First Azamara cruise: some impressions and opinions

Just got back from my first Azamara cruise, a 7-day Rome down as far as Malta and back to Rome. So you have some context for my remarks, I have about 50 days on the Paul Gauguin, and about 65 days on Regent. I will not be comparing Azamara to either of these except for a few remarks at the end. We're booked for another Regent cruise in January and another Paul Gauguin in September, so clearly like both products.

I also did one 14-day Oceania, a trans-Atlantic on Riviera, and never again. So if you are one of Oceania's many fans, your list of what is important and not important on a cruise in very very different from mine. I'm certainly not saying your list is wrong, just different than mine.

I'll begin by stating that I understand and largely agree with the many posters, some with considerable Regent experience, who adore Azamara.

Overall this ship is lovely. Our cruise was full, and I was interested to note that even on the day that it rained, the public areas never seemed too crowded. Similarly, the bars and lounges are well used but not crowded.

We sprung for a suite. It looks lovely, and is very spacious. However, the designers didn't do a particularly good job of making the space usable. There is a total of one (yes one) normal drawer, in one of the bedside tables. There are two half-height drawers under the desk, which are so shallow that getting a charger in there and the drawer closed without a wire hanging out is a bit of a challenge. Then there are three "bins", i.e. double height drawers. Great if you want to store sheets, I guess, but I seldom bring my own sheets (ahem) so the double-height drawers were largely a foot of empty space over my possessions clustered at the bottom. The bathroom had exactly one small towel bar.

The odd-numbered suites (we were in 8057) are under the deck 9 "patio" outdoor dining area. and the scraping of chairs and tables over our heads was fairly unacceptable to us, who live in noisy downtown Toronto, and would be impossible for many. I've been told the even numbered ones, on the other side, are better.

After ragging about the cabin, I'll turn to some more positive things.

First, the fellow passengers are amazingly happy, relaxed, and outgoing. Many of them were completing or beginning back-to-back cruises. which says a lot I think. The demographic was a lot of older folks, like me, but with a nice smattering of young 'uns but no children. The demographic was about 1/3 Yanks, a bit less than 1/3 Brits, 60 Canucks like me, and the rest scattered around the globe.

Others on this board are always on about how visible the ship's officers are on Azamara. It is true. A nice touch, although personally not as important to me as it is to some others. The hotel staff and servers were universally pleasant and hard-working. There were occasional small glitches in service, but it is rare for a cruise where such don't happen once in a while. In general the service was as good as on Regent.

The cruise director, Eric, is the only one I've experienced who didn't totally put me off with a forced smarmy smile.

I thought the food was excellent in the main dining room, and in Windows' buffet. Windows had an Indian theme one evening that was spectacular. As for the 2 specialty restos, I had a great steak in Prime C. Since I was in a suite, it was free: I'm not sure I would pay the $30 per person fee to dine there, but I might. The Italian resto Aqualina had great service and indifferent food. Even for free I would not go back and certainly would be very unhappy at paying extra.

The house band was spectacular. One night was rock and roll on the deck, and for those who have had the opportunity to be on a ship with the legendary Siglo, this band is in that class. For me this is very very high praise.

Incidentally, that night is what they call "White Nights" which is basically a big deck party including a first-rate buffet with oysters, tempura, etc. etc. Somewhat to my surprise, I had a huge amount of fun. Met some new folks, danced to old Chuck Berry tunes, got sort of silly truth be told.

The other special night that contributes to the very nice social scene on Azamara is the Azamazing night. For ours, sadly, it rained, but we nonetheless carried on with traditional Italian folks dancers, food, wine, etc. on the patio at the Hilton in Sorrento.

We did 3 ship's tours: a half-day to Pompeii, and full-day to the Amalfi coast, and a half-day to MDina in Malta. They were not cheap, but I thought that the quality was good enough that they were of reasonable value. We also did a private tour up to a winery on the side of Mt. Etna in Sicily that was spectacular, but also pricey. Especially after we bought a $30 bottle of Rose wine.

Some cruise lines have clear class systems, some they are more subtle but still present. I never got a sense of that on Azamara. I also got a peek at a deck 4 window cabin, and could happily stay there. I also noticed that, as opposed to some lines, there is obviously no rule that the staff have to speak English to each other at all times in public, which I always thought was a stupid rule: I want to the staff to communicate with each other as effectively as possible since they are serving me.

