Current satisfaction with Azamara now that new Ownership has had time

[LuAnn]

3 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

We recently finished a cruise on Pursuit and found the food in the MDR to be mostly as good as ever. There was one exception - I had duck breast one night and it was both very small and as tough as old boots. To be fair they were very happy to change it for another dish - I chose lamb chops and they were brilliant.

Everything was very tasty and very well seasoned, Thai dishes like hot & sour soup were terrific! We also had the Reistafel, which was great, but way too much food!

Thanks for the reminder re the Reistafel!! We did that once and it was fabulous!!! 

[debcip]

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past!

on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded. 

[uktog]

51 minutes ago, debcip said:

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past!

on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded. 

I am glad to hear you are enjoying the food, as we found Quest last month average but an improvement on Onward we look forward to experiencing Journey.

 

I do get so annoyed with Azamara staff who push back questions with “rubbish”. These rice tables have not been disbanded- Onward and Pursuit have offered them in the last month.

Why can’t staff be more honest - maybe they can’t do one on Journey for other reasons, if so tell the customer that, don’t give them patently incorrect waffle. 
Im afraid this “brush off with waffle” culture has crept into the hotel side of operations in recent years. You never saw it a few years ago albeit the onboard and Miami hotel leadership was in different hands.  I saw it first hand on Quest last month where a very senior manager answered a query with an absolute untruth. If the leaders are doing it, the crew will follow as indeed they now are. To me it’s insulting the guests intelligence! 

[paf225]

8 hours ago, debcip said:

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past!

on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded. 

 

I was recently on Pursuit and thoroughly enjoyed the Rijsttafel held on March 3, 2024 at the Patio.  The variety of food was impressive and very tasty.  Regards, Paul

[Grandma Cruising]

9 hours ago, debcip said:

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past!

on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded. 

That’s not true, we had one on Pursuit in February/March this year.

[Ithikan]

11 hours ago, debcip said:

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past!

on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded. 

When we sailed on Journey in February, there was no Rice Table.  I asked about it twice, on the first day and mid-cruise, and was simply told that we would not be having one.

[Host Jazzbeau]

12 hours ago, debcip said:

I am currently on the Journey, sailing for the first time since the pandemic. Both DH and I think the food is substantially better than in the past!

on a slightly disappointing note, I asked about the Reistafel and was told that “since COVID” these have been disbanded. 

 

1 hour ago, Ithikan said:

When we sailed on Journey in February, there was no Rice Table.  I asked about it twice, on the first day and mid-cruise, and was simply told that we would not be having one.

I don't believe it was ever done on every cruise [I've sailed on Azamara three times and never had it].  So there was no need to lie – they should have just said "not on this cruise, sorry" as they did for Ithikan.

[Westaussie]

5 hours ago, Ithikan said:

When we sailed on Journey in February, there was no Rice Table.  I asked about it twice, on the first day and mid-cruise, and was simply told that we would not be having one.

We were on that cruise with you and I asked the same question having enjoyed it in the past and was given the same answer. 

[marinaro44]

Some events just don't happen on every cruise:  fruhschoppen and dim sum brunch are two of our favorites.  Can't do everything on every cruise.

[uktog]

16 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Some events just don't happen on every cruise:  fruhschoppen and dim sum brunch are two of our favorites.  Can't do everything on every cruise.

I think everyone understands that. The problem arises when the reasons given are incorrect and inconsistent. It’s the same as answers on wines in packages- discontinued, not available, still in the stockroom, will be here tomorrow- had all of these within 4 hours on the same cruise! 

[Bloodaxe]

We have not cruised with Azamara since 2019 for various reasons including health problems.

It was our favourite line from 2008 until then but I am getting the impression that we would no longer enjoy it has much has we did.

We have cruised with Saga since mainly due to home pick up and not needing to fly to the ship.

It is OK but we do miss the International mix of fellow cruisers on Azamara.

It was a surprise to find ourselves sailing with Captain Jason ex Azamara on Saga, he remembered us and we had a nice chat.

Edited March 28 by Bloodaxe

[Vineyard View]

1 hour ago, Bloodaxe said:

We have not cruised with Azamara since 2019 for various reasons including health problems.

It was our favourite line from 2008 until then but I am getting the impression that we would no longer enjoy it has much has we did.

