Cruising On Aurora May 2002
Arriving at the Mayflower Terminal our luggage was immediately whisked away. Embarkation was not due to start until 2.30 but at 1.30 the terminal was already humming with anticipation. With the obligatory 'Welcome Aboard' photograph taken, ticket and passport formalities were quickly completed and after a surprisingly short wait we were able to pass through security and board. Stepping onto the ship you enter the bottom of the four deck high atrium with full length water feature - Aurora really is designed to not disappoint on first impressions!
Smartly dressed stewards stood in line anxious to take our hand luggage and show us to our cabin. Arriving at our cabin we immediately noticed one of our suitcases had beaten us to it! The other arrived shortly thereafter, brought along by our cabin steward who explained his duties and inquired as to what time we would like to be woken each day and with what (tea, coffee, juice, continental breakfast). Should you wish to have a 'lay in' the customary 'Do Not Disturb' hangs on the back of the cabin door.
With the unpacking complete we had a short time to explore the ship before being called to emergency drill and muster stations - about the only thing which is compulsory on board. With the drill finishing shortly before five and the ship sailing at five, we just had time to 'dump' our life jackets in the cabin before going out onto the Promenade Deck for our departure. The band played on the quayside below whilst bar stewards poured glasses of champagne.
As soon as Captain Steve Burgoyne had finished his pre-departure announcement the mooring ropes were let go and we edged off the birth. Only once we were some way clear of the birth were streamers handed out - something tells me that Southampton Port Authority are tired of clearing them up from the quayside!
And so the pattern of shipboard life started. The cruise we were on was entitled 'Mediterranean Magic' - three days at sea then daily calls at Barcelona, Cannes, Elba, Civitavecchia (for Rome), a further day and a half at sea before an afternoon call at Gibraltar, an then finally two further days at sea before arrival back in Southampton.
Weather in the UK had been unseasonably poor and similarly in the Mediterranean - would this be 'magic'? Certainly if the bright evening sun and calm seas of the Solent were anything to go by we were certainly in for a treat.
Outside Areas
Aurora's open deck spaces are well planned for less than perfect weather. Glass screens help to protect the Sun Deck from the wind and similarly the terraces at the stern of the ship provide natural protection - indeed this area really is quite a sun-trap cascading down to the Terrace Pool and Bar; primarily an area for families with children (the children's areas are adjacent) this are was used and enjoyed by all on our cruise.
The Promenade Deck encircles the ship completely, is pleasingly wide and is teak (like much of the outside deck areas). 3.2 times round is a mile - ideal for the pre-breakfast jog to work up an appetite - or that after breakfast walk round to convince yourself you are doing something about the weight you are putting on! Many of the public rooms are situated on this deck and so it is similarly ideal for an after dinner stroll, a breath of fresh air between the evening's entertainment or that final walk before retiring for the night.
The Riviera Pool nestles two decks below the Sun Deck on a A Deck and once again the terraces down to it provide shelter from any wind and make those little sun traps.
However it is the Crystal Pool that is the real innovation for a ship sailing from Southampton. In poor weather a large glass skydome covers the pool and surrounding area giving that sun room feel to the whole area and effectively making the Crystal Pool and indoor pool. This can be retracted in less than five minutes making the area once again outdoor. With early morning showers and chill winds this proved very useful for the first few days of our cruise.
Eating
The weather was kind most of the time - but it is not just sunbathing that one chooses a cruise holiday for is it?! Food of course plays a major part in any cruise and Aurora has four main eating 'venues'. The Alexandria Restaurant situated at the stern and the Medina Restaurant situated amidships are the two main restaurants where everyone has a reserved table for dinner. These restaurants are also open for 'open seating' breakfast which in itself can turn into a multi-course affair. For luncheon just one of the two restaurants operates and similarly for afternoon tea.
Café Bordeaux is a new innovation for P&O giving the passengers the option of 24 hour waited dining. Based on a French Bistro the menu changes through the day to reflect the time. This restaurant operates on a turn up and be seated basis except for normal evening dinner hours when booking is required and a £3.50 per person cover charge made.
On the Lido deck and close to the Crystal Pool is the Orangery. This is a self service restaurant which serves breakfast, morning coffee, ice creams, luncheon, afternoon tea and children's evening 'tea'. Whilst this area is an improvement on the equivalent on Oriana (the Conservatory) it would still be more in place on a cross channel ferry. Never the less it proves a very popular dining spot for many providing most of the restaurant menus with the added bonus of chips, chips and more chips!
