tgg
April 14th, 2008, 01:19 PM
Dear Azamara,
We’ve just returned from the March 29 Quest 14 day sailing in the Caribbean and were in cabin 4037 in case you want to put a name with this musing. We sailed on the Quest when it was the Renaissance R-7, and we’re regulars on Oceania. The reason we took this cruise was to check out what you’ve done with the ship and to see how it compares to Oceania in terms of food, service, décor, and general ambience. Oceania prices have risen considerably since our last cruise four months ago and we’re trying to array our options.
Here’s what we think you’re doing better than Oceania:
Our cabin was kept spotlessly clean and neat. Edwin Joves, our butler, greeted us by name and was unfailingly pleasant. His assistant was a lovely woman with a fantastic smile whose name I have, unfortunately, forgotten.
Your redecoration beats Oceania hands down. The cabins are more tastefully done, with softer colors. Gone is the garishness and excess gilt and that terrible blue-patterned carpeting. Well done. It means a lot to come back to a relaxing look in a cabin at the end of the day. Because we had a chance to see many of the other cabins, we know that this is true from top to bottom.
Your entertainment is also superior to Oceania’s. With a guitar player, a harpist, a piano player, a trio, 5 great entertainers, and a hot orchestra, not to mention DJ Gio in the Looking Glass, there was always music when we wanted it. The music wasn’t intrusive, just available. It added much to the enjoyment of our cruise.
You had a nice representation of your senior staff at our cruisecritic get together. Heike, your hotel manager, stayed and chatted with people when, I’m sure, she had lots of other things she could have been doing. We all felt that you were glad we were on board.
Thanks for keeping the forward view on Deck 11 available to everyone, instead of converting it, as Oceania has done, to private cabanas.
The chocolate truffles left at our bedside were fantastic and melted in your mouth. To me that means you’re using quality ingredients and that you care about details.
The fresh flowers and fruit in the cabin are a nice touch. Loved the red roses.
Here are our suggestions for change/improvement:
I understand that this cruise was the first for a new menu, so that may have been why there were some glitches with food service. Although the waiters were polite, it took much too long to get through dinner on some nights at tables for 6 or 8. Tables for 2 did not seems to have the same problem.
On Oceania we never have a problem sharing a table for 4. That should be possible on Azamara.
It would be nice to have quiet classical music at breakfast instead of that annoying and intrusive elevator music.
Oceania gives out points for first, second, and third place winners at trivia and other games. At the end of the cruise you can redeem your accumulated points for the selection of your choice. On Azamara you either win or you don’t. And after you’ve won several times, you start getting duplicates of the prizes you already have. How many Blackberry holders do people need? (Most people on this cruise didn’t know what a Blackberry is!) It also means that more people go home with something rather than nothing. I’m sure you could rustle up a few more bookmarks.
Please take that terrible-looking temporary divider out of the library and bring back the lovely leather couches. Is that photography setup really a money maker? The card table should also be moved so that the people who are looking for a quiet place to read will have one. If you want to create a near-luxury experience, you can’t be chopping up one of the nicest libraries at sea.
Have you considered trays in the buffet line? It would mean fewer trips back and forth and cut down on the congestion.
If you’re going to use shrimp in your surf and turf (rather than lobster), please take off the shells in the kitchen. Many of us don’t like to see those little dead eyes looking back at us.
I normally keep a day-by-day cruise journal on Oceania because there is access to a computer for those that aren’t using email. That is not possible on Azamara as you are currently set up. I can type much faster than I can write, so I use Microsoft Word and everything is neatly typed and printed when I leave the ship. Please think about changing your policy. (Thanks Scottie for your help.)
BOTTOM LINE: Yes, we would be happy to sail on Azamara again. Anyone who usually sails on Oceania will be comfortable on Azamara. If you can get the dining room service to run more smoothly, you'll be there.
We’ve just returned from the March 29 Quest 14 day sailing in the Caribbean and were in cabin 4037 in case you want to put a name with this musing. We sailed on the Quest when it was the Renaissance R-7, and we’re regulars on Oceania. The reason we took this cruise was to check out what you’ve done with the ship and to see how it compares to Oceania in terms of food, service, décor, and general ambience. Oceania prices have risen considerably since our last cruise four months ago and we’re trying to array our options.
Here’s what we think you’re doing better than Oceania:
Our cabin was kept spotlessly clean and neat. Edwin Joves, our butler, greeted us by name and was unfailingly pleasant. His assistant was a lovely woman with a fantastic smile whose name I have, unfortunately, forgotten.
Your redecoration beats Oceania hands down. The cabins are more tastefully done, with softer colors. Gone is the garishness and excess gilt and that terrible blue-patterned carpeting. Well done. It means a lot to come back to a relaxing look in a cabin at the end of the day. Because we had a chance to see many of the other cabins, we know that this is true from top to bottom.
Your entertainment is also superior to Oceania’s. With a guitar player, a harpist, a piano player, a trio, 5 great entertainers, and a hot orchestra, not to mention DJ Gio in the Looking Glass, there was always music when we wanted it. The music wasn’t intrusive, just available. It added much to the enjoyment of our cruise.
You had a nice representation of your senior staff at our cruisecritic get together. Heike, your hotel manager, stayed and chatted with people when, I’m sure, she had lots of other things she could have been doing. We all felt that you were glad we were on board.
Thanks for keeping the forward view on Deck 11 available to everyone, instead of converting it, as Oceania has done, to private cabanas.
The chocolate truffles left at our bedside were fantastic and melted in your mouth. To me that means you’re using quality ingredients and that you care about details.
The fresh flowers and fruit in the cabin are a nice touch. Loved the red roses.
Here are our suggestions for change/improvement:
I understand that this cruise was the first for a new menu, so that may have been why there were some glitches with food service. Although the waiters were polite, it took much too long to get through dinner on some nights at tables for 6 or 8. Tables for 2 did not seems to have the same problem.
On Oceania we never have a problem sharing a table for 4. That should be possible on Azamara.
It would be nice to have quiet classical music at breakfast instead of that annoying and intrusive elevator music.
Oceania gives out points for first, second, and third place winners at trivia and other games. At the end of the cruise you can redeem your accumulated points for the selection of your choice. On Azamara you either win or you don’t. And after you’ve won several times, you start getting duplicates of the prizes you already have. How many Blackberry holders do people need? (Most people on this cruise didn’t know what a Blackberry is!) It also means that more people go home with something rather than nothing. I’m sure you could rustle up a few more bookmarks.
Please take that terrible-looking temporary divider out of the library and bring back the lovely leather couches. Is that photography setup really a money maker? The card table should also be moved so that the people who are looking for a quiet place to read will have one. If you want to create a near-luxury experience, you can’t be chopping up one of the nicest libraries at sea.
Have you considered trays in the buffet line? It would mean fewer trips back and forth and cut down on the congestion.
If you’re going to use shrimp in your surf and turf (rather than lobster), please take off the shells in the kitchen. Many of us don’t like to see those little dead eyes looking back at us.
I normally keep a day-by-day cruise journal on Oceania because there is access to a computer for those that aren’t using email. That is not possible on Azamara as you are currently set up. I can type much faster than I can write, so I use Microsoft Word and everything is neatly typed and printed when I leave the ship. Please think about changing your policy. (Thanks Scottie for your help.)
BOTTOM LINE: Yes, we would be happy to sail on Azamara again. Anyone who usually sails on Oceania will be comfortable on Azamara. If you can get the dining room service to run more smoothly, you'll be there.