Retreat on Azura

[The Mommy]

Hello

Can you book the retreat before sailing please?

Where do you book this when on board please?

 

Hope you can help

Many thanks

[jeanlyon]

On our cruise, they were doing tours of the Retreat when we got on board. I didn't see the point of it personally. A lot of the time it wasn't in the sun. I didn't see many people using it.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

I am not certain, but I am pretty sure you cannot book this before sailing. I would also think the place for booking the retreat would be the Spa.

[38anchor]

I was wondering this, so a few months back I did email P&O for further clarification and this is the reply I got.

 

We have been making minor adjustments to the Retreat package and pricing structure since Azura's launch in April. The Retreat has proved enormously popular, and in response to the demand, to our passenger's feedback and in trying to ensure that we are offering as many passengers as possible the opportunity to enjoy the Retreat, we are continuing to make minor adjustments.

 

We are not able to take pre-cruise bookings for The Retreat, so all bookings are made on board and are handled on a first come first served basis.

 

However, passengers who opt for the Spa Stateroom Package, do benefit from a VIP priority booking service, and are able to pre-book the Retreat.

 

We did trial some full cruise passes (£220 per person for a 14-night cruise) which proved very popular, however, because they limited the number of passengers who could use the Retreat, we have now stopped offering this package. This package was only sold on board, not pre-cruise, but we did find that all the places were selling out on the first day of the cruise.

 

We are now offering day passes only (we are not currently offering ½-day passes or cruise passes), and these can only be booked once you get on board. We do not prevent passengers from buying 1 pass for every day of their cruise, if this is what they would like to do, but since removing the cruise pass, more passengers have been able to book The Retreat.

 

Hotel Services cannot yet confirm what the structure will be for the Caribbean. We are anticipating even greater demand during this season, and we will be undertaking a review of the Mediterranean season in due course, which will enable us to ensure that we adopt the best approach for the Caribbean.

 

The only way to guarantee access, pre cruise, to the Retreat is to book the Spa Stateroom Package. Alternatively, if you would like to contact us around the end of November, we should be able to confirm what the arrangements for the Caribbean are.

 

I hope the above is of help, and I hope you are able to enjoy The Retreat during your cruise next year. We would very much welcome any feedback on your return.

 

I was asking because although we are not in a spa stateroom we did get a letter from P&O asking us if we would like to buy the package. At the time it was £299 per person, which I did think was quite.

 

I will be getting back in touch at the end of November to see what the current situation is and can let you know if and when I hear anything.

 

The Retreat was one of the main reasons we booked Azura and I will be disappointed if we don't get chance to use it.

 

One thing I did think of also, was those flying out on the Saturday rather than the Friday will surely be at a disadvantage in booking things like the Retreat and speciality restaurants unless they hold some back specifically for them.

[cruisebore]

Won't be long now before we have some guy coming around with a ticket machine strapped around his neck, charging ffor the use of the on deck sunbeds.

 

Cb

[38anchor]

Won't be long now before we have some guy coming around with a ticket machine strapped around his neck, charging ffor the use of the on deck sunbeds.

 

Cb

 

Totally agree - it seems more and more mainline cruiselines are looking to increase revenue by having additional, chargeable choices, eg speciality restaurants etc.

 

Personally I don't mind this as it does give the customer a choice, as long as the basic non-fee choices aren't compromised.

 

In terms of restaurants vs restaurant specialties I think most cruiselines have this right, but I do think the additional space taken up on Azura with the Retreat 'may' compromise the available space left for the non-paying passengers........ it will be interesting to see how she fares during the Caribbean season.

[LibraLass41]

I think its a obscene amount of extra money to pay for the Retreat to have some privacy away from the masses - over £200pp each after paying £2000 or so pp for a stateroom, sorry its turning into a 2 tier class system. I've seen the retreat, but on a recent 7n cruise the weather was very poor Ireland, France and Spain, and it was fully booked up after the 1st day, I'm glad I didn't rush to book it as we had cloudy windy days and I bet you don't get a refund.! In the begining it was supposed to be bookable on a daily basis, and I would of loved to book a day on a sea day in the Med or Canaries, but it seems this is near enough impossible now as its becoming fully booked by the end of the first day after embarkation. A shame,

 

PHOTO of retreat on this link:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/AuroraPartyCruiseSueV/AzuraIrelandEurope1623rdJuly#5497608280109612898

[Denarius]

In terms of restaurants vs restaurant specialties I think most cruiselines have this right, but I do think the additional space taken up on Azura with the Retreat 'may' compromise the available space left for the non-paying passengers........ it will be interesting to see how she fares during the Caribbean season.

I agree.

I have not sailed on Azura, but have sailed on Ventura several times.

The first time I sailed on her, the area occupied by The Retreat on Azura was occupied by the sports court. There was a noticable shortage of sunbeds. By my second cruise, the sports court had been relocated to behind the funnel (the same place it occupies on Azura) and the space liberated filled with sunbeds. This seemed to eliminate the sunbed problem. On Azura, however this space is taken by The Retreat, reducing the space for generally available sunbeds to that available on Ventura before the sports court was moved. Such is progress, P&O style.

