Azamara fan tries Viking Ocean -- some comparisons

Hi everyone, I had promised this board I would share my thoughts on our first experience on Viking and provide some comparisons to Azamara. Our 2 Azamara cruises were July 2016 (Irish Seas) & August 2017 (Baltic) and we were are on the Viking Star last week Barcelona to Rome.

The bottom line is that we found Viking Ocean to be a very formidable competitor to Azamara and will definitely sail Viking again. We won't abandon Azamara, especially because my husband loves the Perry Golf Cruises AZ offers but as everyone knows, Azamara's prices of late have gotten very expensive, and we felt Viking overall was a better value from a cost/benefit analysis.

Ship -- as much as we love the R ships, it's hard to compete with a new build like Viking Star. The best description I can think of regarding the ship is that it has been very carefully "curated." Everything has been thought through from all the décor items and knickknacks, the selection of books, the reading lamps attached to the comfy armchairs in the Living Room, the decorative glass jars of candies and snacks at the buffet, just a million little touches. Combine that with an amazing spa at no extra charge, three pools in different locations, three hot tubs, and very well designed bathrooms in the veranda suites with a real shower (no dreaded shower curtain) and Viking wins in this category. A great ship for a cool-weather cruise due to the expansive public spaces, spa and two indoor pools. What did we miss from AZ? The casino as an evening option. The bar that's part of Discoveries Restaurant where you can sit and have a drink while waiting for your table as Viking does not have a comfortable waiting space or a bar near the main dining room. And, there's just something special about AZ's Living Room, we really like that space.

Food and Service - we give the edge to AZ. Our meal in Manfredi's was just okay and nothing about the food on Viking was particularly special. Overall food was good but not great. Also, the wine service on Viking was poor. The included wines are worse than AZ (hard to believe, but true) and we had the premium bev package (which is a plus and an excellent value at 19.95 pp per day) but every night it was a production to wait for the wine steward to bring us the wine menu so we could choose and then another long wait to get the wine. They just weren't clicking on all cylinders in the dining room. Getting my appetizer before my wine and that sort of thing.

Excursions - this in our opinion is where Viking really shines. The included excursions were much better than I expected and everything ran like clockwork. Since we hadn't been to any of our destinations, the included excursions, which were usually 2 1/2 to 4 hours, were perfect, giving us the highlights and also providing some time on our own. For a family of 4, it was a huge benefit to have all that included.

Entertainment - We give the edge to AZ. Didn't think it was possible, but Viking was even quieter at night than AZ! The music is nice but most of it wasn't very lively and without a casino or lots of dancing we found ourselves playing a lot of board/card games in the evening. We are late diners so this wasn't a huge downside. And of course, Viking doesn't have the equivalent of the White Night or Azamazing Evening. Also, the piano player doesn't sing, and I missed the sing-a-longs like we have on Azamara. I always say it's not a cruise unless I get to sing-a-long to "Piano Man"!!!

Cruise Critic gathering - well attended on Viking but AZ did it better with an Officer host (once even the Captain!) who welcomed all of us, gave us a brief overview of the cruise and Azamara's long-term plans, made us feel appreciated and then passed around a microphone so we could all introduce ourselves so we knew who was who.

"Intangibles" -- Still really love the "feel" of Journey and Quest and the guests just seemed a little friendlier and the officers more involved. Not sure I ever saw an Officer on Viking, certainly didn't interact with one.

Pre-Cruise experience -- Viking wins hands down. We all are very familiar with the challenges AZ has in this category.

Cost -- total cost for 2 veranda cabins, 4 adults, airfare to Europe included during a holiday week, deviation and custom air fees added in, included excursions, gratuities added in: $12K for seven days which comes to $428 pp per day. Excellent value and significantly less expensive than AZ. We booked 18 months out because Viking sells out in the lower categories and I have noticed the overall prices have gone up since then but nothing as crazy as it has been on Azamara.

