Oceania V Azamara My Review of our recent Azamara cruise

[jo-b]

As there have been a number of posts on the Oceania board of the differences between Azamara and Oceania and we are regular Oceania cruisers I thought I'd add my two pennorth 

to the debate 

 

 

Our viewpoint

 

We are regular cruisers lucky enough to have visited a lot of ports, so we mainly cruise now for the ship, the food and the service. We don’t go to shows, we like trivia and good food. Not great drinkers, a cocktail before dinner, couple of glasses of wine with dinner, occasional glass of wine at lunch. We tend to DIY tours rather than ship’s tours.

 

Oceania has been a good fit for us but solely on Marina & Riviera, the O class ships, as we are not fans of the fake Downton Abbey decor on the smaller ships, so are looking forward to trying them out post refit.

 

We have sailed with Azamara 3 times before but not for a number of years since they added in drinks & tips and became more expensive.

 

Price comparison

 

We were looking for something special over New Year 2018 for a big birthday and had looked at Regatta's circumnavigation of Australia but were put off by the poor reviews for the 2017 trip. At the time I had a per night comparison with the Azamara cruise which showed Azamara as being considerably dearer , but haven’t now got the paperwork for Oceania 2018 so have used their 2019 16 day cruise on Regatta in Oz over the holidays as a guide.

 

Oceania include air, unlimited wifi per cabin, one night at each speciality restaurant (at least)  and a choice of benefits either OBC/tours or drinks.  As the drinks package offered is only wine with meals I included the OBC. So to even the offering up I have added in tips and the ultimate drinks package  ( which is better than the Azamara included drinks) to get parity .

 

For Azamara we chose to not use their air as we wanted business class and could buy it ourselves for half the price of their offering, so I added in a cheap economy airfare, the cost of an internet package and the cost of the speciality restaurants.

 

In a balcony cabin per night per person the costs equalised in content as far as possible were

Azamara £565

Oceania  £450

 

So over the 15 night cruise we paid £1725 pp more with Azamara than for a similar cruise with  Oceania.

 

 

Service

 

Overall we found little difference. In the MDR the service was similar, likewise in the bars &  from the cabin stewards.

 

Where we did find a difference was in the speciality restaurants. On Oceania there is a sense of theatre, the service is more attentive than in the MDR. On Azamara there seemed to be the same number of servers per head as in the MDR but they had to do more, filleting fish at the table side, more people having different wines which seemed not to be stored nearby etc., which meant that service was actually not as good as elsewhere.

 

The much vaunted (from the Azamara fan club) officer presence seemed less obvious than on our previous trips when,for example,  there were always a few officers taking their coffee break in the coffee shop. When you did meet them they were always friendly but we have found the same on Oceania.

 

There was the odd exceptional person such as Philip Herbert the hotel manager; who we had last seen 9 years ago so I am sure did not remember us; bumping into us in the lift on NYE and wishing me Happy Birthday! But once again on Oceania we have met people like that, such as Burley (sp) who managed the MDR who by day two of a cruise knew our name,room number and table preference.

 

Entertainment

 

There was a CD, Ernest Marchain, & deputy Geoffrey plus 2 guest lecturers, a bridge instructor and an art instructor.

 

Also there were 4 Opera Singers & their pianist supplied via Magic City Opera company. They were scheduled to do 3 shows, one of  Broadway songs, one Opera hits and a 45 minute Carmen in English. In addition they were also the Ents team, they did all the trivia bar the Progressive, napkin folding, Spanish lessons, car racing on the running track etc etc as well as two extra shows with the CD. They had been on for a few months and were due to leave the ship mid January.

 

A couple of Aussie comedians came on also for a couple of shows.

 

Although  we normally don’t bother with the shows the singers catered to our taste and they were super. They were also very personable and outgoing so excellent at the quizzes and other activities.

 

I’m not sure if the daily programme was normal or beefed up having the singers doing so many things, but for trivia lovers it was excellent there being 4/5 trivia events each day and they were all well attended.

 

Food

 

Quality in the MDR was on a par with Oceania in the main, there may have been more choices at dinner time but nothing much to choose. Presentation was good. The buffet is self service and I prefer the Oceania way where they serve you.

  

Bread was OK but uninspired and the pastries, Danish, croissants etc, were poor.

 

The speciality restaurants weren’t particularly special and given that you paid extra were a disappointment. The food was a similar quality to the MDR and on two occasions the Chef’s special was almost identical to a dish served the day before in the dining room. There were no extra touches like the oil trolley in Toscana, and it just didn’t feel as different as the Oceania specialities. Service as I mentioned did not seem to be as good as the MDR particularly given that we ate early when they were relatively quiet.

 

Drinks

 

We had read on CC about changes to the included drinks policy so were aware of what to expect but we did find the whole process byzantine. Wines included were  2 white 2 red a rose and a sparkling. Red & White different every day from what seemed to be a range of about six each. But sometimes if you wanted say a Sauvignon that was yesterday’s wine you could get it, sometimes not. It felt a little bit conspiratorial as if you were asking for something special. Why not have a choice of every included wine every day?

 

Then the cocktails. A one page list at the back of the bar menu of included spirits and cocktails. Just a list of cocktail names, no idea what the ingredients were so it made ordering difficult, and if you knew the ingredients of one that wasn’t on the list and it could be made from the included spirits (eg a Martini!) you could order it!

