September 1 Azamara Journey

[cruiseyguy]

If Oceania can make open seating work on the same size ships there is no reason AZ can't. Part of the problem on the Bermuda cruises seems to be that the pax were mostly traditional mass market cruisers who were unfamiliar with open seating dining. Many seemed to have rushed to the dining room at the same time (as on a big ship) and were unaware of other dining options, such as indoor/outdoor seating at the Breeza cafe (which sounds very nice). AZ can do more to educate their pax regarding best dining times, options, etc. as well as add staff to the main dining room to alleviate any "hectic" atmosphere.

[Florida1]

One easy way for Azamara to help end the overload on Discoveries is to remove the cost to dine at the "specialty" restaurants. Oceania gives you an alloted number of meals (depending on your cabin) that you can make reservations for at the beginning of the cruise at "no charge". Then it becomes "space available". Takes the crush off of the main dining rooom. For Azamara to keep their current policy on the upcoming extended cruises is just asking for trouble. They would gain in public opinion more than they would lose in money to change their policy. JMHO.

[cruiseyguy]

Florida1-Good point. I don't think AZ makes much money on the charges for the specialty restaurants since most people will only eat there once or twice, depending on how many nights have been included in their fare. Oceania has had some complaints from pax about inability to secure specialty restaurant reservations so AZ may instituted the nominal charge as a capacity control.

[swigso]

Hi all,

This will be the first time we have had open seating on a cruise and reading the posts it seems there are good and not so good aspects.

I must admit that having a set table is a good way to meet fellow passengers and we always ask for late seating. On the other hand there are advantages at being able to dine up to 9pm.

I would aslo think that the time people spend at dinner is less if,at a table for say 2 than if at a table for 6/8- not so much as the time it takes to serve but just that the conversation takes over and becomes an important part of the dining experience.

Ah well I guess we will have to spend more time in the Martini Bar discussing the day's experiences with fellow passengers. what a hard life it is.

[Jazmyn]

I, too, was on the seminar at sea on August 25. Which, by the way, was wonderful and informative. When I sail, I look at everything with "both" eyes. Both as a travel professional and as a client. After reading all of these reviews, I must say that I agree most with Mr. Bill 's excellent evaluation of our sailing.

 

Of course there are always a few problems when sailing..we have sailed many times and if I were to pick apart every little issue, I wouldn't be sailing at all. There are problems, and there are problems. As professionals we know instinctivly what will cause distress to a passenger and what will not. I would never tell anyone that there were scratches on a table in my room. I would tell them if they want a table in their room not to book a cabin on deck 6.. port side......I would tell them that if they want an unobstructed OV not to book a cabin on deck 6, unless it was cabin 6030 which only has a very small lifeboat....so one is able to see the ocean and land. I would let older passengers know that there is handicapped access to the ship, just in case they were not able to climb stairs. I would let them know about the little "better coffee" areas...because YES, the coffee in some of the areas of the ship was not good. That seems to be the case on many lines. I would let them know that both Prime C and Aqualina are excellent and to make their reservations ASAP. I would let them know that Captain's Club members can make their reservations ahead of time (before sailing) in order to get their first choice. I would also let passengers know that if they are diabetic, there are sugar free ice cream and desserts every day. I would let them know that the back of the ship (in Discoveries) does vibrate when the ship is sailing at cruising speed, so, be sure to ask for another location if you have any motion issues. Plus it is distracting while dining.

 

I would let them know that the crew is wonderful. My experience was that the crew couldn't do enough for us. Maybe part of that is the way we treated them. We were always happy, and thankful. Anytime we did ask our cabin steward/butler for anything (Lyrica), it was done...immediately! I have no complaints on that front, and I can be fussy.

 

As for the smoking....my husband is a smoker, and I can smell it a mile away. In my opinion, there were no smell issues except for the two area where passengers were allowed to smoke. Even then, it was not offensive.

 

Now the artwork....I did not see any holes, but, that does not mean they were not there. I loved the old fashioned paintings...I thought they went with the style of the ship....I didn't like the modern artwork...but, that is just my own taste. As for the entertainment....I loved it....it was a welcome relief from big, noisy, reviews. The "showroom" is small and intimate and the talet was terrific. Very cabaret and enjoyable!