Very good experience on Viking. Azamara needs to be very aware of this competition and watch its prices. We will sail both again but the price has got to be right. And one more comment: Azamara markets itself on "destination immersion." Well, on a 7 night Viking cruise we had two overnights and a few late night departures.

Happy to answer questions!

Thanks for your detailed review. Friends of ours were on the New Year cruise and had a fantastic time.

I agree with most of your points. We did our first cruise on Viking Sea last January and really enjoyed it. The cabins are so much better than Azamara and of course, they are all balcony cabins. Great bathrooms with huge showers and underfloor heating. The ship was stunning...Scandinavian clean lines with pale wood and blue accents. Really modern and beautiful ships with tasteful decor.

As you said, Viking Admin and the pre cruise experience wins hands down. Simply no comparison to the Azamara broken website and numerous pre cruise issues.

We very much enjoyed the food on our cruise...particularly the lovely afternoon tea. Again Viking wins here. We found the Maitre'd Angel at Manfredi's very helpful and we enjoyed the food there, although I do prefer Aqualina. We never had to wait long for the wine service and thought the Silver Drinks Package excellent value. I liked the wines a lot....but then I like the included wine on Azamara too!

The only thing lacking for us was the entertainment. I missed the casino and the piano player. But Azamara are getting rid of them now, so I will miss them on Quest, Journey and Pursuit as well. The shows were pretty good though. There just weren't enough of them and they were staged too early for us. The deck party didn't compare to an Azamara White Night but it was the liveliest night onboard, despite it being January and a bit cold outside. We said how different it would be if we had our little gang of friends onboard with us. We wouldn't have minded the quiet nightlife then as we could have made our own entertainment. I really did miss a piano bar though.

What really surprised me on Viking were the crew and how kind and cheerful they were. They seemed very happy in their work and almost as good as an Azamara crew. We didn't see that many officers socialising on Viking but the HD and CD did have a chat with us. It was our first Viking cruise so we didn't know anyone and on Azamara we know practically everyone so that was a difference for us.

I agree the tours were great value, even the paid for ones were much less expensive than on Azamara and really enjoyable and we'll run.

The value of Viking cost versus Azamara cost is definitely on Viking's side and I will certainly cruise with them again but.....my Facebook feed came up yesterday with a post I made exactly a year ago when we were on Viking Sea.

It said something like "we are having a really great time on Viking but somehow....it just isn't Azamara!" And there you have it! 😄

Hi Allison,

A very timely review on how a recent Viking cruise compares with Azamara. We took our first Viking cruise last November from Lisbon to Miami on the Viking Sun. You certainly identified with the pros and cons that we found with the Viking cruise. We will be going on our first Azamara cruise in February from San Diego to Miami on the Quest. Previously we have cruised with Celebrity and Oceania a few times each. We do prefer the smaller ships overall. We too would go on Viking again if the price is right and great itinerary to go with it. Thanks again for a great comprehensive review.

Thanks for your detailed review Allison! It gives a good idea of what to expect if sailing with Viking.

Ivi

Thanks for your review and comparison!

Hi, we were on the Viking Star over New Year. Barcelona to Rome. We agree with most of your points,

Pre cruise information and ticketing: Viking wins

Regular cabin and bathroom Viking wins. Loved the huge choice of films and music now available in our room.

Ship: Beautiful Viking wins. Nordic 'Hygge' Lovely open uncluttered but cosy feel. Comfortable sofas, books everywhere. Lovely two storey viewing from Explorers Lounge. Fantastic spa. We love the Wintergarden and also the roof over the main pool, perfect for winter cruising and hosting a fantastic deck party.

We have been on Azamara Quest twice since its refit. The stick on stuff in the lighter colour on our wardrobe was coming off. The light colour carpets were constantly being cleaned especially by Mosaic and getting a seat here not always easy.

Crew: Well I almost hate to say this but we found the crew fantastic. From the welcome home each time - with hot towels - to our ever smiling cabin steward. We rarely saw our cabin steward on Azamara, efficient but absent. The Maitre D's were efficient and smiling. Did I talk to the Captain - no - but then to be honest the everyday interaction with the regular crew is more important to me. so I think its a draw.

