First Time Azamara "Journey" for Celebrity Veteran

[librarylady19]

Thanks so much, really like your comparison of the 2 lines. I have always wanted to try Azamara but I think its a little to sedate for me. I usually travel alone, and the Martini bar has been a perfect place for me to meet people.

Really love the pictures.

Norma

 

I think sedate is a good description! I didn't find any lively places to hang out at night or any entertainment (such as late night comedy, game shows or cooking programs ) that appealed to me. On our sailing there were a lot of people who looked like they stepped out of an Oceania catalog!!

[Artemis]

It is too hard to resist making the trite joke about what librarians are really like when they let their hair down! Sorry.... :)

 

Thanks so much for sharing another fabulous review. I'm another S-class fan who has wanted to try Az--you have made me realize I can wait until such time, if ever, the evening entertainment scene is not important to my trip. Thank goodness you had a wonderful itinerary and good friends along for the ride! I predict you will have great big fun on RCI, just go with low food expectations.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Lois R]

I think sedate is a good description! I didn't find any lively places to hang out at night or any entertainment (such as late night comedy, game shows or cooking programs ) that appealed to me. On our sailing there were a lot of people who looked like they stepped out of an Oceania catalog!!

 

Hi Sandi:) how ironic....over the years folks have posted how sedate

they think Celebrity is;)

 

One other item.....I was looking at your Royal Cruise in Jan 2015 and

the only one I see for that week on VISION is Jan 17th...you have the

15th in your signature. Hope you don't get to the port 2 days early:eek:

Edited June 22, 2014 by Lois R

[Lottie A]

Thanks for your wondeful review and photo's Sandi. I am enjoying them so much.

 

However, I am someone who actually much prefers Azamara's entertainment to Celebrity's. I love the intimacy of the Cabaret Lounge as opposed to a huge theatre .....you feel like you could be part of the show as the performers are so close. I love White Night and The Looking Glass for dancing and there is no way that the Cruise Directors on Celebrity will dance with guests all night long, like Russ does on Quest. Max is a brilliant pianist and entertainer and IMHO beats the pianist on Eclipse and Equinox without even trying. I like the S class ships and the Aqua class cabins certainly beat Azamara's hands down.....but given the choice, it would be Azamara Quest every time for me.....and Hazel could tell you that no-one in their right mind would ever call me sedate! :D

 

I think Hazel also found that Journey's entertainment on your cruise was not up to Quest's usual standards so maybe you were just unlucky. She told me that the pianist was in no way up to Max's talents.

Hazel was certainly a very memorable judge on the Iron Chef cookery show on Quest last year....she completely stole the show with her "naughty French judge" Danielle de Kirque and Russ had no idea what she was going to say next. He looked very worried when she asked for props... It was hilarious! :D She got a standing ovation at the end of the cookery show. These Iron Chef shows are usually done on sea days and I am not sure whether you had any on your cruise?

 

Anyway I can't wait for your next instalment, so please do hurry up and post it for us all to enjoy. :)

[New Hampshire]

Just a note about the service at the buffet on Azmara. In our early days of cruising on Celebrity on all of the Cenrury class ships, there would be a line of waiters in spiffy uniforms lined up to carry your tray and drinks to a table for you. As the ships got larger and larger, this service disappeared. It would be impossible to do this effectively in ships the size of the M and S class. It is one of the benefits of sailing on a small ship.

 

I have toyed with the idea of sailing on Azmara one day, but your review has changed my mind. I think I'd be bored to death.

[Baynanno1]

Deirdre and I left Scott and Rob to enjoy some local beers at a cafe, while we explored some of the shops.

 

 

We made our way back to the ship to change, before the Azamazing evening. We walked through the beautiful Buchart Gardens, overlooking the Harbor, on our way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am thoroughly enjoying your cruise review, including the memory evoking pictures from places to which we have cruised. We will be first time Azamara cruisers in August, so your insights to daily life on board (and off) are great.

One correction in the photo naming ... the image you have named as Buchart Gardens, is I believe The Upper Barrakka Gardens.

Trish

[Lois R]

Trish..thank you:)...I thought Buchart Gardens? I have been to them

and they are in Victoria, Canada;).....I was thinking, are there 2

Buchart Gardens?....thanks for the correction:)

[Iamthesea]

I was wondering the same thing. :D I have been to the gardens in Malta, and I was thinking..."I don't remember the gardens being called Buchart." I have been to those, as well.

[librarylady19]

I was wondering the same thing. :D I have been to the gardens in Malta, and I was thinking..."I don't remember the gardens being called Buchart." I have been to those, as well.

 

Oops, my bad. Guess I was thinking about the gardens in Victoria (which I hope to visit on our Pacific Coast cruise next September:o). Thanks for the correction.

