Anyone been onboard Azura since the restart?

[MX-Drew]

I'm going on a cruise out of Malta with my wife, son, daughter-in-law and 2 granddaughters at the end of May.

I have a few questions:

Does anyone know it the reduced cabin service includes the making up of the sofa bed in the evening or will they have to do it themselves?

 

Is the laundry / dry cleaning and pressing service available now? I know on Iona in February is wasn't.

 

Where is smoking allowed, what area? I know where it is not allowed.

 

Thanks for your help. 

[AuroraCruiser08]

Can help with the sofa bed question. Yes your Steward will come and make that up for you at some point in the evening. That's what happened for us on Iona at Christmas. Tbh having a sofa bed is quite beneficial as our steward did a mini room service too so we kind of got the two services a day because of that. 

 

Enjoy your cruise

[MX-Drew]

10 minutes ago, AuroraCruiser08 said:

Can help with the sofa bed question. Yes your Steward will come and make that up for you at some point in the evening. That's what happened for us on Iona at Christmas. Tbh having a sofa bed is quite beneficial as our steward did a mini room service too so we kind of got the two services a day because of that. 

 

Enjoy your cruise

Thanks, that's good news because the family members who are in the cabin with the sofa bed, it is their first time cruising and when this was booked we sold it to them on the wonderful cabin service etc. I think they would have been a little disappointed if after the cost of this cruise (a very high price for a young family) they found they had to prepare the sofa bed themselves. Yes I know it is a small problem but it is the little things that can make a holiday special.

[MX-Drew]

I have thought of another question, this really is aimed at anyone one their now. Is their a photographer onboard?

Out last couple of cruises didn't have one which was no problem but we would dearly love to get a family photograph. Not the same with someone taking it for you on your phone.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

I have thought of another question, this really is aimed at anyone one their now. Is their a photographer onboard?

Out last couple of cruises didn't have one which was no problem but we would dearly love to get a family photograph. Not the same with someone taking it for you on your phone.

No, I believe they are still not available.  I find it strange as from what I can see/experienced most of the other lines have them back.

 

We were told on Britannia it was to stop crowding at photo points.

[MX-Drew]

1 minute ago, Megabear2 said:

No, I believe they are still not available.  I find it strange as from what I can see/experienced most of the other lines have them back.

 

We were told on Britannia it was to stop crowding at photo points.

Thank you, I would have thought there was a way to control crowding, after all there could be crowding anywhere. 

[Megabear2]

5 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

Thank you, I would have thought there was a way to control crowding, after all there could be crowding anywhere. 

I agree. Seems to be just an excuse to remove something else. If Cunard and Princess who are both Carnival owned have them snapping away I can't understand the logic.  

[MX-Drew]

1 minute ago, Megabear2 said:

I agree. Seems to be just an excuse to remove something else. If Cunard and Princess who are both Carnival owned have them snapping away I can't understand the logic.  

I agree, I really wished we had booked with another cruise line now.

With this and the other issues that have been aired recently on the board I feel this and the cruise for my 60th birthday will be out last with P&O but that is for another thread.

 

[Britboys]

37 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I agree. Seems to be just an excuse to remove something else. If Cunard and Princess who are both Carnival owned have them snapping away I can't understand the logic.  

I would have thought it was a good revenue stream for P&O? I imagine that it is a franchise and a way to make money...

[Fionboard]

Yes, most of the services on cruise ships are franchises.

[Cruisemeister2002]

Not being a party pooper but the first cruises we did we bought quite a few photo's but as time has gone by and what I consider a quite expensive pastime we only get the odd one or two. Luckily when we were in Egypt the ship's photographer went on the Sakara and Great Pyramids excursion which was excellent. We had our photo taken with a Pyramid behind us and luckily a camel as well. I say luckily because if you take photo's of them yourself on a camel they expect to be given a cash sum for the privilege. We do however invest in the Ultimate Gift Package which includes amongst many things a formal Portrait photo in frame. If by chance when we next cruise it isn't included I shall expect something decent in it's place.

[MX-Drew]

26 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Not being a party pooper but the first cruises we did we bought quite a few photo's but as time has gone by and what I consider a quite expensive pastime we only get the odd one or two. Luckily when we were in Egypt the ship's photographer went on the Sakara and Great Pyramids excursion which was excellent. We had our photo taken with a Pyramid behind us and luckily a camel as well. I say luckily because if you take photo's of them yourself on a camel they expect to be given a cash sum for the privilege. We do however invest in the Ultimate Gift Package which includes amongst many things a formal Portrait photo in frame. If by chance when we next cruise it isn't included I shall expect something decent in it's place.

I tend to agree that as time goes by fewer photos are purchased but given this will be the first cruise for our son, his wife and the children they were hoping to get a nice picture and we would also like one with us all together. 

[Cruisemeister2002]

11 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

I tend to agree that as time goes by fewer photos are purchased but given this will be the first cruise for our son, his wife and the children they were hoping to get a nice picture and we would also like one with us all together. 

I hope you get some lovely photo's of your family. Wish that my Daughter would come with us on a cruise. But they are off to Turkey later in the year. They like beaches far more than we do. But as I said to a neighbour across the road from me whose wife doesn't like laying around in the sun , you can have the best of both worlds on a cruise a if you like lounging in the sun when on sea days one can lay in the sun whilst the other checks out the shops, bars, speakers, quizzes, cinema etc, etc. Then when going ashore you can either go to a local beach or look around a "Pile of old stones" .

