Having JUST returned from back-to-back on the Azamara Pursuit from Lisbon to Athens and looking forward to our future back-to-back cruises in December/January on the Journey from Perth to Auckland, I would like to share our recent experience and hope that Azamara thrives for many years to come. We are also booked to sail with Seabourn and Uniworld this year, so I’m looking forward to being able to compare them to Azamara.
Our recent cruise on Azamara was wonderful, as always. I am of the mind that “if I don’t have to prepare it, cook it and serve it, I’m happy with it (McDonalds’ excluded!). Seriously though, we found 95% of the meals to be lovely and the other 5% were items we wouldn’t enjoy at home either. We DID have escargot and it was delightful. When it comes to drinks, as long as it’s a chilled, dry chardonnay served by a good-looking crew member (male or female), I’m ok with it. As far as the Brussel sprout is concerned, I have as YET to find acceptable sprouts at the grocery store since the pandemic! And, if my entire trip was based on the only spirit I would drink, I’d be sure to take my own supply, just to be on the safe side.
Also, we do not cruise for the entertainment onboard. While we thoroughly enjoyed it on this ship, if top-notch live entertainment is our goal, we go to New York City! We sail with Azamara for the itinerary, the places we get to visit and the great people we meet onboard.
The crew on Azamara is fantastic! Each and everyone addressed us by name each time they saw us. They worked tirelessly to make our experience as memorable as possible. Hats off to these ‘kids’! They are well-trained and their personalities well-suited to cater to everyone, especially those who expect nothing short of excellence.
I’ll go out on a limb and guess that most of the people who travel on Azamara (and comparable ships) are booking through a travel agent and have no experience with the website or the IT issues. My husband and I, on the other hand, have extensive experience in both areas – my husband having been in the computer business for over 50 years, will tell you that even companies like IBM have ‘IT’ issues occasionally. AND, throw in the staffing problems during/after the pandemic, trust me, it is way more companies than Azamara having these issues. Let’s also keep in mind, these cruise lines (like all for-profit businesses) are in it to make money.
In closing, I would like to give a nod to the Azamara clients who are standing by and supporting a company they love as we all come out of one of the most difficult times for the travel industry.
