Musings from an Oceania Cheerleader -- just off Azamara Journey

[pacheco18]

I had no intention of posting this on the Azamara boards but three Azamara regulars read this post on the Oceania boards and urged me to post here -- so I do so reluctantly. This post was done at the request of regular Oceania cruisers who love the R ships and wanted me to do a comparison after my first cruise on Azamara. Many of those cruisers had tried Azamara in the early days and did not like it. So, here is my comparison (I have added a few things for this audience).

 

I am just off the Azamara Journey and I want to share my impressions of the Azamara R ship experience compared to the Oceania R ship experience. Bottom line, there is very little difference and what differences there are are quite small. I loved Amazara and as an R ship devotee, I am thrilled to have two great cruise lines to choose from.

 

When I first boarded the ship it was weird. There I was having lunch in the equivalent of the Terrace Buffet and if I didn't know what ship I had boarded. I might have been on Nautica. Lol. That feeling stayed with me throughout the cruise but there were some differences worth noting and that's what I will focus on (in no particular order of importance).

 

Ship use of space

Azamara has used Deck 5 brilliantly. Where the Oceania future cruise sales desk sits is a fabulous Barista station and the entire area in front of the shops is the Mosaic Cafe. It is a very popular venue (open from 7 am to midnight). Great lattes, Nespresso drinks, pastries and mini sandwiches and a great place to linger. You can also get an alcoholic drink if you wish. The future cruise person is on deck 4 near reception (and boy was she busy!!). I wish Oceania would put Baristas on deck 5, instead of outside the GDR.

 

Food

Quite good. Especially the theme buffets. But not quite up to Oceania. We ate in the dining room a few times and in the buffet. We did not eat in the specialty restaurants which carry a charge. One specialty restaurant is Mediterranean and did not get great reports. The steak house (Prime C) got great reviews but we had an opportunity for plenty of red meat in other venues. O cruisers on board said it was equivalent of Polo. Bread is much better on O. Waves grill is better. There were no milk shakes, but great smoothies. Ice cream is better on O. I spent a lot of time talking with the chef.

 

One thing I did not like about the buffet is that is it self service – an invitation to germs and Norovirus.

 

There were several special buffets and they were superb. Because my status as Celebrity Elite transferred over, we attended a special champagne brunch in one of the specialty restaurants. Baby lamb chops and duck crepes – just wonderful. It was served by senior officers and the captain visited every table to chat with guests.

 

Bottom line: - I grew up in NY, have eaten in some greatest restaurants (from French Laundry to Per Se to Alain Ducasse), and attended cooking school in Tuscany. Most Oceania cruisers will be satisfied with the food on Azamara. Only those who “cruise for the food” might not be.

 

 

Laundry

Free. For everyone. Our Celebrity Elite perks also gave us two free bags of laundry done by the ship.

 

Internet

Much less expensive.

But our Elite perks gave us 237 minutes of free Internet each so we we paid nothing.

 

Alcohol

Included and those drinks not included were much less expensive. A daily choice of white or red wine was available and they eagerly give u the day’s wine from another day if u preferrred e.g. Sauvignon Blanc rather than Chardonnay. Most alcoholic drinks and mixed drinks (non premium brands) are also included. We never took out our sea pass. Our bar bill (OUR ENTIRE BILL) for 12 days was $3.50 (Bob wanted a Corona which was not on the included list).

 

Stateroom

We booked a deluxe outside for this 12-day port intensive cruise. The staterooms are virtually identical. We had a great cabin steward. TV choices were limited. No free DVD library. The bedding, however, does not compare to Oceania. Alas. Not a deal breaker

 

Excursions

We did only private tours but azamaraclubcruises excursions are much less expensive than Oceania and you get 25% off if u book in advance. For that reason far fewer Azamara cruisers book private excursions. You could not get me on a big bus at any price. We had a great group of 10 for all of our excursions and the excursions were some of the best I have ever planned.

At every port the officers see u off. Even the captain. And u are greeted with cold towels and drinks upon return. Nice touch

 

We did not attend the Azamazing Evening held at the Massandra Winery in Yalta. Folks enjoyed it, but we do not do big busses or large groups. After viewing the video of the event, I was glad we did not go. Not my cup of tea.

 

Spa

Elemis Spa much less expensive than o and there were many specials. I did not use the spa.

 

Entertainment

Just as bad as on Oceania. We skipped most shows. I did miss the string quartet on O.

 

Art and Photos

No art auctions. There is a ship photographer there but he was completely unobtrusive -- not at all like photographers on mass-market lines. We were free to skip pictures and the folks who wanted then could partake. No gimmicks or props were used. It was just an available service.

 

Demographic

Similar to Oceania. We met many who cruise both lines. The guests were neither as well dressed nor as dressed up in the evening as on Oceania. Judging by only this one cruise, I would say O cruisers are more fashionable

 

On board activities

More and more varied even on port days. There was trivia but no cut throat trivia LOL.

