midwestchick Posted February 16, 2014 #1 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) Another cruise line like Azamara, which one would you choose, all things being equal as far as size, itinerary, etc. I just finished going through my mounds of brochures that I've received from other cruise lines (and tossing them) and browsed through them. So many destinations to choose from but the size of the ship and the quality of food are very important to us. Edited February 16, 2014 by midwestchick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 16, 2014 #2 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) Easy answer for me Oceania The 3 R class ships are identical to the Azamara ships BUT they will be completely redone this year. Food is outstanding -- it is a food-lover's line. The experience on both is comparable. Not identical -- comparable. There are many cruisers who sail both lines. itineraries are interesting -- we are itinerary driven -- sometimes it's Oceania, sometimes Azamara (as you can see from my future cruise list on my signature). I did a comparison a while back of the two R ship experiences. There are plusses and minuses for each but you cannot go wrong with either one. Edited February 16, 2014 by pacheco18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy9 Posted February 16, 2014 #3 Share Posted February 16, 2014 We have booked the Viking Star. A new ocean cruise line by Viking sailing in April 2015. Will have larger bathrooms,king size beds and all cabins are verandas. I believe wine is included at lunch and dinner but as a non drinker, not a concern. Will be a brand new ship! The Star will hold about 950 guests. They have a total of 4 ships planned. Will post a review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greeneg Posted February 16, 2014 #4 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Interesting question. I can only tell you what we've done and thats pretty much to go back to Celebrity and stay with the M-Class ships. We we do our planning, we decide where and when we want to go and then see what we can do. We usually do give an initial look at Azamara, but usually are not fooled by the deceptive marketing; we work out the per diem and then see what we can do. We will usually glance at Oceana, but it really is beyond what we want to spend, so it usually comes down to Celebrity M vs Azamara, and Celebrity usually wins. Our next cruise is a B2B on the Connie starting with the Black Sea and finishing in Rome via Israel. We could have done this on Azamara, but the pricing just wasn't competitive. Celebrity's service is comparable to Azamara and since my wife and I are light drinkers and tend to like simple food, I feel we get the most for our travel dollar this way. Cooking is a hobby for me, and I appreciate creative cuisine, but Celebrity does it well enough for us; we're more about destinations than dinner. Will I continue to look at Azamara, probably because we do like the smaller ships, but our cruising decisions will most likely be based on perceived and received value, and so far Celebrity has won that contest. My $0.02 and I hope that's of some use. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 16, 2014 #5 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I enjoy celebrity. But the op is concerned about ship size. If size matters , celebrity is not a good alternative I think Viking oceans is a potential alternative but no one has sailed on that line yet so it still remains to be seen Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 16, 2014 Author #6 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) All very interesting, but each time I've priced Oceania, they were much higher than Azamara. We did do an X cruise...really enjoyed it, the itinerary and our location on the ship but the food is not equal to Azamara, in my opinion. Strangely, I just saw an advertisement for Viking Star earlier today and thought "wow"...Viking River cruises get great reviews..I can only imagine that their ships would be just as well received. As far as the # of pax, we really noticed the difference in the MDR on X compared to Azamara....there were so many people and it was noisy...would enjoy an atmosphere that is more relaxing. So far, no one has mentioned Seabourn, Regent, Paul Gauguin, P&O and a few others I can't think of right now unless there is no comparison to what I'm looking for. Edited February 16, 2014 by midwestchick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 16, 2014 #7 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) Paul Gauguin is over the top. Only way to sail in French Polynesia. I have not sailed on their second ship but itineraries are basic With the right ta Oceania's prices are competitive with Azamara. Regent is way more expensive than Azamara Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Edited February 16, 2014 by pacheco18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 17, 2014 Author #8 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Paul Gauguin is over the top. Only way to sail in French Polynesia. I have not sailed on their second ship but itineraries are basic With the right ta Oceania's prices are competitive with Azamara. Regent is way more expensive than Azamara Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app What do you mean by "over the top"....price wise with PG? