All Aboard

ALL ABOARD.

CRUISING does provide for a relaxing holiday. We sailed on the P&O cruise liner, Azura from Ocean Terminal in Southampton.

Azura is a modern ship which offers a fabulously wide range of restaurants and bars. The three deck atrium is home to an excellent assortment of shops, a library and an extremely popular coffee bar, Java.

There are four swimming pools with pool bars aboard, along with sports facilities and SeaScreen, an open air cinema.

Our cabin had a decor of light wood and neutral colour with lots of maritime artwork. Its large balcony is equipped with a table and chairs.

There is the choice between club dining, when passengers eat at the same time and same table each night or freedom dining where the can make their own choice daily.

We arrived at Vigo and boarded a coach to Santiago de Compostela for a walking tour through its medieval cobbled streets.

Our next stop was the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, then onto Cadiz to take part in the Sights of Seville tour, which included the Alcazar and the Jewish Santa Cruz Quarter.

Casablanca was out next port of call we went on the Highlights of Casablanca and visited the Hassan II Mosque.

Aboard the chefs gave culinary demonstrations in the various restaurants.

Our final stop was the Royal Navy base of Gibralter, a place that I had never visited despite having served in the Royal Marines. We went to the top of the rock and saw the only colony of Barbary Apes in Europe before admiring the Alameda Botanical Gardens.

Next day was our final one at sea en route for Southampton where the disembarkation process was smooth and efficient.