If you enjoyed this video, we have a fascinating look at the brand new Cunard Queen Anne. You can watch that video here : th-cam.com/video/xrKY0JAUESM/w-d-xo.html
At last a reviewer who is actually aware of how incredible the value for money is. I am repeatedly left slack jawed at tripadvisor whingers who complain of: queues and lack of turn down service and buffets where the food was only warm, and shows that weren’t West End quality, and no beluga caviar and no Bollinger champagne and no being borne on a litter to the Michelin star quality dining venue when they’ve paid …..drumroll…..70 QUID A NIGHT!!!! (Including airfare). Well done for a great review and a much needed reality check
Many thanks for your kind comments. We try very hard to be fair and objective, and keep things honest. We have several other videos on cruising on our channel. If you have a moment, feel free to peruse through them
@@ritzytravelguide my pleasure! We are avid cruisers and your presentation was refreshing in that, whatever minor shortcomings Azura had, your bottom line was ‘hey folks it’s really good value’. We were thinking of repositioning on Azura from Tenerife to Malta in March (the price for 12 days is great) and your video has given us the green light. We are doing Cunard Queen Victoria in December and really looking forward to it ( third time with Cunard) and it is definitely a notch above BUT daily service charge along with tips will be extra and the drinks will be at least 50% more expensive. You get what you pay for!
The Tenerife to Malta repositioning sounds a great leg. Have fun with that. We shall also be going on Cunard later this year, this time on Elizabeth for a cruise round the Med in October. It's always an interesting contrast between P&O and Cunard. Both venerable British lines, but with contrasting product offerings. It's great to be able to have so much choice. Add Oceana into the mix as well, and there's something for everyone
15:02 Hi Ritzy. Just wanted to say thanks for an informative video. We have just got back from a week on The Azura which we booked based mainly because of your video as it was my wife’s first cruise so was skeptical and your video encouraged her to go. She really loved it and your tip about the quieter Aft pool was a godsend 👍. A couple of things you might like to mention are that you can pre-book the speciality restaurants 2 weeks before you sail via the P & O website, especially if your cruise starts on the Saturday and not the Friday, as like you say, were booked out once on board. We booked the P & O Toboggan & Cable car tour and they know the queues up are long so organize the tour to take the cable car down instead of up 😉 where there are no queues. Thanks once again. 🙏🙏
Hi Rowland, so glad to hear it went well. Thank you for the tips. Anyone reading this will much appreciate it. Now that your wife has happily begun her cruising baptism, you can plan ahead for the next one!
If you want to keep with P&O, many of their ships winter in the Caribbean. The Arvia and Iona come to mind. But they are substantially bigger than Azura, and not my personal favourites. Many cruise lines operate Caribbean trips, particularly out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We personally enjoy Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, and Azamara for the Caribbean. But to be honest there's so much choice!
I sailed on this ship at the start of December and found the price fantastic (I paid similar to you with no solo supplement, which I couldn't believe). I thought the core product being delivered on this ship was fantastic - I really couldn't complain based on what I paid!
Hi Fraser, couldn't agree more....there are more fancy ships afloat, with extra bling and flash, but buck for buck, P&O is doing a great job. It's the same price as we paid to go on P&O 15 years ago
Thank you. This was an in-depth detailed and informative review. I’m so pleased I watched it and read all the comments. I’m flying from Belfast to Malta and like you and many others say, this really seems to be great value for money. Thank you for posting this as it’s really helped me as it’s definitely blue for money. I believe I paid £829 including flights which honestly is great as you’d be hard pushed to get away for a week in Ireland for that, let alone four Mediterranean destinations. I’m really looking forward to it now.
Totally agree with all of your comments, and from our own experience of Azura. It really does represent value for money when you consider the included flights. Another nicely put together, edited, presented vlog/video.
We are off on our third cruise on Azura this year . The value for money on this ship is amazing. She may be starting to get a little dated in a few places but hey as a cruise passenger that has done over 60 cruises you can’t beat the quality and the value this ship currently offers .
I went on azura in January for £349, on the same itinerary. We loved it and thought it was well worth every penny. It’s accommodation, food and don’t forget you get entertainment every day. I wouldn’t hesitate, and indeed I haven’t, hesitate to book again. We go to the Med on the same ship in 2 weeks !
Wow, £349 is an incredibly low price! You are an ace price sniper!Ritzy Travel Guide is going on Cunard Queen Elizabeth this season, and cabins on that were being advertised for as low as £599. It will be an interesting comparison. We will be posting our opinion and video on that.
Thanks, that was helpful! The only thing I don't like the look of is the buffet, but everything else is encouraging. I don't care a hang for bells and whistles, water slides, the latest decor and so on, so looks like this baby would suit us ok. 👍🏻
Great video! I made a video about my trip on Azura in December and we paid the same price you did. It is value for money but if you travelled pre-covid, you would definitely notice a difference in standard and staffing since then.
Yes indeed, Covid shook up a lot of the cruise offerings. Some of the nice like perks, delightful touches, and cruise exclusives have since gone by the wayside. Cruise companies are retooling, and trying to scale back costs. The world is changing.
Staffing has been reduced and food options simplified since December 2022. I had a very nice time in December and the low cost encouraged me to try the specialist restaurants.. excellent!! I was also able to upgrade to a balcony cabin for £200 on board (but cruise numbers were only just over half.. ) I would go again ... very informative vlog thanks. .. The only negative part of the trip was the jet2 seating which was awful... A new bidding system for upgrades is shortly being launched
Thanks so much for your reply and thoughts. We definitely feel that P&O has got value for money spot on. Right now they are offering incredible pricing points. £499 is available again on a few of their cruises coming up this year. I'm sure people are going to get tempted. And they should! We will be going on Cunard soon, and will be able to make a direct comparison, as the deal we got on that is not a million miles off.
