Italy Greece Croatia Cruise

We went on a one-week Royal Caribbean cruise of the Greek Islands last year, one that started and ended in Limassol and really enjoyed it. So we thought we'd give it another try. We went down to Century Travel in Paphos and discussed this with Zoe. We decided this time to fly to Malta and catch a P&O cruise on the "Azura".

We drove down to Larnaca where we caught a Qatar flight to Valletta. Our son Philip came with us and drove the car back home, via an unscheduled trip to Ayia Napa, having missed a left turn onto the motorway. The trip to Valletta was uneventful, but we were pleasantly surprised to be served a nice glass of wine and a lovely salad on the flight that we hadn't expected.

We had booked a taxi online to take us from the airport to Sliema, just across the harbour from Veletta where we were staying at the Two Pillows Boutique Hostel. There was quite a lot of traffic and roadworks so it took about half an hour. The receptionist was very helpful telling us places to see and where to eat. The bottom two floors hold rooms that house up to 6 people, while the top two floors hold normal rooms. Our room, yes you've guessed it, was on the top floor and there was no lift as it is in a restricted building area. Neil carried one suitcase up the 64 stairs, while the girl on reception very kindly carried the other, while Sue struggled with the hand-luggage. The room was very spacious and had a very large veranda area with sun-loungers, a table and a view of the Grand Harbour. The hotel boasts a sauna and a Jacuzzi, unfortunately we didn't really have time to sample these.

The hotel is very well placed. You descend a steep road for about 200 metres to get to the quayside, where the ferry leaves regularly to cross the harbour to Valletta. It costs €3.60 return and the trip lasts about 10 minutes. A couple of the hop-on-op-off buses leave from there also and it is a bus terminus for several bus lines. There is a very nice cafe at the bottom of the hill called The Busy Bee and there are convenience stores as well as a Marks & Spenser. We bought a couple of bottles of gin and some large bottles of tonic to put in the minibar in our cabin on the cruise liner, as we had already decided that the P&O drinks package definitly was not good value for money, unlike that on the Royal Caribbean cruises.

That evening we took the ferry to Valletta, had a look round and had a meal in one of the outside restaurants. Many of the streets are steep uphill or downhill climbs, so we were quite ready for a sitdown, a drink and a meal. Valletta is quite lovely and we could have spent more time wandering around, but we'd had quite a tiring day. We didn't realise the ferry stops for a couple of hours around 9:30pm, so we had a bit of a wait to get back to Sliema. That's when the uphill climb to our hotel felt a bit much.

The second day we had a trip booked to the Blue Lagoon on Comino, the island just North of the main island of Malta. As we had to catch a bus (the 212) rather early and the Busy Bee was not going to be open in time for breakfast we'd bought a couple of pastries from there the night before to take with us. The bus timetables on Malta are all to cock, so we had a bit of a wait for the bus that would take us to Buggiba, which is where the boat was leaving from. I think the cost was about €2 for the single ticket and the jouney, part of which was along the coast, took about an hour.

The trip was run by Hornblower Cruises. We had a lovely trip to the Blue Lagoon. The captain pointed out several interesting items on the way and went very close to some of the spectacular caves that other boats just passed. Having arrived at the Blue Lagoon we paid a bit extra to take a powerboat ride around the headland to see various caves. This was well worth the extra expense and the youg guy driving the powerboat was very informative. He took the boat into most of the caves and pointed out various features. On the way back to the boat he opened up the throttle and really let it rip. Everyone on board thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately Sue realised that she had managed to drop her favourite pair of sunglasses that she'd bought in New Zealand into the sea.

After this several people jumped into the water for a swim, but we stayed on board while the captain ferried a group across to Gozo, where they went on a bus tour of that island. We then came back to the Blue Lagoon and used the water slide on the side of the boat to get into the water. It was gorgeous - warm and crystal clear. We stayed there for a few hours, then the captain up-anchored and again travelled across to Gozo to pick up the guys who did that tour of the island. Then it was back to Buggiba, by which time it was getting quite choppy and a lot cooler. Interestingly we recognised and chatted to the steward and a passenger who was on our Qatar flight the previous day.

