A Pleasant Comparison: Cruising in Azamara and Celebrity Suites

[cruisefam38]

This report is a comparison of and a reflection upon two eastern Caribbean cruises, one an 11 night taken on the Azamara Quest in March and the other a 9 night taken on the Celebrity Reflection in April.   Each cruise was very good with points of excellence, therefore the similarities outweigh the differences between the two lines and the individual ships. 

 

Similarities and Differences in Circumstances:

Both ships were maintaining pandemic related protocols, although in each case the masks restrictions for passengers had been eased, while mask requirements stayed in place for crew.  Both cruises were to the eastern Caribbean islands.  Although the itineraries were different, with the Quest making six ports and the Reflection making five, both ships stopped at St. Thomas and St. Kitts.  Each ship sailed with roughly 50% passenger capacity.  Both cruises sailed under a full moon.  Both cruises had some supply restrictions affecting availability of some food and beverages. 

We had more rain during the Quest cruise, which created more chances to see rainbows.  We saw not just some fragments and pale arcs, we saw vivid full arcs in the sky.  We had more sunshine during the Reflection cruise, with sunlight dancing on the waves.  Both cruises had memorable, photo worthy sunrises and sunsets.

We had particularly rough seas on the first two days of the Quest cruise, and the R-ships tendency to vibrations was fully evident.  The larger Reflection powered through the seas it encountered.  We like both ships.

The Ships:

These ships are of different ages, the R-class Quest launched in 2000 (with Azamara since 2007) and the Reflection launched in 2012.  The public spaces are clean and well maintained.  Both ships are showing some age, the Quest more so.  We had been on each ship prior to this year's cruises.

 

As a passenger, the Quest is a ship that is easy to learn and navigate.  If one is familiar with the newer, larger ships, it is nice to realize the shorter distances and less time taken moving from one part of the ship to another.  The Azamara Quest has a different ambiance:  a quieter, more at ease, ship experience.  The Den and Living Room areas were used all through the cruise, with people conversing, reading, or simply sitting.

 

The Reflection is obviously larger, with more of everything.  This S-class ship certainly has more activity, without the hyperactive quality of the newest offerings from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian.  The pool area is much more active in early afternoon, and the Casino is still exchanging money and chips.   I watched the Archery contest and the Airplane flying in the Grand Foyer.  I can't remember if I had trouble learning the layout of the Reflection when we first sailed on her in 2016, however I do know that I liked the ship then and I like it now.

  It is a curious thing to have opinions about ships, and like one more than another.    

(Part 1)

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by cruisefam38

[cruisefam38]

Activities  -   Trivia is not trivial.  Our main social activity is the trivia games, and once again this onboard activity was the avenue for us to meet and interact on a daily basis with fellow travelers on each cruise.  Cruising would be much less pleasurable without such an opportunity.  Kudos to the Entertainment Teams on the Quest and the Reflection for helping to make these games enjoyable.

We played shuffleboard on the Quest, and bocce on the Reflection.  Daily, we used the walking tracks and the fitness centers.  We walked the decks after dinner each night.  We enjoyed both ships.

 

Entertainment -  Certainly subjective.  I think both the bands on the Reflection were better than the band on the Quest.  All three musical groups featured good female vocalists, however the band on the Quest did not seem as talented.  Credit to all of them for the efforts they made to make good music.  This applies to the ship's bands, also.   Those instrumentalists are talented and dedicated to their craft.

Amanda, who is recognized for her vocal abilities and outgoing personality, helps Azamara do more with fewer resources than Celebrity.  The productions shows did not interest us, however not for lack of effort from the cast members.  One moment that stood out on the Reflection was the violinist Yoomi playing while standing on the Grand Foyer staircase was memorable for the acoustics and the visual image of her interacting with the crowd that had gathered. 

Both Cruise Directors were visible and interacted with passengers on these two cruises, and each seemed to be well received by the passengers.  Both Entertainment Teams were staffed by people with friendly, outgoing personalities.

