DreadPirateRobert

We’re just off Voyager of the Seas and were quite pleased with the food. Our first RC cruise in many years but I’ll put it up against several more  expensive lines.

We booked VOS on a 5 day to be with our son and family. It was our first RC cruise in many years. We’ve done Carnival, Celebrity, Azamara and  Viking River in the years between.

Leading up to this I’d read some negative comments about VOS so wasn’t sure what to expect. 
All in all I’d have to say it was a good experience. Normally, we wouldn’t cruise on a family focused line this close to Spring Break. However we were to be with our son and his family so of course it was worth a try.  Yes, there were a lot of kids but RC does a great job of providing lots to keep them occupied. I did really appreciate there being an “adult pool” where we could escape to from time to time.

We booked a small suite so we’d have a little extra space when the kiddos came to visit. Gotta say, the storage space is amazing. My wife is all about drawers, shelves,closets etc in our home and even she was impressed. 
The ship is showing a bit of age. There’s a little rust in spots but overall it is very clean and well maintained. Neither of us could smell mold or mildew and my wife is quite sensitive to it. The crew is everywhere cleaning and polishing.

I was very pleased with food taste and presentation. I realize “quality” is very subjective so I can only speak of my opinions. Food in the MDR was, of course, better than the buffet IMHO but that’s to be expected. Even so, several things I tried overshot my expectations. MDR food was outstanding. 
The crew is very friendly and engaging. People would stop from their task to smile and greet. 

Id have to say our wait team in the MDR were the best we’ve had in 20+ years of cruising. 
Lots more I could add but have included a few pics of our cabin. 

We booked VOS on a 5 day to be with our son and family. It was our first RC cruise in many years. We’ve done Carnival, Celebrity, Azamara and  Viking River in the years between.

Leading up to this I’d read some negative comments about VOS so wasn’t sure what to expect. 
All in all I’d have to say it was a good experience. Normally, we wouldn’t cruise on a family focused line this close to Spring Break. However we were to be with our son and his family so of course it was worth a try.  Yes, there were a lot of kids but RC does a great job of providing lots to keep them occupied. I did really appreciate there being an “adult pool” where we could escape to from time to time.

We booked a small suite so we’d have a little extra space when the kiddos came to visit. Gotta say, the storage space is amazing. My wife is all about drawers, shelves,closets etc in our home and even she was impressed. 
The ship is showing a bit of age. There’s a little rust in spots but overall it is very clean and well maintained. Neither of us could smell mold or mildew and my wife is quite sensitive to it. The crew is everywhere cleaning and polishing.

I was very pleased with food taste and presentation. I realize “quality” is very subjective so I can only speak of my opinions. Food in the MDR was, of course, better than the buffet IMHO but that’s to be expected. Even so, several things I tried overshot my expectations. MDR food was outstanding. 
The crew is very friendly and engaging. People would stop from their task to smile and greet. 

Id have to say our wait team in the MDR were the best we’ve had in 20+ years of cruising. 
Lots more I could add but have included a few pics of our cabin. 

I noticed that a B2B we have in ‘24 is now consolidated as one booking. The only other B2B we took was years ago on Carnival and those were separate bookings. Just curious if this is an Azamara thing? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to this? Will the “turnaround day” be any different? 
Thanks…

From what I’ve seen and read they will have a lot of work to do to improve Margaritaville At Sea.  Reviews and YouTube videos I’ve seen haven’t been kind. I wish them luck and success though. 

22 minutes ago, oddjob16 said:

Quest will obviously sail to Oslo in time for your departure. The drydock is either Bremerhaven or Amsterdam according to my unofficial sources.

Thank you. The proximity of the dry docks is reassuring. 

I know this is very disappointing for those booked on this. We were to join the Quest in Oslo for the Ireland intensive at the end of your cruise. I wonder if that will change. Does anyone know where Azamara does their dry docking?

My first experience with Azamara was in June of this year. Obviously I can’t speak to what it used to be like but we really enjoyed our time. We did the Ireland intensive so with long port stops and overnights we really didn’t spend that much time on the ship. 
The time we did was quite pleasant. There is a casual elegance that we enjoy. The crew was very friendly, the food quite good. Our ship, the Pursuit was clean and very well cared for. 
Our experience exceeded our expectations so much that we booked a B2B for ‘24. 

7 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Hi DPRobert!  Great to hear from you!  It was nice meeting you and it was a great cruise!  I would recommend the Ireland Intensive cruise to anyone.  I think Scotland would be great to see, too!
 

Another part of the Destination Immersion that I enjoyed on this trip was the local food dish that was featured each day in Windows.  There were some authentic Irish dishes offered that passengers might not have had a chance to try onshore.  They were offered at both breakfast and dinner.

I guess we missed those by just grabbing something for breakfast on our way off the ship and not eating dinner in windows. I’ll have to look for them on our repeat next year. 

