Azamara Quest Photos

Hi all! We spent 30 days on the Azamara Quest in November 2014 in stateroom 7044 & was requested to take some photos for Jarronwood to show her husband. They are cruising in this cabin in April 2016.

So here goes...

This is the hallway outside 7044. It is about 10m down from the forward stairs & elevators. It is about a 60m walk the way this photo is facing to the aft stairs & elevators. The storage room/pantry the cabin stewards use is about 15m down this hall on the left, & some threads have complained about this door slamming shut & making noise early morning. I never heard this or anyone on board or down the corridor complain of this, so they may have addressed that problem. Down the hall about 50m on the left, is the laundry. This is opened from 8am til 9pm most days.

This is our door, with the number. This is where they will put any messages throughout the day, invitations to art auctions etc. We didn't realise this until about day 2! It is also where you put the 'make up my room' or 'do not disturb' sign as required. The door has a lock on the inside that will not allow normal access with the key card, but sometimes my husband would be having an afternoon nap & I would be up on deck, so we would use the sign so the stewards wouldn't access the room & I was able to with my key card.

Hope that all makes sense, you will work out whatever works for you and your routines.

Karyn

Our first cruise itinerary, lasting 16 nights. Great lot of passengers, had a real ball with them, so easy going & friendly, right up our alley. We just really seemed to click with a lot of people on this cruise. Ports were all really interesting & we had a stint of 5 sea days in a row & pirate watch when traveling through the Red Sea & the Gulf of Aden.

Our second cruise of our b2b (back to back or consecutive cruises - I didn't work this one out for a while either!), that was 13 nights. Also a great itinerary, was great to be able to come back to the ship after your days in India. Didn't make as many new friends on this cruise, not sure why. This cruise had Canadians in greatest number, where the previous on had UK guests in greatest number. There was also a medical conference going on onboard and there were 107 delegates that all were networking & knew each other, so maybe they were more insular. Not that people were unfriendly, we just didn't find as many like minded passengers that we clicked with, but there was also only 4 sea days in this cruise, so you are off busy doing shore stuff rather than mingling on the pool deck. Not sure, but a few that had been on both cruises & staff had the same perception.

We only had to get visas for India, all other shore passes were taken care of by the Quest & relevant immigration staff of the countries. (I am Australian & normally would require a visa for Egypt, but Azamara said they would arrange on board. Same with Sri Lanka, although we got the free e-visa prior to leaving home, just in case.)

Karyn

This is our cabin as we arrived. We had Azamara brochure for sailings in 2015 & 2016 and an Azamara Club cruises tote bag, waiting for us on the bed, along with the daily newsletter. The daily newsletter is filled with lots of interesting information: restaurant serving times, cuisine buffets, the various bar opening times, show times, timetable of lectures, activities and other interesting things going on around the ship.

When you arrive, my first tip would be to put your name down at guest relations to partake in any onboard ship tours. These don't get advertised, so if you want to tour the galley kitchens, the bridge or engine room, they will notify you when these will take place. Thanks to Deidre for this tip!

Next, if you are interested in a dining package I would ask where the booking desk is ( was at the door of the Windows cafe on deck 10 aft when we were on board) & organise your package/ reservations, as they will have the calendar of events for the cruise (white nights, Azamazing evenings, ports of call & time docked) so you can take that into account as well, based on your shore excursions/ private tours. The first cruise availability wasn't a problem, as there were many sea days, the second cruise we only had 4 sea days, so time was limited, especially if you wanted to dine at the prime time of 7pm. The shows normally go at about 8pm & 9.45pm, but this does vary so check your daily planner for more info. Each cruise has an evening where you have the opportunity to say thank you to the ship's extensive staff & crew. This usually happens on the evening of the last sea day ( I loved this night on both cruises), so bear that in mind when booking reservations too. As you make friends on board, you may want to change your bookings to include more numbers or different times, and they were always very accommodating of our requests.

Aqualina is one of the specialty restaurants. Modern Italian. It's decor is light & airy, the food delicious ( don't pass on the soufflé - you will not forgive yourself if you do!), and service is almost 1 waiter to a table.

Prime C is the other specialty restaurant that has a darker, more masculine feel and specialises in steak. Or at least that was my perception. How wrong I was! The food is as good, if not better than Aqualina and it is not just steaks. You have more versatility with your orders, we ordered many sides on our table of 5 & had them as more of sharing plates (not as easy to do with just a couple), so was good to get a little taste of a lot of things.

