My quick Journey review.

[les37b]

9 hours ago, uktog said:

What nationality was the comedian and was it an international failure to amuse?  I find cruise ship comedians are so hit and miss. It all depends how international and new their material is 

 

As you probably realise, he was American and that was his target. The Cruise however was in the Med and guests were about 40% from the UK.

 

I did speak with people on our tour and they suggested he was "ok". They understood some of the baseball references for example that were lost on us. I don't think he said a joke I found funny... And that included ones I got... But just unfunny!

 

 

[Baynanno1]

@uktog @excitedofharpenden @lisiamc @nordski

Thank you all for your support.

 

It did take a long time to get things sorted after our first cruise was cancelled due to covid in March 2020.

 

This is over 2 years down the track as far as Azamara's experience with handling refunds goes and time for refund "ran out" late last year, prior to which we were  trying all the usual and some unusual avenues to have it sorted before the end of December 2021.

[Xcelsior]

On 7/11/2022 at 3:32 AM, uktog said:

What nationality was the comedian and was it an international failure to amuse?  I find cruise ship comedians are so hit and miss. It all depends how international and new their material is 

I thought he was from the UK, but maybe he was American....maybe I had too much to drink to tell the difference?  Trust me when I say it was not about personal taste or preference in a type of comedian,  he just wasn't even remotely funny.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Xcelsior

[Xcelsior]

On 7/11/2022 at 5:38 AM, lisiamc said:

I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy your cruise as much as you have enjoyed others in the past. It does sound like some of your sources of unhappiness are things that have always been present with Azamara. The entertainment has always been a bit hit or miss, especially the comedians. On our May cruise, I actually found the food to be slightly better than I remember it pre-Covid, but that is very subjective. I do have to wonder why you seem surprised at the size of the balcony, cabin or shower, though. They are the same size they always were.  I agree that some things have changed for Azamara since the change of ownership, and some not for better, but the size of the ships and the cabins are not one of them, and you must have known that the shower was going to irk you. Maybe it wasn’t such an issue in the past, because you were happier with other aspects of the cruise, and this time it was just the last straw?

The food certainly had its moments - I think they do an absolutely excellent job on the White Night and in the Brunch buffets.  I found Main Dining Room hit and miss.  The food in Windows Cafe was great at breakfast and lunch.  The themed a la carte dinners on deck were not very good at all the times I went there.  The staff however are excellent.  

In terms of the shower size....the first time I sailed Azamara was when the line was first launched and the shower while the same size then, didn't bother me as much.  I was obviously younger and the ships of the day mostly all had smallish showers.  The last time I sailed I was in a suite, so of course it wasn't an issue.  Being in a verandah this time - I actually loved the room, except for the bathroom size.  The linens were great, loved the balcony and the decor.  They got this part right.  I do wish they had put a door on the shower though like Celebrity did when they refit the Millennium and Summit a couple years ago.  That being said, these showers are even smaller than those....so maybe not possible.  I think someone said Oceania did but didn't like that either.

In terms of expectations with entertainment, the singers/dancers and CD did an amazing job with White Night as per usual.  It was the rest of it that was a big letdown.  The other annoying thing was that the guest lecturer apparently "missed a flight" to join the ship....so there were no lectures.  I would have loved it if there had been some lectures on the greek islands/ruins/mythology etc. as I didn't pay much attention to this in school and I would have been more interested in the  sights on the islands we visted as a result.   Why it was not possible for the lecturer to catch up with a ship that was in port every day is a mystery to me....so I don't think they were trying very hard to deliver on that front.  

I also didn't like that The Patio was not open for dinner.   That would have been a great option.  Why they opened Windows every night with an a la carte and not just simply open the Patio is another mystery to me.  The food at the Patio was always GREAT.

So......will I sail Azamara again?  Yes.  Is it still my favourite cruise line?  No.  Will I pay extra to sail Azamara?  Only if the itinerary is something I can't do on other lines.   If they are ever able to build or purchase newer ships that offer a few other options to keep me a bit more entertained I will re-evaluate.  The cruise line needs to realize that the competition is tough, and with older ships, they aren't helping themselves with poor entertainment onboard.  While it was never industry-leading, it was definitely much better previously.

