Our Journey review - Sept 8

[Olivia'sMom]

Well, I didn't think the cruise would ever get here and now we've been back one week today and I'm just getting around to posting a review. I've read most of the others and everyone makes good points, both pro and con, but we all need to remember that reviews are completly subjective. So here's my nickel's worth:

Both the embarkation and debarkation were the easiest and smoothest we've ever experienced -- this was cruise #11 for us. We were on board and eating lunch by 11:20am. It was a very complete and yummy buffet with an excellent selection of both hot and cold foods. While not every dish was 4 or 5 star, if you couldn't find something you REALLY liked at each meal then you must be incredibly picky. Frankly, the desserts, the tea pastries, (not to mention the real English clotted cream, yummmmm), and the breads were all to die for. One guest at our table had one bad dish on one night and that was the prime rib, which was horribly overcooked. However, the rest of us who had it had much better pieces that were properly done. I highly recommend Aqualina, if you don't do both. The filet mignon there was superb, as was the Lobster Thermador, and the desserts were fantastic. We also ate at Prime C and my husband ordered the Kobe steak which he regretted. It has a strange, almost gamey, taste but the beef that the rest of us ordered was fine. However, I'll give Aqualina the edge for both quality and ambience. Don't miss Cova Cafe for snacks during the day/evening. They have wonderful little sandwiches and fabulous pastries and lots of little bite-size canapes that managed to tide you over till the next meal. (And did I mention the clotted cream???) I wish I could go there right now. The food had to be good, I gained 6 pounds but happily have already lost five, <phew>.

 

 

The bathroom in the cabin is very small, and I truly wondered how we'd manage (my husband is 6'3" ) but oddly enough neither of us had a problem and I loved all the storage space in the bathroom. There was a place for all of our toiletries and we don't pack light! The verandah was very nice but we really didn't use it much except to dry out our swimsuits. Our cabin steward (butler) did a fine job of keeping it neat and clean and we always had fresh ice and water in the carafe. He didn't replace the shampoo and conditioner but there was no need as they were much larger bottles than you usually get in hotels and easily lasted the whole week, with plenty left to bring home. He did replace the soap though.

 

I was also concerned when I first saw the size of the pool, but it worked out fine and we never had a problem getting wet and floating around. Don't plan on doing laps though! The teak pool loungers have already been praised so I'll just say a big DITTO!! They are the BEST! One thing I noticed at the pool is that the waiters weren't constantly harrassing you for more drinks. They were the most low-key waiters ever, and I loved it. If you wanted one, they were always nearby but they didn't hound you continuously as they do on many ships. The same can be said for the ship photographers and the sales people; it was truly the most low-key sales force I"ve ever seen. Maybe they are practicing reverse psychology because I actually ASKED the photographer to take a picture of our group on deck, lol. I never saw them in the dining room at all - and they were never wearing those dopey costumes either!

 

 

The casino is smaller than others but we never had a problem getting a seat at the table or our favorite slot machine. And I actually got the feeling from the dealer that she WANTED us to win -- and felt really bad when we didn't, lol.

 

 

The ambience of the ship is beautiful, understated elegance. It was a perfect size to feel at home and comfy and know your way around and make friends. We did meet a few of the CC folks after muster in the Looking Glass but only a handful showed up. It was nice though to see them around the ship during the week and we always spoke and compared notes. We've been used to the 2k-3k ships and were worried that maybe this would be too small and we'd be bored but just the opposite was true. It was the perfect balance between relax and do nothing or do a little or do a lot. There were activities available all day long and we participated in a few. I even played a couple of pool games which I've NEVER EVER done before, but I found this cruise staff to be the friendliest and easiest to know of all the ships we've sailed. They really wanted you to have a good time. The entertainers were VERY enjoyable. The comedian/magician was hysterical - and I thought so even before he picked me to be his assistant for one of his tricks. Now that was a riot!! And the group of 5 young singers and dancers were just WONDERFUL and we all thoroughly enjoyed both of their performances. (I got to dance on stage with one of them too! What a thrill! It helps to sit on the front row, lol. :p ) The harpist Jacqueline was wonderful too, but I missed the piano player and am sorry I did. We walked through Cova Cafe on the last night and I really liked what he was playing.

