Azura

I recently had the opportunity to take a look and experience the exceptional quality and service P&O Azura had to offer.

My first impression upon embarking Azura was how spacious and airy this ship felt. Facilities were second to none especially the Spa. This simply was amazing! The Spa looked like a fabulous retreat that takes away the stress
from every day life with plenty of treatments to indulge in.

On deck there is a huge screen where you can take in movies under the stars or maybe even major sporting events such as the World Cup.

Entertainment was excellent! Plenty of social areas onboard Azura together with plenty of entertainment, this included covers of the West End shows, tribute acts (Annie Lennox was fab!) and an alternative singer this was all in one evening!! There is also a casino together with screens showing sporting events and world news.

Childrens Facilities - There are plenty of facilities onboard Azura, this most definitely is a very family friendly ship, child care is available, together with the most upto date childrens toys for the younger children and game consoles for the older children, they can even learn to DJ! There is plenty onboard to keep the children occupied for their holiday onboard Azura!

Food was fantastic! Plenty of choice and presented beautifully, service in the restaraunts was also superb nothing
was too much trouble.

Cabins - I was fortunate enough to stay in a Balcony Stateroom, the interior is very modern, bright and airy with all the facilties you would expect in your stateroom. I would recommend a higher deck of balcony as these to seem to have more privacy whilst using your balcony.

I could carry on writing how fabulous Azura is however I would not want to spoil it for any future passengers. You really should try it for yourself and you definitely would not be disappointed!! I was so impressed with this Ship that I booked my own family holiday onboard Azura's sister ship Ventura. The only reason why I didnt book Azura is the dates just didnt fall right for my time off work.

Helen - Travel Consultant

I went to visit the Azura when i attended the criuse convention June this year.
When i first saw the ship i thought wow it is massive!! but when your on board you really dont feel like your on a cruise ship. The atrium was amazing!!
I was met by the p&o guide. I had alook around all staterooms inside and out. I remember thinking that the inside cabins were just as amazing as the outside and balcaony. they have alot to see and do on the azura i enjoyed sitting on the top deck after having a good look around(luckily it was a beautiful day). i had my lunch at the Manhattan restaurant the deco was loverly and so was the food. I had the beef it was so succulent and the pudding was tasty! after a brilliant afternoon i disembarked the ship reluctantly. But id definatly return.

Just returned from a fortnight onboard Azura ... there's very little to say except it was AZAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will be back again soon!!!!

Recently cruised onboard P&O Cruises Azura - this was our 10th cruise and by far THE BEST!
We decided to treat ourselves to a week on the Retreat and Thermal Spa - a bit pricey for a week (£220 for a couple), but really worth the indulgence! Located at the front of Aqua and Lido deck, The Retreat offers an exclusive swimming pool, two spas, plenty of luxury sun beds. Plus sofas, chairs and tables to relax, have a drink or even a meal from the exclusive menu.

The Thermal Suite offers steams rooms, saunas, warm ceramic beds and aromatic showers. Only a limited number of passengers are allowed access to these areas so there is no worry of over crowding and always plenty of room to relax.

Highly recommended!!

Azura was launched in April 2010 by Darcy Bussell and many passengers will have had a similar trip to the one that we experienced cruising from Southampton to Dublin, Cork, Bilbao and Brest.
The ship is beautiful and has superb dining facilities ranging from the Oriental Restaurant, Peninsular Restaurant, Glasshouse offering marvellous wines by Olly Smith, Seventeen and Sindhu which offers cuisine from Atol Kuchar.
The Oasis Spa is top class offering many treatments and special talks to passengers.
I would certainly recommend P&O Azura to anyone considering a cruise whether it's their first time or having cruised on many other ships in the fleet.
Certainly gets my thumbs up

After all the waiting, the countdown to Azura was finally over and we were at the terminal ready to check in for our first view of P&O Cruises brand new Super Liner. A brand new silver Mercedes Benz pulled up and a very smart Darcey Bussell, Azura’s godmother, stepped out looking dazzling and ready to fullfil her role. There was a real air of excitement and a feeling that we were about to witness something special.

Once smoothly checked in we got onboard to take a look around and at out cabins. We had cabin R36, a JC grade on Riviera Deck. The cabin was light & airy, the furnishing was luxurious and the cabin was overall well laid out. I loved the large mirror at the back of the bed on the wall which created the feeling of space. There were a lot of drawer and cupboard space. I was pleased to see a “walk-in closet” with hanging space for suits/dresses and no doors which prevent clothes from becoming squashed and creased. This was also ideal to stand up empty suitcases instead of having to store them under the bed.

