Azamara vs Cunard

[ja940]

We are a very active mid 50's couple and are trying to decide between 2 British Isles cruise in July 2012. We have to travel between 6/15 and 8/15 and have done almost all the itineraries that are offered at that time. The only ones we haven't done are the British Isles and the Black Sea. Have sailed for 30+ years on all the big lines and once on Oceania. We are looking for a step up in service and food. The 2 we are comparing are 7/28 Azamara Journey 12 night or the 7/24 Queen Elizabeth 14 night both British Isles. Any suggestions would be welcome. We have not sailed on either lines.

[tommui987]

The 2 we are comparing are 7/28 Azamara Journey 12 night or the 7/24 Queen Elizabeth 14 night both British Isles. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

I think you are comparing a private jet to a 747!

 

The Azamara is a small ship. The line prides itself on its service, friendliness of its crew, and the fact that it is a ship that can get into ports easily because of its size. The cruises that we have been on had about 700 passengers.

 

The Cunard QE (and I thought the QE was retired and replaced by the Queen Mary and Victoria) has much walnut, a class distinction, and carries about 2000+ passengers.

 

I would suggest your best bet is to decide on the itinerary unless the ship really is more important than the ports traveled.

[Paul S]

We are also an active couple in our 50s' We haven't yet sailed with Azamara (we go two weeks today). However, last summer we did a transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

 

Cunard is formal with its dress codes, and on our 7 night crossing we had 3 formal "black tie" evenings with dinner suits (tuxedos) , 2 semi-formal of suit or jacket and tie for men and cocktail dresses for ladies, and 2 casual nights of smart resort wear. The designated dress code applies all evening throughout the ship except in the buffet restaurant. We enjoyed the opportunity to dress up, but if you don't then Cunard may not be for you. Though dinner suits for men could be hired on board, do bear in mind the extra luggage needed for the clothes for formal nights. Azamara does not have formal nights.

 

A further point regarding the main restaurant - unless you are in the suites or club class cabins and eat in a separate restaurant, in the evenings there are two timed sittings allocated pre-cruise, and designated tables throughout the sailing. Tables go from 2 to 8 in size, and though you can request a particular size there is no guarantee you will get what you asked for. Azamara has open dining.

 

On Cunard you pay extra for staff gratuities and a service charge is added onto bar prices. Wines and beers at meals are charged extra. On Azamara gratuities together with wines at meals are included and no service charge is added to bar prices.

 

Queen Elizabeth is a large ship with 2,000 passengers. Journey is much smaller, I believe around 700 passengers, and may be able to dock where QE has to tender.

 

I am sure you would have a great time on both ships, but it is your choice whether you prefer a larger and more formal ship with set dining, or a smaller more casual one with open dining.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Paul S

[autumn lass]

We have sailed both lines on Cunard twice - the QM2 twice in both Queens Grill and Britannia and on Azamara 3 times- twice on Quest and once on Journey with a fourth booked. Whilst we do like the QM2 our personal preference is for Azamara. The staff are the deciding factor as is the ambience of the 2 smaller ships. Nothing is too much trouble and everyone is welcoming, all the officers from the Captain down are very visible and approachable. Although some people may not agree we actually thought the food was better too. The staterooms on Azamara are smaller even in a Club Continent Suite but all the amenities that you would find on Cunard are on Azamara. You won't however find the production shows on Azamara, entertainment is more low key. There are no formal nights but most people follow the smart casual dress code. Because these are smaller ships they can access more ports and almost always a free shuttle is provided. In addition to the restaurants on Azamara there is a little area called Mosaic which serves great coffees- lattes etc and tasty nibbles plus speciality teas from early morning until late at night- all included as are the wine with lunch & dinner and gratuities. Bottles of water are available in your stateroom and in the gangways as you disembark for shore excursions.

 

Whichever you choose I hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

Hilary

[corpkid]

I've sailed on the QE2 back in the late 90's (W. Caribbean) and it was very nice. Last summer I sailed on the QM2 (New England and E. Canada) and it was also very nice, but I realized I was a bit tired of the large-format ships and all the "hubbub" that goes with them. I have sailed on 6 other large ships (2x Carnival, 2x Celebrity, and 2x RCI) over the past decade and while the Cunard experience was a step up from the others, it's still felt more-or-less "too big." (e.g. hunting for a seat at the breakfast buffet, etc). I might be a unique bird on this, but I cruise so I can have a moving hotel. I'm not really big on the actual cruising experience (it's fine, and the food is good, but I primarily see the ship as a floating hotel) - in that I love that you wake up every day (or so) in a new place. The problem with the big ships is the limited amount of time you can spend at ports and the very touristy shore excursions. This is where Azamara comes in with their more specialized ports/excursions and longer (sometimes overnight) stays. YAY for exploring a city at night and eating dinner at a local place and dancing till the wee hours as the locals do! I'm from NYC - I'm used to staying up late! :)

 

I'm trying my first Azamara cruise on the Quest from Rio heading down to Buenos Aires in December and can't wait. I think if you want a smaller, more intimate, and more unique experience, going the Azamara route is a good move. I personally don't mind that I'm missing a mega casino, or huge production shows. And I've heard the food is a solid step up, too. That said, if I was going to cruise again on a large ship, it would probably be a Cunard. But I think those days are over unless some itenerary comes out that is so unbelievable I can't resist, but I've already been eyeballing the Azamara Quest's "JAZZ IN THE NORWEGIAN FJORDS" cruise this June and am drooling all over myself and have a feeling I'm going to like this cruise line a great deal. Either way you go, it will be great, but that's my opinion. :)

 

ENJOY!