Celebrity vs Azamara (Asia) 2016

Hello CC

We can either take Millennium 9th Dec Singapore to Hong Kong or Journey 10th Dec Hong Kong to Singapore.

AZ route is preferred but at double the cost of Celebrity. We've never cruised AZ before (Celebrity a few times but only Solstice class).

I am investigating threads etc. of course but any help greatly appreciated.

Where we would probably take a balcony (with free drinks package, tips included in comparison too) on Celebrity we will likely be in an Inside on AZ. What is there to justify the extra cost and worse cabin?

So far I can see that some drinks (cocktails?) are included on AZ and the smaller ship can mean better port choices, less entertainment (not much of an issue). Is standard dining better? It's been a couple years since our last cruise and I always read comments that standards are declining all over.

Any comments on Asia too (though I will go to boards) would be helpful too.

Thanks in advance

Mcscotty

Azamara includes a good range of drinks, including a large range of cocktails. There are four wine choices every day and they have also just started including sparkling wine. If you are not too fussy about brands and wine types, you will not need to buy any drinks ( for example Gordon's Gin is included, as is Cutty Sark whisky). To check out exactly which drinks are included on Azamara's web-site go to 'booked guests', then 'onboard packages' then click on 'complimentary beverages'.

We think dining is excellent in Discoveries (MDR) but can't compare it with celebrity as we have never been on a cruise with celebrity. The two specialist restaurants are also very good and cost $30 a head.

The really great thing about Azamara for us is the small size and the friendliness of everyone - crew and guests. One example was that on last year's white night (great deck party, one every cruise) we were sitting at a table on deck and the captain, the cruise director and the hotel director all came and had a word with us!

The other plus is the Azamazing evening. The one we had last year in Bangkok was really good and ended with a prop longed fore work display. I think the one on the cruise you're looking at maybe in Ho Chi Minh city and that gets good reports too.

The cruise we did was Singapore to Hong Kong and we loved it. We'd never been to Vietnam before and did 4 private tours booked through someone on the roll call. They were very good.

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If a balcony on X with a drinks package and gratuities included is truly half the price of an inside on Azamara, it's questionable whether Azamara is the right choice. Yes, the small ship is nice and the food is a step up. Also, in Bangkok Azamara docks just 1 hour away from town because the smaller ship can sail further up the river. Celebrity docks 2.5 hours away from town. All that said, for half the price, with a balcony, and with included drinks and gratuities, I'd probably pick X. With the money you save you can fund a few dinners in X's speciality restaurants and some very special tours.

Hi McScotty

As a Scot I understand the why should I spend more questions!

I have sailed on both Celebrity and Azamara in everything from the largest suite to a window only room (not done an inside but would if need be) and my preference even paying a slight premium is Azamara. Definition of slight is of course the issue. Here is why

1. I rarely find a like for like itinerary. Yes I find the same ports but docking location and length of time in port is far better on Azamara. If there is tendering it's so quick and in all ports everything off and on is quick

2. The main dining room is better than on X. The themed buffets at night are of a completely different (higher) standard and you also have The Patio inside/outside restaurant which is far more than a burger bar. So that's three great venues included in the price of your cruise

3. Everything is less crowded and very few children - quite a consideration in that part of the planet

4. Pool deck is never full there are always loungers there or deck 15 (and they are so comfortable) so no balcony would not be an issue. And if the ships not full you might enjoy an upgrade anyway

5. The Azamazing Evening has been mentioned. White Nights is another special onboard night. Really nice time often also including local entertainment.

6. It you use cruise line excursions they will be less crowded and not sure how to say this, Azamara guests are much more considerate all round both onboard and when matters like timekeeping are important.

7. Unlike Celebrity unless there is some onboard private function no area is off limits. There is no issues with suites having designated rooms or bars. Honestly apart from a few "look at me's" usually flaunting good room cards round their necks you will never be able to tell suite vs non suite guests and certainly not in the way crew looks after you.

In the end only you can decide. Make sure you have checked out all the offers often online pricing is not pulling them all through

Whatever you choose enjoy!

Hello CC

 

We can either take Millennium 9th Dec Singapore to Hong Kong or Journey 10th Dec Hong Kong to Singapore.

