Why the discussion about buying wine ashore. Azamara address the problem!!
I read this discussion with some dismay because the root cause is that Azamara produces poor complementary wines, and has done for some time. The same applies to the complementary bar menu which is probably the poorest on the high seas, see RCI and Celebrity, and this leading to a push to upgrade onboard and generate revenue.
We are long time Azamara supporters from the early days, are Discoverer plus, have completed two cruises this year and one approaching. On both we felt that the service presentation and quality was not as before, but possibly willing to accept that because of problems with staffing and supply, but Azamara make this difficult.....Cancelling Spa access for CC suite customers a few days before our cruise because of capacity issues on the Onward, changing the Covid test process at short notice, changing the library into a bar, and now cancelling four half bottles of spirits and replacing by one litre of spirits. The spa and spirits replacement do not particularly bother us but it leaves the feeling of nickle and diming as described by American guests which was not the Azamara way. This feeling is not helped by the slow drip replacement of loyal senior staff to other lines which causes a feeling of disquiet.
The new management of Azamara need to make a decision as to the way forward, because the move to Seabourn and Silversea with massively better quality is not too difficult, and Oceania and Celebrity provide a much better product around the same price band.
I understand that Azamara monitor this forum, and it saddens me to say this but our next Azamara cruise may be our last unless things improve across the board, and having spoken to many disappointed travellers on our last two cruises we are not alone in this view.
Over to Azamara.