We have cruised with Saga since mainly due to home pick up and not needing to fly to the ship.

It is OK but we do miss the International mix of fellow cruisers on Azamara.

It was a surprise to find ourselves sailing with Captain Jason ex Azamara on Saga, he remembered us and we had a nice chat.

I am definitely paying attention. I will note that I started this thread, in part for all the issues occurring with Oceania. I am not sure that any line is without issues…..when I read the prevailing ones on O they may be more concerning for our travel style that I am reading here so far. For instance, there are two sailings discussed here with pretty significant itinerary changes. One was handled with complete class by the captain, the other quite clearly was not. On O boards, missed ports and changed port times seem to be more SOP, and rarely, of ever handled with any class. Those situations would impact me greater than some of the disappointments so far on this thread. For others, the opposite could be true. Maybe not ever having Reistafel is a case where I don’t know what I am missing, so do not understand the lack of!  I guess that could be a good or bad thing, depending upon the lens viewed. 

[the mice]

We sailed on Onward in October 2022 and found the food quite average for the most part.  We were also disappointed that while the staterooms had redone, the bed area and couch, they still had the old original dark wood desk and cabinet - not in the best shape, either. (Oceania did a better job of upgrading their R ships). We had one missed port in Corsica due to weather, but we were re-routed to Genoa (this re-routing also happened on our 1st Az cruise back in 2009).  This happened to many other cruise ships which we saw in Genoa that day, including an Oceania ship.

 

We also sailed on Oceania 3 times in the past year - Marina in June 2023, Vista in November 2023, and most recently 26 days on Riviera in February-March.  We enjoyed all 3 cruises.  On our Vista cruise, Prior to sailing, Ensenada was changed to San Diego which was a welcome change by most, and Nicaragua was not allowing cruise ships so we had a sea day.  On our 26 day Riviera cruise, we did not encounter any missed ports and we had overnight stays in 6 ports, including 2 overnights in Hong Kong.  Food on all 3 ships was very good, especially on Vista. We also found the service to be attentive on all 3 ships.   

 

We took some ship excursions on both lines (but not on the Marina cruise).  Overall, the quality was comparable.  We had one mediocre excursion on Azamara, and one on Riviera, but for the most part, more or less of similar quality.   

 

Itinerary is generally the main factor in deciding what cruise we book.  However, we are booked on a Christmas cruise on Vista chosen for the dates and the ship, not for the itinerary.  

 

 

 

  

[marinaro44]

On 3/28/2024 at 7:01 AM, uktog said:

I think everyone understands that. The problem arises when the reasons given are incorrect and inconsistent. It’s the same as answers on wines in packages- discontinued, not available, still in the stockroom, will be here tomorrow- had all of these within 4 hours on the same cruise! 

Yes, I understand that because you've said it here often.  My point was that it applies to a lot of events, not just the rice table.  Everyone may not understand that.

Edited March 29 by marinaro44

[djasinsk]

On pursuit back in October 2023 one of my frequent table mates just asked for some of these dishes to be made and they happily complied.   One night he had them shared for the table as well. 

[Vineyard View]

From what I read on this board, The new owners put a whole lot of money into Onward during a difficult time (Covid), and as a result maybe there were supply issues, cost cutting, whatever. The results still appear to be present, without any further plans to finalize what may not have been able to be finished at the time. IDK. 

I also just read that several Azamara ships are due to go into dry dock this year….yet there is question as to whether these will be for mechanical or for actual refurbishment due to amount of time scheduled. IDK. 
The mice - thank you for your review between Az and O. It is yet another insight of experiences between the two, so I sincerely appreciate your taking the time. You have valuable feedback. 

 

[uktog]

The dry docks are the routine ones required at regular intervals for certification etc. They will deal with faults then where appropriate plus the routine mechanical replacements. 

I think the one significant difference as I reflect on how Azamara delivers post Covid and with new owners is unlike in the past you cannot rely on the experience in one vessel being the same as another. 
Historically the executive team ashore made many comments about the only difference between the ships was the art, if you swapped between ships the product and experience was identical. 

