So in doubt

[Sprit]

We are thinking of sailing with Azamara for a really long time. Due to mixed reviews we never dared to take the chance. Since the prices have gone up dramatically we’re even more in doubt whether to try Azamara or not. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

We’re Elite members with Celebrity but also cruised with Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, etc. So pretty much experienced cruises. But something keeps on keeping us away from Azamara. We feel, especially after the price increase, the product is maybe not worth the money asked for. Looking for a cruise upcoming May we see that Azamara is one of the few companies that still does have plenty of availability. This while Celebrity, RCCL, Oceania, HAL, etc do show high occupancy and mostly fully booked for the periods we’re looking into.

 

So…..are more people in doubt ? What would be the suggestion of former Azamara guests. Would you sail with them again for the current prices ? Do you think Azamara is worth almost US$ 900 or US$ 1000,= a night for a Continent Club Suite (formerly Sky Suite ?)

 

I’m open for your suggestions !!!

 

Thanks,

 

Albert

[geocruiser]

We just did our first Azamara Cruise 3/08/10. We had a great time. Love the ship and crew and staff. BUT I would not cruise with them again with the price increase as large as it is. For us the product is not worth all that extra money. I have enjoyed other cruise lines just as much. I love the size of the ship. But other cruise line have the same size ships.

 

Maria

[orchestrapal]

Sprit:

You answered your own question with the fact that Azamara has cabins available while others do not.

We too have looked at A but say with Oceania because we know the product and it has always been close to perfect as far as we're concerned.:)

[Sprit]

Thanks Maria, that's more or less the feeling we do have. I don't see that the price upgrade with 30 or 40% will also means a same percentage in quality upgrade. But on the other hand.....RCCL or Celebrity do ask similiar prices for their Sky / Grand Suites :confused:

 

We just did our first Azamara Cruise 3/08/10. We had a great time. Love the ship and crew and staff. BUT I would not cruise with them again with the price increase as large as it is. For us the product is not worth all that extra money. I have enjoyed other cruise lines just as much. I love the size of the ship. But other cruise line have the same size ships.

 

Maria

[Sprit]

Yes, but is that because the product is unknown or the prices are to high for the quality offered ?

 

Sprit:

You answered your own question with the fact that Azamara has cabins available while others do not.

We too have looked at A but say with Oceania because we know the product and it has always been close to perfect as far as we're concerned.:)

[Kokomo91165]

We are thinking of sailing with Azamara for a really long time. Due to mixed reviews we never dared to take the chance. Since the prices have gone up dramatically we’re even more in doubt whether to try Azamara or not. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

We’re Elite members with Celebrity but also cruised with Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, etc. So pretty much experienced cruises. But something keeps on keeping us away from Azamara. We feel, especially after the price increase, the product is maybe not worth the money asked for. Looking for a cruise upcoming May we see that Azamara is one of the few companies that still does have plenty of availability. This while Celebrity, RCCL, Oceania, HAL, etc do show high occupancy and mostly fully booked for the periods we’re looking into.

 

So…..are more people in doubt ? What would be the suggestion of former Azamara guests. Would you sail with them again for the current prices ? Do you think Azamara is worth almost US$ 900 or US$ 1000,= a night for a Continent Club Suite (formerly Sky Suite ?)

 

I’m open for your suggestions !!!

 

Thanks,

 

Albert

 

Albert,

 

I took my first Azamara Cruise last summer to the Med. It was an amazing experience and truly one of my better cruise experiences. I too, like you, was skeptical, because last year's pricing was fairly high and I was able to snag a last minute deal (literally 2 weeks out) with air fare b/c the ship was not sailing full.

 

We have done Silversea and Oceania. I felt like Silversea was a superior product, probably because of the fact that it is a "step above" Oceania and Azamara. From my experience, Azamara was similar to Oceania. There were several things that I liked that I thought Oceania should adopt and there were other things that I wished Azamara would adopt.

 

All in all, it was a great cruise experience. Now, as of tomorrow, that the product and loyalty program are changing, I think the experience might even be a bit more enhanced for you.

 

I think you should go for it. You might absolutely love the experience and wished you had tried Azamara sooner, or you might be happy that you were able to take a vacation, but think you are better suited for another line. And yes, go for the Continent Club Suite and check daily for price drops and/or residence/55+ specials.

[Rotterdam]

We sailed on Az Journey in January for 16 days Panama canal.....tho we loved the size of the ship - the service, food & condition of the ship is spotty & needs upgrading for what they are selling..the ships are 10 years old now & it shows, alos along with other lines the staff is too few..after 50+ cruises on various lines..we won't be going back....we'll try Oceania first & then head to Seabourn....

 

Azamara obviously has its roots in the RCCL / Celebrity brands & the similarities are evident - the quality is lacking ...especially after they claim to be a better product....

 

Its too bad a company & its management can't deliver a consistant product in line with the cost to the consumer and what they are selling in their marketing program. After asking MR. Pimentle about the inconsistancies - all I got back was corporate mumbo jumbo and certainly no reason to try the Azamara product again......

