13 Days on Eclipse or 10 Days on Azamara Journey - Baltic

I'm currently booked on a 13-day cruise on the Eclipse but started looking at other options before final payments are due. With the current cruise on Celebrity, I'm maxing out on my vacation time so will only be able to have one full day in London prior to embarkation in Southampton, and will be flying out the same day as disembarkation. This itinerary includes five sea days.

I was looking through Azamara's site and saw that there is a 10-day itinerary out of Stockholm that visits the same Baltic destinations with an extra day (3 days in St. Petersberg) and an overnight in Stockholm. There's only one sea day on this itinerary.

I enjoy sea days, but never had five sea days on a cruise. I also think the outdoor pool action which is what I enjoy on sea days would be less favorable in the Baltic.

The pricing will be about 10% higher on Azamara for the shorter cruise just for the room. On Celebrity, I'm getting all four perks included as well as a $700 on board credit. Azamara it seems as though basic drinks are included, one device included for wifi. as well as a spa credit that comes with the room.

I've only sailed one premium line which was Seabourn which I loved. The great memories that stood out for me on that cruise were eating in the aft casual full-service restaurant every night with outdoor dining under the stars, never having to pull out my key card to pay for items, marina, and the outstanding service.

I enjoy Celebrity and would love the number of sea days if it were in a warmer climate. Azamara seems more upscale but just don't know if it's comparable to Seabourn. The shorter cruise would allow for more time in visiting London or other parts of Europe.

Any insight would be appreciated.

We were on a fourteen nights cruise on the Eclipse last July. The only comment I can make is that we needed three days in St Petersburg just to do the sights. An amazing city. I can't remember whether it was the Reflection or the Silhouette with a shorter itinerary and only two days in St Petersburg. Due to weather they only got a single day, which for me personally would it have been sufficient.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

To start with Journey will be moored near the English Bridge in the heart of St Petersburg, so most of the tourist sites will be within reach.

Eclipse will be at the new cruise terminal, which is at least a 20-30 minute ride away through heavy traffic.

When we were on Quest in September, we had included transfers, so in Copenhagen and Stockholm you won't have to shell out $30 p.p.to get you into the city.

Drinks are included on Azamara, so you don't need a beverage package.

You won't need to pay tips either, as they are included.

If you are not planning to go to Moscow, 2 days in St. Petersburg is enough. I suggest taking Celebrity and spend the savings to enjoy London.

If you are not planning to go to Moscow, 2 days in St. Petersburg is enough. I suggest taking Celebrity and spend the savings to enjoy London.

OP has no time with Celebrity itinerary to enjoy London!

As regular Celebrity cruisers, on both M & S Class, DH and I tried Azamara Journey last June on a 12 day cruise. We both said never again. It was just way too small for us. Not a lot going on after dinner at night. We were bored on sea days and every evening. We are very sociable and will talk to anyone, but most guests went to bed after dinner. It wasn't for us at all.

We enjoyed our cruise on Azamara Quest in the Med. I liked the smaller ship when in Europe. While we have not sailed on Seaborn we did feel that Azamara was just a step up from Celebrity --- not a JUMP up.

I would sail them again. We also had the upgrade fairy hit us when sailing them... we booked a balcony and were upgraded to a suite.

good luck with your decision

I love Celebrity, but I would choose Azamara hands-down. The docking locations are better, especially in St. Petersburg where you'll be right in the city. The AZamazing Evening event is always awesome. The crew will get to know you. And the whole experience is just a lot more intimate and personal. Embarking and disembarking will be a breeze in each port, too. Celebrity ships can be a zoo.

We go back and forth between both lines, as we enjoy things about both. But for us, if there are two similar itineraries, Azamara will win every time.

Also, taking into consideration the shorter duration of the Azamara itinerary, you will have more time to enjoy before or after the cruise, which we always try to do (but like you, can't always, due to work commitments).

Both cruises would be great, but Azamara is definitely worth the extra $$

Michael

Give Azamara a go. The ships are smaller, friendly and relaxed. There are no formal nights for dinner for instance. It's all smart casual. I find service quite a step up from Celebrity. There are more crew to each passenger.

One of the highlights of St Petersburg for me was travelling up the river and docking right next to the Palace Bridge close to the Hermitage. Watching it open and close at night if you are wake is fun. You can't do that on Celebrity.

If you talk of a spa credit I'm guessing you are looking at a Spa Suite. All suites come with free Specialty Restaurant dining and use of the private sun terrace and Thelassotherapy Pool (which is close to your cabin).

You mentioned final payment date. Be aware that the T&Cs for Azamara request final payment 120 days before your cruise.

Thank you all for your VERY insightful information so far. I didn't think that docking would be at a different port for St.Petersberg so that's very good to know that Amazara will be closer to the city centre. The suggestion of Moscow for a day-trip was also something I never considered which makes the extra day in port more appealing, although it will be a grueling three-day port stop. I also was in the group that felt I would not enjoy a small ship with the less onboard activities (very small gym), but the service outweighed the negatives on my last premium cruise experience.

I am now leaning towards the shorter cruise as it will allow time to enjoy either Stockholm or London for a few additional days, rather than running back to the airport to get a flight back to the US. I just checked Azamara's site today and room availability seems to fluctuate quicker than on Celebrity, so I'll need to make a decision on this sooner than later.

The majority of our cruises have been on Azamara with 2 on Celebrity Eclipse on which both were Baltic cruises. We enjoyed the larger ship experience on Eclipse and our Aqua Class staterooms. Eclipse however cannot get into the ports Azamara can reach and shuttles are not free. As Phil (Excited) has said there are lots of inclusions in the Azamara price. The big plus for us with Azamara is the quality of the staff at all levels and the warmth of the reception you receive.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

If the price and itinerary were equal I would select an inside on Azamara over anything but the larger suites on Celebrity. The only exception would be a TA. The smaller ship isn't as comfortable in rough seas. Azamara is refined but not stuffy and the service and crew are magnificent. There is no nickel and diming and no art auctions, etc. The passengers are older and the activities are more sedate. However, we met the most interesting people from many different countries. The recently refurbished Azamara ships are lovely. Celebrity is bigger and offers many more options. It just depends what you are looking for. We would love to sail Azamara to the Baltics, but the deal on the Eclipse was too good to pass up. BTW... X and Azamara share their loyalty programs.

The small size of Azamara's ships is a real plus when it comes to ports -- they get the closest-in docking location and can go to smaller places that the large ships wouldn't even fit [as you have heard about St. Petersburg and as we found in Trollfjord in Norway]. They also aren't controlled by "Miami" the way Celebrity ships are [or claim to be...]. On our Norwegian Fjords cruise they stopped to pick up fresh berries and fish from local sources, and the crew went out on a tender and fished for fresh cod. One word to the head chef about the mint garnish overwhelming the berries, and presto! no more mint garnish for the rest of the cruise. That's the kind of thing that elevates Azamara a big step up from Celebrity. We would consider a suite on Celebrity to be equal to Azamara for food and service [love Luminae], but only IF the itineraries were such that size of ship didn't matter -- and since Azamara is upping their game on itinerary immersion, the itineraries probably will never be the same!