Dear Azamara

[tgg]

Dear Azamara,

 

We’ve just returned from the March 29 Quest 14 day sailing in the Caribbean and were in cabin 4037 in case you want to put a name with this musing. We sailed on the Quest when it was the Renaissance R-7, and we’re regulars on Oceania. The reason we took this cruise was to check out what you’ve done with the ship and to see how it compares to Oceania in terms of food, service, décor, and general ambience. Oceania prices have risen considerably since our last cruise four months ago and we’re trying to array our options.

 

Here’s what we think you’re doing better than Oceania:

 

Our cabin was kept spotlessly clean and neat. Edwin Joves, our butler, greeted us by name and was unfailingly pleasant. His assistant was a lovely woman with a fantastic smile whose name I have, unfortunately, forgotten.

 

Your redecoration beats Oceania hands down. The cabins are more tastefully done, with softer colors. Gone is the garishness and excess gilt and that terrible blue-patterned carpeting. Well done. It means a lot to come back to a relaxing look in a cabin at the end of the day. Because we had a chance to see many of the other cabins, we know that this is true from top to bottom.

 

Your entertainment is also superior to Oceania’s. With a guitar player, a harpist, a piano player, a trio, 5 great entertainers, and a hot orchestra, not to mention DJ Gio in the Looking Glass, there was always music when we wanted it. The music wasn’t intrusive, just available. It added much to the enjoyment of our cruise.

 

You had a nice representation of your senior staff at our cruisecritic get together. Heike, your hotel manager, stayed and chatted with people when, I’m sure, she had lots of other things she could have been doing. We all felt that you were glad we were on board.

 

Thanks for keeping the forward view on Deck 11 available to everyone, instead of converting it, as Oceania has done, to private cabanas.

 

The chocolate truffles left at our bedside were fantastic and melted in your mouth. To me that means you’re using quality ingredients and that you care about details.

 

The fresh flowers and fruit in the cabin are a nice touch. Loved the red roses.

 

Here are our suggestions for change/improvement:

 

I understand that this cruise was the first for a new menu, so that may have been why there were some glitches with food service. Although the waiters were polite, it took much too long to get through dinner on some nights at tables for 6 or 8. Tables for 2 did not seems to have the same problem.

 

On Oceania we never have a problem sharing a table for 4. That should be possible on Azamara.

 

It would be nice to have quiet classical music at breakfast instead of that annoying and intrusive elevator music.

 

Oceania gives out points for first, second, and third place winners at trivia and other games. At the end of the cruise you can redeem your accumulated points for the selection of your choice. On Azamara you either win or you don’t. And after you’ve won several times, you start getting duplicates of the prizes you already have. How many Blackberry holders do people need? (Most people on this cruise didn’t know what a Blackberry is!) It also means that more people go home with something rather than nothing. I’m sure you could rustle up a few more bookmarks.

 

Please take that terrible-looking temporary divider out of the library and bring back the lovely leather couches. Is that photography setup really a money maker? The card table should also be moved so that the people who are looking for a quiet place to read will have one. If you want to create a near-luxury experience, you can’t be chopping up one of the nicest libraries at sea.

 

Have you considered trays in the buffet line? It would mean fewer trips back and forth and cut down on the congestion.

 

If you’re going to use shrimp in your surf and turf (rather than lobster), please take off the shells in the kitchen. Many of us don’t like to see those little dead eyes looking back at us.

 

I normally keep a day-by-day cruise journal on Oceania because there is access to a computer for those that aren’t using email. That is not possible on Azamara as you are currently set up. I can type much faster than I can write, so I use Microsoft Word and everything is neatly typed and printed when I leave the ship. Please think about changing your policy. (Thanks Scottie for your help.)

 

BOTTOM LINE: Yes, we would be happy to sail on Azamara again. Anyone who usually sails on Oceania will be comfortable on Azamara. If you can get the dining room service to run more smoothly, you'll be there.

[uktog]

Very helpful informative post - thanks a lot. It is nice to see (well my take anyway) it was little things and not deal breakers that you were highlighting for improvement

A

[orchestrapal]

TGG: We are also O regulars and before that Ren also.

Thanks for the wonderful report. The little things that you mention as negatives sound like start-up problems and hopefully will be remedied.

We can't wait for our back-to-back May '09.:) :) :)

[Andy]

Hi Tgg !

 

Thanks for your well thought out post. I agree with you on several items. The library being used for photography is a disappointment. I enjoyed that area very much, and I am sorry to see the area has been compromised. Celebrity is on a huge mission to extract every penny possible from passengers, and I am sure this disease will spread to Azamara. The photography area sure sounds like another way of doing this.

 

I'd also like to see trays at the buffet, and I agree that the surf and turf should be lobster instead of shrimp. If they insist on using shrimp (as I am sure it's cheaper), I'd rather the shells/heads be off too.

