My quick Journey review.

[Xcelsior]

Disembarked on Friday.  Itinerary was great - 12 night Greece and Turkey.   Only 217 passengers and 370 crew.  Service was excellent as always.  Entertainment was terrible - the worst entertainment of my 35 cruises by far.  To be completely honest, I think Azamara has slipped badly, and I now consider it a significant step down from Celebrity. I realize this opinion will upset Azamara loyalists, but honestly, the food is certainly no better, the ships are older and the cabins are smaller of course.  The shower size drove me crazy. The bedding and the linens though were  great and I like the table on the balcony vs the reclining chairs on other ships.  Makes breakfast in balcony very enjoyable.  The pluses of Azamara are ship size, service and itineraries.  For me, everything else paled in comparison to Celebrity. That being said I will sail Azamara again for the itinerary, but will not pay through the nose to do it.  I will go with Oceania or Viking at the same price as they are just a better quality product for the same cost. 

[Zoey]

Thanks for taking time to post your review. I really enjoyed my pre-covid 2019 Azamara cruise and have another booked for November. I’ve been reading some not so great things concerning Azamara lately on CC so I’ve been debating cancelling my November cruise before final payment is due the 23rd and booking something with Celebrity, which I’ve cruised with about a half-dozen times. Things may get better with Azamara and Onward by November but I’m kind of afraid to take that chance. November will be my first time off work in 18 months so I really don’t want to be disappointed with my choice. I guess Celebrity could disappoint me but hasn’t yet. I’ll have to make up my mind in the next two weeks. 

[Xcelsior]

7 minutes ago, Zoey said:

Thanks for taking time to post your review. I really enjoyed my pre-covid 2019 Azamara cruise and have another booked for November. I’ve been reading some not so great things concerning Azamara lately on CC so I’ve been debating cancelling my November cruise before final payment is due the 23rd and booking something with Celebrity, which I’ve cruised with about a half-dozen times. Things may get better with Azamara and Onward by November but I’m kind of afraid to take that chance. November will be my first time off work in 18 months so I really don’t want to be disappointed with my choice. I guess Celebrity could disappoint me but hasn’t yet. I’ll have to make up my mind in the next two weeks. 

I think it really depends what you’re looking for.  If you want to just completely relax and have a good itinerary Azamara will do the trick.  If you enjoy entertainment in the evenings and not going to bed early, stick with Celebrity.  I am completely puzzled as to why anyone would pay more for fewer options, older ships, smaller cabins  and very similar quality in food and service. 

[andrcan]

31 minutes ago, Xcelsior said:

Disembarked on Friday.  Itinerary was great - 12 night Greece and Turkey.   Only 217 passengers and 370 crew.  Service was excellent as always.  Entertainment was terrible - the worst entertainment of my 35 cruises by far.  To be completely honest, I think Azamara has slipped badly, and I now consider it a significant step down from Celebrity. I realize this opinion will upset Azamara loyalists, but honestly, the food is certainly no better, the ships are older and the cabins are smaller of course.  The shower size drove me crazy. The bedding and the linens though were  great and I like the table on the balcony vs the reclining chairs on other ships.  Makes breakfast in balcony very enjoyable.  The pluses of Azamara are ship size, service and itineraries.  For me, everything else paled in comparison to Celebrity. That being said I will sail Azamara again for the itinerary, but will not pay through the nose to do it.  I will go with Oceania or Viking at the same price as they are just a better quality product for the same cost. 

Thanks for the review. A follow up question: Where would you purchase Oceania or Viking cruise at the same price as Azamara? 

[takemewithyou]

@XcelsiorAppreciate your review.

Can you tell us more what the entertainment was on your cruise that you disliked?

 My last cruise in Dec on Quest I enjoyed the entertainment, so I wonder if something has changed or if we just have different tastes in entertainment.

Thanks.

[Xcelsior]

24 minutes ago, takemewithyou said:

@XcelsiorAppreciate your review.

Can you tell us more what the entertainment was on your cruise that you disliked?