Again every time we ordered a pre dinner drink it felt like we were either cheapskates (possibly true!) or were asking for some under the counter favour. Would it be so difficult to just put an asterisk next to cocktails in the main menu where they were listed with all the ingredients to show which were included so you had some idea of what you were ordering?

 

To be fair the Bar Manager Sohan did come and find us to talk about it when we commented on this on our mid cruise feedback but basically he is trying to do what the company has decided.

 

 

The ship

 

Obviously exactly the same as Oceania R class but with some redecoration to a lighter colour palette which we preferred. The bedding wasn’t as nice as Oceania. Cabin bathrooms had been lightened and brightened but are small and still have shower curtains.

 

Cleanliness was excellent. Poolside blankets and towels freely available. Generally much of a muchness with Oceania.

 

 

Head Office

 

One thing that really had an adverse effect on our view of Azamara was the lack of communication from their HO, or at least as far as we were concerned.

 

We booked for the NYE in Sydney Harbour which their description said we would be in the middle of, this was subsequently changed online as we were actually in White Bay and people had complained that it was misleading. We found out via Cruise critic. Our TA contacted Azamara and they said they were looking into ways to ensure we all got the best evening we could have. This transpired to be either a dinner in Taronga Zoo at £800pp or a picnic in the Zoo for £800 per couple. Some people got a letter to say where we would be and that we would be arriving earlier to make the stay even better. We got nothing.

 

One evening each cruise there is an Azamazing Evening bookable free as a shore excursion. This became available to book online for a symphony orchestra concert in Hobart, just up our street, so we booked and got a confirmation. Later it was removed from the excursions and an evening in Adelaide with a singer replaced it. Again we found out through CC, the poster had phoned Azamara and been told that  anyone who had booked would be contacted. Again we heard nothing.

 

We went on the cruise with the attitude, we’ve paid for it, we can't alter it and we will enjoy it but aggrieved because we had paid for something that wasn’t what we were getting and apparently no one at Azamara HO could have cared less.

 

 

Overall

 

Overall we prefer Oceania, particularly for the food and the specialities. And it is less expensive.

 

We had a great cruise, thoroughly enjoyed it and had good views of the fireworks and onboard everyone was wonderful. If the right cruise came along we would happily cruise with Azamara again. However, the attitude of their HO rankles enough that if a like for like cruise came along we would choose Oceania over Azamara.

[Paulchili]

Thank you for taking the time for this comprehensive comparison.

[Flatbush Flyer]

21 minutes ago, jo-b said:

As there have been a number of posts on the Oceania board of the differences between Azamara and Oceania and we are regular Oceania cruisers I thought I'd add my two pennorth 

to the debate 

 

 

Our viewpoint

 

We are regular cruisers lucky enough to have visited a lot of ports, so we mainly cruise now for the ship, the food and the service. We don’t go to shows, we like trivia and good food. Not great drinkers, a cocktail before dinner, couple of glasses of wine with dinner, occasional glass of wine at lunch. We tend to DIY tours rather than ship’s tours.

 

Oceania has been a good fit for us but solely on Marina & Riviera, the O class ships, as we are not fans of the fake Downton Abbey decor on the smaller ships, so are looking forward to trying them out post refit.

 

We have sailed with Azamara 3 times before but not for a number of years since they added in drinks & tips and became more expensive.

 

Price comparison

 

We were looking for something special over New Year 2018 for a big birthday and had looked at Regatta's circumnavigation of Australia but were put off by the poor reviews for the 2017 trip. At the time I had a per night comparison with the Azamara cruise which showed Azamara as being considerably dearer , but haven’t now got the paperwork for Oceania 2018 so have used their 2019 16 day cruise on Regatta in Oz over the holidays as a guide.

 

Oceania include air, unlimited wifi per cabin, one night at each speciality restaurant (at least)  and a choice of benefits either OBC/tours or drinks.  As the drinks package offered is only wine with meals I included the OBC. So to even the offering up I have added in tips and the ultimate drinks package  ( which is better than the Azamara included drinks) to get parity .

 

For Azamara we chose to not use their air as we wanted business class and could buy it ourselves for half the price of their offering, so I added in a cheap economy airfare, the cost of an internet package and the cost of the speciality restaurants.

 

In a balcony cabin per night per person the costs equalised in content as far as possible were

Azamara £565

Oceania  £450

 

So over the 15 night cruise we paid £1725 pp more with Azamara than for a similar cruise with  Oceania.

 

 

Service

 

Overall we found little difference. In the MDR the service was similar, likewise in the bars &  from the cabin stewards.

 

Where we did find a difference was in the speciality restaurants. On Oceania there is a sense of theatre, the service is more attentive than in the MDR. On Azamara there seemed to be the same number of servers per head as in the MDR but they had to do more, filleting fish at the table side, more people having different wines which seemed not to be stored nearby etc., which meant that service was actually not as good as elsewhere.

 

The much vaunted (from the Azamara fan club) officer presence seemed less obvious than on our previous trips when,for example,  there were always a few officers taking their coffee break in the coffee shop. When you did meet them they were always friendly but we have found the same on Oceania.

