Azamara vs Oceania - my view

I thought I would give a comparison of Azamara vs Oceania based on my experience especially given the recent refurbishment of the smaller Oceania “R” ships and current live reviews of on Cruise Critic. Each person has their own “needs” as far as the cruise experience goes. We enjoy the Oceania product that provides casual dining, small ships, open seating, great beds, a minimum of children and interesting itineraries.

Background

We have sailed six times with Oceania – three times on the smaller “R” ships and three times on the larger “O” ships. We have number seven and eight coming up in 2015 as a Grand Voyage Down Under so you can see we like Oceania. However, we like the smaller “R” ships better. We haven’t been on the “R” ships for a while so things may have changed but we preferred the atmosphere and friendliness of the smaller ships. We never cruised any other line so we were looking for a similar experience to Oceania. Azamara has the two sister ships and we came upon a great double upgrade offer and $1,500 Choice Air credit on a B2B itinerary we loved with lots of late port nights and overnights. We jumped on it and gave it a try with much trepidation.

Cruise Itinerary

We booked a B2B – our first. We combined two 7 day cruises. The first leg was called Best of Greek Isles and Turkish Coast and sailed from Athens on June 21 through Mykonos, Kusadasi, Kos, Rhodes, Marmaris, Santorini and back to Athens. There were lots of late nights and an overnight which is really nice since we like to hang out in ports after all the cruise ships leave. The second 7 night leg left from Athens and included Chania, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Korcula, and overnight in Venice. We like the interesting itineraries and although we had visited some of these ports before with Oceania we wanted to spend more time at them. The longer port stays and overnights are a big plus for us.

Embarkation

We booked a standard verandah V3 (Oceania A3 equivalent) cabin 7009 and our boarding documents stated that embarkation was 12:30 pm. We arrived at Piraeus at 12:30 and were met by Azamara personnel who had our luggage taken away immediately and directed us to the check in. The line was very long and had tons of kids on it (oh no). Fortunately, it took all of 10 minutes to sign in, get our cards and get on board. We were greeted with champagne. We headed to the Windows Café (Terrace Cafe on Oceania) where there was a full luncheon spread as well as the pool bar that was open. We marveled at the fact that this was the first time we were able to get a table on the outside. We don’t really like buffets and it was always a mob scene on Oceania and we never could find an empty table. We hadn’t even sat down when the waiters came and asked us what we wanted to drink. We had a very nice lunch with lots of offerings at the buffet and then decided to check on our cabin at 1:30. The cabin was ready and our suitcases were there. Another first.

Cabin and Ship

We had the same size cabin category as our previous Oceania “R” cruises and felt right at home. The cabin was in great shape. There was a bottle champagne and fresh fruit on the table. The fruit was replenished daily. There were no chocolate mints on the bed at night – instead we had little chocolate pastries. There was a smaller wooden cocktail table versus the glass cocktail table that took up too much room on Oceania. The deck had a square glass table and two wicker chairs. The bed was really comfortable as were the pillows and sheets. The bed was higher since my luggage fit under it and I didn’t have to store it in the closet. The cabin was a replica of he “O” cabins on the “R” ships which included the “dreaded” shower curtain (lol). There were bathrobes, slippers, umbrella and binoculars in the room. Also, a user friendly alarm clock on the night table. There was a safe and small refrigerator.

The ship pretty much has the same layout as Oceania. The Café seems to have a larger overhang so you are able to fit more tables outside in inclement weather. There was also a larger bar outside. I am not one for noticing art work around the ship so I can’t comment. There was a piano in the library. Mosaics – the coffee bar – is tucked in a corner on deck 5. The elevators were never crowded. I think since this cruise had a lot of younger people everyone was using the stairs.

Meet and Mingle

Azamara arranges the Meet and Mingle. You sign up on line. We had a very nice group. The get together was at 5:45pm and they served hors d’oevres and cocktails. The muster was at 5 pm and you didn’t have to bring your life vest. The first night we were asked if we wanted to dine at 6 pm or 8 pm to stagger the dinners. We are late eaters so we selected 8 pm. No wait and dinner was excellent. Afterwards we went to the lounge which is something we never to do on Oceania but then hey – unlimited wine and beer - had a great time and the fellow passengers were congenial.

