Thoughts on Azamara's direction

[Jancruz]

Obviously this is recognition of Ms. Bornstein's work not only at ACC but also in her previous positions.

 

Moreover, Larry Pimental should get credit for providing her with the opportunity to impress the executives/board of Crystal Cruises.

 

This is clearly a significant promotion. Others must know, is she one of the first women to attain this title? In my limited experience it would seem to be an anomaly.

 

It will be certainly interesting to see her career develop at Crystal.

 

There have been many women presidents at various cruise lines..Seabourn had a woman until she passed away last year..there is a woman president at Paul Gauguin right now..

Jancruz1

[nordski]

There have been many women presidents at various cruise lines..Seabourn had a woman until she passed away last year..there is a woman president at Paul Gauguin right now..

Jancruz1

 

Thanks for the information. Great that so many women have been successful in this industry.

[digtexas]

Many regular posters on the Crystal board are worried about this change of leadership, added on to so many changes that have already taken place on Crystal these past couple of years. I, for one, look forward to the new leadership.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Many regular posters on the Crystal board are worried about this change of leadership, added on to so many changes that have already taken place on Crystal these past couple of years. I, for one, look forward to the new leadership.

 

Tell me about a single cruise line whose regular posters on Cruise Critic aren't upset about recent changes. The complaints about Celebrity have led me to reconsider their Exotic Southern Caribbean cruise (and they are pretty much the last line with a 14-day Caribbean itinerary). Apparently the sky is falling everywhere! ;););)

[southland rob]

Ok Procter .

 

Where is the apology ?

 

Rob

[procter]

Apology here if it makes you feel better.

I did not realise that expressing an opinion that most CC members agree with,that recent changes and price hikes are NOT a change for the better requires an apology if facts change.

The fact that they have a semi permanent 2 upgrade policy SHOWS that pricing is completely out of line.

Azamara should realise that with 12 year old ships they can NEVER never compete in the true premium end of the market or attract the 30 somethings with $200,000 income that Larry talked about earlier in the year..

If you were earning this would you go on holiday in a 170 sq ft room?

 

With only 700 rooms/cabins/staterooms to fill they would be far better concentrating on existing customers and word of mouth recommendations.

Every person I spoke to on my last cruise loved the experience and would advise their friends of great experience.

THEY ARE FABULOUS IN THE AREA THEY ARE IN.

A REAL ALTERNATIVE TO MASS MARKET LINE LUXURY SUITES.

 

Let us judge Edie in 2 years time.

[Spursgirl]

Tell me about a single cruise line whose regular posters on Cruise Critic aren't upset about recent changes. The complaints about Celebrity have led me to reconsider their Exotic Southern Caribbean cruise (and they are pretty much the last line with a 14-day Caribbean itinerary). Apparently the sky is falling everywhere! ;););)

 

Jazzbeau, I haven't sailed Celebrity in the Caribbean so I appreciate the vibe may be different but I have recently returned from a Celebrity med cruise on Equinox and had a wonderful time.

 

If you go with the right expectations I am sure you too will enjoy your cruise.

 

I board Azamara Quest on Wednesday and my expectations are slightly different but I am sure my vacation will be equally fabulous.

[oliveau]

procter, I'm with you 100%

[dfishner]

I have not been on here for awhile when we took our last Azamara cruise we decided it was no longer a value we once thought it was for the reasons that many have expressed here.

 

We both felt we did not like the direction Azamara was taken and seemed to us like slight of hand. Take this and that away give them something else and charge more really bothered me.. Did it take away from the experience no we had a great cruise. I never minded paying more but it turned out to be way more then I thought was reasonable and no longer became a value to us for the product.

 

I thought the Azamara evening was on the best experience we ever had on a cruise ship we did the St Michael cave in Gibrator and still get goose bumps thinking about it.. It was truly memorable. I was sceptical when it was first announced.

 

The drinks were nice but not neccesary we enjoyed the wine at dinner that we experience on our first cruise and that was good enough.

 

I was disappointed in the ships not being completely renovated the minor one they did was just ok and for ships that old they needed to be done as a complete renovation.. I also did not like that we were led on and on until almost the very end.. I found that disturbing and less then honest. I do know that the intentions were there to do a complete makeover at some point earlier on they must of known that was not going to happen be upfront about it and not lead people on the way they did for so long.