We have sailed on Azura 3 times including the maiden season to the Baltic we fly from Sydney and really loved the ship we avoid long hawl now 24 hrs plus is too much so we cruise only locally now will be on QE again in December.
We went on the beautiful Arvia in February and the alcohol was limited on the Captains Evening. The cabin steward leaves a voucher on your bed for ONE free drink. The voucher is taken to the bar so there is no opportunity for extra drinks as no staff walking around with trays. However, the ship is beautiful and we have booked again for next year.
Really useful review thanks, we almost booked Azura this year (having been on Ventura and RC previously) but far too many poor reviews online put us off. This is a detailed review which does redress the balance somewhat. My memory of Ventura approx ten years ago were poor buffet, excellent dining room, great shows and bars.
Hi, many thanks for your comments. To be honest I feel the buffet is not the strongest suit for P&O Azura. It lets the side down a bit. The other aspects of the cruise though are good. And the price point is good. Almost identical experiences on other cruise lines are much more expensive.
Hi! What a difference a couple of weeks makes! (to how much prosecco they give out) The ship's accountant must have gone on leave our week, dolling out so much fizz!
Interesting review thanks for uploading. Having sailed on the Ventura in the past (from Southampton) the buffet and some other areas have an air of familiarity. My recent cruises were with MSC, I would like to visit the Adriatic, the MSC ships to this area are very unattractive (old and small) so I am thinking of taking the Azura. The price you quoted £499 is phenominal (even for cruise only it's good, yet your fare includes flights too, well done you!) , I can't get anywhere near that, have you any tips to share? Pehaps a time of year to book has better offers? Thanks.
Hi, we took that cruise in the February to March slot. That is when P&O offer their lowest fares. It's ultra low season, and you should be able to snag a similar deal for the canary islands at that time
Hello, we were onboard Azura just after you, on the "positioning" cruise from Tenerife to Malta, which was 12 nights. We had sailed on Azura twice before, so knew what to expect. Overall I agree with most of your comments. We did all of the speciality restaurants (the Epicurian and Sindhu twice as they were so good!). We always have a balcony (as we like to see the sea and what's going on) and always try to get C deck (deck 10) as the balconies are bigger. We had a great itinerary and way better weather than we expected for late March. Overall we were happy, for what we paid it was great value, and worth remembering that it was cheaper overall than our first P&O cruise 11 years ago. The only real downside was the Malta Airport experience - the Airport is too small for the number of flights needed to get around 3000 people back to the UK within a window of a few hours (with around 3000 arriving on the inbounds for the next cruise at the same time)
Hi there, thanks so much for your comments! That is a great tip about C deck (deck 10) balconies, and that they are bigger. I will try that later on this season, as we will be going on Azura at least once again this year, to test and review the parts we didn't, this time. We are also scheduled to cruise on Arvia, and will be posting a full review on that. It will be interesting to see how that goes. Many thanks again for your comments, and the balcony tip! Bill from Ritzy
@@ritzytravelguide no problem! We are on Britannia next (which we have also done twice before) in the Carribean, in November. Interested to hear abour Arvia, as my wife is against the really big ships and I want to give it a go!
We have not reviewed the Britannia... yet. We almost booked it for the Norwegian Fjords cruise, end of this April with Marco Pierre White onboard... unfortunately it clashed with a review trip we are making to the Algarve, at the same time.
@@ritzytravelguide we did The Fjords on Britannia 8 years ago when she was brand new. Great experience as it was midsummer and I loved sailing up a fjord at 3am admiring the spectacular views (as it didn't really get dark) from the comfort of my bed!
Well - recently been on Iona, for a fortnight - lead-in price for a single inside £585. No...didn't leave the trip without reservations, but for that holiday, & indeed this one, bearing in mind what you DO get for your money, compared with, say, 7 nights room only in a Premier Inn, would feel pretty churlish suggesting it's anything other than VERY decent value.
Totally agree! There are some issues, but the price with P&O is fairly unbeatable, for what they provide, in the package, bearing in mind the inclusions. Fred Olsen costs a lot more, and debatable if they are better.
Have sailed on Azura 3 times including her maiden season in May 2009 Western Med she was lovely then also Ventura several times we no longer fly long hall and cruise out of Sydney a short cab ride to the OPT perfect.
Great review. Just returned from a 14 night Caribbean cruise with P&O Britannia. Please could you let me know which mailing list notified you of this amazing bargin?
Thank you Bill for a really informative video. May I ask what the luggage allowance was for the Jet2 from Gatwick? Was there an option to fly from a different UK airport? We are thinking of going on Azura towards the end of January next year. Hopefully it is not too cold then. Thank you.
Hi, many thanks for your kind comments. I've just looked back at my flight confirmation of the time, and I was allocated 22kg per passenger. Yes, there was the option to fly from several UK airports. We felt Jet2 was quite good. Weather in January should be quite pleasant I think, approx 20c or so during the day
@@ritzytravelguide 22kg sounds much better than the usual 10kg hand carry. Many thanks for a prompt reply and a like and subscription are the least I can do :)
Could you please give us a video about giving tips? I'm going on my first cruise in January aboard the Azmara Quest. Half the people I speak to who have no experience whatsoever in cruising say yes, meanwhile the other half say no. Gratuities are included for meals and drinks I have been told. What about dropping off the luggage, and room service - awkward if I'm sitting there and they are about to leave and make eye contact with me. I'm a New Zealander - we just don't tip. What do you do?