[librarylady19]

Just a note about the service at the buffet on Azmara. In our early days of cruising on Celebrity on all of the Cenrury class ships, there would be a line of waiters in spiffy uniforms lined up to carry your tray and drinks to a table for you. As the ships got larger and larger, this service disappeared. It would be impossible to do this effectively in ships the size of the M and S class. It is one of the benefits of sailing on a small ship.

 

I have toyed with the idea of sailing on Azmara one day, but your review has changed my mind. I think I'd be bored to death.

 

That sounds nice. Our first cruise was on Century in 2009 and they had a lovely dinner service in part of the buffet area (I'm sure many long time X cruisers remember that); it was a sort of training ground for waiters and they really went out of their way to provide great service.

 

I don't know your taste of course, but I would say that if you like variety, Azamara would not be the best choice!

[librarylady19]

Thanks for your wondeful review and photo's Sandi. I am enjoying them so much.

 

However, I am someone who actually much prefers Azamara's entertainment to Celebrity's. I love the intimacy of the Cabaret Lounge as opposed to a huge theatre .....you feel like you could be part of the show as the performers are so close. I love White Night and The Looking Glass for dancing and there is no way that the Cruise Directors on Celebrity will dance with guests all night long, like Russ does on Quest. Max is a brilliant pianist and entertainer and IMHO beats the pianist on Eclipse and Equinox without even trying. I like the S class ships and the Aqua class cabins certainly beat Azamara's hands down.....but given the choice, it would be Azamara Quest every time for me.....and Hazel could tell you that no-one in their right mind would ever call me sedate! :D

 

I think Hazel also found that Journey's entertainment on your cruise was not up to Quest's usual standards so maybe you were just unlucky. She told me that the pianist was in no way up to Max's talents.

Hazel was certainly a very memorable judge on the Iron Chef cookery show on Quest last year....she completely stole the show with her "naughty French judge" Danielle de Kirque and Russ had no idea what she was going to say next. He looked very worried when she asked for props... It was hilarious! :D She got a standing ovation at the end of the cookery show. These Iron Chef shows are usually done on sea days and I am not sure whether you had any on your cruise?

 

Anyway I can't wait for your next instalment, so please do hurry up and post it for us all to enjoy. :)

 

Hi Lottie - sorry we didn't get to meet you on our cruise. You know, Deirdre said the same thing about Journey v. Quest. She felt it was quite a subdued experience in comparison to her Caribbean cruise on Quest. I would say Capt. Johannes was quite a serious captain and perhaps that atmosphere pervaded the ship (and I'm sure there are many out there who would differ in their opinion on this.)

There was no Iron Chef show, as I certainly would have gone to that. We only had one sea day on this cruise, however.

[librarylady19]

Thank you Sandi for the really nice review. I am curious about hearing the differences between Celebrity and Azamara. We have done two long Med cruises on Equinox, two one week cruises in the Caribbean (Reflection out of Miami and Summit from San Juan) and have two more booked, one week cruise from Venice and two week long Caribbean cruise from Miami on Eclipse... So we have only cruised with Celebrity and start to get a bit "bored". The entertainment is usually the same and Blue hasn't changed the menu for a long time. We have been looking at Azamara and Oceania but still decided to book Celebrity (mainly because of premium drink package and the price) but I am really curious about trying a new cruise line. We are in our thirties so we are a bit younger so that's is affecting our choices too.

 

The entertainment is not that important for us but the food is. How did you like the food on Azamara comparing to Blu? Are the meals more fine dining than on Blu? Other more expensive ingredients? And the wines? Did you meet the sommelier during your cruise?

 

Thank you for taking the time to post about your cruise!

 

I know what you mean about wanting to branch out after a few cruises on the same line. The nice thing about Azamara and RCCL is that your loyalty status transfers and results in some nice perks for a first timer (as I mentioned, the internet was great!).

I would say that the food, while well executed and skilfully prepared, was not particularly innovative or memorable. The reason I say this is, while I recall enjoying the food I honestly am having a hard time remembering any specific dishes we enjoyed (as opposed to that duck with pomegranate sauce in Blu that I have fond memories of years later....). I will have to look at the menus to jog my memory. I think there was also a lot of salt in the food as I ended up with swollen ankles (something that happened to me on our Summit cruise to Bermuda also). It wasn't alcohol as I drank less on this cruise than on some others.

I would say that I preferred the style of food in Blu.

As for the wine choices, I didn't even see a sommelier. We just had the wine selections (red or white) being poured that day. I preferred the Celebrity premium package with the $ limit and palatable options by the glass in our price point.

Definitely give Azamara a try if you really don't care about entertainment, a Solarium, larger spaces and the modern decor. I think you might find the demographic skewing quite older than your age group though.