 

None of this took away from the awesome experience we had on board ship and the ports we visited. In the end we have to find it a value and sadly Azamara is no longer a value it once was for us and decided to look elsewhere. I do miss the experience of cruising on Azamara maybe when they can decide who they want to be I would consider cruising on them again.

[navyaviator1955]

I believe Azamara will need to replace both of their ships in the near future if they truly want to be considered a premium line. They provide an excellent onboard experience,however in my opinion both ships are well past their prime.

[geocruiser]

I believe Azamara will need to replace both of their ships in the near future if they truly want to be considered a premium line. They provide an excellent onboard experience,however in my opinion both ships are well past their prime.

 

I agree with you. There have been very few cruise lines that I have not enjoyed the on board experience or food. We just came back from a Princess cruise and had a beautiful mini suite. I enjoyed the cabin. I believe that Azamara has to up grade their ships to be better than cruise lines that are not in the same class as them and equal to the other lines that are in the class that Azamara want to be in.

[riandei]

Well....as someone new to azamara....im having some 2nd thoughts about putting down my deposit for next may after reading this thread

 

We feel celebrity cruises have gone downhill and feel we are nickel and dimed so we were looking for a different experience. It seems we are paying the same amount on celebrity that we were paying years ago....so something has to give... I feel the food and entertainment on celebrity have taken a serious nose dive.

 

I would rather pay more and have a better vacation experience.....we were hoping that was azamara

 

 

Im curious....you seasoned aza cruisers....have you been on celebrity recently?? Whats your comparison??

 

I was hoping that aza would be what celebrity WAS when we first cruised with them 15 years ago

[Dr. Cocktail]

Well....as someone new to azamara....im having some 2nd thoughts about putting down my deposit for next may after reading this thread

 

We feel celebrity cruises have gone downhill and feel we are nickel and dimed so we were looking for a different experience. It seems we are paying the same amount on celebrity that we were paying years ago....so something has to give... I feel the food and entertainment on celebrity have taken a serious nose dive.

 

I would rather pay more and have a better vacation experience.....we were hoping that was azamara

 

 

Im curious....you seasoned aza cruisers....have you been on celebrity recently?? Whats your comparison??

 

I was hoping that aza would be what celebrity WAS when we first cruised with them 15 years ago

 

I have been on 32(?) Celebrity cruises with over 230 nights sailed - my last one this past May on the Summit. While you could theoretically pay me to return to Celebrity, I will not be returning in the forseable future.

 

There is no comparison between Celebrity and Azamara. The Quest is in great shape but doesn't have many of the features of the new generation of ships. Of course, she doesn't have many of the problems either. Great dining room food, wonderful crew and an "Adult" atmosphere. You can't go wrong.

[Andy]

Well....as someone new to azamara....im having some 2nd thoughts about putting down my deposit for next may after reading this thread

 

We feel celebrity cruises have gone downhill and feel we are nickel and dimed so we were looking for a different experience. It seems we are paying the same amount on celebrity that we were paying years ago....so something has to give... I feel the food and entertainment on celebrity have taken a serious nose dive.

 

I would rather pay more and have a better vacation experience.....we were hoping that was azamara

 

 

Im curious....you seasoned aza cruisers....have you been on celebrity recently?? Whats your comparison??

 

I was hoping that aza would be what celebrity WAS when we first cruised with them 15 years ago

 

Hi Riandel,

 

I've been on many Celebrity sailings. While I'm not in total agreement that Celebrity has taken a serious nosedive, there are major changes going on, mostly due to a new President, and it's very clear he has a different mindset than former management. I've noticed various cutbacks onboard, cuisine that wasn't as good as say a few years ago, and an environment that seems as if they are catering to younger guests. Things like incredibly loud music throughout the ship, which kept me on a steady diet of Tylenol on our last Eclipse sailing. We had an enjoyable cruise, but the loud music was a major disappointment.

 

While we will continue to sail Celebrity, they were a sure thing for repeat bookings for our family. Depending on our Eclipse experience next month, it will determine just how loyal we remain to Celebrity.

 

As for Azamara, I absolutely feel their product is very much akin to what Celebrity was, about 5 years ago. Azamara offers incredible service, wonderful food, along with Officer & crew engagement with Guests, that's the best I've ever experienced on a cruise.

 

From what you described, I feel that Azamara would be a great fit for you. If you have further questions, feel free to ask. I hope this is helpful !

