Azamara Pursuit deck plans are now on our website!

[Cowboy Ranger]

This is how Spirits on Journey now looks with its pod removing our favourite sofas when with a group. Personally I think they’ve really spoilt Spirits. Won’t be there tonight as entertainment is only in the Living Room with a new group that joined today

 

 

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That is horrible. And that e-gambling screen in the casino area is also horrible. Boarding April 8 and have multiple bookings on all 3 ships and am now questioning those.

 

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[Lottie A]

Epic fail is right Phil.

 

It's horrible. There are not enough seats for Spirits Bar anyway and now they have removed some. This is a relaxing and socialising area and it's been turned into a sales and revenue area. I hate it.

 

Please think again Azamara.

[excitedofharpenden]

Epic fail is right Phil.

 

It's horrible. There are not enough seats for Spirits Bar anyway and now they have removed some. This is a relaxing and socialising area and it's been turned into a sales and revenue area. I hate it.

 

Please think again Azamara.

Totally my feeling too Lottie. The thinking all just seems to be about revenue now with little balance. Take the sales area off deck 4, put in extra cabins there, move the sales area to deck 5 so that when sitting and relaxing in Spirits you now have to look at banners advertising cruises. Sit in Mosaic and you look at a room taken up by an "art"gallery. Azamara's always boasted that it has the feeling of a country club. This new look isn’t anything like a country club I’ve been to.

 

It’s very sad to see the (Royal Caribbean?) bean counters are at work. Not satisfied with selling more space on their ships they have to do a bit more. Why didn’t they just leave it alone and realise that they are spoiling the very thing that makes the line special? These latest photos from Journey show it’s a trend.

 

Gets off soapbox for the moment.

 

Phil

[uktog]

Sitting in an empty Spirits, apart from at the bar we’ve counted there are now only 22 seats. Ok it’s only night 1 but no entertainment just canned music. For what it’s worth one person playing a slot machine otherwise the casino is dead.

Enjoyed Steven ex cast now Asst Cruise Director’s show. He has a good voice and show personality.

The trio in Living Room were still settling in having just boarded today but have potential to be good I think but I’ll finalise my judgement over this cruise

Tomorrow is a singer from 54 below.

.

 

 

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[KW Cruisers]

It seems by this thread that I may be in the minority...but I'm not interested in booking onto the Pursuit if it does not have a casino. By no means am I a big gambler when not on vacation, but I do enjoy spending time playing Blackjack on cruises, and my husband loves the slot machines. I would be very disappointed if they removed the casinos from the other Azamara ships!

 

My two cents (or my $10 hand),

 

Shawn

[Grandma Cruising]

Have to say it doesn’t worry me as we we have never really liked Spirits bar so never sit in there. We go to Discoveries bar before dinner and the Living Room after the show (or to bed). During the day we’re either ashore, on the pool or sun deck, at the sunset bar (around 5pm) or in our cabin.

 

 

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[lizboyle]

Totally my feeling too Lottie. The thinking all just seems to be about revenue now with little balance. Take the sales area off deck 4, put in extra cabins there, move the sales area to deck 5 so that when sitting and relaxing in Spirits you now have to look at banners advertising cruises. Sit in Mosaic and you look at a room taken up by an "art"gallery. Azamara's always boasted that it has the feeling of a country club. This new look isn’t anything like a country club I’ve been to.

 

It’s very sad to see the (Royal Caribbean?) bean counters are at work. Not satisfied with selling more space on their ships they have to do a bit more. Why didn’t they just leave it alone and realise that they are spoiling the very thing that makes the line special? These latest photos from Journey show it’s a trend.

 

Gets off soapbox for the moment.

 

Phil

Totally agree with you Phil, its becoming a ship I'm no longer familiar with. :( Please listen Azamara.

[munch1]

Absolutely agree with Ann,Phil and Lottie’s remarks. Azamara has certainly ruined the public spaces on deck 5 ! We always enjoyed sitting listening to the piano players , conversation with other guests and just relaxing in the Spirits area. Looks like this space will quietly disappear more or less forcing guests to the Living Room as this will soon be the only public space left. So sad ! Our little Boutique ship is no longer boutique or Country Club ! Come on Azamara you still have time to rethink this...leave well enough alone !

Sharon

[Belfastman]

Have to say it doesn’t worry me as we we have never really liked Spirits bar so never sit in there. We go to Discoveries bar before dinner and the Living Room after the show (or to bed). During the day we’re either ashore, on the pool or sun deck, at the sunset bar (around 5pm) or in our cabin.