Hi, yes I can certainly make a video on tipping and gratuities. That's a good idea. Concerning Azamara it's a lot more straight forward than many cruise lines, because: unless it was an unusual booking with them, tipping is already included in the fare price. It's up to you if you wish to voluntarily tip extra, on top of that. If you feel someone has gone out of their way to be helpful, then by all means leave a little extra for that person. For example the cabin staff. Or perhaps a waiter, if they went really above and beyond. It also depends on the region you're travelling. Cruise lines from, and operating in, North America have a much bigger tipping culture. Tipping baggage handlers or room service would be more common, but not compulsory. Whereas in Europe, Asia and Australasia tipping during cruises is far less common. Hope this helps. Have a fantastic cruise on Quest. Do let us know how it goes. We'd love to hear. By coincidence, we're on Azamara too, in June, and will be releasing videos thereafter. But we're on the Azamara Pursuit, so slightly different
@@ritzytravelguide Much appreciated. I look forward to your video about gratuities. How much and when and what currency etc... or just hide in the closet or bathroom if you don't want to tip. 🤣
@Xavier7799 any currency would be fine as the ships travel all over the world. US Dollars and Euros would be most usual. The amount is totally up to you.
Great video, we must have been on Azura the week before you as the carnival was just starting as we left. We stayed in a balcony cabin on deck 10, there's a little video of that on our channel 😉🛳
Hi, thanks for your kind comments about the video! I shall enjoy taking a look at your videos on the Azura. I see your cruise went to Lanzarote, which ours didn't. Wish we had gone there, instead of Fuerteventura, which was dull!
@@ritzytravelguide thank you, ours aren’t as well edited as yours, we’re only quite new to it and haven’t worked out the best package to use as yet! Lanzarote was nice actually, the little town was quite small but the walk through the harbour was very picturesque and the children enjoyed the little shops. We’ve just subscribed, so look forward to your future videos 😊
Hi there. We went in March. But booked 2 months earlier in January. You can get the best deals on Azura, when it does the Canary Islands loop (the months of January to March each year.) The rest of the year, whilst the ship is in the Mediterranean P&O charge much more. If you wait until the end of this year you'll see P&O rolling out their 499 deals for the following Jan-March period. You can book either direct, or any of the well known agents. It's just a matter of waiting until the quiet winter period Agents who frequently sell P&O include Iglu, Seascanner, Planet, Cruise1st, Hays
Good review. She looks a tad old now compared to the others. I’ve been on Azura twice, not since 2019. Pools on cruise ships can’t be big. All adults are allowed in the Oasis pool at the front now, you don’t have to pay to go in it. Like the ports of call.
Hi, no it's not compulsory to wear a tux. . I would say approximately half wore a tux and the other half suits, or blazers, with ties. But you must wear one or the other
You'd never get a cruise that cheap here in Australia. We always have to pay a lot more. I definitely wouldn't go on a cruise where there might be a lot of kids and I can't stay in an inside cabin as I suffer from extreme claustrophobia. You got a very good deal on this cruise, though.
Hi Joan, thanks for your comments. We went on a P&O Australia cruise, 13 years ago, from Brisbane up to Cairns. And it cost us A$699 then, for 7 nights...lovely cruise, lovely scenery, but yes, there's a big price difference with cruises starting in Oz!
For a holiday or a cruise to be enjoyable is mainly down to your own input regardless of cost, Azura round the Canaries in winter is good value for the money but you definitely only get what you pay for although the on board credit can be generous on 14 night select bookings. My only real negative is with the buffet that's a shambles so we hardly used it preferring the main dining room where we also found the portions to be a little smaller, less choice for meat or fish eaters as they cater for the vegans but adequate and definitely of lesser quality but you can ask for more as I do when fish is on the menu, we liked the speciality restaurants as our on board credit always covered them along with any excursions. On another note we've just returned from a 14 night TUI Marella Voyager cruise, yes it was a lot more expensive but P&O would benefit if they copied their 'Kitchens' and ripped out their buffet.
Hi, yes that is very true. Cruise ships get you there, under a variety of different luxuries. The port stops are the same, no matter which line. So 50% of the equation is the same no matter what.... It just then depends how much extra you want to pay for the additional luxury of each ship
We spent 2 weeks on Azura in Feb. Hugely disappointing. Despite booking 8 months ago, we were moved up to a deck 14 cabin where the balconies are all overhung and get very little sun. For a couple who like to sit on their balcony and read, this ruined our cruise. The self service buffet was as shambolic as you describe. Unacceptable. The food wasn’t great up there either. The App often didn’t function and we were unable to book Sindhu on any evening! We have cruised with several companies before (including on Azura) but we will never book P & O again.
Thanks so much for dropping your comments in. It sounds like your cruise was really disappointing. I feel your frustration. The Sindhu is extremely difficult to get in. For some reason it appears they only permit 50% of the tables to be used in each sitting?
@@kebond1 No, we couldn’t. We were told, if we ticked the box to accept an offer of an upgrade, we HAD to accept it if it was offered. Little did we know that a balcony with a roof was classed as an upgrade!!
@@susic3932 sorry, yes I meant you could have unticked the offer of upgrade option when you booked (which is what we do). Don't think we'd have liked Deck 14 either!
We did this cruise on Azura in November Unfortunately the food was not good and I was ill after eating the first evening (I don't drink and the ship was moored). Never again on PO for us.
Hi, yes you can find the P&O web page for signing up for deals, announcements etc, here : www.pocruises.com/signup#:~:text=Sign%20up%20today%20to%20make,for%20exciting%20offers%20and%20news.
Great review. I must admit the cramped breakfast area is a little disappointing. I notice staff in masks and gloves. Were passengers tested/covid tested taken within a certain time frame of departure?
Hi, I think some of the staff were optionally wearing masks. It was not compulsory for passengers to be Covid tested. There was a simple form stating you must declare if you were currently having Covid
I like Azura very much, but P&O have made strange choices about how some of the internal spaces are used, especially during the day. Why have dancing in the crowded atrium when the dance floor in Manhatten is doing nothing? Why is there a big bar next to Sindhu that in my experience is always empty (because none is sure if it's a separate bar or part of the restaurant)? Similarly, the Blue Bar doesn't seem to know what it is for during the day and is often empty when it could be used for activities. I agree that the buffet lay out is cluttered. Incidentally, the coffee in Costa costs extra but the cakes and snacks are (mostly) free. I found that the gym equipment is all in excellent nick! Not many people were using it, though, and again it's a strange use of prime real estate. Realistically, the gym could be buried in the bilge and a bright, airy lounge with fabulous views over the bow of the ship created in its stead. Good video. Subbed!