[Lottie A]

I completely disagree that Azamara has to update the ships to remain competitive. The ships are individual, well maintained and charming but cannot be compared to a modern Celebrity ship....and nor should they be!

Most Azamara guests are well aware of the small showers but I don't go on a ship because of the size of the shower or the small stateroom. I have been lucky enough to sail in many Owners and Penthouse Suites and the Queens Grill on Cunard but to me, give me a standard Balcony stateroom on Azamara every time. That's because it's the crew and the overall experience that makes the cruise great......not the stateroom.

 

I was on Celebrity Equinox in August and had a wonderful cruise but Azamara is still my favourite cruiseline. I love the R class ships and think there will always be a place for them in the ever growing number of huge floating towns being built now. I will still sail on Celebrity and enjoy the experience (I agree about the loud music everywhere though Andy) but Azamara has my heart.

A new 1000 passenger ship would be lovely though! :)

 

As for me, I'm off to the airport in a few hours because I'm sailing on the wonderful Quest on Wednesday. We have a pre cruise day in Nice to look forward to and then a blissful week of eating, drinking and shopping around The Med. We are so lucky. :D

[uktog]

Well said Lottie!

I have just returned from a weekend at Gleneagles, we had a fantastic time, the hotel is what I would describe as a grand old dame, quirky corridors, odd shaped rooms but staff who would do anything for you.

A few weeks ago, my husband was staying in a modern, highly star rated establishment, his words when he came back "I paid for bling and not the service I expected"

I cannot eat the look, I cannot be cared for by the look, so the look does not matter to me at all - I am happy that my room is clean, I can shower in it and I can have a good nights sleep.

I believe many in the target Azamara price bracket think this way - after all why were so many of them staying at Gleneagles last weekend, it certainly was not for modern and new

 

And to the poster worried about Azamara over Celebrity, if you can search back by reviews you will find a post I did "it's not like that on Azamara" where I compared an experience on Solstice with Azamara.

 

If both Azamara and Celebrity are doing the same itinerary, it's Azamara every time, Celebrity only get picked if the times we can go and the itinerary we want does not line up to Azamara. We will happily stay in a much smaller room on Azamara (and would even consider no balcony) if there was a budget constraint on the choice - yes, even with the bathroom - the Aqua showers on Celebrity are not enough to swing the balance the other way, ever.

[autumn lass]

Well said Lottie and Uktog. We agree completely. Azamara is all about the onboard experience, we have sailed Cunard, both Grills and Britannia, Princess, Oceania and Celebrity and Azamara beats them all for the warmth and welcome you receive, the quality of food and the interaction with staff. You feel you are part of the family.

 

The ships are kept spotless and yes they are ageing but that is a minor factor compared to how you feel once on board.

 

Lottie I wish we were with you on Quest. if Ryszard is on board please give him our regards, we are still looking for next year.

 

Hilary & Colin

[kathy9]

A new 1000 passenger ship would be lovely though

 

 

Apparently a lot of people feel that way as the Viking Star's inaugural year, 2015, has sold very well. I for one am excited to sail on a brand new ship!

While I find AZ very comfortable it will be nice to have a brand new cabin with a king bed and proper shower.

[oddjob16]

If both Azamara and Celebrity are doing the same itinerary, it's Azamara every time, Celebrity only get picked if the times we can go and the itinerary we want does not line up to Azamara. We will happily stay in a much smaller room on Azamara (and would even consider no balcony) if there was a budget constraint on the choice - yes, even with the bathroom - the Aqua showers on Celebrity are not enough to swing the balance the other way, ever.

I agree with Lottie and Uktog. I don't have any experience with any other cruise line so I might be considered a bit of a cruise virgin. We have sailed three times on Azamara Journey and it has been fabulous. Never mind ultra modern ships and huge cabins. - I mean: How much time do you actually spend in your stateroom anyway? We find that coming on board the Journey is like coming home. They are all family. They love their jobs and they treat their guests with a smile and will go the extra mile to keep you happy. :D

This thread is all about urging management NOT to make too many changes to a solid product. If Azamara changes too much, they will find themselves in a downwards spiral that might end up in crew seeking other jobs and finally customers looking elsewhere. As for the time being I am delighted that we have a Qruise:o with Quest for the Adriatic sailing in July 2014, - and from what I hear, the Quest is just as good as the Journey. Really looking forward to meet you on that sailing, uktog!:D

[riandei]

I have been on 32(?) Celebrity cruises with over 230 nights sailed - my last one this past May on the Summit. While you could theoretically pay me to return to Celebrity, I will not be returning in the forseable future.

