New to Azamara, How much dancing can we do on Azamara Pursuit? Comments on South America Cruises?

[gam888]

We have cruised many times but have not had the pleasure to sail with Azamara yet. We are considering Azamara Pursuit for a 17 day  South America cruise this coming January. We enjoy ballroom dancing and wonder if we would have an opportunity to dance much on the Pursuit. We watched some videos on Youtube and have seen the 2 lounges on the ship. The bigger lounge that has a stage with performers in the evening, I wonder after the performances, is the dance floor open for general dancing with a live band playing? How much live music or DJ music do you get in these 2 lounges in the evening for general dancing? Any information on the South America cruise that you have been on, please share it with us. What was the "Azamara Evening" event you had when you did your South America cruise? Thank you very much in advance.

[travelberlin]

54 minutes ago, gam888 said:

We have cruised many times but have not had the pleasure to sail with Azamara yet. We are considering Azamara Pursuit for a 17 day  South America cruise this coming January. We enjoy ballroom dancing and wonder if we would have an opportunity to dance much on the Pursuit. We watched some videos on Youtube and have seen the 2 lounges on the ship. The bigger lounge that has a stage with performers in the evening, I wonder after the performances, is the dance floor open for general dancing with a live band playing? How much live music or DJ music do you get in these 2 lounges in the evening for general dancing? Any information on the South America cruise that you have been on, please share it with us. What was the "Azamara Evening" event you had when you did your South America cruise? Thank you very much in advance.

I don’t think that you will be doing much dancing on Azamara in South America or somewhere else. The ships are very quiet in the night. One nice opportunity for dancing, is the white night. But it does not last long either. And Ballroom dancing? I have not seen it onboard.

Ivi

[federalexpress]

1 hour ago, gam888 said:

We have cruised many times but have not had the pleasure to sail with Azamara yet. We are considering Azamara Pursuit for a 17 day  South America cruise this coming January. We enjoy ballroom dancing and wonder if we would have an opportunity to dance much on the Pursuit. We watched some videos on Youtube and have seen the 2 lounges on the ship. The bigger lounge that has a stage with performers in the evening, I wonder after the performances, is the dance floor open for general dancing with a live band playing? How much live music or DJ music do you get in these 2 lounges in the evening for general dancing? Any information on the South America cruise that you have been on, please share it with us. What was the "Azamara Evening" event you had when you did your South America cruise? Thank you very much in advance.

 

Can't help you with the onboard details, it's my first cruise with them in January but if you are talking about the one starting on 24 Jan, the Azamara evening is a festival of Carnival at the Solis theatre in Montevideo on the second night.

[excitedofharpenden]

I did a b2b2b on Pursuit South America trip (Lima to Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires with Rio for New Year and Buenos Aires to Antarctica and back). Unless you have ballroom dancing guest entertainers onboard, the likelihood of it being in the activities list will be slim. It's a shame. Azamara are really missing a trick here. 

 

Chances are you will do the Azamazing in Montevideo. We had all three there. It's a really fun evening.  

 

Finally, if you spend an evening in Buenos Aires then make sure to go and see an Argentine tango show. There are so many. We avoided the packaged deal of a show with dinner and picked a performance out at a theatre and ate separately. To go and see Argentine tango in BA was an experience. 

 

Phil 

[luv2travel90266]

Was on the Pursuit this year. They didn't have dancing lessons but there were several cruisers who were very experienced ballroom dancers enjoying an open floor. They are happy to play the music that pleases. 

[santrah]

On the Onward in November.  The Sunshine Band played in the Living Room there was a couple who were ballroom dancers adapting their ballroom dancing to the music and showing others how to dance.  It was great to see.  The band played and sang requested numbers.

[marinaro44]

4 hours ago, federalexpress said:

 

Can't help you with the onboard details, it's my first cruise with them in January but if you are talking about the one starting on 24 Jan, the Azamara evening is a festival of Carnival at the Solis theatre in Montevideo on the second night.

One of the best ever!

[Edinburghgirl1]

We have just completed our first cruise with Azamara and I’m afraid entertainment is where they fall down particularly in the evening. From the comments I received when I mentioned this in a post it would appear Azamara cruisers prefer silent venues with no music playing. It would make us think twice about booking another Azamara cruise. as we felt the ship was totally lacking in atmosphere. 

[Gardendog]

We have been on six Azamara cruises and for the most part have danced every single night. If you want ball room dance music, ask for the piece by name, and the band or DJ will happily oblige.

 

We danced during cocktail hour and again later in the evening. People who say there is no dancing, might not have been looking for it. We did both ballroom and Latin. We could have been more forward and asked for more pieces by name.

 

Long  time ago, they had dance classes, not post pandemic. On Azamara, we have danced waltz, foxtrot, swing, rhumba, cha cha, mambo and line dancing. We never did to get to tango, but then we never asked for it.

