Thinking of switching lines from Celebrity...

[EithneMay]

Hello! This is my first time posting on this cruise line's forum, and I have some possibly "stupid" questions.

The hubby and myself recently moved from RCCL to Celebrity cruises, but even that move is not quite fitting our cruise desires anymore. We are thinking we may need to try a few more lines to find what we are looking for.

Our preferences would be this:

Smaller ships with quiet areas.

Very good food with gourmet flair.

Relaxing and classy atmosphere, as we like to get dressed up for dinner and evening shows/entertainment.

Few if any kids/families on board.

 

We prefer 14 nights or longer, and are happy to book back to back cruises to make that happen. So, do you think Azamara could be a good fit?

 

 

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[uktog]

I think Azamara could be a very good fit for you

 

Smaller ships with quiet areas - yes, lots of quiet areas, but as you do not have a noisy element, even up the pool deck can be relatively quiet - there is no muzack for example

 

Very good food with gourmet flair - yes whilst they have 2 excellent speciality restaurants, Discoveries, the main dining room is so good

 

Relaxing and classy atmosphere, as we like to get dressed up for dinner and evening shows/entertainment. - you do not get formally dressed up but everyone dresses as they would going to a nice restaurant in town

 

Few if any kids/families on board. - yes!

 

Above all you have a crew that are empowered, each one does all they can to make their trip special and are real service personalities not robots doing what they are told to do, they really care about you

[EithneMay]

Thanks for the quick reply! We feel that Celebrity is beginning to "cater to the masses" and we want to avoid that as much as possible. We are willing to pay more for a better experience.

 

 

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[Lottie A]

Hi EithneMay,

 

I would say that Azamara would certainly meet all your requirements, except possibly one. That is the getting "dressed for dinner".

 

Most of the American guests seem to prefer a more casual attire - it is called resort casual and I believe it is supposed to be what Americans might wear to a Country Club. Personally, and like many Brits, I prefer to make more of an effort and do wear something a little more "dressed up" but that is OK too. I don't wear ballgowns, like those seen on Cunard though - just a sparkly top and evening trousers or a nice dress.

Each to his own I suppose.

 

The great thing about Azamara is you can wear pretty much what you want.

 

I think Azamara may be a good fit for you but the only way to know for sure is to try it!

[Phxazzcruisers]

I think Azamara may be what you are looking for, except for the getting dressed up part. That is up to you, but Azamara does not have a formal night and Resort Casual is the dress on board, even for dinner in the Specialty Restaurants. Everything else you are looking for is there. We love Azamara, GREAT food, INCREDIBLE service. I would definately give them a try

[EithneMay]

For those who have cruised on a Celebrity M-Class ship, how do the veranda cabins compare?

 

 

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[tgg]

Hello! This is my first time posting on this cruise line's forum, and I have some possibly "stupid" questions.

The hubby and myself recently moved from RCCL to Celebrity cruises, but even that move is not quite fitting our cruise desires anymore. We are thinking we may need to try a few more lines to find what we are looking for.

Our preferences would be this:

Smaller ships with quiet areas.

Very good food with gourmet flair.

Relaxing and classy atmosphere, as we like to get dressed up for dinner and evening shows/entertainment.

Few if any kids/families on board.

 

We prefer 14 nights or longer, and are happy to book back to back cruises to make that happen. So, do you think Azamara could be a good fit?

 

 

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Your biggest problem after sailing on Azamara will be going back to Celebrity.

[ellbon]

Hello! This is my first time posting on this cruise line's forum, and I have some possibly "stupid" questions.

The hubby and myself recently moved from RCCL to Celebrity cruises, but even that move is not quite fitting our cruise desires anymore. We are thinking we may need to try a few more lines to find what we are looking for.

tried several and prefer Azamara.

Our preferences would be this:

Smaller ships with quiet areas.

during the day THE LOOKING GLASS. .only used for looking out or once in a while adn events. also anytime in the Coffee lounge.

