We chose a taster 3 night cruise on this venerable ship out of curiosity .Astoria is the oldest cruise ship, built in 1946, with quite a history to her name . ( other than the luxury yacht Sea cloud) and the chance to sail on a " blast from the past was irresistible. Our cruise departed from Tilbury, and it was incredible to see this tiny ship, with her remarkable hull sheer and rows of proper portholes.
Embarkation was fairly speedy, and we were shown to our deck 5 cabin by a friendly young lady. It was ,as a deluxe ocean view, fairly spacious, with a decent size bathroom equipped with a a good range of toiletries , full sized tub and remarkably, a bidet. The bed was rather too firm for our taste, but would be fine for a few days we realised! There was plenty of storage space in the drawers, and a small wardrobe, with 2 fluffy robes hanging for our use, as well as slippers. We were provided with a kettle and cups on a tray, and surprisingly, on embarkation , were given a plate of tiny canapés and a bottle of wine. All in all a very pleasant surprise , especially as it was a taster mini cruise.
We strolled round the curving teak promenade deck, sloping upwards both to stern and prow, then down the steps to enjoy lunch in the open air on the teak after deck, where a buffet lunch was on offer, with nice fresh breads and remarkably low drinks prices. The house wines were decent, and were generously poured by the glass.
Pleasantly furnished, adequate size and providing decent storage for a short cruise. The well equipped bathroom was a lovely surprise.