Azamara vs celebrity

I think this may be the nub for some - they really do have to have that extra edge when sailing in a big suite and perhaps don't get that so much on Azamara.

I do resent the implication of this statement that appears to be addressed to my post. I wrote in answer to what the OP asked and gave what my husband subsequently agreed was a "fair" summary of the different experience between the higher-end suites on Celebrity and Azamara. The OP specifically asked about the higher-end suite experience.

As far as butlers are concerned. In my opinion, "low maintenance people" are more likely to recognised the difference between a good and less good butler. All butlers are able to serve "high maintenance" guests well because there is no need to adjust to their individual "needs", they just have to do everything in their repertoire.

I fully understand that Azamara is favoured by many cruisers and was careful to explain where they are better. Please allow that not everyone is looking for that in a cruise. There are many reasons for preferring larger ships even if, like us, you have never been to the shows and rarely go to the shops.

I was interested to read on this thread that Azamara is finally going to revamp their suites and staterooms. It is long overdue especially at the price point since the rebranding as Azamara Club Cruises. There had already been a refurbishment between our first and second Azamara cruises when nothing was done to the PHs. I mentioned in my first post how they had not even done anything to the bodged repair of the wall light. Hopefully, this time, there will be a noticeable improvement and, then, some of my comments will, finally, become redundant. Until then, it is only fair to explain to people that the standard of accommodation falls well short of those in Celebrity RS and PH.

There are many threads about the difference between Celebrity and Azamara. Please let this one stay on topic rather than a more general comparison.

I've never sailed on Azamara because the ships are old and the cabins are small. For roughly the same amount of money one can sail in a 300 sq ft suite on a new Celebrity ship, or on Seabourn. Seabourn sails new ships with cabins that are 300 sq ft, not 185 like Azamara.. And it's ships have 400 passengers and visit similar smaller ports.

So why Azamara given the alternatives?

Sorry but on our recent cruise on Infinity, the accommodation and maintenance (RS) fell very far short of what we have had on the equivalent in Azamara.

There are duds on all ships I am afraid. You had an Azamara dud, only fair to say we had not for the first time a Celebrity dud. What was different was the layers of bureaucracy that had to be gone through on Celebrity to get for example the vacuum unit changed on our toilet which was the worst issue. We had an aircon problem on Azamara and it was a no question, take the ceiling out to fix it which was done whilst we were in port so it was problem to fix in 8 hours, on Celebrity with a non flushing toilet it was temp fix, temp fix and a week to the real fix which took 20 mins to do.

We have just per day priced two trips for 2017 one Celebrity, one Azamara. The cost per day (comparable suites) is higher on Celebrity. We have booked with Celebrity because of a port of call.

Again just balancing as one who is a regular suite user on both lines

wrote in answer to what the OP asked and gave what my husband subsequently agreed was a "fair" summary of the different experience between the higher-end suites on Celebrity and Azamara. The OP specifically asked about the higher-end suite experience.

 

If you read the original post the question was actually in two parts. The first part was a general comparison between the two lines and as I have cruised extensively on both, gave my experiences. This included a correction of your post about the now called Club World Owner's Suite which I have cruised in a number of times, both pre and post refurbishment.

The point made by a couple of posters of being made to feel "special" on Azamara regardless of cabin is a very good one I think. If you are looking for an extra feeling of importance by staying in a big suite there you might be disappointed because of it. There's no Suite Experience like Celebrity, but in my view no worse for it.

I have seen your posts giving lots of views on your PH experience on Celebrity and what goes with it, but you seem to be getting defensive on this thread when others express theirs. As I said both lines are great. Very different, but both great.

Incidentally I've never had maintenance issues in any Azamara cabin, save for aircon that needed sorting out which was done. I don't get your poorly designed comment either, but that is your rightful opinion. I'm looking forward very much to the ships when they are refurbished. The pictures look amazing.

