Please tell me why I should spend $2k more for Azamara

[dateacher]

I realize that every one has different opinions and tastes but I am trying to justify spending $2k more for basically the same cruise on Azamara than on Celebrity. I have never sailed either but have sailed HAL and like it very much.

 

So can anyone tell me what makes Azamara worth that much more? Both trips are port intensive so time on the ship will be limited.

[need2cruisesoon]

I realize that every one has different opinions and tastes but I am trying to justify spending $2k more for basically the same cruise on Azamara than on Celebrity. I have never sailed either but have sailed HAL and like it very much.

 

So can anyone tell me what makes Azamara worth that much more? Both trips are port intensive so time on the ship will be limited.

 

Let me answer this way:

 

- Why would you shop at Nordstroms when Marshall's would suffice?

- Why shop at Whole Foods when Safeway would suffice?

- Why buy a BMW when a Ford would suffice?

- Why eat at Ruth Chris when McDonalds would suffice?

[dateacher]

Let me answer this way:

 

- Why would you shop at Nordstroms when Marshall's would suffice?

- Why shop at Whole Foods when Safeway would suffice?

- Why buy a BMW when a Ford would suffice?

- Why eat at Ruth Chris when McDonalds would suffice?

 

Because Marshalls rarely has what I am looking for.

Safeway is fine for most items

There's a world of difference between a BMW and a Ford

And you can't put RC on the same page as McD.

 

Is Azamara to Celebrity as Ruth Christ is to McD?

 

I have friends who normally sail on Seabourn and Regent but sail on Celebrity when the cruise is what they are looking for.

 

Just trying to find out from those who have done both or even HAL can tell me if this is the time to spring for the price difference. Are we talking BMW v. Ford or Safeway v. Whole Foods?

[Hyundaigirl]

Our first cruise was on HAL Noordam in 2010 and we loved it. Sailed on Azamara Journey in October and we were not wowed. I mean it was fine but we didn't think that the food was as good as HAL and for us the ship was just too small. But thats just our opinion. I know lots of people love Azamara but we didn't feel it lived up to our expectations.

[dateacher]

Having just gotten off the Noordam, it's nice to get your viewpoint on the two. Thanks. We loved the Noordam (as well as the Volendam).

[NC&KY]

If you like the ships you've cruised on before, you will surely like Celebrity. After being on big ships for several cruises, we tried a smaller ship to see how it would differ. We would never go back to the big ships now. The lines and crowds everywhere, from elevators to dining rooms to workout center to excursions, are vastly different. You are also much more likely to find ship personnel who know your name and tastes than on the megaships. On the other hand, if you like splashy shows and huge casinos, you won't find those on the small cruise lines. If the price difference for this cruise is too much, go with Celebrity, which is a very fine large cruise line. But if you find a chance to try a small ship, you should do so, just to see what it's like.

[Host Jazzbeau]

You didn't specify which Azamara and Celebrity cruises have basically the same itinerary, but I suspect there are differences if you look carefully -- since Azamara prides itself on staying in port longer. They also often visit small ports that large ships like Celebrity's (even the M-class) can't get into, but that isn't true of all itineraries.

 

Beyond that, what attracted us to Azamara is the reputation for better food (which many Celebrity threads make clear has gone downhill over there in the MDR and specialty restaurants) and the much-more-inclusive approach (which may be less important if you are getting Celebrity's 1-2-3go Inclusive package). By the time you upgrade to even the cheapest suite on Celebrity to get the new supposedly better Suites Restaurant, you are close to Azamara prices [you do get a larger cabin, but that's not an issue for us]. And finally the friendly crew and no-nickel-and-diming that every Azamara review mentions.

 

All this is qualified by the fact that we haven't cruised Azamara yet. ;) But we have sailed on Oceania Insignia (pre-overhaul and pre-fire :D) so we know that we like the English-Men's-Club decor of these ships and we certainly don't miss the gung-ho activities [disclaimer: I did come in third in the Sexy Legs contest on NCL once :eek:].

 

Is all that worth $2k extra? Only you can decide. We enjoyed a cruise on Crystal very much but decided the prices are too high for us. You may feel the same about Azamara.