 

There is no comparison between Celebrity and Azamara. The Quest is in great shape but doesn't have many of the features of the new generation of ships. Of course, she doesn't have many of the problems either. Great dining room food, wonderful crew and an "Adult" atmosphere. You can't go wrong.

 

Thanks for your reply...we were on summit in may as well...i believe our sailing was may 5... Any chance we sailed together

 

When did you sail azamara?? Where did you sail to??

 

We are actually attracted to the shorter european sailings.... 8 nights is perfect for us....if we tack on a day or 2 at either end...thats our max amount of time to be away from home...its very hard to get away for 14 nights... We have 3 dogs....one of them requires twice daily injections....our dog sitter has had enough after 10 days. :)

 

We thought we would try 8 nights on aza instead of 12 on celeb....roughly the same price

[riandei]

Hi Riandel,

 

I've been on many Celebrity sailings. While I'm not in total agreement that Celebrity has taken a serious nosedive, there are major changes going on, mostly due to a new President, and it's very clear he has a different mindset than former management. I've noticed various cutbacks onboard, cuisine that wasn't as good as say a few years ago, and an environment that seems as if they are catering to younger guests. Things like incredibly loud music throughout the ship, which kept me on a steady diet of Tylenol on our last Eclipse sailing. We had an enjoyable cruise, but the loud music was a major disappointment.

 

While we will continue to sail Celebrity, they were a sure thing for repeat bookings for our family. Depending on our Eclipse experience next month, it will determine just how loyal we remain to Celebrity.

 

As for Azamara, I absolutely feel their product is very much akin to what Celebrity was, about 5 years ago. Azamara offers incredible service, wonderful food, along with Officer & crew engagement with Guests, that's the best I've ever experienced on a cruise.

 

From what you described, I feel that Azamara would be a great fit for you. If you have further questions, feel free to ask. I hope this is helpful !

 

Interesting you mention the music...

 

Our last carib cruise i turned to my husband and said WHO HERE DO THEY THINK IS LISTENING TO THIS..?

Im only 52 .... What age group are they interested in??

 

I like to read and enjoy the peace without belly flop contests

 

:)

[Dr. Cocktail]

Thanks for your reply...we were on summit in may as well...i believe our sailing was may 5... Any chance we sailed together

 

When did you sail azamara?? Where did you sail to??

 

We are actually attracted to the shorter european sailings.... 8 nights is perfect for us....if we tack on a day or 2 at either end...thats our max amount of time to be away from home...its very hard to get away for 14 nights... We have 3 dogs....one of them requires twice daily injections....our dog sitter has had enough after 10 days. :)

 

We thought we would try 8 nights on aza instead of 12 on celeb....roughly the same price

 

Summit was actually May the 12th. While I had an OK time (no thanks to the complimentary bar program), dinners in the main dining room were just terrible.

In fact, while having an espresso in the cafe on the forth day, I told my partner: "you know, this is OK but I really would be happier at home on my deck". That was a first for a cruise.

 

We are ages 48 and 50 - we didn't really notice the music. Probably tuned it out.

 

We were on Azamara on September 7th to Elba, Corsica, Sardinia, Amalfi and two days in Sorrento. The vibe onboard is really as special as everyone says.

The only letdowns are the specialty restaurants that are pretty mediocre. But again, that doesn't matter when the main dining room is so good.

 

The buffet is adequate - not bad, not great. Poolside barbecues are terrific and there was no comparison to my poorly maintained cabin on Summit to the almost new appearing cabin on Quest.

[scapel]

Interesting you mention the music...

 

Our last carib cruise i turned to my husband and said WHO HERE DO THEY THINK IS LISTENING TO THIS..?

Im only 52 .... What age group are they interested in??