Kids and Demographics

We saw a lot of kids when we signed in and that about was the last time we saw any which was strange. We also never heard them. We were surprised. We found out at our turnaround B2B meeting that the first leg actually had 710 passengers of which 45 were kids. Both the Captain and Hotel Director were there and told us that the ship never had that many passengers or kids and they were concerned. Because of this the ship placed a packet of rules and regulations to anyone that had kids sailing with them. The communication of these rules and the ramifications provided a ground rule that everyone followed. There were no babies in the pool, no kids unsupervised, no kids jumping in the pool, no kids in the specialty restaurant under 13 and no kids roaming around halls. The ship put kid programs in but since it was such a port intense cruise no showed up. I actually enjoyed meeting up with the parents who had babies in the prams since none were making a fuss and none were in the dining rooms when we were there. We never noticed crowding anyone including the restaurants but this was a port intensive cruise with no sea days on the first leg. For the first time we were able to dine on the outside Café and get a table and actually eat without a mob crowd and this was on an oversold cruise. The second leg only had 610 passengers with British in the majority and only 18 children.

White Nights and Azamazing Evenings

For each cruise segment Azamara had a White Night and Azamazing Evening. The White Night party consists of a buffet on the pool deck and band with music and dancing. We ate in the dining room first and then joined the party. I am not a buffet or a late night person but have to admit I had a great time. You are suppose to wear white but don’t have to. The band was fabulous and everyone was having a great time. Here is where the difference between O and ACC comes into play. No one is around in the lounge on O after 10 pm and I was always in my cabin. Not on Azamara. This ship is definitely more social and active and therefore we had a tendency to stay up.

We partook of two Azamazing evenings on our B2B. The first was an evening string concert at night in Ephesus. It was wonderful. The ship had buffets set up on the ship before we left and then hors d’oevres and cocktails at Ephesus. If you wanted there was another buffet set up upon arrival back to the ship later in the evening. The evening was great and went very smoothly with the bus transportation. The Captain and CD were there as well.

The second Azamazing evening was in Chania Crete. It took place in the town square outside the old Mosque. It replicated a folkloric wedding. I can’t tell you how great this was. We had drinks and local edibles and the town participated in arranging the festival. The Captain and CD were there and participated once again like in Ephesus. I was always one to say I believed the Captain belonged on the bridge and if I never saw him I was fine. Not so. Azamara brings a whole new perspective to interaction. We tendered in and it all went flawlessly.

Food and Wine

It’s subjective but the food on Azamara was good. We have had some pretty terrible steaks and seafood on Oceania so I have no complaints on Azamara. Generally I think food is a tad better on Oceania but it depends on the ship, chef, etc. I think Oceania has a heads up on breakfast in the MDR but Azamara has an advantage on breakfast and lunch in the Café. Oceania has a much better selection at the pool bar. Azamara doesn’t have the MDR open on port days whereas Oceania does. Also, there are no lamb chops in the Azamara MDR for breakfast. Eggs Benedict trumps in the Oceania MDR for breakfast. However, no matter your cabin category you can get a hot breakfast in your Azamara cabin which we did one morning. We miss the milk shakes on Oceania but the ice cream is good on Azamara. Also, the food is always hot on Azamara and we never had to wait eons to be served. Also, we never had to wait to have our wine classes refilled. I couldn’t tell you how many times the sommelier never returned to our table on Oceania to get a refill. We just said forget it. We liked the wine on Azamara but we aren’t big wine perfectionists. Everyday the selection of red and white changes and they introduce wines from a region (ie. California, South Africa, South America, etc.). Mosaics is Azamara’s Baristas and has very good coffee and lots of mini sandwiches, pastries, cookies, etc. throughout the day. The restaurants are also open longer.

Entertainment

We attended several shows with the Azamara Dancers and Singers and they were GREAT. Very talented group. We went to two comedy magician shows and they were just okay. The other nights were filled with the Azamazing evenings and White Nights. We did hang out in the lounge for dancing (first for us) and the DJ was excellent. There were a lot of people dancing and open to 2 am. We did notice that there were two shows per evening so as to accommodate early and late diners.

Excursions, Drink and Specialty Restaurant Packages

Wish I had something to add here but we didn’t take any of Azamara’s excursions. The excursions offered in the brochure are no where near expensive as Oceania’s. We also never had a problem with the tenders. You got off the ship whenever you wanted and we didn’t wait for ship tours to go first. That is the beauty of a smaller ship. We did receive a free excursion on Korcula to wineries that was part of ACC Land Discoveries association with our TA’s agency. I never really understood it but the excursion was great.