 

AZ route is preferred but at double the cost of Celebrity. We've never cruised AZ before (Celebrity a few times but only Solstice class).

 

I am investigating threads etc. of course but any help greatly appreciated.

 

Where we would probably take a balcony (with free drinks package, tips included in comparison too) on Celebrity we will likely be in an Inside on AZ. What is there to justify the extra cost and worse cabin?

 

So far I can see that some drinks (cocktails?) are included on AZ and the smaller ship can mean better port choices, less entertainment (not much of an issue). Is standard dining better? It's been a couple years since our last cruise and I always read comments that standards are declining all over.

 

Any comments on Asia too (though I will go to boards) would be helpful too.

 

Thanks in advance

Mcscotty

I wish you had listed the ports here..celebrity specia;lity resturants are like 40 to 50 a head. last time i did celebrity i did not get a drinks package.. on AZ they use cheaper vodka than i drink so at night i buy one or two drinks.

AZ docks are great in Nam compared to Celebrity.. one port over an hour difference in time on the road. Singapore and HK we have great dockage. we have late stays-some overnights etc.

another thing I prefer the S class to the M class ship.. the S class has bigger standard cabins.. to me the bottom line is time in ports not the cost.

The Celebrity ship will always be bigger than Azamara, but you can narrow the difference if you give up some of the savings. Aquaclass moves you from the Celebrity MDR to the Blu dining room, which is smaller, nicer and has better food. A Sky Suite moves you to the Luminae dining room, which is really classy and has fantastic food -- and suites generally comes with the Best package that upgrades your drinks to the Premium package -- and gets you priority tendering and other perks. But that might cost the same as a basic cabin on Azamara, so then you have to weigh the unique features of the small ship and friendly ambience.

I agree about ports in Bangkok & Ho Chi Minh. On Azamara it's great going up the Chao Praya ( into Bangkok) and Snake ( into Ho Chi Minh City) rivers. Free shuttle takes you right into the centre of Bangkok (Central World Plaza) in 45/50 mins and into Ho Chi Minh quickly ( we didn't take it as our tour company picked us on the dock side.)

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We had the same decision for the same cruise and dates and chose The Journey over the Millennium, although when we booked nearly 20 months ago the price difference for a Balcony room on both of the ships the difference was only around £650pp (excluding the gratuities and drinks package on the Millennium, where as gratuities and drinks included on Azamara).

What swayed me to opt for Azamara was the CC reviews of the Millennium (and even more so now those reviews are not that good from this last season sailing in Asia) also the point of docking in the cities was a major decision factor in Bangkok and HCMC. If you have cruised the Mediterranean or Northern Europe then these Asian ports themselves are very different from those in Europe and nearly all will require a quality excursion to get the the best from them, (apart from HK and Singapore where you can access the city on local transport and be more independent) the ports are not destinations but access points for further travel and by choosing Azamara we felt the transfer times at the ports and time involved when getting guests on/off the ship each day was a major factor. Only you can decide what factors would provide for a more enjoyable experience....hope to see you on the roll-call for Azamara! oh and the Celebrity cruise is 12 nights as opposed to 13 nights on Azamara!!

I wish you had listed the ports here..celebrity specia;lity resturants are like 40 to 50 a head. last time i did celebrity i did not get a drinks package.. on AZ they use cheaper vodka than i drink so at night i buy one or two drinks.

 

AZ docks are great in Nam compared to Celebrity.. one port over an hour difference in time on the road. Singapore and HK we have great dockage. we have late stays-some overnights etc.

 

another thing I prefer the S class to the M class ship.. the S class has bigger standard cabins.. to me the bottom line is time in ports not the cost.

Thanks for your reply! Here are the ports, X first

Day 1 Singapore

Day 2 Singapore

Day 3 At Sea

Day 4 Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 5 Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 6 Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 7 At Sea

Day 8 Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam

Day 9 At Sea

Day 10 Chan May (Hue), Vietnam

Day 11 At Sea

Day 12 Hong Kong

AZ

Day 1 Hong Kong

Day 2 At Sea

Day 3 Halong Bay (Hanoi), Vietnam

Day 4 Halong Bay (Hanoi), Vietnam

Day 5 Da Nang (Hue & Hoi An), Vietnam

Day 6 At Sea

Day 7 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Day 8 At Sea

Day 9 Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 10 Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 11 Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 12 Ko Samui, Thailand

Day 13 At Sea

Did you know that there is a buy one get one half price cruise special on this trip?