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 17, 2014 #9 Share Posted February 17, 2014 What do you mean by "over the top"....price wise with PG? Once you sail on the PG in French Polynesia, nothing else will ever be as good. It is the best cruise you will EVER take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy9 Posted February 17, 2014 #10 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I have a PG cruise on my must do list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 17, 2014 #11 Share Posted February 17, 2014 It will spoil you for anything else. Nothing compares Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 17, 2014 Author #12 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Once you sail on the PG in French Polynesia, nothing else will ever be as good.It is the best cruise you will EVER take. Oh dear...I think Azamara already spoiled us. How is PG price wise compared to Azamara? What cruise line is it that it's mostly CEO's that sail on it? I don't want that one for sure...I know it's one of the smaller ships...or I should say possibly R class ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nordski Posted February 17, 2014 #13 Share Posted February 17, 2014 .Strangely, I just saw an advertisement for Viking Star earlier today and thought "wow"...Viking River cruises get great reviews..I can only imagine that their ships would be just as well received. . We have sailed twice on Viking river cruises in Europe and enjoyed each one. However, we would not consider their river cruises to be a high end product. There are also vociferous detractors on the River Cruise Forum on this board. Some of the criticism is warranted. Therefore, although it's an interesting design, and we imagine they'll put their best foot forward initially, we'll wait and see how, in the long run, people assess the Star's onboard experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 17, 2014 Author #14 Share Posted February 17, 2014 We have sailed twice on Viking river cruises in Europe and enjoyed each one. However, we would not consider their river cruises to be a high end product. There are also vociferous detractors on the River Cruise Forum on this board. Some of the criticism is warranted. Therefore, although it's an interesting design, and we imagine they'll put their best foot forward initially, we'll wait and see how, in the long run, people assess the Star's onboard experience. LOL...vociferous....good one. :D I see a lot of those on some of the forums...I try to be careful because I know the written "cyber words" don't always come across to others as they are meant. I must admit...I'm really curious about PG though. I would also like to do the Norway Fjords...can't remember exactly but someone said it's like Alaska in technicolor or words to that effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 17, 2014 Author #15 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I have a PG cruise on my must do list! I have to admit...I went snooping ...looks and sounds like it may be a cruise line for the "rich, but not necessarily famous" :p....just might be something that is out of our budget or far more than we wish to spend on one vacation.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 17, 2014 Author #16 Share Posted February 17, 2014 The 7-day itinerary on Paul Gauguin is not necessarily cost prohibitive. Maybe look at it as one vacation - comparable to what you might spend on a longer cruise on a mainstream line. And when you look at the cost, don't forget that it includes round-trip air from LA. The price you see online also includes gratuities and beverages, including most alcohol. It is a unique, exceptional experience, which I enjoyed, although probably not as much as Laraine. :o There are some downsides - much smaller ship, with lots of roll even inside the barrier reef. Flights into Papeete are usually awkward. But on the whole, a wonderful cruise. About the other lines (where you wrote that the CEOs sail on), the usual suspects are Regent (generally most expensive, but they include a lot, even tours), Crystal, Seabourn, and Silversea. But you know, even on those lines you can probably find a vacation at a reasonable price. You have to do your homework. I've sailed on two of those, and they were great experiences, but they are not all that. I'm looking at Azamara now because of the itineraries, and all the great comments I've read about them online. Final note on Paul Gauguin - it used to be part of Regent (or maybe Raddisson, which is a former name for Regent). That doesn't necessarily mean anything because Polynesia is such a different experience. Great information....thank you so much. I just read a very lengthly report for PG...fantastic pictures and report. It seems like a very long flight for just a 7 day cruise...of course I'll have to read more. I did see some of the snorkeling pictures...they were nice but I did not find the coral to be as nice as we saw when we stayed on Grand Cayman, which we loved. Of course, that was just one report and the pictures may not have captured everything. It does look like a gorgeous destination. I did read that it used to be part of Regent. The "usual suspects" you mentioned...there are definitely 2 my TA said were for CEO's because of the cost. From what I've read about the dress code on PG, that was not one that he mentioned...seems to me Tux were in order for eveings on ones that he mentioned. The old eyes are tired from reading, once again. I appreciate your reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 17, 2014 #17 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Great information....thank you so much. I just read a very lengthly report for PG...fantastic pictures and report. It seems like a very long flight for just a 7 day cruise...of course I'll have to read more. I did see some of the snorkeling pictures...they were nice but I did not find the coral to be as nice as we saw when we stayed on Grand Cayman, which we loved. Of course, that was just one report and the pictures may not have captured everything. It does look like a gorgeous destination.I did read that it used to be part of Regent. The "usual suspects" you mentioned...there are definitely 2 my TA said were for CEO's because of the cost. From what I've read about the dress code on PG, that was not one that he mentioned...seems to me Tux were in order for eveings on ones that he mentioned. The old eyes are tired from reading, once again. I appreciate your reply. I do not recommend the 7 day cruise on the PG. At a minimum, take the 10 day or if you can the 14 day. Most people do a post cruise stay at one of the fabulous resorts on Moorea, Bora Bora or Tahaa (we chose Moorea), preferably in an over the water bungalow. It's a