A Beginner's Guide to Azamara--Quest Christmas Voyage 2013

[johnandlinda]

Our experience at the Baths was like yours. Way too many people, and we didnt dare put our lil bag of personal items on the ground for fear of losing it. I also thought with the waves that one could get easily hurt around the rock formations. We did the same tour at St Barts and it was money well spent. It took us awhile to find Shell Beach and oh how I wish Id have known to have water shoes. St Barts is truly one of the mostbeautiful and luxurious ports we have ever been to.

[dln929]

Our experience at the Baths was like yours. Way too many people, and we didnt dare put our lil bag of personal items on the ground for fear of losing it. I also thought with the waves that one could get easily hurt around the rock formations. We did the same tour at St Barts and it was money well spent. It took us awhile to find Shell Beach and oh how I wish Id have known to have water shoes. St Barts is truly one of the mostbeautiful and luxurious ports we have ever been to.

 

I heard from several people who know the Caribbean well that years ago the Baths was relatively undiscovered. Now, no more. It's a cruise ship favorite these days. From reading the ports forum on Cruise Critic (which is where I found out about wearing footwear to protect against the shells on Shell Beach) I knew about the other national park down the road. We thought it was even better and so much more private!

 

I neglected to answer your question about whether we upgraded to the premium alcohol package. We considered it. It wasn't like it was any great sum to have bought it. In the end we didn't bother because the Becks beer suited us just fine (much to our surprise), we liked the wine daily pour, and the mixed drinks were satisfactory. The ones with ice cubes, though, not those slushy concoctions that people were consuming by the gallon! Not that we didn't have our fair share of those (okay, they are kind of irresistible in the Caribbean but you didn't hear me say that). I thought we'd like some of the after dinner drinks that were in the premium package--the limoncello and Kahlua for example--but the wine was poured so freely during dinner than we never felt the need for more drinks after.

 

About the champagne. The champagne gods smiled upon us because we ended up with not one but three bottles! The first was in our cabin upon arrival, compliments of the Captain and Hotel Director. The second came our way as present to Rob for Rescuing a Maiden in Distress. Never say that chivalry is dead. It's not.

 

We walked back to our cabin late one afternoon, passing two security people talking to each other outside a cabin. In our own cabin, I went into the bathroom to take a shower while Rob sat outside on the balcony. When I came out of the shower there was no Rob and the balcony door was wide open. :eek: I won't say that a frisson of panic didn't course through my veins that very second. Silly silly silly but that's what you get from reading too many Cruise Critic stories about Man Overboard. An anxious moment or two passed before Rob reappeared. Sigh of relief.

 

What happened was that while he was sitting on the balcony, he heard a woman shouting "Hello! hello! is anyone there!" Rob's an alert kind of guy and he didn't ignore the voice but instead looked to see where it was coming from. A few doors down a woman had apparently locked herself out and was trapped on her balcony. Rob immediately rushed down the hall to fetch the two security men we'd seen earlier (thankfully still there) and they got the doors opened and the woman back inside. Later that day we came back to our cabin to find a bottle of champagne with a lovely note to Rob saying "Thanks a lot Sir for saving me!! Other people didn't understand me!!"

 

Our third bottle came from our Roll Call friends Jimbo and Katie. They never got around to drinking their bottle and didn't want to lug it home with them. We did not mind. :D

[dln929]

How About Some Entertainment?

 

Entertainment is subjective. My friend Sandi, aka Librarylady19, doesn't go for those Broadway type shows but we looooooove them. We were pretty happy with the singing and dancing we heard on the Quest.

 

Two nights we were treated to a woman singer named Jamila Ajibade. What a voice and what a great stage presence. She got standing ovations that she richly deserved. http://www.myjamila.com/resume

 

Other shows were "Stage Door to Dreams, a tribute to Broadway" "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Cruise Director Russ Grieve treated us to a concert with him singing lead voice, too. He's a really fine singer...thank you, Russ, for singing "Marry Me a Little" from Sondheim's Company! And for dressing up in those ridiculous $2500 Abba high-heeled boots and full regalia. You had us all in stitches even though that costume burned our eyeballs. Russ is such a good sport and such a wonderful people person. :D

 

One nice touch was that on the last night's event in the Cabaret Lounge, "Crew Waves." Captain Jose and the staff and crew of the Quest came on stage and introduced themselves to lots of applause. And of course there was singing and dancing and general merriment, which concluded when Russ invited us--the audience--to become part of the festivities and have our photos taken with the singers and dancers. Who could resist? Not I.

