Just back from Aza Journey...

... and willing to answer any questions. :cool:

My review will also be online shortly.

Good morning, im looking forward to your review when you have time to post. Triona

Good morning, im looking forward to your review when you have time to post. Triona

Hi Triona,

it was almost 2 weeks from Venice to Barcelona, so quite a bit to write about ;)

Question from us, going on Journey for first time at the end of August. Are there sauna and/or steam rooms available anywhere? If so is there charge to use?

Many thanks.

Woodards.

Question from us, going on Journey for first time at the end of August. Are there sauna and/or steam rooms available anywhere? If so is there charge to use?

 

Many thanks.

 

Woodards.

Hey Woodards,

there is a steam room available within the SANCTUM spa and gym facilities on deck 9 forward. The steam rooms are seperate for men & women in the changing rooms but there is no sauna. There is no charge but if you want to use the exclusive SANCTUM spa deck in front of the ship (with a hot tub and loungers) there is an extra fee if you're not staying in a suite.

Hey Woodards,

 

there is a steam room available within the SANCTUM spa and gym facilities on deck 9 forward. The steam rooms are seperate for men & women in the changing rooms but there is no sauna. There is no charge but if you want to use the exclusive SANCTUM spa deck in front of the ship (with a hot tub and loungers) there is an extra fee if you're not staying in a suite.

Many thanks.

... and willing to answer any questions. :cool:

 

My review will also be online shortly.

I look forward to your review in due course. We are going on 3 night taster cruise in August and I have one very quick question. I appreciate that drinks are included but they only ever seem to mention wines, beers and spirits; are cocktails included?:)

Thanks.

I look forward to your review in due course. We are going on 3 night taster cruise in August and I have one very quick question. I appreciate that drinks are included but they only ever seem to mention wines, beers and spirits; are cocktails included?:)

 

Thanks.

Hi,

they provide a list of all the cocktails which are included at every bar. Just turn to the last page. While the presentation of the cocktails itself is not very luxurious, you will surely find a cocktail you like. Cognacs etc. are all extra, though.

To answer the rest of your question, a selection of 2 reds, 2 whites and a rose are offered each day. Additionally a sparkling wine is also offered.The free liquor offerings are more than adequate, IMO, but if you want you can purchase more upscale liquors either individually, or in a package good for the entire cruise.

I look forward to your review in due course. We are going on 3 night taster cruise in August and I have one very quick question. I appreciate that drinks are included but they only ever seem to mention wines, beers and spirits; are cocktails included?:)

 

 

 

Thanks.

To see what the full list of included drinks on the web-site click on 'Booked Guests' (top menu), then on 'Onboard Packages' then on 'Complimentary Beverages'

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Thanks! Looking forward to your review!

Looking forward to your review also. Thanks.

We are considering taking this cruise in November as we would love to see some of India.

However there are so many conflicting reviews of the ship - from small cabins - to inferior food - most notable example of big ship processes was in the main dining room where entrees arrived soggy from spending too much time under the "dome" after being plated. Although they seat you at tables for two, meals seemed to be mass produced and brought out in bulk on large trays, just like on the mega ships. Of the seven nights, three dinners in the main dining room and none were excellent.

On to the specialty restaurants. After reading Cruise Critic's recommendation of Aqualina, we booked two dinners there and one at Prime C. Big mistake. Aqualina was mediocre at best with a somewhat limited menu. However, Prime C was actually excellent. If sailing Azamara, be sure to book dinner at Prime C as much as possible.

As to service - Service was good, but not fabulous. And much less personalized than on a true small ship. If you want over the top service and a true small-ship experience, don't expect it here.

On our day at sea all loungers on the pool and sun decks were taken (and most were occupied). There was some space for additional loungers.

My daughter has just returned from a Cruise on the Oceania Riviera and everything from the size of the cabin and balcony to service and the food was simply par excellence.

We are thinking of booking a Club Continent Suite - anyone who has recently been on board - please enlighten me as to your thoughts

Would welcome and appreciate all views and recommendations

Our experience of Azamara on three cruises and both ships is totally different. We found meals in the MDR to be excellent -certainly way above HAL . We have eaten on the MDR every night but 3 or 4 across all three cruises.

We also found the service to be terrific and very personal.

We also have always found a sun-bed - never had a problem - and two of our cruises had a lot of sea days with very heavy use of both the pool deck and the sun-deck. Overall we prefer the sun-deck as we like a breeze and have always had a good choice of beds to choose from.

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Please expand on what are the differences you found on both ships - and which ship did you prefer and why?

I am leaving later this month for our cruise. I usually have items that I hand wash and hang to dry.

I few months ago it was reported that there were no clothes lines in the bathroom. Is that still the case? We will be in a veranda room.

Please expand on what are the differences you found on both ships - and which ship did you prefer and why?

I have been on both ships countless times and can discern no difference between them. Both crews are wonderful and have gone above and beyond for me more times than I can mention.

Latterly I have cruised on Journey but only because I have preferred the itineraries. Every dinner I have had in Aqualina and Prime C has been superb.

The MDR is not quite as good as it used to be although I would rate it much more highly than a mass market line. Just my opinion

We are considering taking this cruise in November as we would love to see some of India.

 

However there are so many conflicting reviews of the ship - from small cabins - to inferior food - most notable example of big ship processes was in the main dining room where entrees arrived soggy from spending too much time under the "dome" after being plated. Although they seat you at tables for two, meals seemed to be mass produced and brought out in bulk on large trays, just like on the mega ships. Of the seven nights, three dinners in the main dining room and none were excellent.