 My last cruise in Dec on Quest I enjoyed the entertainment, so I wonder if something has changed or if we just have different tastes in entertainment.

Thanks.

The guest comedian was absolutely terrible.  Not a single person laughed at anything he ever said in 2 shows.  The cast had a couple of good singers, the rest not.  The shows were just really lame.  I will say that they did an excellent white night though.  Lots of fun. Other than that there was absolutely nothing to do in the evenings other than listen to the same songs played over and over by the DJ who told me he didn’t have a lot of music.  Can you believe I asked him to play some Tina Turner and he didn’t have anything?  Unless it was Abba, Bruno Mars or Kool and the Gang you were out of luck on that front.  

[Xcelsior]

57 minutes ago, andrcan said:

Thanks for the review. A follow up question: Where would you purchase Oceania or Viking cruise at the same price as Azamara? 

I can absolutely sail on them for same price if I take a lower category of cabin. Oceania usually includes air. But more importantly, I can sail in a much better category on Celebrity and in my opinion, have a better experience all around. 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Xcelsior
Typo

[takemewithyou]

1 hour ago, Xcelsior said:

The guest comedian was absolutely terrible.  Not a single person laughed at anything he ever said in 2 shows.  The cast had a couple of good singers, the rest not.  The shows were just really lame.  I will say that they did an excellent white night though.  Lots of fun. Other than that there was absolutely nothing to do in the evenings other than listen to the same songs played over and over by the DJ who told me he didn’t have a lot of music.  Can you believe I asked him to play some Tina Turner and he didn’t have anything?  Unless it was Abba, Bruno Mars or Kool and the Gang you were out of luck on that front.  

Thanks!  Comedians can be good or fall flat, like yours did.  And I love Tina Turner, too.  Thanks for the extra details you gave.  I hope the entertainment budget isn’t being cut.

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks for your review and absolutely no need to fear upsetting loyalists here. It's always good to get another perspective. Sorry to hear the entertaininment fell far short.  There's no doubt the Celebrity hardware is better than Azamara.  It's not such an issue for me. It never has been, from my first Azamara cruse, but realise everyone is different. 

 

Phil 

[beatnix]

Thank you for your rewiew @Xcelsior! As we will be on Journey in August, may I ask you if Patio was open for dinner. Thanks in advance!

[andrcan]

1 hour ago, Xcelsior said:

I can absolutely sail on them for same price if I take a lower category of cabin. Oceania usually includes air. But more importantly, I can sail in a much better category on Celebrity and in my opinion, have a better experience all around. 

Some 3 weeks ago I did some Celebrity vs Azamara cruise pricing comparison for the same routes, time of year, and trip duration. Celebrity with the "always included" package, which is comparable to basic Azamara, was some 25% more expensive. I really want to see what agencies sell much better category on Celebrity with "always included" for the price Azamara offers at the moment - we will consider it for the next year.

[Baynanno1]

Well, I have held off posting for months - we were Azamara loyalists - but still waiting for the probably never to appear refund due last December and followed up regularly through all possible avenues - always being told next week or next month - contemplating the old saying "tomorrow never comes."

 

Much as we have enjoyed our 30 cruises, interaction with crew and friends made on board, we will definitely not be booking another Azamara cruise unless those thousands reappear.

 

A few months ago we booked a Sky Suite (with all it's perks) on Celebrity for AU$20 per person per day more than a Cat.5 on Azamara, both out of Sydney. No long haul flights either!

[takemewithyou]

We were regular Celebrity cruisers and then we went back to Azamara for the last couple of cruises.  We will be cruising again on Celebrity in September, so we will be making some comparisons of our own.

It s been since 2015 since we were last on Celebrity.