There is another option of the Chef's Table. This can be purchased for $115pp or as part of a package. You are limited to only about 12 guests & have a choice of 3 cuisines, French, Californian & I can't remember the other. They usually have to let you know the dates at a later date, depending on availability of the executive chef & sommelier. This meal is 4 -5 dishes that have a wine pairing, that is discussed by the sommelier & guests. We had a great deal of fun this night. Our booking was for 7.00pm & we were still talking, laughing and drinking until well after 11pm!

Next if you want a drinks package, you don't usually have to go looking for them, they tend to be around the lobby & eateries the first day or so. The spa also offers some deals, so you could keep that in mind too. We bought a pass to the Thalassotherapy pool, $150 per couple per cruise, for our first cruise given the amount of sea days and the climate, which we felt was worth it. This gave you access to the forward deck area on deck 9, that has lounges & chairs, change rooms, showers, and is usually pretty quiet( access to this area is complimentary to suite guests).

At about this stage you can start on the complimentary cocktail list - I did!

Karyn

If anyone has specific questions, please ask. I am doing this from memory, as I haven't completely unpacked everything, so I might not be precise in every detail, but you get the gist, otherwise just ask me to clarify, or correct me!!

More later, have to do some jobs around the house!

Kartn

Thanks Karyn. This is really helpful! All these great first-day tips in one place. Will keep reading.

This is the complimentary drinks list. I managed to get through all of the cocktails and drank a bit of wine as well. The complimentary wines work on a 7-10 day rotation. So if you find a day that you really like, take note of the name & you can request it on other days, if you are not partial to that days offering, or if you just want to stick with that one.

These are your key cards and a little leather wallet to keep it in. They ask that you do not store it against other credit cards or mobile electronic devices, as it can get wiped.

The tote bag.

These are the brochures & daily pursuits newsletter.

Your cabin stewards put a copy of the following days program on your bed at turn down service. There are also additional copies available from guest relations desk & the library and the Mosaic cafe.

Our Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle was well attended on both cruises by fellow cc members and senior officers. It was nice to put faces to names & spot a few friendly faces so early on. We were very happy with the effort Azamara put into the function on both cruises. Well worth the effort.

This is your bathrobe supplied in your stateroom. If you have any spa treatments or use the Thalassotherapy pool, they also have linen robes there, that are also very good.

After we dumped our bags, we went about exploring the ship & orientating ourselves to the layout.

First stop was the spa & gym facilities. Both very adequate. The gym had plenty of equipment for cardio & strength work, as well as mats for yoga/ stretching. There are about 5 each of the treadmills, cross trainers & spin bikes. There are some free weights as well as stations. There is hand sanitiser and wipes to disinfect equipment before & after use, there are small hand towels available here, as well as refrigerated bottled water. They have some regular scheduled classes & you can pick this up as you pass through.

The spa has many services & usually someone will take you for a tour around & explain the many services offered. They have a multi prize draw on the first day, so get your entries in by attending the spa early & you could win yourself a massage or some such. Spa services have an 18% service tax, that you should keep in mind. This is where you can book your daily or cruise pass to the Thalassotherapy pool. It is $20 a day pp or $90 a cruise pp, or $150 per couple per cruise. We did take advantage of this for our first cruise, as we had 5 sea days in a row & the climate was very warm. This is an area on deck 9 forward with lounges, chairs & the Thalassotherapy pool. It is usually quieter than the pool deck & you usually have no trouble getting a seat. They have great change rooms & showers here. Lockers are provided, along with towels & bathrobes. In the ladies they have razors, body lotion, shampoo, body gel, hair dryer, steam room. You just have to be careful if getting changed in front of the door to the pool area, as you can be a little exposed!

Next we went for a walk around on deck 9. & 10 open deck areas.

We finished up at the Poolside Bar and grill. This is open from about 11.30am to 4pm ( check your daily planner). I did like eating here, especially if you were by the pool. Sometimes it was a bit hot in the undercover bit, other times it was a bit breezy by the window. Loved the light snack options available here. Also soft serve ice cream is available self serve in the corner.

The salmon burger for me!

Geez, this is more useful than any Azamara brochure. Nice work! Thanks for taking the time.

This area is on deck 11 forward where we were watching sail away from Athens. Just remember the bloody horn is loud here, really, really loud!

View down to open decks 10 & 9 from forward port side.