I had the same decision to make three years ago and chose Journey for the reasons others have mentioned above. Only you can make the decision what works best for you on these port intensive itineraries and what type of stateroom works best. I had a veranda but did not use it much in port because of the heat, humidity and mosquitoes.

Whatever you decide hope you have a wonderful time..

I had no problem with breakfast as long as the sun was not in my eyes.. did other meals outside too.. i think you have to look at where the ship docks. .the traffic is bad in bangkok and with AZ you are about 50 minutes closer to the city.

I have cruised on both Azamara and Celebrity and I like both. In my opinion, the Azamara itinerary you have described is the better one unless you have already been to Halong Bay. The other differences have already been covered, most importantly the close in ports, saving so much precious travel time, plus just the excitement of docking in downtown, say, Saigon and Victoria Harbor. I think that Azamara's food has an edge on Celebrity. The rest of it isn't so important to me (pool space, captain saying hi, specialty restaurants, spa, etc.) But if the price difference is truly what you say, I'd find this one a tough call. Have you investigated the buy one, second half off? We were on a similar cruise Singapore to Hong Kong on Azamara Quest and loved it. I'd try to get a better deal on Azamara. Either way, you're lucky to be planning a trip to this beautiful area...

Admittedly, we do prefer the small ship experience that Azamara offers but we would not do the HK/S'pore itinerary on any of the large ships - simply because of the dock locations for Bangkok and HCM. For Bangkok, the complimentary shuttle can take up to 40 mins if traffic is heavy but we have done it in 20m.

We also caught a taxi one morning, for USD20, to take us to Grand Palace (to try to beat the crowds). Good run in traffic in the morning but unfortunately we didn't beat the crowds.

In HCM, it's about a 10 min shuttle bus to either the Rex Hotel (if transport infrastructure work is finished near there) or riverside - if the latter, it's a 15 min walk to the Rex area (or cheap taxi to anywhere).

The close proximity of the ship in both cities is an absolute clincher for us. Also, in Hong Kong, Azamara berths right alongside the Star Ferry terminal on the Harbour - outstanding location.

Tony

Admittedly, we do prefer the small ship experience that Azamara offers but we would not do the HK/S'pore itinerary on any of the large ships - simply because of the dock locations for Bangkok and HCM. For Bangkok, the complimentary shuttle can take up to 40 mins if traffic is heavy but we have done it in 20m.

 

We also caught a taxi one morning, for USD20, to take us to Grand Palace (to try to beat the crowds). Good run in traffic in the morning but unfortunately we didn't beat the crowds.

 

In HCM, it's about a 10 min shuttle bus to either the Rex Hotel (if transport infrastructure work is finished near there) or riverside - if the latter, it's a 15 min walk to the Rex area (or cheap taxi to anywhere).

 

The close proximity of the ship in both cities is an absolute clincher for us. Also, in Hong Kong, Azamara berths right alongside the Star Ferry terminal on the Harbour - outstanding location.

 

Tony

I totally agree. If price us very important (and at twice the cost it's quite a difference) then go with what you feel is comfortable for you, but if it's a once or twice off and you are treating yourself you just can't beat where the Azamara ship takes you compared to Celebrity. Travelling up the river to Ho Chi Minh or docking right in Hong Kong harbour with a view of the skyline at night. Unforgettable.

Phil

Also, Laem Chabang (port for Bangkok) is over 60 miles from Bangkok, that's probably a two hour drive.

Thanks for your reply! Here are the ports, X first

 

Day 1 Singapore

Day 2 Singapore

Day 3 At Sea

Day 4 Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 5 Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 6 Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 7 At Sea

Day 8 Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam

Day 9 At Sea

Day 10 Chan May (Hue), Vietnam

Day 11 At Sea

Day 12 Hong Kong

 

AZ

Day 1 Hong Kong

Day 2 At Sea

Day 3 Halong Bay (Hanoi), Vietnam

Day 4 Halong Bay (Hanoi), Vietnam

Day 5 Da Nang (Hue & Hoi An), Vietnam

Day 6 At Sea

Day 7 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Day 8 At Sea

Day 9 Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 10 Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 11 Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand

Day 12 Ko Samui, Thailand

Day 13 At Sea

I like Celebrity more than Az. But with your itinerary Az wins. With the ship docking at Klong Toey (Bangkok), Thailand. I have taken a bus ride from Downtown Bangkok to Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand. It is a long drive. If you do book Celebrity I would consider booking a hotel downtown.

