Celebrity Fan Tries Azamara...come along for the Journey

I have just started posting a review over on the Azamara board entitled "First Time Azamara "Journey" for Celebrity Veteran"

I will be comparing this cruise experience to our Celebrity cruises ....thought some of you might be interested.

The itinerary was Athens to Rome with stops in Santorini, Malta, Taormina, Sorrento...we also did 4 nights post-cruise in Florence.

I'll be including photos along the way....

Thanks Sandi. We have been on Azamara twice and loved it. On our Baltic cruise we were pleased to be docked in town while large ships were far away.

This is really useful for us-we love Celebrity and have another cruise in 6 months, but are considering Azamara for an Asia cruise because their smaller ships dock closer to the major attractions. Look forward to reading your review.

Thanks, this should be interesting. We have some friends who love Azamara.

Hi Sandi:) welcome back and thanks for the link......your reviews are

ALWAYS outstanding so I am defniitely looking forward to reading this

one and seeing your fabulous photos too:D

Thanks for sharing your review.

Keith

I read your postings on Azamara forum. I enjoyed your commentary. Looking forward to reading more about the cruise. I am especially interested in your comparisons. I sail on both lines. More often on Celebrity because it is less expensive.......goes to more places. Azamara is nice. However, since it has only 2 ships, it is limited to where it goes. I enjoyed my previous Azamara cruises. I liked the smaller ship that is able to get into small ports. They can fit into ports that the big ships will not fit. I am looking forward to reading your comparisons about on board life on the Journey. I will be on the Journey soon..

Thanks everyone. I will be posting ship photos today.....

Thanks for this, enjoying the read.

I hope the Celebrity cheerleaders give you a better hearing than I got in March when I indicated areas that Azamara were superior in.

Currently for next year the per diem rates for sky suites on Celebrity are much higher than the equivalent Continental suites on Azamara so it may be an interesting conundrum for many as to what might win

How does the Azamara ship compare in size to the Millennium class ships?

Looking forward to reading your review and seeing photos. :)

Thank you librarylady. We would like to try Azamara some day but the prices keep us from sailing with them. I will look forward to the comparisons.

How does the Azamara ship compare in size to the Millennium class ships?

 

Looking forward to reading your review and seeing photos. :)

Az ships are about one third capacity of "M" class and between one third and half the size.

How does the Azamara ship compare in size to the Millennium class ships?

 

Looking forward to reading your review and seeing photos. :)

I think Azamara ships are smaller then Celebrity Century.

WOW can't wait to check it out.

Az ships are about one third capacity of "M" class and between one third and half the size.

I think Azamara ships are smaller then Celebrity Century.

Thank you!

The ships ARE small. The smallest ships that we have been on are the Century class. How about stateroom size?

Sandi I loved your Reflection review and I'm loving this one as well. We have been talking about trying Azamera so this is perfect!

Thank you librarylady. We would like to try Azamara some day but the prices keep us from sailing with them. I will look forward to the comparisons.

I know what you mean! The only reason we booked this cruise was because the price (taking into consideration the prepaid gratuities and included drinks) was comparable to the Equinox 7 night sailing 6/14 that we originally booked in CC class. Without the upgrade to verandah and Choice Air credit, it would have been out of our price range, especially for a European cruise.

Thank you!

 

The ships ARE small. The smallest ships that we have been on are the Century class. How about stateroom size?

Our first Cruise was in Century, and yes, the ship is smaller than that - I think the stateroom sizes are similar. Don't recall the bathroom on Century being quite as small, will have to look back at my pics. I'll be posting cabin photos from Journey tonight.

Sandi I loved your Reflection review and I'm loving this one as well. We have been talking about trying Azamera so this is perfect!

Well, I hope you will find my opinions of some use. I really have enjoyed your reviews also. My friend Deirdre is a Celebrity fan too but lets just say that our reactions to Azamara were quite different .....

I know what you mean! The only reason we booked this cruise was because the price (taking into consideration the prepaid gratuities and included drinks) was comparable to the Equinox 7 night sailing 6/14 that we originally booked in CC class. Without the upgrade to verandah and Choice Air credit, it would have been out of our price range, especially for a European cruise.