bucket list experience. Go to the PG Boards to learn more The PG is casual dress and I do not understand your references CEOs. Again, go to the PG boards to learn more about the experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ithikan Posted February 17, 2014 #18 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I do not recommend the 7 day cruise on the PG. At a minimum, take the 10 day or if you can the 14 day. Most people do a post cruise stay at one of the fabulous resorts on Moorea, Bora Bora or Tahaa (we chose Moorea), preferably in an over the water bungalow. It's a bucket list experience. Go to the PG Boards to learn more The PG is casual dress and I do not understand your references CEOs. Again, go to the PG boards to learn more about the experience. Agree completely, Laraine. The Paul Gauguin is a fantastic cruise - and they're offering an utterly unique, 10-night Round Trip Fiji cruise in Oct., 2015. No other itinerary quite like this one... Teri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltar Posted February 17, 2014 #19 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Seabourn. Alot of their cruises are even cheaper then Azamara and they are all suite ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 17, 2014 Author #20 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I understand that many people don't want to travel so far for a short cruise. Not us! We prefer shorter cruises because we miss the dogs after 1 day and get down-right antsy after 7. The flight distance is not usually an issue because we sleep on long flights. Anyway, PG does mostly 7 day cruises - which makes it easy for most people to take one week off work spanning weekends. (A 10 day cruise is always followed by an 11 day to stay at a multiple of 7 and be back on track. 14 day cruises, also a multiple of 7, work well too.) If you want more, this is my video from a 7-day cruise. About a minute intro for the story, but then lots of music and photos, and underwater video at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxe9ttzku0w I've heard that CEO reference in the same context before - a euphemism for expensive - or sometimes the more pretentious "Captains of Industry." And those lines certainly can be expensive. And while some passengers will be equally pretentious, most are not, and the on board crews treat everyone equally well. Some people would probably think the same of Azamara. Everything is relative! I watched your video...really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing. Some of the shots reminds me of St. Lucia. And then I saw the sharks :eek: :eek:.......that would freak me out. We you actually swimming with them? We do prefer the longer stays...for us, it just makes sense. We have no real committments any longer and I don't sleep on planes very well. I'm definitely going to be doing more research on this. Moltar...I will be checking Seabourn out as well. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtravel Posted February 18, 2014 #21 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Windstar is my choice. I love small ships. Service was outstanding. Now that they are about to sail all suite ships that they got from Seabourn, it will ne ideal. My most recent cruise on the Windsurf was truly luxurious. Best service of any cruise line. Windstar ships are much smaller than Azamara. Azamara is a wonderful choice in midsize ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Norton Posted February 18, 2014 #22 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Seabourn. From what I've read Oceania is supposed to be an Azamara equivalent. However I found Oceania to be more expensive than Seabourn and have worse service and food. Further on Oceania I had to pay for the Alcohol and some of the most expensive tours I've ever been on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 18, 2014 Author #23 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Yes ... that's how I got my nickname ... Lefty. (No, the black-tip reef sharks are harmless.) Anyway, the point was that you can get a tasting portion of any particular cruise line without breaking the bank. If it turns out that a line floats your boat, while floating in their boat, book them again for a longer cruise. I'm really not comfortable with sharks...saw a bunch of reef sharks way below us in Turks & Caicos...that ended my snorkel for the day. I will look up the black-tip reef sharks. By the way...I love Bernaise sauce...just made it Valentine's Day...it's wonderful and a rare treat here since it's definitely not healthy...but oh, so delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwestchick Posted February 18, 2014 Author #24 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Windstar is my choice. I love small ships. Service was outstanding. Now that they are about to sail all suite ships that they got from Seabourn, it will ne ideal. My most recent cruise on the Windsurf was truly luxurious. Best service of any cruise line. Windstar ships are much smaller than Azamara. Azamara is a wonderful choice in midsize ships. I will look at Windstar. Thank you. As I stated before, I've never gotten a good quote on Oceania and I believe their shore excursions are quite expenisve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted February 18, 2014 #25 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I will look at Windstar. Thank you. As I stated before, I've never gotten a good quote on Oceania and I believe their shore excursions are quite expenisve. Get a ta who specializes in Oceania Makes a difference. Included gratuities or huge obc or rebate possible Most regular o cruisers do private excursions which is why o roll calls are very active. Azamara does not cost less than o on many itineraries. The alcohol is not a factor for us. Specialty restaurants are a factor. I am paying top dollar for my 3 Azamara cruises and I booked the day the itineraries were available for booking Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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