Food on Azamara

[Thisrose]

My husband and I have limited exposure to Azamara. We took a retirement celebration cruise in 2009 and had a wonderful time. We have booked another cruise this year and are really looking forward to it! We particularly appreciated the quality of the food on our previous cruise and are hoping to repeat that experience.

 

In my excitement about the upcoming trip, I've been checking Azamara reviews on Cruise Critic. For several days the reviews that pop up first for both the Journey and the Quest focus on disappointing food. I am sincerely hoping these are outlying opinions and am thinking that some of the strong advocates for Azamara who frequent this community site would do well to write a review or two of recent trips you haven't yet reviewed if you disagree with the criticisms. It would be a shame to go for an extended period with potential cruisers getting the wrong idea if, in fact, that's the case.

 

I would love to hear some reassuring words if you truly believe the quality remains the same. We will be able to judge for ourselves soon enough and I will write something upon our return, good, bad or indifferent. Thanks for any opinions you'd like to share.

[uktog]

As you know food is such a subjective thing!

We have cruised with Azamara since 2008 and our take is that the food in the last few years has been even better than ever (if that is possible)

Presentation is more appealing and tasting and seasoning is better.

 

IF for any reason you did have an issue with a meal, tell them - they will not only put it right you will see them being very careful about your next meal. Yes, we have had an issue with one meal in all our time on board in terms of the food, boy did they sort it!

[Thisrose]

Thanks for the reassurance. I know it's a subjective thing and it seems as though the great majority of customers are positive about it.

[Spursgirl]

Like UKtog I too have been cruising with Azamara since 2008 and think the food on board is very good.

 

On my last Journey cruise in November the food was lovely and I particularly enjoyed trying the new dishes that were offered in Aqualina.

 

I agree that the presentation of food is excellent and love how accommodating they are when you might have a special request.

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise.

[Phxazzcruisers]

We have never had a bad meal on board Quest. The service, presentation and quality have always been excellent. As mentioned, food is very subjective, but that is our opinion.

[KazLoudspeaker]

I loved the food on the Quest in November. In the MDR, buffet, pool grill, afternoon tea, Aqualina, Prime C & the Chef's table. If we had any special requests (I love wholegrain & pumpernickel rolls, only had to ask twice & then they remembered/knew it was our preference, same with sparkling water). The buffet had lots of hot & cold options & the gelato (usually 3 or 4 flavours that change each day) is supreme. The pool grill was also a nice option that was easily tailored to you personal preference. The service is always excellent and the quality is above average. The soufflé in Aqualina is absolutely DIVINE!! The afternoon tea was very nice, although nothing over the top, High Tea was more high class dishes. The nibbles at the various bars were just right as a bar snack. Mosaic had lovely sweet & savoury snacks & loved calling past and collecting a 'hot chocolate to go' either when we were on our way to attend a lecture or as we headed off to bed. We had no complaints with the quality or quantities of food served on the ship for the entire 30 days we were on board.

Karyn

[Literary Lynne]

I was probably one of those folk who you refer to as noting that the food wasn't wonderful. We were on board Quest from 23 October to 1 November last year and although we were independent travellers, I understand that over 500 others on board were all part of a large group. On our previous cruises with Azamara we had absolutely raved about the wonderful food but the truth is that this time it was all just mediocre.

 

I wondered if the amount the chefs had to play with was less than usual because of the large group booking, although I don't know, of course - just trying to work out why it was so different to our previous experience.

 

Someone on a cruise just after ours commented on some of the dishes on the menu and I thought that if those mentioned had been offered when we were on board, then I would have chosen them, but I'm sure they weren't. Again, was it a different, pared down, menu on our cruise?

 

I know that some things were definitely cut back on, eg, no White Night Party.

 

I love Azamara and would sail with them again, at the drop of a hat, but I would need to convince myself that there wasn't a large group on board, but how you ascertain that when you book, I don't know.

 

Lynne :)

[TravelBugM]

We absolutely loved the food. From room service breakfasts, to the fabulous buffets, to the main dining room, everything we had was fantastic.