Hi, you are many thanks for your comments and observations which were spot on. Totally agree with your point about dancing in the atrium and that Manhattan could be used instead, the lack of use of the Malabar, and that the gym could be resized. Very incitefull thoughts.
@@ritzytravelguide I wondered about that too on other lines. I guess the idea is to involve those in a tiered area to look down and people watch. But I like the idea of doing it in a space that is designed for dancing rather than an atrium/lobby/foyer.
My aunt has just come from that ship , they loved it waiters were hard working ver, very polite, she found a few no two people complaing about chips being hard my aunt said, they just wanted attension There was nothing wrong with the chips she loved it good deal and booking again
Been on this ship three times and due to go on this cruise soon. However there is no way from Scotland 🏴 to get it at anything like the price you paid!
We just got back from a cruise on Azura in the med and I agree with this review, we had a great time and it is good value for money, no complaints at all.
Let's be honest, if you want waterside, ,zip wires etc and a mega ship you would t choose P&O. Personally I think 3000 is the max passengers but I was brought up on the likes of Canberra
I liked the review, however the title and images of the review seemed very negative. I nearly didn’t bother watching based on the images displayed as they looked very worrying based on the expressions.
Actually, I think you may well be right. I haven't looked at the thumbnail for quite some time. I've just updated it, as the overall experience for the price was good.
@@ritzytravelguide the cruise ships are too big, somehow the corporations thought that bigger was going to be better, but failed to realize the core demographic of their patrons...in reality anything over 2500 is way too big and food and service are ultimately a much poorer thing...cruising should be about luxury and the best of everything but not anymore...the laws of supply and demand mean that they now have too much supply and not enough demand so they cheapen the product to survive but this is a slippery slope to bankruptcy
@@singingbuddhakaraoke They've made cruising ordinary. I think the industry is marketing new. A lot of the times people don't see the shortcomings in new ships because their tech is new and they're bigger and furnishings are new. But that doesn't mean their spaces are better for ambiance. Ships used to be in service for over 40-50 years and now some are being scrapped between 25-35 years in service. People are thinking 10 years old is old for a ship when in the past 10 years old was a relatively new ship. People seem more hung up about their balcony verandas than deck space on a ship. More into what specialty restaurant they can go to rather than dining in the MDR and developing a relationship with their wait staff and fellow tablemates. More just being on the new ship with whatever new feature it has rather than enrichment, lounge dancing, wine tasting, etc. I understand there are family cruise ships but even the so-called premium lines are doing the trendy to a certain extent. And they keep adding new ships so where does the seasoned crew come from for these ships?
@@benjaminsmith2287 so true my friend...I want good food, good service, good ambience, and fun entertainment...not rocket science...I don't want people drunk on drinks packages, people fighting, raw chicken, useless customer service, and low grade singers and comedians
If you enjoyed this video, we have a fascinating look at the brand new Cunard Queen Anne. You can watch that video here :
th-cam.com/video/xrKY0JAUESM/w-d-xo.html
At last a reviewer who is actually aware of how incredible the value for money is. I am repeatedly left slack jawed at tripadvisor whingers who complain of: queues and lack of turn down service and buffets where the food was only warm, and shows that weren’t West End quality, and no beluga caviar and no Bollinger champagne and no being borne on a litter to the Michelin star quality dining venue when they’ve paid …..drumroll…..70 QUID A NIGHT!!!! (Including airfare). Well done for a great review and a much needed reality check
Many thanks for your kind comments. We try very hard to be fair and objective, and keep things honest. We have several other videos on cruising on our channel. If you have a moment, feel free to peruse through them
@@ritzytravelguide my pleasure! We are avid cruisers and your presentation was refreshing in that, whatever minor shortcomings Azura had, your bottom line was ‘hey folks it’s really good value’. We were thinking of repositioning on Azura from Tenerife to Malta in March (the price for 12 days is great) and your video has given us the green light. We are doing Cunard Queen Victoria in December and really looking forward to it ( third time with Cunard) and it is definitely a notch above BUT daily service charge along with tips will be extra and the drinks will be at least 50% more expensive. You get what you pay for!
The Tenerife to Malta repositioning sounds a great leg. Have fun with that. We shall also be going on Cunard later this year, this time on Elizabeth for a cruise round the Med in October. It's always an interesting contrast between P&O and Cunard. Both venerable British lines, but with contrasting product offerings. It's great to be able to have so much choice. Add Oceana into the mix as well, and there's something for everyone
@@ritzytravelguide will look forward to your QE review 👍
Who’s paying that little? We’re
paying nearly four times that!
Thank you, the best revue out of all the others I have watched :)
Thanks Joe!
15:02 Hi Ritzy. Just wanted to say thanks for an informative video. We have just got back from a week on The Azura which we booked based mainly because of your video as it was my wife’s first cruise so was skeptical and your video encouraged her to go. She really loved it and your tip about the quieter Aft pool was a godsend 👍. A couple of things you might like to mention are that you can pre-book the speciality restaurants 2 weeks before you sail via the P & O website, especially if your cruise starts on the Saturday and not the Friday, as like you say, were booked out once on board. We booked the P & O Toboggan & Cable car tour and they know the queues up are long so organize the tour to take the cable car down instead of up 😉 where there are no queues. Thanks once again. 🙏🙏
Hi Rowland, so glad to hear it went well. Thank you for the tips. Anyone reading this will much appreciate it. Now that your wife has happily begun her cruising baptism, you can plan ahead for the next one!