[tom_uk]

I have to agree with Denarius - the existence of The Retreat rather puts me off Azura. Not entirely, but it's a mark against.

 

Here's an image that I took of what I think is the same area on Ventura, with loungers out. This was in May 2010.

 

[jeanlyon]

That's exactly right. It simply cuts down the amount of available deck space for everyone, it's simply a money-making exercise. I have no problem with the speciality restaurants as I don't use them, and they don't make any difference to me, but to take a whole area and charge that kind of money is just wrong in my opinion. Apart from anything else, the couple of times that I looked, there were very few people in there and it was in the shade?

[cruisebore]

Its not just the area for sunbeds but also the wave pool that is 'out of bounds' unless you wish to spend an additional £400.

I find the whole situation disturbing on a number of levels.

 

Cb

[cruiseluvva]

I was wondering this, so a few months back I did email P&O for further clarification and this is the reply I got.

 

We have been making minor adjustments to the Retreat package and pricing structure since Azura's launch in April. The Retreat has proved enormously popular, and in response to the demand, to our passenger's feedback and in trying to ensure that we are offering as many passengers as possible the opportunity to enjoy the Retreat, we are continuing to make minor adjustments.

 

We are not able to take pre-cruise bookings for The Retreat, so all bookings are made on board and are handled on a first come first served basis.

 

However, passengers who opt for the Spa Stateroom Package, do benefit from a VIP priority booking service, and are able to pre-book the Retreat.

 

We did trial some full cruise passes (£220 per person for a 14-night cruise) which proved very popular, however, because they limited the number of passengers who could use the Retreat, we have now stopped offering this package. This package was only sold on board, not pre-cruise, but we did find that all the places were selling out on the first day of the cruise.

 

We are now offering day passes only (we are not currently offering ½-day passes or cruise passes), and these can only be booked once you get on board. We do not prevent passengers from buying 1 pass for every day of their cruise, if this is what they would like to do, but since removing the cruise pass, more passengers have been able to book The Retreat.

 

Hotel Services cannot yet confirm what the structure will be for the Caribbean. We are anticipating even greater demand during this season, and we will be undertaking a review of the Mediterranean season in due course, which will enable us to ensure that we adopt the best approach for the Caribbean.

 

The only way to guarantee access, pre cruise, to the Retreat is to book the Spa Stateroom Package. Alternatively, if you would like to contact us around the end of November, we should be able to confirm what the arrangements for the Caribbean are.

 

I hope the above is of help, and I hope you are able to enjoy The Retreat during your cruise next year. We would very much welcome any feedback on your return.

 

 

I was asking because although we are not in a spa stateroom we did get a letter from P&O asking us if we would like to buy the package. At the time it was £299 per person, which I did think was quite.

 

I will be getting back in touch at the end of November to see what the current situation is and can let you know if and when I hear anything.

 

The Retreat was one of the main reasons we booked Azura and I will be disappointed if we don't get chance to use it.

 

One thing I did think of also, was those flying out on the Saturday rather than the Friday will surely be at a disadvantage in booking things like the Retreat and speciality restaurants unless they hold some back specifically for them.

That is simply not true - P&O are fibbing yet again!!! We have already been offered a length of cruise pass for the Retreat for next March, but are not in a Spa Stateroom.

[themommy]

How much is it for a day pass?

I must admit it sounds to be quite a nice idea and I would really like a day with more space to sunbathe and have nibbles and drinks with my Dh. It is not always possible for us to have a balcony so this day treat would be nice for us.

 

I think P&O should restrict access to day passes only - that way everyone has opportunity to try it.

I also agree that it should not be necessary and that every area should be equally enjoyable.

We shall see but by the P&O response its use and booking arrangements are far from resolved

 

Carolyn - I will be interested to hear an up date at the end of the month

[AlisonH]

When we were on Azura in August, it was £12 per person per day for a port day and £20 for a sea day.

 

Alison

[LibraLass41]

I bet the sea days were booked up Ali?

 

Hearing on the chat sites very hard to get a sea day on hot cruises? All booked up on embarkation day?

[cruisebore]

I bet the sea days were booked up Ali?

 

Hearing on the chat sites very hard to get a sea day on hot cruises? All booked up on embarkation day?

 

 

This could in the long run be a problem for P&O. Assuming that only a small percentage of those who want to use the facility can, then you are left with a lot of upset customers.

Nothing upsets me more than going to purchase something, and find they have run out of stock. Only needs to happen a few times and I take my business elsewhere.

 

Cb

[AlisonH]

I bet the sea days were booked up Ali?

 

Hearing on the chat sites very hard to get a sea day on hot cruises? All booked up on embarkation day?

 

 

We booked on the first afternoon we were on board, and had plenty of choice. We enjoyed it so much, we tried to book a second day, but it was fully booked, that was about half way through the cruise - so yes - it certainly got booked up on our cruise.

 

Ali