 

 

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Agree we never sit in Spirits only use the Living Room. Also won't miss the Sunset bar but should allow for extra seating during meals the area was too tight during lunch if people sat or stood at the bar.

 

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[excitedofharpenden]

Have to say it doesn’t worry me as we we have never really liked Spirits bar so never sit in there.

Well, it looks like you might do in the future;)

 

Phil

[bbqoug]

It seems by this thread that I may be in the minority...but I'm not interested in booking onto the Pursuit if it does not have a casino. By no means am I a big gambler when not on vacation, but I do enjoy spending time playing Blackjack on cruises, and my husband loves the slot machines. I would be very disappointed if they removed the casinos from the other Azamara ships!

 

My two cents (or my $10 hand),

 

Shawn

 

We also like having a casino available.

My wife & I enjoy having a drink and playing the slots after the evening show.

[Riocca]

Like Host Grandma Cruising we have never really liked or used Spirits probably because of the casino and tv screens. However we did use the area when it was Anderson’s on Adonia and had hoped it would be left the same on Pursuit. So as regards bar areas we will no doubt continue to use the bars we regularly use on the other ships, of course the absence of the Sunset Bar might affect this but we will have to see how the bar service works.

On Adonia the Discoveries bar area doubled as a coffee shop so presumably will continue to do so on Pursuit as there is surely not enough area in Mosaics.

Very worried about the Cruise Ahead areas not being private enough and causing bottlenecks in what is already a tight area.

In hindsight it was always unlikely that Pursuit was going to be exactly the same as Journey & Quest as for the 11 years they have been with Azamara, Pursuit has been sailing with four different cruise lines (although all CCL brands). The decor in Prime C and Aqualina is also going to be very different after recent refits by P&O/fathom. It’s going to be different so we are going to be open minded and see what we like and don’t like in August but I’m sure the things we really enjoy about Azamara will still be in evidence.

 

 

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Edited March 25, 2018 by Riocca

[uktog]

I have discovered that on Journey the current plan is only to use the cruise sales area between 7 and 10 at night and as I read it, it’s a sales drive for folks attending the Cabernet.

There is no entertainment again in Spirits tonight. Grandma, yes we do sometimes use the Living Room pre dinner but have now lost our post dinner/show venue of choice. But it’s only day 2 we will finally judge after 32 :)

 

 

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[Marmaduke]

Our favourite place for an evening drink is the sunset bar, however on our last cruise there were several evenings when the weather was cold and rough. With these conditions, Spirits provided a welcome haven being low down and midships. The ship's movement would certainly have been felt in the Living Room. I am begining to think that maybe Pursuit is not for us. Azamara is changing.

[excitedofharpenden]

I have discovered that on Journey the current plan is only to use the cruise sales area between 7 and 10 at night and as I read it, it’s a sales drive for folks attending the Cabernet.

There is no entertainment again in Spirits tonight. Grandma, yes we do sometimes use the Living Room pre dinner but have now lost our post dinner/show venue of choice. But it’s only day 2 we will finally judge after 32 :)

So they’ve taken up that space all day to open for three hours in the evening so they can catch people coming out of the show? Hmmm. That’s a late day for the sales staff too. At the moment they finish at 8pm. I’m trying to remain positive, but I’m finding it hard to do.

 

Phil

[Bloodaxe]

So they’ve taken up that space all day to open for three hours in the evening so they can catch people coming out of the show? Hmmm. That’s a late day for the sales staff too. At the moment they finish at 8pm. I’m trying to remain positive, but I’m finding it hard to do.

 

Phil

 

Maybe the new shows are so poor that they think people will spend time shopping for future cruises instead?.

[alfredo1]

Agree 100% with Marmaduke.

 

The comments by Marmaduke exactly mirror our views of what is happening at Azamara, where they appear to be heading downmarket rather than improving the facilities and enhancing the brand. Acquiring the Pursuit afforded a great opportunity to be imaginative and upgrade the brand, but instead they demonstrate a lack of knowledge of the loyal Azamara supporters who provide a huge amount of repeat business. No sunset bar, lost opportunity to enlarge Mosaic facilities and enhance Spirits, yet an obsession with "art" sales and repeat business sales to the general detriment of the Azamara ambiance.

 

A major disadvantage of the R ships is that during inclement weather when the pool area and open decks are unusable, there is insufficient "indoor" space to accommodate passengers and adding additional cabins will only exacerbate that problem.

