Lovely cruise
Azura Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
First Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 16
Helpful Votes: 132
Mediterranean - Roundtrip Valletta
Sail date: April 04, 2024
Ship: Azura
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 1 month ago
Review summary
A super mix of sightseeing and sunshine. Highly recommend the itinerary.Embarkation
Quick check in at Bristol airport but the flight was delayed by 30 mins due to a discrepancy with the passenger manifest.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Food choices in the buffet were very repetitive but dishes were always hot. Lack of different vegetables and poor vegetarian options but you could make a meal if you made an effort.
First week of the cruise, the MDR was excellent but the second week it was awful. The menu seemed to be rotated every 2 days. The food quality and quantity was poor. We returned a few meals after an initial taste as they were inedible.
Beach House, ate here x4 on black tie nights. Food was excellent and the portions large.
Epicurean- afternoon tea. This was lovely and a generous serving to the extent, we took some back to our cabin.
Pizzeria, super pizzas, plenty of topping and flavour.
Lido Grill, burgers etc cooked to order so were always fresh and hot.
Onboard Activities
Plenty of activities to suit all ages and interests.
Swimming pools were very busy apart from the one on Riviera deck which was quiet so we used that one despite it being cold.
Children's Programs
Grandaughter aged 3 attended the kids club daily and really enjoyed it. The staff were lovely and the activities age appropriate and fun.
Service and Staff
Staff in all areas of the ship were friendly and helpful.
Ship Quality
Azura is showing her age, a refurb is scheduled which it desperately needs.
The ship is easy to navigate and clearly signed.
Communal areas were reasonably tidy but staff were very slow at clearing away plates & cups at tables etc.
Cabin / Stateroom
Our cabin was very airy and the balcony a decent size. The steward Gladys kept it spotlessly clean. However, the interior was very jaded. The carpet and curtains were faded & threadbare in places, the furniture chipped and suchlike.
Ship tip
Book speciality restaurants in advance of sailing as places become limited.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
We stayed onboard ship here as we've visited several times beforehand. Full of culture but very crowded and expensive.
Another favourite port with plenty of sightseeing and shopping opportunities. We stopped at a cafe for a drink. It was a bit expensive at €6.50 for a jam jar sized glass but the iced green apple & pomegranate tea was homemade and delicious.
The port was very quiet and there were a few churches to look at. Just nice to get off the ship and have a walk here.
One of my favourite ports of the cruise. The 20 minute shuttle bus journey into the city was interesting as it used the back streets. Dubrovnik is history personified. We had a relaxing walk around the city walls and harbour. Buy refreshments as you get off the shuttle as they're double the price once inside the city walls.
A mini version of Venice but less crowded and with cheaper prices. It felt very authentic. A level 5 minute walk from the cruise terminal. The architecture is stunning. A bottle of water only cost €1 and an icecream cone €1.50 in the local Spar store. The Roman theatre which although not complete was atmospheric despite its location.
A lovely port, a level 10 minute walk into the centre with plenty of cultural and shopping opportunities.
A very tourist orientated port which lacked any Turkish authenticity. To exit the cruise port, you have to walk through the shopping area where we had to fight off over enthusiastic shopkeepers and beggars. It's a cross between Blackpool and Benidorm if you're reading from the UK. Really disappointed.
However, we took an excursion to Ephesus which was fantastic. There's no shade so take water and a sun hat as it gets extremely hot from early in the morning.
Disembarkation
Going through security and passport control was quick. However, once inside the departure area, there was nowhere to sit (despite 2 hours before our flight) and queues for the toilets were horrendous. The air con was inadequate making it very uncomfortable overall.