Return to “Azura Cruise Reports”