They were offering specialty restaurant packages with a small savings. I believe the specialty restaurant cost is $25 pp. We were happy with the MDR so never experienced the Specialities. We also didn’t take the drink package. My husband drinks Bud and we really liked the wines they pour as included in the cruise. We spent our days off the ship and local cuisines and beers at shore restaurants. We don’t drink hard liquor – we did enough damage with the wine and beer. Corkage fee is $10.

Shuttles

Azamara doesn’t use just the available port shuttles. This makes a huge difference with availability and timing. This is always something that pissed me off about Oceania stating they had shuttles. They could never provide me any information about where the pick up and drop off points were until on the ship and the reason was because the shuttles belonged to the port. They only use the available port shuttles not any that they hired. Azamara had their own and they ran frequently with no problems, long waiting or crowding. In Dubrovnik they ran as soon as they were filled or every half hour with no problem coming or going. When we were there in 2009 with O there were no shuttles at all.

We were suppose to dock in San Basilio for our end of the cruise overnight in Venice but ended in Maritimo. Azamara got us a dedicated Azamara water taxi for $10 pp to run from Maritimo to San Marco all day till 10:30 pm at night and you could get off and on as much as you wanted - cheaper than the vaporotto from San Basilio. They also provided a free shuttle bus from the dock to the People Mover for those of us who were traveling independently and not going to the airport. Azamara also provided lots of details for traveling to the airport, train station, back into Venice with them or independently. I also commend the Captain for having an ongoing dialogue with the ports of Dubrovnik and Venice to get us the tender spot in the Old Town and at San Basilio although it did not work out.

Announcements and Such

The captain comes on at noon each day and gives you an enjoyable and lively update as to where you are, the weather, where you are going, and various updates. It’s the only update you are getting unless something happens. They are very unobtrusive. There were art stuff but we never heard or saw them and same goes for photographers. Just say no and it was over.

Incidentals

We received free internet minutes on the first leg as well as a free laundry for as much as you could fill the small laundry bag. The laundry came back folded, pressed and on hangers for the shirts. Very nice. I have no idea why we got this free perk. We received an additional 85 free internet minutes on the second leg since we were now part of the Le Club Voyage. We also received a small bottle of local olive oil and honey from our day on Crete – nice gesture and delicious oil.

Atmosphere and Service

I am the first to say I never cared about the captain and CD interaction with the cruisers but boy I am a convert. This ship has a down to earth and friendly vibe which does make a difference from the Captain to the cabin steward to the CD. Everyone is genuinely friendly and happy. You talk to the crew and have a real conversation and interaction. The CD and Captain led walks up to the fort in Kotor and through Dubrovnik. The bar tender knows your name and beverage before you even sit down. You can’t turn your head without having your glass refilled. The DJ is in the lounge till 2 am and there are actual people still dancing and having a good time.

Broadcast announcements are kept to an absolute minimum and communication of events such as transportation options, shuttle schedules, etc. are excellent and forthcoming.

Service is impeccable. We were never served lukewarm food or had to wait a long time between courses. Our cabin attendant even turn our clocks back for us when we passed a time zone.

Bad Stuff

We loved our cruise so much we booked another for 2016. Just found out that they are chartering out the Quest and our cruises are affected. This is a problem when you only have two ships in the fleet and a charter takes up a big chunk of the schedule.

We will definitly cruise again on Azmara as long as the itineries are goods and they hold their price point.

TERRIER1,

Thank you for that comprehensive and balanced review.

Paul

I wonder if Azamara will give us our status on Celebrity as we are in close to the highest tier. I will definitely give Azamara a try. You have been on enough of Oceania to be really objective. I have heard that Azamara has a wonderful product and thanks to you, we will give it a try.

Thanks for a very balanced review. Azamara sounds more interesting than it used to.

We would love to hear from an Azamara cruiser who has been in one of the 10 largest suites as to the butler service and extra perks if there are any.

Thanks for you review. We never took the R ships on Oceania because with Oceania providing few activities it sounded like it might be boring. Sounds like the same size ship is active on Azamara. I think we will give them a try. We are Elite on X so it might be a perk.

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I agree with what most of terrier 1 has said. Luckily we had no kids on our cruise

We thought the entertainment was worse than o but every cruise is different. We give o the edge on food. Everyone but diehard foodies will be satisfied

As for Azamazing evenings we avoid anything involving busloads of passengers. We stay on the ship. Personal choice

We have 3 azamara cruises booked. A short one in September and a b2b in 2015 For us the itinerary governs

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We really like the O ships, so Azamara is a non-starter for us. We'd do Regent first.