We left our belongings and went to explore the ship. First stop was the Atrium; with its teak floor it was extremely impressive and full of people making it the social hub of the ship. It was set up for a band to play in the corner and two sets of stairs up either side gave it a very grand look. There were 16 steps to each block of stairs and these were overlooked by the 4 glass elevators taking excited passengers to other parts of the ship.

Next visit was the restaurant to test the food; we ate in the Verona on the Lido deck, which was the self service buffet area. We were greeted by a vast array of hot & cold food, something to suit everyone’s pallet. I had to try one mouthful of every sweet; we all shared them and agreed they were definitely ‘Top Notch’. Venecia is identical to Verona serving the same food but it just expands the seating for self service.

Dining:

For more formal dining choose the Mendian, Peninsular and Oriental restaurants on F and P deck. Again identical restaurants with a slight difference in colour/décor but serve similar menus. The Oriental is the largest of the three and will serve the traditional 1st and 2nd dining. In here waiters tend to your every need and all have tables for 2, 4, 6 or 8 people. Once we had eaten it was off to the specially arranged tour to look at the cabins & public areas.

Cabins:

All cabins were very impressive. The inside cabins are all well laid out and have hanging space which seemed the be a feature throughout all grades of cabins. The outside cabins were again very comfortable and airy with the added light. Balcony cabins had a spacious balcony area and furniture outside which still left plenty of room to manoeuvre around. There were tea and coffee making facilities in all cabins including complimentary biscuits. The higher grade cabins were a superior quality. Single cabins are the first on Azura and I viewed both the inside SA grade and the outside RA grade. There is also a large unit that runs along the mirror that would be especially useful for storage. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending one of these cabins to anyone.

Entertainment:

There is a vast array of entertainment venues on board:

Playhouse – The playhouse is very impressive with enough seats to occupy 802 guests. Split over two decks this is the perfect venue for performing.

Brodies – This is a lively bar with karaoke in the corner and had a real atmosphere about it. Situated on F deck, it was a very popular meeting place for pre dinner drinks.

The Glass House – Is a large venue, providing comfortable seating and a relaxed vibe. This is where you can taste wines recommended by Oliver Smith and choose some of his specially blended house wines just for Azura by the glass.

Mallabar – Is a lively venue by the might with a stage for a live act or band with comfortable seating that you can sink into, it’s the ideal place to unwind after dinner and be entertained with style.

Manhattan – Is the larger of the two bars which has a dance floor and DJ booth. The seating was set out in semi-circles on tiers. This is where we watched an Annie Lennox tribute act, which was identical in every way. She was of top quality and really showcased the high standard of entertainment onboard Azura.

Sindhu – Is extremely glitzy and rich in colour, décor influenced culture and Indian cuisine, some of the seating are booths for privacy and creating an exclusive dining experience. The menu is inspired by Atul Kochhar ‘master of spices’ specialities.

Children’s Facilities:

There are 6 main areas for the children to make the most of their Azura experience. There is a pool out on deck especially for children and facilities cater to all age groups. My favourite was the chill out area with flat screen televisions and bean bags to relax on, with equipment to watch their favourite film or play on games. I know my two children ages 8 and 12 would have lived there for the durations of the cruises. If you are travelling with kids be prepared to see very little of them!

The Retreat:

The Retreat is linked to the Spa Area and provides a covered haven, no matter if you are simply relaxing or having a treatment in a cabana or drying off from the pool. Fragranced with lavender pots this area provides a welcome break from the afternoon heat.

The Spa:

Is AMAZING! With twelve treatment rooms, child free pool and even its own cosmetic doctor. This is a qualified female doctor onboard to carry out treatments including botox. There is a thermal suite with hot stone beds, a hairdressing salon, gym and a Rasul – a private spa area for DIY treatments.

The Gallery:

Showcases fine art whilst the library stocks well read books and current magazines.

Shop Till You Drop! There are gift shops onboard selling duty free, clothing and cruise souvenirs. They are all conveniently located around the Atrium, to pop in and purchase your bargain duty free.

Once we had enjoyed every inch of the ship, it was time to retire to our cabins. I slept exceedingly well and the only thing was missing was the rocking motions of the sea to sooth me to sleep, as we were moored in Southampton the whole time.

After a hearty breakfast we disembarked and joined our coach for the long journey back to Barrow-In-Furness. I had a feeling though that it won’t be long before I will be stepping back onto Azura for my own holiday!

Rachel:

"Azura was my first ever ship visit and as you can imagine I was extremely impressed by all that was to offer on the ship. I loved the treatments and Spa, the open air cinema was the best feature.