 

I am glad you had a great Cruise. Welcome home !

[Gadgetguru]

Please take that terrible-looking temporary divider out of the library and bring back the lovely leather couches. Is that photography setup really a money maker? The card table should also be moved so that the people who are looking for a quiet place to read will have one. If you want to create a near-luxury experience, you can’t be chopping up one of the nicest libraries at sea.

Tgg,

 

Nice post. I know that Heike did mention that the divider was set up so it could be removed and on the last sea day it was gone and the (library) Drawing room was much nicer so hopefully they will leave it that way.

[susiesan]

tgg:

Almost everything you mentioned was what I put on the comment cards about our Quest cruise March 1. It was mostly the little things, and items that could be changed. Once Heike met with our CC group, she went out of her way to ask how I was doing and what did I think whenever she saw me as the cruise progressed. I tried to give constructive criticism.

I am looking at European cruises for 2009 and am comparing AZ and O. After noting the huge difference in pricing and knowing that AZ quality is in my opinion equal to O, I'm going back to AZ.

 

Susie

[tgg]

I think that as long as there is a significant price difference between Oceania and Azamara, Azamara will have an edge.

 

We were hesitant to book Azamara based on the early reviews. As the reviews got better, I realized we had nothing to lose. The price for our cruise was incredible.

 

Gadgetguru, I'm glad to hear that the portable barrier was removed from the library. Hopefully it will be a permanent change. Perhaps there isn't as much of a market for formal portraits as they thought.

[tgg]

One of the things that I forgot to include is that there is a small refrigerator in the cabin. Oceania only provides these for those who are in the more expensive cabins. We loved being able to keep some white wine in there. Others used it for soda that they had bought ashore. We talked to people who travel with medication that has to be refrigerated and they liked the convenience of having the fridge.

 

When we boarded, we emptied our refrigerator of all the sodas that were in it (for sale, as in a mini-bar) and replaced them with the things we wanted to keep cold.

[tanny18]

Thanks for the great report. Seems Oceania has some very viable competition!!! We're sailing in December after having sailed on both Oceania and Renaissance.!! Arlene

[tgg]

Hi Arlene,

 

There seem to be lots us us out there who loved Renaissance, switched to Oceania, and are now trying Azamara. I just looked at the new price for the Oceania cruise that we took last October and the price increase for this year is incredible. I think more Oceania cruisers will be enjoying Azamara in the future.

 

There's one thing I forgot to mention that particularly impressed me on the Quest. When we had to change the port at which we docked on two different islands (due to winds), they announced that anyone who had arranged for private guides should come to the destination desk and let them know - and they would communicate the change to our guides. Here we were, the people NOT adding to their revenue by not taking their tours, and they were going the extra mile for us. That's customer service. On Oceania, when we skipped a port last October, we were on our own.

 

Have a great time in December.

[Napi's Mom]

Just over from the Celebrity Forum... I'm getting more & more uptight about the cruise we have on Mille. next Jan., after reading their posts. right now the only good thing was falling in line with the Azamara smoking policy. Today the frantic posts are about tipping...some people "stiffed " their waiter, and 75 comments have flowed from that. I then found out that they still have those nasty "rating cards" that rate your stewards, waiters etc, and food etc. Our comment cards were just that...NOT a necessity .The worst meal I can remember was on a RCCL ship when we got the speil from the waiter that "'good' isn't good enough" and if the food is bad...it reflects on him (On the whole trip it was very "indifferent" food, edible but...) so PLEASE don't say it was bad etc. etc.. Was pure blackmail and NO honest cards were turned in!! Give me the Casual dining ( 3 formal nights, Yikes !)open seating and the happy staff at Azamara, and Oceania as far as that goes! But we want New Zealand & Aust. and can't afford "O"'s prices, and Princess is right out! Add no laundomat aboard...for a 14 day cruise!

[almtyrob]

Thank you for the enlightening review with constructive criticism. Reviews like this get a cruise line's attention rather than the rambling bashes.:)

[tgg]

Thanks almtyrob,

 

I was told that people at Celebrity are reading cruisecritic - and that they take comments and suggestions seriously. I didn't mind taking the time to really think about what could be changed because if the suggestions are acted upon, it will make my next Azamara cruise better. And I love to tell people when they're doing something right. Is there anyone out there who doesn't want their work to be appreciated?

 

T.

[BillyC]

Great review tgg,

 

Not overly negative or gushing, very useful indeed.

 

I will be on the Journey in a few days time, so it will be interesting to see how it compares, especially as I have similar requirements to you regarding what I look for in a good cruise.

 

Azamara if you are reading this take note, these are the types of issues that are important to us cruisers.

[tgg]

Thanks BillyC,

 

I hope you have a great cruise - and that you'll come back to this thread and let us know what you thought of the Journey.

 

T.