Oceania R Class vs. Azamara

[BPCruiser]

We are loyal Oceania cruisers, just returning from our 5th on the Marina and are booked on the Nautica for 2018 to Iceland. We are thinking ahead as most cruisers do and looking at a Norwegian Fjords cruise for summer of 2019.

Azamara has their Summer 2019 itineraries posted but Oceania not.

Anyone here want to weigh in on good or bad differences in choosing Oceania vs Azamara for a 16 day Norwegian Fjords itinerary. I am sure many of the Ports will be very similar. We have never cruised Azamara but have friends who love their cruises but these same friends have not cruised Oceania.

Thoughts and comments welcomed.....

[bitob]

There are tons of threads comparing the two lines on both forums. If you search oceania vs Azamara you will get an earful

 

The Azamara people generally hate oceania because the officers are not warm and fuzzy The oceania regulars don't care about officer involvement and prefer the food and other aspects of oceania.

 

We have done twelve O cruises. Clearly our favorite line. We did two Azamara cruises. The first was ok. The second was the worst cruise I have ever taken. Never again. Yet I know many cruisers who like Azamara very much. Nice to have choices

 

You will get as many opinions as there are cruisers. You really have to judge for yourself

 

 

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[Noxequifans]

"You will get as many opinions as there are cruisers. You really have to judge for yourself"

 

Totally agree.

[Going Coastal]

Another perspective here. If considering the R ships as the title suggests we like both and travel on both, depending on itineraries. The officers on both have shown up at ridiculous hours of morning and night to make sure everyone gets to and from their featured tours. Copper Canyon and the Pyramids as examples.

O's big ships have more dining choices and larger cabins but if you like the R ships I think you will like both.

 

 

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[TrulyBlonde]

I have done both. 1st AZ good, 2nd worst cruise we have been on. We recently took a 3rd due to itinerary and it was good, not exceptional. We also have cruised Solstice with Celebrity and we felt the food on AZ was similar. If we had to make a choice and timing and itinerary were not a factor, without hesitation we will stick with O.

Doubtful we will cruise with AZ again, but always with O and when Celebrity has something we like would choose them over AZ.

[Paulchili]

Besides the general differences between the 2 lines - easily searched here - are the itineraries comparable (Nautica for 2017 & 2018)? I know Oceania sometimes visits 3 ports in Russia on Scandinavian cruises - does Azamara do that (if that is of interest to you)?

[BPCruiser]

Besides the general differences between the 2 lines - easily searched here - are the itineraries comparable (Nautica for 2017 & 2018)? I know Oceania sometimes visits 3 ports in Russia on Scandinavian cruises - does Azamara do that (if that is of interest to you)?

 

We are already booked on the Nautica for July 2018 for Iceland. Looking at 2019 Norwegian Fjords itineraries. Azamara has a very nice posted itinerary out already for July 2019. Oceania does not yet. Just thinking out the box of possibility of trying Azamara over Oceania. We typically find a cruise line that we are happy with and stick with them as has been the case with O. No rush needed rush 2019 is 2 years away and wait to see the O itinerary when posted.

We have already done the Baltic's and Russia on Oceania in 2013, looking for a purely Norwegian Fjords itinerary for 2019.

Thanks! :)

[Paulchili]

OK - understood.

Just to be clear - I was not talking about Baltics & Russia.

I was talking about Russsian ports like Murmansk, Archangel and Solovetsky Island - not St Petersburg. These ports are not visited frequently by any cruise line and are a great attraction to some and a reason to avoid that type of Norwegian fjords itinerary to others.

Just in case you might be interested in those particular ports. :)

If you are strictly interested in Norwegian ports then I think Oceania will have a very similar itinerary to Azamara - perhaps you can check O's itineraries for 2017 & 2018 to get some ideas how they may differ.

Edited June 8, 2017 by Paulchili

[BPCruiser]

Thanks Paulchili, I had not heard of these Norwegian Fjords Ports previously. I thought you were referencing St Petersburg/ Baltics.

 

 

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[Paulchili]

Thanks Paulchili, I had not heard of these Norwegian Fjords Ports previously. I thought you were referencing St Petersburg/ Baltics.

 

 

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You are welcome. The reason I mentioned this is because we did take a Nautica cruise in 2016 that included 6 or 7 ports in Norway as well as those 3 Russian ports.

So, in effect it was a Norwegian cruise with a little extra added .

[BPCruiser]

Were the Russian ports nice enough that I should pay attention to cruise itineraries that include them? If you don't mind sharing, how did you enjoy the Norwegian Fjords cruise itinerary. My friend who did it with Azamara in 8/2016 loved it which is what got me thinking that direction for 2019.