 

We have found, again, that asking for a “swing” might not work but ask them to play “rock around the clock tonight” and they will do it if they know it. The band aims to please. Of course the DJ does the same.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Gardendog said:

We have found, again, that asking for a “swing” might not work but ask them to play “rock around the clock tonight” and they will do it if they know it. The band aims to please. Of course the DJ does the same.

But they may play the tune in a very different way than you imagined.  At the brunch on Journey, knowing their jazz chops, I asked for April in Paris.  They played the tune all right, but it was nothing like the Basie version...

[gam888]

Thanks everyone for replying my post. We would like try Azamara sometime, so if we don't choose the South America voyage this time, we would consider another journey when it's feasible. It's good to get an impression of what the dance venue is like before we make a decision, as evening entertainment is a very important part of the ship experience for us. Thanks again for all your replies.

[Grandma Cruising]

7 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

We have just completed our first cruise with Azamara and I’m afraid entertainment is where they fall down particularly in the evening. From the comments I received when I mentioned this in a post it would appear Azamara cruisers prefer silent venues with no music playing. It would make us think twice about booking another Azamara cruise. as we felt the ship was totally lacking in atmosphere. 

Slight misquote here - I think many of us said we definitely don’t want piped music, especially around the pool. Live music is fine and there’s quite a lot of that on Azamara - piano in the Den, music in the living room, pool performances from time to time etc.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Grandma Cruising

[Edinburghgirl1]

6 hours ago, gam888 said:

Thanks everyone for replying my post. We would like try Azamara sometime, so if we don't choose the South America voyage this time, we would consider another journey when it's feasible. It's good to get an impression of what the dance venue is like before we make a decision, as evening entertainment is a very important part of the ship experience for us. Thanks again for all your replies.

Entertainment is an important part of cruising for us also  so although we enjoyed some  aspects of Azamara it would put us off booking another. There were certainly no pool performances on our cruise and periods in the evening when nothing was happening anywhere! 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Edinburghgirl1

[marinaro44]

2 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

Entertainment is an important part of cruising for us also  so although we enjoyed some  aspects of Azamara it would put us off booking another. There were certainly no pool performances on our cruise and periods in the evening when nothing was happening anywhere! 

Some need constant entertainment, others make their own.

[lisiamc]

14 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

We have just completed our first cruise with Azamara and I’m afraid entertainment is where they fall down particularly in the evening. From the comments I received when I mentioned this in a post it would appear Azamara cruisers prefer silent venues with no music playing. It would make us think twice about booking another Azamara cruise. as we felt the ship was totally lacking in atmosphere. 

In fairness, there is music (usually live) in The Living Room, before and after dinner, and there is a disco there later, there is almost always a show, and live music in The Den before and after dinner. When the band play poolside you cannot hold a conversation over lunch. The music is fine, just a titch loud at poolside. I’m not sure how this equates to a preference for silent venues?

[uktog]

The range of entertainment on Quest Journey and Onward - my experience in the last four months has all been absolutely fine. Occasionally you hit a patch in the evening with nothing on but that’s when 75%+ people are eating so it makes absolutely sense to give the entertainers their rest break then

Poolside entertainment depends on lots of things including weather (can’t be too hot or cold) or if in port some places don’t allow it due to noise pollution. 
Just disembarked today. Weather conditions caused the 45 minute sets to be cancelled twice and there were none in port. Didn’t bother anyone I spoke to. A very large % guests were listening to their own entertainment via pods. That’s the ideal arrangement in my mind. 

[federalexpress]

This has been an interesting exchange. To be fair to Edinburgh Girl, I think she is clear that she was on the wrong ship for her tastes, even if some of the offering was to her satisfaction. She wants atmosphere and a vibe around the ship and clearly has her own interpretation of what that means. It's a bit disappointing to pick the wrong cruise brand as seems to have happened here but I guess it does happen.As I said before, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Here's a couple of recent reviews on Celebrity Edge (where most of the reviews are otherwise very positive:

 

"If you wanted to lie outside in the sun/shade there were no quiet spots as everywhere was in earshot of the main pool. It was so rowdy. Blaring music or entertainment staff screaming into microphones most of the day."   

 

and

 

"Most irritating for us, however, was the noise level in the specialty restaurants. While the food and service in both Eden and the Fine Cut Steakhouse were excellent, the experience is almost ruined by the noise of the live entertainment bleeding into the restaurants. It was difficult to have a conversation."

 

I have a hunch that if Edinburgh Girl swapped places with the two cruisers above, all might be happier. Different folks for different strokes and it's good we have choice.