 

Pool Area

Pool chairs more comfy. Foam pillows on the loungers and very thick towels were delightful. Much better service at pool area. They came around with energy drinks and cold towels.

 

Gym

ALL classes are free.

 

The significant difference

I now understand why Cindilouwho and other Azamara cruisers feel that Oceania is more impersonal. It is. And I figured out why. First, the officers are EVERYWHERE. I chatted with most of them repeatedly throughout the cruise. The Captain came to the future cruise presentation and spoke about his favorite itineraries. It was all very natural -- not contrived. Second, the staff on the two Azamara ships DO NOT ROTATE. When you board Journey, e.g., you will see the same folks over and over. And because they do not rotate, they staff is really cohesive and like a family. It is palpable. It felt like more than just great service – it felt like everyone took joy in making you part of the family on board. That does not make the service better on Azamara – it makes it different.

 

 

We loved the cruise and the Azamara experience. We booked two future cruise credits. Because Azamara itineraries are shorter, we will likely book a back to back for 2015. We still love Oceania, but Azamara is an excellent option where itinerary is the determining factor.

 

I will happily answer any questions.

 

You can see responses of O cruisers on the O boards.

__________________

[captainmcd]

Pacheco, thanks for posting your detailed comparison. The Azamara marketing people should be reading this. For me the crew that Azamara has makes a big difference. I think that they had a good pool of crew to chose from thanks to their relationship with Celebrity and RCI. For those crew the style of Azamara is a lot better, with varied itineraries year around, and being able to predict their income from tips. Having a happy and motivated crew make things a lot nicer for the passengers.

[uktog]

It is that leadership shown by the Senior Officers that makes Azamara special and would keep them as potentially our cruiseline of choice even when the shoreside lapses get frustrating - as I see it, based on this helpful review and other info I have, I could retain a home based contact centre for my bookings but I might lose some of the onboard benefits of a highly engaged workforce led effectively from the Masters and hungry to go the extra mile for their guests.

 

Food is subjective, so your comments are very fair and entertainment means little to me, so it does not really matter who wins for me on that one. I do however, go on ships excursion so thanks for that heads up on the O excursions

[pacheco18]

It is that leadership shown by the Senior Officers that makes Azamara special and would keep them as potentially our cruiseline of choice even when the shoreside lapses get frustrating - as I see it, based on this helpful review and other info I have, I could retain a home based contact centre for my bookings but I might lose some of the onboard benefits of a highly engaged workforce led effectively from the Masters and hungry to go the extra mile for their guests.

 

Food is subjective, so your comments are very fair and entertainment means little to me, so it does not really matter who wins for me on that one. I do however, go on ships excursion so thanks for that heads up on the O excursions

 

Obviously the leadership by the senior officers is a factor, but it is much more difficult to achieve the kind of "spirit" shown by the Azamara crew on ships where the crew rotates constantly. There would be a constant learning curve. I was told by veteran Azamara cruisers on board that the Quest feels different from the Journey and that crew do not want to switch. I think what Azamara really has going for it is the fact that the crew stays on one ship and becomes part of a family. In contrast, on Oceania, the crew will rotate among the five ships.

[dln929]

Obviously the leadership by the senior officers is a factor, but it is much more difficult to achieve the kind of "spirit" shown by the Azamara crew on ships where the crew rotates constantly. There would be a constant learning curve. I was told by veteran Azamara cruisers on board that the Quest feels different from the Journey and that crew do not want to switch. I think what Azamara really has going for it is the fact that the crew stays on one ship and becomes part of a family. In contrast, on Oceania, the crew will rotate among the five ships.

 

Laraine, our first experience with Azamara will be this December on the Quest. Looks like we chose well!

[uktog]

Certainly there is a strong sense of family, though recently there has been some backfill from the one ship to the other - right up to the Captains level. It has been interesting to read how excited the crew were to hear former friends and managers were coming over for a short time to join them. I think when you have only two ships it can be like two sets of close cousins, whereas with five ships, there can be the distant cousin feel

[pacheco18]

Laraine, our first experience with Azamara will be this December on the Quest. Looks like we chose well!

 

I see that you are coming from the large ship experience.

You will love the small ships and may have difficulty going back!!!

[pacheco18]

Certainly there is a strong sense of family, though recently there has been some backfill from the one ship to the other - right up to the Captains level. It has been interesting to read how excited the crew were to hear former friends and managers were coming over for a short time to join them. I think when you have only two ships it can be like two sets of close cousins, whereas with five ships, there can be the distant cousin feel

 

Exactly. I tried to analyze the difference in ambiance between Oceania and Azamara since that was a factor that seemed to important to Azamara cruisers. I am convinced that the crew on each ship feels like a team -- and that there might even bit a bit of competition between the two ships which inures to the benefit of passengers.