 

 

And this may sound like a small thing, but one of the most noticeable perks on this ship was the LACK OF ANNOUNCEMENTS that we're used to hearing all day long on other lines. Aside from a message from the captain (once a day) and maybe one from the cruise director (who could talk to me ALL day if he wanted), there was blessed silence from the P.A. system. No Bingo announcements, no hurry to the art auction, no hot sale going on... it was heaven!! When I mentioned this to one of the cruise staff and said how much I enjoyed the respite from announcements he said that was the purpose of the daily newsletter, which gave a complete rundown of all the activities. Of course all the other lines have a newsletter to but that doesn't stop them from announcing the Inch of Gold sale , etc. ad nausem.

 

 

Was this a perfect ship? Probably not. There is always room for improvement and maybe there are a few places that need it. Our cabin was rather warm and we asked if the air conditioning could be adjusted but it was already at the coldest setting, which was pretty warm. Some of the public rooms were warm also. That was probably our biggest complaint. (And we would rather watch FoxNews rather than CNN but that's our choice). The drinks were very good, a little pricier than other cruises but not enough to quibble over. Try the Mudslide at the pool, the Pomegranita in the Looking Glass Lounge, and the Blue Moon in the Martini Bar. Those were wonderful.

 

 

So, while this may not be a perfect ship, I can honestly say that it was a near-perfect cruise (the weather was fabulous and Bermuda is beautiful) and we all totally enjoyed it and will definitely sail Azamara again.

[Andy]

Hi Olivia's Mom !

 

Thanks for the wonderful review. I am happy to hear that you had an excellent cruise on Journey !

[mringenoldus]

Very nice review. We only have two more weeks until we see it for ourselves!

 

I'm interested in your comments about some of the areas being warm. I thought people were saying it was freezing onboard - and was planning to pack some sweaters (I tend to get really cold in air conditioning anyway)

 

What type of clothing do you think is best for the climate?

Thanks!

[Gadgetguru]

Olivia'sMom

 

Thanks for the review. I too wish they would bring Fox News Channel to the ship. We are looking forward to our cruise on the Quest in March.

[factor30]

Hi OliviasMom

 

What a great review. We are on the Quest end of November and hope we have as good an experience as yourself. It's so nice to read such positive comments.

[Jancruz]

I am happy to see things are really improving on Azamara..I really felt they would and am excited to try it again soon..

Jan

*****

[stefie67]

thanks for a wondeful review, it makes me want to be there now!!!!

i'm glad you had a great time.

[Luckyladym]

Thanks, OliviasMom, for positing your experiences onboard the Journey.

 

The comments about the warmth in your cabin prompts me to ask about the temperature in the Showroom (Cabaret?)

and the Main Dining room. It has been my experience that these area are always too cool and I try to remember to bring a shawl or sweater. Is this necessary aboard this vessel?

 

Which cabin were you in?

 

Thanks again for your review.

Marilyn

[Olivia'sMom]

Very nice review. We only have two more weeks until we see it for ourselves!

 

I'm interested in your comments about some of the areas being warm. I thought people were saying it was freezing onboard - and was planning to pack some sweaters (I tend to get really cold in air conditioning anyway)

 

What type of clothing do you think is best for the climate?

Thanks!

 

 

Well, I can truthfully say than no one in our group froze at any time. The rooms started out feeling warm but I guess you get acclimated to it. I won't say that we were sweltering, and the ship was generally pretty comfortable, but we like to sleep in a fairly cool room and it was just barely tolerable. However, our friends' cabin was definitely cooler than ours. Again, this was not a cruise-breaker at all for us.