 

There was the odd exceptional person such as Philip Herbert the hotel manager; who we had last seen 9 years ago so I am sure did not remember us; bumping into us in the lift on NYE and wishing me Happy Birthday! But once again on Oceania we have met people like that, such as Burley (sp) who managed the MDR who by day two of a cruise knew our name,room number and table preference.

 

Entertainment

 

There was a CD, Ernest Marchain, & deputy Geoffrey plus 2 guest lecturers, a bridge instructor and an art instructor.

 

Also there were 4 Opera Singers & their pianist supplied via Magic City Opera company. They were scheduled to do 3 shows, one of  Broadway songs, one Opera hits and a 45 minute Carmen in English. In addition they were also the Ents team, they did all the trivia bar the Progressive, napkin folding, Spanish lessons, car racing on the running track etc etc as well as two extra shows with the CD. They had been on for a few months and were due to leave the ship mid January.

 

A couple of Aussie comedians came on also for a couple of shows.

 

Although  we normally don’t bother with the shows the singers catered to our taste and they were super. They were also very personable and outgoing so excellent at the quizzes and other activities.

 

I’m not sure if the daily programme was normal or beefed up having the singers doing so many things, but for trivia lovers it was excellent there being 4/5 trivia events each day and they were all well attended.

 

Food

 

Quality in the MDR was on a par with Oceania in the main, there may have been more choices at dinner time but nothing much to choose. Presentation was good. The buffet is self service and I prefer the Oceania way where they serve you.

  

Bread was OK but uninspired and the pastries, Danish, croissants etc, were poor.

 

The speciality restaurants weren’t particularly special and given that you paid extra were a disappointment. The food was a similar quality to the MDR and on two occasions the Chef’s special was almost identical to a dish served the day before in the dining room. There were no extra touches like the oil trolley in Toscana, and it just didn’t feel as different as the Oceania specialities. Service as I mentioned did not seem to be as good as the MDR particularly given that we ate early when they were relatively quiet.

 

Drinks

 

We had read on CC about changes to the included drinks policy so were aware of what to expect but we did find the whole process byzantine. Wines included were  2 white 2 red a rose and a sparkling. Red & White different every day from what seemed to be a range of about six each. But sometimes if you wanted say a Sauvignon that was yesterday’s wine you could get it, sometimes not. It felt a little bit conspiratorial as if you were asking for something special. Why not have a choice of every included wine every day?

 

Then the cocktails. A one page list at the back of the bar menu of included spirits and cocktails. Just a list of cocktail names, no idea what the ingredients were so it made ordering difficult, and if you knew the ingredients of one that wasn’t on the list and it could be made from the included spirits (eg a Martini!) you could order it!

Again every time we ordered a pre dinner drink it felt like we were either cheapskates (possibly true!) or were asking for some under the counter favour. Would it be so difficult to just put an asterisk next to cocktails in the main menu where they were listed with all the ingredients to show which were included so you had some idea of what you were ordering?

 

To be fair the Bar Manager Sohan did come and find us to talk about it when we commented on this on our mid cruise feedback but basically he is trying to do what the company has decided.

 

 

The ship

 

Obviously exactly the same as Oceania R class but with some redecoration to a lighter colour palette which we preferred. The bedding wasn’t as nice as Oceania. Cabin bathrooms had been lightened and brightened but are small and still have shower curtains.

 

Cleanliness was excellent. Poolside blankets and towels freely available. Generally much of a muchness with Oceania.

 

 

Head Office

 

One thing that really had an adverse effect on our view of Azamara was the lack of communication from their HO, or at least as far as we were concerned.

 

We booked for the NYE in Sydney Harbour which their description said we would be in the middle of, this was subsequently changed online as we were actually in White Bay and people had complained that it was misleading. We found out via Cruise critic. Our TA contacted Azamara and they said they were looking into ways to ensure we all got the best evening we could have. This transpired to be either a dinner in Taronga Zoo at £800pp or a picnic in the Zoo for £800 per couple. Some people got a letter to say where we would be and that we would be arriving earlier to make the stay even better. We got nothing.

 

One evening each cruise there is an Azamazing Evening bookable free as a shore excursion. This became available to book online for a symphony orchestra concert in Hobart, just up our street, so we booked and got a confirmation. Later it was removed from the excursions and an evening in Adelaide with a singer replaced it. Again we found out through CC, the poster had phoned Azamara and been told that  anyone who had booked would be contacted. Again we heard nothing.

 

We went on the cruise with the attitude, we’ve paid for it, we can't alter it and we will enjoy it but aggrieved because we had paid for something that wasn’t what we were getting and apparently no one at Azamara HO could have cared less.

 

 

Overall

 

Overall we prefer Oceania, particularly for the food and the specialities. And it is less expensive.

 

We had a great cruise, thoroughly enjoyed it and had good views of the fireworks and onboard everyone was wonderful. If the right cruise came along we would happily cruise with Azamara again. However, the attitude of their HO rankles enough that if a like for like cruise came along we would choose Oceania over Azamara.

Thanks for the very balanced review. Clearly it confirms that, while Azamara is a good choice for many well traveled cruises who understand the true importance of ship choice, it continues to be edged out by Oceania on most elements.