On 9/21/2023 at 10:45 AM, takemewithyou said:

Dr H, just to clarify something….I have not complained about any of my Azamara cruises.  I have said I love Azamara.  I find fault with the CEO and her lack of communication.  I have a future booking on Azamara.

 

I would love to hear more about the subject I posted about….other peoples destination immersion experiences.

 We were on the Ireland intensive in June as well. While it might have been nice to have had a sea day mid point I wouldn’t trade any of the port stops for the experiences we had. There was so much to see and do. We loved the overnights and the longer times in ports. Loved Azamara so much we’re doing B2B Scotland intensive and a repeat of Ireland in 24.

Just curious if there is an adult only pool / bar on the Voyager? Not trying to start a whole “thing”.

Yes, I know it’s a family friendly cruise line. We had kids, love our grands and kids in general. It’s just that on sea days I’d love a pool area with less screaming n splashing. 

Thoroughly enjoyed the officers and staff on The Pursuit in June for the Ireland Intensive. Got this candid of some of the senior staff out on the bridge wing from our balcony. We were all out enjoying our sail by of the Cliffs of Moher. 
 

Fairly new to Azamara, do the Cruise Directors, Captains etc move around a lot?

Only one Azamara cruise for us so far but I had no complaints. Perhaps Az veterans can see differences . We were on the Ireland intensive in June and had a wonderful time. The crew was very friendly and efficient, food was great. Yeah there were a couple of shoreside glitches but they were quickly resolved once we were on the ship. Enjoyed it so much we’ve booked a B2B  for August of next year. 

I’d have to agree, Foynes wasn’t the most exciting port but we enjoyed it just the same. Having done a little research ahead of time I knew we’d need to book something We toured the countryside, seeing Limerick and  lovely town of Adare. Every minute spent in Ireland had something special to offer. I don’t know about all of them but our sailing on the Pursuit in June was a Perry Golf tour. 

Recently off a 10 night on Pursuit. I know everyone is different but we just didn’t see it as a problem. I’m 5’10 and around 180. Was it kinda tight , yes but hardly a reason for us not to sail with Azamara.  Neither my wife or I spend that much time in the bathroom. 
To us the pluses of Azamara far outweigh the small bathrooms. 

On 7/5/2023 at 2:01 PM, PirateWife said:

Today I have received two notifications from Azamara reminding me that a payment is due soon on an upcoming reservation. Payment isn't due until September 6th. This is the first time I have I have ever received this kind of notification from Azamara. I booked the cruise through my TA. Is this the "new" Azamara?

I can beat that. I’m getting numerous notifications for payment on a cruise I didn’t book. 😄

5 minutes ago, uktog said:

Absolutely none and they won’t hold them you will keep them and can drink them if you wish 

Thank you. 

In Dublin about to board Purduit.

Bought bottles at Jameson to take home.

Other that taking and holding them for me, will there be a problem at boarding?

Does anyone know if there is a general emergency contact number?My wife is preparing itinerary info to leave with our family and has not found the contact number for Azamara. 
Thank you. 

Hello. Counting down to our Ireland Intensive on the Pursuit.  We’re in a Veranda Plus stateroom on 8. Trying to plan for the varieties in Ireland’s weather. Does Azamara provide umbrellas or do we need to pack one? Hoping to pack only what we absolutely need. 
Thank you. 

Has anyone had any luck contacting them. 
I’ve tried several numbers and I get nothing.

On 3/12/2023 at 7:52 PM, Elaine5715 said:

 

 

Exactly...many incidents start with one person speaking up and being attacked by a group.  Your "we" already signals that most individuals are already outnumbered.    

Amazing how someone who wasn’t there can jump to conclusions. The “we” was not a group. It was my wife and I. We are both in our 60s and so far from physically threatening it’s comical.  I’m sure you’ve seen groups attack people for speaking up but I assure you that isn’t us. 

On 3/12/2023 at 4:24 PM, mz-s said:

nobody wants to hear your music except you! Not difficult to understand…

And no one could unless they were sitting in my lounger. 

On 3/12/2023 at 5:02 PM, 2wheelin said:

You apparently don’t realize it (or do you?) but your passive-aggressive challenge only serves you so you can act offended or uber sensitive if someone has the nerve to say something. And by asking everyone, you made it clear that the first to say something would be considered a lone wolf.

“Passive aggressive challenge” , “act offended or Uber sensitive”

 You don’t even know me yet you sit behind a keyboard and judge. We kept it so low that you had to be sitting in my lounger to even hear it.  

On 3/12/2023 at 2:46 PM, icft said:

It's a problem but folks those other folks were too polite and considerate to say anything.

Doubtful. Unless you were sitting in my lounger you couldn’t hear the sound.

I walked away to get drinks for us and listened carefully to be sure.