 

Yes, Russ is in drag. I can't look at at photo without laughing at what a good evening we all had.

[dln929]

And there was more music and dancing to be found late at night upstairs in the Looking Glass Bar. DJ Mike Ocean hosted different dance parties. One night it was the sounds of Motown, another night Abba, and yet another night Disco Fever. I've heard from people that on Azamara ships the party closes down at 10 and everyone goes to sleep but that was most certainly not the case with our sailing! Most nights it was elbow-to-elbow on the dance floor way past midnight. I did more dancing on the Quest than I've ever done on any other ship. Maybe we were extraordinarily lucky with our passenger base but everyone we were with was in the mood to jump and jive. :D

[oddjob16]

Deirdre! Thank you for this fabulous review/report from the Quest. We have only been on the Journey but taking the Quest for an Adriatic cruise in July this year. Can't wait to get on board:):D

[dln929]

Thank you for the compliment!

 

And now, let's go ashore for a bit. To Marigot, the French side of St. Martin. There was a mosquito warning and there were announcements made that it was recommended we spray ourselves with mosquito repellent before heading out. There was a "spray booth" set up for us on the deck 5 promenade. Should you care to read more about the mosquito issues, check this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1957762

 

It was a rather long tender ashore. I gathered we were anchored a bit farther from shore than is usual, but that it the closest that Captain Jose could safely put us. No matter. No one appeared concerned about an extra five minutes in the tender. We had booked a bus tour of the island that morning and looked forward to it.

 

We appreciated that Azamara hired enough buses to take us all around comfortably. You can see there was plenty of space on the bus to spread out for the tour. We lucked out in that we had a really funny tour guide who kept us both amused and informed. We'd been to St. Maarten before but not the French side of the island and it was interesting to hear the history of the island and learn about the hurricanes. It gave me a better understanding of why so much of the Caribbean, though geographically beautiful, has a ramshackle look to its towns and villages.

 

We were given an hour to wander around Philippsburg. I didn't like that town last year when we visited on the Equinox. Too much hustle and bustle and it sort of turned me off. Fast forward a year and Rob and I were wandering around, turned down a small side street and found a little hole-in-the-wall shop selling Caribbean produced goods. Including rhum. And also including liberal samples of said rhum. OMG but it was heavenly stuff! I never tasted anything so good as Ma Doudou Punch au Rhum. I had to sample several flavors before settling on a bottle. The nice young man in the shop wrapped up our purchase and we continued our sightseeing. This year was different. I couldn't help saying (like every five seconds :p) "Oh Rob! I was so wrong about St. Maarten! It's great here! I'm really feeling the love!" and so on and so forth. Suffice it to say that someone, obviously, is a cheap date.

 

Back to Marigot at the tour's conclusion, where we took a short hike up to the fort for some glorious views.

 

Edited January 8, 2014 by dln929

[dln929]

I was using my new Olympus camera on this cruise and I still am learning all the settings. I was having trouble clicking the button to take the shot and because of that I clicked too slowly, missing the big jumbo jet that had just ducked behind the hill before making its landing at the Maho beach airport. Darn!

 

There's really nothing more pleasurable than tramping over old ruins that have great views.

[dln929]

Parting is such sweet sorrow

 

We woke up the next morning to a foggy Puerto Rico. From our balcony we could see the Celebrity Summit and the RCL Jewel of the Seas. Unlike us, they were not docked at the city gates. ;)

 

 

We got off the ship very quickly and with minimum fuss. You know what? I felt most sad when we were down in the security area at the gangway. Not because I was hearing the final beep of the sea card machine, but because I had grown fond of the crew that worked that department. Most ships' security department personnel tend to be stern and no-nonsense, making you want to scurry through as quickly as possible. I don't blame them for that. Security of all the passengers is a serious business. Azamara's crew was equally as vigilant on the job but they were always so pleasant and always had the biggest smiles for us, whether we were stepping off the ship or onto it. They're the crew I'll miss.

 

San Juan was gorgeous and colorful! We had a great day sightseeing and were glad we'd made the decision to stay an extra night.

 

Such intense colors! And those blue cobbled streets were striking. I'd never seen the like before.

 

We took a tour of the Bacardi rum factory (great stuff but can't hold a candle to Ma Doudou). Since this was our "pirate voyage" I took a photo of this mural inside the Bacardi complex.

 

A beautiful city at night.

 

 

[Hyundaigirl]

Deirdre - fabulous review. Thank you so much for taking so much time to write the review and post the photos. My husband and I will be newbies on Azamara on the Journey in September. If we weren't looking forward to it before we certainly are now. That Welcome Aboard cake looked "azamazing"!

 

Carol

Edited January 8, 2014 by Hyundaigirl
typo

[midwestchick]

Deirdre - fabulous review. Thank you so much for taking so much time to write the review and post the photos. My husband and I will be newbies on Azamara on the Journey in September. If we weren't looking forward to it before we certainly are now. That Welcome Aboard cake looked "azamazing"!

 

Carol

 

Carol,

You're going to LOVE Azamara and the Journey, just like we fell in love with the Journey. See you in September. :D ;)

Loved all of your review, Deirdre. Some of the pictures look just like Journey and it made me miss her even more.

Now, I really need to get off the computer and get some work done. :p

[riandei]

Great review thanks for giving us a sample of quest prior to our first sailing in may 2014

[Kellie Poodle]

Dierdre,

 

Just showed my DH your photos of the ship. He appreciated the preview as I do.

[librarylady19]

Well done, you did me proud!! I especially enjoyed the look on Rob's face when you were taking pics of the laundry - doesn't he know that inquiring minds on CC want all the details!! :)

 

the entertainment lineup definitely doesn't seem like my style (even though you said the guitarist did a Springsteen song) but no mind, I can find plenty to keep me occupied on board I do believe.

Edited January 9, 2014 by librarylady19

[Wandering Words]

Hi Deirde

 

I've really enjoyed reading your excellent review - we leave for our Asian cruise on the Journey next week and your review has made me even more excited (if that was possible)

 

We're booked next Feb on the Rio to Miami cruise - one of the ports is Virgin Gorda -did the quiet beach you found near the Baths have a name?

 

Thanks for spending so much time and effort -from the comments being posted I can tell I'm not the only one who really appreciates it

 

Sue

[Robb]

Thanks so much for all the information and photos in your review. :) We have two cruises booked with Azamara--Nov. 2014 on Quest and Jan. 2015 on Journey. I just cannot wait to be back on Quest, so loved it last time.:D

 

Thanks again.

[dln929]

Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments you've left for me. It was my pleasure to share our first (of many, I hope) Azamara voyage on this forum that was so helpful to me when I was planning.

 

And now just a few "bits and bobs" as my late mother-in-law would say.

 

Outdoor Spaces & Old-fashioned games

 

We like being outdoors and to that end, really appreciated the lack of plastic we saw. The sun loungers, for example, are solid, sturdy wood. The cushions are thick and you'll always find a nice towel. One of our favorite places for reading on any ship we've been on is the deck 5 promenade. Sure, you'll always find chairs on this deck but on the Quest the deck was lined with full-length loungers. When you tired of reading it was as easy as pie to close your eyes for a nap.

 

The shuffleboard is located on deck 11, portside. It's not the most convenience space for it as it's right behind a long row of loungers. If you want to play you risk annoying any people who are quietly sunning themselves, and if you're sunning yourself, you will be ticked that the game players are disturbing your peace. (You can tell I was on both sides of the equation. ;)) Deck 5 would have suited better for shuffleboard as that deck is considerably wider. Nonetheless, I'm glad they have shuffleboard because the only place Rob and I ever see it is on a ship and it's a fun way to wile away an afternoon hour.

 

The ping pong table is not on the pool deck by the bar, as is indicated on the Azamara website. It's upstairs on deck 10 starboard near the stairs and jogging track. It's actually not a bad place to put it. Be forewarned, however, that unless you're a Forrest Gump of a player, you may find yourself running downstairs to the pool area to retrieve missed balls! Which in and of itself is not a bad thing. You can pick up a nice cool drink at the bar while you're down there.

 

These starboard side stairs lead you up to deck 11 where there are lots of loungers and the shuffleboard. At the base, to the right of it, you will find the ping pong table and darts board.

 

The darts board is next to the ping pong table, the latter of which has wheels on it so you can push to the side while you're playing. I'm happy to say that it's real darts like those you find in pubs. Not those electronic things.

 

Someone acquitted herself very well that evening.

 

 

[dln929]

Inside Spaces

 

Just a few random musings about the ship's interior.

 

Cabaret Lounge on deck 5 forward is well-named. It does evoke the feeling of an old-fashioned cabaret! One almost expects Joel Gray to pop out and start singing. There's a fully-stocked bar in the back with excellent waiter service. You can sit either at the long curved banquette seating or a comfy club chair with a table convenient for setting your drinks upon. The only thing I'd caution about is not to sit near the drummer! Although there's always a plexiglass screen set up around the drummer to diffuse the sound, if you sit near him his drumming will overwhelm all the other music and singing. Not that the drummer isn't talented (he is) but it's noisy seating near him.

 

Nightly shows are held in the Cabaret Lounge and it's also the place where shore excursions meet up.

 

Cabin Hallways. The steel cabin doors are painted a soothing greige color and paneled to complement the mouldings on the wall. They're the prettiest cabin doors we've seen on any ship. So why are the corridors so sparse of art? There are pictures hung on the walls, yes, but they're small and spaced really far apart. This is one area where Azamara could take a cue from its sister companies, Celebrity and RCL. Both of those lines have fantastic cabin corridors chock-a-block with interesting art. More than once Rob and I have taken an hour simply to walk the cabin decks on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships because we enjoy seeing the different art. No such luck on the Quest which is odd because the rest of the ship has magnificent art.

 

Which leads me to the art auctions. I know there was a bit of a flak when it became known that Park West was on board. Frankly, it's no big deal. If it's not your bag, it's easy enough to ignore. We found the art-for-sale much more intrusive on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships. On the Quest, their art hangs on the wall, sure, but at least there weren't easels and easels of the stuff blocking hallways or other spaces.

 

Lounges, we liked. All of them, from the Looking Glass on the top of the ship right on down to Casino Luxe on deck 5. All were comfortably appointed. Waiter service was invariably prompt and friendly. The spaces were well utilized, too. The quizzes and trivia, for example, were held at Casino Luxe in the morning and afternoon, and by evening Max was there to entertain everyone on the piano. At the Looking Glass's entryway you could find board games and to its center the dance floor (busy in the evening :D).

 

Cabin I've already mentioned that we liked, but we never did find our breakfast menu! This is the silliest thing but we've always had a daily menu card where you tick off what you want to eat, hang it on your outside doorknob, and voila! next morning there's hot food and drink coming your way. I'm sure the menu was in an absolutely obvious place but we we never managed to come across it and we kept forgetting to ask our room steward. Though it didn't matter in the long run as you know we fell in love with the Windows Cafe.

 

No dawn breakfast on the balcony this time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[marinaro44]

I

 

Cabin I've already mentioned that we liked, but we never did find our breakfast menu!

Strange. Our steward always left one on the bed every night. I think there's always one in the inside cover of the three-ring binder with info about the ship, room service menu, etc.

 

We'd use it on mornings with early excursions and for ports where the morning view from our balcony would be lovely (e.g., Hamilton, Bermuda facing away from Front Street).

[dln929]

Strange. Our steward always left one on the bed every night. I think there's always one in the inside cover of the three-ring binder with info about the ship, room service menu, etc.

 

We'd use it on mornings with early excursions and for ports where the morning view from our balcony would be lovely (e.g., Hamilton, Bermuda facing away from Front Street).

Thank you! I knew someone would give me the breakfast scoop!

 

Soooooo.....was it warm and fuzzy?

 

You can't read the Azamara forum without picking up on the "warm and fuzzy" factor. It's the intangible that sets Azamara apart from its competitors. Did we see it? Well, in short, yes. On the service level we saw lots of people fondly greeting and interacting with waiters and bartenders they'd obviously met on previous voyages. A camaraderie of sorts. Very nice to see. Did we get the same treatment? No, but I know we will the next time when we too are old hands. ;) What we did get was consistently polite and competent service. And not the frosty/disinterested kind of polite but genuinely warm and welcoming polite. It was readily apparent that the staff whose job it was to serve you was truly interested to see that you were comfortable and that you had everything you wanted. One day, for example, we were munching on snacks on the pool deck and because there were no tables available, we were seated at one of the divans using the coffee table as a dining table. A waiter came by, noticed we were struggling with plates and drinks and promptly rounded up one of those little round side tables for us to use. We didn't ask for any help but someone saw a problem and created a solution. Simple thing, really, but it's the simple things that add up to a cruise that relaxes you and makes you happy.

 

As to the officers, yes, they're present everywhere! It was a running joke that Captain Jose must have cloned himself a dozen times because he was always out and about. It seemed that everywhere you looked, there he was either chatting with a passenger or conferring with other officers or crew over one task or another. He's a real hands-on kind of person who obviously knows everything that happens on his ship. Azamara found a gem of a Captain when they found him. Captain Jose's good nature trickles on down through all the levels of officers, crew, and staff and as a result the Quest has a really nice vibe to it. You get the feeling that when you're on that ship, you're in good hands.

Edited January 9, 2014 by dln929

[brucedodge]

We're booked next Feb on the Rio to Miami cruise - one of the ports is Virgin Gorda -did the quiet beach you found near the Baths have a name? Sue

 

Hi Sue,

 

We did the Rio to Miami a year ago -- great cruise!!

 

As to Virgin Gorda, as Deirdre pointed out, you have to go early. It's very easy to get to in a group open air taxi, and if you'll go first thing, it won't be crowded at all. What happens is later on, visitors (cruise ships and otherwise) from Tortola arrive and it gets real busy. It's worth the effort to take an early tender, and then if things get too busy at The Baths, you could go to the quiet beach.

 

FWIW, Bruce

[dln929]

Hi Deirde

 

I've really enjoyed reading your excellent review - we leave for our Asian cruise on the Journey next week and your review has made me even more excited (if that was possible)

 

We're booked next Feb on the Rio to Miami cruise - one of the ports is Virgin Gorda -did the quiet beach you found near the Baths have a name?

 

Thanks for spending so much time and effort -from the comments being posted I can tell I'm not the only one who really appreciates it

 

Sue

Oops! sorry, forgot to answer your question about the Baths. If they're too crowded, head up the road towards Spanish Town where you'll find Spring Bay National Park beach. It's well marked; you can't miss it. There's a bit of a path through the woods to reach it. It's beautiful and serene and has the same huge boulders as you find in the Baths, though not with quite as much "wow" but then again what does? There are picnic tables and even some grills though no snack stands or restroom facilities. It's free admission. http://www.everyonestravelclub.com/1/post/2011/08/spring-bay-national-park-virgin-gorda-british-virgin-islands.html

Edited January 9, 2014 by dln929

[Wandering Words]

Hi Sue,

 

We did the Rio to Miami a year ago -- great cruise!!

 

As to Virgin Gorda, as Deirdre pointed out, you have to go early. It's very easy to get to in a group open air taxi, and if you'll go first thing, it won't be crowded at all. What happens is later on, visitors (cruise ships and otherwise) from Tortola arrive and it gets real busy. It's worth the effort to take an early tender, and then if things get too busy at The Baths, you could go to the quiet beach.

 

FWIW, Bruce

 

Thanks for the tip Bruce -we'll go early

Sue

[Wandering Words]

Oops! sorry, forgot to answer your question about the Baths. If they're too crowded, head up the road towards Spanish Town where you'll find Spring Bay National Park beach. It's well marked; you can't miss it. There's a bit of a path through the woods to reach it. It's beautiful and serene and has the same huge boulders as you find in the Baths, though not with quite as much "wow" but then again what does? There are picnic tables and even some grills though no snack stands or restroom facilities. It's free admission. http://www.everyonestravelclub.com/1/post/2011/08/spring-bay-national-park-virgin-gorda-british-virgin-islands.html

 

 

Thanks Deirdre - I think we'll go to the Baths early as Bruce has suggested then go onto Spring Bay

[davidandjulia]

Deirdre

May we, like so many devotees of Azamara who have commented on this thread, add our grateful thanks for your informative and enjoyable report on your recent cruise on the Quest. It encapsulates all that we hold so dearly about our love for both the Quest and Journey and all the officers, staff and crew of both vessels who manage to constantly make us feel so special when we are aboard. We join the Journey in less than two weeks, so your report acted as a timely reminder of the joys that await us.

With tongue in cheek and with the very best intention (Mr P kindly take note; we are sure your report must have been brought to his attention) might we suggest that you take an early break from the cold of Indianapolis (all expenses paid of course) and head for the offices of Azamara in Miami and spend a few days in their publicity department as we are sure with your natural gift of communication, your input would fuel the imagination of many who have yet to experience the delights of Azamara. Perhaps, and again without a hint of maliciousness, suggest that you might also like to call in at their I.T. Department for they surely would benefit from your expertise in communication skills and recommend ways to amend their existing website which might then provide us with a more helpful, easy to navigate and user friendly means of accessing the joys of cruising with Azamara which your report so accurately portrays.:)

We look forward to reading your next cruise report with eager anticipation.

David and Julia

[norn iron]

Hi Deirdre

Your cruise review is fantastic!

We did our first two Azamara cruises last year, with another booked for November this year, however after reading your review and enjoying your photographs it makes me think we may need to go sooner than November!