@ she is already talking about a Caribbean one as she used to live in Curaçao. Any recommendations? 😎
We are just arriving in Curacao, as I type this! What a coincidence. It's 7am, and I can see the dramatic landscape hoving into view
If you want to keep with P&O, many of their ships winter in the Caribbean. The Arvia and Iona come to mind. But they are substantially bigger than Azura, and not my personal favourites. Many cruise lines operate Caribbean trips, particularly out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We personally enjoy Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, and Azamara for the Caribbean. But to be honest there's so much choice!
@@ritzytravelguide wow, what a coincidence. Her father worked for Shell and was stationed there for 4 years. She loved it. 😉😉
I sailed on this ship at the start of December and found the price fantastic (I paid similar to you with no solo supplement, which I couldn't believe). I thought the core product being delivered on this ship was fantastic - I really couldn't complain based on what I paid!
Hi Fraser, couldn't agree more....there are more fancy ships afloat, with extra bling and flash, but buck for buck, P&O is doing a great job. It's the same price as we paid to go on P&O 15 years ago
Great video! We’ve just booked our very first cruise and it’s on the Azura. Thanks for a very detailed insight to life on board.
Wow, how exciting! Wishing you a fabulous first experience
Thank you. This was an in-depth detailed and informative review. I’m so pleased I watched it and read all the comments. I’m flying from Belfast to Malta and like you and many others say, this really seems to be great value for money. Thank you for posting this as it’s really helped me as it’s definitely blue for money. I believe I paid £829 including flights which honestly is great as you’d be hard pushed to get away for a week in Ireland for that, let alone four Mediterranean destinations. I’m really looking forward to it now.
Many thanks for your comments, and kind words. Have a fantastic cruise from Malta!
Totally agree with all of your comments, and from our own experience of Azura. It really does represent value for money when you consider the included flights.
Another nicely put together, edited, presented vlog/video.
Thank you 🙂
We are off on our third cruise on Azura this year . The value for money on this ship is amazing. She may be starting to get a little dated in a few places but hey as a cruise passenger that has done over 60 cruises you can’t beat the quality and the value this ship currently offers .
Hi, yes, agreed, the deals available are extremely well priced. The £499 Canaries route is always a popular one for them. Have a great 3rd cruise
This was a really nice find - great presentation with a jolly undertone. Fair review - you’ve earned a sub!
Thanks so much! We have several other cruise reviews that you may wish to have a look at, if you have a moment
What a great video … A really fair review of the Azura .. Well narrated with good supporting imagery …
Many thanks!
I went on azura in January for £349, on the same itinerary. We loved it and thought it was well worth every penny. It’s accommodation, food and don’t forget you get entertainment every day. I wouldn’t hesitate, and indeed I haven’t, hesitate to book again. We go to the Med on the same ship in 2 weeks !
Wow, £349 is an incredibly low price! You are an ace price sniper!Ritzy Travel Guide is going on Cunard Queen Elizabeth this season, and cabins on that were being advertised for as low as £599. It will be an interesting comparison. We will be posting our opinion and video on that.
Thanks, that was helpful! The only thing I don't like the look of is the buffet, but everything else is encouraging. I don't care a hang for bells and whistles, water slides, the latest decor and so on, so looks like this baby would suit us ok. 👍🏻
Great!
Great video! I made a video about my trip on Azura in December and we paid the same price you did. It is value for money but if you travelled pre-covid, you would definitely notice a difference in standard and staffing since then.
Yes indeed, Covid shook up a lot of the cruise offerings. Some of the nice like perks, delightful touches, and cruise exclusives have since gone by the wayside. Cruise companies are retooling, and trying to scale back costs. The world is changing.
Thanks for a very helpful video. As someone looking for cheaper cruises this one fits the bill. Nicely done 👍
Glad it was of help!
Absolutely love the Azura and importantly the staff are fantastic.
Well documented - very good review. Thank you 👍
Thank you Conny!
Staffing has been reduced and food options simplified since December 2022. I had a very nice time in December and the low cost encouraged me to try the specialist restaurants.. excellent!! I was also able to upgrade to a balcony cabin for £200 on board (but cruise numbers were only just over half.. ) I would go again ... very informative vlog thanks. .. The only negative part of the trip was the jet2 seating which was awful... A new bidding system for upgrades is shortly being launched
Thanks so much for your reply and thoughts. We definitely feel that P&O has got value for money spot on. Right now they are offering incredible pricing points. £499 is available again on a few of their cruises coming up this year. I'm sure people are going to get tempted. And they should! We will be going on Cunard soon, and will be able to make a direct comparison, as the deal we got on that is not a million miles off.
We have sailed on Azura 3 times including the maiden season to the Baltic we fly from Sydney and really loved the ship we avoid long hawl now 24 hrs plus is too much so we cruise only locally now will be on QE again in December.
The QE is still looking gorgeous!
The first cruise ship I ever went on, and it certainly got me hooked. I'd board Azura again in a heartbeat.
That's a great story! Azura is still going strong, and as popular as ever with the passengers!
We went on the beautiful Arvia in February and the alcohol was limited on the Captains Evening. The cabin steward leaves a voucher on your bed for ONE free drink. The voucher is taken to the bar so there is no opportunity for extra drinks as no staff walking around with trays. However, the ship is beautiful and we have booked again for next year.
Hi! We must have got lucky with the endless prosecco!
@@ritzytravelguide Excellent! Hope you enjoyed your holiday
Really useful review thanks, we almost booked Azura this year (having been on Ventura and RC previously) but far too many poor reviews online put us off. This is a detailed review which does redress the balance somewhat. My memory of Ventura approx ten years ago were poor buffet, excellent dining room, great shows and bars.
Hi, many thanks for your comments. To be honest I feel the buffet is not the strongest suit for P&O Azura. It lets the side down a bit. The other aspects of the cruise though are good. And the price point is good. Almost identical experiences on other cruise lines are much more expensive.
