Azamara Quest, Venice to Rome, October - Another View

[Boreus]

Another cruiser who was also on the October 7 to 17 voyage of the Quest has posted a review with which I agree in part and disagree in part, particularly about dinners. My take on the trip is at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=59414

[suec12]

I read your review Boreus and its too bad the dinners were disappointing - altho it sounds like it was primarily the entrees? Did you request an additional entree when you were not happy or in your opinion, were all the choices sub-par? And did you try the specialty restaurants for dinner? We are booked on two Azamara cruises in the coming year and I will be bummed if I don't enjoy the dining.

[gosport11]

You will find that the main dining room is closed at lunch times when in port !:D

[maryann ns]

It does seem that his impressions of the food are contrary to most. I will soon be able to post my review!

[Boreus]

You are right that my disappointment was primarily with the entrees. The only dish I sent back was the mini-Baked Alaska. I don't send back dishes, but the mini-Baked Alaska deserved it in my opinion, and I knew there were better desserts available. Another person at my table ordered mini-Baked Alaska and didn't like it but did not join me in sending it back, so there are all kinds of opinions. I suspect maryanne ns will have different views, and I look forward to seeing them.

[gillianrose]

You will find that the main dining room is closed at lunch times when in port !:D

Thanks for the reminder. That is why we haven't cruised with Azamara yet.

[Susan-M]

Thanks for the reminder. That is why we haven't cruised with Azamara yet.

I know this is quite important to you as you've mentioned it previously, but I think if you are at all interested in trying Azamara and are holding out because of this one issue, it's too bad, because there are so many wonderful things about Azamara that you are missing.:)

[Fredr]

Hello,

We were on the Azamara Quest in January- February of 2009 (Far East).

Both my DW and I thought that the food overall was very good to excellent. We became friends with a couple who live in a city famous for its many outstanding restaurants. They have been to many of this city's restaurants and came to the same conclusion that we did...the food was very good to excellent on the Quest.

When reading reviews about food on cruise ships, I go to the old standby which is the bell shape curve. I throw out the statements that praise the food to the heavens. I also throw out the excessively negative comments such as "none of the entrees were cooked to my satisfaction".

Somewhere in the middle there will be a consensus as to the quality of the food on a cruise ship.

[Redtravel]

I liked the Azamara food. It was good, not gourmet. My only negative was the weak coffee. However, some of our friends did not like the food. We all have different tastes. If there is something that you don't like, send it back... and tell the staff what you really want. Azamara tries to listen to its guests.

[gillianrose]

I know this is quite important to you as you've mentioned it previously, but I think if you are at all interested in trying Azamara and are holding out because of this one issue, it's too bad, because there are so many wonderful things about Azamara that you are missing.:)

(The issue Susan-M mentions is about the dining room being closed in ports.) Yes, it is very important to us, especially on port-intensive cruises, since we would want to turn some port days into ship days.

I do want to try Azamara very much (we have a lot of credits on Celebrity), and perhaps a MUCH less port-intensive cruise would fit the bill, but we don't want to do a trans-ocean cruise, nor do we want to pay a price similar to what we are willing to pay on other cruise lines that offer dining room lunches on port days

[Susan-M]

.... nor do we want to pay a price similar to what we are willing to pay on other cruise lines that offer dining room lunches on port days

Hi Gillian,
Just wondering which lines offer lunch in the MDR on port days that are similar in pricing to Azamara?
thanks,

[TERRIER1]

Oceania offers lunch in the MDR on port days. I don't know how similar pricing is since pricing for Azamara seems to be all over the place on any given day.

[gillianrose]

Hi Gillian,
Just wondering which lines offer lunch in the MDR on port days that are similar in pricing to Azamara?
thanks,

Crystal Cruises had some sailings in standard cabins (ocean view cabins 200+ square feet) that cost the same or even less than some Azamara sailings in cabins at least 200 square feet in size. Crystal offers a served lunch in the main dining room every day whether one is in port or not, and it includes all non-alcoholic beverages.

All standard gratuities are included by most TA's who specialize in selling Crystal. On Azamara that is seldom included.

[Fredr]

Hello,

You cannot compare Azamara with any other cruise line. You pay much more on Oceania and especially Crystal, and this means you have every right to expect top notch everything. With Azamara the value is astonishing, that is, for comparatively less money you get (in my opinion) a first rate cruise experience.

[gillianrose]

Hello,

You cannot compare Azamara with any other cruise line. You pay much more on Oceania and especially Crystal, and this means you have every right to expect top notch everything. With Azamara the value is astonishing, that is, for comparatively less money you get (in my opinion) a first rate cruise experience.

The point of my post (just above yours) was that it is not always true that Azamara will cost less than a more luxurious line that includes more. You have to look at sailings on a case by case basis. Some Crystal sailings work out to be the same or less than Azamara.

Usually Azamara will cost less, but not always.