Phil

I've never sailed on Azamara because the ships are old and the cabins are small. For roughly the same amount of money one can sail in a 300 sq ft suite on a new Celebrity ship, or on Seabourn. Seabourn sails new ships with cabins that are 300 sq ft, not 185 like Azamara.. And it's ships have 400 passengers and visit similar smaller ports.

So why Azamara given the alternatives?

Guess you have to go and sail on the old Azamara ships to find out. That they still allow smoking on balconies on Seabourn is a deal breaker for me. I've friends who have cruised them and love them, but for different reasons to Azamara.

Phil

Guess you have to go and sail on the old Azamara ships to find out. That they still allow smoking on balconies on Seabourn is a deal breaker for me. I've friends who have cruised them and love them, but for different reasons to Azamara.

 

Phil

I've never had a problem with a balcony smoker....I'm sure someone has though.

I can't try Azamara because of the tiny cabin size. Let alone the shower curtains etc. the suites make it too expensive.

For the same approximate price for a 185 sq ft Azamara cabin I can sail in a 300 sq ft cabin on Celebrity or Seabourn, 250 sq ft on Oceania.

It makes a big difference...and..the ships are new and modern.

I've never had a problem with a balcony smoker....I'm sure someone has though.

I can't try Azamara because of the tiny cabin size. Let alone the shower curtains etc. the suites make it too expensive.

For the same approximate price for a 185 sq ft Azamara cabin I can sail in a 300 sq ft cabin on Celebrity or Seabourn, 250 sq ft on Oceania.

It makes a big difference...and..the ships are new and modern.

The only time we have had problems with balcony smokers was on Azamara. The Russian in the suite along from us felt that he was entitled to smoke and no amount of visits from Officers stopped him. He was, however, a thoroughly unpleasant person all round the ship and Azamara can hardly be blamed for that.

I've never sailed on Azamara because the ships are old and the cabins are small. For roughly the same amount of money one can sail in a 300 sq ft suite on a new Celebrity ship, or on Seabourn. Seabourn sails new ships with cabins that are 300 sq ft, not 185 like Azamara.. And it's ships have 400 passengers and visit similar smaller ports.

So why Azamara given the alternatives?

The Seabourn ships are lovely, but we choose Azamara for all the late nights and overnights in port. We "jumped ship" from Crystal to Azamara back in December and fell in love with the Azamara experience. If you haven't seen the renderings of what the "new" Azamara willl look like after the 2016 refurbishments, you should. The ships will look amazing - especially the new Spa Suites. We are definitely going to keep an eye on Seabourn, but the short days in port are a bummer.

Back to the original topic, we bounce back and forth between Celebrity and Azamara. We cruise on Celebrity in a Celebrity Suite and Azamara in a Club World Owner's Suite. We were a little afraid to try Azamara (our first time was over Christmas) as the ships looked dated and we felt we would be too young (we are in our mid-30s). We booked purely on itinerary and because the cruise would count towards our Celebrity status. But as soon as we walked onboard, we felt the difference from X (and from Crystal, which was our previous line of choice). The ship was lovely and the connection to the staff and officers made the ship feel like home. On reboarding the ship in ports, instead of being yelled at by security staff on X, we were greeted with a smile and a "welcome home". The butlers are (in our experience) fine on either ship....although we barely use them for anything, so we might not be the best people to ask on this topic. We found that the quality of the suite on Azamara was much higher than the suites on Celebrity. We have always noticed some type of maintenance issue in the Celebrity Suite, but the AZ suite was in good condition. After the upcoming renovations to AZ, we think that these ships will blow X away. It was also nice to have the staff know our drink preferences by Day 2, unlike Celebrity where we get lost in the crowd (even Crystal has been losing that personalized touch).

We have started sailing on AZ now for every other cruise....that way we get to enjoy the quiet, personalized environment and long port stays once a year and then enjoy the big ship environment and activities on X once a year. It has become a great balance for us.

Michael & Omar

What is the deal with not wanting to cruise with Azamara cause of its "size"???

