NEW SHIP REVIEW
There were five formal, four semi-formal and seven smart-casual nights that main- tained the ethos of dignified cruising. For those who like to be casual, there’s the option of dining in Venezia every night. Full details of each night’s dress code and endless activities on board are listed in the easy-to-read Horizon daily programme.
and classical singer Simon Callaghan. At other times, this room was a popular dance venue, when guest band Inspiration struck up hot rhythms. In the ever-popular pub Brodie’s, there were regular quizzes and Karaoke nights. For those who wanted a quieter spot for cocktails and after-dinner drinks, the Planet Bar on Deck 18 (Sun Deck) overlooking the aft of the ship was an incomparable choice. Here, a Bombay Sapphire and tonic was a refreshing £2.40 and a Budweiser just £2.85. A novel diversion on Azura is the Seas-
creen above the Aqua Pool on Deck 15 (Lido Deck). This spectacular LED screen shows recently released movies from 2pm, with the last screening at 10.30pm. I watched the new Clash of the Titans, Sherlock Holmes and joined a gaggle of teenagers to see what the phenomenon of the recent Twilight 2 – New Moon was all about.
fortunately, there seemed to be enough for every sun-worshipper. However, I preferred The Retreat with comfortable sun-beds, ar- ranged in tiers. This came at a cost but was worth it on sea days. The adjacent Oasis Spa and Health Club is the first operated by Steiner for P&O Cruises. I treated myself to a Thai Poultice Massage that consisted of a traditional Thai massage followed by deep-tissue therapy with two hot herbal balls. It lasted 75 min- utes and cost £119; other treatments such as a 50-minute Elemis Executive De-Stress Treatment or a 50-minute Swedish massage were more reasonable at £69. I also enjoyed the Costa Coffee selection
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in Java beside the Atrium on G-Deck. On the other side of this deck was the Library
ith the ship being full to the gunwales, I feared getting a sun-lounger would be a trial;
the mid-1980s. It was like going back in time: the air-conditioning still emitted a low rumble; the waiting staff still had a mañana attitude; and the entertainment still consisted of a duo playing Sinatra’s greatest hits. The only difference seemed to be the hike in the cost of meals that lacked any degree of variety. As I sipped my G&T – which, at £8,
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and Internet Centre. There are only six computers but I never saw a queue – per- haps the price deterred passengers sending emails to friends. At 50 pence per minute or £62.50 for a 250-minute package, it is one of the highest tariffs in cruising. The on-board shops and boutiques turned out to be far from the cruising norm of tacky logo’d items. Lifestyle@Chic stocked the latest range of designer home wares and gifts; Wardrobe had great costume jewellery, much-discounted sunglasses and handbags; and Regalia had a good range of Henri Lloyd and Joseph Ribkoff fashions. There was also Essence Perfume, Eternity Jewellery and Emporium Essentials. Ports of call on my cruise included Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula and Gibraltar. There was a wealth of tours offered in each port, including a 4-hour ‘Olympic Spirit’ tour of Olympia. This visit to the site of the very first Games in 776 BC (started by Hercules in honour of his father Zeus) cost a reasonable £36.50/person. A romantic gondola ride tour in Venice was £44.50 – considerably less than if you hired one yourself. More im- portantly, a helpful Gazetteer guide to each port was put in every passenger’s cabin. There’s no disputing P&O Cruises have
raised the bar with Azura. Despite its modernity, this is no floating theme park. There is universal appeal with traditional cruisers as well as those putting their toe in the water for the first time. On my cruise, the age range was well below the ‘dentures and dementias’ set.
was three times the price of P&O Cruises – I reflected on the creature comforts of my recent voyage. Shrugging off any misty- eyed view of nostalgia for traditional liners, the sea change from Canberra to Azura embodied the very avatar of the dynamism of the cruise industry.
couple of weeks after my voyage, I holidayed in a five-star hotel in Majorca that I had not visited since
FACT FILE
Maiden Voyage: 2010 Tonnage: 116,017 Length: 952ft Beam: 119ft Draft: 26ft Speed: 22 knots Passengers: 3,096 Crew: 1,226
Passenger decks: 14 Registry: UK
ITINERARIES: autumn, various Mediterranean and Canaries from Southampton; winter, 14-night Caribbean from Barbados; spring and summer, various Western Europe, Med, Canaries and N Europe from Southampton.
MORE INFO: Call 0845 678 0014 or look up
www.pocruises.com.
Azura
Autumn 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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