 

I will be on Quest next September and I am interested to see if there really is a difference.

[mikechass]

Thanks for posting... this was a wonderful read.

I think I am REALLY going to enjoy our time on this ship!

Have a wonderful weekend

Chass

[Lottie A]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the Azamara forum.

 

It is so difficult for those of us who enjoy the Oceania experience.....but LOVE the Azamara experience to explain the reasons why that is. Your observations about the special camaraderie and the friendliness and high visibility of the officer's onboard goes a long way to indicate just some of the reasons why. I think there is a difference between Quest and Journey too. I'm very much a Quest fan and can't wait to get back onboard in a few weeks.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your AZ cruise and I hope it will be the first of many. You now have two more "R" class ships to enjoy. :)

[pacheco18]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the Azamara forum.

 

It is so difficult for those of us who enjoy the Oceania experience.....but LOVE the Azamara experience to explain the reasons why that is. Your observations about the special camaraderie and the friendliness and high visibility of the officer's onboard goes a long way to indicate just some of the reasons why. I think there is a difference between Quest and Journey too. I'm very much a Quest fan and can't wait to get back onboard in a few weeks.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your AZ cruise and I hope it will be the first of many. You now have two more "R" class ships to enjoy. :)

 

5 R ships total between the two lines -- makes me very happy.

I had already booked Quest for next September (anxious to see the differences between Quest and Journey) and I expect to book a b2b on Azamara for 2015 when the itineraries come out. I also have two cruises booked on Nautica. Best of both worlds IMO

[Karynanne]

We have cruised with Azamara and have enjoyed the experience. We're currently looking at Oceania itineraries, and really appreciate your comparison between the two lines.

 

Thank you.

[taxjam]

Laraine,

 

Thanks for your comparative analysis. Having sailed 89 nights on O's R ships and 61 nights on Az, I generally agree with your analysis. I don't want to quibble, but for completeness I would point out that in my opinion the destination and enrichment speakers on Az are superior to O's speakers. I also found that O's R ship dining room service markedly declined with the launching of the O ships. Perhaps Az's superior main dining room service is the reason I thought Az's food better (except for Prime C which I considered several cuts below Polo). For us, putting itinerary aside, these aspects are the reason we booked our last 2 completed cruises and next 2 future cruises on Az. Although these factors are important, we would go back to O if we saw the right itinerary.

[pacheco18]

We have cruised with Azamara and have enjoyed the experience. We're currently looking at Oceania itineraries, and really appreciate your comparison between the two lines.

 

Thank you.

 

Both lines are great.

 

If you have questions about Oceania, go over to the Oceania boards and ask away. Folks on the O boards are really helpful, especially with folks new to the line.

[pacheco18]

Laraine,

 

Thanks for your comparative analysis. Having sailed 89 nights on O's R ships and 61 nights on Az, I generally agree with your analysis. I don't want to quibble, but for completeness I would point out that in my opinion the destination and enrichment speakers on Az are superior to O's speakers. I also found that O's R ship dining room service markedly declined with the launching of the O ships. Perhaps Az's superior main dining room service is the reason I thought Az's food better (except for Prime C which I considered several cuts below Polo). For us, putting itinerary aside, these aspects are the reason we booked our last 2 completed cruises and next 2 future cruises on Az. Although these factors are important, we would go back to O if we saw the right itinerary.

 

We rarely eat in the dining room -- you can see how little I focused on the MDR -- so I will take your word for it. We had two meals in the MDR they were OK -- not fabulous. Service on Azamara is quicker than on O (where the meal can last hours due to slow service). I did not comment on it but yhe lecturer on the Azamara Black Sea cruise was unimpressive and boring IMO (our private tours gave us plenty of history). On my recent 21 day Middle East cruise on Oceania, the lecturers were terrific -- they had a Middle East political expert, a famous Washington journalist who spoke about covering US presidents and told some great stories and a Jordanian former architect, now a jewelry designer, who taught about about Arabic architecture, symbols and even taught Arabic classes. I do not think you can generalize about lecturers. Luck of the draw. Varies by cruise. I certainly would not extrapolate based on a single cruise. Other Oceania cruisers on board my A cruise said that Polo is "slightly" better than Prime C but I did not eat there so I could not opine. I can do without a steakhouse entirely on a cruise -- free or not -- kind of unimportant to me.

 

I agree -- itinerary rules -- and I could sail either line without hesitation. None of the differences is a deal breaker for me, although I understand they are for some cruisers.

[ginny123]

Thank you so much for posting your review here! I realized last week that based on your previous posts you had probably returned from the cruise, and I had hoped you might let us know your thoughts on Azamara. We leave in 88 days and are even more excited after reading not only your review but the follow-up answers to questions. Very nicely done.

