Reviews of Azamara

[tory707]

I'm just wondering...We are booked on the Journey on October 19th. By reading the reviews on cruis critic I get really mixed reviews. Either people love or hate this cruise line...I just don't get how one person can have such a great time and another have everthing go wrong???? Is there anyone else that is worried about traveling with them? They are run by Celebrity...can it be that bad?

[tgg]

I don't remember reading reviews where everything went wrong except for the very early sailings. I do know that there are some people who roll with the punches and others who fret about every annoyance or misstep.

 

I think the people who will not be happy on Azamara (or Oceania for that matter) are those who expect someone to extertain them 18 hours a day. There are no Las Vegas-style shows, no ice skating, no rock wall climbing, no glitz, no formal dress.

 

There is plenty to do, but these tend to be port-intensive cruises so you had better enjoy seeing new things. The Azamara and Oceania experience is about meeting interesting people, enjoying conversation, tasting great food, all in an elegant (but not flashy) atmosphere and exploring the ports. If that's not what you want in a cruise, there are many alternatives.

 

We love the Oceania and Azamara small ship experience. After 3 Oceania cruises, we took our first Azamara cruise. We liked it so much we have another 2 booked.

 

I hope you enjoy your time on the Journey.

[fPetrarca]

The problem cruises were the early ones, as Azamara readily admits. Some people are still booking expecting a large ship experience and thus are disappointed when they discover the entertainment is low-key, dining is open seating, all-casual dress codes, etc. A few reviews raise legitimate points that Azamara seems to be addressing. A few others are "special pleading" or ax-grinding reviews. But I really enjoyed my Azamara cruise (Best of Italy) and have booked another for next year.

[Andy]

Hi Tory !

 

I agree with the other posters. Most of the disappointing reviews were from Azamara's very early sailings. The vast majority of the more recent reviews have been excellent.

 

My advice ? Dont worry, and make your own judgements. Enjoy your Cruise !

[Aussieflyer]

Just to point out - the most recent review of Azamara Quest is very negative. I hope it is just an aberration. The ones before that were good.

[fPetrarca]

Aussieflyer-I was on the Quest one month before the negative reviewer you referred to and my cruise was one of the best ever. And I have been on Seabourn & Regent (Radisson) as well as Celebrity. That review was so uniformly negative and so contrary to my own experience that I personally suspect something else is behind it. In other words, I don't believe it.

[Albert Ross]

Just to point out - the most recent review of Azamara Quest is very negative. I hope it is just an aberration. The ones before that were good.

Very strange....if you search for previous posts by 'Dasic' (the author of the negative review) it doesn't even show him/her as a member....

[phillipahain]

we were on Azamara Quest

 

Athens to Rome 15th June sailing

 

Azamara is basically small ship Celebrity

 

Has quite a lot of rough edges that need polishing before it can be in the Luxury cruise class

 

Its shows are way better than Oceania ( we were on Nautica Sept 07 and feb 08 )

 

The food is better and more varied than O other than at Breakfast where O have piles of fresh strawberries/raspberries/blueberries/blackberries etc

 

Azamara relies on frozen ones

 

The salads at lunch in the Buffet beat O

 

The so called Butlers are simply glorified Room stewards who are overworked and overloaded with added tasks not asked of Os staff

 

When it boils down to cost though ..........Princess handling of their 3 R class ships Tahitian /Pacific and Royal equals Azamara and O and in fact with the exception of their abject refusal to institute the same non smoking policy and offer anytime dining in the restuarant ...........Princess is likely to win in most instances

 

The one thing Azamara does very well is on providing Port Info that allows you to tour independantly and NOT PUSHING ships tours

[fPetrarca]

We had piles of fresh berries at breakfast on my cruise.

[lonestarsteve]

We have been on the Quest for four voyages and booked on another in Sept. We have cruised on most of the other premium lines and cannot understand the negative reviews of the Quest . The staff is wonderful and accommodating...food is great...ports are unique ....affordable for a premium line...is someone hallucinating?