I think it’s good to vary it up a bit! 😀

[cruiseerf]

I am a Big Celebrity cruiser in many classes of cabins over the years and I will be taking my first Azamara cruise in November, on Onward.   I usually travel in a suite so we dine in Luminae or specialty restaurants onboard X.   We rarely go to the mediocre Vegas shows that X has so perhaps we will enjoy the smaller entertainment venues or speakers AZ has onboard.  We are keeping an open mind and will report back our thoughts.   We were last on Celebrity in June up to the Nordic, we have another X in August and then Onward in Nov.   Looking very forward to a new experience as not much changes on the Celebrity ships...... 

[uktog]

5 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

Well, I have held off posting for months - we were Azamara loyalists - but still waiting for the probably never to appear refund due last December and followed up regularly through all possible avenues - always being told next week or next month - contemplating the old saying "tomorrow never comes."

 

Much as we have enjoyed our 30 cruises, interaction with crew and friends made on board, we will definitely not be booking another Azamara cruise unless those thousands reappear.

 

A few months ago we booked a Sky Suite (with all it's perks) on Celebrity for AU$20 per person per day more than a Cat.5 on Azamara, both out of Sydney. No long haul flights either!

I am sad to read this. If Azamara lose “loyalists” they lose not only them but those they talk with in their community who know them to love the line etc. 

Your post again highlights the challenges non US guests fact 

Is there no consumer legislation in Australia you could resort to?  I think in the UK people starting that process focused the minds of the refund department in several cruise lines 

Good luck 

[les37b]

10 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Thanks!  Comedians can be good or fall flat, like yours did.  And I love Tina Turner, too.  Thanks for the extra details you gave.  I hope the entertainment budget isn’t being cut.

 

I can remember walking out of a comedian show on a Carnival ship and I was half hoping he was going to pick on me as we left. "We are off to find where the comedian is tonight... Thought it was in here but obviously got that wrong."

 

[uktog]

What nationality was the comedian and was it an international failure to amuse?  I find cruise ship comedians are so hit and miss. It all depends how international and new their material is 

[excitedofharpenden]

7 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

Well, I have held off posting for months - we were Azamara loyalists - but still waiting for the probably never to appear refund due last December and followed up regularly through all possible avenues - always being told next week or next month - contemplating the old saying "tomorrow never comes."

 

Much as we have enjoyed our 30 cruises, interaction with crew and friends made on board, we will definitely not be booking another Azamara cruise unless those thousands reappear.

 

A few months ago we booked a Sky Suite (with all it's perks) on Celebrity for AU$20 per person per day more than a Cat.5 on Azamara, both out of Sydney. No long haul flights either!

Trish, this is so bad and I too am sorry to read it. Not good at all. I know how much you have enjoyed Azamara. It's also a dead end here now. When Bonnie was here at least we had a conduit for issues like this. Is there any legal redress for you?  Maybe the threat of such action will give the required kick.  Sometimes that's what it takes. Do you have anything in Australia like the Small Claims Court that we have here?  Just a thought. 

 

Phil 

[lisiamc]

I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy your cruise as much as you have enjoyed others in the past. It does sound like some of your sources of unhappiness are things that have always been present with Azamara. The entertainment has always been a bit hit or miss, especially the comedians. On our May cruise, I actually found the food to be slightly better than I remember it pre-Covid, but that is very subjective. I do have to wonder why you seem surprised at the size of the balcony, cabin or shower, though. They are the same size they always were.  I agree that some things have changed for Azamara since the change of ownership, and some not for better, but the size of the ships and the cabins are not one of them, and you must have known that the shower was going to irk you. Maybe it wasn’t such an issue in the past, because you were happier with other aspects of the cruise, and this time it was just the last straw?

Edited July 11, 2022 by lisiamc

[Nippy Sweetie]

As a newbie to Azamara I was dismayed to read this report. However, we never go to the 'entertainment' on cruise ships so not bothered about that. Ambience, staterooms and food matter to us.

Viking Ocean suits us very well but we thought we'd try Azamara for the itinerary. Just hoping the ship is OK. 

[lisiamc]

8 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

Well, I have held off posting for months - we were Azamara loyalists - but still waiting for the probably never to appear refund due last December and followed up regularly through all possible avenues - always being told next week or next month - contemplating the old saying "tomorrow never comes."

