I embarked on the Azura on Boxing Day, I have to say that the embarkation and disembarkation was the best I have experienced. However that is the most positive experience of the cruise. On embarkation staff stood to greet you with out saying one word and when asked where to find ones cabin they pointed to the lift.

Cabin was really good, and also the cabin steward who I did not see for 10 days! The buffet area was badly designed and poor quality of food at lunch, very repetitive. My main complaint was the staff on board in general very unfriendly almost surly. I ask the restaurant manager in the Italian restaurant what the procedure for booking a table and I was told you don't have to book, its full and started clapping and said bye bye! On entry to buffet area and I saw 3 Food and Beverage Officers and I said I was not happy the way I had just been treated. I was told that since CARNIVAL CRUISES HAD TAKEN OVER P&O STANDARDS HAD GONE DOWN AND SO HAD THE PRICE. Well my price had not gone down. The pool areas were more like zoo areas, I never ever saw any pool attendants, decks always wet and it you were not out by 7.00 am on sea days you could not get a sun bed. Passengers were allowed to put towels on beds even though they didn't use the beds.Everywhere seemed to have a lack of staff. Food was nice but not sensational. Entertainment was very average and New Years was very poor. It was a fabulous PR exercise for Celebrity Cruises most people said they were going with them in preference to P&O. Need to do better P&O