Azura A322N - Black Sea - Epilogue

[Gill W]

Firstly, I'd just like to thank everyone who read my reports and commented. I enjoyed typing my thoughts out on my iPad. So much easier than writing down comments longhand, and typing a review when I get home. In fact, these days I rarely use a pen at all, expect for very short notes.

This time a week ago, I was sitting in the Playhouse waiting to disembark. Recently, we have done the self help disembarkation, but as we had more baggage this time, put our bags out the previous evening. It was our first experience of mustering in a particular room, and thought it worked well, and stopped people congregating near exits...... Although some did want to congregate near the exit of the Playhouse!

I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts about freedom dining. On this cruise, it seemed a lot of people wanted to eat early, so queues formed early. However, this is what happened on THIS cruise. It doesn't happen this way on EVERY cruise. I wouldn't want to 'put people off' freedom - in fact I remain an advocate of freedom. I loved the way we could be totally flexible and eat where we felt like eating, in line with our plans for the evening. The flexibility helped us to avoid the bottlenecks too.

The dress code was 6 formal, 7 jacket required, and 11 casual. I thought the amount of formals was about right over 24 nights. But I thought the jacket required nights, for me, was excessive. A few times, I did wear dresses I'd bought for casual nights, but it's easier for women, to wear what they feel like wearing.

We were fortunate to have Graham Howell as our port lecturer. He really is most informative and doesn't just push the tours in a sales pitch.

Neil Oliver is a legend.

Final thought - I'd do it all again, and not change anything.

[Jan Rosser]

Firstly, I'd just like to thank everyone who read my reports and commented. I enjoyed typing my thoughts out on my iPad. So much easier than writing down comments longhand, and typing a review when I get home. In fact, these days I rarely use a pen at all, expect for very short notes.

This time a week ago, I was sitting in the Playhouse waiting to disembark. Recently, we have done the self help disembarkation, but as we had more baggage this time, put our bags out the previous evening. It was our first experience of mustering in a particular room, and thought it worked well, and stopped people congregating near exits...... Although some did want to congregate near the exit of the Playhouse!

I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts about freedom dining. On this cruise, it seemed a lot of people wanted to eat early, so queues formed early. However, this is what happened on THIS cruise. It doesn't happen this way on EVERY cruise. I wouldn't want to 'put people off' freedom - in fact I remain an advocate of freedom. I loved the way we could be totally flexible and eat where we felt like eating, in line with our plans for the evening. The flexibility helped us to avoid the bottlenecks too.

The dress code was 6 formal, 7 jacket required, and 11 casual. I thought the amount of formals was about right over 24 nights. But I thought the jacket required nights, for me, was excessive. A few times, I did wear dresses I'd bought for casual nights, but it's easier for women, to wear what they feel like wearing.

We were fortunate to have Graham Howell as our port lecturer. He really is most informative and doesn't just push the tours in a sales pitch.

Neil Oliver is a legend.

Final thought - I'd do it all again, and not change anything.

[Juscrusin]

Thanks for your report I have enjoyed reading your experience it was a cruise we thought about doing but now are doing our longest ever with a back to back Transatlantic/Caribbean on Azura for 28 days! Very much looking forward to it now after your review even though I have cruised on Azura before not sure yet how I am going to manage the 4 weeks

[MicheleW]

Loved reading your reports Gill.

Hubby and I are on Azura next year - so found it all very informative. We are currently booked for the second sitting of club dining, and although not that bothered about the shows, have decided that if there was something we particularly wanted to see, we will opt for one of the alternative dining venues.

Michele

[GillD46]

It sounds as though you had a really good time overall and has whetted my appetite for Queen Victoria next year, when we have an almost identical itinerary.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[CaroleF]

Thank you very much for such a detailed review. We are back on Azura next year and you reminded me of what a good time we had earlier this year. When we were on we were able to see the 7.15 production of the show and as we had 2nd sitting this worked really well for us. A shame if they have stopped this.

Carole

[Belle53]

Really good report, thank you for taking the time to do it, very enjoyable reading. We were on Azura earlier this summer and enjoyed the ship very much, Neil Oliver was also our cruise director and he was great. Would love to cruise the Black Sea sometime, it is definitely on our wish list

[Manoverboard]

Thanks Gill a great series of reports.

The Black Sea is a fantastic destination and yet you have missed so much of it ... that is a real shame and P&O need to up their game in this Region.

ps ... but I am deffo sold on FD now, with or without a queue.

[Peter D]

Gill, excellent reviews. Enjoyed them all.

[Jacknian]

Thanks gill, great report, makes me want to do the same cruise, 24 nights on board would be heaven!

[Suekersh]

Great report Gill. I also type up a report on my I pad as I go along. So much easier to remember and can link to photos when we get home.

Would love to do the Black Sea cruise some time soon.
We also prefer Freedom dining.


Sue