 

Related to this: Another cruise "veteran," who is a regular CC poster (always reminding folks of x years on x ships on x lines), recently noted that he can't understand "loyalty" to a particular cruise line. Perhaps what he doesn't understand is that "loyalty" has nothing to do with some folks' choice of the same line over and over again.

Lines like Azamara and Oceania have very regular repeat customers because the "product" hits all the right buttons for generally well-educated cosmopolitan travelers who have worked hard for their money and appreciate a consistent, predictable experience in their "home away from home."

As long as the preferred line keeps offering value/quality laden interesting itineraries/shipboard experiences, why would someone waste their time/energy/money on some other "experiment? " This is not "loyalty." Rather it is "common sense."

That said, there are some definite qualitative/quantitative perks, at least on Oceania, that make brand "repetition" a no-brainer (e.g., included gratuities, complimentary air deviations, significant SBC, a free cruise every so often.... AND, because of the small ships, crew who remember you and show their appreciation.

[ginabab]

Great review Thanks for time on this

[orchestrapal]

Excellent comparison!

Thank you for taking the time to share it.

[jo-b]

16 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Thanks for the very balanced review. Clearly it confirms that, while Azamara is a good choice for many well traveled cruises who understand the true importance of ship choice, it continues to be edged out by Oceania on most elements.

 

Related to this: Another cruise "veteran," who is a regular CC poster (always reminding folks of x years on x ships on x lines), recently noted that he can't understand "loyalty" to a particular cruise line. Perhaps what he doesn't understand is that "loyalty" has nothing to do with some folks' choice of the same line over and over again.

Lines like Azamara and Oceania have very regular repeat customers because the "product" hits all the right buttons for generally well-educated cosmopolitan travelers who have worked hard for their money and appreciate a consistent, predictable experience in their "home away from home."

As long as the preferred line keeps offering value/quality laden interesting itineraries/shipboard experiences, why would someone waste their time/energy/money on some other "experiment? " This is not "loyalty." Rather it is "common sense."

That said, there are some definite qualitative/quantitative perks, at least on Oceania, that make brand "repetition" a no-brainer (e.g., included gratuities, complimentary air deviations, significant SBC, a free cruise every so often.... AND, because of the small ships, crew who remember you and show their appreciation.

 

Thanks for the comments about loyalty, very succinctly put. 

[cswhistler]

Re: loyalty, ditto that's why we're on board Insignia for 32 days Jan 29th our 19/20 Oceania cruise. Probably again on Oceania next year circumnavigating Australia on Regatta.

Yes we tried Az once and it was good but prefer Oceania, cheaper and more choice of itinerary.

[azam71209]

Thanks for the great review. Love Oceania but not finding anything particularly exciting going forward. Dates don't work,  less than impressive ports would be repeats, etc. Good to know what the trade-offs would be. 

 

Mary

[Classiccruiser777]

On 1/18/2019 at 9:44 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

That said, there are some definite qualitative/quantitative perks, at least on Oceania, that make brand "repetition" a no-brainer (e.g., included gratuities, complimentary air deviations, significant SBC, a free cruise every so often.... AND, because of the small ships, crew who remember you and show their appreciation.

 

Bingo! I’ve spent a career in quality management and have a very critical eye (just ask my wife). Oceania isn’t perfect but, for us, is as close to perfect a cruise line can be.

[sammiedawg]

2 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

 

Bingo! I’ve spent a career in quality management and have a very critical eye (just ask my wife). Oceania isn’t perfect but, for us, is as close to perfect a cruise line can be.

 

Same here.  I have a most critical eye and notice just about everything, good and bad.  Oceania clicked with us immediately and I don’t have any major issues to report after a double digit number of O cruises.  

But once in a while we try another line for variety.  We usually regret we are not on Oceania. 

[pinotlover]

I will thank and compliment the OP for this excellent assessment. We have never sailed Az, even though friends have recommended it. It was great reading his view points.The OP was very honest and upfront with his criteria in his report. Ship, food, service, .... ports were his order of importance. 

 

As sammiedawg stated, sometimes, when on other ships, we may wish we were on Oceania. However, for many of we travelers ( as opposed to purely cruisers), ports and itinerary are the number one criteria in choosing, and paying for, a cruise. That one number criteria can/ will lead us to other lines. 

 

We had a fun thread back several months ago with Oceania regulars listing their dream new cruises of where they wished O would go or cruises they’d like to see added. It will be interesting to see , post 2022, with the addition of two new ships whether O will add new ports and cruises, or if they’ll just throw more ( and/or larger) ships going to Alaska, the Med, the Baltic, etc. Until then, we occasionally have to leave our favorite ships/ cruise line to get to some of the places we want to see by sea not land.

[Flatbush Flyer]

33 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I will thank and compliment the OP for this excellent assessment. We have never sailed Az, even though friends have recommended it. It was great reading his view points.The OP was very honest and upfront with his criteria in his report. Ship, food, service, .... ports were his order of importance. 

 

As sammiedawg stated, sometimes, when on other ships, we may wish we were on Oceania. However, for many of we travelers ( as opposed to purely cruisers), ports and itinerary are the number one criteria in choosing, and paying for, a cruise. That one number criteria can/ will lead us to other lines. 

