Azamara vs Oceanis vs Princess small ships

[stromer]

I might be booking my 1st Azamara cruise on the Pursuit for an Aug. 2020 cruise  and would like to know from anyone who has been on identical Oceania or Princess small ships - Nautica and Pacific Princess, etc how they compare.  I have been on the Oceania Marina and it was very good especially the food -Princess is average.  The Oceania is a near luxury class (Premium) - not the same as Regent, Silversea, Viking, etc. and Azamara is the same I assume.  Can  anyone advise me on this.  Oceania has a similar cruise but nothing is included unless you buy the upgrade "O class package.  Even the base fare is $2200.  I am a Discovery member so I get a few perks.  Princess also has a similar cruise and costs less but is a mainstream line.  I like what I have seen about Azamara about the included items and Discovery match from Celebrity

Can anyone advise me on this, 

Thanks, Rick     

[florisdekort]

Do a quick search. There have been countless Oceania vs Azamara discussions, one very recently. Lots of useful information and opinions.

[newmexicoNita]

5 hours ago, florisdekort said:

Do a quick search. There have been countless Oceania vs Azamara discussions, one very recently. Lots of useful information and opinions.

I haven't checked recently but I do think it is more a matter of opinion and what someone is looking for in a cruise. As I am getting ready for our first Azamara cruise I can not make a fair comparison but I can say Oceania is a great cruise experience. I do not think there are any Princess ships that can compare. I am hoping we will enjoy Azamara as well as  oceania. 

[the mice]

We have cruised Azamara twice, both times on Journey, first in 2009 and more recently August 2018 in the Baltics (12N).   We cruised Oceania 3x, twice on Marina, and once on Nautica in June 2019 circling the British Isles and Ireland(18N).  We had the same cabin type on all 3 of the small ships (the oversized OVs of which there are 4 on decks 6 and 7 forward) .   

 

The Journey had been partially updated and was nice with new bedding and sofa but the old cabinetry was still in place.   The Nautica had not been updated yet, but will undergo the Oceania NEXT upgrade in June 2020.   If you search for Oceania NEXT you can find pictures of the upgrades on the sister Oceania small ships.   I expect the upgraded Nautica will be nicer (IMHO) than Journey.  

 

Azamara has the Azamazing Evening - ours was in St. Petersburg and was excellent.   There is also the White Night but ours was held inside due to rain, so we really didn't appreciate it very much.  Officers were more visible, but this isn't a big factor for us.   Food was OK, good, not great.  Service was generally excellent.   I broke a bone in my foot onboard the ship, and they were beyond helpful.   It was a great cruise (even after my accident). 

 

Nautica was wonderful.   The crew was among the happiest we've experienced.   We found service to be excellent everywhere.

Food was very good.   The specialty restaurants have no upcharge, and we even got an extra reservation at a table for 2.  There is high tea every day and the scones are very good.   (I never gain weight on vacation but for the first time I gained 5 lbs on this cruise).   The self service laundry room was much nicer and brighter than on Journey.   The entertainment on our cruise was great (not always the case on O).  I didn't have any incidents that might have challenged the service ethic, so I don't know how it might have panned out on O.  

 

Just our experience.  YMMV.  

 

[hubofhockey]

Nautical is going through a major refurbishment in 2020.   Look on YouTube for vices on the Insignia refurbishment to see.   Princess has one small ship left after selling others to the other lines.   The upkeep by Princess isn't there, but you can find bargains on cheaper cruises.   

[LuAnn]

We have sailed on all 3 lines in the "R" ships. I would guess that the Princess cruise would be the least expensive...but you do "get what you pay for". I'm sure the food would be no where near the food you would find on AZ or O ..nor the up-keep of the ship. Princess would be my 3rd choice.

 

IF the prices were the same I would pick AZ because we like the staff and crew and enjoy how "engaged" they are with passengers. But AZ prices have really gone UP and if there was a big difference in price I would choose O. We have not been on any of the "re-done" O "R" ships but they do look lovely in the photos I've seen. We prefer the M class on O but it doesn't sound like you have that choice of vessel. 

 

And you would also ..as you pointed out... have perks on AZ that you probably wouldn't have on O. I guess I'd be "price driven" between O and AZ. Hope that helps?

 

[jo-b]

As others have said this is really down to personal likes/dislikes. We have sailed on all 3 our preference is for Oceania we think their food offering in the specialities is way above Azamara and in the buffet and dining room they are on a par. 