Very good food with gourmet flair.

better than celebity. spec restaurants sre less money adn very good food.

Relaxing and classy atmosphere, as we like to get dressed up for dinner and evening shows/entertainment.

 

depends on cruise- i have been two NYE cruises. .one was dressier. i always wear dresses.

Few if any kids/families on board.

for a small ship iwould say not at Cmas as isaw a lot if little ones. .no real teens.. no drinking college age.

 

We prefer 14 nights or longer, and are happy to book back to back cruises to make that happen. So, do you think Azamara could be a good fit?

 

lots of those and plenty of ones you can string together in S America or Europe.. done or doing both.

 

 

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hope this helps

[EithneMay]

Your biggest problem after sailing on Azamara will be going back to Celebrity.

 

I kind of figured that won't happen once we make the switch!

 

 

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[Jade13]

Relaxing and classy atmosphere, as we like to get dressed up for dinner and evening shows/entertainment.

 

The majority on people we have seen on Azamara do not get dressed up for dinner, but you could always do so. There are no formal nights.

 

I think your other requirements would be met.

[Jade13]

For those who have cruised on a Celebrity M-Class ship, how do the veranda cabins compare?

 

 

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We were on Millennium this year (note in a Suite), and note that the bathrooms in the standard Azamara Veranda's are very small with small shower. The rest of the cabin is very nice though.

[maggie.1008]

We are Elite on Celebrity and did our first 2 Azamara cruises this year. We loved it and did not miss the large crowds. We still have 3 more cruises booked with Celebrity and I look forward to everything but noise from kids at the pool. You will really enjoy Azamara !

[Architect]

EithneMay, I'd say Azamara will be a perfect fit for you, with the possible exception, as noted, that there are no 'formal' nights. That said however, I usually wear a jacket to dinner in the MDR and certainly don't stand out. When eating in Prime C or Aqualina, I usually wear a necktie as well and the womenfolk definitely dress up as well.

 

That said, I see this more on 'shoulder-season' European itineraries. When it's very hot, OTOH, people dress up less, as well they should IMO! And while I do not cruise to the Caribbean, I expect everything's more casual there and in similar climes/locales.

 

Finally, I would recommend a Continent Suite at least if bathroom size is a concern. The lesser cabins do have very small facilities.

[alcpa1]

There is no way you won't get hooked!

Dressing to dine is truly up to you. There will not be shorts or jeans seen at all for dinner except for the far too enjoyable pool deck dinner(s.) Country club casual means men in collared shirts with or without a sports coat. The women choose suitable and appropriate attire. No, it's generally not the formal wear that we are used to on Celebrity but in their own way the passengers look blissful. Especially after a delightful dinner.

There are many nooks and crannies to relax.

The bath is a little smaller than the Millie class baths but there is ample storage in all the cabins below suite level.

When you begin to plan your first Azamara cruise remember that gratuities are included, wine is complimentary at both dinner and lunch, and it's not two buck chuck either. There are frequent air promotions and 1/2 price excursions. Many ports have gratis shuttles to the center of town.

One of the true benefits is the docking in many many ports. The ship is small and can dock within sight of The Hermitage, for example. There are also many overnights.

The staff and crew will make your cruise memorable. They are the most visible and caring staff we have encountered in thirty plus years of cruising.

Because you have cruised with RCI and Celebrity you probably have Captain's Club status which will translate to Azamara. Enhanced benefits never hurt either.

Do find the itinerary that suits you, book your cruise and then join the Roll Call.

[excitedofharpenden]

Hello! This is my first time posting on this cruise line's forum, and I have some possibly "stupid" questions.

The hubby and myself recently moved from RCCL to Celebrity cruises, but even that move is not quite fitting our cruise desires anymore. We are thinking we may need to try a few more lines to find what we are looking for.

Our preferences would be this:

Smaller ships with quiet areas.