On some evenings themed buffets are served (reservation only). Linen table cloths tone down the garish laminate tables and the whole area takes on a completely different more pleasant atmosphere. The Indian Buffet proved extremely popular - and rightly so. P&O's links with the East are legendary, as is the daily lunchtime curry - and this evening buffet is a natural and very welcome extension.
Additionally Aurora has the sidewalk cafe which can be best described as a Macdonalds at sea - enough said?!
As if that were not enough options for eating from time to time through the cruise deck barbecues and deck buffets are also served. Unfortunately weather was too poor for our deck barbecue (and impractical under the skydome due to smoke!), however a 'Neptune's Seafood Buffet' was served on one sea day; this was a spectacle in its own right and proved extremely popular.
So where does all this food come from? One afternoon during most cruises the galley is opened up for passengers to visit and answer this question themselves. Whilst the galley is not in 'full swing' at this time it is a staggering insight into such a large catering operation; the quality and presentation of food on the ship can lull you into a sense of 'just cooked for me' - the galley visit immediately dispels that in one foul swoop as the fact that 'just cooked for me' is actually just cooked for 1800 passengers dawns on you!
Your 'reward' for the galley visit is found at the end where the Alexandria Restaurant is turned into a chocolate lovers paradise for the Chocaholics Buffet - sheer gluttony!
Weather overnight into Barcelona was poor, a force 9 gale and deep swells. Aurora proved her worth as a good sea ship and rode the storm remarkably well and comfortably.
All day weather in Barcelona was poor and we were glad to get back to the ship, which after just three days at see had already become home. The weather had abated slightly by the time of our departure and we sailed at dinner time.
And so followed the pattern for the next three days - the day in port followed by overnight at sea. Cannes was showery at first but then the sun broke through and were treated to our first Mediterranean weather. Elba the following day did not disappoint and despite it being cooler (and once again early morning showers) the weather improved into a glorious afternoon and evening.
As our overnight passage to Civitavecchia was relatively short Captain Burgoyne decided to remain at our anchorage until later in the evening. Watching the sun dip behind the picture postcard island whilst sipping a cocktail in the Crows Nest bar is something that will be difficult to forget!
Public Rooms
So where and how can you spend your time on board? At the top and the 'front' is as good a place as any to start!
The Crows Nest sits directly above the Bridge on Sun Deck (Deck 13) and overlooks the bow with floor to ceiling windows. The windows are not as raked as on her sister Oriana and so the room seems more airy and less enclosed. By day this is an excellent room to just sit and watch the world go by from - and during the early morning and afternoon is quiet and so ideal for reading a book.
Mid morning coffee is served here making it an ideal meeting point. Before luncheon the bar opens and a pianist plays for pre lunch drinks. Similarly a pianist plays for the cocktail hour before dinner. This is one area of the ship where after 6pm the dress code of the evening has to be worn ensuring the ambience of the evening is created.
Later on in the evening a trio or similar may play a few evening sets; the atmosphere is extremely pleasant made all the more so by the friendly (but not overly so) stewards and stewardesses. Many an hour can be spent gazing out to see or sitting up at the bar which has a large model of Strathnaver on the wall behind.
To the Port and Starboard and just aft of the Crows Nest are the Himalaya and Uganda rooms. These make an ideal place to read, or write postcard and are also used for small functions (Rotary Club meetings etc) and private parties. Each room boasts a model of the ship they are named after.
Midships on Arcadia Deck is Weights & Measures, the gymnasium providing and aerobics area and all kinds of gym equipment. Directly above this is Oasis - the beauty salon.
The next main area of public rooms can be found on Devanah Deck (Deck 8) starting with the Library and Card Room on the Starboard side at the top of the Atrium and The Raffles Bar seating area on the Port side. The Library, with its furniture by Lindley is quite contemporary and this theme follows into 'Vanderbilts' the card and games room.
Raffles sits at the top of the Atrium. Because of the disjointed nature of the main seating area to the 'bar area' this is a somewhat strange venue though is ideal for morning coffees or similar.
Directly astern of Raffles is The Playhouse. This is the cinema (quite rare on a newer ship) but is also used for the lectures on forthcoming ports (which were excellence and not full of hard sell for the organised tours). Additionally some of the classical concerts are staged here. Personally I found the atmosphere somewhat austere for the classical concerts and would have preferred an alternative venue.
Walking on from the Playhouse one goes from the Photo Gallery area onto the Café Bordeaux and finally at the stern the children's areas.
