We’ve been in two minds about cruising for a while now — it seems that it’s either a love-it-or hate-it scenario. There is a definite appeal to going to sleep in one location and waking up somewhere different, but would the experience live up to the hype? We booked a space on a P&O Cruises ship, named Azura, packed our bags and headed off to find out.
We started at Stansted airport to catch a flight to Malta, where we would join the ship. From the word go, P&O Cruises made it a slick and easy process. Even at the airport, there were plenty of P&O staff to ensure everything was in order, and we knew where to go to find the Azura
. Once we landed in Luqa, just five miles from Malta’s capital, we were directed to waiting coaches by the friendly, helpful staff, and within a few minutes, we arrived at the cruise port.
Having completed the P&O checking-in process before we’d even left the UK, our trip through the cruise terminal to register was quick and painless, and we were soon walking back out into the sunshine and up the gangway to board Azura. Once onboard, we were directed to our cabin — on deck 15, the lido deck — to check out where we would call home for the next seven days.
Azura accommodation
Our cabin — a mid-range Balcony cabin — was compact, simple and very pleasant. Unburdened with endless space, the room was cleverly designed to maximise practicality; a large mirror behind the bed and angled mirrors in a corner unit flooded the room with light, giving it a surprisingly bright and airy feeling.
Outside the bathroom, separated from the main room with a dividing wall and heavy door, was a lengthy full-height wardrobe with enough space alongside to be optimistically called a dressing room. The bathroom itself was small but perfectly usable, although the shower cubicle would have felt a little cramped for those with broad shoulders.
As we had an outside cabin, a sliding door opened onto a balcony with a pair of sun chairs with footstools and a small table — perfect for enjoying a glass of chilled bubbly and admiring the view while listening to the water lapping below.
Relaxing on the P&O Azura ship
Azura is one of the smaller ships in the P&O Cruises fleet, but don’t think that means there’s not much to do — with careful planning, you could be busy every hour of the day. Sun-worshipping was the day’s main activity for many, and if that’s your thing, you’ll be spoiled for choice. There are plenty of sun-drenched spots to choose from, with dedicated sundecks on the upper decks and other areas ranging from quiet corners to bustling decks with music blasting. With more than 3,000 guests onboard, you might need to bag a sunbed early — some decks can get very crowded, especially on ’at sea’ days.
We’re not ones for sitting in the blazing sun, liking to do something at least slightly active, so we found ourselves gravitating towards the pools — there are four to choose from, with two on the main lido deck, the Coral and Aqua pools, attracting the majority of the crowds thanks to a blend of shaded areas, sunbeds and a bar by each of them. Both had a very different vibe, with the Coral pool being a buzzing, lively choice with music and quizzes throughout the day.
Walk a few metres through a corridor, and the Aqua pool feels entirely removed from the hustle and bustle, with a more relaxed atmosphere created by tiered sunbed decks and a huge outdoor cinema screen that shows blockbuster films. Hang around for darkness to fall, and the late-night showings were a treat, especially when relaxing with a cocktail or two.
A third pool area at the back of the ship was always busy, with the views of the open ocean and the multi-level sunbed areas and bars making it the favoured option for many.
But there’s a secret pool, too! Well, not entirely secret, but ambiguous access points and a near-enclosed location meant there were rarely more than a handful of people in there. The Oasis pool, limited to adults only, is at the edge of the Oasis spa — an off-limits area you need to pay extra for — which led to confusion for many about whether access was allowed. It was, and if you didn’t want to relax in the warm water, you could chill on the comfy sofas and stepped seating alongside. The only downside was that there wasn’t a bar next to the pool, but it was just a short walk to Breakers bar on the same deck to find that all-important hydration.
When you’ve had enough of lounging, there are a few options to get you moving. We had a go at the traditional sport of Deck Quoits, much to the disappointment of the other passengers we were partnered with during the tournament — as it turns out, beginner’s luck isn’t always a thing. At the very top of the ship, should you venture that far from the pool or the bar, you’ll find a basketball court and golf nets if you want to practise your dribbling or swing, and for those that are so inclined, a fully equipped gym is right at the front of the ship with views to die for.
Restaurants and bars onboard Azura
One thing is certain — like on other P&O Cruise ships, you won’t go hungry onboard Azura, with 22 restaurants and bars. Seemingly countless food options are included as part of the cruise package, from the standard buffet option or poolside grill and pizzeria to the more formal setting of the Peninsular, Meridian and Oriental restaurants.
Of all of these options, the one that surprised us most was Oriental. Unlike any of the other restaurants onboard, Oriental serves dinner over two strictly timed sittings, at 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Marco Pierre White created the menu, which was fabulous. The restaurant itself felt a little confused, though — there are all the trappings of a high-end restaurant and a great menu from a renowned chef, but rather than the relaxing dining experience you might expect, all of the courses are ordered in the first few minutes after being seated, and arrive hot on the heels of each other. It was a strange hybrid of high-class food and fast-food service, but I would still highly recommend the experience.
There are also four ‘select’ dining venues, which are chargeable, either with a cover charge per person or through individually priced dishes. Prices look like good value initially, although you’ll need to remember that you’ve effectively pre-purchased much of the food with your cruise. The Glass House was an excellent option for a lighter bite, with smaller plates available alongside larger meals, all with wine pairings selected by wine expert Olly Smith. The Beach House, found right at the back of the ship with stunning views of sunset, offered a Caribbean and South American-inspired menu featuring steak, chicken and ribs, as well as seafood options. Sindhu offered an authentic Indian menu, and Epicurean was a contemporary dining experience with a more elaborate, modern, British-inspired menu.