Very good food with gourmet flair.

Relaxing and classy atmosphere, as we like to get dressed up for dinner and evening shows/entertainment.

Few if any kids/families on board.

 

We prefer 14 nights or longer, and are happy to book back to back cruises to make that happen. So, do you think Azamara could be a good fit?

 

 

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Until last year I had only sailed with Celebrity and it was with some reservations that I decided on Azamara to cruise with friends. The main ones being I knew the cabins and balconies were smaller than I'm used to on X and I wasn't sure if this would be an issue. I was also concerned at the smaller size of the ship overall and having fewer venues.

 

Having tried them I have fallen for Azamara. Yes, the bathrooms are small and in a standard balcony cabin you only have room for a table and two sitting chairs on the veranda and not a lot of space. All of the standard balcony cabins are 170 sq ft as opposed to 190 sq ft in Concierge and Aqua Class on Celebrity, but the rooms are comfortable and there is a good amount of storage.

 

The biggest pluses for me are the itineraries with overnights and longer stays in port together with being able to get to places the larger ships can't. That often means you dock right in town. Then there's the service which I found to be a step up on Celebrity, much like the food. The size of the ship I really like too. It's easy to navigate and the central location of Mosaic Cafe is a great social meeting point. Oh and dare I say I prefer the passengers on Azamara. More active and friendlier than Celebrity with much fewer rude people that I have encountered on that line. The crew are the friendliest I bet you could ever get on a cruise ship with a real can-do attitude from the cleaners to the Captain. The officers are very visible and involved. They might even serve you a barbecue on deck if it's warm enough!

 

Azamara isn't for everyone. I have a friend who I have cruised with quite a few times on Celebrity and she went on Azamara and won't be back. She prefers the larger ships however I would say give them a go and see what you think. Quest is due a makeover in November and Journey in January and the details sound very nice.

 

Phil

[EithneMay]

Thanks so much for all of the helpful information. Now we just need to wait for the 2014 itineraries to come out!

 

 

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[ahoymatey1]

we have recently returned from a cruise on the journey to northern europe....

 

the only thing azamara has going for it is that the smallness of the ship creates a comfortable, cozy atmosphere that you cant get on a big ship....

 

also the itineraries can be more interesting and the ships are able to get into smaller places....

 

all else is inferior...

 

we travelled with others and all of us found that the food does not compare to the S class celebrity ships...

 

there were several dishes that we simply left after tasting....

the selection is much smaller, the desserts mediocre by comparison....and the service was very slow.....

 

this was our third time on the journey and by far the first time 5 years ago the food was superior to what we had experienced this time....

 

now I have a theory...it could be that this sailing was heavily discounted so maybe they cut back on staff...I know for a fact that they cut back on some items...when we asked out of curiosity why the lobster was not taken out of its shell as they usually do, the waiter said they were told that because the lobster on this sailing is so small the plate would look empty if it is unshelled.....

 

we would only return to azamara if we got the kind of discounted cruise that others had...free air and very low price....

 

when asked others about the food, they said , you cant complain when you get such a deal.....

 

we dont care about entertainment...but there is really very little that is of good quality.....

 

and of course the bathrooms and the ages of the ships do not compare to the new spacious S class.....

 

you will not get too many folks here that will give you an unbiased opinion...they are diehard fans of azamara for whatever reasons....

 

most are intimidated to say anything of a negative nature here....

[excitedofharpenden]

we have recently returned from a cruise on the journey to northern europe....

 

the only thing azamara has going for it is that the smallness of the ship creates a comfortable, cozy atmosphere that you cant get on a big ship....

 

also the itineraries can be more interesting and the ships are able to get into smaller places....

 

all else is inferior...

 

we travelled with others and all of us found that the food does not compare to the S class celebrity ships...

 

there were several dishes that we simply left after tasting....

the selection is much smaller, the desserts mediocre by comparison....and the service was very slow.....