Thanks for the report!

Having sailed both Azamara (both ships) and Oceania (Regatta and Marina), I have to say Terrier1 is spot on. I've enjoyed both cruise lines with great itineraries and food; they are my first choices for cruising. The main difference - aside from A being a bit more inclusive than O - is as Terrier pointed out: the friendliness and participation of the officers on Azamara is head and shoulders over Oceania's aloofness! Perhaps FDR can assist in encouraging more interaction between officers and passengers.

It's been awhile since we were on Azamara. One standout-attentiveness to cruisecritic rollcall members. A cocktail party with appetizers for our meet and greet and several staff in attendance. I think the captain stopped in but not positive about this. Maybe just the CD. This was followed by an offer of a focus group one morning, which we also accepted. They were very interested in our feedback. They were very upfront about it-tell us now so we can fix the problem. "Don't wait until later and post on cruisecritic." Agree with the first poster that the friendly vibe from captain and CD is definitely noticeable.

Do prefer the food on O, no extra charge in the specialty restaurants, and the afternoon tea in Horizons. From what I have been reading the smoke issue is now resolved on the smaller ships with a closed in area in Horizons. Or last cruise had lots of Europeans who smoked a lot, not fun.

Haven't been back to Azamara because the O itineraries and dates have worked out better for us.

Thank you for the review. I am not sure the Captain co-leading an excursion is a plus for me. While it might be nice to interact with the management, I would be more comfortable with them sticking to their professional duties. But, we are all entitled to our own preferences.

I very much enjoyed reading this review, thank you for taking the time. I do have one question, you mentioned a private charter affecting some future cruises - do you know what period this private charters covers? Or have those sailings affected already been taken off the web site? I ask because there is a cruise there I have been eyeing, and your review has pushed me closer to the trigger pull.

Having sailed both Azamara (both ships) and Oceania (Regatta and Marina)' date=' I have to say Terrier1 is spot on. I've enjoyed both cruise lines with great itineraries and food; they are my first choices for cruising. The main difference - aside from A being a bit more inclusive than O - is as Terrier pointed out: the friendliness and participation of the officers on Azamara is head and shoulders over Oceania's aloofness![b'] Perhaps FDR can assist in encouraging more interaction between officers and passengers[/b].

Please don't. We need variety to be able to have choice in what we like and try. If it isn't a perfect mix, then cruisers would select one that is most acceptable (i.e., least compromises). If interaction is a deal breaker, then choose Az. Differences are good. Otherwise what point is there having two cruiselines if they're offering the same product. Yes, I expect politeness because that's just good service. But interaction is hardly a requirement for officers who are professionals - they're duties are the safe and efficient/smooth operations of the ship, not to be Chatty Cathies or Charming Charlies.

Thank you for the review. I am not sure the Captain co-leading an excursion is a plus for me. While it might be nice to interact with the management, I would be more comfortable with them sticking to their professional duties. But, we are all entitled to our own preferences.

We agree.:cool:

I very much enjoyed reading this review, thank you for taking the time. I do have one question, you mentioned a private charter affecting some future cruises - do you know what period this private charters covers? Or have those sailings affected already been taken off the web site? I ask because there is a cruise there I have been eyeing, and your review has pushed me closer to the trigger pull.

Apparently ACC chartered out the Quest in 2016. It appears many of the cruises are affected from August through November. My TA has not been formally notified yet since ACC is still in the process of rearranging cruises. It seems that the charter is not for a full 4 months but in sections. I really don't understand it all but our cruises in September have been put on hold and ACC is not taking anymore reservations. The Journey is not affected.

We very much enjoyed Terrier1's interesting comparison - we were actually on the 'second leg' of that cruise and also had a wonderful time. After 9 cruises on Azamara we are cruising with Oceania for the first time in October, on the Riviera. Admit we are a bit dubious about a bigger ship, being so familiar with the smaller 'R' ships which feel like home to us. However, the recent offer on O with free flights, upgrade, gratuities and Prestige drinks package made it worth overcoming our reservations and giving O a try. Think we will miss the friendly atmosphere and fantastic, attentive crew of Azamara and can't imagine any other ship having such a welcoming feeling, but are willing to be proved wrong! We are, however, looking forward to having a more spacious suite and bigger bathroom than we have in our usual verandah cabin on Azamara (not that we ever have any issues 'fighting with the shower curtain' that so many people complain about!). Just hope there are no problems with embarkation, shuttles etc. Watch this space after October!