[Gitte]

Hi Steve,

Which cruise in September? We booked the Journey for 13 September.

 

Gitte

[cruiseyguy]

lonestarsteve-I, too, find the negative reviews of Azamara odd, especially the ones post-start-up. Obviously, some are ax-grinding and mischief-making. And I ask myself, who has most to gain by the negative reviews?

[fPetrarca]

In re-reading the extremely negative review by "Dasic," the following passage caught my eye:

 

"As a final gesture during our disembarkation (we left the ship two days early) our luggage was left for us to carry ourselves. When asked if this was intentional, we received a plain 'Yes!'."

 

Sounds as if "Dasic" may have been asked to leave the ship!

[Aussieflyer]

Thank you all for reinforcing my view that we will enjoy our cruise on the Quest. I agree that the posting I referred to seemed rather odd but thought I would look for some feedback. Lonestarsteve, I see you are on our roll call.

[tgg]

Aussieflyer,

 

You will love meeting and spending time with lonestarsteve and his wife; they're a great couple. We met them on a cruise this winter. Sounds to me like they will eventually simply book a room on an Azamara ship and never get off.

 

Hey Steve - We're off to Europe on the Journey next month and then to the Far East on the Quest in February. You're right, it's a wonderful cruise experience for all the reasons you mentioned.

[Aussie Gal]

If you first of all read Dasic's review and then read the review directly underneath it by GPL you would believe that they are on two different ships and yet they were on the same cruise.

 

How can one by so negative and the other so positive? Everything is relative to how one finds the experience and if you are a negative person then you will find look for and fault in everything whereas if you are a positive person, then you do look and find all the good points.

 

Don't read the reviews, go and see for yourself and have a wonderful cruise.

 

Jennie

[Viennese]

We have been on Transatlantic March25th and was very happy, exept a few things. Like those "Special Restaurants" Prime C and Aqualina. The Cuisine is very good,like in the Mainrestaurant. But the Service is a Joke for such Restaurants the claim Michelin Star Service. Also the Housekeeping is more or less not existent. But I would go anytime again with the Journey and recommand to anybody of my Friends. Especially our Cabin 8093 was great and we had a phantastic Butler Sergio.

[KGILLORRN]

I know, to each his own, but MY own is definitely Journey. We were on for two weeks, in the very early days of Azamara when it was apparently hit-or-miss, and we enjoyed it so much, we booked our next cruise (Sept 13, see you there, Gitte) before we reluctantly left the ship. We have been on many Celebrity cruises, but the staff on the Journey was a cut above. Captain Carl was so personable and excellent-service-oriented that it seemed to flow through the whole crew. We felt like family on this ship more than any other we've been on. If the reviews are right, and the Journey has improved since that first season...I'm going to be one happy cruiser!

Please don't worry about an Azamara cruise...it will be as excellent as you expect it to be.

[Andy]

We have been on Transatlantic March25th and was very happy, exept a few things. Like those "Special Restaurants" Prime C and Aqualina. The Cuisine is very good,like in the Mainrestaurant. But the Service is a Joke for such Restaurants the claim Michelin Star Service.

 

Hi Viennese !

 

Regarding the Dining in the Specialty Restaurants, I must say that I am very surprised to hear your comments. When we sailed on Azamara, both Prime C and Aqualina, were amongst the highlights of our Cruise. Not only was the food outstanding, but the service was amongst the best I EVER had on a Cruise ship, as well as land based "best of the best" restaurants. They couldnt do enough for us, and we couldnt be happier. We ate in the Specialty Restaurants a few times, and each time, everything was outstanding.

 

Did you speak with the Restaurant Manager ? I am sure they would have rectified the situation.

 

At any rate, I hope you enjoy your future Cruises !