 

this was our third time on the journey and by far the first time 5 years ago the food was superior to what we had experienced this time....

 

now I have a theory...it could be that this sailing was heavily discounted so maybe they cut back on staff...I know for a fact that they cut back on some items...when we asked out of curiosity why the lobster was not taken out of its shell as they usually do, the waiter said they were told that because the lobster on this sailing is so small the plate would look empty if it is unshelled.....

 

we would only return to azamara if we got the kind of discounted cruise that others had...free air and very low price....

 

when asked others about the food, they said , you cant complain when you get such a deal.....

 

we dont care about entertainment...but there is really very little that is of good quality.....

 

and of course the bathrooms and the ages of the ships do not compare to the new spacious S class.....

 

you will not get too many folks here that will give you an unbiased opinion...they are diehard fans of azamara for whatever reasons....

 

most are intimidated to say anything of a negative nature here....

I hope people aren't intimidated. This is a pretty friendly forum and you should be able to express your opinion here backed up with facts, good and bad without being pilloried. You've provided your reasons why you didn't like Azamara and indeed it isn't for everyone as I mentioned in my post regarding cruising pals and their feelings. Cruising on Azamara is a very different cruising experience to Celebrity and their brand new ships. I prefer it. I say give it a go and make your choice. It's great to have a choice!

 

Phil

[marinaro44]

It's worth remembering that ahoymatey1 is the person who complained for months here about a problem getting a veranda upgrade that was supposedly part of a promotion. I suspect this issue has had a bit of an effect on his or her perception of the Azamara cruise...and is at least a partial contributor to the resulting opinion above.

 

Our first Azamara cruises were on Journey last October, and they were the best cruises we have ever had (including Regent Seven Seas)...certainly surpassing by far our only Celebrity cruise. At our recommendation, friends who have cruised Celebrity, HAL, and--frequently--Princess, cruised Journey this past March and were equally smitten by the experience. They are especially into food quality and, in particular, desserts, by the way.

 

We and our friends were delighted by Azamara's cuisine--no need for specialty restaurants other than for variety--and it clearly blew away anything we'd had on Celebrity, HAL, and the others. We and they are cruising together on Quest's trans-Atlantic this December and my wife and I are fortunate to have been able to book Quest's two preceding cruises, giving us 33 days of Azamara cruising to look forward to.

 

Sometimes you have to look at the complete body of reviews of cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, etc., and discount the few outliers in making a judgment.

[ellbon]

It's worth remembering that ahoymatey1 is the person who complained for months here about a problem getting a veranda upgrade that was supposedly part of a promotion. I suspect this issue has had a bit of an effect on his or her perception of the Azamara cruise...and is at least a partial contributor to the resulting opinion above.

 

thank you so much for posting hte above statement.

 

Our first Azamara cruises were on Journey last October, and they were the best cruises we have ever had (including Regent Seven Seas)...certainly surpassing by far our only Celebrity cruise. At our recommendation, friends who have cruised Celebrity, HAL, and--frequently--Princess, cruised Journey this past March and were equally smitten by the experience. They are especially into food quality and, in particular, desserts, by the way.

 

We and our friends were delighted by Azamara's cuisine--no need for specialty restaurants other than for variety--and it clearly blew away anything we'd had on Celebrity, HAL, and the others. We and they are cruising together on Quest's trans-Atlantic this December and my wife and I are fortunate to have been able to book Quest's two preceding cruises, giving us 33 days of Azamara cruising to look forward to.

 

Sometimes you have to look at the complete body of reviews of cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, etc., and discount the few outliers in making a judgment.

yes, i am a die hard fan. but i have been on NCL, Princess, RCIU, Celbrity for alrge ships.. Tried both regent-cold people- and Oceania.. sorry for small ships A is tops for me...

i know there are other small ships cruies out there but some are too small for me and i the the stuffy part of regent.

[ahoymatey1]

oh yes I am that poster....