I found the complimentary beverages quite adequate and never felt any great desire to get something that would have cost money. We met some serious wine folks on the cruise, and they said the extra cost wine package wasn't worth it, and they were quite happy with the daily pours.

Although in some respects Azamara in more casual than others lines I've been on, back in the back room some seriously good logistics is going on. The tender service, shuttle buses when needed, etc. were handled very well.

Finally (!) a few remarks about Azamara and Regent. I won't compare Azamara to the Paul Gauguin, since that ship shouldn't be compared to any others: she, French Polynesia, and the company are just special.

For some folks, the cruise is the destination and the exact itinerary is secondary. If that were true for me, then Azamara provides an excellent value.

But itinerary is important to me. And I am of an age where flying long distances in coach in a non-starter. So if Azamara and Regent had similar itineraries that I was interested in, I would fold into my calculation the extra cost of excursions and business air with Azamara versus both being included on Regent. If Azamara came out ahead in that comparison, I would happily book with them.

And we're both lusting after the Norwegian fjords cruise that Azamara did this summer.

Hi,

Thanks for your review, this will be our first Azamara cruise so happy to hear

all the good points!

Glad you had a good time:)

Dale.

Excellent review.

I note that you commented on the noise level in rooms that are located under the patio.

I had speculated elsewhere that perhaps, after the refurbishment, said noise was less of an issue. From your report, I may well have been incorrect. Thanks for the clarification.

I hope you have an opportunity to sail the fjords as we did this summer.

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We were in suite 8053 and yes, the overhead noise is loud. But it didn't bother us. But if you want a quiet suite, pick another one. The library is exactly like the Oceania ones & they are lovely! Did not like the Italian food served in the Aqulina. Love the ones on Oceania, the best Italian food!

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Really enjoyed your review. We also took one transatlantic on Oceania and probably will not return. We have done two cruises with Azamara and loved them. We have never cruised on Regent, but I noted in your summation that you would factor in business air and excursions when choosing between Regent and Azamara in the future.....both valid options to consider!

I am a bit reluctant to ever cruise on Regent because I am afraid fellow passengers would not be as open and friendly as they are on Azamara....can you comment on what you have observed in your travels on Regent, now that you have one Azamara cruise to compare Regent to?

Thanks!

I made Quest my destination; I did a couple of tours, but my cruise was specifically to rest and destress. My husband and I attained Gold on Regent before his death, so I thing I qualify to compare a little bit. I thought the passengers on Regent were fairly friendly, but they didn't approach you and spontaneously start a conversation like the passengers on Azamara. The officers on Regent weren't anywhere near as approachable as the ones on Azamara, with some exceptions. We loved Regent, but I believe Mark would have loved Azamara as much as I did.

I would have been in 8067 if I hadn't moved down to Deck 6, and I was concerned about the noise on Deck 9. I am an extremely light sleeper and I thought the noise would bother me. I loved Deck 6.

I will definitely find another cruise on Azamara, but I'd also prefer not to fly across the ocean; at my age, the jet-lag is a killer.

Thanks, Don! I enjoyed your review. I also wasn't overwhelmed with Aqualina.

Thank you for the review.

The other special night that contributes to the very nice social scene on Azamara is the Azamazing night. For ours, sadly, it rained, but we nonetheless carried on with traditional Italian folks dancers, food, wine, etc. on the patio at the Hilton in Sorrento.

I too have just returned from my first Azamara sailing, but as it was a TA, we missed out on the Azamazing evening.

Recent awards put Azamara top in the De luxe ship category for excursions and it is Azamazing evening that has done this for them.

I would say that the Land Discoveries we were offered were overpriced.

Nice review. Thank you. I haven't been on Paul Gaugin but took my first Regent cruise this summer. Quite frankly I was disappointed. Thought the service and crew on Azamara to be far better, although the suite was lovely (and that is comparing suites to suites as we normally sail in a CC on Azamara). Also agree about Oceania. It was OK. I would sail again if the itinerary was good but it's certainly not at the top of my list.

Can't wait to return to Azamara in February!!

We are on Journey right now, and enjoying it very much. Not only are the officers and other crew members friendly, they are very pro-active too. On the first couple of evenings, there was quite a long wait to get into Discoveries restaurant. We seem to be a crowd who like to dine late-ish and in the main dining room. So on subsequent evenings, part of the Discoveries bar has been set with tables as a sort of annexe dining room. We ate in the annexe one night, and found it to be just as nice as the main dining room, with equally good service.