 

Cleanliness....not an issue.

 

Overall, we had a wonderful cruising experience. It was the most relaxing sail that we have had in a long time. Our travelling companions were wonderful, and we laughed and enjoyed all week. Personally, I can't wait to sail on Azamara again....Take care, and happy sailing.

[mringenoldus]

Ahhhh....that was a breath of fresh air. Thanks, Jazmyn!

[Spender Nui]

One easy way for Azamara to help end the overload on Discoveries is to remove the cost to dine at the "specialty" restaurants. Oceania gives you an alloted number of meals (depending on your cabin) that you can make reservations for at the beginning of the cruise at "no charge". Then it becomes "space available". Takes the crush off of the main dining rooom. For Azamara to keep their current policy on the upcoming extended cruises is just asking for trouble. They would gain in public opinion more than they would lose in money to change their policy. JMHO.

 

I agree with you. The specialty restaurants seem to be half full at best with additional staff. Discoveries appeared to be understaffed.

[Jancruz]

Hi All,

Just returned last night and happy to be home with Stu but as always, miss sailing!!

 

I had a wonderful dinner in Aqualina Thursday night with the hotel manager, (Niyazi Korkmaz)my staff and the executive chef from Aqualina and Prime C had desert and coffee with us. Dinner was out of this world, I had Rack of Lamb done perfectly and the girls had Sea Bass that they said was great!!

It was one of the best dinners we had (although we did find most of the food excellent) We had a wonderful time but did not talk business ..I did find out Niyazi and I have many friends in commin which is always fun.

 

Friday morning we had a meeting with Niyazi and came armed with 3 pages of problems that we had seen and digital pictures to back up some of our comments.

To my surprise he agreed with all I had to say and they are working on everything..

For instance, they have four people on board now working on the banged up wood..from the time it was Pullmantur and the refit when they were in drydock. The arms for the TV's are on the ship and they are putting them up as we speak..They are getting 5 new persons (trying to get them non-smoking) each week until they have a full complement of Azamara people that are trained for Azamara only.

The cleanliness is a help problem and he is working on it with the new help coming om board.The luggage delivery that is so slow, he can do nothing about as it has to do with the USA unions..

The spas were fixed it was a plumbing problem and they filled the T pool and it was fine, I made a special trip to see that it was being used.

The ridiculous little refrigerators were a mistake and they have new ones being made in London as I write and hopefully will be ready soon. There were many other issues but I dont need to go into them here..

 

IMHO with Nyiazi on board as hotel manager this will be a wonderful product..

A good friend reminded me that O had the same type of problems when they started..

I still found people on board that were transferred from the Zenith and those people and also people that had no idea what kind of ship they were coming on (not a lot of activities, no announcements in cabins etc.) were very disenchated..Personally I love the open dining and know it can work on that ship. I agree with whoever said that charging for the specialty restaurants on long cruises may hurt them..but I guess time will tell.

 

All in all I will be happy to go back in about 90 days or on the Quest to re-evaluate for myself and my clients..for the next 90 days I would say the Journey will be a work in progress..so if thats not acceptable to you..wait to try it..

Shari and I will be happy to answer any questions that we can..

 

Regards,

Jan

*****

Waiting until January 24 to our back to back Australia New Zealand on O

[smcg]

I too just got off the Sept 1 sailing. As the OP stated, she was comparing A to O and looking for areas that she could suggest improvement. THat is looking at things differently than most of us. First, to compare A and the rushed Bermuda season where people did not pay O prices may not be totally fair. I know I paid less for A than I would have on the NCL Crown. Once A is up and running their regular itinearies and the transformation from P is complete than the comparison's may be fairer.

That said, we had a wonderful cruise. Yes some things were not complete, ie the furniture scratches, some carpet, some artwork etc but I doubt the crew could have been any better. Everyone, and I mean even gues relations was very nice and helpful. Always a smile, hello etc.

The beds were very comfortable. Another poster commented about the thin beds on springs, I don't know what she was talking about. Our bed was very comfortable and the pull out for my son was as well.

Yes we had the only teenager on board! Despite no basketball court he had a nice time. Special thanks to the guest lecturer, Dr Klass for his time and kind words.

