Journey 2025-26 itineraries now available

[uktog]

Some super itineraries and new ports being offered. They are online now (communications are also being sent out, they started with the highest loyalty group first then are moving down) 

[john1970]

I saw them and thought they looked interesting. I didn't think pricing was too bad but it's the potential air cost that makes me pause sometimes. Glad to see Azamara adding new ports.

[uktog]

We fired the gun on Monday when we got notification. We are going to have to think tactically about flights but from the UK we’ve discovered flying east first even as far as Istanbul brings up good African prices 

[Grandma Cruising]

We flew Turkish Business Class to Cape Town earlier this year. It was fine and half the price of any other Business Class.

The itineraries do look interesting, but someone needs to look at the descriptions. One going to the Canaries mention El Hierro in the cruise title, but they doesn’t go there - the nearest they go is La Gomera.

The March 26th 2026 cruise is described as “Africa & European Cruise: Canary Islands, Morocco & Uk” but goes nowhere near the UK. It finishes in Lisbon.!

[fruitmachine]

24 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

We flew Turkish Business Class to Cape Town earlier this year. It was fine and half the price of any other Business Class.

The itineraries do look interesting, but someone needs to look at the descriptions. One going to the Canaries mention El Hierro in the cruise title, but they doesn’t go there - the nearest they go is La Gomera.

The March 26th 2026 cruise is described as “Africa & European Cruise: Canary Islands, Morocco & Uk” but goes nowhere near the UK. It finishes in Lisbon.!

I thought that, but then realised that they'd labelled Gibraltar as "Gibraltar, United Kingdom" on the itinerary and map!

Edited June 19 by fruitmachine

[cruisinsusin]

Having just received notification of the cancellation of the Ancient Trade Routes cruise through th Suez Canal Oct 26, what really suprised me is the proposed new Pursuit Cruise for Oct 26- 70 days Greece to Australia Grand Voyage

the 1st part of the itinerary is

[pickypicky]

I'm interested in a Panama Canal cruise but it looks like there's nothing for 2025. Itineraries skip from December 2024 to January 2026. Is it possible Azamara is skipping that area for 2025?

[tonyl1956]

We've added the African cruises to our list of possibles to make a booking on board Journey in a few weeks. If the prices hold at that level, even the 'Grand Voyage' looks attractive. All of the others on our list have much higher rates per night. That, coupled with the new ports, makes a combination that's hard to ignore really. BA has a direct flight to Mauritius from the UK, though not daily. Air Mauritius seems to have a daily flight. Various other airlines also have one stop solutions from the UK, including Turkish.

[Riocca]

1 hour ago, cruisinsusin said:

Having just received notification of the cancellation of the Ancient Trade Routes cruise through th Suez Canal Oct 26, what really suprised me is the proposed new Pursuit Cruise for Oct 26- 70 days Greece to Australia Grand Voyage

the 1st part of the itinerary is

That Grand Voyage has been unavailable to book for many months now, I understand that Pursuit’s 21st November 2024 cruise now starts in Port Louis Mauritius. Presumably Pursuit will now dead head from Athens to Port Louis as Journey did earlier this year.

 

[PirateWife]

Are these cruises the Vanilla Island cruises talked about in the webinar with the new CEO or are there more to come? They look like a lot of sea days.

[uktog]

Yes they are. I suppose the distances involved mean sea days. I’m ok with a few sea days. I think it’s 5/16 days 

[Beyond words]

The pricing seems to have moved up already, and quite a bit more than the 5% obc for paying now that has also appeared today. 

[tonyl1956]

I have been in contact today with our TA about the 4th January Grand Africa Voyage (Port Louis to Lisbon).

 

Each element of the trip (4 individual cruises) is tagged with 'Early Booking Bonus' but I'm told that, if booked as a 'Grand Voyage' of 56 nights, there is no such bonus or indeed any incentive. While the 4 cruises added together do come to a higher cost than the Voyage, the Early Booking Bonus benefits of making separate booking would outweigh this (at Veranda V1 level), even without the possible cabin credit for the b2b elements themselves. This seems odd to me.

 

I've asked a couple of questions to clarify, because I'd like to know about the b2b credit but also whether, if sold and booked as one cruise, it would be possible to buy the Experience More Indulgence package once for the whole trip, as that might tip the balance back in favour of an overall booking.

 

My original plan was to book on board in just over three weeks time but I'd be really annoyed if prices rose by more than the 5% discount our lowly loyalty level brings with it in the intervening time.

 

Given the apparent lack of benefit of booking as a whole voyage, I'm now wondering whether to book the first leg (maybe two) with the TA and then negotiate to add the remainder while on board, as I suspect it's that first leg which might be in high demand and hence most likely to show a price increase.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

There is a link for 20% early booking; however, I don't see a discount.

[Chewbecca]

Tonyl - we booked the 56 nighter today, price / itinerary too good to turn down.

However, I don’t think they have thought the details through. We have been charged a deposit as a Grand Voyage but don’t have the perks of a GV. Our agent has raised a query & we will see what they come up with. Happy either to have the GV benefits added or to drop our deposit and payment schedule to regular! 

[uktog]

53 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

There is a link for 20% early booking; however, I don't see a discount.

Speak to your travel agent they have all the pricing 

[KevintheIrishDJ]

6 minutes ago, uktog said:

Speak to your travel agent they have all the pricing 

Already sent her an email. She came up with a great price for our 11/24 cruise.

[tonyl1956]

Not sure I understand the reference to a 20% discount for early booking. My TA has given me prices, which seem OK. But is she missing a trick....?

[uktog]

51 minutes ago, tonyl1956 said:

Not sure I understand the reference to a 20% discount for early booking. My TA has given me prices, which seem OK. But is she missing a trick....?

I don't think she is 🙂 

[ChucktownSteve]

Doesn't Azamara, and the other cruise lines, determine what they want to make on each cruise, then figure out a discount (which is then added to that price) so everyone believes they're getting a discount when the phony discount is applied?  The grocery stores also do that all the time with their BOGO deals.

 

I always ignore the marketing hype but look at the bottom line PP/PN to determine the value.

[tonyl1956]

I've booked the 4th January Port Louis round trip this morning and we will probably add some of the legs on the way up to Lisbon when we are on Journey soon.

 

We've never been anywhere in that region, so an adventure beckons. For all the right reasons (as well as the selfish!), let's just hope there isn't a war in the area.

[PirateWife]

Amazing how fast the V3 cabins sold out.

[Host Jazzbeau]

55 minutes ago, PirateWife said:

Amazing how fast the V3 cabins sold out.

If you're not springing for a P1, why pay more for any of the intermediate categories?

[PirateWife]

I

23 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

If you're not springing for a P1, why pay more for any of the intermediate categories?

I like mid-ship.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, PirateWife said:

I

I like mid-ship.

Given that the engines move the center of gravity toward the aft, 6048 to 6061 are actually midship (and low).  We even find the cabins aft of those to be smooth enough.  We only avoid the front third of ships.