I think normal light weight cruise clothes are fine. Incidentally, the water in Bermuda was PERFECT! Much better than the icy breakers we had on our first trip which was in May of 2000. Happy Sails to you!!

[Olivia'sMom]

Thanks, OliviasMom, for positing your experiences onboard the Journey.

 

The comments about the warmth in your cabin prompts me to ask about the temperature in the Showroom (Cabaret?)

and the Main Dining room. It has been my experience that these area are always too cool and I try to remember to bring a shawl or sweater. Is this necessary aboard this vessel?

 

Which cabin were you in?

 

Thanks again for your review.

Marilyn

 

 

Uhhh, no, defininitely not on the cool side, at least for us, and I'm the one who usually gets cold in airconditioning. And the poor magician was positively sweating bullets, but of course he also had those hot lights on him.

We were in 6023 and our friends were in 8045. We had tried to book a Sky Suite but they were all gone. Incidentally, if it's roominess you want, go for the suite. Definitely worth it. My husband kept saying "WHY didn't you book earlier and get it?". I'm pretty sure that our verandah cabin on Princess was larger than this one. However, like I said, we managed well and the luggage all fit under the bed so that was a plus!!

[antsnanny]

Awesome review. Its so good to hear so many positives about the Journey.

[rkeate0804]

:cool: Thank you thank you thank you for the review...it is so nice of you to take the time to let us know how the ship is doing......kathie

[blambition]

Olivia's Mom,

Thanks for your review. Just curious since we are in cabin 6053 just down the hall from where your cabin was could you of opened your sliding glass door at night or would it have been too noisy when you were docked in Hamilton? We also would prefer the room to be on the cool side. Just an idea.

I am glad you have reported that the ship is no longer cold everwhere as it was when it first sailed. I do remember reading how the dining room and other public lounges were freezing. I will still bring a sweater just in case...

Vicki

[Olivia'sMom]

Olivia's Mom,

Thanks for your review. Just curious since we are in cabin 6053 just down the hall from where your cabin was could you of opened your sliding glass door at night or would it have been too noisy when you were docked in Hamilton? We also would prefer the room to be on the cool side. Just an idea.

I am glad you have reported that the ship is no longer cold everwhere as it was when it first sailed. I do remember reading how the dining room and other public lounges were freezing. I will still bring a sweater just in case...

Vicki

 

 

The only night it might have been too noisy was Wednesday when they have the street festival with some really loud steel drums and Indian-type dancers, but the ship is docked several blocks down from there so maybe not. It was something to see! But quite frankly, we didn't leave our verandah doors open at all because it was so warm outside and we were trying to keep every molecule of cool air inside. That's one reason we didn't use it much beyond drying our swimsuits and taking some pictures. And speaking of the dancers, later that night they brought the same group on board for a performance on the pool deck at 11pm. Our friends decided to retire early and went back to their cabin (just under the pool deck!), and the next morning at breakfast they said they thought the ship was breaking apart, LOL. They could DEFINITELY hear the drums and the thumping and the jumpy dancing but didn't know what was going on. I had a feeling we were right over their heads and DH and I really had a chuckle over that, due to too many pomegranitas I'm sure -- but if I had been trying to sleep I guess it wouldn't have been so funny. Moral of the story - don't go to bed early on Wednesday night if you're on Deck 8.

[Luckyladym]

Uhhh' date=' no, defininitely not on the cool side, at least for us, and I'm the one who usually gets cold in airconditioning. And the poor magician was positively sweating bullets, but of course he also had those hot lights on him. [/color']

We were in 6023 and our friends were in 8045. We had tried to book a Sky Suite but they were all gone. Incidentally, if it's roominess you want, go for the suite. Definitely worth it. My husband kept saying "WHY didn't you book earlier and get it?". I'm pretty sure that our verandah cabin on Princess was larger than this one. However, like I said, we managed well and the luggage all fit under the bed so that was a plus!!

 

Thanks for your prompt answer...really appreciate it.

Marilyn