[Gitte]

I know, to each his own, but MY own is definitely Journey. We were on for two weeks, in the very early days of Azamara when it was apparently hit-or-miss, and we enjoyed it so much, we booked our next cruise (Sept 13, see you there, Gitte) before we reluctantly left the ship. We have been on many Celebrity cruises, but the staff on the Journey was a cut above. Captain Carl was so personable and excellent-service-oriented that it seemed to flow through the whole crew. We felt like family on this ship more than any other we've been on. If the reviews are right, and the Journey has improved since that first season...I'm going to be one happy cruiser!

Please don't worry about an Azamara cruise...it will be as excellent as you expect it to be.

 

Hi Karen,

Did you sign up for the Cruise-critic meeting? There is also a roll call for our cruise.

We look forward to meet you.

 

Gitte

[joandbun]

HI Gitte, enjoy your cruise on Journey. ititnerary looks great. We are so looking ofrward to trying out the Quest also on 13 sept.

 

jo

[tory707]

Hi All...Thanks for all the positive feedback. I am feeling better. Actually I was reading the Journey review by ziggyatsea named "Azamara fails in 1st year!!". What a terrible review!!! It seems like they are trying to make you feel bad. I have been on over 15 cruises...even the Mardi Gras back in 1983. If I could have a great time on that ship this should be heaven! Wife is taking me on my 50th...We are looking at this as transportation to all the stops, but picked Azamara since they are owned by Celebrity, which means good food & service which is all we need for this trip. Again thanks for all the positives.

[slotl]

My husband and I were on the last of the "shake down" cruises to Bermuda.

 

We LOVED the ship, the personnel, and of course, the smaller ship. We signed up for a cruise on the Quest from Singapore to Athens in April, 2009 while we were on the Journey. We got a GREAT deal ($$$$). The going rate for our balcony room is now $2,000 more than we signed up for.

 

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Captain's table for dinner. Carl Smith was the "staff captain" at the time, but was being "promoted" to captain of the Journey at the conclusion of our cruise. Capt'n Carl was telling us that in the beginning, Celebrity moved quite a few of their staff to the Journey. He said it did not work out very well because the staff was not used to the new concept of totally open seating, etc. Therefore, most of the dining room stewards were NEW. Service was spotty at times, but overall our service was excellent.

 

I am allergic to sulfites. Sulfites are a preservative that is found in wine and salad bars. I know to stay away from those foods. The first night at dinner, after eating the soup and appetizer, I had a "sulfite attack". I asked the waiter if there were sulfites in anything that I had eaten. He brought over the restaurant matre de. I was told that ALL soups and sauces are wine-based, and that if I would order my food the night before, it would be made special for me without sulfites. Ok with me.

 

Every night thereafter, when I entered the dining room (remember open seating, varying times each night), the matre de would follow me to my table and tell our waiter that there was a special order for me. Amazing!! Every night.

 

Staff Captain Smith had a lecture by the stars, where he brought out his sextent and showed us how to navigate by the stars alone. He had a great catch-phrase if you made a mistake. "They name a reef after you".

 

I hope our cruise on the Quest is as wonderful as our cruise on the Journey.

 

We have never cruised on Celebrity, but with over 40 cruises under our belt, we will add Azamara to our favorite cruise lines).

[travelers07]

Slotl (Lois)-

 

Thanks so much for your comments- we board the Quest on Aug 16 and we are really looking forward to our cruise. Your interactions with crew and the extra presentation from the captain sound great. Hope we have some of the same unique experiences. This is our first smaller ship and it all sounds wonderful.

[rubinstein2r]

My review (June 7-21) may have been one of the ones you read.

 

On a fourteen day cruise one can find everything wrong with a cruise. On a fourteen day cruise one can find everything great about a cruise. Some people (by virtue of a combination of their personality, expectations and luck) find only what's good or only what's bad. Others (myself included I hope) find some of each.

 

Our cruise wasn't perfect but it was really really really good.

 

I hope yours will be too.

 

--My_AZ