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

Not being a party pooper but the first cruises we did we bought quite a few photo's but as time has gone by and what I consider a quite expensive pastime we only get the odd one or two. Luckily when we were in Egypt the ship's photographer went on the Sakara and Great Pyramids excursion which was excellent. We had our photo taken with a Pyramid behind us and luckily a camel as well. I say luckily because if you take photo's of them yourself on a camel they expect to be given a cash sum for the privilege. We do however invest in the Ultimate Gift Package which includes amongst many things a formal Portrait photo in frame. If by chance when we next cruise it isn't included I shall expect something decent in it's place.

Hopefully things have changed but I bought those packages for my family in October when they sailed on Iona and they got the frame but no photo.

 

My BIL bought his wife the birthday package on our staycation last July and so much was missing P&O refunded him in OBC.  

 

As I say hopefully will have improved by the time you sail.

[Selbourne]

On 4/7/2022 at 8:42 AM, MX-Drew said:

I have thought of another question, this really is aimed at anyone one their now. Is their a photographer onboard?

Out last couple of cruises didn't have one which was no problem but we would dearly love to get a family photograph. Not the same with someone taking it for you on your phone.

Whilst I find the pestering from ships photographers (especially when you are dining) to be a real irritant on cruises, I agree with your last point. We have a number of nice family photos, with our daughters at various ages, taken in the atrium of various cruise ships (taken at times to suit us, not the photographers) . Whilst I have albums full of photos going back to my youth (and of generations before that from my parents), every photo that I have taken in the last 10 years or so is electronic and exists solely on the iCloud thingy. I fear that when I am no more, the photos (and historical record) will disappear with me!

[MX-Drew]

29 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Whilst I find the pestering from ships photographers (especially when you are dining) to be a real irritant on cruises, I agree with your last point. We have a number of nice family photos, with our daughters at various ages, taken in the atrium of various cruise ships (taken at times to suit us, not the photographers) . Whilst I have albums full of photos going back to my youth (and of generations before that from my parents), every photo that I have taken in the last 10 years or so is electronic and exists solely on the iCloud thingy. I fear that when I am no more, the photos (and historical record) will disappear with me!

Totally agree about the iCloud thingy (your words), whilst I'm fully on top of technology, after all I was an IT Manager for many years from the days computers first entered the company I was working for, there is something special about the physical picture on a wall or in an album.

As for being pestered by photographers, I have never had cause to complain as I find a firm but polite "No thank you" has always been enough.

[ferretktf]

Was in Azura two weeks ago for the transatlantic back from the Caribbean.

 

some things may have changed fir the European Season since but….

 

there was no evening cabin service. The cabin steward apologised to us on the first day and said that he would only be servicing the cabin in the morning.  However, unsure whether that would also apply to the sofa bed scenario.

 

there was no photographer on board.  Anecdotal evidence from another passenger who asked is that the photography company who had the contract went bust and P&O had not sourced a replacement yet.

 

as I say, this all may have changed for the European season, so hopefully someone who had been on for the first two Malta voyages will be able to comment further

[grapau27]

On 4/6/2022 at 9:43 AM, MX-Drew said:

I'm going on a cruise out of Malta with my wife, son, daughter-in-law and 2 granddaughters at the end of May.

I have a few questions:

Does anyone know it the reduced cabin service includes the making up of the sofa bed in the evening or will they have to do it themselves?

 

Is the laundry / dry cleaning and pressing service available now? I know on Iona in February is wasn't.

 

Where is smoking allowed, what area? I know where it is not allowed.

 

Thanks for your help. 

There is a notice in your cabin that passengers must not attempt to make up the sofa bed on their own so I would expect if the sofa bed is required for a passenger this will be done by housekeeping service at night.

Graham.

[MX-Drew]

4 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

There is a notice in your cabin that passengers must not attempt to make up the sofa bed on their own so I would expect if the sofa bed is required for a passenger this will be done by housekeeping service at night.

Graham.

Interesting, I don’t recall seeing that sign myself but they again I have a filter, if it’s not relevant to me I don’t remember it.🤣

Thanks for the information.

[grapau27]

2 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

Interesting, I don’t recall seeing that sign myself but they again I have a filter, if it’s not relevant to me I don’t remember it.🤣

Thanks for the information.

You are welcome.

Our cabin on Iona March 5th-19th had a single sofa bed and we only used it as a sofa but I read the instructions saying passengers not to make up the sofa bed themselves.

Graham.

[LinniB]

Will be interested to hear what it is like on the Malta sailings 

we are now 4 weeks away from sailing and  still no flight details !

P and O just keep telling us to be patient!

 

[Son of Anarchy]

58 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

You are welcome.

Our cabin on Iona March 5th-19th had a single sofa bed and we only used it as a sofa but I read the instructions saying passengers not to make up the sofa bed themselves.

Graham.

I noticed the same instructions when we on Iona last year.  I presumed at the time that the cabin steward would therefore have to do it at some point in the evening.  In between working in the MDR where we saw him a couple of times.

[Lily lady]

Linnib. Hi. We have had flight details for a few weeks now,  only 32 days from manchester. 

[MX-Drew]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

You are welcome.

Our cabin on Iona March 5th-19th had a single sofa bed and we only used it as a sofa but I read the instructions saying passengers not to make up the sofa bed themselves.

Graham.

I hope that is the same for the sofa beds on Azura.

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

I hope that is the same for the sofa beds on Azura.

In our cabin on Iona.