We just need to learn to accept trying an inside cabin!
We went on the azura in march 24. Had a great time. I would recommend it.
One Prosecco only and nearly didn’t get that as left voucher in cabin on board Feb 11 to 18th. Balcony for me worth the extra
Hi! What a difference a couple of weeks makes! (to how much prosecco they give out) The ship's accountant must have gone on leave our week, dolling out so much fizz!
The best thing about the Azura was the entertainment 👌
Interesting review thanks for uploading. Having sailed on the Ventura in the past (from Southampton) the buffet and some other areas have an air of familiarity. My recent cruises were with MSC, I would like to visit the Adriatic, the MSC ships to this area are very unattractive (old and small) so I am thinking of taking the Azura. The price you quoted £499 is phenominal (even for cruise only it's good, yet your fare includes flights too, well done you!) , I can't get anywhere near that, have you any tips to share? Pehaps a time of year to book has better offers? Thanks.
Hi, we took that cruise in the February to March slot. That is when P&O offer their lowest fares. It's ultra low season, and you should be able to snag a similar deal for the canary islands at that time
Hello, we were onboard Azura just after you, on the "positioning" cruise from Tenerife to Malta, which was 12 nights. We had sailed on Azura twice before, so knew what to expect. Overall I agree with most of your comments. We did all of the speciality restaurants (the Epicurian and Sindhu twice as they were so good!). We always have a balcony (as we like to see the sea and what's going on) and always try to get C deck (deck 10) as the balconies are bigger. We had a great itinerary and way better weather than we expected for late March. Overall we were happy, for what we paid it was great value, and worth remembering that it was cheaper overall than our first P&O cruise 11 years ago. The only real downside was the Malta Airport experience - the Airport is too small for the number of flights needed to get around 3000 people back to the UK within a window of a few hours (with around 3000 arriving on the inbounds for the next cruise at the same time)
Hi there, thanks so much for your comments! That is a great tip about C deck (deck 10) balconies, and that they are bigger. I will try that later on this season, as we will be going on Azura at least once again this year, to test and review the parts we didn't, this time.
We are also scheduled to cruise on Arvia, and will be posting a full review on that. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
Many thanks again for your comments, and the balcony tip!
Bill from Ritzy
@@ritzytravelguide no problem! We are on Britannia next (which we have also done twice before) in the Carribean, in November. Interested to hear abour Arvia, as my wife is against the really big ships and I want to give it a go!
We have not reviewed the Britannia... yet. We almost booked it for the Norwegian Fjords cruise, end of this April with Marco Pierre White onboard... unfortunately it clashed with a review trip we are making to the Algarve, at the same time.
We are keen to try out Arvia, as it has quite a lot more restaurants that are included in the fare. Which makes for variety!
@@ritzytravelguide we did The Fjords on Britannia 8 years ago when she was brand new. Great experience as it was midsummer and I loved sailing up a fjord at 3am admiring the spectacular views (as it didn't really get dark) from the comfort of my bed!
Well - recently been on Iona, for a fortnight - lead-in price for a single inside £585. No...didn't leave the trip without reservations, but for that holiday, & indeed this one, bearing in mind what you DO get for your money, compared with, say, 7 nights room only in a Premier Inn, would feel pretty churlish suggesting it's anything other than VERY decent value.
Totally agree! There are some issues, but the price with P&O is fairly unbeatable, for what they provide, in the package, bearing in mind the inclusions. Fred Olsen costs a lot more, and debatable if they are better.
The behaviour of some of the clients that price attracts suggests it is.
@@magnuswalker7957 Yes. Azura hasn't yet reached the boozy party ship status of say.... Carnival... but it could be edging ever so slightly that way?
@@TropVideos it's a shame, cruising was great years ago. It went down hill after Vasco De Gama sailed the seas 😂
Bill, the speciality diniing videos are not available?
Thanks for the review - solid information 👍
Thanks so much for your thumbs up and watching 🙂
Have sailed on Azura 3 times including her maiden season in May 2009 Western Med she was lovely then also Ventura several times we no longer fly long hall and cruise out of Sydney a short cab ride to the OPT perfect.
You're a real P&O specialist, great to hear 🙂
We did an Australian leg of P&O, 12 years ago out of Sydney, on the Pacific Sun... up to Cairns... Fantastic trip
Great review. Just returned from a 14 night Caribbean cruise with P&O Britannia. Please could you let me know which mailing list notified you of this amazing bargin?
Hi there, we subscribe to both P&O direct and Iglucruise. Good luck!
Thank you Bill for a really informative video. May I ask what the luggage allowance was for the Jet2 from Gatwick? Was there an option to fly from a different UK airport? We are thinking of going on Azura towards the end of January next year. Hopefully it is not too cold then. Thank you.
Hi, many thanks for your kind comments. I've just looked back at my flight confirmation of the time, and I was allocated 22kg per passenger. Yes, there was the option to fly from several UK airports. We felt Jet2 was quite good.
Weather in January should be quite pleasant I think, approx 20c or so during the day
@@ritzytravelguide 22kg sounds much better than the usual 10kg hand carry. Many thanks for a prompt reply and a like and subscription are the least I can do :)
@@burm4npgoget707 Cheers, have a great upcoming cruise!
Could you please give us a video about giving tips? I'm going on my first cruise in January aboard the Azmara Quest.
Half the people I speak to who have no experience whatsoever in cruising say yes, meanwhile the other half say no.
Gratuities are included for meals and drinks I have been told.
What about dropping off the luggage, and room service - awkward if I'm sitting there and they are about to leave and make eye contact with me. I'm a New Zealander - we just don't tip.
What do you do?
Hi, yes I can certainly make a video on tipping and gratuities. That's a good idea.