Food and service: Difficult to say. We like Manfredi's and the 'theatre' of the Chefs Table on Viking. Also of course no additional cost to dine.

The MDR was a little patchy but we have also experienced that on Azamara. The silver spirits package, which was included for us, was excellent. We liked the choice it provided. We had no problem getting numerous refills and even switching choices through the meal.

Entertainment: Live music everywhere. Classical trio, guitarist plus pianist. I agree it would be nice if they sang as well. Deck party was great with as many people up dancing as on White Night (which we love). Plus great party on New Year's Eve. We loved the Viking Band - 4 musicians plus 2 singers. They accompanied the other 4 Viking singers in the shows and during the 3 events in the Atrium. They also played every night in Torshaven, the small late night venue which on our cruise was busy every night. There were 2 evenings when the entertainment was brought in from shore: One by Catalan Gypsy Artists on night one, and one orchestra in Livorno.

We did note that Viking have dropped the two dancers we had previously and also dropped the Viking singers down to 4 from 6. I assume this is what is also planned on Azamara - but haven't seen any updates yet.

In addition there were 'Movies under the Stars" plus two resident Lecturers. You could watch the lectures on the TV but they also hosted round table discussions. In fact there seemed to be a lot going on, and we certainly couldn't attend everything.

The Cruise Director was not very good. Azamara wins on that one.

Guest Services: Better on Viking, both onboard and shore.

Fellow passengers were great. There was a wide range of ages, possibly due to the timing of our cruise. It would help Viking if they diversified a bit. More Aussies and New Zealanders would be a welcome addition.

We loved our 2nd Viking cruise and booked onboard for next New Year. Mediterranean cruising in the winter was much better than I had anticipated. Fewer crowds and we were very lucky with the weather.

We have an Azamara B2B booked next June. We love Azamara but we don't like the prices we now see. I compared shore excursion prices and Azamara are sometimes double similar excursions on Viking. Even with the current Azamara promotion, which favours booking the more expensive staterooms, the price seems very high.

We were considering a September Azamara, but that is now a 'maybe'.

Viking are launching more ships. New offers on other cruise lines drop into my inbox everyday. Competition is fierce. Azamara may have to up their game to retain their many loyal clients, many of whom seem to believe they are no longer required.

Thanks these are all such useful balanced perspectives from guests who know the Azamara product well, so for me this gives such credibility to their posts.

I hope Azamara does up their game (but not their prices) and that the enhancements they select are not so “way out there”so as only to appeal to a minority.

Mrs Miggins - how did the guests “behave” on a festive cruise. Azamara suffered quite a bit from a sizeable minority of loud hot tub based imbibers and late night noise in corridors which spoilt things a bit.

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Thanks these are all such useful balanced perspectives from guests who know the Azamara product well, so for me this gives such credibility to their posts.

I hope Azamara does up their game (but not their prices) and that the enhancements they select are not so “way out there”so as only to appeal to a minority.

 

Mrs Miggins - how did the guests “behave” on a festive cruise. Azamara suffered quite a bit from a sizeable minority of loud hot tub based imbibers and late night noise in corridors which spoilt things a bit.

 

 

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It seems that the only thing Azamara has been upping lately are the prices.

Even taking account of the gimmicky sale promotions.

No noise in corridors, no bad behaviour, a few just a little 'tipsy' on New Year's Eve (including me) thanks to the constant supply of fizz for all.

Of course unless you have a Drinks package you would normally have to pay for drinks outside of meal times, unlike on all inclusive Azamara.

Great reviews, thanks for sharing. watching these posts with interest. We're concerned about the rising prices also which now open up a whole heap of future possibilities if we choose. Of the four cruises we have deposits for later in 2018 & 2019 all are available on the bogoho but still come in more expensive that when we reserved.