The cabins were bright and modern and balcony cabins had pleasently large balconies; it was actually bigger than I expected making it a nice surprise.

I thoroughly enjoyed the buffet restaurants as there was lots of choice, which gave a ‘free’ feel to eating. The evening meal was extraordinary with waiter service making my experience unforgettable.

The entertainment varied from casinos, nightclubs and shows, the 70’s medley themed show exceeded my expectations due to quality and how professional it was put together.

After Azura, I am really looking forward to experiencing more of P&O’s cruise ships ..."


Justine:

"Being my first P&O experience I had very high expectations of Azura, and I was not disappointed!

Azura was beautiful with fantastic facilities that cater for every need. From the luxury spa treatments for those who enjoy a little indulgence to the kids zone with no end of entertainment. I can say with confidence there is something for everyone.

I stayed in a balcony cabin on the Lido deck which I found to be light, modern and spacious. With a large dressing room area which would definitely come in high use for all the clothes us ladies like to bring!

The food onboard was another delight; at lunch we enjoyed the buffet style dining in the Venecia restaurant which once again had a variety of choice. The evening meal was exquisite, with waiter served dinner in the Oriental restaurant. The choices had the mouth watering effect leaving me wanting to sample them all!

After our meal there was still so much to do so we decided to have a drink in Malabar: whilst we browsed the choice of drinks, we were kept entertained by the night’s singer. The surroundings were beautiful with no shortage of helpful staff.

We finished our drinks and made our way to the theatre, which was showcasing a 70’s inspired show, including singing, dancing and some amazing acrobatics which gave it an all in all brilliantly entertaining show.

My experience on Azura was certainly memorable and I only wish it had been longer!"

Karen:

"As Azura was my first ship visit I wasn’t sure what to expect, I can honestly say I was well and truly amazed by the sheer size and beauty of the ship. Cabins were beautifully decorated, spacious and well equipped. Facilities onboard were fantastic with something for everyone, from Spa treatments to open air cinemas. Children were very well catered for.

Dining onboard was exceptional from our buffet lunch to our beautiful waiter service evening meal.

My only wish would be for the whole experience to have been longer than a one night stay; I look forward to further experiences on the other magnificent ships of P&O"


Kim:

"We had a fantastic preview of P&O’s newest superliner the Azura. One of the largest in the fleet she has a multitude of facilities that rival the best in the industry. The modern, fresh décor makes the Azura classy and contemporary.

We arrived just in time to see the ships godmother Darcy Bussell who recieved a rapturous applause from the check in staff. We had a buffet lunch in the Venizia restaurant which is one of two buffet dining options on board. There was an array of choices and the desserts looked so fabulous we tried a bit of each.

Touring the ship we were most impressed with the open air spa terrace and retreat. With an exclusive pool area it makes for the ultimate relaxation experience. Other impressive areas included the Glass House which is a trendy wine bar with selections made by connoisseur Olly Smith and Sindhu, the Indian speciality restaurant endorsed by Atul Kochhar.

Azura is not just for the adults though they have children’s facilities in abundance so this is definitely one to recommend to families.

After a champagne reception in the Blue bar we dined in the Oriental restaurant, the food again was delicious and the waiters were a delight.

After dinner there were plenty of options on how to spend our evening. In the Playhouse theatre there was a 70’s show, in the Malabar a jazz singer and in the Manhattan nightclub was an Annie Lennox tribute act. All were great fun and if all that is too much you can always chill out in front of a good movie in the open air cinema before falling into bed and doing it all over again."

Louise:

"This was my first visit on a P&O ship and it certainly met all of my expectations.

We stayed onboard the brand new Azura for it's launch, in a balcony cabin which was modern and spacious.

I was particulary impressed with the Oasis spa. It is the perfect place to relax and be pampered, with a vast array of treatments on offer. Linked to the spa is the Retreat an exclusive adults only outdoor spa terrace, where you can simply relax or have a massage in one of the cabanas.

Other highlights included the Glass House, a fun wine bar created by the wine expert Olly Smith where you can buy by the glass, so you can sample from the range of different wines on offer.

Also on board is the Sindu restaurant created by chef Atul Kochhar - Azura is the first cruise ship to feature an Indian restaurant. You can dine here for a supplement of approximately £15 per person.

The food onboard was delicious with plenty of choice for everybody and the waiter service in the evening was excellent.

I had a fantastic time onboard this beautiful ship and I would definitely recommend it to families, couples and single travellers as it has something for everyone."