 

We had a fun thread back several months ago with Oceania regulars listing their dream new cruises of where they wished O would go or cruises they’d like to see added. It will be interesting to see , post 2022, with the addition of two new ships whether O will add new ports and cruises, or if they’ll just throw more ( and/or larger) ships going to Alaska, the Med, the Baltic, etc. Until then, we occasionally have to leave our favorite ships/ cruise line to get to some of the places we want to see by sea not land.

Hopefully, you're talking about the circumnavigation of Sicily (and added nearby Med islands) idea, which got a ton of "likes." If it is an RT Rome for at least 10 days (include 2-3 sea days for icing on the cake), Oceania could easily fill a ship within a few weeks of announcing that itinerary.

[Paulchili]

17 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Hopefully, you're talking about the circumnavigation of Sicily (and added nearby Med islands) idea, which got a ton of "likes." If it is an RT Rome for at least 10 days (include 2-3 sea days for icing on the cake), Oceania could easily fill a ship within a few weeks of announcing that itinerary.

That sounds like a nice trip, but....

Visiting Sicily is very easy on a land trip - in fact, we’ve done it and loved it.

I would be more interested in Oceania venturing to more remote destinations that are very difficult or imposssible to DIY on a land trip. Ponant, Seabourn, Silversea and others do trips that visit places like East Timor, small Melanesia islands, Northwest passage, Antarctica, Russian and Norwegian Arctic - the list goes on and on.

Yes - we can do those trips on those lines but I would rather do it on Oceania.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Paulchili

[pinotlover]

Flatbush Flyer;

 

That indeed was one of the cruises I had in mind, as well as a circumnavigational around Japan. Also a single cruise hitting Algiers, Tangier, Gilbraltor, Casablanca, Madeira, and the Canaries with the necessary anchor ports on each end.

 

Fairly well expect Nat Geo to be our line for Galapagos . Don’t expect O will ever go there or to ever provide an enrichment speaker to match the uniqueness of the location if they did.

[Flatbush Flyer]

24 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

That sounds like a nice trip, but....

Visiting Sicily is very easy on a land trip - in fact, we’ve done it and loved it.

I would be more interested in Oceania venturing to more remote destinations that are very difficult or imposssible to DIY on a land trip. Ponant, Seabourn, Silversea and others do trips that visit places like East Timor, small Melanesia islands, Northwest passage, Antarctica, Russian and Norwegian Arctic - the list goes on and on.

Yes - we can do those trips on those lines but I would rather do it on Oceania.

Yes to Sicily as a land trip. Been there and will return often as it is my "roots." But, the cruise would open the country to far more exploration by diehard cruisers, many of who have Sicilian and other southern Italian origins.

[cynalan]

On 1/18/2019 at 12:02 PM, jo-b said:

 

Price comparison

 

Oceania include air, unlimited wifi per cabin, one night at each speciality restaurant (at least)  and a choice of benefits either OBC/tours or drinks.  As the drinks package offered is only wine with meals I included the OBC. So to even the offering up I have added in tips and the ultimate drinks package  ( which is better than the Azamara included drinks) to get parity .

 

For Azamara we chose to not use their air as we wanted business class and could buy it ourselves for half the price of their offering, so I added in a cheap economy airfare, the cost of an internet package and the cost of the speciality restaurants.

 

Service

 

Overall we found little difference. In the MDR the service was similar, likewise in the bars &  from the cabin stewards.

 

Where we did find a difference was in the speciality restaurants. On Oceania there is a sense of theatre, the service is more attentive than in the MDR. On Azamara there seemed to be the same number of servers per head as in the MDR but they had to do more, filleting fish at the table side, more people having different wines which seemed not to be stored nearby etc., which meant that service was actually not as good as elsewhere.

 

The much vaunted (from the Azamara fan club) officer presence seemed less obvious than on our previous trips when,for example,  there were always a few officers taking their coffee break in the coffee shop. When you did meet them they were always friendly but we have found the same on Oceania.

 

Entertainment

 

There was a CD, Ernest Marchain, & deputy Geoffrey plus 2 guest lecturers, a bridge instructor and an art instructor.

 

Also there were 4 Opera Singers & their pianist supplied via Magic City Opera company. They were scheduled to do 3 shows, one of  Broadway songs, one Opera hits and a 45 minute Carmen in English. In addition they were also the Ents team, they did all the trivia bar the Progressive, napkin folding, Spanish lessons, car racing on the running track etc etc as well as two extra shows with the CD. They had been on for a few months and were due to leave the ship mid January.

 

A couple of Aussie comedians came on also for a couple of shows.

 

Although  we normally don’t bother with the shows the singers catered to our taste and they were super. They were also very personable and outgoing so excellent at the quizzes and other activities.

 

I’m not sure if the daily programme was normal or beefed up having the singers doing so many things, but for trivia lovers it was excellent there being 4/5 trivia events each day and they were all well attended.

 

Food

 

Quality in the MDR was on a par with Oceania in the main, there may have been more choices at dinner time but nothing much to choose. Presentation was good. The buffet is self service and I prefer the Oceania way where they serve you.

  

Bread was OK but uninspired and the pastries, Danish, croissants etc, were poor.

