sinophile Posted March 30, 2012 #1 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I am thinking about the Nautica trip from Cape Town to Singapore in January, 2013. We tried the Azamara Quest in January, 2012 and just loved it. What differences would I notice on the Nautica compared to the Azamara Quest/Journey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthnlarry Posted March 30, 2012 #2 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I am thinking about the Nautica trip from Cape Town to Singapore in January, 2013. We tried the Azamara Quest in January, 2012 and just loved it. What differences would I notice on the Nautica compared to the Azamara Quest/Journey? Since 2009, we have cruised 3X on Azamara, and 3X on Oceania. We absolutely love both cruise lines. They are our favorites. In fact, we have upcoming cruises booked on both Oceania and Azamara. On Oceania, you get free reservations to their specialty restaurants Polo Grill and Toscana. Both are excellent, and the # of free reservations is based on the cruise length. On Oceania, gratuities are not included in the basic fare like they are on Azamara. On Oceania, you do not get free boutique wines at lunch and dinner like on Azamara. On Oceania, there is a daily happy hour from 5-6pm with 2 for 1 drinks. The crew, service, and food on both lines are fantastic. If you like Azamara, try Oceania if the itinerary and the price are right. That's what we do, and we have never been disappointed by either Azamara or Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 30, 2012 #3 Share Posted March 30, 2012 The ships are basically the same just the amenities differ Oceania now have a wine or drinks package for purchase if you need to have wine with lunch & dinner I do not think Azamara has upgraded their furnishing yet as Oceania has done If you shop around some TA will include gratuities I do not think either line will disappoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceans&Rivers Posted March 30, 2012 #4 Share Posted March 30, 2012 We have not yet cruised on Azamara and have cruised only once on Regatta (with future cruises booked on her). From what I have read on the Azamara forum, unless there has been a change in policy, the main dining room is closed more frequently for lunch, perhaps every port day, though I don't know for certain. Since we are not fans of self-serve, in general, we were happy on Oceania to be able to enjoy lunch most days in the main dining room on Regatta, served course by course. Also, because both the main dining room and the Terrace Café were open, neither was overly busy. If Azamara has only the buffet restaurant open during lunch, then it will, of course, be more crowded. Depending on itinerary, we might like to book a cabana, and those are offered on Oceania but not Azamara. (This is the least important of the differences to us, but it is something we would consider.) However, there is one area in which I think Azamara is preferable, and that is with the smoking policy. The forward lounge where afternoon tea is served (on both cruise lines) is smoke free on Azamara and can be extremely smoky on Oceania's "R" ships (Regatta and Nautica). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bepsf Posted March 30, 2012 #5 Share Posted March 30, 2012 When the ships were being prepared for Azamara duty, some regular balcony cabins were pulled out and replaced with Minisuites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted March 30, 2012 #6 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Just saw there was a fire on board Quest. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1604951 It sounds like it has been well handled on board with no injuries and keeping passengers calm and safe. While still without propulsion at least they have electrical power restored. This is part of an offical statement from that thread: Azamara Club Cruises Statement March 30, 2012, 6:00 p.m. E.S.T. Engineers onboard Azamara Quest have restored power to one of the ship’s engines. This additional power has permitted the ship to reestablish air conditioning, running water, plumbing, refrigeration and food preparation onboard for the comfort of our guests and crew. While the ship does not have propulsion capabilities at this time, it is in the process of being repaired. As you may be aware, on Friday, March 30, at approximately 8:19 p.m. ship time, Azamara Quest experienced a fire in one of ship’s engine rooms. The fire was contained to that engine room and was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries of guests reported and the atmosphere aboard is calm. However, in an abundance of caution, the Captain deemed it necessary to muster all guests at their assembly stations. The ship is currently running on emergency power until full power can be restored to the engine room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 30, 2012 #7 Share Posted March 30, 2012 When the ships were being prepared for Azamara duty, some regular balcony cabins were pulled out and replaced with Minisuites. I think they were the same size as the PH suites on O but only part of deck 8 were upgraded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted March 31, 2012 #8 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Both Azamara ships are scheduled for drydock and refurbishing in early 2013. I believe Journey in January -- cannot recall the date for Quest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted March 31, 2012 #9 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I read some recent comments that say it is looking like it is ready for a dry dock so it is good to know they have it scheduled. As the line has stepped up since their change in marketing I expect they will do good things for the refurbishment too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.