Sell me on Azamara

[gailellen12]

Considering their 14 day cruise to Norway from Dublin. i have never sailed this line before. Would it be a good choice for a senior solo traveler? Thanks for any input pro or con

[alcpa1]

We have just returned from our latest Azamara sailing and are happy to report that it was a delightful cruise.

You may not know that Sycamore Partners purchased the line from RCI several years ago and our ship, The Journey, was in fine shape with a very capable crew. The balcony and oceanview cabins are fine with good storage. The bathrooms are on the small side as is the shower.

There are oceanview cabins on deck 6 that have been transformed into solo cabins. They are under the lifeboats so do not have much of a view. They are, however, midships with easy access to both elevator/stairs corridors.

We found the passengers very friendly on this sailing as well as those in the past. 

Azamara is itinerary driven and that is its biggest draw. The cuisine was varied and quite good. 

Right now the only issue is the technology transfer from RCI to Azamara. Eventually things will work out. It has been widely reported but it certainly didn't stop us from booking another Azamara cruise while onboard.

[Grandma Cruising]

We did a Norway cruise with Azamara and loved it, great ports.

Azamara seems to be pretty good for solo travellers. They organise meet ups for solo travellers and there is often an (unlisted) table at dinner specifically for solo travellers.

Also we find that people who cruise on Azamara tend to be very friendly and happy to chat. 

[harrodsfan]

It did see. Like a friendly cruise to us. 

[lisiamc]

Azamara is my favourite cruise line. We have cruised other lines with nice things to offer, like Celebrity, Silversea, Seabourn, and Viking, and enjoyed them, but we keep returning to Azamara. It’s a very friendly atmosphere, with kind and personable crew members. We meet a fair number of solo cruisers, and they seem to have an easy job finding people to socialise with, both couples and other singles. There are quite a few opportunities, some hosted and some spontaneous, for solo travellers to dine together or just get together for fun.

[LT Hambone]

PROS -

 

 

• Location, location, location! Azamara ships dock where other ships can't - on our Med cruise, we docked in the Nice harbor instead of at anchor off Villefranche where the big ships go.
• Small ship - the entire week we never had to use the elevator, everything on the ship was a quick 2 minute walk!
• Free self-service laundry machines!
• Azamazing Evenings - on our Med cruise did not have an Azamazing evening due to COVID. Instead, we had a destination celebration where three amazing opera singers came on-board for a concert. Very nice!
• Booze! Basic beer, wine, and mixed drinks are included!
• Great service!
• Embarkation and debarkation were the fastest we have ever seen!
• Food was good with a lot of variety.
• The itineraries are the main draw, going to not only the main stops but a lot of smaller out of the way stops.
• White Nights - hoping to have one on our next Azamara cruise, have heard these are a lot of fun!
• The ships might be on the old side, but they are lovingly maintained by a very dedicated crew!

 

CONS -

 

• Small ship - Because of the ship size, you do not get all of the bells and whistles of the bigger ships. Which for us is fine - we chose Azamara for the destination, not a fancy ship!
• Small bathroom - Again, because this is an older, smaller ship, the bathrooms are really small, and the shower can be a challenge, especially since Azamara still uses shower curtains.
• The ship does tend to roll more than a bigger ship - but for us, that just meant we slept better!
• Yes, the technical side is lacking right now. The transition to the new web site has been painful, but so far it is wayyyyy ahead of the old web site, and well worth the annoyance!

 

Overall - if you are more interested in WHERE you are going, than Azamara is a great choice. Small ship with great service, lots of fun!

 

A few pics - this is us looking over at the Harmony of the Seas from the TOP deck of the Azamara Quest!

 

 

 

Location, location, location! Here's where we docked in Livorno!

 

 

Here's Nice - we looked like one of the custom yachts in the harbor!

 

[Penton]

I’m joining Onward next week for my fifth Azamara cruise, my second as a ‘solo’. I agree with all LT Hambone’s observations and I’m so pleased I’ve found Azamara. What really stands out for me is the friendliness of the crew and fellow passengers and the relaxed and happy vibe onboard. I’ve been on the big ships - Cunard, P & O, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America and they all have their pros and cons but it would take an extraordinary unusual itinerary to tempt me back to any of them.

[Vineyard View]

4 hours ago, lisiamc said:

Azamara is my favourite cruise line. We have cruised other lines with nice things to offer, like Celebrity, Silversea, Seabourn, and Viking, and enjoyed them, but we keep returning to Azamara. It’s a very friendly atmosphere, with kind and personable crew members. We meet a fair number of solo cruisers, and they seem to have an easy job finding people to socialise with, both couples and other singles. There are quite a few opportunities, some hosted and some spontaneous, for solo travellers to dine together or just get together for fun.

I am curious about some of the differences that Azamara brings to the table over Say Viking and Seabourn -  other than itineraries? I keep reading that Azamara is all about destinations - and that is easy to see with their itineraries which is why we are looking. I also hear about the great crew. But what about the comparison of food, transportation in ports such as shuttles, personal space and ability to find that, pool areas, and quality of wines? 

[lisiamc]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

I am curious about some of the differences that Azamara brings to the table over Say Viking and Seabourn -  other than itineraries? I keep reading that Azamara is all about destinations - and that is easy to see with their itineraries which is why we are looking. I also hear about the great crew. But what about the comparison of food, transportation in ports such as shuttles, personal space and ability to find that, pool areas, and quality of wines? 

I started to write a couple of paragraphs and I’ve written a novel!

 

As others have mentioned, the small ships can get into places that larger ships can’t.  The itineraries are imaginative too. We just finished a cruise along the coast of West Africa that called at all sorts of ports that I never thought I would visit.

