Azamara vs HAL

I am looking to maybe book an Azamara cruise and am wondering what differences there are between Azamara and Hal. (I know that the cruise fare includes gratuities and drinks) I would like to know the differences in service, food and any other thoughts between the two lines if you have cruised both.

 

Thanks

One big difference is the smoking policy. HAL is one of the few that still allows smoking on balconies. Azamara has a much more restrictive policy.

The crew know your name. thry know how you like your drinks.. shup is smalelr -easier to meet new people.

Just about everything on Azamara is better. Made 4 star mariner on last hal cruise and will NEVER set foot on one of their ships again no matter what. They didn't care about safety or people. Saw many people fall down due to putting slippery products on the pool deck and not a single crew member went to see if the people were OK. Food was somewhat OK in spots but, brown gravy with Prime Rib was unbelievable. hal has so far downhill, consider them about on a par with carnival if not a bit worse.

 

Azamara is like going to a friends house. Nuff said!!!

I responded to your post over on the HAL board...but to focus on the positive -

 

1. Smaller ship

2. Better service

3. Better food

4 Interesting entertainment options.

 

Just like RallyDave I/we are 4 star mariners but won't step foo on another HAL ship again.

No comparison, in my opinion. We have done 5/6 cruises with HAL. We loved them at first, but found each year the quality went down, especially the food. We were very disappointed on our last cruise with them 4 years ago (Santaigo to Rio). By comparison Azamar is much better quality - food is a good step up from HAL, except in the HAL Pinnacle restaurant which serves the best steak we have ever had.

The big thing, tho', about Azamara is the size of the ship, the personal service and the way in which all the crew and officers interact with the passengers - it's just so personal.

Of course, the included drinks and gratuities are great too - you don't need to spend a penny!

Just booked our third and fourth cruises with Azamara and wouldn't look at any other lines at the moment.

HAL = Carnival. Say no more!

 

Now once upon a time when they were the good old NASM operating out of Rotterdam..............

HAL = Carnival. Say no more!

 

Now once upon a time when they were the good old NASM operating out of Rotterdam..............

 

Maybe you should say less. Carnival is geared to families and young adults looking for value in a vacation. HAL is geared a bit to an older crowd and offers a higher priced more refined experience. They are both mass market lines owned by Carnival Corporation, but that's as far as that goes.

I speak as I find: HAL, P&O, Cunard, now all under the Carnival banner. I rest my case.

never mind

Edited April 28, 2015 by rallydave

It is true the decline of HAL over the last few years since Carnivore took over..as I stated after sailing w/ HAL since the 1970's we gave up. Azamara gave us a quality cruise experience all around & certainly worth the cost.

 

HAL has a pricing policy that allows passenger to sail at costs as low as $50-$60 per day per person. One cannot expect much quality for that & HAL has managed to not only lessen the quality of the cruise but also nickel & dime passengers. If you get a chance read the posting by WCB on the HAL board - each year they take the World Cruise each year & post a well balanced review of their experience onboard..the cutbacks are everywhere & the fact there are workmen onboard performing drydock maintenance while the World CRuise is taking ongoing is ridiculous..and this is on the HAL "Flagship" World CRuise!

 

When one starts to figure out a cost per passenger per day and what is included - Azamara is a good value. Also the passenger to crew ratio is a big deal for us. Years ago on HAL(and most other quality lines) was 2 to 1(2 passengers for every crew member). On Carnivore Corp ships it is 4 to one or more - with thousands of passengers & fewer crew the service declines drastically. So even if you have a penthouse suite - you also have thousands of other passengers onboard.

 

Azamara is more of a Hilton Hotel experience. The smaller ships are comfortable, easy to get around. The food was very good, plentiful & the service very good. The ease of the sailing was the real quality we want

Our first cruise ever was on HAL...New England and Canada and it was wonderful. Hooked us forever on cruising. We enjoyed the elegance and even the formal nights. We thought we'd found a perfect cruise line until we took a HAL cruise to Alaska a few years later. The cruise and land tour were good but we noticed, even then, the cutbacks, particularly in staff. The wait staff in the MDR complained to us about how short handed they were and it was apparent. We moved on to other cruise lines and then found Azamara in 2010. We loved the resort casual (no more lugging tuxes and cocktail dresses), the ratio of staff to passengers, the friendliness of both crew and passengers, and the interesting (and much more accessible) ports. Prices have risen and there are more negatives (the intrusive presence of the art auctions, the cutback in entertainment, particularly the disappearance of the harpist) but Azamara is still a relatively good value and the wonderful on board feeling will keep us coming back (at least for now.)

I speak as I find: HAL, P&O, Cunard, now all under the Carnival banner. I rest my case.

 

Not much of a case. We often cruise on Princess and have had great cruises with them every time. Seabourn is also a Carnival brand.

Not much of a case. We often cruise on Princess and have had great cruises with them every time. Seabourn is also a Carnival brand.

So true! We're almost 5* Mariners with HAL but it would take an exceptional itinerary for us to cruise with them again. But CCL has a real jewel in Seabourn. For us, Azamara tops HAL and Seabourn tops Azamara.

You all make it more exciting for me. :)

We have been 2 times with full satisfaction with HAL and found that the food in the main restaurant was better than Regent. So if Azamara food is better than HAL then maybe I do not need to pay for the special restaurants Because it is not needed to go to them.

I have sailed with HAL 7 times and loved everyone of them:) I have booked a 15 night on the Quest and really looking forward to it

Background: 6 HAL (Alaska, New England/Canada, 4 Caribbean), 3 Azamara (South East Asia, Southern Europe, Antarctica). Future booked: Azamara Northern Europe and South East Asia/Australia-New Zealand back-to-back).

 

HAL offers a very good value when you factor in the excellent specialty restaurants and world-class, outstanding entertaintment like the B.B. King All Star Band. If you're looking for a quick (7 day) mid-winter break in the Caribbean, a HAL cruise with the B.B. King All Stars is the best value on the seas.

 

Azamara is great for port-intensive cruising and personalized service. The lecturers they hire for the onboard seminars are very knowledgeable. Quality of the food in the main dinning room is on par with that on HAL's specialty restaurant. The Chef's Table dinning experience is extravagant and surpasses HAL's Le Cirque's evening.

 

So, the Azamara vs. HAL question should not be considered a zero-sum, either-or question. Both should be considered as part of a 'diversified' portfolio of travel options. They each deliver good value on the experience they advertise.

Well Hazel and I have just booked a HAL cruise with a wonderful itinerary so it looks like we will find out in a few weeks time!

 

We are not expecting an Azamara type experience, because there is no other cruise line that does it better than Azamara...but those of you who know us will also know that we will have a great cruise together, whatever ship we are on. :D