Our first Cruise was in Century, and yes, the ship is smaller than that - I think the stateroom sizes are similar. Don't recall the bathroom on Century being quite as small, will have to look back at my pics. I'll be posting cabin photos from Journey tonight.

Thanks! I saw the photos on the review. Very small indeed, but not much different than the AQ on the Constellation. Our shower had the glass doors, but they leaked water all over the bathroom. We couldn't even use the jets. I would have preferred the regular shower head and a shower curtain on that cruise. At least I could have used my magnets to weigh down a curtain. There was nothing we could do for the crooked shower door that left a 1/2 inch gap from the bottom, up to about 7 inches high, where the doors met. :rolleyes:

Did you see a special for this cruise and take advantage? How far out?

Our first cruise was on the Journey back in 2009, it was a Med cruise, before they had drinks included, we have done 5 Sclass cruise since then

Noticed the balcony furniture is larger now

Also back then the specialty restaurants was only a five dollar charge

We found it harder to get a lounge chair on sea on the Journey then a S class ship

We did love Journey for Med cruise, found the food to be much better then on Celebrity

I am not sure that I would want to do a TA on this ship, but maybe with the drinks include it would be OK

So are you hook on Mediterranean cruises?

Thanks! I saw the photos on the review. Very small indeed, but not much different than the AQ on the Constellation. Our shower had the glass doors, but they leaked water all over the bathroom. We couldn't even use the jets. I would have preferred the regular shower head and a shower curtain on that cruise. At least I could have used my magnets to weigh down a curtain. There was nothing we could do for the crooked shower door that left a 1/2 inch gap from the bottom, up to about 7 inches high, where the doors met. :rolleyes:

 

Did you see a special for this cruise and take advantage? How far out?

We switched from the equinox sailing (which we would be in right now!) when Azamara offered the inside to verandah upgrade plus $1000 per couple choice air credit. This was in August 2013. We ended up paying $1100 pp for air from Chicago to Athens, returning Florence to Chicago (minus the discount that was taken off cruise fare). Cruise fare was approximately $2150 each through a TA. Bottom line - $5500 cruise and airfare, including taxes and grats. No OBC but we did have some from our royal Caribbean visa that paid for our drinks packages.

We also received Discoverer level perks as Elite on Celebrity which was great, especially the hours of internet !

Sounds like a wonderful deal! We will have to look for one along the way. We just returned from the Baltic cruise on the Connie. Have 3 more Celebrity cruises booked for now and as I mentioned in one of your threads, we are looking for one that goes to London, Ireland and Scotland. The Azamara cruises sound perfect for that.

Is there someplace that says what alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included in the fare? We are not big drinkers, and DH drinks mostly Coors Light and an occasional glass of wine and fun drink. I prefer G&T, Margarita's, wine and fun drinks. Not choosy about brands of liquor.

Sounds like a wonderful deal! We will have to look for one along the way. We just returned from the Baltic cruise on the Connie. Have 3 more Celebrity cruises booked for now and as I mentioned in one of your threads, we are looking for one that goes to London, Ireland and Scotland. The Azamara cruises sound perfect for that.

 

Is there someplace that says what alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included in the fare? We are not big drinkers, and DH drinks mostly Coors Light and an occasional glass of wine and fun drink. I prefer G&T, Margarita's, wine and fun drinks. Not choosy about brands of liquor.

The website lists the included drinks, and the package options....

http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/our-ships/onboard-packages/complimentary-beverages

What was confusing was that most of the special drinks advertised in the bar menus were made with high-end liquor/liqueurs. You really had to be familiar with various cocktail options to know what to request at the bars. I did miss the wide variety of special drinks available - that vary from bar to bar - on Celebrity. With their premium package, it is so much easier as you know what the $ limit is, and don't have to cross-reference a list of included alcoholic beverages.

Well, I hope you will find my opinions of some use. I really have enjoyed your reviews also. My friend Deirdre is a Celebrity fan too but lets just say that our reactions to Azamara were quite different .....

Haha! I caught that! It's ironic but we booked the Reflection in February based on your review and accolades for that ship, and you booked Azamara because of my review and accolades. And neither of us felt the other's fave ship quite met our expectations of grandeur. That's alright. I still love you anyway. ;) :D