The library ceiling. The library is deck 10 aft, along with the specialty restaurants of Aqualina & Prime C. There are many books available here to borrow whilst on the ship. There is even a book sharing area, where you can leave books you have finished with, for others to read. This usually fills up the day before the end of the cruise, when everyone is trying to fit everything back in their bags. I read a few good books from here, & donated a few as well.

The stairwells are light & airy, with a tasteful fitting out all through the ship.

The first 24 - 48 hours on board all food is served by the ships' staff, even in the buffet. When the Captain is satisfied there in not any rampant infections going through the ship with the new passengers, you are then allowed to serve yourself. On board the Azamara, there is no shaking hands, only fist pumps or hip bumps, in an attempt to minimise transfer of infection, & is also a bit of an ice breaker for conversation. This was on our bed when we arrived to let us know what was on for dinner our first evening.

Time for bed for me now. More tomorrow, I am on a roll!

Karyn

Thank you for taking the time to post, especially all the photos. This is a valuable resource for newcomers, and a lovely trip down "memory lane " for repeat cruisers. :D

Thank you so much for the comprehensive write-up and fantastic photos.

Nice review but it made me really, really homesick for Azamara.:(

Question regarding that first nite car where you were to go to Discoveries between 8 and 8:30. How can they seat and take care of everyone all starting at the same time??

Or, are there multiple start times for Discoveries on the first nite and you happened to draw that time?? Am asking because that would be late for DW and me to dine on any nite let alone the first nite.

Can someone please explain the dinner procedure the first nite and, are the specialties available on the first nite which would be our preference??

Thanks,

Had the same question as last poster. If you are in a suite do they just put you in one and give you a time slot?

There are multiple times the first night in Discoveries but I don't recall if they give you the time or ask for your preference. They are trying to avoid everyone showing up at the same time on the first night. On subsequent nights, when everyone gets into their own rhythm on the ship, it is rarely an issue.

Wow Wow and Wow! I do wish you hadn't posted your thread. (joke) What an amazing review with pictures and thank you so much for posting the cabin photos, it is very much appreciated.

April 2016 seems so far away but I am sure it will come quite quickly.

I have been meaning to post this question for some time now but thought I would here in your review.

Was it crowded on sea days - do you think it worth purchasing the day ticket for the Thass/Spa Pool?

Question regarding that first nite car where you were to go to Discoveries between 8 and 8:30. How can they seat and take care of everyone all starting at the same time??

 

Or, are there multiple start times for Discoveries on the first nite and you happened to draw that time?? Am asking because that would be late for DW and me to dine on any nite let alone the first nite.

 

Can someone please explain the dinner procedure the first nite and, are the specialties available on the first nite which would be our preference??

 

Thanks,

There are multiple times in the Discoveries, the first night you are alotted a time, then it is open dining. If you read further down the card, it also points out the Windows buffet is open from 6.30pm. So if waiting til 8pm is too late you can always use that option. Bear in mind that they are fairly flexible, & if you were to ask, I am sure they would have said 'come on down'!

Karyn

Appreciate all of the responses and now understand Discovery and Looking Glass.

In the past on another cruise line it was easy to get a reservation in a speciality on the first nite and I see nothing regarding Aqualina or Prime C.

Is it possible to book one of these as soon as we board for the first nite??

Thanks,

This is a view of Discoveries dining room. You could request a table for two or you could elect to share with others. We used both options. Usually, depending on the time, the sharing option, got you seated straight away. This sometimes works in your favour, but one night we were the first seated on a table of 6 & we were starving (this sometimes happens on a cruise ship!) & it took awhile for the table to fill, so we were ready to eat the chair. If we had have taken the 2 table were would be almost up to mains. But you will work out what suits, which quite often changes depending on if you are tired, etc. But we met some great people sharing tables at Discoveries and at the buffet. At the MDR you get a basket of bread rolls (white) & bread sticks. If you want grain or wholemeal, just ask. My favourite was a dark pumpernickel roll. Always just ask, as they do all types of things for many people & try & meet your requests.

Nice job Karyn. I was on those two cruises and recognise your face. That happens on a small ship! An excellent couple of cruises.

Appreciate all of the responses and now understand Discovery and Looking Glass.

 

In the past on another cruise line it was easy to get a reservation in a speciality on the first nite and I see nothing regarding Aqualina or Prime C.

 

Is it possible to book one of these as soon as we board for the first nite??

 

Thanks,

You shouldn't have a problem. The Specialties are quiet at the beginning of the cruise. There is usually a desk after you check in manned by staff from them and they'll help you out or do it as soon as you get on the ship.

Phil