Now the product is inconsistent as highlighted in this thread. It’s more obvious with social media - I give one example- the brunches. The frequency and array of products offered. Maybe some chefs have bigger budgets, some may be less talented (not an issue when it was Fabio Iwan and Monica) who knows but if the new owners are encouraging individualism it’s often appearing to guests as inconsistency 

[crzrr]

I think that which officers you have also determines whether the onboard experience is more Azamara or not.  We are recently off b2b where we had two different Hotel Directors.  These were our 19th and 20th cruises with AZ.  The first cruise was nothing like we have ever experienced - zero to little officer visibility, passengers being allowed to physically assault crew members with no officer stepping in, lack of onboard festivities, and other weird occurrences.  I requested a meeting with the hotel director to discuss and I never received a response.  For the second cruise a more experienced hotel director came onboard.  What a difference!  Suddenly the officers were everywhere (including greeting us as we disembarked each day), there were multiple onboard experiences (including pop up events that seemingly were pulled together at the last minute but were wonderful), and the crew was much happier.  One crew member telling me that they now felt like someone had their back.  The vibe between the two cruises was completely different.  My feeling is that having lost some officers post-covid, Miami put people in positions when they aren't ready.  I think that this is one of the reasons that there seem to be inconsistencies between ships and sometimes between cruises on the same ship!

[ECCruise]

I guess I am not comfortable paying the per diems they want going forward and dealing with the extreme inconsistencies we experienced between Pursuit 3 months ago and Quest today.

 

And I have suspicions that what we are seeing is Miami yanking harder on the purse strings (and perhaps using Quest as the test) 

[Vineyard View]

No doubt that chefs and crew management can make a significant difference….either direction. It sounds like this is a consistent inconsistency with Az, between their ships, and even on a B2B. 
‘thank you utog and crzrr for your insight. This is not a good trend for any line. 
 

Yes, I did read that all 4 ships are scheduled for dry dock this year. Only Quest is blocked for a length of time that might suggest some refurbishment (or serious repairs). The others are only 3 days.

 

I appreciate the take aways from this thread. The larger one being inconsistency. Having inconsistent food quality and overall experience. I don’t know if new management requests or cares for feedback, but this is not a good trait for any brand. 
 

Reading Oceania, and it is skipped ports and shortened port days being a predominant complaint. That too is not good for a (cruise) brand. 
 

All limes have significantly increased prices. I don’t know the percentage price increase with Azamara, but I do know that the current sale on Seabourn was a huge price increase. 
 

I do know that we do not want to sail on large ships ever again!  I have and am learning quite a bit in this thread. I appreciate all the feedback. I don’t know where our adventures will take us next year after healing, but the honesty in feedback helps set expectations. Cruise, with whom…..or land?  IDK. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, uktog said:

I think the one significant difference as I reflect on how Azamara delivers post Covid and with new owners is unlike in the past you cannot rely on the experience in one vessel being the same as another. 
Historically the executive team ashore made many comments about the only difference between the ships was the art, if you swapped between ships the product and experience was identical.

This change actually began when they added Pursuit, well before the change in ownership.  Remember all the posts about "we do things the Pursuit way..."  And that was under Captain Carl, one of the most experienced (and beloved) Azamara Captains.

[Vineyard View]

Respectfully, regardless of when it began, inconsistency in product and services is not a good thing for any brand. 

[Dynacruiser]

Vineyard,

I have traveled with Azamara about 20 times in the past 10 years, 4 or 5 of those since COVID.  In short, my experience is that while there are some things that have increased in price, some items have decreased in quality, service is still top notch.  I enjoy the service, the itineraries, the size of the ship, time at port, the food, few children, and the fellow travelers, enough to book 4 more cruises in the next 12 months.

 

Of course, you know that online, we usually find folks like me who come to vent their frustrations and express [usually valid] complaints.  When things go well, we forget to post.  We always look for an online soapbox where we can shame a company for failing to fulfill our satisfaction.  So it is expected to find lots of complaints here.

 

However, Azamara is full of repeat passengers.  During the pre-dinner cocktail for Azamara Loyalty Program members, you’ll hear that a large percentage of passengers are return travelers.  When you talk to fellow travelers in the bar, during the excursions, you’ll see that everybody is enjoying their trips and booking new ones.  The Future Cruise Desk has a long line of people like me who are booking more and more cruises and want the onboard discounts.  Overall, there is a high perceived satisfaction in the people who travel with Azamara.