I understand that the bigger ships have MORE people.....and that is a plus because:confused:

Loved Azamara because of the size and they focus on the destinations so as to benefit from the trip. The benefit on bigger ships are more party partners.....more waiting in the buffet.....what?? Just a curiosity:cool:

We are just back from a visit to the Quest and found no issues with the ship, other than possibly the carpeting having a few issues. It is due a refit and we hope it does not change the character of the ship

What is the deal with not wanting to cruise with Azamara cause of its "size"???

I understand that the bigger ships have MORE people.....and that is a plus because:confused:

Loved Azamara because of the size and they focus on the destinations so as to benefit from the trip. The benefit on bigger ships are more party partners.....more waiting in the buffet.....what?? Just a curiosity:cool:

I still enjoy Celebrity and miss many aspects of the ship when I'm on Azamara, but you don't get a view from the aft deck like the one below when you are overnighting in Hong Kong. Celebrity ships dock two miles up the coast. No suite on Celebrity or its benefits can match this. This thread is a comparison of the two. What's important to an individual as I said in my very first post depends.

Phil

We have cruised about 30 times on Celebrity and only 3 on Azamara. But here are my observations:

Yes, Azamara is more expensive when comparing similar categories. But you really have to compare apples to apples as close as possible.

Our last 3 cruises on X have been in Celebrity Suites and our last 2 cruises on Azamara have been in Club Continent Suites. In those next 20 months, we have 3 Celebrity and 5 Azamara cruises booked in the same categories. The average per diem cost for the 6 Celebrity cruises is $338 p/p. For the 7 Azamara cruises it is $330 p/p.

Here's my personal observation on the two.

CABIN

• SIZE: on Celebrity, we got a larger cabin (approx 425 sq ft w/a balcony of about 95 sq ft. On Azamara, we got a cabin of about 266 sq feet w/ a balcony of 60 sq ft. To be honest, the cabin on Azamara was more than enough space for us. The larger cabin was nice but did not add a lot to our pleasure. We had a couple of guests and had plenty of room. If we had wanted to have a party, Celebrity's cabin would win hands down.
  
• FURNITURE/FACILITIES: Storage was obviously more on Celebrity but split over two rooms and not as useful as it would seem at first. We had more than enough in both cases (longest time on board was 25 days on Celebrity and 34 on Azamara). Frankly, the bathroom was better on Azamara as the tub on Celebrity had jets that we did not use and that made if much deeper and harder to get into and out of. Furniture advantage goes to Celebrity partly because the S-class ships are so much newer, but we were not uncomfortable on Azamara.
  

CABIN AMENITIES

• Surprisingly, on Azamara the amenities are almost identical for all levels of suites. Unlimited specialty restaurant dining, 4 (I think) medium-sized bottles of liquor that we exchanged for bottomless wine, soft drinks and water, more internet than upper-level le Club Voyage members get (what's up with that? :eek:), Access to the thalossotherapy (spelling?) pool on the forward deck (a really nice place to chill out), and more.
   
  
• On Celebrity, we got afternoon tea/sandwiches/sweets and one bottle of (cheap) sparkling wine/faux champagne and 2 nights of specialty restaurant dining per cruise.
  

INCLUSIONS

CELEBRITY

• Michael's Club which was very nice. We had the services of a concierge that duplicated in many ways what the butler could do on either line but was a nice extra advocate if we had requests. This provided pre-dinner drinks and you could get some specialty coffee all day (which we never did)
  
• Luminae (the Suite Restaurant) was a very nice benefit but it still needs some tweaks (they say you have a reservation but is is no more than what you might have in Select Dining and we had to wait several times, including once when we went to Blu after being told it would be 30 minutes after we had already waited 15. They also have limited lunch menus and try too hard (in my humble opinion) to make the food fancier than it needs to be. But the service is about the best we've ever encountered. Overall, it's a nice perk that Azamara doesn't have).
  
