Just booked, but very concerned

So, I've just taken advantage of the sale and booked the HISTORY OF THE AEGEAN cruise, but now, reading some of these reviews where the cabins/hallways smell so bad that people are cancelling their cruises, and others talking of how tired the ships are getting, I'm really worried.

I have cruised Azamara only once before (GP cruise in 2012), and really enjoyed it. We had a balcony cabin that time, but this time we have an interior cabin. I am now concerned we will be subjected to a dark, smelly, unhygenic cabin in need of repair! I am on the verge of just cancelling, even though we'll lose our £300 deposit (unless there is a cooling off period?). In reading comments where people rate this boat highly, they say it's because of the crew - while it's nice to have good crew, I don't want to spend 9 days in a grubby environment just because the crew are friendly!

Can anyone reassure me about the current state of the boat (Quest)? And the interior cabins? My finger is on the 'cancel' button....

Thanks

We've just come off the Quest and it was in fine shape. Didn't have an interior but met people who did and there were no complaints. Everything was clean and appeared to be in good condition. I'd go for it!

Hi Tusabrat

Quest was a joy when we sailed at the end of April and remember, this forum only has a tiny number of active Azamara guests making posts. I think the total number voting on the recent poll was about 150 or so. Also this is a CruiseCritic forum and because Azamara gives us a Chief Blogging Officer, we have a very good place to get those problems sorted out when we are unhappy, or at least taken notice of.

The negatives are probably found on every cruise ship at some time.

Relax and enjoy the build up to your cruise I am positive it will be everything you want it to be.

Any problems, questions, further worries, you can always search around the forum on here (searching for posts not threads I find best) or post if you can't get the answer through your TA or Azamara direct ;)

Yvonne

I would take the finger off the cancellation button

There seems to have been an issue with one room and that issue may or may not have been handled correctly by either the guest and/or the cruiseline. However there are another 389 or so rooms not reporting issues.

From time to time on these forums issues come to the fore which have really affected guests, however what affects one party may or may not bother another. If you have a look at the reviews, you will see many very happy guests as well as the occasional issue.

I would go ahead with my cruise with absolute confidence and in the very unlikely event you hit a big problem, I would be making sure I could speak to the Hotel Director (there are two great guys in that role on Quest) and they would do everything they could to fix it.

Thanks for the quick replies! I feel (a bit) better now.

I think I'm just getting a bit jaded - had a few disappointments with my last few holidays. For example, we went to San Fransisco for my 50th birthday last year. We stayed in a Fairmont Hotel, which was (to us) blindingly expensive - yet, the furniture was worn (peeling, scuffed), and one morning, the breakfast pastry has actual mold on it!! If you can't get a good, clean, luxury experience by booking 5 star accommodation, then what?

The good news is that we nevertheless had a fabulous time in SF, so this cruise will have a lot to live up to!

I will officially start looking forward to it now! Thanks. :D

Thanks for the quick replies! I feel (a bit) better now.

 

I think I'm just getting a bit jaded - had a few disappointments with my last few holidays. For example, we went to San Fransisco for my 50th birthday last year. We stayed in a Fairmont Hotel, which was (to us) blindingly expensive - yet, the furniture was worn (peeling, scuffed), and one morning, the breakfast pastry has actual mold on it!! If you can't get a good, clean, luxury experience by booking 5 star accommodation, then what?

 

The good news is that we nevertheless had a fabulous time in SF, so this cruise will have a lot to live up to!

 

I will officially start looking forward to it now! Thanks. :D

Read my Quest trip report that I have in my signature line. We had the most wonderful eight days sailing on that beautiful ship! Now about the inside cabin: we recently took our daughter on the Journey with us (Quest's sister ship) and she had an inside cabin. I was a little bit worried because she's never had anything but a balcony and we thought she'd miss having a view. No worries! Our daughter was beyond delighted with her cabin. She said it was a little jewel box of a room. Especially with the luxurious bedding. I have to say we agreed. The insides really are pretty cute. One big bonus turned out to be that the complete darkness due to having no exterior window or door made for very sound sleeping.

The Quest is a great ship and the crew of Azamara are wonderful. I would not hesitate or worry. However, if you have any problems or concerns once onboard, the Hotel Director is very approachable and responsive. Enjoy your cruise!

