Hlitner
April 9th, 2008, 11:58 PM
We just returned to Florida from this cruise (today) and I am pasting a review I wrote while on-board:
I am writing this as we at sea along the Brazilian coast, so everything is quite fresh in my mind. To put it simply, this is an outstanding cruise. But, keep in mind that small ship cruising is not a good fit for everyone. This explains some of the major differences of reviews that have been posted regarding Azamara. Let me start by saying what this ship is not! Its certainly not for children or teens since there are very few kids on this ship and there are absolutely no facilities for children or teens. This is also not a ship for those that love the really large mega-ships for their variety, entertainment and activities. This ship does not even have a real theater, but rather is has a single story cabaret with low tech stage. There are no big shows with glitzy costumes, no special effects, etc. The ships’ own entertainment company has 5 talented singers who sing and project their on-stage personalities. On other nights they have other entertainment such as a violinist, singer, etc. There is also a piano bar player, a guitarist, a harpist, and a small 4 piece Brazilian band. There is no indoor pool for bad weather days although the spa does have a small therapy pool (for a price), virtually no PA announcements to tell you about activities, etc. This is a ship targeted to a 50s plus crowd that is content to entertain themselves, make new friends, play cards, read books, etc. In other words, its small ship cruising at its best.
Now, let me talk about this wonderful ship an crew. We have a crew of 409 which is a ratio better than 1 crew member for every two passengers. The crew is fabulous and very friendly. We have a Captain who will stop and chat with anyone, and seems to encourage this attitude throughout all levels of his crew. The ship is immaculate, has the best deck chairs afloat (with 4 inch thick cushions) although there would not be nearly enough deck space and chairs if a majority of the passengers decided to sun bathe.
The best part of this ship is the food. In fact, its some of the best food we have had on any ship (and we have been on more than 50 different ships) so I am going to take some time and explain. One of the alternative restaurants, Aqualina, is an absolute gem. The menu is varied, the food exquisitely presented, the service impeccable, and the food preparation nearly faultless. The young French chef who handles both alternative restaurants is very talented and it shows! As an example, I ordered a simple cold seafood cocktail appetizer which came with 1 lobster tail, 2 huge shrimp, 2 plump oysters on the half-shell, 2 clams, and two crab claws, all presented on a large bed of crushed ice and served with 3 sauces. And this was just a starter. Aquilina also offers a tasting menu which is paired with various wines for $50 per person. This is a fun dinner (6 of us spent 3 ½ hours doing this wine dinner) but we thought the price was a bit high for the quality of the wines. Keep in mind that you are paying $118 a couple (they add the 18% gratuity) but you do get about 5 glasses of wine plus a martini. The other alternative restaurant (Prime C) is a decent steakhouse although we do not think its quite up to the quality of Aquilina. There is a recommended $5 per person gratuity for these restaurants, and there are some limitations on the frequency you can dine in these two places, but its pretty much supply and demand and possible to get reservations several times during a cruise. In our first week (its an 18 day cruise) we dined at Aquilina 3 times and once in Prime C. The main dining room (single seating) is also better than you will find on most larger ships, and since there is no time pressure (no 2nd seating) service is less rushed and more like real dining. During breakfast, the buffet restaurant has a juice bar where you can get fresh orange juice, custom made fruit smoothies, or even a power drink. There is no charge for this service. The have custom made eggs and will also make fresh waffles to order. At lunch they have a small sandwich bar, nice buffet, and pizza (the dough is disappointing). In the Atrium they have a cart with various snacks and pastries that are also free, but strangely they do charge for coffee or tea at this venue. Its possible to grab a plate of snacks and go up 4 floors where there is 24 hour coffee and tea at no charge. For wine lovers, the ship does have a fair wine list, but the prices are typical Celebrity which means overpriced. Most of the cheaper drinkable wines cost about $35 - $45 plus the 18% mandatory gratuity. Unlike many cruise ships, its easy to get drinks such as lemonade, iced tea, and some juices at anytime of the day. But, if you decide to order a draught beer, be prepared to pay nearly $6 for a typically sized mug.