[nuneham]

Thank you for posting your review here. We love Azamara, both Quest & Journey, but we have to find another line for the Caribbean. Oceania appeals but I think we should look again at Celebrity - perhaps upgrade some aspects. What a delicious quandary! Your review is most helpful and, it seemed to me, considered.

[riandei]

Thanks for posting your review....ive been debating A and O and it was nice to have a comparison

 

Ive read about the entertainment at night on various ships and wonder....is it that hard?? To find decent entertainers??

 

A trio, singer/song writer type??... Quartet?? We've seen some very good musicians while cruising...but it seems like you just get comfy and settle in with a cocktail and they are done for the night

 

We tend to travel with friends when we can.....makes the entertainment less important

 

Thanks again...great review

[Bill Leiber]

I had no intention of posting this on the Azamara boards but three Azamara regulars read this post on the Oceania boards and urged me to post here -- so I do so reluctantly. This post was done at the request of regular Oceania cruisers who love the R ships and wanted me to do a comparison after my first cruise on Azamara. Many of those cruisers had tried Azamara in the early days and did not like it. So, here is my comparison (I have added a few things for this audience).

 

I am just off the Azamara Journey and I want to share my impressions of the Azamara R ship experience compared to the Oceania R ship experience. Bottom line, there is very little difference and what differences there are are quite small. I loved Amazara and as an R ship devotee, I am thrilled to have two great cruise lines to choose from.

 

You can see responses of O cruisers on the O boards.

__________________

 

 

Hello Laraine -

 

Thank you for your time and effort in preparing your very thoughtful review of the Azamara experience.

 

Your points are valuable and I'm sharing your comments with our executive team.

 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard again and again!

 

Best regards,

 

Bill Leiber

_____________________

Chief Blogging Officer*

Azamara Club Cruises

(*CBO is an authorized and compensated representative of ACC)

[Sanatee]

Thanks for posting your review....ive been debating A and O and it was nice to have a comparison

 

Ive read about the entertainment at night on various ships and wonder....is it that hard?? To find decent entertainers??

 

A trio, singer/song writer type??... Quartet?? We've seen some very good musicians while cruising...but it seems like you just get comfy and settle in with a cocktail and they are done for the night

 

We tend to travel with friends when we can.....makes the entertainment less important

 

Thanks again...great review

 

We found the entertainment on Journey this past Feb to be excellent. CD Eric de Gray and his small troupe put on very nice shows and we also liked.the harpist which, of course, Az has now dropped. We actually liked the smaller less formal shows better than the big productions on Celebrity. Eric's zany show numbers and excellent vocals are not to be missed! And our White Night on Valentine Day in Bangkok was a blast.

[travelinjudy]

Laraine,

Thanks for your measured and thoughtful review. I really enjoyed reading it. As you well know, I am an Azamara cheerleader (you called me that yourself on an "O" board, once) who much prefers Az over O for number of reasons, but I think your review was very objective and fair. For me it's the staff and destination immersion that makes a difference, plus the fact that Az doesn't "nickle and dime" you to death and overcharge you for almost everything the way "O" does. But I agree that the "R" ships are wonderful and a completely different sailing experience from Mass Marketing ships.

Enjoy your next cruises on Azamara. I know you will!:D

[pacheco18]

Laraine,

Thanks for your measured and thoughtful review. I really enjoyed reading it. As you well know, I am an Azamara cheerleader (you called me that yourself on an "O" board, once) who much prefers Az over O for number of reasons, but I think your review was very objective and fair. For me it's the staff and destination immersion that makes a difference, plus the fact that Az doesn't "nickle and dime" you to death and overcharge you for almost everything the way "O" does. But I agree that the "R" ships are wonderful and a completely different sailing experience from Mass Marketing ships.

Enjoy your next cruises on Azamara. I know you will!:D

 

Thanks.

I think I can be a cheerleader for both lines without being accused of having a conflict of interest. They are both terrific lines -- differences are quite small -- and both deliver what they promise.

[maggie.1008]

I have been on the Journey twice. Look forward to trying the Quest. How do they differ ? We thought the crew on the Journey were super.

[excitedofharpenden]

I have been on the Journey twice. Look forward to trying the Quest. How do they differ ? We thought the crew on the Journey were super.

The ships are pretty much identical. I've been on Journey twice and Quest three times and the crew on each are great. It's hard to pick a favourite, but selecting a dream team would be easier. See you in a couple of weeks on Equinox!

 

Phil

[Texed]

Thanks.

I think I can be a cheerleader for both lines without being accused of having a conflict of interest. They are both terrific lines .

 

Thanks for posting. We have sailed on O before. It was nice. Now, we have a B2B at Christmas?New Year's, so we appreciate the review. :)