 

For us Azamara has always been a lot more expensive than O when you add in all the extras flights/ internet /drinks/tips, although our Christmas cruise up next on Quest was comparative bargain because of a deal they were running when we booked. 

 

On the oceania board someone has just posted a comparison which seems very fair, but again it is their view. 

[ABoatNerd]

A negative against Oceania is their trait of missing many ports and making no effort to swap in other ports.

 

In addition, they do not reimburse the port fees like other cruise lines do.

 

This has been a topic on and off on the Oceania boards for a long while. After many years of Oceania travel, myself, and my group, are fed up with the lack of effort demonstrated by Oceania to swap in another port. While it can be difficult at  time to swap, Oceania has made no effort over our long, collective cruising history to swap. So we will not patronize Oceania.

 

Also, we note the CC reviews for AZ are more consistently positive than Oceania, the Oceania reviews are on a slide versus the past. Cheapening of food and service seem to be a common message from many posters.

 

[Grandma Cruising]

55 minutes ago, ABoatNerd said:

A negative against Oceania is their trait of missing many ports and making no effort to swap in other ports.

 

In addition, they do not reimburse the port fees like other cruise lines do.

 

This has been a topic on and off on the Oceania boards for a long while. After many years of Oceania travel, myself, and my group, are fed up with the lack of effort demonstrated by Oceania to swap in another port. While it can be difficult at  time to swap, Oceania has made no effort over our long, collective cruising history to swap. So we will not patronize Oceania.

 

Also, we note the CC reviews for AZ are more consistently positive than Oceania, the Oceania reviews are on a slide versus the past. Cheapening of food and service seem to be a common message from many posters.

 

Certainly Azamara’s Captains will always try to find another port if one has to be missed. On our recent Lisbon to Rio transatlantic on Pursuit we could not go to Vitoria in Brazil as there was going to be a dock workers strike the day we were due to be there. Instead we went to Buzios which turned out to be a great port.

[uktog]

 I really appreciate that (we similarly had a port change in Caribbean) but I am becoming more and more interested in Oceania particularly their refurbished R class ships

[ABoatNerd]

The Oceania R ships provide a more comparable product analysis - due to size.

 

Comparing another attribute - engagement - Az officers and staff are far, far, far more welcoming and engaged and solution oriented than O. Makes the ambiance aboard more positive.

 

Generally, O officers, guest relations are the most arrogant on the seas. Acknowledging problems is not a priority. The staff have been similarly trained to be standoffish, with some exceptions of course.

 

Depends what "feeling" you favour.

 

 

 

 

[marinaro44]

2 hours ago, ABoatNerd said:

Comparing another attribute - engagement - Az officers and staff are far, far, far more welcoming and engaged and solution oriented than O. Makes the ambiance aboard more positive.

 

Generally, O officers, guest relations are the most arrogant on the seas. Acknowledging problems is not a priority. The staff have been similarly trained to be standoffish, with some exceptions of course.

 

Depends what "feeling" you favour.

This was exactly our experience on O's big sister, Regent.  My wife saw a decorated holiday tree with the undecorated side facing out and the decorated side facing the wall, pointed this out to the cruise director (who happened to be "borrowed" from O), and was told that the ship's general manager had already approved the decorations so nothing could be changed.

 

We submitted a mid-cruise critique card after no ice water or chilled washcloths were handed out upon return from steamy Amazon ports and asked that the card be given directly to the general manager.  We were told by a staff member she couldn't possibly place anything on his desk.

 

This same general manager (supposedly their most senior) was invisible to passengers but always appeared at dinner in the steakhouse with young female members of his staff...I suppose burnishing his acknowledged reputation as a "ladies' man."

 

Sorry, no Regent or O for me.  Much prefer the casual attitude and engaged vibe on Windstar when looking for an Azamara alternative.

Edited December 15, 2019 by marinaro44

[tv24]

I don't think we will ever return to Princess, but of course their prices are low.  I found their small ships jammed full of people and as a result there were endless waits for elevators, no seats in the bars, and it was impossible to get a seat for any show.  We found Oceania to have terrific food and the ships to be beautiful, but there was nothing going on.  We find the passenger mix on AZ to be very friendly and fun.

[BBMacLaird]

On 12/17/2019 at 11:31 PM, tv24 said:

We find the passenger mix on AZ to be very friendly and fun.

Thank you tv24! We appreciate your loyalty.

[tv24]

12 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

Thank you tv24! We appreciate your loyalty.