[Spursgirl]

I was probably one of those folk who you refer to as noting that the food wasn't wonderful. We were on board Quest from 23 October to 1 November last year and although we were independent travellers, I understand that over 500 others on board were all part of a large group. On our previous cruises with Azamara we had absolutely raved about the wonderful food but the truth is that this time it was all just mediocre.

 

I wondered if the amount the chefs had to play with was less than usual because of the large group booking, although I don't know, of course - just trying to work out why it was so different to our previous experience.

 

Someone on a cruise just after ours commented on some of the dishes on the menu and I thought that if those mentioned had been offered when we were on board, then I would have chosen them, but I'm sure they weren't. Again, was it a different, pared down, menu on our cruise?

 

I know that some things were definitely cut back on, eg, no White Night Party.

 

I love Azamara and would sail with them again, at the drop of a hat, but I would need to convince myself that there wasn't a large group on board, but how you ascertain that when you book, I don't know.

 

Lynne :)

 

We were on Quest in September and Journey in November and had lovely food on both of our cruises.

 

There certainly seems to be something amiss with your Quest cruise. Did you have a word with the HD while you were on board?

 

Agree with you completely about large groups. It would be good to know if a large group were booked on a cruise before a booking is made.

[Redtravel]

Recent cruise on the Journey was nice. Food was good. It just wasn't as good as previous cruises. With several items, both my spouse and I kept commmenting that it wasn't as good as.......another cruise line. Thinking that maybe it was my memory playing tricks, we did go on that other cruise line in January. That other cruise line has better food. Sorry Azamara. You have good food. Other cruise line has great food.

[excitedofharpenden]

Currently on Quest. Food has been very good, but yes of course it is subjective and can be down to bad luck at times. So far not disappointed. New Exec Chef is Monica who has been promoted and is very personable. Frederic has left Azamara.

 

Phil

[uktog]

Currently on Quest. Food has been very good, but yes of course it is subjective and can be down to bad luck at times. So far not disappointed. New Exec Chef is Monica who has been promoted and is very personable. Frederic has left Azamara.

 

Phil

 

We will miss Frederic but absolutely delighted Monica has been promoted, she is so nice and the staff love her way of training them up which is so impirtant in a chef

[mara01]

Hi Phil

 

What do you think of the new menu in Aquilina? We liked the first weeks menu but on the second week we felt pairing Dover Sole with strong flavoured tomato and olive sauce and Risotto was a step too far in that you lost the delicate flavour of the sole. next time I'll order it with just a few vegetables instead - like it used to be!:mad:

 

Also missed the choice of Lobster, thermidor, broiled or otherwise, and the seafood platter. Souffle was up to standard though.:)

 

Steve

[munch1]

Hi Phil

 

What do you think of the new menu in Aquilina? We liked the first weeks menu but on the second week we felt pairing Dover Sole with strong flavoured tomato and olive sauce and Risotto was a step too far in that you lost the delicate flavour of the sole. next time I'll order it with just a few vegetables instead - like it used to be!:mad:

 

Also missed the choice of Lobster, thermidor, broiled or otherwise, and the seafood platter. Souffle was up to standard though.:)

 

Steve

Are they not serving broiled lobster on any menu at either prime c or Acqualina at all now !!!???? Sure hope this isn't the case!! Leaving for Rio on Tuesday for cruise from Rio to Miami and mouth is watering for the great lobster tails !!!

Sharon

[mara01]

Nope! The only lobster we had was the Surf and Turf in Discoveries, we were told that they had kept parts of the original menu, but we weren't impressed by what little was left, no Towers of Brie either.

 

My wife had the special pasta appetiser that was made fresh that was very nice on the first weeks menu, we ate twice on that menu. It was our third visit to Aqualina that was disappointing, there was Venetian Seafood which was deep fried calamari, shrimps, scampi and Lobster which didn't appeal to me personally as I always liked the Dover Sole and that is where the problem lay. The Lobster Bisque was very nice as well, but no Bouillabaisse now either, but the peas soup remains and the Limoncello Soufflé was delicious.