 

If the distance into town is not walkable, and if local rules allow, there will usually be a free shuttle. Because we do a lot of repositioning cruises with more sea days than ports, we don’t always get an Azamazing Evening. When we do have one, they have always been a highlight for us. And even on a cruise with a lot of sea days, I never have trouble finding a nice place to sit and read, or chat to friends. The ship never seems crowded.
 

I think the ships are as important as the destinations for us. The ships are not new, of course, but are comfortable and well-kept. I know that the bathrooms, and especially the showers in the non-suite cabins are small, but after 16 years of cruising on Azamara ships, we’re used to them, and they’re big enough to get the job done. (I will admit that I think the heated bathroom floors on Viking ships are blissful.) Azamara beds and bedding are VERY comfortable. There’s a useful amount of wardrobe and drawer space.
 

I find the food generally very good, and frequently excellent. I’d rank it with Viking in that regard. I liked the food on Silversea, but found the dishes too covered in sauce and other fiddly bits. We’ve been lucky and not had the experiences with cold food that others have occasionally mentioned in the months since cruising restarted. We eat a lot of dinners in the Pool Grill, where the food is cooked fresh to order. It’s delicious, and we like it as much as Prime C, with the bonus that there’s no extra charge.
 

The wine has been an interesting experience over the past year or so. We generally get the Ultimate package, mostly for the better wines. We have always been able to find several somethings we like, but there have been supply chain issues that mean that some wines change frequently. Often this is a really good thing, like the bottles of Perrier Jouet Champagne, and the extremely nice Italian red that was in the included wines for a few weeks. Sometimes it’s less of a good thing, when the replacements don’t quite measure up. I still prefer this to the way it used to be in the RCCL days, when the Ultimate list was unchanging, heavy with drinkable but boring, standard-issue California wines, and very few flashes of brilliance.

 

But the element that makes our cruises special, and makes us want to come back is the crew. They make us feel so welcome, like we’re among friends and family. Nearly always, we feel like we’re on a happy ship, with officers who are visible, involved with helping the crew do their best, and keeping things running smoothly. I’ve seen officers kneeling on the stairs, helping crew members complete a major polishing job on the brass trim and railings, or clearing dirty dishes off the tables in the buffet during a busy lunch time. I can’t say I’ve seen this on any other cruise line. We have had great service on other cruise lines, but there’s something about the service on Azamara that makes us feel welcomed on a personal level. They seem to pitch it just right for us.

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by lisiamc

[Vineyard View]

Fair enough for sure lisiamc. I really appreciate this detail. This sincerely does help quite a bit. I understand familiarity and the reassurance that provides. I appreciate the differences that you point to - - and particularly agree with bringing on varied wines from different parts of the world.
While the smaller cabins bathrooms are something to consider for people with less mobility or various reasons, the entry level suite tends to be less or equal than others per diem.   
glad there are shuttles for those of us who prefer diy. 
We have felt the same about the crew on the Viking cruises we have done. They will bend over backwards. We are getting ready to experience Seabourn so we will see but looking forward to the experience. 
There are three Azamara itineraries we have on our radar for 2024 so these posts are helpful. Thank you OP for starting. 

[the_dylaness]

6 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

I am curious about some of the differences that Azamara brings to the table over Say Viking and Seabourn -  other than itineraries? I keep reading that Azamara is all about destinations - and that is easy to see with their itineraries which is why we are looking. I also hear about the great crew. But what about the comparison of food, transportation in ports such as shuttles, personal space and ability to find that, pool areas, and quality of wines? 

 

I haven't sailed Viking but would like to... for us, a major plus over Seabourn is frankly the price. Our upcoming Mediterranean cruise (in an OV cabin, however) was SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive than it would've been on SB.  We have sailed Seabourn and liked the experience; this will be our first on Azamara, but the price was a big, big difference.  

[Vineyard View]

46 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

 

I haven't sailed Viking but would like to... for us, a major plus over Seabourn is frankly the price. Our upcoming Mediterranean cruise (in an OV cabin, however) was SIGNIFICANTLY less expensive than it would've been on SB.  We have sailed Seabourn and liked the experience; this will be our first on Azamara, but the price was a big, big difference.  

We were able to secure a fair price on Seabourn last summer for this upcoming cruise - significantly less than Viking, which we have very much enjoyed and would gladly sail again. Would be interesting I think, for all to compare notes afterwards. Itinerary drives us - but right behind that is the overall experience of the sailing and all that entails. 

[lisiamc]

21 hours ago, lisiamc said:

I find the food generally very good, and frequently excellent. I’d rank it with Viking in that regard. I liked the food on Silversea, but found the dishes too covered in sauce and other fiddly bits. We’ve been lucky and not had the experiences with cold food that others have occasionally mentioned in the months since cruising restarted. We eat a lot of dinners in the Pool Grill, where the food is cooked fresh to order. It’s delicious, and we like it as much as Prime C, with the bonus that there’s no extra charge.

 It has been bugging me since I realised I was too late to edit this - I should have said Patio Grill. I really should get the name right!

[tango9]

I am also a senior solo cruiser who has sailed Azamara as   a  solo several times.  Azamara treats solo guests wonderfully; first night gathering with , usually, the assistant cruse director, and open invitation to continue to gather at a table for dinner.  I always attend the first night gathering and enjoy meeting the other solo guests.  I actually am on that same sailing in July, sailing solo in the cabin, but have two family members in another cabin.  Azamara tends to have friendly cruisers and a solo traveler does not have to feel alone.  Azamara has been my favorite cruise line