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I agree with most of the comments made by Allison, Lottie A and Mrs Miggins. I really enjoyed cruising with Viking and loved the newness and modernity of the ship. It's only a minor point but I also loved the bathroom. Underfloor heating, space and a fabulous power shower was a welcome change after the postage stamp sized space offered by Azamara unless you book a suite.

Must admit I agree that the entertainment on Viking was rather lacklustre ( but then again we don't yet know about the updated entertainment to be offered soon on Azamara) I really enjoyed dining at Manfredi's though found the Chefs Table a little underwhelming. Food in the MDR was good not great and the Silver Spirits drinks package terrific value for money.

The crew were a revelation. As others have said they were lovely and would fit right in on an Azamara ship.

A friend is already booked on a Journey cruise in a couple of months and I checked the price yesterday. The lead in price for an inside (sharing) was approaching £5000, not value for money in my book.

So if prices remain at their current levels I see more Viking sailings and fewer on Azamara in my cruising future.

Mrs. Miggins — thanks for chiming in and sorry I didn’t get to meet you on the cruise! I may have given a bit short shrift to the Viking entertainment because we are late diners and tend to miss a lot of it—didn’t even know there was a deck party! But I agree New Year’s was fun. My comments on service may be influenced by a bad experience in the dining room the last evening and a very snippy wine steward. Yes the crew overall was very pleasant and we constantly saw our cabin attendant and that was different from Azamara. I also enjoyed Movies Under the Stars one night but had to sacrifice the main dining room that evening for the buffet in order to get dinner before the 8:30 start, we really like to relax for a few hours when returning from tours and thus found lots of the Viking schedule too early for us. It seemed to be a very “early” ship in the evening—my young adult children finally met some others their age on New Year’s Eve and realized they hadn’t crossed paths previously because they were all eating at 6 pm with their grandparents. I do wish Viking had held some kind of young adult gathering early in the cruise so my kids could have met more people their own age, especially since it was a holiday cruise and may have had more younger guests on board, but it was nice as their parents to spend so much time with them! One thing I wanted to add is we tried to book another Viking cruise but could not find an itinerary that worked with our schedule and they don’t offer “open bookings” (were told they are working on that). They instead suggested we just do a dummy booking and change it later but I just didn’t want to go through that hassle if we never intended to take that cruise. So another area AZ wins!

Thanks for your detailed review. Friends of ours were on the New Year cruise and had a fantastic time.....

 

The only thing lacking for us was the entertainment. I missed the casino and the piano player. But Azamara are getting rid of them now, so I will miss them on Quest, Journey and Pursuit as well. The shows were pretty good though. There just weren't enough of them and they were staged too early for us. The deck party didn't compare to an Azamara White Night but it was the liveliest night onboard, despite it being January and a bit cold outside. We said how different it would be if we had our little gang of friends onboard with us. We wouldn't have minded the quiet nightlife then as we could have made our own entertainment. I really did miss a piano bar though......

 

It said something like "we are having a really great time on Viking but somehow....it just isn't Azamara!" And there you have it! 😄

Lottie, as much as you like Azamara, I'm surprised you are not giving Bonnie the benefit of the doubt on the live music. Based only on posts I've read, she has said at least twice that the live music is not going away. Changing/updating is not the same as deleting it. Have I missed something?

Lottie, as much as you like Azamara, I'm surprised you are not giving Bonnie the benefit of the doubt on the live music. Based only on posts I've read, she has said at least twice that the live music is not going away. Changing/updating is not the same as deleting it. Have I missed something?

I'm not talking about just "live music" Bob. There will be a smaller band onboard which qualifies as "live music" on the ship. No-one disputes this.

If you read any of my posts on this subject properly then you will see I mean LIVE piano or guitar music in Spirits Bar. I'm specifically talking about the piano bar, where the plan is for canned Muzak and not the live music of Ed, Max, Simon etc. I will really miss this and nothing Bonnie is saying is reassuring me that this isn't going to happen.