 

Again like Marmaduke, we have bookings on Azamara this year, one of which is on Pursuit from Lima to Buenos Aires where it is very likely there may be inclement weather, and comments on this forum now cause us the reconsider our position and consider cancelling even with the loss of the UK deposit. An upcoming cruise on Seabourn may just make up our minds!!

[Grandma Cruising]

Well, it looks like you might do in the future;)

 

 

 

Phil

 

 

 

You’re right - certainly planning to book another cruise during our July cruise this year![emoji1]

 

 

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[Grandma Cruising]

I have discovered that on Journey the current plan is only to use the cruise sales area between 7 and 10 at night and as I read it, it’s a sales drive for folks attending the Cabernet.

There is no entertainment again in Spirits tonight. Grandma, yes we do sometimes use the Living Room pre dinner but have now lost our post dinner/show venue of choice. But it’s only day 2 we will finally judge after 32 :)

 

 

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Whoa - cruise sales in the evening! I think it very unlikely people will want to book a cruise during those hours. Are they hoping to catch people who have been ‘mellowed’ by alcohol. I agree with others, this looks like a poor idea. Let’s hope they get no sales so abandon this after a while.

 

 

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[Globehoppers]

From all the comments it appears that "corporate" (Big RCCL) is influencing many decisions in an effort to either rein in Azamara as an independent entity or that executives from X or RCI are rotated through Azamara's headquarters. Some of these "new" ideas do not mesh with existing Azamara philosophies.

[MNgardens]

I am assuming the head offices have done calculations such as the Spirits area brings in x revenue (do most cruisers purchase an upgraded booze or get one included?), future cruises in old location brings in y, and they project future cruises will bring in z in an area with higher foot traffic. I never sit in Spirits but would cut through and I am guessing that I am a customer they want to attract.

 

The unknowable factor is will this actually increase sales or decrease in the areas that are impacted? I noticed that when I sat and lingered in Mosaic I was more likely to pop in the shop afterwards. If there are fewer seats available, I may just take my coffee with me. Same Mosaic transaction but the shop just lost a sale. (Plus I would rather stick pins in my eyes than look at the crap art.)

 

Human behavior studies is a big part of marketing. I am sure that this is not done on a whim. Azamara will tweak the ship plans until it hits the sweet spot for revenue per square foot.

 

However they will never be able to quantify the customer's emotional response to being more blatantly pushed a sale at every corner. One thing I liked about Azamara was the feeling like once I was on board, I could forget about money and budgets and didn't feel like there was a goal to get even more out of my pocket. The amount of shilling for sales was so much less than Holland America. Part of what I am paying the higher Azamara prices for is to be free from sales pitches.

[excitedofharpenden]

Maybe the new shows are so poor that they think people will spend time shopping for future cruises instead?.

The punters might not be in the best frame of mind though!:D

 

Phil

[Bloodaxe]

The punters might not be in the best frame of mind though!:D

 

Phil

 

 

Judging by many of the comments on this thread the punters are already very upset.

I will be onboard Quest in April and would probably have been booking something for 2019.

That's far from certain and I have been looking around for alternatives.

[Riocca]

I am sure these decisions have been made using solid data from across the RCCL fleet, on all the recent RC & Celebrity ships we’ve been on the future cruise sales are is in the entertainment zone.

Our first Celebrity cruise was in 2010 on Celebrity Eclipse and I can remember having to hunt for the Captain’s Club/ future cruise area which was in a small area hidden at the back of deck 5 if I remember rightly, nowadays it’s in the heart of the entertainment area. Royal Caribbean have it in the Royal Promenade, on Harmony it was open late into the night and always seemed to be busy.

Obviously this prominent positioning has been successful on the other brands only time will tell if the same applies to Azamara.

 

 

 

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[AllisonJames]

I thought Azamara got rid of the "crap art" sales? I am hoping that the so-called Art Gallery on the plan is to feature the work of the Artist-in-Residence? On our Baltic cruise last summer we really enjoyed the new approach to art with the Artist-in-Residence doing many "live" paintings, especially of the ports on the cruise and also doing discussions about his approach to his work and answering questions. And at the end all his work he had done on the cruise, along with some of his other painting, were displayed and sold. But they had to kind of set up the work all around the ship in random spaces and it seems like it would be nice to have a small space for this. Or has Azamara abandoned that concept? I thought it was a real positive because it was unique as well as an enrichment experience for guests.