 

The Suite Life -

For the first , and probably only time, we rolled the dice due to the price, and for the Quest booked a Guaranty.  We got 8073, back corner under Windows.  This cabin worked for us, with very little overhead noise.  The cabin had sufficient storage.  We did not purchase a beverage package for this cruise, and made due with the included alcohol selections included in an Azamara cruise. 

We had a mid-ship, 12th deck S1 Sky Suite on the Reflection with the all the amenities and add-ons.  A larger cabin, although the bathrooms were about the same size.  The one thing I would change in this cabin is to widen and lengthen the shower curtain so it less likely to allow water into the bathroom.

Each suite had a butler/host and we got the best of each person's strengths.  This perquisite of suite cruising was not fully used by us, at least as we understand how other's use these assets, nonetheless, we do value the services they provide.

The WiFi was only adequate on both ships, but the Quest was barely sufficient for emails.  We don't stream entertainment on our devices. 

We spent time in our berths, and enjoyed both cabins.  We spent time on the verandas at all hours of the day.  We were comfortable in these private spaces that allow us to have a sense of place and routine.  Each time, we were saddened by the click of the door lock when we departed our cabins.

 

 (part II)

Edited April 23, 2022 by cruisefam38

[cruisefam38]

Dining -

The dining experience on the Quest was very good.  The service was excellent in the Discoveries Main Dining room and upstairs in Aqualina in the morning and Prime C in the evening. 

We only used one of the specialty dining restaurants on the Celebrity Reflection, the Lawn Club.  While it was nice, we didn't think the food or service justified the extra cost.   The hamburger in Luminae was better than the one from Lawn Club.

Luminae, the dining venue dedicated to suite guests served our needs well.  The service was excellent from the embarkation lunch to the disembarkation breakfast. Since the menus tended to skew to seafood some evenings, with options that might be appealing to other travelers, we were able to fall back upon the Opus main dining room menu to fill out our orders. 

Both cruise lines seemed to be more likely to use a variety of spices on these sailings, each strived to bring an international flair to the menu choices in the dining rooms and in the buffet areas.  On each cruise, a couple of nights the food was less desirable than on other nights, which is not to say the food was bad, just not as much to our liking.  That said, most meals were to our liking, and pleasing to our palates.

 

Regarding Public Spaces  -

The Reflection - I am glad the Sky Lounge still exists, although I miss the grand sweep this space once had.  I noticed public spaces such as the Game area, the Library, and the Hideaway being used daily.

On the Quest - the Den and the Living Room were well used on the cruise we took.

Being mindful of the conversion of the Onward's Library into another bar, I hope the cruise lines do not take all these spaces from passengers.  On Azamara and Celebrity, it is nice to plop into a chair on Promenade with a drink at hand, or a bowl of ice cream.  As Retreat level passengers on Celebrity, we don't need those public spaces, and didn't use them on this cruise.  However, other guests did use them.   Passengers in other cabins want and need areas of the ship they can call their own.  There may come a point when we cruise in a balcony, or even a porthole cabin.  I hope there are public spaces we can use without extra cost.   

 

Final Thoughts -

On both cruises, my wife and I discussed the admirable way the crew on each ship were working to make the cruise a success.  Maybe this a stretch, but looking back on these two cruises, I get the sense the entire staff and crew on both ships worked as if their jobs depended on the best service possible.  It could be stated this is always the case, yet when one thinks about the debt these companies have taken on to survive the lean years of the pandemic, and an uncertain future of oceanic travel, it feels the stakes are as high, and even higher, than they have ever been.  Yet they worked with smiles on their faces that could be detected through the masks.  Day after day, week after week, they wore the masks, and smiled.  Waiters, entertainers, ship's crews, and officers smiled, and laughed amongst themselves, and with the ever flowing stream of passengers.

 

As I wrote this reaction report, I found myself smiling as I reminisced, remembering moments and incidents.  I began this not knowing if I would finish it, nor knowing if I would post it on Cruise Critic.  I have chosen to share these musings because these cruise lines were once corporate cousins, and still share some important positive distinctions that are worth noting.  Azamara has it's niche, going to places like St. Barth, longer port stays, and providing celebrations like White Night.  Celebrity does the mass market well, more things to do in larger areas.  Both these cruising experiences came with a price tag.  They were similar, yet different. I for one, wish they were still in the same corporate family.