 

 

 

We are thinking of sailing with Azamara for a really long time. Due to mixed reviews we never dared to take the chance. Since the prices have gone up dramatically we’re even more in doubt whether to try Azamara or not. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

We’re Elite members with Celebrity but also cruised with Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, etc. So pretty much experienced cruises. But something keeps on keeping us away from Azamara. We feel, especially after the price increase, the product is maybe not worth the money asked for. Looking for a cruise upcoming May we see that Azamara is one of the few companies that still does have plenty of availability. This while Celebrity, RCCL, Oceania, HAL, etc do show high occupancy and mostly fully booked for the periods we’re looking into.

 

So…..are more people in doubt ? What would be the suggestion of former Azamara guests. Would you sail with them again for the current prices ? Do you think Azamara is worth almost US$ 900 or US$ 1000,= a night for a Continent Club Suite (formerly Sky Suite ?)

 

I’m open for your suggestions !!!

 

Thanks,

 

Albert

[Dick in Falls Church]

Best I recall, the ships underwent several million dollars worth of upgrading after purchase and before being put into service a few years ago.

Personally, I've found the service, the food and the condition of the ships perfectly acceptable and better than most of the cruises we've been on (about 20 at this point). They were head and shoulders above the USMT Geiger, which took us from Bremerhaven to New York back in 1961.

 

We found the Oceania very similar (including the same artwork on the walls), service, food, etc. However, at the time, for the same accommodations, Oceania was more expensive.

 

Would I go on Azamara again? Booked on Journey for Iceland in July, and TransAtlantic in November. Would I go again after that at the considerably higher prices now in effect?

Don't really know.

[critterchick]

Without the new pricing I would have said to book Azamara without hesitation. We had an ok experience on Journey - it started out brilliantly but went downhill slowly (I posted a review on Cruise Critic - Panama Canal in December, 2008). We had a fabulous experience on Quest. Yes, part of it was the Italian itinerary and the Cruise Critic group onboard, but we also found that the food and service blew Journey out of the water, pun intended.

 

We had great prices on both cruises, and even on our so-so experience found that we got our money's worth. I would have been bitterly disappointed in Journey had we paid what they're asking now. I would have been fine with Quest.

 

We had a Sky Suite on Journey and a 2A on Quest. I was worried about the small space of the 2A, but it was so well laid out that I wouldn't hesitate to book another one. I don't need the fancy bathroom that came with the now-Club Continent Suite, and we pack light so the smaller closet was fine. The rest of the extra space wasn't necessary for us (and we usually like a lot more, so I was pleasantly surprised). So unless the price is great, I would stick with a standard balcony cabin and chuckle all the way to the bank. There's no way I think the CCS is worth $900-1000/night for two people.

 

Mind you, I came up to Azamara from RCI and Princess. I have only toured Oceania and Crystal ships, so I can't make a fair comparison (but I did love the Regatta and wanted to find a corner to stow away in).

[bonni99]

We are just back from a Caribbean cruise on the journey and although we thought there were some real highlighhts- we personally thought the food (aside from Prime C which was superb!) was not as good as Cunard. If food is a big part of the cruise experience as it is to us, this could affect your decision- we wouldn't return to them at the new higher prices and I must admit I would reconsider rebooking even with the same price that we paid. Having said that the service we received was absolutely stellar- its jus thte quality of the food and the surroundings to an extent are not what I would call a premium line. For us, this cruise was about the islands we visited and we did have a lovely time- but I think they are making a mistake with their price increase and a lot of people we spoke to onboard expressed similar opinions and said they wouldnt return at 20% increases

[geocruiser]

Hi,

 

We were on 3/8/10 Journey Cruise. We had a great time. Loved the entertainment staff. Lisa was wonderful and so was Chris, . I can't recall the other man his name. His name began with an O . Kathleen who was new to the ship was very nice. She fit right in. And the CD was great. And the Captain was nice to take too.

Our cabin was fine. The room was nice, but the butler was just OK. He did fix (clean) the things that I ask him to do. (I got tired of stepping on dust bunnies). Every ship will have somethng that could be done better. (just like home). Nothing is perfect

The product was very much the same as on other ships that I have been on. I can cruise for a lot less on other lines. I don't drink, so the wine at meals is not for me. The shp's coffee ( or us ) was not good. We liked the food. Thank goodness it was not salty.

I would cruise Azamara againif the price was right.

 

Maria

[GeorgeL]

We are thinking of sailing with Azamara for a really long time. Due to mixed reviews we never dared to take the chance. Since the prices have gone up dramatically we’re even more in doubt whether to try Azamara or not. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

We’re Elite members with Celebrity but also cruised with Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, etc. So pretty much experienced cruises. But something keeps on keeping us away from Azamara. We feel, especially after the price increase, the product is maybe not worth the money asked for. Looking for a cruise upcoming May we see that Azamara is one of the few companies that still does have plenty of availability. This while Celebrity, RCCL, Oceania, HAL, etc do show high occupancy and mostly fully booked for the periods we’re looking into.

 

So…..are more people in doubt ? What would be the suggestion of former Azamara guests. Would you sail with them again for the current prices ? Do you think Azamara is worth almost US$ 900 or US$ 1000,= a night for a Continent Club Suite (formerly Sky Suite ?)

 

 

I’m open for your suggestions !!!

 

Thanks,

 

Albert

 

There is a reason why other cruise lines are almost fully booked and Azamara isn't. Those are facts that speak for themselves.

I had cruised with Azamra only once and having heard that they position themselves as an upper Premium class, I was very much looking forward to a great experience in the two areas in which they were supposed to excel: food and service. Both had proved to be a disappointment.

At current prices, I would definitely not book again. If the prices were drastically reduced AND the itinerary was what I had in mind, I would consider it, but not to the exclusion of other lines which I like, such as Celebrity.

[Karynanne]

As Dick mentioned, the ship is "acceptable", but does lack that "Wow" factor with the present price structure. We were on Journey in Feb. and did enjoy ourselves, but do feel that the over-all product just doesn't justify it's prices. We'll stay with Celebrity...especially it's newer ships with larger bathrooms.

[Sprit]

After hesitation we finally decided to book our Azamara experience. Based on the reviews and comments over here we feel that perhaps Azamara is not what she promises but at the end feel that for the price paid and the inclusions (soft drinks, water, coffee’s, wine, grats, shuttles, etc) it might be not such a bad deal.

 

At the end we reconsidered that Azamara most probably will not deliver a terrible experience and that we might have a good time on our Best of Italy cruise upcoming May.

 

I’m more than happy to share my experiences with you afterwards. !

[GeorgeL]

After hesitation we finally decided to book our Azamara experience. Based on the reviews and comments over here we feel that perhaps Azamara is not what she promises but at the end feel that for the price paid and the inclusions (soft drinks, water, coffee’s, wine, grats, shuttles, etc) it might be not such a bad deal.

 

At the end we reconsidered that Azamara most probably will not deliver a terrible experience and that we might have a good time on our Best of Italy cruise upcoming May.

 

I’m more than happy to share my experiences with you afterwards. !

 

Congratulations!

I am sure you will have a great time. There is no such thing as a bad cruise, barring some unforeseen disaster, of course.

I also think that having lowered your expectations a bit will work in your favor and you are bound to be pleasantly surprised. It's definitely better than the other way around :)

[Susan-M]

Sprit ... congratulations! We also did a port-intensive 14 day cruise with Azamara and were very pleased with the whole experience. The small size of the ship made it very easy to get off/on in ports. The flexibility with dining times and venues is ideal for a port intensive cruise. Food, customer service, cabins and public spaces all met or exceeded our expectations.

 

The Best of Italy itinerary is a very appealing one (we've enjoyed many of these ports on other cruises, otherwise I would be booking this one too.)

 

I hope you find your experience to be as enjoyable as ours was...if not better. Will look forward to hearing about it when you return.

[blackfoot]

We are Oceania cruisers just off a(3/8) Azamara cruise and thought it was great! In fact,the same as if not better than Oceania in terms of food and service.We are very experianced world travelers and picky about food.

 

However,The recent price increase is very concerning-ave increases 0f 30-40%!What we were told on the cruise is that they are cost based increases and if they can't get the bookings at these new prices,they will be out of business!

 

What's worrisome is that we love the R size ships of Oceania/Azamara but maybe for the level of service we have now come to expect ; prices need to go up.All The R ships came from a cruise line who went out of business- because of ship size?.Is this why the new ships keep getting bigger to keep the operating costs / passenger down?

 

Should we expect more significant price increases from all the smaller sized non mass market cruise lines?

[Sprit]

You know blackfoot, I really do think you have a good point. The thing is that, at the end, I don’t mind paying higher prices but do feel that I do want something in return. So what I mean is that the final priced paid should reflect the quality of service, food, amenities and so on.

 

I can understand that some people can not or are not willing to afford the current prices. But for me it’s sure that, at the prices that were carried out before, no cruise line can survive. What worries me however is that the general meaning of Luxury within the RCCL / Celebrity brand mostly does not mean a lot of good things. They do an excellent job in selling something as luxury or premium but at the end usually fail to deliver.

 

We will give it a try in May and that will be their only chance. If they do deliver they surely will win us, otherwise it be the last time. Hopefully they will not disappoint.

 

 

 

We are Oceania cruisers just off a(3/8) Azamara cruise and thought it was great! In fact,the same as if not better than Oceania in terms of food and service.We are very experianced world travelers and picky about food.

 

However,The recent price increase is very concerning-ave increases 0f 30-40%!What we were told on the cruise is that they are cost based increases and if they can't get the bookings at these new prices,they will be out of business!

 

What's worrisome is that we love the R size ships of Oceania/Azamara but maybe for the level of service we have now come to expect ; prices need to go up.All The R ships came from a cruise line who went out of business- because of ship size?.Is this why the new ships keep getting bigger to keep the operating costs / passenger down?

 

Should we expect more significant price increases from all the smaller sized non mass market cruise lines?