P&O Azura Pre-Naming Party
Friday saw Iglucruise attending the P&O Azura pre-naming party. This was an fantastic formal evening for all the independent travel agents and P&O staff to witness and enjoy this wonderful new ship for 24 hours. With 1,300 passengers this was a great opportunity to see the ship in action and take advantage of their renowned service and standards associated with P&O cruises.
The day started with the Iglu team getting the train to Southampton and enjoying a leisurely stroll in the sunshine down to the cruise terminal, there were coaches from the station but the sunshine was the preferred option. After a swift embarkation and checking into the cabins it was time for lunch and a tour of the ship.
Our first dining option on the Azura was taken in the Venezia buffet, where 24 hour dining can usually be found, and we're treated to a selection on hot and cold food and some wonderful desserts and pasties.
Our tour of the ship took us around the variety of pools onboard, to the stunning spa facilities and the fantastic variety of shops, bars and restaurants onboard. The main hub being the Atrium, split across decks five, six & seven, where the duty-free shopping can be found along with the gorgeous Glass House wine bar and the Casino.
The evening began with a black tie champagne reception in the Atrium, similar to the first sea day on a cruise, with canapes and a very elegant atmosphere, followed by dinner. We dined in the Peninsula restaurant and enjoyed a fabulous five course meal.
After dinner the rest of the evening involved in taking in the west end style show in the theatre, a trip to the Glass House and finished with an entertaining visit to the night club.
The following morning we all enjoyed a fantastic breakfast with part of the party going for the refined service of the Meridian restaurant and the rest happy to indulge one final time in the Venezia buffet, where everything from a full english breakfast to fresh fruits and continental pastries were on offer.
All in all this was a brilliant experience.