Another final note, I think there is probably a big difference in the ships right now.  The best staff seem to have been moved to the Onward and the Pursuit.  I think perhaps those ships are satisfying others better at the moment?

[Xcelsior]

On 7/11/2022 at 12:03 AM, cruiseerf said:

I am a Big Celebrity cruiser in many classes of cabins over the years and I will be taking my first Azamara cruise in November, on Onward.   I usually travel in a suite so we dine in Luminae or specialty restaurants onboard X.   We rarely go to the mediocre Vegas shows that X has so perhaps we will enjoy the smaller entertainment venues or speakers AZ has onboard.  We are keeping an open mind and will report back our thoughts.   We were last on Celebrity in June up to the Nordic, we have another X in August and then Onward in Nov.   Looking very forward to a new experience as not much changes on the Celebrity ships...... 

If you didn't like the mediocre vegas shows on X, you will not be happy with the productions on Azamara.  You will really enjoy White Night though.  They do a top notch job on that.  Hopefully you will have a better guest entertainer(s) on your sailing(s).  As with most cruises, it's also about the fellow passengers you meet onboard.  I was lucky in that department on this sailing so my gripes need to be taken into perspective. Azamara always has interesting fellow passengers onboard.  I hope you have a great time.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Xcelsior

[Xcelsior]

On 7/10/2022 at 5:23 PM, beatnix said:

Thank you for your rewiew @Xcelsior! As we will be on Journey in August, may I ask you if Patio was open for dinner. Thanks in advance!

No it was not, and that was a disappointment.  Go for lunch though, it continues to be great.  Perhaps it will be open on your sailing.  We had so few passengers it was probably didn't make much sense to have it open I guess.  I would rather they kept it open though and close Windows for dinner.

[beatnix]

@Xcelsior Thank you!

On our sailing in May on Quest Patio was also closed in the evenings. That was really unfortunate because the weather was perfect and 550 passengers on board. 

So I hope the best for August - it is so chillinig outside!

[Beamafar]

Can I ask how the air-conditioning was, in the dining areas in particular, on your sailing?   I generally find it very cold in the restaurants on most ships and am trying to plan suitable attire for our Italy cruise next month, when the weather is going to be very hot. 
 

PS.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences of your cruise. 

Edited July 12, 2022 by Beamafar

[beatnix]

@Beamafar I was fine with a light pashimia shawl at Discoveries in May and will take it again for August. 

[Beamafar]

21 minutes ago, beatnix said:

@Beamafar I was fine with a light pashimia shawl at Discoveries in May and will take it again for August. 

Thank you!   I was thinking along those lines. 
I believe you’ll be on the same cruise. 

[beatnix]

@Beamafar We will embark on 6th in Nice and leave on 26th in Athens.

[Beamafar]

4 minutes ago, beatnix said:

@Beamafar We will embark on 6th in Nice and leave on 26th in Athens.

So B2B.  We’re disembarking in Ravenna. We’re on a Greek cruise on Celebrity Edge 2 weeks later from Rome.

 

This is our first Az cruise.  So far, we’ve been very impressed with Azamara’s customer service, from increasing the included Shore Excursion credit from $500 to $1000 when they upped it in a promotion, to changing our flights to the new embarkation port without charge and now refunding us for the transfer from Ravenna to Venice, despite us booking after the disembarkation port had been changed (which is why we had to pay for the transfer, originally). Plus, they’re offering $300 FCC for the embarkation port change (though I do feel that should be OBC).  

[lisiamc]

3 hours ago, Xcelsior said:

No it was not, and that was a disappointment.  Go for lunch though, it continues to be great.  Perhaps it will be open on your sailing.  We had so few passengers it was probably didn't make much sense to have it open I guess.  I would rather they kept it open though and close Windows for dinner.

The Patio wasn’t open on Onward in May, which made me sad. I’m like you, in that I find it one of the best dinner venues on the ship. We eat low carb, so it’s always a fabulous and easy meal for us. I hope it’s open on Pursuit in August.

[Zoey]

7 hours ago, beatnix said:

@Xcelsior Thank you!