When we got back to Buggiba harbour we waited at the bus-stop for the 212 bus to come (it does a round-trip journey). Several busses passed us by as we didn't know that we could have got on any of these to take us to the bus terminus and catch a 212 bus from there - hey-ho. Anyway we eventually got back to Sliema, had a shower and got ready to go to Valletta again for a meal. We ate in a restaurant next to the ferry and unfortunately had to rush our meal at the end in order to get on the ferry before it had its 2-hour break at 9:30.

The third day we had a trip booked on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus that tours Southern Malta. It is a nice way of seeing the sights so long as the weather is good, which it was. The bus toured round Valletta and other citties and towns. We had planned on stopping at the Marsaxlokk fishing village, but in the end decided to keep on the bus to get to the Blue Grotto, which is what we really wanted to experience.

We got off the bus and walked along the road until we came to the last restaurant, the Step In, where we had a nice meal. We spent some time watching some scuba divers getting kitted up then submerging in the water next to the quayside. Then we went down the ramp to the Blue Grotto Services Ticket Office where we bought a ticket each for a boat trip. We waited for a family to be whisked off before stepping up as this meant we had our choice of seats. The fisherman took us to various caves and maneouvered the boat into most of them.

The caves were stunning, but we felt the trip was a bit rushed and it would have benefitted with a bit more time being spent in the caves themselves. When we got back we wended our way up the hill only to realise that Neil had left his rucksack with all our paraphernalia, including wallet, in the boat. He scampered off back to the quayside, where luckily the fisherman was having a smoke with his friends and so managed to get the rucksack back without any hassle - phew.

We had an ice-cream and a walk along the cliff before making our way back to wait for the bus. Did I tell you that the bus timetables on Malta are all to cock? Instead of the 10 minutes it took about an hour, but eventually the bus arrived and about an hour later we were getting off it at the quayside in Sliema. We had planned to make a reservation for Guze Bistro in Valletta, but we were both rather tired and not really feeling all that hungry, so we had wine and a snack on the veranda, which was a pity as we really did like the look of this Michelin rated restaurant, but we both agreed, we could not have done it justice.

Although Valletta is gorgeous with a wealth of history, from what we could see, the rest of Malta is not that interesting and is rather rundown. While parts of Cyprus are also rundown, it is in a charming rustic way, we did not get that feeling about Malta. While we would probably visit Valetta again, we don't think we would enjoy staying on Malta for an extended period.

We had contacted Century Travel to see when we might be able to board the cruise liner, since there was no time on our boarding passes. P&O told them 1pm, so we lounged around at the hotel till about 12pm before taking an eCabs taxi they ordered for us to the Cruise terminal at Floriana, just the other side of Valetta. The receptionist was a darling and she and another girl were ever so good and carried our cases for us down the 64 stairs. We couldn't fault the hotel and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. The taxi driver was not au fait with the cruise terminal and didn't drop us off at the correct spot. After a bit of toing and froing lugging our cases we managed to find a way to the registration hall, which was a bit of a nightmare as the scanner had broken down. Eventually we dropped off our bags and were registered then walked to the ship at about 1:30, only to find that we could have arrived anytime from 9am so missing the large crowds of people that had flown in that day to join the cruise. This, and other matters, left us quite unimpressed with the way P&O keeps their guests informed (or rather they don't keep their guests informed).

On boarding we went straight to our room, where our cruise passes were waiting for us. We checked a few things and found the small fridge never got cold. We pointed this out to our steward, but it still took 2 or 3 days to get it replaced. We also asked the steward for body lotion, as that was missing from the bathroom and an ice bucket, both of which he was happy to provide. We also found that the sachets of milk were full-fat, but we just mentioned it to him and hey-presto, semi-skimmed sachets appeared as if by magic.

We watched the safety video, then went to our muster station to have our cruise passes scanned. then it was time to explore. Compared to our previous cruise the Azura is huge. Our cabin was at the front and the corridor outside our door that went all the way to the back of the ship seemed longer than any of the PAR-5 holes on our local golf course. Of course most of the restaurants were at the back of the ship, but at least the walk meant that we'd worked up quite an appetitie on the way to our meals. We found it very strange that you couldn't actually walk around a whole deck ouside. At some point you either had to go up r down a deck to carry on, or go inside.