 

On to the specialty restaurants. After reading Cruise Critic's recommendation of Aqualina, we booked two dinners there and one at Prime C. Big mistake. Aqualina was mediocre at best with a somewhat limited menu. However, Prime C was actually excellent. If sailing Azamara, be sure to book dinner at Prime C as much as possible.

 

As to service - Service was good, but not fabulous. And much less personalized than on a true small ship. If you want over the top service and a true small-ship experience, don't expect it here.

 

On our day at sea all loungers on the pool and sun decks were taken (and most were occupied). There was some space for additional loungers.

 

My daughter has just returned from a Cruise on the Oceania Riviera and everything from the size of the cabin and balcony to service and the food was simply par excellence.

 

We are thinking of booking a Club Continent Suite - anyone who has recently been on board - please enlighten me as to your thoughts

 

Would welcome and appreciate all views and recommendations

Hi Kidson,

I absolutely agree with every thing you have mentioned above. It is exactly the impression I got on my Aza Journey cruise. The MDR was a total letdown twice so we didn't bother going there again. Windows had very good food at all times. So even though I would have prefered to be served at dinner time we chose to use the buffet much more than we would normally have.

The pool deck is just not a very good layout. I think they could do much better there. Nothing for claustrophobic people.

Service was very good (and I always like to point out how hard working the staff is !!) but not personalized.

Hi M&P Germany,

Truly interested to learn of your experience and read your full review.

Have you per chance seen or traveled in a Club Continent Suite?

Please expand on what are the differences you found on both ships - and which ship did you prefer and why?

I think grandma was referring to the difference between the HAL ship and the Azamara ship, not between the two Azamara ships.

And I'm with grandma: Azamara's main dining room food has always been fine, and it is brought to the dining room individually by your wait team, and not "mass-produced and brought out in bulk on large trays."

Hi Marinaro44,

Many thanks for your helpful comments.

I am so confused as there are so so many conflicting reviews

A much as I would like to try an Azamara cruise I feel hesitant to spend 14 days on board a ship being unhappy for one reason or another - it would be so so pointless and a total waste of money. I'm lost !!

Hi M&P Germany,

 

Truly interested to learn of your experience and read your full review.

 

Have you per chance seen or traveled in a Club Continent Suite?

The Club Continent rooms are lovely designed deluxe staterooms with extra perks but nowhere close to a "suite". They are a bit larger than the regular rooms but I'd say the only thing that is really bigger is the bathroom. HOWEVER, I don't think that justifies the huge price difference.

I think grandma was referring to the difference between the HAL ship and the Azamara ship, not between the two Azamara ships.

 

And I'm with grandma: Azamara's main dining room food has always been fine, and it is brought to the dining room individually by your wait team, and not "mass-produced and brought out in bulk on large trays."

The truth is somewhere in the middle. Of course MDR food (appetizers, desserts) is always prepared beforehand, otherwise serving a few hundred passengers at almost the same time would be impossible. And of course they bring out food orders on larger trays. What other way would there be to handle the many orders.

What I found problematic was that the dishes weren't very creative. It was a very standard cuisine and, to be honest, I was expecting more. Prime C, Aqualina and Windows were much, much better regarding atmosphere, food presentation, food quality and service.

Hi Marinaro44,

 

Many thanks for your helpful comments.

 

I am so confused as there are so so many conflicting reviews

 

A much as I would like to try an Azamara cruise I feel hesitant to spend 14 days on board a ship being unhappy for one reason or another - it would be so so pointless and a total waste of money. I'm lost !!

Don't base your decision on the restaurant thing alone. Azamara is a very good (yet quite a pricey) product. I really liked the fellow passengers factor. The people on the boat are very talkative, friendly and well travelled. For me THAT is a major selling point. I spent much more time with other people than I ever did on an Oceania cruise.

. Prime C, Aqualina and Windows were much, much better regarding atmosphere, food presentation, food quality and service.

I hope this wasn't a surprise to you, as it should be pretty obvious that any cruise ship specialty restaurant would be superior in these regards to a much larger main dining room. I think it's a better comparison to look at other ships of comparable size and compare main dining rooms, and our experience is that Azamara's are at least the equal of Regent's. I can't speak to Crystal as I have no interest in that cruise line, or Seabourn for that matter.

If you're saying dessert items like cakes or pies or the like are baked beforehand, that also is no revelation. What I would say is that I often order an appetizer portion of the pasta of the day and often mix side dishes from different main course dishes so I doubt if those dishes are prepared in bulk and carried up to the main dining room on large trays. In fact, I like to watch the waiters do their thing and I always see our dishes brought up together, usually by the assistant waiter, and then served to us

Sorry, but our experiences in the main dining room (at least 150 to 175 dinners) are very different from what you've described, and I'm always concerned when others accept the few negative descriptions as being the norm and are therefore turned off to a cruise line.

Your description of the Club Continent Suite is quite misleading and I have to correct it. True, it is no more a suite of rooms than any one room stateroom on Regent, where all staterooms are rather grandiosely called "suites." But a Club Continent Suite is exactly 50% larger than a veranda stateroom, not just "a bit" larger. That is, two Club Continent Suites take up exactly the space of three veranda staterooms. In my opinion, that would justify a 50% increase in price, as you could put 50% more passengers in that space, but the price difference is rarely (though perhaps sometimes, depending on stateroom availability close to departure date) close to that.

I'm sorry you didn't care for some aspects of your Azamara cruise, but I don't think that justifies misleading others about the cruise line.