[dateacher]

Thanks Host Jazzbeau. I agree that the times in the ports are a few hours longer but the stops are the same. While we probably would appreciate what Azamara has to offer, with all the trips I want to take, I'm not sure I want to spend the difference or worse, become addicted to the finer things of the high end lines.

 

It sounds like we would have a good time on both lines and have to decide if $2000 is worth it to travel in a bit more luxury.

[Flatbush Flyer]

You didn't specify which Azamara and Celebrity cruises have basically the same itinerary, but I suspect there are differences if you look carefully -- since Azamara prides itself on staying in port longer. They also often visit small ports that large ships like Celebrity's (even the M-class) can't get into, but that isn't true of all itineraries.

 

 

 

Beyond that, what attracted us to Azamara is the reputation for better food (which many Celebrity threads make clear has gone downhill over there in the MDR and specialty restaurants) and the much-more-inclusive approach (which may be less important if you are getting Celebrity's 1-2-3go Inclusive package). By the time you upgrade to even the cheapest suite on Celebrity to get the new supposedly better Suites Restaurant, you are close to Azamara prices [you do get a larger cabin, but that's not an issue for us]. And finally the friendly crew and no-nickel-and-diming that every Azamara review mentions.

 

 

 

All this is qualified by the fact that we haven't cruised Azamara yet. ;) But we have sailed on Oceania Insignia (pre-overhaul and pre-fire :D) so we know that we like the English-Men's-Club decor of these ships and we certainly don't miss the gung-ho activities [disclaimer: I did come in third in the Sexy Legs contest on NCL once :eek:].

 

 

 

Is all that worth $2k extra? Only you can decide. We enjoyed a cruise on Crystal very much but decided the prices are too high for us. You may feel the same about Azamara.

 

 

That premiums like A or, better still, Oceania are far superior to Celebrity is a given. The better question for the OP is how to close the price gap. We sail O because, after air credit, included amenity value and O/TA OBC, the price gap dwindles. Get the right TA- a top producing O and/or A cruise specialist.

 

 

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Edited January 6, 2015 by Flatbush Flyer

[wally_bushy]

Dateacher

How many days are we talking?

If you break it down into daily rates it helps get the head around it.

We have sailed both, they are different, they are both great cruise lines.

The food was pleasantly very good on our recent Celebrity cruise.

[scotpom]

Where do I start!

Celebrity first. I'm a fan and will sail on them again if I like the itinerary. Have only sailed on the Millennium class ships. HAL. Never again. Sailed on the Oosterdam out of Sydney a couple of years ago and the service was appalling. Our wine waiter had to look after 10 tables, some of which were for 8/10 people. Hopeless situation. After a few days all the officers disappeared due probably to so many complaints. It was left to the front line staff who were wonderful. Both Celebrity and HAL do have something in common. It's quite possible to be billed an average of US$100 a day per couple on gratuities, wine, beer, cocktails, water, speciality coffees etc. Now we come to Azamara. All the above are included! Boutique wines changed every day and as a collector of wine I have to say they were very good indeed. If you preferred the one you had yesterday, no problem There was of course a wine list should you want to treat yourself plus premium beers etc which are additional but have to say our overall bill for our 30 day cruise was $24. We used any OBC's for ship's tours but I leave the main point to last. Azamara for us is a step up in food, service and friendliness. All the Officers from the Captain down are a delight. They are always around either chatting or serving brunch on a sea day. I could go on but I hope you all get the picture.

Peter and Janet

[Andy]

I realize that every one has different opinions and tastes but I am trying to justify spending $2k more for basically the same cruise on Azamara than on Celebrity. I have never sailed either but have sailed HAL and like it very much.

 

So can anyone tell me what makes Azamara worth that much more? Both trips are port intensive so time on the ship will be limited.

 

Hi Dateacher,

 

I'd also like to know a little more about how many days your sailing is, what region, and what Celebrity ship you are considering. This way, we can offer a better comparison.