One advantage of being so near to the front was that we were very close to the Oasis pool. This was a small pool with 2 jacuzzis that was designated for adults only. It was also next to a select area on the ship and I think people thought it was semi private, so not too many people used that area, which suited us both fine.

When our cases arrived we were horrified to find that the wheel and the whole corner of one of the cases has been completely ripped off. We complained to reception and they took the case and said they'd get it fixed. We eventually got it back about 5 days later and it was in a sorry state, but just about usable. When we complained we were told that it wasn't P&O's fault as it may have happened at the airport. When we pointed out we'd wheeled it to the registration area and left it in their care in perfect condition we were then told again that it wasn't P&O's responsibility and if we wanted compensation we'd have to claim it off our travel insurance (which has a £150 excess). This is not the sort of customer service I'd expect from a world renowned company.

Tonight was a formal night and we decided to eat in one of the speciality restaurants, Sindhu, which served Indian fusion dishes. It was gorgeous and we both enjoyed it very much. we then went to see a show and while it was quite good it wasn't a patch on the Barricade Boys who entertained us on the Royal Caribbean cruise.

I believe one of the flights with guests was delayed arriving in Malta so we were quite a bit late leaving port - round about 10:30pm. Next day was a whole day at sea on route to Taranto in Southern Italy.

Not a lot to say really. A relaxing day doing not a lot. This helped to recharge our batteries that had started to run down at the end of our stay in Malta. We ate in our designated restaurant and had quite a pleasant meal. We were tucked away on a table for two and next to our table was another couple who were very pleasant. After dinner we went to see another show.

We were up a little early today to see the ship dock in Taranto. We had breakfast and got ready to go on the shore excursion that we had booked some weeks ago online.

The first part of the excursion was a trip to the Castellana Caves These are absolutely amazing and if you are ever in the area of Apulia you really must visit them. We took the short tour, which is about a kilometre long and takes just under an hour. The guide is very knowledgable and the sights we saw were spectacular.

Everywhere you look there is something to see. When you look at some of the formations you think you see something you recognise then you move your head slightly and you can see something completely different.

At the end of the tour you are 70 metres below ground level, but luckily you don't have to climb all the way back up, there is a set of lifts that do the hard work for you.

The second part of the excursion was a trip to Poligliano, which has a charming old quarter with narrow alleys and tiny shops. We had a spot of really tasty local fare takeaway lunch and an ice-cream (when in Rome) before embarking on the trip through the old town. The guide again was very knowledgable and made the walk quite interesting. There were some platforms overlooking the sea far below us. The guide explained that these had been used a few weeks beforehand for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Watch parts of this video for some serious action.

We ate in one of the speciality restaurants tonight, the Beach House. Sue decided to have the 8 oz beef fillet on lava rock, which was perfect since she likes her steak blue and often it gets overcooked, but not when you are doing the cooking yourself at the table - yummee!

On the way back we passed lots of trulli wich are traditional Apulian dry stone huts with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley. Sue must have taken about 50 pictures of these as the coach sped past them, trying to get a good one.

We arrived at Corfu quite early and while Sue got to see the docking Neil was slugabed and missed it. We had breakfast then disembarked to join a shore excursion "The Best of Corfu". It was actually a good way to get a feel for the island and we were glad we'd booked it. The island gets quite a lot of rain and is famous for its huge olive groves. It certainly is green and a place we'd like to come back to to visit.

We started out with a drive to Paleokastritsa, a charming little seaside village and one of the oldest (if not THE oldest) villages on Corfu. It is claimed that its inhabitants helped Odysseus during his epic journey around the Mediterranean. Poseidon though was furious with Odysseus and on its return turned the ship they had transported him on to stone, along with all the sailors. The petrified ship can be seen in the bay, although of course it might just be a small island like lots of others. There are half a dozen coves and bays here and the water is crustal clear. A lot of tourists stay here in the summer, but when we were there it was not too busy.