 

We will cruise these lines again?  We have two cruises booked on Azamara and one cruise booked on Celebrity.  I hope we get to take them, and I am confident we will enjoy each and every one of them. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by cruisefam38

[Belfastman]

10 minutes ago, cruisefam38 said:

Activities  -   Trivia is not trivial.  Our main social activity is the trivia games, and once again this onboard activity was the avenue for us to meet and interact on a daily basis with fellow travelers on each cruise.  Cruising would be much less pleasurable without such an opportunity.  Kudos to the Entertainment Teams on the Quest and the Reflection for helping to make these games enjoyable.

We played shuffleboard on the Quest, and bocce on the Reflection.  Daily, we used the walking tracks and the fitness centers.  We walked the decks after dinner each night.  We enjoyed both ships.

Entertainment -  Certainly subjective.  I think both the bands on the Reflection were better than the band on the Quest.  All three musical groups featured good female vocalists, however the band on the Quest did not seem as talented.  Credit to all of them for the efforts they made to make good music.  This applies to the ship's bands, also.   Those instrumentalists are talented and dedicated to their craft.

Amanda, who is recognized for her vocal abilities and outgoing personality, helps Azamara do more with fewer resources than Celebrity.  The productions shows did not interest us, however not for lack of effort from the cast members.  One moment that stood out on the Reflection was the violinist Yoomi playing while standing on the Grand Foyer staircase was memorable for the acoustics and the visual image of her interacting with the crowd that had gathered. 

Both Cruise Directors were visible and interacted with passengers on these two cruises, and each seemed to be well received by the passengers.  Both Entertainment Teams were staffed by people with friendly, outgoing personalities.

The Suite Life -

For the first , and probably only time, we rolled the dice due to the price, and for the Quest booked a Guaranty.  We got 8073, back corner under Windows.  This cabin worked for us, with very little overhead noise.  The cabin had sufficient storage.  We did not purchase a beverage package for this cruise, and made due with the included alcohol selections included in an Azamara cruise. 

We had a mid-ship, 12th deck S1 Sky Suite on the Reflection with the all the amenities and add-ons.  A larger cabin, although the bathrooms were about the same size.  The one thing I would change in this cabin is to widen and lengthen the shower curtain so it less likely to allow water into the bathroom.

Each suite had a butler/host and we got the best of each person's strengths.  This perquisite of suite cruising was not fully used by us, at least as we understand how other's use these assets, nonetheless, we do value the services they provide.

The WiFi was only adequate on both ships, but the Quest was barely sufficient for emails.  We don't stream entertainment on our devices. 

We spent time in our berths, and enjoyed both cabins.  We spent time on the verandas at all hours of the day.  We were comfortable in these private spaces that allow us to have a sense of place and routine.  Each time, we were saddened by the click of the door lock when we departed our cabins.

 

 (part II)

I think you'll find that the Reflection is somewhat newer than Quest in that it launched in 2012 compared to Quest original launch as R7 in 2000.

[cruisefam38]

Wouldn't you know it! There was a trivia question about the age of the Reflection.  I missed it then and I missed it now!!  Maybe NOW I will learn.  I will correct the above if possible. 

Good catch and thank you for the correction, Belfastman.

Edited April 23, 2022 by cruisefam38

[jollyjoyce]

1 hour ago, cruisefam38 said:

Dining -

The dining experience on the Quest was very good.  The service was excellent in the Discoveries Main Dining room and upstairs in Aqualina in the morning and Prime C in the evening. 

We only used one of the specialty dining restaurants on the Celebrity Reflection, the Lawn Club.  While it was nice, we didn't think the food or service justified the extra cost.   The hamburger in Luminae was better than the one from Lawn Club.

Luminae, the dining venue dedicated to suite guests served our needs well.  The service was excellent from the embarkation lunch to the disembarkation breakfast. Since the menus tended to skew to seafood some evenings, with options that might be appealing to other travelers, we were able to fall back upon the Opus main dining room menu to fill out our orders. 