 

As for the differences between Celebrity and Azamara ? It's quite different. Azamara's ships are much smaller, carrying nearly 700 guests, so you should see a noticible difference in the onboard experience. I haven't sailed with Azamara in a while, but my last experience was one of my best cruises ever. The Officer and Crew friendliness/guest engagement was outstanding, and I always felt they were passionate about making your cruise a great one. You wont see much of that on ships carrying 2000-3000 guests. Not that Celebrity doesn't want to - but it becomes difficult if not impossible, when catering to 3-4x as many guests.

 

As for cuisine ? Azamara's Main Dining room cuisine is excellent, and their specialty dining is even better. Both Aqualina & Prime C are top notch, and highly recommended. As for Celebrity - we sailed on Eclipse a few weeks ago. We actually found the food to be quite good - better than what we experienced in 2013. However, if you want to compare Celebrity's cuisine to 5 years ago ? It's just not the same - but then again, neither are most of the mainstream cruise lines. Still - we were fine with most of their offerings, though it's not as great as what you will likely experience with Azamara.

 

Is it worth 2K more ? Only you can answer that question, but I will say this... you should also take into consideration the "more inclusive" features of Azamara, such as the included beverages and gratuities. You can read more about it here : http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/our-ships/life-onboard

 

When you add it all up, the additional cost may prove to be a better value. The Azamara experience is wonderful, and I hope you give them consideration. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me, by clicking on the link below. I'm happy to help !

 

If you can provide additional specifics about your potential sailings, it would be a plus. Hope this is helpful !

Edited January 6, 2015 by Host Andy

[English Tim]

It is amazing that so many people only consider the options within a particular loyalty group, when there is an enormous diverse cruising world out there.

 

We originally stuck with Princess, quickly getting to Platinum, but now we have tried Carnival several times, Celebrity twice, Regent, Seabourn and Azamara. For us there is no bad cruise line, but there are huge differences.

 

Some of the mainstream ships are noisy, so we have tended to stick to the smaller quieter options, with three Azamara voyages in quick succession, but recently we have found them to be much more expensive than previously and also introducing art auctions and more bingo, so I believe nickel and diming is well and truly in!

 

Last year we took two wonderful holidays, in luxury hotels in the Austrian mountains, for much less than we typically pay on a cruise and each type of holiday has it's merits.

 

To conclude, I believe it's best to try different combinations and styles, forget about the frequent cruiser perks and build up a library of diverse experiences, then you will be in the best position to make your own judgements.

 

We have just booked our second Seabourn voyage, an absolute bargain, which is one of my pre-requisites. It will be interesting to compare it with other recent experiences.

[dateacher]

Thanks for some great imput. I'm sure other readers will gain some insight. This is for a 7 day Greek Island/Turkey cruise. I will break it down to a daily cost but as someone said, with Celebrety's current inclusion of a beverage plan, the scales tip a bit more to Celebrity for price.

Edited January 6, 2015 by dateacher

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks for some great imput. I'm sure other readers will gain some insight. This is for a 7 day Greek Island/Turkey cruise. I will break it down to a daily cost but as someone said, with Celebrety's current inclusion of a beverage plan, the scales tip a bit more to Celebrity for price.

It's such a difficult one. I had a look at a couple of itineraries on Az Journey and Celebrity Equinox, Athens to Istanbul to get a feel for where they go. There are some ports that get Azamara in much closer, which is a definite bonus to me (Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh are two classic examples), but aside from perhaps docking closer to town or a shorter tender ride there wouldn't be much in it for this type of itinerary.

 

It does really boil down to what you look for overall. If you want a larger ship with more venues and bigger standard cabins then with the deals on Celebrity at the moment I'd give the nod to them. If you want a smaller ship with more personal and attentive service, a genuinely friendly crew and officer mix, better food (subjective, but I think it is quite a bit better than Celebrity) and a smaller and cosier environment then go with Azamara if you can justify the price hike to yourselves.

 

FWIW if it were my choice I'd go with Azamara. I just prefer the feel of a cruise on their ships, but bottom line you'll have a great time on either I'm sure. How's that for a non-committal answer!

 

Phil

Edited January 6, 2015 by excitedofharpenden

[marinaro44]

I have friends who normally sail on Seabourn and Regent but sail on Celebrity when the cruise is what they are looking for.