We have heard some grumbling from a few other passengers, but its generally complaints related to the fact that this smaller vessel does not have the amenities they expected from their previous larger ship cruises. In sharing notes with some on-board friends we agreed that the casino design was not an improvement from the old Renaissance vessels. Azamara has slightly enlarged the casino (allowing them to add a large poker table) and removed the piano from the old piano lounge that used to be adjacent to the casino. Now, the piano bar is located in the small atrium (upper level) adjacent to the two ships’ shops. Its not the best atmosphere for a piano bar when you are right outside the brightly lit and open shops (they do not close until 11 pm on sea nights).
........
That is what we wrote last week while still on the cruise. Here are a few additional thoughts. I cannot say enough good things about the alternative Aqualina restaurant. During our 18 day cruise we managed to eat in that venue 7 times and it is the best restaurant we have found in more than 50 cruises. The young French chef that supervises this restaurant did leave the ship in Miami today, so we do not know whether this will have an impact on future quality. For those lobster lovers, you can get fine lobster tail (boiled, broiled or thermidor) anytime you dine at Aqualina (it was not served in the regular dining room). Although there are some limitations to booking multiple visits (only imposed the first couple of days) the maitre'd was very accomodating to those of us who kept asking for more reservations.
We cannot say enough superlatives about the crew. This would apply to everyone from the Captain down to the deck help. In fact, when we left the ship in Miami this morning, there was the Captain at the gangplank saying goodbye and shaking hands of all passengers.
One final thought. As I previously posted, we did hear some complaints from other passengers (we had no complaints until the final breakfast where they could not handle to crowd). We continue to feel that most complaints were related to passengers who booked a small ship and expected it to be just like larger ships. Its a totally different experience that is very "laid back" and not suited to those who want tons of activities, big grand shows, and lots of on-board space. I do fear that there will be problems with next winter's Caribbean cruises when the lack of sufficient deck chairs will cause a lot of problems. On our cruise, even though it was a much older crowd, deck chairs in the shade were generally all gone by 8am. It will be much worse on the Caribbean cruises.
Hank
I am writing this as we at sea along the Brazilian coast, so everything is quite fresh in my mind. To put it simply, this is an outstanding cruise. But, keep in mind that small ship cruising is not a good fit for everyone. This explains some of the major differences of reviews that have been posted regarding Azamara. Let me start by saying what this ship is not! Its certainly not for children or teens since there are very few kids on this ship and there are absolutely no facilities for children or teens. This is also not a ship for those that love the really large mega-ships for their variety, entertainment and activities. This ship does not even have a real theater, but rather is has a single story cabaret with low tech stage. There are no big shows with glitzy costumes, no special effects, etc. The ships’ own entertainment company has 5 talented singers who sing and project their on-stage personalities. On other nights they have other entertainment such as a violinist, singer, etc. There is also a piano bar player, a guitarist, a harpist, and a small 4 piece Brazilian band. There is no indoor pool for bad weather days although the spa does have a small therapy pool (for a price), virtually no PA announcements to tell you about activities, etc. This is a ship targeted to a 50s plus crowd that is content to entertain themselves, make new friends, play cards, read books, etc. In other words, its small ship cruising at its best.
Now, let me talk about this wonderful ship an crew. We have a crew of 409 which is a ratio better than 1 crew member for every two passengers. The crew is fabulous and very friendly. We have a Captain who will stop and chat with anyone, and seems to encourage this attitude throughout all levels of his crew. The ship is immaculate, has the best deck chairs afloat (with 4 inch thick cushions) although there would not be nearly enough deck space and chairs if a majority of the passengers decided to sun bathe.