For family cruising P&O cannot really be beaten. Children are divided into three age groups, each with their own rooms and 'youth crew' - Toybox is for the 2-5 year olds, Jumping Jacks for the 6-9 year olds and Quarterdecks for the 10-17 year olds. There were only 85 children on on our particular cruise and unless you went out of your way you didn't notice they were on board. Mid Summer holidays it is not unknown for the ship to carry 400 under 17's! However the excellent and sizeable dedicated entertainment staff ensure that the children are both not seen and not heard - unless you choose to join in with their myriad of activities that run from 9.00 am until 2.00 pm (so parents get a holiday too!).
Down one deck to the Promenade Deck (Deck 7) at the aft one finds Carmens. This is the secondary main show lounge and boast the largest dance floor on the ship. By day this area is used for such diverse activities as the ballroom dance classes (very well attended and very much appreciated), the children's fancy dress party right through to bingo. By night the lounge is used for ballroom dancing, cabaret and small shows.
Just forward of Carmens is Champions Sports Bar'. This can be best described as Aurora's pub. Large video screens replay major sporting fixtures and when in satellite contact show them live. During the evening there is a lively atmosphere helped on by such occasions during the cruise as karaoke night etc.
The corridor onward from this up to Masquerade is used as the Art Gallery which displays art for sale; buying art at sea is not something that personally appeals - but judging by the amount of cruise lines now offering this 'service' I am obviously in the minority! The Art Gallery corridor leads to Masquerade. By day this small lounge is used for various activities for both children and adults. By night Masquerade turns in to the ships 'night club' and disco Further forward one finds the second level of the Atrium. Here the main shops can be found as well as the small but very pleasant area called Charlie's; this is described as a champagne and caviar bar. By day this makes and ideal venue for sitting and watching the world go by . Before dinner a pianist plays and after dinner this is an excellent area for liqueur coffee or similar. Charlie's leads directly into Andersons. This is the 'gentleman's club' of the ship. This area seems to be smaller than its equivalent on Oriana and similarly its shape does not allow a good smoking and non smoking divide. None the less this really is a quite impressive room. And finally at the forward end of the Promenade Deck one finds the Curzon Theatre. This really is the 'West End' at sea. Holding over 600, each seat is individually air conditioned and the site lines are just perfect. This is the main show venue of the ship and each night there is either a full blown stage show or a 'headline' cabaret act. Amongst the shows on our cruise we had 'Half A Sixpence', 'Kids From Fame', 'Veva Las Vegas' and the 'Elvis Story'. Cabaret acts included an excellent illusionist, comedian Allan Stewart and singer songwriter Gerard Kenny. And so back to our cruise! Our arrival in Civitavecchia was greeted with our hottest day to date. Rome was everything that one could want for and our return to the ship in the evening really felt like coming home A day and a half at sea followed, bringing us to Gibraltar for a lunch time docking shortly after cousin ship Golden Princess had arrived. With the benefit of being able to compare ship side by side Aurora's better lines and proportions were easily distinguishable! And so after a pleasant but too short stay in Gibraltar (which has improved drastically in the last few years with much more to do) we found ourselves on our way home Two full days at sea passed all too quickly and so we found our selves back at Southampton early on Thursday morning Disembarkation was just as effortless as embarkation - except for having to leave the ship! Aurora, like most ships built in recent years, is stunning with virtually every amenity that one could wish for. She seems to lack a public room or perhaps two, which is once again the modern trend in ship design (less public rooms means less dilution of passengers, less activities / entertainment to organise and ultimately less crew and expense), but she still remains superior to most new-builds in this regard. It is a shame that both outside the Curzon Theatre and Carmens show lounge there are 'bottle necks' and after shows this area can be somewhat overcrowded - more so outside the Curzon Theatre as people tend to linger over a drink in Carmens after the entertainment and so leaving times are staggered (if you pardon the pun). A straw poll of people we met onboard indicated a roughly half half split of Oriana or Aurora being their favourite ship - and most would happily cruise on either ship which means P&O have got something right! Personally I find it difficult to choose between the two; Aurora's Crows Nest is an improvement on Oriana's whilst Oriana's Theatre is somehow superior. Aurora is missing Oriana's Curzon room........but has Café Bordeaux. Six of one and half a dozen of the other really sums things up and I would happily cruise on either ship. Review by Stephen Shirley May 2002 For further information on Aurora and P&O Cruises click here
The Final Word