PS: Ask at Guest Relations to go on a Galley Tour. It is very interesting - all of the pastries and breads are baked fresh every day. And especially wonderful is the Gelato - also made onboard.

Tusabrat:

I wouldn't worry, just be alert. I toss out the "best cruise ever" reviews along with the "worst cruise of my life and not going back reviews. If you received a good deal on the cruise you will over look all the small things, if you paid too much then you'll be unhappy as soon as you set foot in your cabin. Takes a lot to make me unhappy if I only paid $700 for a cruise but not much if I paid over $10,000.

You know a lot of things from these reviews already:

small cabins

small baths

great crew

great itineraries

Decor of the ship may or not be to your liking along with entertainment...can't predict before you experience it. We had a fabulous cruise to the British Open even in a tiny cabin with a very small bath. We had a mediocre cruise to the Caribbean in a suite...same ship different passengers.

Every cruise is different even on the same ship. Enjoy your cruise and have a great time!

I have been on the Quest before, but it was 2 years ago.

I can deal with small, and the decor was fine. What I can't deal with is dirt - sewer smells and/or mould or pubic hair in the shower... eew, all those would definately be a dealbreaker!

So while I was happy on Quest 2 years ago, I also understand how much wear and tear can degrade the boat since then, which is the source of my unease after reading postings about that very thing. I did note, though, that there has been some level of refurbishment since then.

dln929 - thanks for the reassurance about the inside cabin, I was wondering about that as we had a balcony cabin last time. I don't mind interior, so long as it being interior doesn't equal smelly (from being airless).

2fromTO - the galley tour sounds interesting. Hmmm. I'm trying to follow a Paleo diet lifestyle, but I think it's going to come crashing down during the cruise :D

Hi Tusabrat

 

Quest was a joy when we sailed at the end of April and remember, this forum only has a tiny number of active Azamara guests making posts. I think the total number voting on the recent poll was about 150 or so. Also this is a CruiseCritic forum and because Azamara gives us a Chief Blogging Officer, we have a very good place to get those problems sorted out when we are unhappy, or at least taken notice of.

 

The negatives are probably found on every cruise ship at some time.

 

Relax and enjoy the build up to your cruise I am positive it will be everything you want it to be.

 

Any problems, questions, further worries, you can always search around the forum on here (searching for posts not threads I find best) or post if you can't get the answer through your TA or Azamara direct ;)

 

Yvonne

Yes people complain loud and hard! They may have a legit complaint but for some you really wonder what the motive is? What do they want from the cruise line to make them (the customer and center of the universe)happy? (money, upgrade, something free, few kind words). Some folks complain to "help" other folks know of certain conditions and "help" the company give a better product.

I read reviews and even the fanciest of hotels/ships/tours have complaints. Many are of the "clogged toilet" type of review. Most of the clogged toilets are caused because the customers are not careful of what they are putting in the delicate "disposal" system. Somebody down the hall makes a bad decision on what to flush and the whole hall has the problem. Or another version of this is somebody gets sick on the plane coming to the ship and still checks off the proper answers to board the ship. 8% of ship gets norovirus but that is still on large ships hundreds of folks. Is the ship responsible and declared a "dirty" place because a small % of the passengers got sick in one place. According to USA CDC less than 1% of all norovirus happens on cruise ships which is less than even hospitals and Dr's office visits but let it happen on cruise ship and everybody demands a free cruise and money towards the next one!

What I am trying to say is that I have over 200 days on ships that cover many types and sizes -- 23 passengers to 3,000 passengers. I have read reviews of ships and hotels that I was on the same time as the review that claimed this or that horrible situation (bad food, dirty room, disappointing staff, lack of performance of staff or property) and I had a completely wonderful experience. Sometimes especially in food reviews I wonder what the heck these people eat at home as they are so very hard to please. I tend the other way that if I don't cook it -- I am pretty much pleased. Your ability to complain does not always mean you have a complaint. ( a cartoon that said "your ability to point out others sins does not make you a saint" is a favorite.)