 

The speciality restaurants weren’t particularly special and given that you paid extra were a disappointment. The food was a similar quality to the MDR and on two occasions the Chef’s special was almost identical to a dish served the day before in the dining room. There were no extra touches like the oil trolley in Toscana, and it just didn’t feel as different as the Oceania specialities. Service as I mentioned did not seem to be as good as the MDR particularly given that we ate early when they were relatively quiet.

 

Drinks

 

We had read on CC about changes to the included drinks policy so were aware of what to expect but we did find the whole process byzantine. Wines included were  2 white 2 red a rose and a sparkling. Red & White different every day from what seemed to be a range of about six each. But sometimes if you wanted say a Sauvignon that was yesterday’s wine you could get it, sometimes not. It felt a little bit conspiratorial as if you were asking for something special. Why not have a choice of every included wine every day?

 

Then the cocktails. A one page list at the back of the bar menu of included spirits and cocktails. Just a list of cocktail names, no idea what the ingredients were so it made ordering difficult, and if you knew the ingredients of one that wasn’t on the list and it could be made from the included spirits (eg a Martini!) you could order it!

 

Again every time we ordered a pre dinner drink it felt like we were either cheapskates (possibly true!) or were asking for some under the counter favour. Would it be so difficult to just put an asterisk next to cocktails in the main menu where they were listed with all the ingredients to show which were included so you had some idea of what you were ordering?

 

The ship

 

Obviously exactly the same as Oceania R class but with some redecoration to a lighter colour palette which we preferred. The bedding wasn’t as nice as Oceania. Cabin bathrooms had been lightened and brightened but are small and still have shower curtains.  Cleanliness was excellent. Poolside blankets and towels freely available. Generally much of a muchness with Oceania.

 

Head Office

 

One evening each cruise there is an Azamazing Evening bookable free as a shore excursion. This became available to book online for a symphony orchestra concert in Hobart, just up our street, so we booked and got a confirmation. Later it was removed from the excursions and an evening in Adelaide with a singer replaced it. Again we found out through CC, the poster had phoned Azamara and been told that  anyone who had booked would be contacted. Again we heard nothing.

 

 

 

My wife and I are definitely not brand loyal. Of more than 35 cruises, other than Caribbean "fun and sun" cruises where we want to be entertained, our key driver in selecting a ship is itinerary first, ship second. To that end, we recently had the opportunity to take our first Azamara cruise. We sailed on the first commercial voyage of the new Azamara Pursuit from Southampton to Barcelona in September. Our last cruise on Oceania was in the Far East several years ago on the Nautica from Bangkok to Beijing, including S. Korea and Japan. We will be cruising on the O Sirena in February for a S. America circumnavigation . I thought that I could offer a few comments from my perspective and experience. 

 

Ships - We've not experienced the larger O ships, only the smaller R series. Perhaps it is an unfair comparison as the Pursuit is just out of dry dock, however, she is stunning. We loved the muted earth tones of the public rooms. Furnishings were both constructed of high quality fabrics and quite comfortable. The linens and pillows in our stateroom as well as the quality of the bed made for a wonderful night's sleep. Granted these were brand new.

 

Food - Both ships provide an excellent MDR experience. I thought that the specialty restaurants on Az were adequate, but nothing special. I think O wins this one.  However, I must give a big thumbs up to the Az Chef's Table dinner. At $100 pp it was worth every penny We were treated to an amazing 5 course dinner with exceptional wine pairings. One of the senior officers of the ship hosted the dinner and we were feted by the Head Chef and Chief Sommelier. The evening was magical. Our Scottish host even broke out an exceptional Single Malt from his personal stash to share with us. (it was not on ship's liquor menu)

 

Drinks - I hate, repeat hate the Az drink policy. They have 3 tiers of drinks. The basic package includes drinks but is restricted in options. The next tier adds a few more options, the highest tier includes just about everything except high end single malts. Amaretto is only available in the high end package. Seriously!  I think their policy should be changed. We purchased the middle package and one night with new friends, tried to order an amaretto on the rocks. The response... "Sorry sir, your package does not allow that."  Very embarassing. I commented in the mid cruise questionnaire, spoke to a few ship's officers and provide the same comments in the final cruise review. Change your policy. At Az's price point, this feels like cheap nickel and diming. It is not becoming of the cruise line. I have no problem with the O policy of wine and beer at lunch at dinner. An upgrade to a full package is only $20 per day. Reasonable in my mind. 

 

Special Events -  We had 2 experiences like no other. Azamara has hit a home run with their Azamazing evening and White Nights celebrations.

 

Azamazing - This is a shore excursion that is provided free to all passengers. On our cruise, more than 550 of 702 passengers availed themselves of the opportunity. We were taken to the Chocolate Box theatre in Bilbao for a wonderful evening of Basque music including a fantastic folk dance troupe. We were greeted at the concert hall with a glass of wine. Research after the show revealed the band to be one of the most highly rated bands in Spain. They were exceptional.  Back at the pier, the ship's orchestra was playing at the gangway as we walked up the red carpet to the greeting of senior officers having been served a glass of champagne. It truly was Azamazing!!

 

The white night deck party was the best that I have experienced on any ship. The deck was beautifully decorated and lit. Tables had been placed on the deck in groups of 4 - 8 seats. Senior ship staff served dinner buffet style. Not your average buffet. We were served Filet and Lobster Tails by the First Officer. All of the food was not typical buffet fare but was exceptionally prepared The band played nonstop for  2 hours. Definitely a great night.

