Specialty restaurants

[rjsmo]

Just booked on Azamara Journey for a late August cruise. We're 1st time Azamara Cruisers. Our last cruise was on Oceania, was planning another O Cruise but the price for an Azamara was too tempting. So the question is...........is there a charge for eating in the specialty restuarants or not? No charge on O. Thanks in advance!

[whynotme]

There is no charge for either Aqualina or Prime C, except for a suggested $5 gratuity. Have a great trip, you will love it.

[Andy]

Just booked on Azamara Journey for a late August cruise. We're 1st time Azamara Cruisers. Our last cruise was on Oceania, was planning another O Cruise but the price for an Azamara was too tempting. So the question is...........is there a charge for eating in the specialty restuarants or not? No charge on O. Thanks in advance!

 

Hi Rjsmo !

 

Here is the information from the Azamara website. This will answer your questions. We thought both Specialty Restaurants were outstanding. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy your Cruise !

 

Guests who have booked a stateroom will receive two nights of complimentary specialty dining, and guests staying in a suite will receive three nights of complimentary specialty dining. Additional complimentary reservations will be accommodated on a space-available basis. Please note that all guests that dine in either specialty restaurant will be charged a recommended gratuity of $5 per guest per night.

[rjsmo]

Thanks to both of you who replied. We are excited not only about the cruise itself, but the prospect of sailing with Azamara. Our TA thought we should try it sometime. When we found the 8/30/09 sailing at such a great price compared to the Oceania cruise we had planned later this fall, we grabbed it! Will sign up for CC party as soon as our booking is posted. This is a great site.........lot's of info.

[GeniRich]

Please don't turn this into a debate on tipping. Never having cruised Azamara (1st one March 2010) I would like to know if most folks typically throw in a few extra bucks for the tip. Not an issue to do it, we typically do. We would assume it would be a non issue just want to be sure being its our first with this line.

Thanks...Rich

[greeneg]

Please don't turn this into a debate on tipping. Never having cruised Azamara (1st one March 2010) I would like to know if most folks typically throw in a few extra bucks for the tip. Not an issue to do it, we typically do. We would assume it would be a non issue just want to be sure being its our first with this line.

Thanks...Rich

 

I actually do, particularly if the service and food warrant it ( they have every time that we've been in the Specialty Restaurants on both ships), but it is clearly optional and completely up to you. I have never noticed any pressure to tip more.

[Andy]

Thanks to both of you who replied. We are excited not only about the cruise itself, but the prospect of sailing with Azamara. Our TA thought we should try it sometime. When we found the 8/30/09 sailing at such a great price compared to the Oceania cruise we had planned later this fall, we grabbed it! Will sign up for CC party as soon as our booking is posted. This is a great site.........lot's of info.

 

Hi Rjsmo !

 

Glad to be of assistance. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy your Cruise !

[JennAngel9]

Rjsmo-- there is a roll call thread for our cruise, including one or two members who have done the same itinerary with Azamara last year, at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=880879

[captainK]

Hi Rjsmo !

 

Here is the information from the Azamara website. This will answer your questions. We thought both Specialty Restaurants were outstanding. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy your Cruise !

 

Guests who have booked a stateroom will receive two nights of complimentary specialty dining, and guests staying in a suite will receive three nights of complimentary specialty dining. Additional complimentary reservations will be accommodated on a space-available basis. Please note that all guests that dine in either specialty restaurant will be charged a recommended gratuity of $5 per guest per night.

 

Hi Andy,

We booked only one night at Aqaulina through the CC for our upcoming Aug. 9th cruise since on previous posts I was told we were only allowed one. I did phone back a day or two later after receiving confirmation to see about making another reservation because the confirmation email indicated that two advance reservations were available to CC members booked in a stateroom. The person I spoke to at the CC said no, only one is allowed to be made in advance. So be it.

From what I am reading from others and as stated by AZ above, you can book as many additional nights of specialty restaurant dining as available once on board. So what is the point of AZ saying 'two nights' complimentary unless they are holding them for you at set times in advance. And I am assuming this has nothing to do with CC members. Very confused again. :confused:

[disneyfan1313]

I think it might have to do with the load on your ship and also how much demand there is (i.e more on sea days, etc). On the Best of Italy cruise we were on (not fully booked and heavy on port days) there was availability consistently throughout the cruise (except on sea days) if you were willing to eat early or late. We noticed that when we said "can we book only two days?" the folks booking Aqualina looked at us like we were crazy and said we can book as much as we want based on availability and there are not restrictions.

[J&RLOVESTOCRUISE]

Can someone help me who has sailed with both companies?

 

We are thinking about maybe booking a cruise to the Panama Canal with either company are they about the same? Different?

We have only been on RCCL ships so I need to know if this is what we want to do?

 

Tipping? We do ourselves the last night of cruise how isit done on Azamara?

 

Dress code? the same as RCCL (please be honest)

Speciality Rest? Price?

Shows?

Quality of food?

Size of rooms?

Service?

and anything you might think is important....

 

Thank you

[Dick in Falls Church]

One point of view: based on two trips on the Journey, several with RCCL and a couple more with Celebrity:

 

They are different. Have found some folks really preferred Azamara, others absolutely did not.

 

Specifics: Dress Code--no formal required/recommended on Azamara. A few wore jackets, but many didn't, even in the specialty restaurants. These are excellent, but then we also found the main dining to be excellent. Yes, there is a recommended $5 per person tip.

 

Shows: No big "Broadway" type. Shows on Azamara are more like a cabaret than on stage. We had some very good ones, and some OK ones, sort of what you'd expect. and, I'm sure some liked what we didn't.

 

size of staterooms-- my wife found the obstructed ocean view to be a bit small, but the balcony ones were fine.

 

Service on Azamara was as good or better than we had found on either RCCL or Celebrity, and those certainly weren't bad.

 

Before our first Azamara trip, we weren't sure we would like the anytime dining, but found it worked very well for us. after a few days, we had met many more passengers than on the larger ships. If our new acquaintances weren't around, we just asked to join with a table of others.

 

The officers on the Azamara trips were much more evident than on the larger ships--which figures.

 

Of the three, Azamara is our preference, followed by Celebrity, and then RCCL. Having said that, our next 3 trips will be on RCCL-- mostly due to the schedules and itinerary. But one should keep in mind that we are older, and I fit the minority of over-age Vietnam vet.

[J&RLOVESTOCRUISE]

Thank you so much for all the info....I also want to thank you for serving our Country:)....You are a breath of fresh air on here...;)

 

Is Celebrity owned by RCCL?

[BurBunny]

Is Celebrity owned by RCCL?

 

Yes, as is Azamara and also the Spanish brand Pulmantur.

[merlot101]

the specialty restaurants are great. We tipped a little more as the service was outstanding. We ordered wine, drank half then saved the rest for the next day in the regular restaurant. I only wish AZ went where we are going next. A great ship and trip. We did baltic and Med.