Relax and enjoy your anticipation of the cruise. Go "knowing" that this is going to be a great vacation and your chances of that out come are in the very high 90% range. Go looking for disappointment or less than your definition of perfection and chances that is exactly what you will find. Make up your own mind -- it is in good operating order. Stay away from the complainers -- they will drag you down --negative people suck the good sea breezes away.

220 days on cruise ships and probably 218 of them were excellent. Why could home and work not be so high:rolleyes:

Yes people complain loud and hard! They may have a legit complaint but for some you really wonder what the motive is? What do they want from the cruise line to make them (the customer and center of the universe)happy? (money, upgrade, something free, few kind words). Some folks complain to "help" other folks know of certain conditions and "help" the company give a better product.

 

I read reviews and even the fanciest of hotels/ships/tours have complaints. Many are of the "clogged toilet" type of review. Most of the clogged toilets are caused because the customers are not careful of what they are putting in the delicate "disposal" system. Somebody down the hall makes a bad decision on what to flush and the whole hall has the problem. Or another version of this is somebody gets sick on the plane coming to the ship and still checks off the proper answers to board the ship. 8% of ship gets norovirus but that is still on large ships hundreds of folks. Is the ship responsible and declared a "dirty" place because a small % of the passengers got sick in one place. According to USA CDC less than 1% of all norovirus happens on cruise ships which is less than even hospitals and Dr's office visits but let it happen on cruise ship and everybody demands a free cruise and money towards the next one!

 

What I am trying to say is that I have over 200 days on ships that cover many types and sizes -- 23 passengers to 3,000 passengers. I have read reviews of ships and hotels that I was on the same time as the review that claimed this or that horrible situation (bad food, dirty room, disappointing staff, lack of performance of staff or property) and I had a completely wonderful experience. Sometimes especially in food reviews I wonder what the heck these people eat at home as they are so very hard to please. I tend the other way that if I don't cook it -- I am pretty much pleased. Your ability to complain does not always mean you have a complaint. ( a cartoon that said "your ability to point out others sins does not make you a saint" is a favorite.)

 

Relax and enjoy your anticipation of the cruise. Go "knowing" that this is going to be a great vacation and your chances of that out come are in the very high 90% range. Go looking for disappointment or less than your definition of perfection and chances that is exactly what you will find. Make up your own mind -- it is in good operating order. Stay away from the complainers -- they will drag you down --negative people suck the good sea breezes away.

220 days on cruise ships and probably 218 of them were excellent. Why could home and work not be so high:rolleyes:

Too true, too true, we work to live and live to dream.

Remove the bad from your life, I just wish we were rich enough to cruise whenever we wanted, for as long as we want!

Enjoy whatever you do life is too short to look for failure!

Boy we had a nasty story on a cruise with blocked toilets but we had a fantastic time and everyone worked together until it was sorted, brilliant Azamara guests, everyone is so great.

Azamara named themselves as a club, they are right, it is a club full of select social people.

Infact I don't want anymore Azmamara ships, I just want it to stay exactly as it is now ;)

Yvonne

Well said Yovonne . Sorry it should not stay the same. Life is a constant flux and that is what makes it interesting and exciting. Staying put is impossible -- you go forward or slip back or waste a whole lot of time and energy just threading water instead of basking in the sunshine.

I am the lady from cabin 8067 and mold. We had cruised AZ a few years prior and enjoyed it very much and chose again this time for the ITINERARY. If it had not been for the room issue we would have been back, but only for the "itinerary". There are problems on every ship and we sail at least 2 times a year, mainly in Europe. I feel AZ took advantage of us by moving us to a cabin we had not requested and coincidently did the same to the 2 gentlemen 2 cabins down from us. They had noise issues and discussed the sewage odor in our hallway, as well. They also cancelled any upcoming cruise with AZ and also told us they contacted Mr. Pimental during their cruise about their disappointments. We can afford to be choosy and there are many true luxury cruise lines out there willing to take our money and provide what we paid for.

I have been on the Quest before, but it was 2 years ago.

 

I can deal with small, and the decor was fine. What I can't deal with is dirt - sewer smells

 

:D

Glad you are reassured.

As you know, on any cruise ship using a vacuum system for sewage the issue of sewer smells is a always a possibility, but an unlikely one. The system relies upon the correct choices made by passengers; sometimes they fail to do so.