 

I like to read and enjoy the peace without belly flop contests

 

:)

 

My wife used to say when in her 50's. "If they play 'Pensylvania 65000' we are going to another place. Now since I'm 76 we say. "Do you think we can dance to that"

============================================

PAST CRUISES: 1.Stella Oceanis 1975 South America, 2. Stella Oceanus

1977 Black Sea and Crimean Peninsula. 3. Mermoz 1979 Med. Rome,Sicily,and Nice,Malta. 4. SS Freeport to Gulf Mexico. 5.Vistafjord to Caribbean 1981. 6. Sagafjord to Alaska 1983. 7. Stella Solaris to Aegean, Israel and Egypt 1984. 8. Mississippi Queen out of New Orleans. 9. Nantucket Clipper out of Boston 10. Fairsky to Caribbean 1987. 11. Royal Odyssey Med.& Dubrovnik 9/1988. 12. Carnivalle to Bahamas 1990. 13. Crown Odyssey to Eastern South America 1991. 14.Monarch of the Seas Eastern Caribbean 1995. 15 Royal Odyssey (Old Royal Viking Sea) Panama Canal 1995. 16 Egypt-Nile River Cruise 1996.

17. Splendour of the Seas- Fjords of Norway 1997. 18 Sun Viking –Orient Cruise 1997.

19. Renaissance R-4 Barcelona-Lisbon 1999. 20. Paradise- Caribbean 1999.

21. Millennium to Baltic Capitals 2000. 22. Summit to Caribbean 2001.

23. Constellation –Fjords of Norway 2002. 24.Horizon –Mexico 2003. 25. Infinity to Alaska 2003. 26. Holiday to Mexico 2003. 27. Infinity -South America Cape Horn 2004. 28. Constellation- Transatlantic 2004. 29.Legend of Seas- Western Caribbean 2005 out of L.A.

30. Millennium- Panama Canal 2006. 31. Rhapsody of Seas- Western Caribbean 2006 out of Galveston. 32. Constellation- New England/Canada 2006. 33.Millennium-Caribbean 2007. 34.Voyager of the Seas- Caribbean out of Galveston Jan 2008 35.Mercury- South Pacific 2007. 36. Mariner of Seas-Mexican Riviera 2/09. 37. Summit to Southern Caribbean. 4/09. 38. Amadeus Symphony- Rhine River Basel-Amsterdam 6/09 combined with Switzerland Trip.

39.Antarctica on Prof. Multanovskiy 2009 40.Voyager of the Seas out of Galveston Jan 2010

41. Silver Whisper New York to Bermuda October 2010. 42.Silver Shadow Seoul Korea to Anchorage,AK May 2011

43. Silver Cloud Fort Lauderdale to San Juan Jan 2012

44. Statendam Alaskan Cruise tour June 2012

45. Millennium Singapore Cruise SE Asia Jan 2013-The butler service and ths general ship service that came with the Penthouse was as good as Silversea.

==============================================

We have been on R-4 but never on Azamara and looking forward to it in January.

[marinaro44]

I completely disagree that Azamara has to update the ships to remain competitive. The ships are individual, well maintained and charming but cannot be compared to a modern Celebrity ship....and nor should they be!

Most Azamara guests are well aware of the small showers but I don't go on a ship because of the size of the shower or the small stateroom. I have been lucky enough to sail in many Owners and Penthouse Suites and the Queens Grill on Cunard but to me, give me a standard Balcony stateroom on Azamara every time. That's because it's the crew and the overall experience that makes the cruise great......not the stateroom.

I think Azamara regulars are quite comfortable with the ships, small cabins, small baths, etc., and feel any issues there are more than compensated for by the incredible ambiance on-board, senior officer engagement, etc. But if Azamara intends to compete with the so-called luxury cruise lines--Regent, Seabourn, etc.--and draw new clientele from them, the size of staterooms will be an issue.

 

Going back to the BIG November announcement with its emphasis on "upmarket travelers" (whatever that means), it appeared that was an objective at the time, given the sharp increase in fares. While we enjoyed our Azamara cruises more than our Regent cruises, Regent regulars just love their 50-70% larger so-called suites, marble baths, and other trappings of luxury, and to them that kind of status stuff is important--whether we think it is or not. It will be quite a stretch for them seriously to consider Azamara.

[riandei]

Hi Riandel,

 

I've been on many Celebrity sailings. While I'm not in total agreement that Celebrity has taken a serious nosedive,

!

 

I do not think celebrity has taken a serious nosedive....but the food and entertainment have.... The food can be fixed ---- pay for specialty dining...which we do.....the main attraction entertainment ---- dreadful...while most lounge/ bar entertainment was very good.....

 

I would sail them again...in a heartbeat

 

;)