We very much enjoyed Terrier1's interesting comparison - we were actually on the 'second leg' of that cruise and also had a wonderful time. After 9 cruises on Azamara we are cruising with Oceania for the first time in October, on the Riviera. Admit we are a bit dubious about a bigger ship, being so familiar with the smaller 'R' ships which feel like home to us. However, the recent offer on O with free flights, upgrade, gratuities and Prestige drinks package made it worth overcoming our reservations and giving O a try. Think we will miss the friendly atmosphere and fantastic, attentive crew of Azamara and can't imagine any other ship having such a welcoming feeling, but are willing to be proved wrong! We are, however, looking forward to having a more spacious suite and bigger bathroom than we have in our usual verandah cabin on Azamara (not that we ever have any issues 'fighting with the shower curtain' that so many people complain about!). Just hope there are no problems with embarkation, shuttles etc. Watch this space after October!

You will have a great time on a great ship. The showers are enclosed with glass and are larger and there is a tub if that is your thing with another shower head. You will enjoy the specialty restaurants (free). Embarkation has always been easy for us on Oceania. The shuttles not so much so. There is a self serve laundry on each deck which is very convenient. Unfortuantely you have to pay for them but it is a minimal charge. Have a great time and looking forward to your review.

Thoroughly enjoyed your comparison. As long time X cruisers, we had never considered Azamara. Now we might.

Thank you for your very detailed review! Entertaining and informative.

Thanks, I have been tempted by Azamara several times and will not hesitate to choose based on inineraries and cost.

Lynne

Thanks for a very balanced review. Azamara sounds more interesting than it used to.

We would love to hear from an Azamara cruiser who has been in one of the 10 largest suites as to the butler service and extra perks if there are any.

We sailed Azamara last year (their Antarctica itinery) and stayed in the Club Continent Suite. That is their smaller suite. We loved it. I think the butler got a little bored with us because we didn't use him as much as he would have liked. He did set up beautiful snacks on the balcony when weather permitted when we returned from excursions and made any reservations that we needed. The two speciality dining rooms were very good and primarily for the suite passengers. There is no cover for the suite passengers. There were also bottles of scotch, vodka and gin in the suites with no extra charge.

It was a great cruise. We had some extremely "exciting" ;) weather through Drake Passage and into Ushuaia. The crew was very friendly and the Captain was very visible.

We sailed Azamara last year (their Antarctica itinery) and stayed in the Club Continent Suite. That is their smaller suite. We loved it. I think the butler got a little bored with us because we didn't use him as much as he would have liked. He did set up beautiful snacks on the balcony when weather permitted when we returned from excursions and made any reservations that we needed. The two speciality dining rooms were very good and primarily for the suite passengers. There is no cover for the suite passengers. There were also bottles of scotch, vodka and gin in the suites with no extra charge.

It was a great cruise. We had some extremely "exciting" ;) weather through Drake Passage and into Ushuaia. The crew was very friendly and the Captain was very visible.

Thanks for the very good information. We do enjoy dinning in our suite and I'm not sure that will be as good as on O but probably will give it a try.

We have done 4 cruises on Oceania, and so far one on Azamara. Based on our experience, I think the OP nailed it!

The Insignia has been beautifully restored, but Azamara wins on service, friendliness, food , entertainment, shuttles. We had some poor food, service and shuttle experiences on O on our recent Istanbul to Venice cruise, which I outlined in another thread.

Subjectively, I would give O a good grade, and AZ an outstanding grade.

I agree with what most of terrier 1 has said. Luckily we had no kids on our cruise

 

We thought the entertainment was worse than o but every cruise is different. We give o the edge on food. Everyone but diehard foodies will be satisfied

 

As for Azamazing evenings we avoid anything involving busloads of passengers. We stay on the ship. Personal choice

 

We have 3 azamara cruises booked. A short one in September and a b2b in 2015 For us the itinerary governs

 

 

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Gotcha and I agree. However it all ran very smoothly. I couldn't believe it.

Thanks for the comprehensive and balanced comparisons.

We really enjoyed our two recent Quest cruises but with both Quest and Journey on charter for so much during the times we travel (spring and fall 2015 and fall 2016), there are very few cruises left for us to consider.

Thank you for your comparisons.