Our judgement is influenced not by the occurrence of the problem but whether a consistent and sincere effort is made to solve it. On one of our cruises, a so-called "premium" line, the effort was not evident nor any concern expressed. That was our "dealbreaker".

We have never seen such an attitude on an ACC ship.

Agree about "dealbrakers". AZ only made the consistent effort once I made the decision to cancel my upcoming Oct 2014 Croatia cruise with them. My Amex Platinum TA had to contact them after 6 days into this mess. They then took notice :(....timing is everything...too Late!

I wonder how much additional pressure now will be on Azamara with Oceania's recent extensive renovation of their "R" ships, the same type as the two Azamara ships.

Azamara's cabins really are showing their age.

And the interior cabins?

Thanks

Admittedly it has been three years ago when we were on the Quest. We wanted an outside OV or balcony but the ship was booked solid.

We had an inside room, about four doors away from the Reception and other than the Sony clock being difficult to adjust (alarm), it was GREAT. Near the stairs at the Reception which led to the MDR and Mosiac. It was clean, fresh-smelling, and quiet. Also was convenient when leaving the ship at the various ports.

I wonder how much additional pressure now will be on Azamara with Oceania's recent extensive renovation of their "R" ships, the same type as the two Azamara ships.

 

Azamara's cabins really are showing their age.

I'll let you know -- 10 days on Insignia in Nov. and 16 days on Quest in Feb.

I have been on R ships Nautica and Tahitian Princess and one other but can't think which one. I love the R ships though the cabins are small. It is so easy to get from one spot to another. Were you on Nautica for Istanbul to Athens with us CintiPam?

I also wonder if O pricing will come down a bit with so many more berths to sell.

I wonder how much additional pressure now will be on Azamara with Oceania's recent extensive renovation of their "R" ships, the same type as the two Azamara ships.

 

Azamara's cabins really are showing their age.

No, they are not. We were in a Journey suite last week and in a stern veranda now. Neither is "showing its age."

No, they are not. We were in a Journey suite last week and in a stern veranda now. Neither is "showing its age."

I would be inclined to agree. My daughter's inside cabin on the Journey last month was charming. She said the bed was exceedingly comfortable and that the shower, though small, had very good water pressure. No complaints, only delight.

Were you on Nautica for Istanbul to Athens with us CintiPam?

 

I also wonder if O pricing will come down a bit with so many more berths to sell.

Our very first cruise, Istanbul to Athens, was on Nautica in September 2008.

I would be inclined to agree. My daughter's inside cabin on the Journey last month was charming. She said the bed was exceedingly comfortable and that the shower, though small, had very good water pressure. No complaints, only delight.

 

 

IMO your photo, with the original Renaissance furnishings, including those immovable lamps on the night table simply make my point.

We were very pleased that the old mattresses were replaced in late 2012 between our October 2012 and September 2013 Quest cruises.

However I feel about the cabin furnishings, the excellent itineraries and wonderful service more than make up for those IMO. But I am not sure that will continue working for many other potential consumers when other lines keep refurbishing. Just my opinion.

Hello Tusabrat,

I've just read your post and its concerns me. We're booked on the Quest for the July 5, 2013 sailing. I've not been able to find any recent reviews regarding your statement..."cabins/hallways smell so bad that people are canceling their cruises...".

Could you please direct me to those reviews. It'd be appreciated. Thank you.

The one thing that I always, always, recommend is an ocean view or balcony.

Most passengers at the very least spend 8 hours a day in their cabins.

You should have the availability of a sea view at anytime you want it 24 hours a day.

The cost to upgrade to an ocean view is so worth it...IMHO. :)

IMO your photo, with the original Renaissance furnishings, including those immovable lamps on the night table simply make my point.

 

We were very pleased that the old mattresses were replaced in late 2012 between our October 2012 and September 2013 Quest cruises.

 

However I feel about the cabin furnishings, the excellent itineraries and wonderful service more than make up for those IMO. But I am not sure that will continue working for many other potential consumers when other lines keep refurbishing. Just my opinion.

Azamara's two ships were refurbished less than two years ago and will be again three years after that. How often must they do it to satisfy you?