• Larger theater with more production shows
  
• More specialty restaurants to choose from
  
• Better on-board shopping
  

AZAMARA

• Wine/beer included all day
  
• Gratuities
  
• Ship is more elegant and has a feel of traditional cruising
  
• Much more interaction with ship's officers and crew that are not directly involved with your cabin/dining table/etc.
  

INTANGIBLES

• So much of this is subjective. We enjoyed the "feel" of the smaller ship because we got to know more passengers and crew on Azamara. At the same time, there are more "things to do" on larger ships if that is important to you.
  
• Service on both is very good. On Azamara, it is my impression (and that is supported by many posts I've seen on the subject) that staff on both lines will try very hard to satisfy a request but, on Azamara, they seem to have a subtle attitude of wanting to do it faster/quicker and really try to exceed expectations.
  
• Food is really tough to compare. In my opinion, Azamara wins in dining rooms and specialty restaurants (although on the Celebrity ships that have the Lawn Club grill, the steaks are amazing). Luminae tips the scale a bit but you have to be in a suite to eat there.
  
• Itineraries depend on personal choices. Many of Azamara's are more port intensive in ports that do not interest us so much while others suit our needs very well.
  

SUMMARY

I know what you mean. We have done two itinerary driven Celebrity cruises in the last year (New England and Alaska) and before the first, we felt the same. Yes it is a larger ship and you have to avoid noticing the negatives (yes you will say it's not like this on Azamara) however concentrate on enjoying the destinations you are cruising for and you may be pleasantly surprised - for example not sure what type of room you are having but it could be Luminae, bigger range of speciality restaurants, better shower. Or you prefer a type of show or swimming pool, we each are different!...)

 

For us, destination and dates drive our choice, and if either can do it then yes, the choice will be Azamara but we are still giving some of the kids inheritance to Celebrity.

I am sure we will have a good time as we do like to enjoy ourselves. We usually book a Club Continent on AZ. Last time we were on the Eclipse we had an Aqua class cabin. We liked Blu but I hated the cabin. 3 small drawers and that awful overbed storage so this time have gone for a Sky Suite. I know we'll miss out on Michaels but I'm sure we will enjoy Luminae. We will enjoy our Captains Club perks too.

I've never sailed on Azamara because the ships are old and the cabins are small. For roughly the same amount of money one can sail in a 300 sq ft suite on a new Celebrity ship, or on Seabourn. Seabourn sails new ships with cabins that are 300 sq ft, not 185 like Azamara.. And it's ships have 400 passengers and visit similar smaller ports.

So why Azamara given the alternatives?

Having had the fortune to sail on Seabourn plus several other luxury cruise lines including Silverseas and Crystal, I still put Azamara at the top of my league.

You really have to sail on it to understand that special experience. I'm not the only one who feels that way, just read what others have written.

Celebrity is our first choice. We have been on Azamara 2 times. Baltic cruise is so much better on Azamara as you dock right in town. Many large ships were miles away and had to be bused to town. The officers are Azamara are very friendly. Captain asked us if he could join us for lunch. I think the food is about the same as Celebrity.

We have sailed twice on Azamara in [what used to be called] a Penthouse [the largest suite on Aamara] and 10 times on Celebrity, twice in a CS, twice in a RS and 5 times in a PH [on both M-class and S-class ships].

 

On Azamara, you will be invited to the "Best of the Best" dinner [at least, that was the case up to 2011, our last Azamara cruise] and, on our second cruise, were escorted to our suite a little earlier than other guests but, other than that, I cannot recall being treated any differently to any other passenger. If you are used to cruising in a RS and PH on Celebrity, you will be aware that there are many, usually very discreet ways, that they make your cruise feel very special on Celebrity.

 

The PH suite on Azamara is, IMHO, poorly designed, bland and poorly maintained. The exact same botched repair of a wall light was still there two years after first Azamara cruise. There is so much that they could do to improve the Azamara PH by spending just a few thousand dollars - a second shower in the guest bathroom, adding a walk-in closet, a proper door between the bedroom and sitting room, some nicer furniture and redecoration.