Why don't you simply ask these friends why they "normally" cruise Seabourn and Regent when they also will sometimes cruise Celebrity? Their reasons will be pretty much the same as the reasons why we choose Azamara over Celebrity and other mass-market cruise lines.

 

If cost is your number one criterion, then stick with a mass-market line. A ship carrying 2500-3000 passengers will always cost less per stateroom type than one that carries a quarter of that capacity.

Edited January 6, 2015 by marinaro44

[TxnAquarian]

It does really boil down to what you look for overall. If you want a larger ship with more venues and bigger standard cabins then with the deals on Celebrity at the moment I'd give the nod to them. If you want a smaller ship with more personal and attentive service, a genuinely friendly crew and officer mix, better food (subjective, but I think it is quite a bit better than Celebrity) and a smaller and cosier environment then go with Azamara if you can justify the price hike to yourselves.

 

 

I think what Phil said here really sums it up best. As for our personal experience, most of our cruises have been with Crystal and Celebrity, with one HAL cruise thrown in. We did our first Azamara cruise last month, which we really loved. I can say from personal experience that you'll most likely find Celebrity much better than HAL. Once we tried Celebrity, we really never looked back (especially if you're on a Solstice Class ship). Even after Azamara, Celebrity is still our favorite....but we do have two more Azamara cruises booked, mainly due to the longer times in ports, the Azamazing Evening (which we really liked) and how easy the tendering process is compared to the large ships.

 

I can't tell you what to do, but for what it's worth we find both Celebrity and Azamara are superior to HAL.

 

 

 

Michael

[dateacher]

Thank you Michael for the comparison.

[English Tim]

Hi to English Tim and Wacktie.

We are also looking for a cruise for 2015. Have booked Viking Ocean Venice to Istanbul June 2016. Love Azamara but struggling to find a price and itinerary that suits us. We would prefer Western Mediterranean this time. Had great Royal Clipper Rome to Rome Cruise and good Oceania Istanbul to Athens in 2014.

May be tempted back to Star Clipper this time on the smaller Star Flyer. On the other hand would like to try something different. Going to cruise show at Excel next week but at the moment very undecided.

Wacktie, didnt see any review from you about your Star Clipper Cruise. Did you enjoy it ?

Tim what itinerary are you doing ? Will try to get my head round your clue but am currently being dim.

 

Sovereigns are very valuable coins, Mrs M.

 

We are flying to Dubai, using my brother's FF miles, then cruising back to Athens, dep 8 April. We have a $500 spa credit and $650 OBC, so we should have a good time. We thought about Oceania, who look very reasonable. Azamara are now way more expensive than they used to be, maybe to keep us riff-raff off (not you, of course)!

[excitedofharpenden]

Tim, you aren't comparing like for like. That cruise is a repo. Try and find a 7 night cruise in the Med on Seabourn in summer for a similar price per night. I doubt you'll find it and that is after all what the OP is asking about. Your Seabourn cruise and land trips in a luxury Austrian hotel are irrelevant. Sorry, but you are on your usual mission.

 

Phil

[English Tim]

Tim, you aren't comparing like for like. That cruise is a repo. Try and find a 7 night cruise in the Med on Seabourn in summer for a similar price per night. I doubt you'll find it and that is after all what the OP is asking about. Your Seabourn cruise and land trips in a luxury Austrian hotel are irrelevant. Sorry, but you are on your usual mission.

 

Phil

 

There's no need to get personal. I have made no reference to flag wavers.

 

Austrian land-based are very relevant, when making the point that one can have a luxury holiday for a lot less than Azamara or most others. High prices are unsustainable and there are some very good offers out there.

 

With Celebrity's 3-2-1 deal, I can have an Aqua Class balcony room, with free drinks, free tips and obc for around £2400 for 13 days, much better value than Azamara.

 

However, I do appreciate that now all I see of the lovely Heike and colleagues is through FB, so that's a shame.

 

We all have a view on what is a realistic / reasonable price and therefore have a choice.