Of course Azamara will not get rid of all the live music on their ships, but I do hope they change their minds about the live music in Spirits Bar. It's my favourite place to relax with a drink, have a chat and a singalong with Ed or Max.

According to a previous post on the forum they are now considering placing the Future Cruise Desk in Spirits Bar....now that is just crazy but I can't see that happening.

I have absolutely no objection to the shows and music entertainment being updated...in fact I have been saying for a while that this needs to be done. I can almost recite the Voices show word perfect I have seen it that many times.

Anyway, back to the subject of the thread....I enjoyed the string quartet and the pianist on Viking but I wished the pianist could also sing.

Thanks for your detailed review. Friends of ours were on the New Year cruise and had a fantastic time.

 

The only thing lacking for us was the entertainment. I missed the casino and the piano player. But Azamara are getting rid of them now, so I will miss them on Quest, Journey and Pursuit as well. The shows were pretty good though. There just weren't enough of them and they were staged too early for us. The deck party didn't compare to an Azamara White Night but it was the liveliest night onboard, despite it being January and a bit cold outside. We said how different it would be if we had our little gang of friends onboard with us. We wouldn't have minded the quiet nightlife then as we could have made our own entertainment. I really did miss a piano bar though.

Is AZ getting rid of the casino? I wasn't aware of this. Taking my first AZ cruise in Oct and choose AZ over Viking precisely because Viking had no casino.

Is AZ getting rid of the casino? I wasn't aware of this. Taking my first AZ cruise in Oct and choose AZ over Viking precisely because Viking had no casino.

It's my understanding that the casino's game tables are going away.

Is AZ getting rid of the casino? I wasn't aware of this. Taking my first AZ cruise in Oct and choose AZ over Viking precisely because Viking had no casino.

The casino table players left Journey ahead of dry dock last week

Is AZ getting rid of the casino? I wasn't aware of this. Taking my first AZ cruise in Oct and choose AZ over Viking precisely because Viking had no casino.

Yes, as Bonnie says the Casino tables are going....possibly they are already gone on Journey after the refit? However I was told that "a few" slot machines would remain but I'm not sure how many and where they will be.

The Casino is something I will miss. I only play the slot machines on a cruise and I'm certainly not a big gambler but I do enjoy donating a small amount.

Of course, Viking don't have Casino's either but lots of other cruise lines do. I have to say that Azamara casino's were more often closed than open anyway, due to the frequent overnight and late stays.

I'm not talking about just "live music" Bob. There will be a smaller band onboard which qualifies as "live music" on the ship. No-one disputes this.

 

If you read any of my posts on this subject properly then you will see I mean LIVE piano or guitar music in Spirits Bar. I'm specifically talking about the piano bar, where the plan is for canned Muzak and not the live music of Ed, Max, Simon etc. I will really miss this and nothing Bonnie is saying is reassuring me that this isn't going to happen.

 

Of course Azamara will not get rid of all the live music on their ships, but I do hope they change their minds about the live music in Spirits Bar. It's my favourite place to relax with a drink, have a chat and a singalong with Ed or Max.

 

According to a previous post on the forum they are now considering placing the Future Cruise Desk in Spirits Bar....now that is just crazy but I can't see that happening.

 

I have absolutely no objection to the shows and music entertainment being updated...in fact I have been saying for a while that this needs to be done. I can almost recite the Voices show word perfect I have seen it that many times.

 

Anyway, back to the subject of the thread....I enjoyed the string quartet and the pianist on Viking but I wished the pianist could also sing.

My bad. I guess I don't think of the "orchestra" as being part of live music so much as being part of the shows. I know they perform around the ship from time to time, but in my (I guess narrow) view, live music was the 1 - 4 performers in various venues. We don't often stop in Spirits to listen to Max, but enjoy him there and in the living room when we do. I am definitely in the group that thinks the piano, guitar, small groups add a lot.

Excellent review and comparisons! Really enjoyed reading it and your pricing information too. Thanks!