Questions From a Reluctant Cruiser

After a lifetime of resistance, I have decided to give cruising a try, the main reason being that it seems to offer the most pleasant and efficient way to see a part of the world I'm interested in visiting, Turkey and the Greek Isles. Extensive reading of reviews and forums has led me to Azamara as my first choice.

Now I have a few questions which are probably incredibly naïve, so I beg your indulgence. First, the posted itinerary for the cruise I'm interested in is seven nights with nearly all departures at 10 pm. Since meals on the ship seem to be a major draw, do guests generally come back for dinner or do they stay ashore to try local cuisine?

Second, given that the cruise is relatively short and there are no days at sea, how important is it to upgrade to a stateroom with a balcony?

Finally (for now at least), one of the reasons I'm drawn to Azamara is its relatively small size. In fact, is the size of the ship a significant factor?

I ask because Celebrity offers a similar itinerary, but longer, for about the same money but with upgraded stateroom and amenities.

Thank you for any insights you can offer.

After a lifetime of resistance, I have decided to give cruising a try, the main reason being that it seems to offer the most pleasant and efficient way to see a part of the world I'm interested in visiting, Turkey and the Greek Isles. Extensive reading of reviews and forums has led me to Azamara as my first choice.

 

Now I have a few questions which are probably incredibly naïve, so I beg your indulgence. First, the posted itinerary for the cruise I'm interested in is seven nights with nearly all departures at 10 pm. Since meals on the ship seem to be a major draw, do guests generally come back for dinner or do they stay ashore to try local cuisine?

 

Second, given that the cruise is relatively short and there are no days at sea, how important is it to upgrade to a stateroom with a balcony?

 

Finally (for now at least), one of the reasons I'm drawn to Azamara is its relatively small size. In fact, is the size of the ship a significant factor?

I ask because Celebrity offers a similar itinerary, but longer, for about the same money but with upgraded stateroom and amenities.

 

Thank you for any insights you can offer.

Hello Nickcarraway,

I have been on many Azamara cruises and have loved every one.

The size of the ship is a significant plus point for me although I have also enjoyed cruises with Celebrity.

Despite the late departures most guests tend to have dinner on board most nights. We are sailing on the June 21 Greek Isles and Turkey cruise and plan to have dinner ashore in Rhodes but will probably eat on board the other nights.

A stateroom with a balcony is lovely if you sometimes want some peace and quiet but not a pre-requisite for us.

Despite you not having cruised before, I am sure you will have a wonderful time

Hope this helps

Since meals on the ship seem to be a major draw, do guests generally come back for dinner or do they stay ashore to try local cuisine?

 

Second, given that the cruise is relatively short and there are no days at sea, how important is it to upgrade to a stateroom with a balcony?

 

Finally (for now at least), one of the reasons I'm drawn to Azamara is its relatively small size. In fact, is the size of the ship a significant factor?

Celebrity offers a similar itinerary, but longer, for about the same money but with upgraded stateroom and amenities.

Nick:

If you are traveling that far to see the sights, why are you trying to get back to the ship to eat? Admittedly, the food service on AZ is great but I would opt to see and experience as much as I can.

If you are trying to experience as much as you can, why are you going to be sitting on a ship's balcony? And if you are traveling from port to port in the darkness of the night, how much time, and what will you see on your balcony?

I like small ships and AZ is a good size ship. Some people like green grass, rock climbing, surfing, ice skating etc. With that sort of thing, you have to have size and mass. 700 people oppose to 3,000-5,000 people?

And if the price and itinerary is relatively the same and the ship's size is the same, the upgrade would be very tempting!

My two-cents anyway.

We have been on many Azamara cruises and have also sailed on Celebrity a few times. The differences are huge. I wouldn't sail on Celebrity without being in Aqua Class or above because then you can eat in Blu. I find the main dining room on a Celebrity ship chaotic. We tried it once for brunch and turned around and walked out.

If your reason for cruising is itinerary driven and you want to see as much as you can for the price, I guess Celebrity would be a good choice. But the feeling on an Azamara ship is completely different, more intimate, calmer. Some of the pushing and shoving in the buffet line on Celebrity amazed me. People acted as though they thought the ship would run out of food - or they hadn't eaten in days. Many passengers seemed to be entered in a contest to see how much food they could fit on a plate at one time. I just don't see this on the Journey or the Quest.

A balcony is nice to have but not necessary, especially for a port-intensive cruise. The outside cabins on deck 4 are the same size and layout and should do just fine.

The only problem you will have is not wanting to sail on any other ship after you experience Azamara.;)

Your questions are very appropriate.

There is another thread entitled "My Quest Review" that is current right now.

Some of the "issues" reported by that poster are considered "features" by some of us. For example, if a small bathroom and friendly crew might be bothersome, then ACC may well prove a poor fit.

Most cruisers do return to the ship for supper, it may be a question of economy, but given the length of time in port there may well be time to venture ashore after an early meal. In some ports, an ACC ship may be berthed closer to the attractions on shore simply because of its size.