 

Our Seabourn cruise may be a repo, as you put it, but what does that matter, when we should get hot sunny weather, tremendous service, food, drink and company. All these ingredients, for me, make the recipe for a perfect cruise at a price I'm prepared to pay.

[hubofhockey]

I realize that every one has different opinions and tastes but I am trying to justify spending $2k more for basically the same cruise on Azamara than on Celebrity. I have never sailed either but have sailed HAL and like it very much.

 

So can anyone tell me what makes Azamara worth that much more? Both trips are port intensive so time on the ship will be limited.

 

Is the $2K 10% more or 50% more?

 

In Europe, we had always cruised with Princess and on larger ships. We wanted something different and the double upgrade offer on Azamara caught our attention. The first thing I did was to try to determine the REAL price of Azamara in terms of a Princess cruise. Got an Azamara balcony on the 7-day Venice/Croatia itinerary for $5,638 plus $150 OBC or $5,488 (cost for two people, including taxes). I would then deduct $24 per day for gratuities and another $70 per day for drinks and get a net price of $4,830 for 7 days. The net price isn't much different than what I would pay for a similar Princess cruise. But I also view this as a different kind of vacation and at this point in my life, I'm okay paying more for my vacations because my time is limited and I work a lot.

 

I'll put a greater emphasis on price if it's Princess vs. Celebrity. I think that's what others were getting at. If you only place value on number of ports and size of cabins, then $2K probably trumps. We may decide after cruising with Azamara that we prefer doing our larger ship Princess cruises. In the meantime, either way, we want to do something different and this is our shot with Azamara. You can post on these boards forever, but until you actually have the experience, you'll never know.

Edited January 7, 2015 by hubofhockey

[bcscot]

We have cruised on many lines and ships, large and small, and enjoy the different lines and ships for their own particular charms. We recently attained 4 Star Mariner status on HAL, but have switched over to booking Celebrity and Azamara because of the persistent air conditioning problems that we have encountered on HAL, in particular, their cost saving habit of switching off the airflow to cabins during the night. We can forgive all the other cutbacks and we enjoy the food, service and ambience on HAL very much, but we NEED air to breath at night.

 

My personal opinion is that it is worth paying more for a 'luxury' ship when there are lots of days at sea, during which to enjoy the ship, but why pay extra for a port intensive cruise when you will be spending most of your time ashore or asleep (unless it is HAL and you cannot sleep for want of air!)?

Edited January 7, 2015 by bcscot

[English Tim]

My personal opinion is that it is worth paying more for a 'luxury' ship when there are lots of days at sea, during which to enjoy the ship, but why pay extra for a port intensive cruise when you will be spending most of your time ashore or asleep (unless it is HAL and you cannot sleep for want of air!)?

 

I think the above, hit's the nail on the head (maybe that's an English expression!).

 

Most European itineraries are port intensive, often having a different port every day and many cruisers, especially first-timers, get so tired after touring, that they don't enjoy the added value facilities.

 

Undoubtedly the service on Azamara is personal and excellent, but I have noticed an improvement on other lines, as all battle to gain and retain our custom.

 

Having experienced Azamara for one price, several times, I am not prepared to pay a lot more for the same product, when similar can be enjoyed for much less, say on Oceania.

 

Last year we took a Celebrity Reflection cruise in the Caribbean and the service, friendliness, etc was fantastic. The drinks, tips and OBC were also included, so they have set the bar high and at an excellent price.

[Haworth]

"Undoubtedly the service on Azamara is personal and excellent, but I have noticed an improvement on other lines, as all battle to gain and retain our custom.

 

Having experienced Azamara for one price, several times, I am not prepared to pay a lot more for the same product, when similar can be enjoyed for much less, say on Oceania"

 

I have copied the above from Tim's post as it summaries exactly how we feel about both the service and the current Azamara pricing model, it is our view that better alternatives exist when considering the cost/value model either land based or cruises. We are looking for an autumn break this year, late October/early November and Azamara pricing is far higher than many comparable alternatives.

 

Tim, enjoy your upcoming cruise we did the same trip last year on the Legend and it was excellent both in terms of on board service and ports visited, the opportunity to visit Petra being the highlight.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Haworth