Both cruise lines seemed to be more likely to use a variety of spices on these sailings, each strived to bring an international flair to the menu choices in the dining rooms and in the buffet areas.  On each cruise, a couple of nights the food was less desirable than on other nights, which is not to say the food was bad, just not as much to our liking.  That said, most meals were to our liking, and pleasing to our palates.

 

Regarding Public Spaces  -

The Reflection - I am glad the Sky Lounge still exists, although I miss the grand sweep this space once had.  I noticed public spaces such as the Game area, the Library, and the Hideaway being used daily.

On the Quest - the Den and the Living Room were well used on the cruise we took.

Being mindful of the conversion of the Onward's Library into another bar, I hope the cruise lines do not take all these spaces from passengers.  On Azamara and Celebrity, it is nice to plop into a chair on Promenade with a drink at hand, or a bowl of ice cream.  As Retreat level passengers on Celebrity, we don't need those public spaces, and didn't use them on this cruise.  However, other guests did use them.   Passengers in other cabins want and need areas of the ship they can call their own.  There may come a point when we cruise in a balcony, or even a porthole cabin.  I hope there are public spaces we can use without extra cost.   

 

Final Thoughts -

On both cruises, my wife and I discussed the admirable way the crew on each ship were working to make the cruise a success.  Maybe this a stretch, but looking back on these two cruises, I get the sense the entire staff and crew on both ships worked as if their jobs depended on the best service possible.  It could be stated this is always the case, yet when one thinks about the debt these companies have taken on to survive the lean years of the pandemic, and an uncertain future of oceanic travel, it feels the stakes are as high, and even higher, than they have ever been.  Yet they worked with smiles on their faces that could be detected through the masks.  Day after day, week after week, they wore the masks, and smiled.  Waiters, entertainers, ship's crews, and officers smiled, and laughed amongst themselves, and with the ever flowing stream of passengers.

 

As I wrote this reaction report, I found myself smiling as I reminisced, remembering moments and incidents.  I began this not knowing if I would finish it, nor knowing if I would post it on Cruise Critic.  I have chosen to share these musings because these cruise lines were once corporate cousins, and still share some important positive distinctions that are worth noting.  Azamara has it's niche, going to places like St. Barth, longer port stays, and providing celebrations like White Night.  Celebrity does the mass market well, more things to do in larger areas.  Both these cruising experiences came with a price tag.  They were similar, yet different. I for one, wish they were still in the same corporate family.

 

We will cruise these lines again?  We have two cruises booked on Azamara and one cruise booked on Celebrity.  I hope we get to take them, and I am confident we will enjoy each and every one of them. 

I really enjoyed your balanced and fair evaluation of both ships. Delighted you enjoyed both of your cruises. We have sailed on both lines, more Azamara than Celebrity but have enjoyed them all. Thank you for your time. Azamara Onward booked for July so fingers crossed !!

[cruisefam38]

20 hours ago, jollyjoyce said:

Azamara Onward booked for July so fingers crossed !!

One of our future cruises is on the Onward Jan. 2023, a Panama Canal transit that starts in Miami and disembarks at the port of Lima, Peru.  Most full transits make a U shape between Florida and California.  This cruise caught our eye because it makes a left turn out of the Canal and heads southward.  Different.   Maybe it's a left turn on a red light?    (Blackfoot reference)

I think a good example of the kind of cruise itineraries upon which Azamara has built its reputation. 

I do hope the current owners and leadership team can guide Azamara through to success.  They certainly have challenges to deal with, and headwinds to overcome.   The Crystal Cruise Line debacle serves as a model of what not to do when operating a travel company, yet offers no guarantees of how to flourish.

Edited April 24, 2022 by cruisefam38

[cruisefam38]

I appreciate the likes and the thanks that were received for this posting. 

This first photo was taken during an excursion along the coastline of Virgin Gorda, BVI

Edited April 26, 2022 by cruisefam38

[cruisefam38]

This second photo was taken along the shoreline of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic