Azura March 2023 Live Blog

[crompton21]

12 hours ago, alpha whiskey said:

I've heard they are trying to perfect a prawn and cheese pie! 🤣 😉

The plan is actually to serve some Quiche turned upside down, add some chips and a pea and then claim Marco Pierre White created it.  Replaces the beef wellington on celebration night apparently.

[Josy1953]

20 hours ago, carlanthony24 said:

Not really sure to be honest. Has long as they taste good that is the main thing. Not had a bad meal yet.

 

Forgot to mention. A couple requested a table for 2 not shared. They were told they were being given a table of 4 but set up just for them, they still complained and decided to carry on complaining while eating.

Maybe they just like to complain, each to their own.

[carlanthony24]

Azura set sail at 6pm heading east for Palma De Mallorca at the average speed of 13 knots.

 

MDR tomato soup and feather blade of beef.

 

Arrival 8am all onboard 5:30pm departure 6pm. High of 23degrees.

 

Shuttle bus in operation adult single price £5 child £3 each way for saver fare guests. Shuttle drop off and pick up point is Cami de la Escollera opposite the cathedral. 

 

We decided to catch the shuttle bus and go for a wander and a drink before heading back to the ship.

 

We will be going to Manhattan to watch Rob West has Frankie Valli for the 2nd part of his show. If you have not seen his first show before then I recommend you do if he is on one of your cruises.

 

Tomorrow is a sea day before we arrive into Cagliari, Sardinia a new port us. 
 

They have ran out of a few drinks in the Glass House like Peroni, Aspalls, same in Brodies.

Edited March 26, 2023 by carlanthony24

[crompton21]

Nice to see the location of the vegetable being marked with an X 

[Son of Anarchy]

10 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

That's not a pie, it only has a crust on the top, a pie should be encased in pastry.

Fray Bentos had a special place in my Dad's heart.  He went there back in the 50's when he was in the Merchant Navy.  That part of town is now a World Heritage Site apparently.  We re-use the tins for cooking stuff in the air fryer.

[carlanthony24]

[Dermotsgirl]

I’m finding the MDR menus to be fascinating.

 

Often, in the MDR, I used to find that there were two or three options each night  that I liked the sound of, with the occasional duff night where I didn’t really fancy anything. Now, nearly all the nights seem like duff nights - I’m sure I’d find something to eat, but none of the menus seem particularly exciting.

 

I also noticed that the vegetarian options seem to have increased, but the veggie choices that I really liked, such as the vegetable curries seem to have disappeared 

 

 

[Fionboard]

14 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m finding the MDR menus to be fascinating.

 

Often, in the MDR, I used to find that there were two or three options each night  that I liked the sound of, with the occasional duff night where I didn’t really fancy anything. Now, nearly all the nights seem like duff nights - I’m sure I’d find something to eat, but none of the menus seem particularly exciting.

 

I also noticed that the vegetarian options seem to have increased, but the veggie choices that I really liked, such as the vegetable curries seem to have disappeared 

 

 

Yes, they used to do lots of curries. Personally I do not like the formal night menus but instead have chips which are lovely, with mayo. 

[carlanthony24]

Menu for tonight. We have managed to book the Beach House.

[carlanthony24]

1 hour ago, Fionboard said:

Yes, they used to do lots of curries. Personally I do not like the formal night menus but instead have chips which are lovely, with mayo. 

I have been enjoying the chips and mayo

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, carlanthony24 said:

Menu for tonight. We have managed to book the Beach House.

Yay, vegetable curry for me.

 

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I’m finding the MDR menus to be fascinating.

 

Often, in the MDR, I used to find that there were two or three options each night  that I liked the sound of, with the occasional duff night where I didn’t really fancy anything. Now, nearly all the nights seem like duff nights - I’m sure I’d find something to eat, but none of the menus seem particularly exciting.

 

I also noticed that the vegetarian options seem to have increased, but the veggie choices that I really liked, such as the vegetable curries seem to have disappeared 

 

 

Completely agree with you. The menus are making me very reluctant to book any more cruises with P&O at the moment...

[windra06]

Loved reading your reviews thank you!
Really pleased with the menus.  Usually on land it's hard to find one or two items vegetarian on a menu but the selection in the MDR looks great. There wasn't a menu where i wouldn't be pleased with the choices.

[Happy afloat]

22 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Fray Bentos for us...

Tinned potatoes and marrow fat peas?

[Adawn47]

12 hours ago, zap99 said:

They are quite fast those salmon. You will spot a lemon sole quite easliy.

Found it zap, and I also spotted an elusive rainbow trout too🧐. There was always at least one fish dish on the menu every night. Disappointing as I tend eat more fish than meat.

Avril

[Adawn47]

4 hours ago, crompton21 said:

The plan is actually to serve some Quiche turned upside down, add some chips and a pea and then claim Marco Pierre White created it.  Replaces the beef wellington on celebration night apparently.

Anything would be nicer than MPW's Beef Wellington😖

Avril

[smokey01]

2 hours ago, Britboys said:

Completely agree with you. The menus are making me very reluctant to book any more cruises with P&O at the moment...

The menus look good to me but the portion sizes look particularly small now. That said we always go for an appetiser, a soup, a main and pudding. But the the mains do seem to lack in the potato and veg department. So 3 weeks today we will see how we get on and if we think we will go hungry 🙂 we will ask for a side dish of potato and or veg. Never needed to do it so far though.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

Found it zap, and I also spotted an elusive rainbow trout too🧐. There was always at least one fish dish on the menu every night. Disappointing as I tend eat more fish than meat.

Avril

On the live Azura thread, Salmon yesterday and Haddock today. They are quite fishy. Trout and whitebait starters. No prawns.🦐

[wowzz]

45 minutes ago, smokey01 said:

The menus look good to me but the portion sizes look particularly small now. That said we always go for an appetiser, a soup, a main and pudding. But the the mains do seem to lack in the potato and veg department. So 3 weeks today we will see how we get on and if we think we will go hungry 🙂 we will ask for a side dish of potato and or veg. Never needed to do it so far though.

I always ask for an extra helping of potatoes/chips when ordering. Waiting until the meal is served before asking, is too late, as the food will be cold before the extra potatoes arrive.

[smokey01]

48 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I always ask for an extra helping of potatoes/chips when ordering. Waiting until the meal is served before asking, is too late, as the food will be cold before the extra potatoes arrive.

Thanks Wowzz, good point.

[carlanthony24]

Tomorrow’s horizon.

 

Captain announced he is observing a low pressure front coming in and will update us on the sea day.

[elmsliebev]

10 hours ago, crompton21 said:

The plan is actually to serve some Quiche turned upside down, add some chips and a pea and then claim Marco Pierre White created it.  Replaces the beef wellington on celebration night apparently.

On Oceana years ago we ate at the MPW speciality restaurant. Food was fine except the panacotta which was practically soup. When I queried it I was told "that's how Marco likes it". I very much doubt that. 

[carlanthony24]

Azura set sail around 5:45pm heading north east for Cagliari at the average speed of 9 knots and seas remained calm throughout the night. 

 

Beach house food excellent again. Chicken wings and Nachos. Mains 10oz Lava Rock Steak and Chicken/steak Fajitas. 

 

Into the sea day, sea state became moderate has the low pressure front came in and the ships movement would be expected to increase which it did. The most movement since the cruise has started. Sick bags appeared on stairs. MDR was also pretty empty and some of the waiters stations were empty. Seasickness must be getting to quite a few people. 

 

Last formal night onboard.

 

Starters included tomato soup. Mains included Beef Wellington & Pork Loin.

 

They have ran out of a few drinks to name a few Peroni, Jolly Olly IPA, some wines.

 

Electric Avenue by the Headliners Theatre Company. Performed well even with the movement of the ship.

 

Cagliari Arrival 8am all onboard 5:30pm departure 6pm. Highs of 18 degrees not a cloud in the sky.

 

A free shuttle is provided by the port since walking in the port is not allowed. 

 

We are going to get off and explore.

Edited March 28, 2023 by carlanthony24

[carlanthony24]

One more sea day before Malta. It’s been a great cruise felt a lot longer than 2 weeks. Have not had a bad meal, staff been fantastic entertainment has been great. 
 

Sun beds still being occupied by towels and no one actually coming back to sit on them. People still just walk past the hand sanitisers not only when boarding the ship but entering the restaurant etc.  
 

We are looking forward to the repositioning in October 2023 another 2 new islands for us to visit on that cruise Catania and Palermo we also have a call into Malaga which has been a long time since we last visited. 
 

We did get a quote for Caribbean on Britannia November 2024 but price was quite steep. So we are looking at booking October 2024 Malta to Tenerife 15-16 nights same islands we did in October 2022 but the first week round Croatia which has a family we have never done. 
 

French ATC are on strike for our return flight Thursday so let’s see how much it will affect not just us but others and I wonder how many people will blame P&O for it. 
 

 

[Britboys]

Glad to see you have had a great time. Certainly looks like there hasn't been a shortage of green beans...🤣