 

I've not been on AZ yet, but if anything it sounds too noisy, what with Grandma Cruising's post about 90 plus decibels. I just hope they keep the pool largely clear of pop music and have at least some quieter bars and spaces. If I'm in the mood for pop music and dancing, I can always go and find it in the places other posters have referenced. But I know I'd be unhappy on Celebrity Edge. What some see as a vibe, others will see as an intrusion.

[Edinburghgirl1]

8 hours ago, federalexpress said:

This has been an interesting exchange. To be fair to Edinburgh Girl, I think she is clear that she was on the wrong ship for her tastes, even if some of the offering was to her satisfaction. She wants atmosphere and a vibe around the ship and clearly has her own interpretation of what that means. It's a bit disappointing to pick the wrong cruise brand as seems to have happened here but I guess it does happen.As I said before, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Here's a couple of recent reviews on Celebrity Edge (where most of the reviews are otherwise very positive:

 

"If you wanted to lie outside in the sun/shade there were no quiet spots as everywhere was in earshot of the main pool. It was so rowdy. Blaring music or entertainment staff screaming into microphones most of the day."   

 

and

 

"Most irritating for us, however, was the noise level in the specialty restaurants. While the food and service in both Eden and the Fine Cut Steakhouse were excellent, the experience is almost ruined by the noise of the live entertainment bleeding into the restaurants. It was difficult to have a conversation."

 

I have a hunch that if Edinburgh Girl swapped places with the two cruisers above, all might be happier. Different folks for different strokes and it's good we have choice.

 

I've not been on AZ yet, but if anything it sounds too noisy, what with Grandma Cruising's post about 90 plus decibels. I just hope they keep the pool largely clear of pop music and have at least some quieter bars and spaces. If I'm in the mood for pop music and dancing, I can always go and find it in the places other posters have referenced. But I know I'd be unhappy on Celebrity Edge. What some see as a vibe, others will see as an intrusion.

I sailed on the Celebrity Beyond  on a B2B in June, which is the sister ship of the The Edge,  and agree with some of the comments in the two reviews you posted. Whilst they are stunning ships with the wow factor our preference are the Celebrity Millennium class ships. We sailed on the Constellation in April and whilst an old ship we found it very well maintained,  unlike the Quest, plenty going on round the ship and a great atmosphere.  These ships are the smallest in Celebritys fleet. We will  try other lines but unlikely we’ll sail Azamara again. Just not for us and certainly not worth the price they charge. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Edinburghgirl1

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

I sailed on the Celebrity Beyond  on a B2B in June, which is the sister ship of the The Edge,  and agree with some of the comments in the two reviews you posted. Whilst they are stunning ships with the wow factor our preference are the Celebrity Millennium class ships. We sailed on the Constellation in April and whilst an old ship we found it very well maintained,  unlike the Quest, plenty going on round the ship and a great atmosphere.  These ships are the smallest in Celebritys fleet. We will  try other lines but unlikely we’ll sail Azamara again. Just not for us and certainly not worth the price they charge. 

The only way I would sail on Celebrity is on an M-class ship, and then only in a Celebrity Suite [which are really nice on those ships and perfectly located right in the center and not under the pool].  But once I pay for a Celebrity Suite, I might as well be on Azamara.  'Small' is in the eye of the beholder:  Azamara is our upper limit.

 

Have you considered Silversea?  I haven't sailed on them yet, but from my research they may offer you the combination of upscale and entertainment you desire.  [They do have an antiquated dress code, but maybe that's not an issue for you.]

[Edinburghgirl1]

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The only way I would sail on Celebrity is on an M-class ship, and then only in a Celebrity Suite [which are really nice on those ships and perfectly located right in the center and not under the pool].  But once I pay for a Celebrity Suite, I might as well be on Azamara.  'Small' is in the eye of the beholder:  Azamara is our upper limit.

 

Have you considered Silversea?  I haven't sailed on them yet, but from my research they may offer you the combination of upscale and entertainment you desire.  [They do have an antiquated dress code, but maybe that's not an issue for you.]

Not got an issue with dressing up I do it every night on a cruise however I think the price point on Silverseas would be too high for what I would want to pay for a cruise. We thought Azamara was upscale  but obviously we got it wrong.

[federalexpress]

9 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

I sailed on the Celebrity Beyond  on a B2B in June, which is the sister ship of the The Edge,  and agree with some of the comments in the two reviews you posted. Whilst they are stunning ships with the wow factor our preference are the Celebrity Millennium class ships. We sailed on the Constellation in April and whilst an old ship we found it very well maintained,  unlike the Quest, plenty going on round the ship and a great atmosphere.  These ships are the smallest in Celebritys fleet. We will  try other lines but unlikely we’ll sail Azamara again. Just not for us and certainly not worth the price they charge. 