I am a bit reluctant to ever cruise on Regent because I am afraid fellow passengers would not be as open and friendly as they are on Azamara....can you comment on what you have observed in your travels on Regent, now that you have one Azamara cruise to compare Regent to?

In general the Regent passengers are bit more reserved than those on my one and only Azamara cruise. It is not that they aren't friendly, just a bit reserved. Think folks in Maine compared to those in Florida.

The other side of that coin is that I sometimes muse that the typical Regent passenger must have had something on the ball to be able to afford it, which means that many fellow passengers know about all sorts of fascinating things they can and will teach me about.

I'm not saying that such people aren't on Azamara: there certainly are and I met some of them. But perhaps such folks are bit more common on Regent. (Does this sound terribly snobbish of me? Perhaps, but ...)

But in terms of fascinating and friendly passengers, those on the Paul Gauguin are easily the winner of that "contest" although Azamara is a very close second on the friendliness scale.

Very thoughtful review. Thank you for sharing.

We were on the Norwegian Fjords cruise this past August. Awesome - in the true sense of the word. Amazing scenery. Highly recommend.

Here's my take on the deck 8 suites under the patio. (I'm David's wife if you haven't guessed that.)

Since we booked this cruise a bit late (had cancelled other travel plans for this fall), and wanted a Club Continent Suite, the options were all somewhat aft (as most CC's are). We ended up in 8057 because we wanted a walk-in shower.

8057 is right under the Patio eating area, and it is often set up for special events such as the White Nights. So all this was going on right over our heads. As David said, this didn't bother us much, but I'm sure it would drive some folks wild and turn them off Azamara forever. I suspect that any of those CC suites would be a bit noisy at night and in the morning with chairs being re-positioned, but "our" corner might be the noisiest.

Then again our TA said that some of the CC suites further aft might have noise from above in the mornings, from the Windows Cafe.

Thank you for the cruise review. I enjoyed your point of view.

 

And we're both lusting after the Norwegian fjords cruise that Azamara did this summer.

And lust you should. My DH and I were on this summer's cruise and it was magical. We've taken over 60 cruises, and it's right up there at the top as one of the most beautiful and special cruises we've ever taken. You will not be disappointed!

Garry

Thanks for your review - very helpful for future planning.....

Thanks for your response to my question. Your analogy between folks from Florida to Maine hit home......would you believe I am originally from Maine?!

Thanks again :)

I waited to read more of what other people wrote before i said anything. If you had been on Azamara in say 2015 they were trying different menus in Aqualina. . they had 2 menus pre cruise. Many things that I love are now gone. They even changed the Dover Sole sides-which I hated. i go in there once in a while as i cruise B2B. .Prime C as a non meat eater is much better. But again they took away my favorites from soups to sides.

LD- I have been on over 30 cruises with this line. i have seen the prices go up and up. Tours with more people. some great guides and not so great. I have walked off tours and found my own way back to ship. I have talked to the staff-Mia sets the rules and they do not go with the flow of that cruise. they cancel tours if not enough people. In Europe more and more of us tour on our own. I feel if only 20 people sign up then go.

CC cabins- from my first cruise to this summer I have been in mostly 8040. It is mid ship-helps in rough seas .For some odd reason i booked starboard for Europe this summer long before refit. I learned very late that is was a shower cabin. i wanted a bathtub cabin. Thanks to the HD he had someone call around and before dinner i was settle in a bathtub cabin. I can not remember the number but it was starboard somewhat past the stairs. I never notice the chairs but heard some other noise. Richard from Housekeeping explain it was machinery for the air con across from my door. i either got use to it or something was fix.

I prefer the so call chair in that cabin vs the shower cabin. it was bigger and i could curl up in it. now as far a drawers and bathroom.. I will say i hate with a passion! The bathroom -i miss the counter where i left things. not all the open storage in the world makes up for losing a counter and a cabinet. i like hiding things not leaving them out. as far as cabin goes why take out a closet?? and the drawers I do not understand the OP's comments in height. But i could get a lot in in the desk drawers. as far as the 3 deep drawers i hated them. I have to bend over more or sit on floor to get things out. i only kept my bathing suits and a couple other things i use daily. i hung up more of my folded clothes than ever. moved other things around. after 32 or 33 cruises in a CC it took long to unpack and deside where to store things.

