Azura, Mediterranean
4
The cruise started in Tenerife and ended in Malta with six ports of call en-route. Boarding & disembarkation were very efficient with just a small amount of waiting time each end. Valletta airport was an absolute nightmare but this wasn't down to the cruise line. While the Azura is a beautiful ship, she is showing signs of her age now. Some of the public toilets constantly seemed to be closed or restricted which could be quite frustrating at times. It has to be said that since covid (and this isn't just P&O) the standard of the food does appear to have gone down quite significantly in the general restaurants, buffets etc. Service was also extremely slow on occasions. However, the speciality restaurants are well worth a visit despite the high cover charges. Another disappointing factor was the absence of quite a few food items, although it could be due to the world food shortages last year. The itinerary was quite diverse and we found plenty to do at every port of call. We did not go on any of the organised excursions as we prefer to do our own thing, and with a little bit of forward planning you can give yourself quite an entertaining day on your own. The service was pretty fair but not as good as on previous cruises. Our cabin steward was always around if we needed him and the rest of the crew appeared to carry out their duties politely, efficiently and without fuss.
All that said, we did have an extremely enjoyable cruise and would definitely book with P&O again in the future.
John
Post Date: 08/06/2023