You're welcome.  Hanging out with my peeps is my favorite activity on AZ.

[hubofhockey]

On 12/18/2019 at 2:31 AM, tv24 said:

I don't think we will ever return to Princess, but of course their prices are low.  I found their small ships jammed full of people and as a result there were endless waits for elevators, no seats in the bars, and it was impossible to get a seat for any show.  We found Oceania to have terrific food and the ships to be beautiful, but there was nothing going on.  We find the passenger mix on AZ to be very friendly and fun.

We used to love Princess.  They lost me on the Royal Class.  After one on that, we switched to Celebrity.  
 

So far, for us, our two Azamara cruises have had better itineraries than Oceania. For our time period in Japan, it’s not even close.  Later and better times in port is a key. 

[Redtravel]

Azamara, Oceania, and a Princess operate R ships. Basic physical layout is similar. Each cruise line has renovated their ships to meet their needs.  Having been on Azamara and Oceania recently, their ships are very nice. What makes the real differences is the crew, services, restaurants, entertainment, etc.  Azamara closed the casino. Oceania has a lively casino.  Azamara coffee bar is open after dinner. Oceania closes coffee bar at 6 pm. Azamara has good food. Oceania has better food.  Oceania doesn’t charge to eat in their specialty restaurants. Oceania does a fabulous daily tea. Azamara charges $ for no suite guests in Aquilina or a prime C. Oceania accepts precruise reservations for specialty venues.  Azamara only accepts dining reservations on the ships. Azamara does an Azamazing evening event.  Oceania does nothing like it.  Azamara fare includes liquor and gratuities.  Oceania charges extra for liquor and gratuities. Oceania includes free WiFi.  Azamara charges for WiFi.  
I could go on and on stating individual differences.  Both cruise lines are good. Deciding which cruise to take is a personal decision......dates, ports, cost, etc.  

[Salf777]

We sailed in Azamara Pursuit in Europe and it was amazing. Everything was easy and the staff couldn’t do enough for you. My wife has a food allergy issue we boarded mentioned it to one person and it was handled everywhere we ate. 
we are currently on Oceania Riviera in the Caribbean (I know it’s not the same comparison) but boarding was a nightmare, lines everywhere. We asked about my wife’s food allergy and were sent all over the ship, asked to speak to food and beverage manager was told he was busy and would call us never did! Finally he 4th day we were speaking with a hostess in Jacques and she immediately took care of what no one else could or wanted to. Always a wait at the lifts people who are very loyal Oceania cruisers are saying this is the worst they have experienced. Specialty restaurants are full, luckily we made our reservations a long time ago, but they are not helpful at all. Asked to make a 2 person reservation a 4 and were told no. It seems they can’t handle this sailing.

now the food on Oceania is far better than any you will find on any ship. I didn’t have a good meal in Polo, the steak house but that was my fault I ordered wrong. Jacques was just amazing! The grill, which is their version of the buffet go order as many lobster tails as you wish, they wil keep feeding you. The crowd here is much older and that tends to slow things down at the lines so expect a wait. 
It’s a different feeling between the two. Azamara seems very friendly and they anticipate your needs. Oceania for example, I asked the cabin attendant for an extra hand lotion, that’s what I received 1 small bottle, when we asked for extra amenities on Azamara, they loaded up our bathroom. 
oceania WiFi is free a very nice perk. I can’t understand how any better line charges for WiFi I find it insulting. Oceania though if you want a glass of wine with dinner your paying for it. 
we didn’t do the cooking and art classes on board but they looked fun and crowded. 
one thing I will say also about Oceania is we did an excursion. Even though it was a large group we were broken up into smaller groups and very comfortable manageable size. We did an excursion on Azamara and were put on a public ferry with hundreds of others. 
the 2 are definitely different and like many said it’s what’s important to you. For me it’s Azamara all the way, more laid back and service seems far superior. Food is very good but Oceania takes the cake on food quality

[BBMacLaird]

An interesting comparison, Salf777.

Thank you for taking the time. We look forward to welcoming you back aboard Azamara soon.

Happy Holidays!

Bonnie

[Salf777]

16 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

An interesting comparison, Salf777.

Thank you for taking the time. We look forward to welcoming you back aboard Azamara soon.

Happy Holidays!

