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April 19, 2010

Azura, Plain Sailing

It was finally time to pack the bags, DJ and passports, jump in the car and head down to Southampton clutching a very impressive looking invitation. We were on our way to the naming ceremony and gala dinner for P&O’s latest unveiling. The Azura is the newest addition to the P&O fleet, a magnificent and awesome superliner costing some £380m. One key feature of the Azura is its new Glasshouse Restaurant & Wine bar created by wine guru Olly Smith. We are very proud to be one of the wine suppliers with some C&B favourites such as Les Sétilles from Olivier Leflaive, PSI from Peter Sisseck, Malbec from Achaval Ferrer and Gewurztraminer from Domaine Trapet. We have also secured a fleet deal on our Prosecco, again in close collaboration with Olly.

The day had started well with a quick two hour blast on the mountain bike through the Surrey Hills to make some room for the delights to come. What’s more, the Met Office were forecasting the warmest weekend of the year. Things were about to get better. As we approached Dock Gate 4, the Azura was hard to miss, a sleek, modern looking boat, still spotlessly white. She sat there rather like a bride on her wedding day, full of anticipation about what was to come, not only for her grand day, but for the exciting lifetime in front of her.

The added beauty of hosting an event on board was that we got to stay the night in one of the new plush cabins with a wonderful view over the Southampton Docks. Not quite the Med, but hey the sun was shining. So this was mine and Olivia’s first cruise so speak, although we would not actually be going anywhere. Once settled in we headed up to the top deck for that very British tradition of tea and cakes. Splendid! The selection was awesome, firing the adrenaline on what was to come.

We did a quick reccy to see what all the hype was about, plus I was keen to check out the Glasshouse. I had seen the plans and artist impressions, but the final product was better than my already high expectations. The team has done a great job with the Glasshouse. Beautifully well designed and presented glass cabinets nurse each of the wines, neatly positioned in rows. Sitting at the back of the bar a Cruvinet system houses a selection of wines by the glass, selected to match the regularly changing menu. I take my hat off to P&O for promoting wine in such a positive, but crucially fun way.


After a swift pint at the bar with Rebecca Palmer and her partner Kevin, we donned our black tie and join the 1200 guests for a glass or two of Taittinger on the main decks. Thankfully the Met Office’s forecast has proved to be correct in the main, if not a little chilly in the wind. The other guests included lots of well known faces from Strictly Come Dancing, Holly Oaks, Emmerdale, tv and media in general along with regular passengers, Carnival staff and a host of suppliers etc. The guest of honour and godmother was the stunning Darcey Bussell CBE who named the Azura in some style, followed by an impressive firework display which brought Southampton to a complete standstill.

The gala dinner was a fantastic affair and we were extremely proud that the Passopisciaro from Andrea Franchetti had been selected as the main red wine for the dinner. For me, this served as a excellent synergy between the wine and the Azura, both from classic stocks, but with a modern, dynamic, fun, yet highly professional and unique style. It was a very fun evening. Whilst I am not sure that a long cruise would personally be my thing, for those that do, I can see Azura being a benchmark ship. I must also take my hat off to the P&O team on board for organizing such a professional event, especially the gala dinner. Chapeau!

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