[librarylady19]

Friday, May 16 - Giardini Naxos (Taormina), Sicily

 

We had breakfast on our balcony again this morning as we weren't in a huge hurry to get off the ship.

 

 

Here we are approaching the coast of Sicily.

 

 

We weren't the only ship headed this way!

 

 

We didn't book any ship or private excursions for this port stop, thinking that would walk around Taormina and maybe visit Castelmola, a small village above Taormina.

I do feel that Azamara was not totally upfront about the transportation issues at this port. I had read some posts prior to the cruise (particularly from English Tim) about the fact that Azamara no longer had a free shuttle and it was costly, but I also read that there was an inexpensive bus service. Well, Tim, you were spot on in your complaints about this port.

First, we had to tender to Giardini Naxos, which was relatively simple. Once onshore, however, other than the coaches lined up for ship excursions and some taxis, there was no bus service in evidence.

So, we started walking toward Giardini Naxos, assuming that we would find a bus stop along the way.

 

 

The weather was quite nice and sunny, so it was a pleasant walk along the sea wall.

 

 

Here's the Journey and another ship tendered off the shore.

 

Edited June 22, 2014 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

After walking for about half an hour, I started to doubt what I had read about the bus service. Walking all the way up to Taormina didn't sound too appealing to us! We then ran into a large group waiting at - A BUS STOP - including Tim, who told me that yes, they were waiting for the bus to Taormina. Unfortunately, we hadn't had time to get bus tickets from the tobacco shop (wherever that was) before a bus showed up.

Fortunately, an enterprising taxi driver with a van, offered to take a half dozen of the would-be bus passengers to Taormina for 25 euros total - we jumped on that!!

We enjoyed a pleasant conversation with a couple from Amsterdam as we travelled up to Taormina. (Sure glad we opted not to walk, although I understand that Rob and Deirdre did just that!!)

 

Soon, we were in Taormina which was quite picturesque. The main focus here, it seemed, was on shopping. The main street, the Corso Umberto I, is a very long thoroughfare with shops and restaurants galore.

 

 

As you can see, it was quite congested.

 

[librarylady19]

As we walked westward down Corso Umberto, we came to the Piazza IX Aprile, and the Chiese di San Guiseppe.

 

 

 

There were some pretty spectacular views from here (I see the Journey!)

 

 

 

Although there are blue skies behind us, there were some rather ominous storm clouds moving in:

 

[Baynanno1]

Trish..thank you:)...I thought Buchart Gardens? I have been to them

and they are in Victoria, Canada;).....I was thinking, are there 2

Buchart Gardens?....thanks for the correction:)

 

You're welcome ... my first thought was ... how on earth did this cruise get to Canada!

I have been to the Butchart Gardens too ... quite magnificent!

[librarylady19]

We also stopped to admire the Cattedrale di Taormina:

 

 

 

 

This was a popular tour stop.

 

 

 

Closer look at the fountain:

 

There were some very pretty side streets and alleys that I would have loved to explore. Unfortunately, those threatening clouds moved in very quickly and it started to rain, and it soon was pouring. When we had left the ship, as you saw in the earlier photos, it was a lovely sunny day and we didn't come prepared, having neither jackets nor umbrellas with us.

We ducked into a few shops to get out of the rain; most of the cafes had already filled with tourists seeking shelter, so we purchased an umbrella for 5 euros from one of the many umbrellas sellers that appeared like magic when the rain started!

 

 

[librarylady19]

One attraction that is written up in the guides as a must-see in Taormina is the Teatro Greco (Greek Amphitheater). We toyed with the idea of skipping this, as it continued to rain but decided to check it out anyways as we'd come this far. This appeared to be the required stop for the school groups too it would seem. At the admission gate, there was a sign stating "limited visibility in theater" but I assumed that was because of the weather. It was thus quite a surprise to be greeted by this less than authentic Greek theatre!

 

 

 

Although the theatre was less than impressive, the views from this vantage point were fantastic.

 

 

 

[librarylady19]

After that less than stellar experience, we had really had enough of Taormina. I ducked into a pastry shop as I had to try a cannoli at least (and it was delicious) but we were damp and tired of shops and tourists (like us!!). Now, many of you know that I enjoy shopping, but for some reason Taormina just didn't appeal to me. A lot of sameness to the shops and so many of them. It seemed a bit less than authentic (hmm....Irish pub in Sicily...) so we looked for a way back to G-N. We didn't have much hope of finding the bus stop, but lo and behold, there was a bus, unfortunately it was going to Castelmola, not G-N so we decided to walk the other way on Corso Umberto until we found a taxi.

 

 

 

Fortunately, we weren't the only cruise passengers who wanted to return to the ship and we were able to catch a cab with a nice Irish couple (who told us they had visited the Irish pub;)) and we split the ride for 20 euros. We were very happy to see the tender waiting to take a group of damp, chilled passengers back to the Journey.