We have sailed on 5 other lines including Celebrity, and we would always prefer ACC.

Nick

We did this itinerary on Journey last September. We did have a balcony but rarely used it this time as we were off ship most of the time exploring. It is good to have if you have sea days. We eat mainly on the ship as I have food allergies but also we enjoy the food on board. We have sailed larger ships but like the size of Azamara and our last 7 cruises have been with them bar one on Celebrity where we were in Aqua staterooms and therefore ate in the smaller Blu dining room. We enjoyed Celebrity but prefer Azamara for its size, the staff on board and the fact it can get into the smaller ports.

We enjoyed the itinerary very much but bear in mind that the winds and sea can be a problem in this area, we had our itinerary rejigged as we sailed so we could get to all ports but not necessarily in the original order. In fact at one port (Kos) could not get into our berth in the harbour due to high winds when we reached it but Captain Jason quickly found us a berth in Bodrum which was not on the original itinerary and we went there instead. We did the Gallipoli shore excursion from Canakkale, if the itinerary you want to do goes there, which was interesting and informative as both our grandfathers were there in WW1.

Whatever you chose I hope you enjoy it.

Hilary

After a lifetime of resistance, I have decided to give cruising a try, the main reason being that it seems to offer the most pleasant and efficient way to see a part of the world I'm interested in visiting, Turkey and the Greek Isles. Extensive reading of reviews and forums has led me to Azamara as my first choice.

 

Now I have a few questions which are probably incredibly naïve, so I beg your indulgence. First, the posted itinerary for the cruise I'm interested in is seven nights with nearly all departures at 10 pm. Since meals on the ship seem to be a major draw, do guests generally come back for dinner or do they stay ashore to try local cuisine?

 

Second, given that the cruise is relatively short and there are no days at sea, how important is it to upgrade to a stateroom with a balcony?

 

Finally (for now at least), one of the reasons I'm drawn to Azamara is its relatively small size. In fact, is the size of the ship a significant factor?

I ask because Celebrity offers a similar itinerary, but longer, for about the same money but with upgraded stateroom and amenities.

 

Thank you for any insights you can offer.

Nick, I don't think anyone was more reluctant to cruise than my husband and me. It took years of cajoling from relatives and friends to get us to try it, and all I can say is that after that first cruise, we crumbled like a house of cards. A new addiction was born. :D

First question--food is up to you. Some people eat on ship and just as many take advantage of local cuisine. There's no right or wrong for whatever you decide. Just like some people love to go shopping in ports and other people don't.

Second Question--for as sociable as we are, we need "down" time and a balcony is a perfect place to hide away and recharge. Breakfast served to you on your balcony is such a treat! And at nighttime I like to go out on the balcony and simply look at the stars and the moon shining on the water and the waves crashing against the side of the ship. It's so beautiful and an experience that you will never get on land. A balcony to us is worth every penny and then some.

Third question--we made our first Azamara cruise this past December. Click on my link in the signature to read it; I wrote it with other beginners in mind. Inasmuch as it was a leap of faith for us to go on a cruise, it was a similar leap to go on such a small ship. We cruise Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and the smallest ship we'd ever been on was 2000 passengers, still an enormous amount in comparison to Azamara. Well. We loved the experience. The ship is still plenty big enough, trust me! As to Celebrity offering more amenities and upgraded staterooms--I don't know that I'd say that exactly. The photos you see of Azamara ships don't do it justice I think. The style is not entirely modern and sleek like Celebrity but there are just enough contemporary touches on Azamara, such as the striking artwork, to banish any thoughts of "old fashioned." I think in the interior decorating world they'd call Azamara's style Transitional. The end result is both comfortable and elegant. Lots of people make a fuss over the small bathrooms but we didn't find it to be a dealbreaker, not even for a second. Both Celebrity and Azamara have specialty restaurants, lounges with live music, hot tubs and a pool so you wouldn't be missing out on an experience should you choose to sail with Azamara.

One last thing I'd say is to consider the entire cost. Gratuities are included in your Azamara fare; added onto the base fare for Celebrity. Unless you happen upon a deal with Celebrity that covers your drinks (such as the recent 123Go! promo) you'll have to figure that in if you enjoy wine, beer, etc. On Azamara many drinks are included--look on their website to see the list. We have two Azamara cruises coming up in the Med this year and all told, the price, though still more than Celebrity, was a lot less more than we originally thought. Though the sheer relaxation and enjoyment we got out of our Azamara cruise was priceless.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful and very helpful replies. I feel much more confident now making the choices I have to make. I truly appreciate the time and thought you have put into your answers. The generally positive tone of the Azamara forum here was one of the reasons I was drawn to the line. Thank you.

Nick,

I don't think you'll find anyone that was more relctant to crusing than my DH and I...I joined this forum many years ago and things I read here among other negative reasons kept us from crusing. We had no desire to do so.

