New to Azamara.....QUESTIONS????

[isujim]

Garry

 

Thanks so much for the pics and post. I'll show this to Rena.......we are looking forward to this cruise and a smaller ship. I'm sick to death of the mega ship concept. Oasis finally did me in.......just as we were Diamond Plus.........:) Time to move on and we hope this will resemble cruising the way it used to be.

 

Thanks again for the marvelous pictures.

 

Jim

[isujim]

Ed thanks for the info..............we hope to book another one while on board. your info is appreciated.

 

Jim

[bob278]

Hi, Jim.

 

I'll kick in with a few of my impressions on the Quest.

 

First off is the open dining. If you are going with a group, it is pretty good since you won't be looking to establish new friendships at dinner. The downside is that you definitely don't get the continuity of service that a waiter and assistant build with you after a few days of traditional dining. I felt that the service was very mixed. On a couple of nights it was downright slow and uneven. What we did (since we had only a couple of people we knew and they were on a different schedule) was go about 30 minutes before we really wanted to eat and told the person at the podium that we wanted to sit with a particular waiter we learned after 3-4 nights was very good. Unfortunately, I don't remember his name, but I'm sure there is more than one good one. We then waited in the bar outside the dining room (I think it's the martini bar) which was great. A very relaxing, elegant lounge. When a table was ready, they came to get us. That gave us the benefits of going when we wanted (I liked that) and wait staff familiarity. But it still lacks the facility to help get to know a few people really well on the cruise.

 

We liked the alternative restaurant as well. A pasta bar and stir fry. They had sushi, but I don't eat bait so that wasn't a plus for me.

 

The overall cruise is much quieter than RCL. No pool activities but there are trivia and other typical activities. What amazed me is that on our transatlantic, there was only 1 or 2 sessions of Bingo. Unheard of! There is a feeling of elegance (in spite of the casual dress code) throughout the ship. It just looks and feels like I imagine the old days were like. On our TA, I would say I saw jackets on men less than 20% of the time in the specialty restaurants and less than 5% in the dining room.

 

The staff is very good and friendly and we saw more of the ship's officers on that ship than any other cruise we have been on. I really liked it and would go again, but their prices are mostly higher than I want to pay. Especially now that I am mostly retired and our discretionary income is lower. I had planned on 2 cruises a year, but at RCL and Celebrity prices and Azamara is usually (before people flame me, I know individual cruises on all lines vary, but I am talking generalities here) 10-20% higher. If we found an itinerary we liked at a decent price, we'd take it. But I don't think we would go unless we had at least 4-6 friends cruising with us. It would be too much like our cruises when we started and we knew nobody and we wouldn't have dinner to make new friends.

 

I think you and Rena will enjoy it, but it is not an RCL cruise.

[isujim]

Hi, Jim.

 

I'll kick in with a few of my impressions on the Quest.

 

First off is the open dining. If you are going with a group, it is pretty good since you won't be looking to establish new friendships at dinner. The downside is that you definitely don't get the continuity of service that a waiter and assistant build with you after a few days of traditional dining. I felt that the service was very mixed. On a couple of nights it was downright slow and uneven. What we did (since we had only a couple of people we knew and they were on a different schedule) was go about 30 minutes before we really wanted to eat and told the person at the podium that we wanted to sit with a particular waiter we learned after 3-4 nights was very good. Unfortunately, I don't remember his name, but I'm sure there is more than one good one. We then waited in the bar outside the dining room (I think it's the martini bar) which was great. A very relaxing, elegant lounge. When a table was ready, they came to get us. That gave us the benefits of going when we wanted (I liked that) and wait staff familiarity. But it still lacks the facility to help get to know a few people really well on the cruise.

 

We liked the alternative restaurant as well. A pasta bar and stir fry. They had sushi, but I don't eat bait so that wasn't a plus for me.

 

The overall cruise is much quieter than RCL. No pool activities but there are trivia and other typical activities. What amazed me is that on our transatlantic, there was only 1 or 2 sessions of Bingo. Unheard of! There is a feeling of elegance (in spite of the casual dress code) throughout the ship. It just looks and feels like I imagine the old days were like. On our TA, I would say I saw jackets on men less than 20% of the time in the specialty restaurants and less than 5% in the dining room.

 

The staff is very good and friendly and we saw more of the ship's officers on that ship than any other cruise we have been on. I really liked it and would go again, but their prices are mostly higher than I want to pay. Especially now that I am mostly retired and our discretionary income is lower. I had planned on 2 cruises a year, but at RCL and Celebrity prices and Azamara is usually (before people flame me, I know individual cruises on all lines vary, but I am talking generalities here) 10-20% higher. If we found an itinerary we liked at a decent price, we'd take it. But I don't think we would go unless we had at least 4-6 friends cruising with us. It would be too much like our cruises when we started and we knew nobody and we wouldn't have dinner to make new friends.

 

I think you and Rena will enjoy it, but it is not an RCL cruise.

 

Hi Bob

 

Thanks for the post. I'm just checking my subscriptions here before heading off to pick up the grandkids. (today is the first day of school around here)

 

Believe it or not, this is what Rena and I are looking for. I am sick of the bigger is better mentality, the lines at the elevators, 1200 people lined up at 6 to cram in to the dining room,........well you get the picture.

 

What we really have done the last couple of years and didn't even realize it is to spend more time on the balcony, no time at the pool, and on our last cruise had 3 nights in the specialty restaurant just to escape the madness of the dining room.

 

We haven't been to a show in 2 years so entertainment doesn't concern me either. We hope to remember a cruise similar to the Nordic Prince many years ago, when CRUISING was the event for 7 days.

 

Not sure about anytime dining, but we will adjust. We are going with one other couple so there will be 4 of us.

 

What you have described sounds wonderful to us. Congratulations on your retirement. It's great isn't it:) ......we also have booked the Pacific Princess next August. If we like the smaller ships, we are probably headed in this direction full time, although like you say it is more expensive. We may have to cut back to one cruise a year, but that's ok if it is an experience as you describe.

 

By the way, I tried the Link on Garry's post and was looking for additional pictures, but the link didn't seem to work.

 

Thanks again for your overall response. Fire me an email sometime when you have time.

 

Jim

[bob278]

Jim,

 

You might actually like the entertainment on the Quest. It's much more intimate - like a small nightclub. They don't do production numbers. The permanent entertainment staff is about 5 people who sing and dance. They do wear show clothes, but no real costume changes and production-number type stuff. And the comedians and musicians they have as guests are good.

 

All her links worked for me, but she hasn't uploaded any pictures from this year yet. She's retired, too but doesn't have as much free time as she used to. It doesn't make sense, but it's true.

[isujim]

Jim,

 

You might actually like the entertainment on the Quest. It's much more intimate - like a small nightclub. They don't do production numbers. The permanent entertainment staff is about 5 people who sing and dance. They do wear show clothes, but no real costume changes and production-number type stuff. And the comedians and musicians they have as guests are good.

 

All her links worked for me, but she hasn't uploaded any pictures from this year yet. She's retired, too but doesn't have as much free time as she used to. It doesn't make sense, but it's true.

 

We'll check the links again...........you know I am computer challenged:) We will also check the entertainment. This is a 12 day S. Caribbean cruise so we will have plenty of time.

 

Any ship secrets you want to pass along just forward them on LOL!! I'm getting great info from the Azamara boards, there just aren't as many posters.