 

Some say that the butlers are better on Azamara but we would disagree. With have had many better on Celebrity. Azamara boast that there butlers are all trained by the company that also train the butlers for Raffles Singapore. The Raffles butlers are the worst we have ever come across by a very long way!

 

The Azamara PH balconies have a wonderful aft view but, then, so do the M-class PHs. However, the balcony walls are metal rather than glass so much of the advantage over the S-class PH balconies is lost. The Azamara PH balconies are not even as large as that of the S-class balcony.

 

The Azamara PH does have a huge amount of closet space even if it is not very attractive.

 

Be aware that, if you book what used to be called the RS on Azamara, the suites are forward facing and you will find the balcony windy when in motion.

 

Having said all that, for us, it is the smaller ship that really does not suit us as much. We are not a keen as others on the overnights that Azamara majors on. The ships are completely dead those nights unless you want to join everyone else round the pool watching local dancers or the like. If you eat in the specialty restaurants on those nights, they have to drag the sommelier from the pool deck to serve your wine! Small ships are also less able to absorb large groups than the larger ships. If you are unlucky enough to have a few of these on your cruise, as we were on our second Azamara cruise, it can make for an unpleasant experience.

 

In short, IMHO, Azamara should be cruised for the destinations rather than the shipboard experience. If you do that, only choose the higher-end suites if you really want the space and not the rest of the PH experience.

Thank you for your report, has help in our choices.

Victoria

Azamara used to be fabulous. My first cruise on the Journey in 2009 was outstanding. Price was good, service was excellent, wonderful food, and the entertainment was wonderful. As time past, prices have gone up , food has gone down. After my last cruise in 2014, the ship needs a complete rehab. Many signs of wear and tear. Cabins are looking shabby with worn carpeting and bad beds. Celebrity has been improving. Food has improved, service has improved, and general ship condition doesn't look worn. In 2015, I have taken or are booked on 3 Celebrity cruises and none on Azamara. Azamara has lost its attractiveness. I prefer Celebrity. Better cruise on a better looking ship at a less expensive price. Unless Azamara rehabs or gets new ships, I doubt whether I would sail on them again.

Azamara used to be fabulous. My first cruise on the Journey in 2009 was outstanding. Price was good, service was excellent, wonderful food, and the entertainment was wonderful. As time past, prices have gone up , food has gone down. After my last cruise in 2014, the ship needs a complete rehab. Many signs of wear and tear. Cabins are looking shabby with worn carpeting and bad beds. Celebrity has been improving. Food has improved, service has improved, and general ship condition doesn't look worn. In 2015, I have taken or are booked on 3 Celebrity cruises and none on Azamara. Azamara has lost its attractiveness. I prefer Celebrity. Better cruise on a better looking ship at a less expensive price. Unless Azamara rehabs or gets new ships, I doubt whether I would sail on them again.

Guess you haven't been on the Azamera boards lately! The upgrades look fabulous! There are other threads as well with pictures

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2217469

Azamara used to be fabulous. My first cruise on the Journey in 2009 was outstanding. Price was good, service was excellent, wonderful food, and the entertainment was wonderful. As time past, prices have gone up , food has gone down. After my last cruise in 2014, the ship needs a complete rehab. Many signs of wear and tear. Cabins are looking shabby with worn carpeting and bad beds. Celebrity has been improving. Food has improved, service has improved, and general ship condition doesn't look worn. In 2015, I have taken or are booked on 3 Celebrity cruises and none on Azamara. Azamara has lost its attractiveness. I prefer Celebrity. Better cruise on a better looking ship at a less expensive price. Unless Azamara rehabs or gets new ships, I doubt whether I would sail on them again.

If I were you, I would revisit Azamara after the 2016 upgrades

http://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/azamara-upgrades-journey-quest/#prettyPhoto

These ships will far surpass what Celebrity has on offer. We just discovered Azamara last year and can't wait for these changes!