Bonnie

We will be back in August for a Baltic Sailing. After now sailing on Oceania it’s only Azamara for me going forward. 
we were told prior to going on this sailing that Oceania in the Caribbean is not a great experience but ours was a comedy of errors. According to what I have experienced the Haven on NCL is a far superior experience than Oceania and Azamara is above them all. Just a few things. Our balcony was held together with a dirty towel (we were in a penthouse suite), asked to speak to food & beverage or restaurant manager at reception was told to go to Privee and ask there. Both told us he would contact us. After speaking with the concierge on the 4th night the restaurant manager called us on the second to last night. “Apparently there was a miscommunication and no one told him, ok we got the food issue straightened out on the 4th day ok so what’s the problem “ that was his attitude. Had a nice meal in Red Ginger. Asked the waitress if it would be possible to have a piece of their Sea Bass sent to the dining room one night so we could eat in main dining and the sea bass was a perfect food for my wife’s allergy. She went and spoke to the chef and came back and said sure just when you sit in the dining room tell them. My wife had to fill out a form each day picking out her food (that’s a whole other story) so she writes down the sea bass from Red Ginger. We get a phone message the next day that says “your request has been denied” no kidding that’s what they said. So I walk down and explain we had it okayed at Red Ginger. He made a call and said “denied”. So we had to eat at Red Ginger again. Not only unhelpful but rude. We had better help with special diets on both RCL and NCL. Told one person at boarding and the whole ship knew, no prefiilling menus etc. 

the average age of guests was older and a lot of scooters and canes and wheel chairs. Well by the pool you have older people looking for chairs as there was none and the staff is standing around just watching them! Not going over to help. We were late to the white night on Azamara and there was no table to sit at. We looked around for about a minute and three guys appeared with a table and chairs, set us up and even went and got my wife’s food for her. They anticipate how they could help

boarding was a nightmare. Just everything was a project to get the simplest thing. Even down to the last day they leave a beautiful letter on our bed welcoming us to the Oceania Club and accept these luggage tags and pin. Nice gesture but there was no pin. Not that I wanted it but no attention to detail. Then finally about 5 minutes before I was going to disembark I asked our butler what terminal the ship was docked in so I could advise our ride. He tells me terminal A. Naturally we were in terminal E, but by this time I didn’t expect a proper answer so I double checked and gave our ride the proper info. 
in my opinion if this Oceania sailing is known to be less than a luxury experience, which is what the staff tells you because it’s only a 7 day cruise all the restaurants are full this is the excuse they use for being rude, this really damages the brand. To me this was a mass market line sailing, in no way near a luxury brand. Three couples we spoke to on board also were first time Oceania cruisers and had other sailings booked with Oceania and cancelled the future sailings while on board based on this experience. 
I will say that after all these complaints I have laid out the sailing is cheap. Seriously I priced Oceania out against the mass lines and you can sail Oceania for less than the mass lines. I think it hurts Oceania’s brand but I am glad they offer it. 

 

[BBMacLaird]

12 minutes ago, Salf777 said:

We will be back in August for a Baltic Sailing. After now sailing on Oceania it’s only Azamara for me going forward. 

I love that we are now your preferred cruise line!

BTW, “denied” is not in our vocabulary! 

[ECCruise]

Having just disembarked Oceania Insignia 3 days ago, comparisons to our time on Azamara ships are fresh in mind.

First off, someone said Oceania is "less than the mass lines" which I couldn't disagree with more.  Maybe for a 7 day jaunt in the Caribbean, but nowhere else in the world is Oceania any less than 2-3x the price of a MS line like Celebrity, for example.

 

Some things we really liked about O.  The food in the MDR and the specialty restaurants is absolutely top notch and above anything we've had on Azamara or any other premium or main stream line.  Waves (the Porch on Azamara) is superior in menu options (like a killer surf and turf of filet mignon and lobster) but is NOT open for dinner.  The buffet is pretty much equal although really dislike having to be served everything there which creates long lines with people waiting to be served.

 

Cabins on the refurbished O ships (Insignia is the first) are superior.  They completely gutted the cabins and redid everything rather than the "refresh (nice but not to the same level) on Azamara.  Loved the fact that they were able to add glass doors in the regular cabins rather than the shower curtains.

 

From there, the comparisons go downhill.  Fast.

 

The most important factor is that, with a VERY few exceptions, we never got the friendly and helpful service that we treasure on Azamara.  Even just getting a cup of coffee in Waves in the morning was a production, as staff, walked to and fro past us while we sat with empty coffee cups.  You know when you can see an unhappy ship?  This was an unhappy ship.  

