We were on A219, departing Southampton on 10th August and visiting Stavanger, Flaam, Geiranger and Bergen. The ship was at capacity.

The overall feeling of the cruise was one of disappointment due to the mediocre food in the Peninsular restaurant. Things that were free via self-service on other ships (e.g. fruit juices, soft-serve ice-cream) were decidedly not free on Azura.

Food would often turn out as bland, lacking in seasoning and be lukewarm. "School Dinners" is a good description, helped along by the extremely old fashioned silver service of soggy veg. A lot of the items on the menu seemed to translate to a less-than-impressive roast dinner. "Slow cooked brisket in ale" turned out as two slices of unpleasant tough brisket in a tasteless sauce. The pomp and ceremony of black-tie dinners quickly becomes a farce if the food is not good. Read more