Michael

I think it is great that the officers are friendly but, I have seen so many comments about this and personally it seems like ...so what? I just don't get why it seems that so many care about the officers sitting in the buffet or being especially friendly...am I missing something here?...bartenders and other staff I deal with all the time...yes, it is great if they are friendly and upbeat in attitude but, I don't get it with the officers....

I have to agree - Azamara makes everyone feel special and the senior officers are so visible and friendly. Yes you get that on X but they can't get to know you as they can on Azamara and engage in friendly chat and banter. The staff seem less hurried and have that time and willingness to engage.

 

Don't get me wrong we also love X and have never had the pleasure of a suite. For us it is destination that is important and these are the two cruise lines we favour.

I think it is great that the officers are friendly but, I have seen so many comments about this and personally it seems like ...so what? I just don't get why it seems that so many care about the officers sitting in the buffet or being especially friendly...am I missing something here?...bartenders and other staff I deal with all the time...yes, it is great if they are friendly and upbeat in attitude but, I don't get it with the officers....

I suppose it's because the officers set the tone for the whole ship. There is no "them and us". I've also seen lovely photos of engine room lunches with the captain sitting amongst the people who do the hard dirty jobs to make our lives a treat.

But, rest assured, all the staff you deal with all the time are genuine happy people without exception and all committed to making your trip special. I know you get individuals like that on Celebrity but you also get a good (and sadly increasing number) with a bad attitude. Can't recall the last bad attitude I saw on Azamara (though no doubt someone will post one so )

I sail happily on both Celebrity and Azamara although I would describe Azamara as my line of choice.

Sometimes though I want more entertainment options and facilities that a small ship can't provide and Celebrity particularly S class ships fit my needs very well.

But in my opinion the food and service on Azamara are superior and I enjoy the interaction with the crew. On Azamara it appears that nothing is too much trouble. Occasionally on Celebrity a very simple request is viewed as a problem although the majority of the crew are wonderful.

I have had fabulous vacations on both lines and consider myself fortunate to be able to sail with them.

I think it is great that the officers are friendly but, I have seen so many comments about this and personally it seems like ...so what? I just don't get why it seems that so many care about the officers sitting in the buffet or being especially friendly...am I missing something here?...bartenders and other staff I deal with all the time...yes, it is great if they are friendly and upbeat in attitude but, I don't get it with the officers....

One thing we enjoy when cruising is meeting people in all walks of life. We have met Doctors, Lawyers, Architects, a train engineer etc but the conversations we have had with the officers regarding their vocation as professional mariners have been most interesting. Their education, career path, sailing history as well as Azamara's belief in getting feedback from their customers makes for delightful chats:)

And is Roger Moore that special...and his opinion to be taken as meaningful?....he is just an actor....never finished university.....never even finished Royal academy of dramatic art...hate seeing people elevate actors as people to be admired and looked up to....MANY of the best known actors never even finished high school.....

Just thinking, if the Azamara top suite is good enough for Sir Roger Moore, it's good enough for us!

 

Re ships movement, I find no difference between the two, if anything our worst two were on Celebrity, but weather conditions can get you anywhere

 

What does help is how Azamara captains tell you honestly - one Captain has a phrase about "popping a pill if you need one". What's great is they also say I'd take it about X, I expect we might have swell, waves whatever around Y and hope to be clear of it by Z. So those prone to issues really have all the info to help them manage things. Don't hear that so much if at all on other lines. They also have baskets of sugared ginger at reception and basic pills on a help yourself basis

Interesting.....thanks for sharing your perspective

One thing we enjoy when cruising is meeting people in all walks of life. We have met Doctors, Lawyers, Architects, a train engineer etc but the conversations we have had with the officers regarding their vocation as professional mariners have been most interesting. Their education, career path, sailing history as well as Azamara's belief in getting feedback from their customers makes for delightful chats:)