 

by the way that post got close to ten thousand views...so I guess it must have interested some people...

 

by the way...do not order the french onion soup on the specialty rest...it is the worst we have ever had on any ship or restaurant...

 

the sea bass on the bed of cabbage and mash potatoes is no more...

 

instead it is a cheaper cut of sea bass, and no more cabbage....

 

the spec rest is definitely NOT worth trying...certainly not for $25...yes suites get that included....regular balcony folks used to pay $5...and the food was wonderful...I was so looking forward to the sea bass...big disappointment...and a waste of $25pp...

 

the goat cheese souffle was delicious however...

[Lottie A]

Ahoymatey said.... "most are intimidated to say anything of a negative nature here...."

 

Believe me Ahoymatey when I say I have never been "intimidated" by anyone! :rolleyes:

 

All opinions are valued on our friendly forum. Of course Azamara is not for everyone, and neither is Celebrity or Cunard or Silversea or Royal Caribbean. Everyone has different requirements from a cruise - and I can honestly say that my requirements are completely met by Azamara.

 

I have been very lucky to have cruised with many different cruiselines now, from mainstream to luxury and I am about to go on a Princess cruise, which I am sure I will enjoy, but for me Azamara always stands out as the BEST. I find the food outstanding.....recent experiences on Celebrity and Oceania were not at all comparable. However that is my opinion and you have a different one. That is fine.....we are all individuals.

 

After all, this is the Azamara forum so you would expect the posters here to like the brand, but I am sure we would never "intimidate" anyone who had a different opinion. Not a problem at all and I hope you enjoy your future Celebrity cruises as much as I will enjoy my future Azamara cruises. Roll on September 25th and my next cruise on Quest! :)

[ahoymatey1]

lottie you are right , it is an azamara site...

 

and it is for that reason that the original poster will not find an unbiased view...

 

those who did not enjoy the azamara experience have long ago stopped looking and posting here...

 

dont know why I still do...

 

time for me to also move on...

 

to the original poster, you will not find the atmosphere of a small ship on the big ones...that I do miss...and you wll not find so few children, an adult experience is almost impossible to find these days...

 

those alone, are worth trying azamara for...but be open minded as to its other issues....

[nordski]

ahoymatey: I'm sure it's disappointing that you didn't enjoy your cruise and it was interesting reading your comments.

 

I do think it unfortunate that you chose to criticize posters here personally by suggesting that they are so lacking in fortititude that they are "intimidated" into or silenced by a particular viewpoint. Then you suggest we are "biased", a pejorative term that suggests we are unable to form an objective opinion about our experiences.

 

Bill Leiber, having fielded endless criticism about the website might be surprised.

 

Regardless, I'm sure you'll find a better ship experience on your next cruise.

[TerryAndDoug]

oh yes I am that poster....

 

by the way that post got close to ten thousand views...so I guess it must have interested some people...

 

by the way...do not order the french onion soup on the specialty rest...it is the worst we have ever had on any ship or restaurant...

 

the sea bass on the bed of cabbage and mash potatoes is no more...

 

instead it is a cheaper cut of sea bass, and no more cabbage....

 

the spec rest is definitely NOT worth trying...certainly not for $25...yes suites get that included....regular balcony folks used to pay $5...and the food was wonderful...I was so looking forward to the sea bass...big disappointment...and a waste of $25pp...

 

the goat cheese souffle was delicious however...

 

Ahoymatey - Thank you for waiting until now to make comments on the French Onion Soup, instead of mentioning soon after you returned. If you had done so, I might have skipped one of my favorite dishes while on the Journey a few weeks ago. Obviously, we all have different tastes, and nothing wrong with that. I'm sorry that the wonderful time you reported after returning seems to have been overshadowed by your feelings about the discounting on the cruise. Yes, I love the Azamara experience, but am definitely not intimidated to report displeasures I've had with shoreside services.

 

Happy sailing, wherever you are happy!

Doug