Azura Cruise Blog – Part Five
Read about my fifth day aboard the Azura.
We arrived into our final port of call of Stavanger in Southern Norway around 09:00 in the morning and were greeted by heavy rain and temperatures of just 14 degrees – which wasn’t that great. After popping along to the buffet for a small breakfast, I headed ashore for a little while. Whilst enjoying breakfast we were joined in port by the AidaSol.
I had previously visited Stavanger seven years ago when I sailed aboard the QEII. I remember my visit to Stavanger well because I went in a helicopter and flew over the Norwegian Fjords and over the ship! It was certainly a memorable and exhilarating experience; something of which I will never forget.
I walked the very short distance into the city centre and strolled around some of the shops and market stalls before catching a sightseeing bus which took me on a 45 minute tour of Stavanger. The guide was very informative and she had a real passion for her city. Once the tour was over it was beginning to come over very dark so I headed back to the ship.
Once back on board I had a small drink in the Java (Costa Coffee) bar before doing a bit of laundry and then getting a spot of lunch at the buffet. The sun was starting to come out so I found a nice table on the open deck by the pool and sat there for a while and listened to the music before it was time for the Great British Sail Away – the ultimate pool party. We were due to set sail at 15.30 local time however due to a technical issue with the ship our departure was post-poned by two-hours. That however did not stop the Cruise Director; Neil Oliver, and his entertainment team who decided to keep partying with the crowd during the Great British Sail Away event until we eventually set sail. I bet they are knackered after almost two hours of constant singing and dancing! Once we finally departed Stavanger, I headed back to my stateroom to get ready for the second-to-last evening on board.
As the clock rolled around to almost half past six, I headed on up to The Planet Bar for a pre-dinner mocktail. The theme on this particular evening was America – the land of the free; and it featured various video footage of the Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty – just some of the amazing sights you’ll find in the US of A. For dinner, I went to the Venezia buffet for a change and enjoyed some “Country and Western” food, which was nice. I didn’t really like anything on the dinner menu in the main restaurants so I thought I may as well try something else.
After dinner I went for a stroll through the photo gallery and ended up purchasing several photographs that I had taken during the cruise. I then ended up spending even more money in the on board boutiques. Once I was shopped out, it was time for the final drink of the evening and then off to bed.