I would never take Celebrity to Southeast Asia. The docking location is too important and X ships can't go where Azamara can. I just talked my friends, who are diehard X fans, out of doing X to Asia - their itinerary called at a port outside Shanghai, but nothing in life beats sailing into Shanghai on a smaller ship. Same goes for these Vietnam and Thailand ports - doing X would diminish part of the experience. I like X a lot, but not for this part of the world.

Michael

I would never take Celebrity to Southeast Asia. The docking location is too important and X ships can't go where Azamara can. I just talked my friends, who are diehard X fans, out of doing X to Asia - their itinerary called at a port outside Shanghai, but nothing in life beats sailing into Shanghai on a smaller ship. Same goes for these Vietnam and Thailand ports - doing X would diminish part of the experience. I like X a lot, but not for this part of the world.

 

 

Michael

I sailed into Shanghai- loved it and the city lights at night.. wow.

Phew, does anyone else need a holiday to plan and book a holiday! I do, I never seem to have any time.

Thanks for all the great replies, a lot of good points made. AZ was ahead anyway purely on the direction of the cruise finishing in Singapore. After reading the thread that's reinforced.

Halong Bay for one, and I had no idea the ports were such a long distance for example and to be in the harbour in HK! Sadly it's not an overnight but sail away is 8.30pm so I assume would be dark by then so would still be something. No formal nights is another :) and less kids.

However my main reason for going to Asia is for Angkor Wat and I would prefer to go there first rather than over Christmas, hoping it might be less busy. The cruise was an extra to have a taster of the area with view of land based holidays in the future.

So thinking about that, I'm going to look at other lines to have a later departure date. I'm not that keen though as I'm generally very happy with X and like the smoking policy, though maybe the other lines have caught up by now.

I might even choose a week on a beach instead ahhhh, that sounds appealing.

I'll definitely be on AZ before long though, especially as solo is only 125% of fare, that seems a great deal.

Thanks again!

We did this cruise on Azamara a few years ago, from Singapore to HK. We added Angkor Wat pre-cruise and it was absolutely fantastic. It involved quite a few flights, I think we flew via Bangkok, but it was well worth it. I don't think it matters which way round you sail as it is a fabulous cruise. We overnighted in Halong Bay, went to Hanoi and stayed overnight. A long 4 hour drive but again I'm so pleased we did it. Ship docks in centre of Saigon and you can walk into town but the traffic is not pedestrian friendly!!

Diamond Princess has what sounds like great ports - but it looks nasty :-(

Singapore

Penang, Malaysia Tender

Langkawi, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang), Malaysia

Singapore

At Sea

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

At Sea

Nha Trang, Vietnam Tender

Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam

At Sea

Sihanoukville, Cambodia Tender

Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand

Ko Samui, Thailand Tender

At Sea

Singapore

Diamond Princess has what sounds like great ports - but it looks nasty :-(

Compared to Azamara, there will be no comparison. And unlike Celebrity, Princess doesn't have any really good upgrades for suites.

Diamond Princess has what sounds like great ports - but it looks nasty :-(

...

What about it looks nasty? (Never been on Princess.)

What about it looks nasty? (Never been on Princess.)

It just looks very dated, both cabins and public areas. Both the outdoor and indoor pools look a bit tacky too. http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/di/

I have sailed both AZ and X many, many times...and I have an Asian cruise planned from HK to Tokyo next April on X...and I'll let you know how it goes!! :)

That is on the "Millie"...will be in AQ in one of the "new" cabins on deck 11...sailed on one of them on Infinity several years ago ....

Do I love AZ?? Of course!! But I think that X does give a great value for $$...and to be honest...as I get older...my $$ have to be spent a little more wisely...which means I spend my sailing dollars with X on certain cruises and my $$ on AZ for the T/As...your "mileage" way vary!! :) But...aren't we lucky to be able to cruise??? :cool: LuAnn