If you’re a fan of steak, then The Beach House is not to be missed. A not inconsiderably sized piece of meat was served on a choice of a salt block or lava rock, both of which were sizzlingly hot, allowing you to cook the steak to your exact taste. Plenty of other dishes are on the menu, too, but the steak was a definite highlight.
Of all the restaurants onboard, whether included in your package or chargeable, Sindhu was my personal favourite. It was the only speciality restaurant on the ship, serving delicious Indian cuisine that matches the finest you’ll find in any high-end London offering. As well as outstanding food, the service was also superb — as a person with food intolerances, ordering from a standard menu can sometimes be challenging, but our waiter could tell me immediately which dishes I could have and how the dish could be adapted to suit my needs.
What struck us across every restaurant was the lack of vegan options and allergen information readily available on the menus. In most instances, the staff were happy to assist with a smile and give some alternatives. However, for those with any severe allergies or stringent requirements, we recommend booking the restaurants in advance and discussing the menu options ahead of time to ensure that meals can be prepared in accordance with dietary requirements.
Azura entertainment
Evenings onboard the P&O Azura were anything but dull. Something was always happening across the ship, from comedy acts and magic shows such as Mind Games with Mark Williams, which combined both, and music, vocalists and dancing lessons, to headline acts like So Cher starring Rachael Hawnt, who takes you on through the music of the American diva.
There are 10 bars across the ship, each with a different style and feel, so you can choose your evening depending on your mood — a bright and vibrant evening in the open air at Breakers or dance the night away with a more nightclub feel at Manhattan. You could choose to play the slots in Brodie’s casino or take part in a themed quiz night at Malabar.
We had fun at the silent disco we stumbled across at Breakers, the poolside venue, which was anything but silent. You certainly didn’t need headphones to know what song was playing (if you could actually pick out the track from the less-than-tuneful singing), but it was a lot of fun.
Shore experiences
Several different excursions were offered at each port of call — at additional cost, of course. We opted to take two trips during our four stops. The first was a visit to the birthplace of Apollo in Delos during the stop in Mykonos, while at Santorini, we joined the Caldera Sail and Springs, which is a catamaran trip to Nea Kameni Hot Springs, followed by sailing around the coast while enjoying an onboard barbecue lunch.
Both experiences were interesting but felt quite rushed, each finishing by around 2pm. At Delos, we were escorted around the archaeological site by an incredibly knowledgeable guide, who packed a lot of information into the couple of hours we spent with him. The downside was that we had a lot of ground to cover, and the earpieces used to allow us to hear the guide didn’t have a great signal at times, so pieces of information were missed. We had no written information to refer to, so we perhaps didn’t get quite as much out of the experience as we could have.
The sailing trip was terrific fun, but the hot springs weren’t quite what we had envisaged — in fact, they were far from hot, and the stop there was so brief that not all of the passengers made it from the boat into the water to experience the volcanic “spring”. The rest of the trip was fun and relaxing, with plenty of time to dive and swim in the warm Mediterranean waters later in the day. It was a fabulous lunch, too.
Our advice here would be to book excursions early, ideally as you book your cruise — there are very limited places available, so if there is a trip you are keen to do, bag it as soon as you can to avoid missing out.
We missed out on an organised trip to the Parthenon in Athens, so we decided to head there independently. Getting on and off the P&O Azura is easy (remember to take your ID card), and there’s always a bus or taxi available to get you where you want to go. Despite having to queue with everybody else to get in (the organised tour skips the queue), we arguably had a better time, exploring at our own pace and then wandering into other interesting parts of the city, stopping for food and drink when we liked. It didn’t cost any more, either.
P&O Cruises Azura overall experience
Cruising was something we were unsure about before we boarded Azura, but this trip showed us that there are a lot of positives to the experience. Despite having 3,102 passengers and more than 1,100 staff and crew onboard, at no point did it feel particularly crowded. The staff were extremely polite and helpful throughout, and the ship’s public areas were immaculately clean and tidy.
The food was great, with even the ‘free’ buffet offering a decent meal from early breakfast right through to an evening meal. Bars were plentiful, with everything from atmospheric bars inside to lively daytime drinking bars outside. The rooms were fine, offering enough space and comfort to get by for a week or so. Entertainment was mixed but generally professional, inclusive and enjoyable. Those wanting more physical action had everything from traditional deck games to golf nets and a fully equipped gym. To describe the Azura ship from P&O Cruises as a floating hotel would be underselling it.
It’s also a great way to see a handful of places over a week or two, but you’ll only have time to get a flavour rather than a complete experience. It is also worth looking in some detail at the ports that your preferred cruise will visit — some are very small, such as Santorini, and when more than one cruise ship turns up, the place can be overwhelmed by lengthy snaking queues for everything, including simply getting back to the ship.
The black-tie nights were a lovely experience, and it’s where the Captain directly addressed the guests onboard. It isn’t every day that most of us have the opportunity to don an evening gown or suit, and with most passengers getting involved, it made for a fabulous sight onboard.
If you decide to embark on a cruise, we advise embracing every aspect to get the most out of it. Dust off your best suit or frock, pack some dancing shoes, and throw yourself into the mix; you’ll have a fabulous time and meet some interesting people, many of whom will regale you with their cruising stories without too much prompting.