 

 

We are very much looking forward to sailing on the Sirena in February to compare our experience. 

[Kingofcool1947]

On 1/18/2019 at 9:02 AM, jo-b said:

As there have been a number of posts on the Oceania board of the differences between Azamara and Oceania and we are regular Oceania cruisers I thought I'd add my two pennorth 

to the debate 

 

 

Our viewpoint

 

We are regular cruisers lucky enough to have visited a lot of ports, so we mainly cruise now for the ship, the food and the service. We don’t go to shows, we like trivia and good food. Not great drinkers, a cocktail before dinner, couple of glasses of wine with dinner, occasional glass of wine at lunch. We tend to DIY tours rather than ship’s tours.

 

Oceania has been a good fit for us but solely on Marina & Riviera, the O class ships, as we are not fans of the fake Downton Abbey decor on the smaller ships, so are looking forward to trying them out post refit.

 

We have sailed with Azamara 3 times before but not for a number of years since they added in drinks & tips and became more expensive.

 

Price comparison

 

We were looking for something special over New Year 2018 for a big birthday and had looked at Regatta's circumnavigation of Australia but were put off by the poor reviews for the 2017 trip. At the time I had a per night comparison with the Azamara cruise which showed Azamara as being considerably dearer , but haven’t now got the paperwork for Oceania 2018 so have used their 2019 16 day cruise on Regatta in Oz over the holidays as a guide.

 

Oceania include air, unlimited wifi per cabin, one night at each speciality restaurant (at least)  and a choice of benefits either OBC/tours or drinks.  As the drinks package offered is only wine with meals I included the OBC. So to even the offering up I have added in tips and the ultimate drinks package  ( which is better than the Azamara included drinks) to get parity .

 

For Azamara we chose to not use their air as we wanted business class and could buy it ourselves for half the price of their offering, so I added in a cheap economy airfare, the cost of an internet package and the cost of the speciality restaurants.

 

In a balcony cabin per night per person the costs equalised in content as far as possible were

Azamara £565

Oceania  £450

 

So over the 15 night cruise we paid £1725 pp more with Azamara than for a similar cruise with  Oceania.

 

 

Service

 

Overall we found little difference. In the MDR the service was similar, likewise in the bars &  from the cabin stewards.

 

Where we did find a difference was in the speciality restaurants. On Oceania there is a sense of theatre, the service is more attentive than in the MDR. On Azamara there seemed to be the same number of servers per head as in the MDR but they had to do more, filleting fish at the table side, more people having different wines which seemed not to be stored nearby etc., which meant that service was actually not as good as elsewhere.

 

The much vaunted (from the Azamara fan club) officer presence seemed less obvious than on our previous trips when,for example,  there were always a few officers taking their coffee break in the coffee shop. When you did meet them they were always friendly but we have found the same on Oceania.

 

There was the odd exceptional person such as Philip Herbert the hotel manager; who we had last seen 9 years ago so I am sure did not remember us; bumping into us in the lift on NYE and wishing me Happy Birthday! But once again on Oceania we have met people like that, such as Burley (sp) who managed the MDR who by day two of a cruise knew our name,room number and table preference.

 

Entertainment

 

There was a CD, Ernest Marchain, & deputy Geoffrey plus 2 guest lecturers, a bridge instructor and an art instructor.

 

Also there were 4 Opera Singers & their pianist supplied via Magic City Opera company. They were scheduled to do 3 shows, one of  Broadway songs, one Opera hits and a 45 minute Carmen in English. In addition they were also the Ents team, they did all the trivia bar the Progressive, napkin folding, Spanish lessons, car racing on the running track etc etc as well as two extra shows with the CD. They had been on for a few months and were due to leave the ship mid January.

 

A couple of Aussie comedians came on also for a couple of shows.

 

Although  we normally don’t bother with the shows the singers catered to our taste and they were super. They were also very personable and outgoing so excellent at the quizzes and other activities.

 

I’m not sure if the daily programme was normal or beefed up having the singers doing so many things, but for trivia lovers it was excellent there being 4/5 trivia events each day and they were all well attended.

 

Food

 

Quality in the MDR was on a par with Oceania in the main, there may have been more choices at dinner time but nothing much to choose. Presentation was good. The buffet is self service and I prefer the Oceania way where they serve you.

  

Bread was OK but uninspired and the pastries, Danish, croissants etc, were poor.

 

The speciality restaurants weren’t particularly special and given that you paid extra were a disappointment. The food was a similar quality to the MDR and on two occasions the Chef’s special was almost identical to a dish served the day before in the dining room. There were no extra touches like the oil trolley in Toscana, and it just didn’t feel as different as the Oceania specialities. Service as I mentioned did not seem to be as good as the MDR particularly given that we ate early when they were relatively quiet.

 

Drinks

 

We had read on CC about changes to the included drinks policy so were aware of what to expect but we did find the whole process byzantine. Wines included were  2 white 2 red a rose and a sparkling. Red & White different every day from what seemed to be a range of about six each. But sometimes if you wanted say a Sauvignon that was yesterday’s wine you could get it, sometimes not. It felt a little bit conspiratorial as if you were asking for something special. Why not have a choice of every included wine every day?