 

Now, you mentioned a few things in your initial post:

 

“Azamara is a party on board now”   I think that depends on the time of the year and the itinerary.   I have seen professional trade groups that book several rooms, they may have some lectures on board and then they party.   Some sunny destinations during school holidays attract folks who drink large volumes of pina coladas and daiquiries and travel with friends and family, they also party.  But for the most part, Azamara guests tend to be older, more restrained, don’t “try to get their money’s worth” drinking til they drop.  Many guests tend to be well traveled and well off but yet humble and friendly.

 

“Cost cutting”  Yes, in general, Azamara is raising prices.  This may reflect on the new ownership, but also on the state of the food and hospitality industry.  Everything is more expensive around the world!  Azamara’s HUGE mistake, in my opinion, is that they have not kept uniform prices.  People expect consistency, but Azamara has raised prices in some ships and not others.    More expensive drink packages force me to drink less (not a bad thing for me), more expensive specialty restaurants lead me to enjoy the MDR or a burger at the Patio.  More expensive excursions force me to just walk around and enjoy the port city, find a hidden gem, or hire a local tour operator.  The included wine quality is probably the part I complain about the most, they probably lost the buying power of their previous parent company.  Still, I usually find a drinkable wine in the included list, or I just buy a bottle at port and bring it to dinner.

I have accused Azamara of cost cutting, but look at my surprising experience with an Azamazing event in Tenerife.  

 

“Owners have devalued the brand”   I think this is an exaggeration.  I would say that the new owners have indeed made big noticeable mistakes.  Their IT system and website have been a total disgrace but they are now improving it.  They had made wrong purchases of furniture (perhaps?  I have not seen that yet).  But the ship is not falling apart with broken furniture everywhere, as you may perceive from our posts here.    During my March 2024 trip in the Pursuit, I did not hear any complaints from passengers, and even new travelers said they were already trying to buy their next Azamara trip.

 

There are some gaps in service.  I believe that Azamara grew from 2 to 4 ships, then COVID hit, world-wide inflation, and perhaps they lowered their hiring and/or training standards.  During my last cruise, I found one waiter and one restaurant manager who were very unpolished and could have used more training, but the rest were excellent folks.  Two people don't represent the entire crew.

 

There are many things I have complained about (e.g., hours-long boarding in Athens, impossible to get a Chef's table, Specialty Restaurants already booked at my preferred times, a dirty bathroom, bad land-based customer service,  a bad excursion bus in Alexandria, people who reserve the loungers for hours, etc etc).  Azamara is not perfect.  I don’t want to sound as a fan-boy, or an Azamara apologist, but I can summarize how i feel by restating that I just purchased several more cruises, and plan to enjoy them.

 

If you decide to travel with Azamara, I hope you and your family have a great time!

[laurieb]

Very, very well said!

[Vineyard View]

Thank you Dynacruiser for taking the time to respond so thoroughly and honestly to my concerns and this originating this post. I sincerely appreciate you doing this so evenly, in the good and the not so good - but the overall high satisfaction in this product - Azamara. 
 

I will say that I never read anything to make me think that “Azamara is a party on board now”. What I had read was that the special event off ship in the evening is now a party on board. So no, I did not picture nor read that this is a party atmosphere type of line. Some people seem genuinely disappointed in this, and yet as you mention in your response, it seems that this is inconsistent as to whether it occurs or no. 
 

There is quite a bit of chatter about cost cutting and devaluing the brand….thank you for assessing your thoughts around these concerns. It is good to hear that most passengers that you are interacting with are very satisfied with their experience. As a couple who enjoy good wine, we often bring our own bottles on board from port, whether we are sailing on Viking or Seabourn, so thank you for that input. 
 

I commend you on your pointing out the times you have vented on the boards about various occurrences that you have been frustrated, so thank you for your honesty. I truly do not believe that any line is perfect.

 

I am curious what other brands in the premium or luxury segment you have sailed on?  Maybe Azamara has ticked enough boxes for you to have no desire to sail on another, and that’s really quite okay. Again, thank you for your thoughtful and honest input in your response to this thread. 
DH and I always have a great time when we travel, and starting this thread has provided a lot of meaningful input to Azamara. We are definitely looking at some interesting itineraries for our travels next Spring.