Your latest comments

Thank you all for your comments, I do appreciate hearing from the blog readers and wanted to reply to your latest messages:

Hi Neil
Thank you for the replies to the messages, when I was at sea all the P&O ships were registered in the UK which was great a great British company with British registered ships.
Hope the Volcanic plume does not affect the passengers too much on their return to Soton. I suppose it would have been worse had it happened during the Winter months when you were cruising out of the Caribbean.
Regards Geoff Witts Perth

Dear Geoff,
I believe our passengers were in the best place as although we had to re-schedule some of our entertainment we had something great every evening. Tomorrow we have the brilliant Brian Conolly in the Playhouse theatre which everyone is looking forward to. Plus with the great ports of call and excellent food, I know where I would rather be....

Hi Neil
Aurorabore here (I call myself Aurorabore because I go on and on about how much I love Aurora) - Lol :-)
Lovely to read your replies to some of the posts that have been left.
It is great to hear that Bennie has been promoted to cruise director. Would you please pass on my congratulations to her.
Well apart from the flights disrupting even those on a cruise and the missed port due to high winds how are things going on the maiden cruise? Is everything falling into place. I did notice a lot of familiar staff onboard and I think it's good that the company have presumably got a mixture of old and new staff onboard. The oldies can show the new staff just what a P & O passenger expects.
I love stepping back on any of the ships in the fleet to see familiar faces. To me it's like coming home to a family reunion most cruises. This is what I think makes them so special. There aren't many holidays where you see the same familiar faces time and time again.
Today DD and I have been down to visit her friend, an officer onboard Artemis. Even there we saw familiar faces. It was a short but sweet visit (as turnaround days usually are). It was the first time I've been on Artemis. I can see why she appeals to the older P & O passenger. She reminded very much of a smaller version of Canberra ;-0)
Well been up since 6am to get down to Southampton so going to sign off. Keep up the good work with the blog.
Elaine (aurorabore) Brady

Dear Elaine,
I have already passed on your best wishes to Benne and she is looking forward to taking over from me in two weeks time. The Maiden cruise is going particularly well there is a great atmosphere onboard. We have had some really nice touches - for example just before we sailed from Venice we booked four gondoliers to serenade our passengers by the pool and we also showed it live on our great new SeaScreen.

Neil,
Nice to see your smiling face again.
Richard and I are really looking forward to our cruise on Azura (8th August), having had a great time on her sister ship Ventura 2 years ago.
It will be great to be onboard with you again, having sailed with you as our Cruise Director 3 times already (Arcadia, Ventura, Arcadia).
All the best,
Ian and Richard

Dear Ian and Richard,
Thanks very much for your message. Three times already, well I will have to start getting some new suits! Don't leave it too long before we see you here on Azura.

Hi Neil - Thanks for getting in touch with Pat for us seems we are missing a fabulous cruise, have had texts from them saying so, only sorry we missed out on this cruise with them, never mind we have Christmas and New Year with them to look forward too.
Ros

Dear Ros,
Are you counting the days yet? Christmas and New Year is always a very special time on board all of our ships and all the wonderful extra activities make it very exciting.

Hi Neil
You are doing a good job-don't know how you are finding time with the maiden voyage and the problems with air travel. Well done.
I wish I was on the maiden voyage! Did consider it but not my best time of year work wise and I did get the disappointment of the Aurora maiden out of the way by doing ventura's maiden. Enjoyed looking over Azura on the Thursday and the lunch. Sorry I didn't get the chance to speak to you. i am coming on Azura on 26 November with the girls, hope you are on then.
Bennie was our cruise director on Ventura in December, she was excellent. Always thought she would make a good Cruise Director, said the same of you after Canberra's Farewell although at the time we were surprised to see you as an ents officer having met you on Oriana when you were the Dance Instructor.
Keep up the good work - you have a tradition to keep after the good job Nigel did when he took over from James.
Best Wishes
Jean

Dear Jean,
You have a great memory to remember the days when I was dance instructor - coincidentally my dance partner Paula who I was working with then is here with us on Azura teaching the passengers this cruise.

Dear Neil
I have just booked our first cruise on Azura for the 8 August. This will be for our honeymoon and I am so excited! I have been following the blog and look forward to meeting you all.
Best wishes
Bronia Macon

Dear Bronia,
You have made an excellent choice with booking Azura and congratulations!! The added bonus is that all of your honeymoon photos will have excellent scenery and great backdrops.


All the best for now,

Speak soon,

Neil