 

Interesting. I should say I have minimal cruise experience, I've only sailed with Holland America if you discount a work trip on Costa (which was awful). I'm not and probably never will be a cruise enthusiast, I go on them only because they are going to multiple places I'd like to visit, that would otherwise be impossible on one trip. I've had to rely on research not experience, my trip with AZ isn't until January. 

 

To be fair, I enjoyed being on HAL a bit more than I thought, but that was from a low expectation. The only thing that really impaired the experience was the constant nickel and diming and the casino, which was positioned to encourage traffic through it. I find casinos tacky, to say the least. My impression is it might be a bit more like the Millennium class ships in size and appeal? (although I imagine Celebrity would be somewhat more upmarket)  I did have Celebrity as one of my options, because they do some S America itineraries that are similar to AZ. I guess I just preferred a smaller ship for a change. I'm on Pursuit which was re-fitted more recently than Quest so hopefully is in somewhat better shape. To be honest, it would take a very bad ship to spoil what looks like a fascinating trip to some unusual out of the way places. Certainly a quiet ship won't do that. And the seemingly more informal ambiance also was a big appeal. I'm not big on dressing up, jackets and ties- did that my whole working life.

 

Out of curiosity, I checked out the Cruise Critic reviews on Constellation. The first three were complaining about the tired decor/condition of the ship! So either beauty is in the eye of the beholder or more recently, the ship has begun to show wear and tear. I guess there will be a point before a planned re-fit when that happens to any ship. Maybe that is where both Constellation and Quest are. Others more knowledgeable than me might know if a re-fit is on the cards for Quest.

 

Anyway I wish you many more happy holidays.

[marinaro44]

Three sets of dancing tonight in the Living Room on Onward, plus a show with the singers and dancers in Cabaret, followed by dancing with the DJ late.  Buffet brunch this morning at 9:30 with talks at 10, 11 and 1.  Don't understand the whining.

Edited December 13, 2022 by marinaro44

[Edinburghgirl1]

3 hours ago, federalexpress said:

 

Interesting. I should say I have minimal cruise experience, I've only sailed with Holland America if you discount a work trip on Costa (which was awful). I'm not and probably never will be a cruise enthusiast, I go on them only because they are going to multiple places I'd like to visit, that would otherwise be impossible on one trip. I've had to rely on research not experience, my trip with AZ isn't until January. 

 

To be fair, I enjoyed being on HAL a bit more than I thought, but that was from a low expectation. The only thing that really impaired the experience was the constant nickel and diming and the casino, which was positioned to encourage traffic through it. I find casinos tacky, to say the least. My impression is it might be a bit more like the Millennium class ships in size and appeal? (although I imagine Celebrity would be somewhat more upmarket)  I did have Celebrity as one of my options, because they do some S America itineraries that are similar to AZ. I guess I just preferred a smaller ship for a change. I'm on Pursuit which was re-fitted more recently than Quest so hopefully is in somewhat better shape. To be honest, it would take a very bad ship to spoil what looks like a fascinating trip to some unusual out of the way places. Certainly a quiet ship won't do that. And the seemingly more informal ambiance also was a big appeal. I'm not big on dressing up, jackets and ties- did that my whole working life.

 

Out of curiosity, I checked out the Cruise Critic reviews on Constellation. The first three were complaining about the tired decor/condition of the ship! So either beauty is in the eye of the beholder or more recently, the ship has begun to show wear and tear. I guess there will be a point before a planned re-fit when that happens to any ship. Maybe that is where both Constellation and Quest are. Others more knowledgeable than me might know if a re-fit is on the cards for Quest.

 

Anyway I wish you many more happy holidays.

The Constellation was due a total refit in March 2020 which was obviously cancelled  due to Covid. In November 2021 all public areas were refurbished and all carpets and soft furnishings were replaced. When we were onboard in April 2022 the ship looked great. The cabins were not refurbished however. We were in Aqua class the first cruise and a suite for  the second which were in good condition. Maybe the complaints were about the regular cabins which I can’t comment on.  

Edited December 13, 2022 by Edinburghgirl1

[Mackdogmolly]

3 hours ago, federalexpress said:

So either beauty is in the eye of the beholder or more recently, the ship has begun to show wear and tear. I guess there will be a point before a planned re-fit when that happens to any ship. Maybe that is where both Constellation and Quest are

I have an upcoming cruise on Pursuit, but my 4 previous Azamara cruises have all been on the Quest, and I just love her, so I guess I would agree with your opening line! 😍

[uktog]

1 hour ago, marinaro44 said:

Three sets of dancing tonight in the Living Room on Onward, plus a show with the singers and dancers in Cabaret, followed by dancing with the DJ late.  Buffet brunch this morning at 9:30 with talks at 10, 11 and 1.  Don't understand the whining.

So same as last cruise aka the Azamara standard for a sea day 😀