The best part of this ship is the food. In fact, its some of the best food we have had on any ship (and we have been on more than 50 different ships) so I am going to take some time and explain. One of the alternative restaurants, Aqualina, is an absolute gem. The menu is varied, the food exquisitely presented, the service impeccable, and the food preparation nearly faultless. The young French chef who handles both alternative restaurants is very talented and it shows! As an example, I ordered a simple cold seafood cocktail appetizer which came with 1 lobster tail, 2 huge shrimp, 2 plump oysters on the half-shell, 2 clams, and two crab claws, all presented on a large bed of crushed ice and served with 3 sauces. And this was just a starter. Aquilina also offers a tasting menu which is paired with various wines for $50 per person. This is a fun dinner (6 of us spent 3 ½ hours doing this wine dinner) but we thought the price was a bit high for the quality of the wines. Keep in mind that you are paying $118 a couple (they add the 18% gratuity) but you do get about 5 glasses of wine plus a martini. The other alternative restaurant (Prime C) is a decent steakhouse although we do not think its quite up to the quality of Aquilina. There is a recommended $5 per person gratuity for these restaurants, and there are some limitations on the frequency you can dine in these two places, but its pretty much supply and demand and possible to get reservations several times during a cruise. In our first week (its an 18 day cruise) we dined at Aquilina 3 times and once in Prime C. The main dining room (single seating) is also better than you will find on most larger ships, and since there is no time pressure (no 2nd seating) service is less rushed and more like real dining. During breakfast, the buffet restaurant has a juice bar where you can get fresh orange juice, custom made fruit smoothies, or even a power drink. There is no charge for this service. The have custom made eggs and will also make fresh waffles to order. At lunch they have a small sandwich bar, nice buffet, and pizza (the dough is disappointing). In the Atrium they have a cart with various snacks and pastries that are also free, but strangely they do charge for coffee or tea at this venue. Its possible to grab a plate of snacks and go up 4 floors where there is 24 hour coffee and tea at no charge. For wine lovers, the ship does have a fair wine list, but the prices are typical Celebrity which means overpriced. Most of the cheaper drinkable wines cost about $35 - $45 plus the 18% mandatory gratuity. Unlike many cruise ships, its easy to get drinks such as lemonade, iced tea, and some juices at anytime of the day. But, if you decide to order a draught beer, be prepared to pay nearly $6 for a typically sized mug.
We have heard some grumbling from a few other passengers, but its generally complaints related to the fact that this smaller vessel does not have the amenities they expected from their previous larger ship cruises. In sharing notes with some on-board friends we agreed that the casino design was not an improvement from the old Renaissance vessels. Azamara has slightly enlarged the casino (allowing them to add a large poker table) and removed the piano from the old piano lounge that used to be adjacent to the casino. Now, the piano bar is located in the small atrium (upper level) adjacent to the two ships’ shops. Its not the best atmosphere for a piano bar when you are right outside the brightly lit and open shops (they do not close until 11 pm on sea nights).
........
That is what we wrote last week while still on the cruise. Here are a few additional thoughts. I cannot say enough good things about the alternative Aqualina restaurant. During our 18 day cruise we managed to eat in that venue 7 times and it is the best restaurant we have found in more than 50 cruises. The young French chef that supervises this restaurant did leave the ship in Miami today, so we do not know whether this will have an impact on future quality. For those lobster lovers, you can get fine lobster tail (boiled, broiled or thermidor) anytime you dine at Aqualina (it was not served in the regular dining room). Although there are some limitations to booking multiple visits (only imposed the first couple of days) the maitre'd was very accomodating to those of us who kept asking for more reservations.
We cannot say enough superlatives about the crew. This would apply to everyone from the Captain down to the deck help. In fact, when we left the ship in Miami this morning, there was the Captain at the gangplank saying goodbye and shaking hands of all passengers.
One final thought. As I previously posted, we did hear some complaints from other passengers (we had no complaints until the final breakfast where they could not handle to crowd). We continue to feel that most complaints were related to passengers who booked a small ship and expected it to be just like larger ships. Its a totally different experience that is very "laid back" and not suited to those who want tons of activities, big grand shows, and lots of on-board space. I do fear that there will be problems with next winter's Caribbean cruises when the lack of sufficient deck chairs will cause a lot of problems. On our cruise, even though it was a much older crowd, deck chairs in the shade were generally all gone by 8am. It will be much worse on the Caribbean cruises.
Hank