Good value and fun - it is Norway so don't go for the sun - go for the views .....
Azura is a great ship - with a great crew and consistent good food and drink.
Itinerary was good and Olden is now a brilliant stop.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
easy well organised from Gate 10
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
overall excellent with good tasting food, with only minor criticism being the food was sometimes not as hot as should have been, but Masterchef taste their food cold so not really a major problem.
We dined in Meridian on Freedom Dining - all good - with great service - sometimes a challenge just to get a table for 4, but all good.
Breakfast in buffet was usual scrum.... but absolutely fine.
Drinks were excellent value for a cruise - with a superb variety of wines, beers and spirits. Great value flights/tasting choices in wines and gins/rums :)
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Used the gym - all ok.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Overall entertainment was a bit samey..... not much variety - we were with older parents who would have enjoyed earlier shows - main shows were no earlier than 8:30pm and there was no classical options - we enjoyed a better selection on Britannia last year.
However the Tide Duo in the Planet Bar were excellent to relax to. Good variety and fun.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
A very happy ship with great staff from room team to bar stewards. Very pleased.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cleanliness a 5 star - no adverse comments to make.
Design is flawed in only one way - no forward facing bar to relax in - unlike all other ships we have cruised in. Otherwise really liked the ship - more cruise-like than Britannia (which is a bit dull and beige in comparison)
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Very nice - with a super big rear facing balcony, that is capable is of seating four people if you have the chairs! Otherwise cabin standard - no sofa, with small shower (curtain).
Ship tip
Planet Bar is great place to relax in the late evening.
Great port - with excellent view a reward for walking up 400+ steps to overlook town (you can get their by the town road train as our parents did!)
Also heated public benches - wow!
Great fish & chips from a snack shack near the waterside.
The cruise in and out - all 60 miles of it each way is one of the highlights of a trip to Norway - with a rather small village the apparent reward - and we were a bit wary as we had been here last year and felt that the Birksdal Glacier was a seriously sad disappointment given how much it has shrunk.... but WOW - the Queen of Norway opened up a brand new option this year ...... the Loen Skylift.
The Loen SkyLift is simply brilliant - expensive but brilliant.
Why?
1. Only 10 minute coach transfer
2. Takes you 990m up! That is over 3,000ft above sea level (nearly as high as Snowdon) in 7 minutes in a beautiful Cable Car.
3. Stunning views are your reward from an amazing viewing station - across the surrounding landscape including the Nordfjord, and the glacier field.
4. Easy new paths enable you to walk on further up....
5. Excellent mountain top restaurant - yes it is expensive - for two good reasons - a. Norway (it is expensive) and b. it is on top of the mountain!
So whilst expensive, approx. £60 per person, it is no more expensive than most excursions, and is easy to book - simply on the quayside office.... Go for it!
It simply was literally the icing on the cake for a cruise to the Norwegian fjords as it gave you a completely different perspective to that you enjoy on the ship.
And oh boy does the ship look like a toy from over 3,000ft up!
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