I will be happy to see when O posts their itineraries for Summer 19 to be able to fairly compare amongst cruise lines.

Thanks again [emoji4]

 

 

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[Paulchili]

IMO, the cruise to the Norwegian fjords ranks among the top three cruising destinations in the world - not to be missed.

As for those 3 Russian ports - they are not nearly as exciting as St Petersburg. They are more for the intrepid cruisers who have been everywhere and want to see something different. Also, it is a bit of a look into the Russian past. They are reminiscent of the Soviet times - unlike today's Moscow or SPB that are anything but Soviet these days.

[BPCruiser]

IMO, the cruise to the Norwegian fjords ranks among the top three cruising destinations in the world - not to be missed.

 

As for those 3 Russian ports - they are not nearly as exciting as St Petersburg. They are more for the intrepid cruisers who have been everywhere and want to see something different. Also, it is a bit of a look into the Russian past. They are reminiscent of the Soviet times - unlike today's Moscow or SPB that are anything but Soviet these days.

 

 

 

Thanks for the positive nod for the Norwegian Fjords itinerary. Always encouraging to hear good recommendations for cruise itineraries from seasoned cruisers.

This will be on my bucket list for 2019!

 

 

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[ChucktownSteve]

Thanks for the positive nod for the Norwegian Fjords itinerary. Always encouraging to hear good recommendations for cruise itineraries from seasoned cruisers.

This will be on my bucket list for 2019!

 

The $64,000 Question is when will the 2019 itineraries be released.

[marylizcat]

IMO, the cruise to the Norwegian fjords ranks among the top three cruising destinations in the world - not to be missed.

I wondered what your other two destinations are?

[Paulchili]

I wondered what your other two destinations are?

 

French Polynesia with Easter Islands and circumnavigating Australia (especially if Papua New Guinea is included). There are many "runners up" :D

I am now speaking of cruises - not destinations in general

[wcc19]

We booked the 2018 Norwegian Fjords on Nautica because of the itinerary - it starts in Dublin and includes the Russian ports. The AZ cruise does not. If you go to the AZ boards you will see that many of them booked AZ because it does not go all the way into Russia - they have no desire to do that.

Truly, to each their own.

[marylizcat]

French Polynesia with Easter Islands and circumnavigating Australia (especially if Papua New Guinea is included). There are many "runners up" :D

I am now speaking of cruises - not destinations in general

That is interesting. We have cruised the fjords twice, in summer and winter, and they are certainly lovely. Would you say better than Alaska? We haven't been there yet but are considering it.

[Paulchili]

That is interesting. We have cruised the fjords twice, in summer and winter, and they are certainly lovely. Would you say better than Alaska? We haven't been there yet but are considering it.

 

Alaska is right up there but I like Norwegian fjords & Norway better. Alaska is different

Can't go wrong with either itinerary

[DaKa2002]

Alaska is right up there but I like Norwegian fjords & Norway better. Alaska is different

Can't go wrong with either itinerary

 

We have done many Alaskan cruises on multiple cruise lies and ships (another this year in August) as well as traveled all over the "Great Land." However we very much enjoyed a Norway fjord cruise, which we hope to do again. They are both terrific.

 

The big difference for us is the cost of getting to port and back home.

[BPCruiser]

French Polynesia with Easter Islands and circumnavigating Australia (especially if Papua New Guinea is included). There are many "runners up" :D

 

I am now speaking of cruises - not destinations in general

 

 

 

We have friends from Canada who recently did the 32 day circumnavigation of Australia on the Sirena and loved it!!!

 

 

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[Erica@cruisecritic]

You might find this article helpful:

 

Azamara vs. Oceania

 

Though it will harp more on the fact that Oceania has two bigger, newer ships -- not relevant in this case.

 

 

Good luck -- you have many great options here!

[maggie.1008]

If having AI beverage is important to you I would pick AZ. We cruised the Baltic and Russia with AZ and were very happy. My favorite ship is O Riviera. Love the size and dining options.

Cruised on Crystal last month and I did not enjoy it as much as O. We did enjoy the AI bev. pkg ;p

[Skyrose]

The $64,000 Question is when will the 2019 itineraries be released.

I have been told by an Oceania sales rep that more 2019 itineraries will be released in September.

 

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[ChucktownSteve]

I have been told by an Oceania sales rep that more 2019 itineraries will be released in September.

I saved a possible itinerary yesterday on O's web site and 30 minutes later one of their reps called me. I asked him the same question and he said October 20th. I like your rep better. :D