 

Then the cocktails. A one page list at the back of the bar menu of included spirits and cocktails. Just a list of cocktail names, no idea what the ingredients were so it made ordering difficult, and if you knew the ingredients of one that wasn’t on the list and it could be made from the included spirits (eg a Martini!) you could order it!

Again every time we ordered a pre dinner drink it felt like we were either cheapskates (possibly true!) or were asking for some under the counter favour. Would it be so difficult to just put an asterisk next to cocktails in the main menu where they were listed with all the ingredients to show which were included so you had some idea of what you were ordering?

 

To be fair the Bar Manager Sohan did come and find us to talk about it when we commented on this on our mid cruise feedback but basically he is trying to do what the company has decided.

 

 

The ship

 

Obviously exactly the same as Oceania R class but with some redecoration to a lighter colour palette which we preferred. The bedding wasn’t as nice as Oceania. Cabin bathrooms had been lightened and brightened but are small and still have shower curtains.

 

Cleanliness was excellent. Poolside blankets and towels freely available. Generally much of a muchness with Oceania.

 

 

Head Office

 

One thing that really had an adverse effect on our view of Azamara was the lack of communication from their HO, or at least as far as we were concerned.

 

We booked for the NYE in Sydney Harbour which their description said we would be in the middle of, this was subsequently changed online as we were actually in White Bay and people had complained that it was misleading. We found out via Cruise critic. Our TA contacted Azamara and they said they were looking into ways to ensure we all got the best evening we could have. This transpired to be either a dinner in Taronga Zoo at £800pp or a picnic in the Zoo for £800 per couple. Some people got a letter to say where we would be and that we would be arriving earlier to make the stay even better. We got nothing.

 

One evening each cruise there is an Azamazing Evening bookable free as a shore excursion. This became available to book online for a symphony orchestra concert in Hobart, just up our street, so we booked and got a confirmation. Later it was removed from the excursions and an evening in Adelaide with a singer replaced it. Again we found out through CC, the poster had phoned Azamara and been told that  anyone who had booked would be contacted. Again we heard nothing.

 

We went on the cruise with the attitude, we’ve paid for it, we can't alter it and we will enjoy it but aggrieved because we had paid for something that wasn’t what we were getting and apparently no one at Azamara HO could have cared less.

 

 

Overall

 

Overall we prefer Oceania, particularly for the food and the specialities. And it is less expensive.

 

We had a great cruise, thoroughly enjoyed it and had good views of the fireworks and onboard everyone was wonderful. If the right cruise came along we would happily cruise with Azamara again. However, the attitude of their HO rankles enough that if a like for like cruise came along we would choose Oceania over Azamara.

Thank you for the positive review of your cruise.  You seem easy to please.

King

[Paulchili]

It’s been mentioned on another thread - and this is not personal, just a general note.. There is no need to copy the full posts one is replying to  - especially if they are lengthy ones like this one. It’s been done on this thread multiple times.

Just mention the CC name of the person your want to reply to or just quote the statement you want to reply to. It makes reading these threads a lot easier.

Thank you.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Paulchili

[Kingofcool1947]

Chili,

Good to know what the CC rules are.

Thanks.

King

Edited January 21, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[gbits]

Thank you Paul!

[Paulchili]

You are both welcome.

Just to clarify - AFAIK these are not CC rules, just common practice that makes it easier to follow the thread  without excessive scrolling.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Paulchili

[jo-b]

Thanks for the feedback folks. 

 

King, yes I am easy to please, if I've paid hard earned cash I try to enjoy myself despite any niggles rather than focussing on the niggle and let it "ruin my cruise" 

 

Cynalan, I think the drinks policy was the thing I hated most for exactly the same reasons . I hope you enjoy Sirena, we are trying her in August which will be post refurb. 

 

Pinot Lover We went to Galapagos with Celebrity , small ship only 99 passengers excellent speakers and guides , totally unlike their big ship experience. 

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by jo-b

[DavidTheWonderer]

10 hours ago, Paulchili said:

...There is no need to copy the full posts one is replying to  - especially if they are lengthy ones like this one. ..

Now that cruise critic allows people to post photographs, for such postings it is particularly nice if you take the trouble to edit them out along with superfluous text. We don't need to see multiple copies of the same photos and because of their size scrolling past them is usually even more time consuming than scrolling past superfluous text.

[pinotlover]

Jo-b;

 

Thanks! Hadn’t heard that Celebrity was doing that. Will have to explore that option in that cruise is getting closer to the top of our bucket for the next couple of years. Probably 2021.

 

Point being, multiple places we want to go but it won’t/can’t be on Oceania.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Jo-b;

 

Thanks! Hadn’t heard that Celebrity was doing that. Will have to explore that option in that cruise is getting closer to the top of our bucket for the next couple of years. Probably 2021.

 

Point being, multiple places we want to go but it won’t/can’t be on Oceania.

They have 4 small ships called the Xperience, Xploration, Flora & Xploration. They range in size from 16 pax to 100. I've heard a couple of them they only bought to get the licenses to go to the Galapagos, but I don't know the details on that. 3 are old and the Flora I think is brand new.