Concerning Azamara it's a lot more straight forward than many cruise lines, because: unless it was an unusual booking with them, tipping is already included in the fare price. It's up to you if you wish to voluntarily tip extra, on top of that. If you feel someone has gone out of their way to be helpful, then by all means leave a little extra for that person. For example the cabin staff. Or perhaps a waiter, if they went really above and beyond.
It also depends on the region you're travelling. Cruise lines from, and operating in, North America have a much bigger tipping culture. Tipping baggage handlers or room service would be more common, but not compulsory. Whereas in Europe, Asia and Australasia tipping during cruises is far less common.
Hope this helps.
Have a fantastic cruise on Quest. Do let us know how it goes. We'd love to hear. By coincidence, we're on Azamara too, in June, and will be releasing videos thereafter. But we're on the Azamara Pursuit, so slightly different
@@ritzytravelguide Much appreciated. I look forward to your video about gratuities. How much and when and what currency etc... or just hide in the closet or bathroom if you don't want to tip. 🤣
@Xavier7799 any currency would be fine as the ships travel all over the world. US Dollars and Euros would be most usual. The amount is totally up to you.
Great video, we must have been on Azura the week before you as the carnival was just starting as we left. We stayed in a balcony cabin on deck 10, there's a little video of that on our channel 😉🛳
Hi, thanks for your kind comments about the video! I shall enjoy taking a look at your videos on the Azura. I see your cruise went to Lanzarote, which ours didn't. Wish we had gone there, instead of Fuerteventura, which was dull!
@@ritzytravelguide thank you, ours aren’t as well edited as yours, we’re only quite new to it and haven’t worked out the best package to use as yet! Lanzarote was nice actually, the little town was quite small but the walk through the harbour was very picturesque and the children enjoyed the little shops. We’ve just subscribed, so look forward to your future videos 😊
@@cruisingandexploring Thanks so much!
Excellent review but I can't find a price anywhere close to the package you had flying from Northern Ireland can I ask who you booked with thanks
Hi there. We went in March. But booked 2 months earlier in January. You can get the best deals on Azura, when it does the Canary Islands loop (the months of January to March each year.) The rest of the year, whilst the ship is in the Mediterranean P&O charge much more.
If you wait until the end of this year you'll see P&O rolling out their 499 deals for the following Jan-March period.
You can book either direct, or any of the well known agents. It's just a matter of waiting until the quiet winter period
Agents who frequently sell P&O include Iglu, Seascanner, Planet, Cruise1st, Hays
Good review. She looks a tad old now compared to the others. I’ve been on Azura twice, not since 2019. Pools on cruise ships can’t be big. All adults are allowed in the Oasis pool at the front now, you don’t have to pay to go in it. Like the ports of call.
Hi thanks for your comments. And also the information on the Oasis pool. Good to know they have opened it up to all.
Do you have to wear a tuxedo for the formal nights or will a normal suit and tie be acceptable?
Hi, no it's not compulsory to wear a tux. . I would say approximately half wore a tux and the other half suits, or blazers, with ties. But you must wear one or the other
You don't have to wear either tux or suit...but if you want to dine in the main restaurants then you will have to. Dining in the buffet? Casual!.
You'd never get a cruise that cheap here in Australia. We always have to pay a lot more. I definitely wouldn't go on a cruise where there might be a lot of kids and I can't stay in an inside cabin as I suffer from extreme claustrophobia. You got a very good deal on this cruise, though.
Hi Joan, thanks for your comments. We went on a P&O Australia cruise, 13 years ago, from Brisbane up to Cairns. And it cost us A$699 then, for 7 nights...lovely cruise, lovely scenery, but yes, there's a big price difference with cruises starting in Oz!
8:00 you know you can order two main courses and two starters and two desserts if you have a bigger appetite?
Hi there.... Yes indeed! I was a glutton on a couple of occasions!
For a holiday or a cruise to be enjoyable is mainly down to your own input regardless of cost, Azura round the Canaries in winter is good value for the money but you definitely only get what you pay for although the on board credit can be generous on 14 night select bookings. My only real negative is with the buffet that's a shambles so we hardly used it preferring the main dining room where we also found the portions to be a little smaller, less choice for meat or fish eaters as they cater for the vegans but adequate and definitely of lesser quality but you can ask for more as I do when fish is on the menu, we liked the speciality restaurants as our on board credit always covered them along with any excursions.
On another note we've just returned from a 14 night TUI Marella Voyager cruise, yes it was a lot more expensive but P&O would benefit if they copied their 'Kitchens' and ripped out their buffet.
Hi, yes that is very true. Cruise ships get you there, under a variety of different luxuries. The port stops are the same, no matter which line. So 50% of the equation is the same no matter what.... It just then depends how much extra you want to pay for the additional luxury of each ship
Enjoy Cunard - outstanding- don't forget prices on board in us$ and subject to tipping of around 20%
Yes, that will be a bit of a shock!
If on a budget or if not it's not mandatory.@@ritzytravelguide
We spent 2 weeks on Azura in Feb. Hugely disappointing. Despite booking 8 months ago, we were moved up to a deck 14 cabin where the balconies are all overhung and get very little sun. For a couple who like to sit on their balcony and read, this ruined our cruise. The self service buffet was as shambolic as you describe. Unacceptable. The food wasn’t great up there either. The App often didn’t function and we were unable to book Sindhu on any evening! We have cruised with several companies before (including on Azura) but we will never book P & O again.
Thanks so much for dropping your comments in. It sounds like your cruise was really disappointing. I feel your frustration. The Sindhu is extremely difficult to get in. For some reason it appears they only permit 50% of the tables to be used in each sitting?
If the move to deck 14 was an "upgrade" you could of course have declined it
@@kebond1 No, we couldn’t. We were told, if we ticked the box to accept an offer of an upgrade, we HAD to accept it if it was offered. Little did we know that a balcony with a roof was classed as an upgrade!!