Since m,any of you have use a CC I like to comment on a Spa suite. Over all I love it and have booked again. the interesting part is 4 closets but only two with hangers. none with storage.there a desk drawer and drawer under the smaller fridge. not as deep- so less drinks added. the bathroom as drawers.. one holding the hair dryer-I moved it and used the drawer. the desk as a cabinet i store bathing suits and panties etc. all tops were hung. i ended up with a zillion towels and i was getting so many new ones the landed in a closet daily.

Both cabins need towel bars and hook for wet things. But i rather have the space of the spa suite. I have not tried and aft suite due to motion- if mid ship i would use one for longer cruises.

David - thanks for giving me even MORE to think about...

We're long-time Regent cruisers (well, only about 7 years, but we keep coming back to them) and although their itineraries haven't gotten 'stale' yet, we're always looking for options for our limited vacation time. I appreciate your review and actually looked at some of Azamara's fjord cruises - man, they go a LOT further north than Regent!

The ships look great and the cabins (at least at the suite level) look to be fine. But since we've only taken one non-Regent cruise, could you give your opinion on some of the differences? After having a full 'all-inclusive' experience, I have some concerns with having to pay for specialty restaurants, or show a card for drinks or whatever - did you find that an issue or was it pretty easy to make the change?

I really like the size and décor of these ships, and their Norway route looks fantastic...might be worth looking into...but I don't handle change well. :D

Oh, and to takemewithyou - obviously I can't directly compare passengers on both lines, but I've never had an issue with passengers on Regent being unfriendly or unapproachable - we've made some good friends on board. Although I have to admit, that's the same feeling I have about Crystal, which is one reason we've never sailed with them. :)

Bill, I have to back you up on Regent pax. We have made some great friends on our Regent cruises, and in general I think most are very friendly and accessible.

I suspect I noticed a real pro-Azamara partisanship onboard Journey. This was not exclusionary particularly, but I definitely felt it. I've never noticed that on Regent (but then we're Gold, and started cruising rssc in 2000.)

For some reason, I can't get "Quote" to work with Bill's post. He asked about the hassle of showing a card to get a drink, etc. As long as one sticks to the lengthy list of included beverages, one never needs to show card or sign anything. That list includes Jim Beam bourbon, which I drink at home, and Gordon's gin, which is also what I usually have at home, etc. etc.

On Regent I sometimes have a Sambuca or some similar extravagance after dinner. On Azamara I would have had to show my card I guess, but foregoing such decadent indulgences was probably good for my liver.

For my one (and only) Oceania cruise we bought the drinks package, and I had to show my card for everything. Really not much more hassle than paying the check in a real resto or bar, but it was certainly less pleasant than Regent or Azamara.

David - thanks for giving me even MORE to think about...

 

 

 

The ships look great and the cabins (at least at the suite level) look to be fine. But since we've only taken one non-Regent cruise, could you give your opinion on some of the differences? After having a full 'all-inclusive' experience, I have some concerns with having to pay for specialty restaurants, or show a card for drinks or whatever - did you find that an issue or was it pretty easy to make the change?

 

 

Oh, and to takemewithyou - obviously I can't directly compare passengers on both lines, but I've never had an issue with passengers on Regent being unfriendly or unapproachable - we've made some good friends on board. Although I have to admit, that's the same feeling I have about Crystal, which is one reason we've never sailed with them. :)

If you are in a CC cabin or above the specialty restaurants are included. you can go every night if you want. i go most nights. if in port i eat in port. i do go to the buffet or do room service or not eat at all. You do not show your card for all included drinks. i tend to buy an up drink daily.. not worth packages as i do not drink enough daily. so the above is a non issue in general.

Thank you for the cruise review. I enjoyed your point of view.

Hello Wendy,

I'm glad you and David enjoyed your first Azamara cruise.

We have just booked cabin 8055 and are aware there will be some disturbance from the patio. However as breakfast is not served there we are assuming it is not too worrisome in the morning.

Can you confirm please?

Hello Wendy,

 

I'm glad you and David enjoyed your first Azamara cruise.

 

We have just booked cabin 8055 and are aware there will be some disturbance from the patio. However as breakfast is not served there we are assuming it is not too worrisome in the morning.

 

Can you confirm please?

They do hose it down though, it was very wet when we crossed to enter 'Windows' from the Aft lifts.

They do hose it down though, it was very wet when we crossed to enter 'Windows' from the Aft lifts.

Thanks. We can probably cope with that.