A couple of years ago, a great deal and great itinerary on Azamara came up and we grabbed it...even though it was last minute and we had very little time to research the ports. As it turns out, we had a wonderful cruise and actually made the most out of our ports...I had booked a number of tours through Azamara since they were 50% off at that time and actually, for the most part, the tours were good.

We also did another cruise this past fall on X and it was the Eastern Med and Greek Isles. Although it was not a bad cruise and the ports were wonderful, we did miss Azamara...especially when we saw the Journey in Santorini the same day we were. I did comment to DH..."I wish we were on that ship instead"....:(

Then when they had another promo last fall, I loved the itinerary again but it was only 7 days...for us, not nearly long enough, so I discovered we could do a back to back and have a 14 day cruise and see more at some of the ports we've actually been to before and wanted to see again...voila....so we booked the back to back.

As far as the balcony, since it's a med cruise, even though very port intensive, we find we really enjoy our balcony...we usually have coffee there in the morning and a little nightcap, enjoying the sky and the stars...it's kind of like my little sleeping pill...just the total quiet and relaxation.

I do remember being warned that I had chosen the best when I chose Azamara and I would be hard pressed to find a better cruise line...so far that warning has come true.

I hope whatever you decide you have a truly wonderful cruise. For us, it's a whole new world and one we're happy to be a part of.

...I should stay well away from Long Island at the end of the season. It's bound to be a downer......

Midwestchick, thanks for the additional insights and advice.

shedridt, haha. I'll keep that I mind.

Nick, a cruise in the Mediterranean is a great treat. You are bound to have wonderful experiences & I wish you all good things in this first cruise experience.

My first cruise experience was in the Med & we were in a tiny 4th deck cabin with twin beds & we were over the moon with it all! Much as I love Azamara & wouldn't book a MUCH lower class line NOW 15 years later, if I were going on my first cruise & was 40 years old I'd opt for a small ship (like Windstar) that went into smaller Med ports. You won't have the shows (some would say that's a blessing!) but you'll have a great great time! To tell you the truth, we would STILL book Windstar for a Med cruise as it would be loads of fun. Check 'em out!

Shedridt, thank you for suggesting I check out Windstar as an alternative. I'm convinced that Azamara really suits me but the dates for the itinerary I want may not work. If so, I will either abandon plans for this year or look elsewhere. Based on comments here and elsewhere, I don't think Celebrity is an option.

I had not considered Windstar, knew nothing about it. Actually I had thought it was one of those lines that required you to hoist the sails or something. From some quick research, however, it sounds appealing.

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your comment about considering Windstar if you were 40, which I infer means that it is not suitable for an older passenger. I am well past 40, 69 in fact, but not in my dotage. Any thoughts on this?

After a lifetime of resistance, I have decided to give cruising a try, the main reason being that it seems to offer the most pleasant and efficient way to see a part of the world I'm interested in visiting, Turkey and the Greek Isles. Extensive reading of reviews and forums has led me to Azamara as my first choice.

 

Now I have a few questions which are probably incredibly naïve, so I beg your indulgence. First, the posted itinerary for the cruise I'm interested in is seven nights with nearly all departures at 10 pm. Since meals on the ship seem to be a major draw, do guests generally come back for dinner or do they stay ashore to try local cuisine?

 

Second, given that the cruise is relatively short and there are no days at sea, how important is it to upgrade to a stateroom with

 

Finally (for now at least), one of the reasons I'm drawn to Azamara is its relatively small size. In fact, is the size of the ship a significant factor?

I ask because Celebrity offers a similar itinerary, but longer, for about the same money but with upgraded stateroom and amenities.

 

Thank you for any insights you can offer.

For us the size of the 2 Azamara ships is a real plus point. Previously we had been on ships carrying about 1200 and much prefer these smaller ships.

We always come back for our evening meal. We usually eat at about 8:00pm. Firstly you've paid for the food, so why pay again if you eat ashore, secondly the food in the main dining room is terrific and that in the two speciality restaurants (supplement of $25) is outstanding.

We haven't had a balcony cabin, but would not like an inside cabin either.

The other good thing about Azamara is the included drinks - some really nice wines and plenty of spirits to choose from. Also there is no/very little hassling to sell you anything on Azamara, unlike other cruise ships we've been on.

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Nick.

If nothing else, you will find a wealth of good information on here, particularly in the forums and member reviews.

We started our cruising career on larger ships with Carnival, Princess and Celebrity, moving on to more upmarket lines Regent and Seabourn, with Azamara in the middle.

All our cruises have been great, but if you have a problem, the bigger lines have strict policies and won't budge, whereas the more upmarket varieties will more than likely sit with you face to face and seek a satisfactory resolution.

It can be likened to insurance, where there's lots of cheap policies, but when you need them there are lots of terms and conditions and it takes ages to pay a claim.

By shopping around and being savvy, there are lots of bargains to be found if you can be flexible with your plans. If not, always seek advice and book through an experienced agent who can really make a difference.

Happy cruising, you'll get hooked.