11 days on X Reflection or 8 on Journey

[Cruise Junky]

It's our 20th anniversary next year. There are two itineraries (med) we have our eye on. Azamara is total $500 us more but is three days less. For anyone that has sailed both, do you think it's worth it? Comparing balcony cabins on both. Itineraries are completely different, but we like both. No overnights on A but there are some late nights in ports.

[uktog]

I replied to your cross-post on the Celebity board but have copied that thread here as well.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2362976

[Cruise Junky]

I replied to your cross-post on the Celebity board but have copied that thread here as well.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2362976

 

Yes, thank you for a great response.

[Spursgirl]

I think you will have a lovely cruise whichever ship you select.

 

Reflection is a beautiful ship and will offer you many options regarding dining venues and entertainment choices. Speciality restaurants are quite pricy but generally good.

 

The passenger demographic will probably be a bit lower as Celebrity are trying to attract younger passengers.

 

Azamara has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment and has a more intimate vibe, rather like an elegant country house hotel.

 

Passengers tend to be friendly and well travelled and it is easier to strike up friendships because you run into people more frequently. Tips are also included on Azamara.

 

I would happily sail either line but would always choose Azamara if the itineraries are similar.

 

I hope you have a lovely anniversary cruise whichever line you go for.

[welshfamily]

If as you say the itineries are not the issue then may I share some thoughts.

Until last summer we had cruised exclusively with Celebrity and would happily do so again for the right itineries. We decided on a change due to two things;

1. The drinks packages. On the Eclipse, summer 2014, it took a good half hour to get a coffee at Cafe Bacio from about 9 am onwards. There were very few waiters on the pool deck and the bars were incredibly busy, mostly a t least a 15 minute wait.

2. The tenders. Unless on a shore excursion and even with Priority Tendering it took well over a hour and a couple of times over two hours to get of the ship.

 

The above makes us sound impatient but on a port intensive cruise with some private tours booked it was incredibly stressful.

 

 

We choose Azamara because of a recommendation from a chap on this board who we had meet on a previous cruise.

 

1.Drinks.

Never a problem. Included drinks were excellent, extras reasonable.

 

There were occasionally a few people waiting for coffee at the cafe or maybe the seating area was busy.....but people were happy to share, offer up seats and the waiter remembered what type of coffee you liked and smiled happily at you.

You can engage in good natured conversation whilst you wait because on Azamara the cruisers tend to be well....difficult to generalise but happy, polite and a poor choice of words I know, Congenial.

 

2. The tenders.

What a pleasure.

 

However the above alone didn't sell Azamara to us. It was something else, something difficult to put my finger on,let alone discribe, it was the atmosphere.

In my opinion azamara is a good choice for an anniversary cruise.

[SkiCruiser44]

I would totally agree with Welshfamilys's comments! We have sailed on Journey and several of the S class Celebrity ships and Journey was our all time favorite cruise out of 20+ cruises.

 

Enjoy!

[tango9]

Yes, I agree with Welshfamily, as well. I have done Med cruises on both the Reflection and Azamara. Reflection is a beautiful ship with very nice cabins; food is very good and they are offering a nice extra package now with drink package, etc. But... Azamara has some wonderful things that Reflection cannot give. The tenders have NO wait. You will be in a long line with the Relection , often in the hot sun. And Azamara is so much more relaxing and personal. Good luck choosing!

[kathy9]

We would take the AZ cruise and spend 2 or 3 days in the embarkation port and the same in the disembarkation port and enjoy a nice long relaxing Anniversary trip.

[Redtravel]

Both are nice. I like sailing on them. When I choose a cruise, I consider the following: ship, time, location, and length. Ship is the major choice. It is especially important since you will be spending a great amount of time on the ship.

 

If you hate lines and crowds, Az is the choice. fewer people.

 

If you want good evening entertainment, X is the choice. Az is low key.

 

Food is good on both.

 

If you drink heavily, Az includes drinks. If you don't drink, X is a better choice. You don't want to pay for the included drinks if you don't drink.

 

Cabins? X wins. Even the obstructed view have a good view. On Az, obstructed are completely obstructed by lifeboats and are tiny. X has larger bathrooms with shower doors. Az has tiny showers with curtains.

Verandas are decent size on both. X has clear verandas with complete views. Az has solid veranda enclosures. You cannot see under the railing.

 

Az provides complimentary transportation to center of port city. X will sell it to you. tendering on Az is much better. On X, tendering 3000 guests takes a lot of time.

 

X has an indoor solarium with heated pool. Az has only outdoor pools.

 

Which would I choose? Having considered the 4 items above, I would then compare costs. Also, if there is a particular port that you want to see, choose the cruises that goes there.

 

Happy Anniversary!