@@susic3932 sorry, yes I meant you could have unticked the offer of upgrade option when you booked (which is what we do). Don't think we'd have liked Deck 14 either!
We did this cruise on Azura in November Unfortunately the food was not good and I was ill after eating the first evening (I don't drink and the ship was moored). Never again on PO for us.
I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you have not been put off cruising... there are some terrific ships out there, offering amazing experiences.
Thanks, how do you get onto the PandO email list for discounted cruises please
Hi, yes you can find the P&O web page for signing up for deals, announcements etc, here :
www.pocruises.com/signup#:~:text=Sign%20up%20today%20to%20make,for%20exciting%20offers%20and%20news.
Great review. I must admit the cramped breakfast area is a little disappointing. I notice staff in masks and gloves. Were passengers tested/covid tested taken within a certain time frame of departure?
Hi, I think some of the staff were optionally wearing masks. It was not compulsory for passengers to be Covid tested. There was a simple form stating you must declare if you were currently having Covid
9 out of 10 for me
Ha ha, 1 more than me!
I like Azura very much, but P&O have made strange choices about how some of the internal spaces are used, especially during the day. Why have dancing in the crowded atrium when the dance floor in Manhatten is doing nothing? Why is there a big bar next to Sindhu that in my experience is always empty (because none is sure if it's a separate bar or part of the restaurant)? Similarly, the Blue Bar doesn't seem to know what it is for during the day and is often empty when it could be used for activities.
I agree that the buffet lay out is cluttered.
Incidentally, the coffee in Costa costs extra but the cakes and snacks are (mostly) free.
I found that the gym equipment is all in excellent nick! Not many people were using it, though, and again it's a strange use of prime real estate. Realistically, the gym could be buried in the bilge and a bright, airy lounge with fabulous views over the bow of the ship created in its stead.
Good video. Subbed!
Hi, you are many thanks for your comments and observations which were spot on. Totally agree with your point about dancing in the atrium and that Manhattan could be used instead, the lack of use of the Malabar, and that the gym could be resized. Very incitefull thoughts.
@@ritzytravelguide I wondered about that too on other lines. I guess the idea is to involve those in a tiered area to look down and people watch. But I like the idea of doing it in a space that is designed for dancing rather than an atrium/lobby/foyer.
My aunt has just come from that ship , they loved it waiters were hard working ver, very polite, she found a few no two people complaing about chips being hard my aunt said, they just wanted attension There was nothing wrong with the chips she loved it good deal and booking again
Tha Azura seems to have a very loyal following, and repeat cruisers! Particularly for their Malta itinerary, as well as the Canaries
Been on this ship three times and due to go on this cruise soon. However there is no way from Scotland 🏴 to get it at anything like the price you paid!
Really? Do P&O not offer a good deal from Scottish airports?
Video is nice; happy cruise......Bj Slovenia Postojna Stud...
Thank you
We got it for £399 for inside and got upgrade to balcony. Unbelievable
Wow, that's a fantastic upgrade! That will encourage you to book again!
The Oasis pool is for everyone, not exclusively for Spa guests.
is it? great tip, thank you
What do they want for £500
We just got back from a cruise on Azura in the med and I agree with this review, we had a great time and it is good value for money, no complaints at all.
Glad you had a great time, it is good value!
The ship isn't actually that old. Remember 2020 was nearly 5 years ago. If it ain't broke, you don't fix it 🤷
Let's be honest, if you want waterside, ,zip wires etc and a mega ship you would t choose P&O. Personally I think 3000 is the max passengers but I was brought up on the likes of Canberra
Agreed. If you want zips and deck activities, and stay within the P&O fleet, there's always Arvia or Iona
nice stateroom
I liked the review, however the title and images of the review seemed very negative. I nearly didn’t bother watching based on the images displayed as they looked very worrying based on the expressions.
Actually, I think you may well be right. I haven't looked at the thumbnail for quite some time. I've just updated it, as the overall experience for the price was good.
who wants a big ship and mega slides? not most of the cruising population
That is probably true! I don't, but I mention it for any families who are booking!
@@ritzytravelguide the cruise ships are too big, somehow the corporations thought that bigger was going to be better, but failed to realize the core demographic of their patrons...in reality anything over 2500 is way too big and food and service are ultimately a much poorer thing...cruising should be about luxury and the best of everything but not anymore...the laws of supply and demand mean that they now have too much supply and not enough demand so they cheapen the product to survive but this is a slippery slope to bankruptcy
@@singingbuddhakaraoke They've made cruising ordinary. I think the industry is marketing new. A lot of the times people don't see the shortcomings in new ships because their tech is new and they're bigger and furnishings are new. But that doesn't mean their spaces are better for ambiance. Ships used to be in service for over 40-50 years and now some are being scrapped between 25-35 years in service. People are thinking 10 years old is old for a ship when in the past 10 years old was a relatively new ship.
People seem more hung up about their balcony verandas than deck space on a ship. More into what specialty restaurant they can go to rather than dining in the MDR and developing a relationship with their wait staff and fellow tablemates. More just being on the new ship with whatever new feature it has rather than enrichment, lounge dancing, wine tasting, etc. I understand there are family cruise ships but even the so-called premium lines are doing the trendy to a certain extent. And they keep adding new ships so where does the seasoned crew come from for these ships?
@@benjaminsmith2287 so true my friend...I want good food, good service, good ambience, and fun entertainment...not rocket science...I don't want people drunk on drinks packages, people fighting, raw chicken, useless customer service, and low grade singers and comedians
@@singingbuddhakaraoke So True. I too have experience the same.
And it just had a Nora virus outbreak
Did it? Sorry for the passengers aboard
@@ritzytravelguide i was aboard while it was going on but it wasnt actually that bad i just washed my hands so often my name kept rubbing off my card
Fake news you don’t have to book the theatre I never did and always got a seat
Does that fit the definition of fake news?!
Lol
You are talking rubbish
How so?!