We were then driven to Mon Repos, the residence where Prince Philip, Queen Elisabeth the Second's husband, was born. Neil toured the residence, while Sue made her way to the sea below to take some photos.

After this we went to a village taverna for some lunch and to watch a young couple demonstrate Greek dancing, which seems to be a lot of fancy footwork with the word "Huppa" being shouted out at random, as well as dancing with a table clampled between your teeth. Neil and others attempted to do some dancing and thankfully it was very similar to the Hokie-Kokie that we do in the UK, so they didn't completely embarass themselves, just a bit!

Following this was a trip to some restaurants overlooking the airport and the lake, across which you could just make out (with a bit of imagination) the house that the Durrells used to live in when they resided on Corfu. There is a traffic light on the road that must strictly be obeyed as it stops traffic passing the end of the runway when planes are taking off. Cars who have ignored this have ended up being bowled over by the jet exhausts. A policeman is permanently stationed there now to prevent recurrences of this.

Finally it was back to Corfu town for a private walk around before catching the coach back to the ship. Our guide was a Greek who was brought up in Swansea, where his father had emigrated years ago from Corfu and he was quite a character.

After breakfast we caught a shuttle bus into Dubrovnik. We decided to "do our own thing" today and didn't go on an official shore excursion. It took about 10 minutes to get to the town and the bus dropped us off right outside one of the main gates. However, we didn't go into the town right away, rather we walked back up the hill for about 10 minutes, up to the cable car that carries people up to the hill directly above the town itself. The cable car is quite expensive at 30 euros each, but the views from the top are spectacular.

Having descended on the cable car we had a short walk through part of the city, then took a boat trip around Lokrum Island, before returning and walking some more around the town. We stopped at a nice restaurant for a bite to eat and after more exploring and the inevitable ice-cream we caught the shuttle back to the ship.

We spent a bit of time around the Oasis pool again. Then we had dinner in our designated restaurant and had a chat with the couple on the neighbouring table. We never made it to the show this evening. We were quite tired so after dinner we went straight to bed instead.

Prior to coming on the cruise we booked separately, via GetYourguide, a trip to Krka national park. This is because the shore excursion organised by P&O was booked up. While in Corfu I found that there were now spaces and since the GetYourGuide trip was cancellable without penalty we changed to the one organised by P&O, even though it was slightly more costly. Having talked to someone onboard who didn't make it back to the ship on time once while on a private tour they were lucky the ship didn't sail without them since an official tour bus got caught up in an accident and was an hour later than they were.

We were driven to Krka National Park were we spend several hours walking at our own pace along the walkway over the streams and by the waterfalls. It is a magical place, especialy when there are only a few tourists. We really loved this place, a beautiful part of nature, very calming. After a rest at the restaurant area we boarded a riverboat that took us down to Skradin where the coach was waiting to take us back to the cruise ship.

We ate at the Epicurian speciality restaurant this evening and the food was excellent.

Not a lot to say really. A lot of lounging around and reading. We went to the Glasshouse speciality restaurant for a meal in the evening and it was really good.

We arrived back in Valletta. We had planned to have another look around Valletta as our flight back to Cyprus wasn't until later in the afternoon. However, we both felt quite fatigued and just lay on a couple of sunbeds by the Oasis pool and read, or went in the Jacuzzi. Eventually we left the ship and hailed a taxi to the airport. When we arrived the taxi driver charged us 45 euros, not the 25 he'd said at the start of the journey. "No" he said, "You must have misheard. It is 45 euros for that journey". We tried arguing the toss that it had only cost 20 euros originally in the opposite direction, but he was adamant. This left a nasty taste in our mouths at the end of a lovely holiday.

We flew back Ryanair to Paphos - a bit different from Qatar, where Philip picked us up and we drove back home. By this time we were both feeling exhausted. So much so that we took a rapid COVID test and found we were both positive. Although we tested negative the following week we are still feeling the after-effects several weeks later.

All in all we really enjoyed this holiday and would definitely do something like it again, although maybe next time on a smaller cruise ship.