 

Much as we have enjoyed our 30 cruises, interaction with crew and friends made on board, we will definitely not be booking another Azamara cruise unless those thousands reappear.

 

A few months ago we booked a Sky Suite (with all it's perks) on Celebrity for AU$20 per person per day more than a Cat.5 on Azamara, both out of Sydney. No long haul flights either!

I’m sorry to hear this too. I don’t know if it’s the same issue, but I have also been waiting on a very delayed credit. After one more prod from our travel agent, it did finally appear, with apologies. There seems to have been a lot of things that went sideways during Covid, or Covid had been used as an excuse. I hope your problem gets straightened out.

[Norn Iron Man]

55 minutes ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

As a newbie to Azamara I was dismayed to read this report. However, we never go to the 'entertainment' on cruise ships so not bothered about that. Ambience, staterooms and food matter to us.

Viking Ocean suits us very well but we thought we'd try Azamara for the itinerary. Just hoping the ship is OK. 

We are the same as you. Im quite content to sit in a lounge in thieving sipping a few after dinner drinks. The compact size of the Azamara ships appeals to us. Too old now for all those crowds on the monster liners. Our very first cruise was on one of the smaller RCCL ships and enjoyed it but sometimes size isn't everything nowadays. Azamara was chosen for its relaxed ambience, good food and always included items. 

[kool kruiser]

23 minutes ago, Norn Iron Man said:

We are the same as you. Im quite content to sit in a lounge in thieving sipping a few after dinner drinks. The compact size of the Azamara ships appeals to us. Too old now for all those crowds on the monster liners. Our very first cruise was on one of the smaller RCCL ships and enjoyed it but sometimes size isn't everything nowadays. Azamara was chosen for its relaxed ambience, good food and always included items. 

And also for us, based on our recent first Azamara cruise, terrific service and great itineraries, with those ports only accessible to smaller ships.

[nordski]

11 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

Well, I have held off posting for months - we were Azamara loyalists - but still waiting for the probably never to appear refund due last December and followed up regularly through all possible avenues - always being told next week or next month - contemplating the old saying "tomorrow never comes."

 

Much as we have enjoyed our 30 cruises, interaction with crew and friends made on board, we will definitely not be booking another Azamara cruise unless those thousands reappear.

 

A few months ago we booked a Sky Suite (with all it's perks) on Celebrity for AU$20 per person per day more than a Cat.5 on Azamara, both out of Sydney. No long haul flights either!

Like many others, I am so disappointed that Azamara has forced you to make this decision.

 

At this point their refunding service has completely failed you.

 

I hope that you do receive your funds and sooner rather than later. 

[ECCruise]

Was on Journey for 3 weeks (B2B) in May and June and had a different experience, acknowledging in advance that food and entertainment are very subjective.

 

Pax load was about the same (184), onboard crew # about the same, but lots of COVID, close contact with crew so crew # very reduced.  Noticed no deterioration in service though (with only 184 less those quarantined, not a surprise).

 

Entertainment is pretty much what it always has been.  Cast of 6 (this cast is 4 singers/2 dancers which varies from cast to cast).  Thought the 4 singers were quite good, and Stephen Millett as CD and a very talented singer added to the mix.  We enjoy the low key entertainment on Azamara, especially after over 30 sailings on Celebrity and watching that entertainment deteriorate badly after they took it in house.  Generally a bunch of contemporary/Broadway songs stitched together with no cohesion with an aerialist floating above and dancers on the stage.  Meh.

 

Still find Azamara food a notch above Celebrity and almost an equal of Oceania.  Prefer the staterooms on Celebrity (who wouldn't?) but since we generally sail O on R class ships there is no difference, save the fact that we actually prefer the shower curtain on Azamara to the awful shower doors on the repurposed Oceania R class ships. 

 

Our 3 weeks on Journey only solidified our desire to enjoy the 6 future cruises on Quest and Pursuit.