On our sailing in May on Quest Patio was also closed in the evenings. That was really unfortunate because the weather was perfect and 550 passengers on board. 

So I hope the best for August - it is so chillinig outside!

Did you happen to hear or ask why it wasn’t being opened in the evening? I assume they would say it’s due to a staffing shortage. I’ll be glad when that reason/excuse can stop being used. 

[Scots Caz]

7 hours ago, lisiamc said:

The Patio wasn’t open on Onward in May, which made me sad. I’m like you, in that I find it one of the best dinner venues on the ship. We eat low carb, so it’s always a fabulous and easy meal for us. I hope it’s open on Pursuit in August.

It was open in June (excluding a few nights..eg white night) I ate there a few times

[beatnix]

11 hours ago, Zoey said:

Did you happen to hear or ask why it wasn’t being opened in the evening? I assume they would say it’s due to a staffing shortage. I’ll be glad when that reason/excuse can stop being used. 

No, it was not explained - and we did not ask.

[yogagal47]

On 7/12/2022 at 5:04 AM, Xcelsior said:

The food certainly had its moments - I think they do an absolutely excellent job on the White Night and in the Brunch buffets.  I found Main Dining Room hit and miss.  The food in Windows Cafe was great at breakfast and lunch.  The themed a la carte dinners on deck were not very good at all the times I went there.  The staff however are excellent.  

In terms of the shower size....the first time I sailed Azamara was when the line was first launched and the shower while the same size then, didn't bother me as much.  I was obviously younger and the ships of the day mostly all had smallish showers.  The last time I sailed I was in a suite, so of course it wasn't an issue.  Being in a verandah this time - I actually loved the room, except for the bathroom size.  The linens were great, loved the balcony and the decor.  They got this part right.  I do wish they had put a door on the shower though like Celebrity did when they refit the Millennium and Summit a couple years ago.  That being said, these showers are even smaller than those....so maybe not possible.  I think someone said Oceania did but didn't like that either.

In terms of expectations with entertainment, the singers/dancers and CD did an amazing job with White Night as per usual.  It was the rest of it that was a big letdown.  The other annoying thing was that the guest lecturer apparently "missed a flight" to join the ship....so there were no lectures.  I would have loved it if there had been some lectures on the greek islands/ruins/mythology etc. as I didn't pay much attention to this in school and I would have been more interested in the  sights on the islands we visted as a result.   Why it was not possible for the lecturer to catch up with a ship that was in port every day is a mystery to me....so I don't think they were trying very hard to deliver on that front.  

I also didn't like that The Patio was not open for dinner.   That would have been a great option.  Why they opened Windows every night with an a la carte and not just simply open the Patio is another mystery to me.  The food at the Patio was always GREAT.

So......will I sail Azamara again?  Yes.  Is it still my favourite cruise line?  No.  Will I pay extra to sail Azamara?  Only if the itinerary is something I can't do on other lines.   If they are ever able to build or purchase newer ships that offer a few other options to keep me a bit more entertained I will re-evaluate.  The cruise line needs to realize that the competition is tough, and with older ships, they aren't helping themselves with poor entertainment onboard.  While it was never industry-leading, it was definitely much better previously.

Another final note, I think there is probably a big difference in the ships right now.  The best staff seem to have been moved to the Onward and the Pursuit.  I think perhaps those ships are satisfying others better at the moment?

On our June 17 Greece intensive cruise on Journey they announced that there would be no guest lecturer due to Covid I believe(or issues relating to it). I agree that it would have enhanced our enjoyment and appreciation of some of the destinations had they offered an expert on culture, history , politics, for any topic related to travel in Greece. 

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, yogagal47 said:

On our June 17 Greece intensive cruise on Journey they announced that there would be no guest lecturer due to Covid I believe(or issues relating to it). I agree that it would have enhanced our enjoyment and appreciation of some of the destinations had they offered an expert on culture, history , politics, for any topic related to travel in Greece. 

That may be because the lecturer who was on our sailings (26 May and 5 June) was supposed to be on the ship until later in June.  I guess he caught the COVID that was wandering all over the ship during that time period.