[munch1]

Thanks for the reply. Really disappointed !!! What is a specialty restaurant without Lobster ???

Sharon

[diligaf51]

Taking my first cruise on Azamara in May. Does anyone have copies of the menus they can post? Thanks.

[BBMacLaird]

Taking my first cruise on Azamara in May. Does anyone have copies of the menus they can post? Thanks.

 

Look through these pages on our Azamara website: Dining & Beverages

[ginny123]

Thank you for this

Look through these pages on our Azamara website: Dining & Beverages

but there seems to be only one actual menu available and it is for Prime C. The others show hours, etc. but no menus.

[mara01]

Look through these pages on our Azamara website: Dining & Beverages

 

I notice the photo for Aqualina shows a lobster dish. We must have missed that on the menu - would have chosen that if we'd seen it. Unless maybe it was a 'daily special'.

[excitedofharpenden]

Hi Phil

 

What do you think of the new menu in Aquilina? We liked the first weeks menu but on the second week we felt pairing Dover Sole with strong flavoured tomato and olive sauce and Risotto was a step too far in that you lost the delicate flavour of the sole. next time I'll order it with just a few vegetables instead - like it used to be!:mad:

 

Also missed the choice of Lobster, thermidor, broiled or otherwise, and the seafood platter. Souffle was up to standard though.:)

 

Steve

Steve, I'm not a great fish lover, but I tried the Dover Sole with the sauce first time and then asked if they could do it with just a bit of butter and lemon juice the second time and they did and I preferred it.

 

Perhaps I've been eating too much in the Specialties of late. I find myself getting bored with the menus, even though Aqualina now changes each week (or actually fourteen days, midway through a cruise). I still have my favourites though. Mozzarella Three Ways, Wild Mushroom Velouté, Pea and Fennel Soup, Chocolate Lava Cake........

 

Phil

[diligaf51]

Look through these pages on our Azamara website: Dining & Beverages

 

Bonnie,

 

I am looking for the menus for Discovery Restaurant. Please post or send to me at mwp1117@comcast.net Thanks.

[rinshin]

The latest review dated 1/15 also rates food poorly. I hope this is not the case.

[PSULion]

I have not posted a review from my Med. Nov. Journey cruise, but after two previous cruises on the Quest, we were quite disappointed with the food on the Journey. The speciality restaurants were hit or miss, depending on the items chosen, but nothing really stood out, even with the new Aqualina menu (which was a huge disappointment for me as I love Italian food). The lunches in the MDR were very subpar (one entree was the worst thing I ever ate on a cruise ship) and the dinners were good to very good, but just seemed to be missing something. There was an overabundance of pasta stations and other low cost items when there was a chef's station. The buffet food was generally fine. The White Nights outdoor food was nothing to write home about either (again, a pasta station, I can get that at home at Olive Garden). I should have taken a few more notes on the hits and misses, but the overall impression to us was that Azamara was trimming the quality of their ingredients as well as the varierty of foods.

 

Still a great cruise, but a step down on the food.

 

JS

[Derby Street]

I have not posted a review from my Med. Nov. Journey cruise, but after two previous cruises on the Quest, we were quite disappointed with the food on the Journey. The speciality restaurants were hit or miss, depending on the items chosen, but nothing really stood out, even with the new Aqualina menu (which was a huge disappointment for me as I love Italian food). The lunches in the MDR were very subpar (one entree was the worst thing I ever ate on a cruise ship) and the dinners were good to very good, but just seemed to be missing something. There was an overabundance of pasta stations and other low cost items when there was a chef's station. The buffet food was generally fine. The White Nights outdoor food was nothing to write home about either (again, a pasta station, I can get that at home at Olive Garden). I should have taken a few more notes on the hits and misses, but the overall impression to us was that Azamara was trimming the quality of their ingredients as well as the varierty of foods.

 

Still a great cruise, but a step down on the food.

 

JS

 

Back to the Crystal for you, hope they don't let you down like the culinary staff on the Journey.