The food was always very good, the buffet was very nice for lunch. Room service for breakfast worked out well, as well as my son't snacks, Very prompt as well.

Aqualina was great, we didn't have a super experience in Prime C (service, not food) and they took care of that right away. Dinner in Discoveries was very good but as has been said, service was slow and disjointed.

Our "butler" was fine, we had our fruit changed daily, the room was always promptly made up, even if we didn't leave it till later in the morning (again, that teenager!!)

Entertainment: did not go to the shows other than the magician/comedian who was very good. the last night they had their piano player open, he was terrible. Smarmy, Las Vegas wanne be, the comdian/magician came on after.

Ship: Very nice, I love this size ship. The mega ships have their place, more to do etc but this was a great size, easy to get around. The teak loungers were incredible! We won trivia twice, no prizes! The activity staff was also very nice.

Bermuda was of course beautiful. it rained on wednesday so no Harbor Night. Went to John Smith Bay, Elbow Bay and Horseshoe. Perfect bermuda beaches. Also took the bus to Flatts just to walk around (take your life in your hands!)

Overall it was a great cruise and I would do it again. As much as I would love to do the new Journey itineraries, they are right now beyond our budget so they'll have to wait. (time and $$)

sheree

[Andy]

Hi Jazmyn !

 

Thanks for your excellent review. I enjoyed hearing about your Cruise !

[Andy]

Hi Jan !

 

Thanks for your very informative comments. I hope things continue to improve for your Quest sailing. BTW, when are you sailing on Quest ?

[Andy]

Hi Smcg !

 

Thanks for your comments. I am glad you had a great time onboard Journey !

[grandsix]

Was surprised at some of the postings. It is our strong opinion that there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for a ship that is not clean. Would never accept lack of help or travel agent excuses. We feel strong that Corporate would agree.

[P&M Cruisers]

Hi Owl61,

 

We will be on the November 29th sailing as well and trust these issues will be fixed before that, especially about the TV's.

 

I noticed your comment about having an aft cabin, you might be able to call your TA or Azamara and still get it changed to a more central cabin. We changed cabins a while ago from the 8th to the 7th deck, due to comments about noise coming from deck 9, with our TA and had no problems. If a cabin is available they might still be able to move you if you want. Also, note if you qualify for the cabin seniors discount, and didn't originally get it, ask for that too! We got our discounts recently after having paid for the entire cruise back in the winter.

 

Good Luck and see you on the ship!

 

P&M Cruisers.

[Spender Nui]

Was surprised at some of the postings. It is our strong opinion that there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for a ship that is not clean. Would never accept lack of help or travel agent excuses. We feel strong that Corporate would agree.

 

I think some of the earlier comments were exagerated. We didn't find the ship dirty and saw crew cleaning all through the cruise.

 

We did expect more from many venues, because of all the hype X put out. It was a disappointment, not because of what we got, but because of all the things that were promoted that we didn't get.

 

Coming off our recent cruise we found areas lacking, but nothing you wouldn't run into on any cruise. We found nothing glaring.

 

As many have said, a work in progress ... but that's not what most of us contracted for. We expected a notch up but saw no real differences than what we've experienced on Celebrity or any of the similar crusie lines.

[SueM.]

Hi All,

The spas were fixed it was a plumbing problem and they filled the T pool and it was fine, I made a special trip to see that it was being used.O

 

We were also on the 9/1 sailing and were disappointed that the T-pool and hot tubs were not working right. On friday I checked them all out and the water was very cold, which made them unusable. I am glad for future cruisers that they are fixed.

 

I agree with those who say the Journey is a work in progress, but this did not stop us from having a fantastic cruise.

 

Kevin and I will be writing a review soon and I will try to remember to post it here.

 

sue - back to unpacking/laundry etc.lol

[mringenoldus]

Jan

Was the hotel manager saying that the TV placement issue would be resolved by the time we sail next month?

 

Thanks for your additional info!

[Jancruz]

Jan

Was the hotel manager saying that the TV placement issue would be resolved by the time we sail next month?

 

Thanks for your additional info!

 

He said they are putting in the arms for the TV at 25 a week (when the ship is doing the changeover)..so I would imagine it would depend on what deck you are on..

Jan

*****

[smj]

Thanks for the reports Jan. Do you think the smoke smell will be taken care of? Do you know if the crew is allowed to smoke and if so can you smell it?

[mringenoldus]

We're on deck 7 and sail October 6. However, I don't think I'll spend a lot of time watching TV anyway - not with so many other interesting things to see and do.

[Charles4515]

Thanks for the reports Jan. Do you think the smoke smell will be taken care of? Do you know if the crew is allowed to smoke and if so can you smell it?

 

I could smell smoke at a stairway going down to deck three that said crew only. But you had to be close by the stairway to smell it so I would not call that much of a problem.

[Jancruz]

Thanks for the reports Jan. Do you think the smoke smell will be taken care of? Do you know if the crew is allowed to smoke and if so can you smell it?

 

Yes the crew smokes, but I dont think that was the problem on our cruise...there were people smoking in staterooms ..I suggest if you are on the ship and the you smell smoke, you call the front desk manager Patricia..she is delightful and I am sure she will try to take care of the problem..

Jan

*****

[Napi's Mom]

 

The problem with Discoveries, well this may stir things up, is open seating. People are coming in and leaving throughout the evening and your wait is serving the appetizer to one table and desert to another. Also there is no way for them to learn your preferences. This is the second time i have been on open seating, the first time was on NCL and I think open seating makes for worse service.

For all of you that truly prefer the assigned seating, open will never appeal I guess. We love the open seating, and it CAN be done well, ask Oceanias passengers. we rarely waited for more than a few (4-5) min. but it does depend upon if you're willing to sit with others too, those who prefer tables for 2 might wait longer. We were MORE than willing in truth were anxious to be seated with others. TO Us the opprotunity to meet MANY new people, not just 4-6 at your assigned table, but new ones daily, surely, not always ending up with the best combo but always interesting. I'm sure no one is always everyones' favorite tablemate! But the interesting people you meet!...We've shared a table one night with the newly retired Commandant of West Point,or the 2 ladies from Canada that were robbed in Rome on their way to Port on the train (found out all about how to get new documents in a BIG hurry) CEO's,and sometimes we all started doing things together, afternoon trivia, seeing each other on tours, being friends for the time you are shipmates, with more than just a few. NO things AREN'T the same as set dining it's different but can be great! And you get to eat when you're hungry!!:D (..and we always had very good sevice...don't think your waitstaff brings the food for everyone at different times...no each tableful is treated like assigned seating, after you are all seated)

[crzfanatic]

I just wanted to address the smoking issue. I was also on deck 7 and didn't notice any smoke smell at all. We did notice someone was smoking on their balcony one day at sea but couldn't determine the location. This was an isolated occurance though.

 

As far as cabin location, we felt deck 7 to be perfect. Two decks down to the restaurant, casino etc. and two decks up to the pool. We were in the rear part of the ship, 7103 and didn't notice vibration at all.

 

We had a great time over all, see my review for more details.

 

Andy

[BarbD49]

We loved the ship and the service people are exceptional. Can they really be that happy all the time?

I agree with other postings that the "butlers" are cabin stewards in tuxedos but our butler and steward did keep our cabin clean throughout the cruise. The balcony cabins are slightly smaller than the Celebrity cabins but they are adequate. Sky Suites are larger but also more expensive.We had smooth sailing except for some rolling the first night of the return but being at the front of the ship did not seem to make it any more rocky.

 

About the food - WOW!!! Being a Celebrity fan I expected really good food and I was not disappointed. I am an ice cream lover and the ice cream was very good but no special flavors at lunch. The fudge sauce left much to be desired but that is the only negative I have about the food. They have a very good alternative menu that includes salmon, lemon chicken, fruit cocktail, shrimp cocktail (imagine being able to have shrimp cocktail every night), and the alternatives are available very night and they are delicious.

The shows were terrific - not Las Vegas type but very talented guest entertainers.

 

Overall the ship is beautiful, the service is great, the food is terrific, good variety of slot machines (although we were losers).

 

I hope to sail again on Azamara. Our next cruises are in December on Seabourne and on RCCL. Azamara will have to come later.