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High Style on the High Seas: P&O Cruises’ Azura launches an edgier aesthetic to attract modern cruise connoisseurs.
By Mary Scoviak
Cruising used to be mostly for families and the retirement set. P&O Cruises saw an opportunity to redefine it for the jet set with the launch of the 1,557-berth Azura earlier this year. With its upgraded materials and clearly articulated layout, this sea-going getaway is sending a modern design challenge to the 26 other vessels currently under construction by leading cruise lines as well as its landside competitors. Even hotels could learn a thing or two from its inventive interiors.
The company already had an efficient model for a grand class ship in Azura's sister, the more family-oriented Ventura. Without reinventing the wheel, the line wanted to attract a a younger, travel-savvy market already familiar with five-star hotel standards and lifestyle looks. P&O Cruises' mandate was to deliver a fusion of British-accented sumptuousness and sleekly minimal detailing. Its leadership enlisted the help of specialists to carry out that brief: GEM, Genoa, Italy, as the lead architect; Partnership Design, Hamburg, Germany, for several of the restaurants, lounges and pools; Designteam, London, for the atrium; SMC Design, London, for the state rooms; and Adfecto Design, London, for some restaurants, bars and The Retreat, an adults-only spa terrace.
While passengers expect grand statements in the public space and their private quarters, Azura avoids the trap of trying to recapture the elegance of cruising with Art Deco or Art Nouveau references. The lines of these spaces are clean and contemporary, with eye-catching details like the lobby's lighted stairway and the cabins' sleek built-ins.
What distinguishes the Azura is shamelessly modern design, starting with the atrium. Instead of stuffily traditional wood and neutrals, the three-story space has a colorful, lighted floor, with two glass-and-steel stair towers replacing the marble and polished metal seen in so many other cruise ships. The staterooms take their cue from a state-of-the art hotel, complete with flat-screen TV and a clean, bright color scheme. But it's the restaurants and bars in particular that demonstrate how far cruising has evolved beyond steam-table service or captain's-table formality.
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