 

Many other passengers decided to come back early apparently as it was quite crowded in the Windows Cafe. We were able to find a table luckily and enjoyed a restorative lunch, with wine. The buffet, which I previously mentioned was a step up from our buffet experiences on Celebrity, offered very delicious roast pork, carved to order, a much appreciated hot soup, and a variety of salads, breads and cold cuts. A variety of sushi was always available on the lunch buffet, which Scott really liked.

 

A little later that afternoon, we met up with Rob, Deirdre and Philippa in Looking Glass Lounge and learned that their experiences of Taormina were a little different. Philippa had taken the ship's tour to Mt. Etna and enjoyed that. Rob and Deirdre had walked to Taormina and visited some beautiful gardens (Deirdre chimed in here with your thoughts, ok)....

 

We wanted to have a good view of the sailing through the Straits of Messina and Looking Glass, with its glass windows, is a good place to do that. We enjoyed the views while toasting with our free champagne, mixed with Kir (yum!).

 

 

Who is that guy out there lost in thought....(hint, he's from Harpenden!!)

 

 

As you can tell, Taormina was our least favorite port. It was an expensive and time consuming process to get to Taormina which we really hadn't anticipated, and we hadn't planned anything in the event of nasty weather. In retrospect, I would have taken a tour of other areas of Sicily. Oh well, things definitely got better the next day.

 

Up next: our Amalfi Coast tour - the best day of our cruise!!

Edited June 23, 2014 by librarylady19

[Iamthesea]

Sandi - We felt the same as you about Taormina. Too crowded! However, the views were quite spectacular. Fortunately, the rest of our tour around the Sicily area was very nice, as well.

 

Here are a couple of photos that I took of a bride and groom in the town of Taormina. A nice treat. ;)

 

The tradition was to parade the bride and groom around town before the ceremony. We happened to again stumble on the couple after their stroll and just before they were entering the church for the ceremony. :)

Edited June 23, 2014 by Iamthesea

[ellbon]

i have a wonderful day here. i was on a private tour which was good. loved the theatre and views of the smoke coming from the Volcano. Enjoy my glass of wine and loving my new purse.

 

Each of us see each port in a different light! i would love to go back here for lunch and shopping.

Edited June 23, 2014 by ellbon

[librarylady19]

Saturday, May 17 - Sorrento

 

One of the attractions of this itinerary was the overnight stay here. Journey anchored offshore near Sorrento and we took the tender to the cruise dock below the town. The Captain had warned that there might be a wait for the tenders as Sorrento limited the number of tenders entering their waters (and there was a Regent ship nearby also) but we didn't have a wait.

 

Deirdre had booked a day-long tour of the Amalfi Coast through Astarita Car Service (well done Deirdre!!). Our driver Nico met us at the dock and escorted us to his waiting van, a well kept newer Mercedes model. Deirdre had arranged our itinerary in advance, to include Positano, a lunch stop at La Tagliata and Ravello.

 

We had read many warnings not to attempt driving the Amalfi coast, and we saw pretty quickly why it was a very good idea to leave the driving to an expert local!

 

 

We were able to enjoy the stunning views, a Wow moment at practically every hairpin turn:

 

 

Nico stopped at a scenic overlook and we actually got a photo of all five of us:

 

 

Wow!

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2014 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

It was so exciting to see Positano in the distance, especially after looking at so many pictures online. It really was picture postcard perfect

 

 

 

We also stopped at a roadside stand to admire the lemons (lots of lemon soap and other lemon souvenirs too) - and get some great photos! I've never seen lemons like that before!

 

 

 

 

Nico drove into the town of Positano (talk about narrow streets), dropped us off and arranged for us to meet him at a garage there in about an hour. This gave us time to walk around this charming little town and admire the views, although I did wish we could have stayed longer.

 

 

[librarylady19]

 

 

We visited this church:

 

 

and walked around admiring the lovely surroundings.

 

 

Edited June 23, 2014 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

There were many shops to explore in Positano. There were many stores featuring linen clothing and scarves.

 

 

All too soon, it was time to return to our meeting point and head up higher into the mountains to our lunch destination, La Tagliata near Montepertuso.

 

 

 

We had read rave reviews about this restaurant both on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor - believe them!

 

Nico parked the van and we walked up to the restaurant, to be greeted by these incredible views.

 

 

We were warmly greeted and led to a lovely table at the end of this charming dining room:

 

 

Lunch was served family style. We had the option of grilled meats, or no meats, so of course we wanted meats!! It was a bargain for 35 euros per person, including their own wine (both red and white). It was definitely one of the best meals I've ever had.

 

We started with a basket of breads...Rob approves!

 

Edited June 23, 2014 by librarylady19