Entertainment was mixed.  Production shows (cast of 6) were great.  Fly on entertainers mixed from pretty good to pretty average, at best.  Every guest entertainer did 2-3 shows so lots of repetition.  The show band was the orchestra, the band at the pool and the band in Horizons (the Living Room) at night.  No trios or other bands.  String quartet was quite visible every day but just not our cup of tea.  Felt stilted.  

Passenger mix was the oldest and most challenged in our 85 cruises. And this was on a 25 day Amazon roundtrip with lots of active excursions (you are in the Rain forest).  Have no idea what the scooter/walker/wheelchair/cane pax did in those ports. Think it is great that they are traveling but thought it a strange cruise to take.

Pricing with Azamara can be pretty close, but you need to take into account that on O you need to add for gratuities and drinks.  For us, that was an over $2000 advantage for Azamara.

 

In summary, on Azamara we truly feel like a treasured guest.  From officers to virtually every staff member we meet.  We frankly never got that feeling on O.  Maybe it was the ship, maybe it was this particular sailing, but this was our 6th O cruise and on about day 3 we agreed that it would be our last.  Not that Azamara is perfect (we think lots of the pricing, frankly, is insane) but it when talking about this particular comparison, is just a better fit for us.  And happy that we have about 80 days booked on Azamara in the next 18 months or so.

[Salf777]

18 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

Having just disembarked Oceania Insignia 3 days ago, comparisons to our time on Azamara ships are fresh in mind.

First off, someone said Oceania is "less than the mass lines" which I couldn't disagree with more.  Maybe for a 7 day jaunt in the Caribbean, but nowhere else in the world is Oceania any less than 2-3x the price of a MS line like Celebrity, for example.

 

Some things we really liked about O.  The food in the MDR and the specialty restaurants is absolutely top notch and above anything we've had on Azamara or any other premium or main stream line.  Waves (the Porch on Azamara) is superior in menu options (like a killer surf and turf of filet mignon and lobster) but is NOT open for dinner.  The buffet is pretty much equal although really dislike having to be served everything there which creates long lines with people waiting to be served.

 

Cabins on the refurbished O ships (Insignia is the first) are superior.  They completely gutted the cabins and redid everything rather than the "refresh (nice but not to the same level) on Azamara.  Loved the fact that they were able to add glass doors in the regular cabins rather than the shower curtains.

 

From there, the comparisons go downhill.  Fast.

 

The most important factor is that, with a VERY few exceptions, we never got the friendly and helpful service that we treasure on Azamara.  Even just getting a cup of coffee in Waves in the morning was a production, as staff, walked to and fro past us while we sat with empty coffee cups.  You know when you can see an unhappy ship?  This was an unhappy ship.  

Entertainment was mixed.  Production shows (cast of 6) were great.  Fly on entertainers mixed from pretty good to pretty average, at best.  Every guest entertainer did 2-3 shows so lots of repetition.  The show band was the orchestra, the band at the pool and the band in Horizons (the Living Room) at night.  No trios or other bands.  String quartet was quite visible every day but just not our cup of tea.  Felt stilted.  

Passenger mix was the oldest and most challenged in our 85 cruises. And this was on a 25 day Amazon roundtrip with lots of active excursions (you are in the Rain forest).  Have no idea what the scooter/walker/wheelchair/cane pax did in those ports. Think it is great that they are traveling but thought it a strange cruise to take.

Pricing with Azamara can be pretty close, but you need to take into account that on O you need to add for gratuities and drinks.  For us, that was an over $2000 advantage for Azamara.

 

In summary, on Azamara we truly feel like a treasured guest.  From officers to virtually every staff member we meet.  We frankly never got that feeling on O.  Maybe it was the ship, maybe it was this particular sailing, but this was our 6th O cruise and on about day 3 we agreed that it would be our last.  Not that Azamara is perfect (we think lots of the pricing, frankly, is insane) but it when talking about this particular comparison, is just a better fit for us.  And happy that we have about 80 days booked on Azamara in the next 18 months or so.

 

you expressed what I was trying to say much better. You hit the nail on the head, it’s an unhappy ship. That translates to the entire experience. Virtually none of the staff will look you in the eye much less smile at you. 
I did say that “O” was on par or less than main stream lines IN THE CARIBBEAN. We like to sail in December and live in south Florida. A comparable sized suite in the Haven on NCL is really 75% more than Oceania on this 7 day Caribbean sailing. Really I looked. Celebrity is about the same so I was saying that for the quality of food and beauty of the ship O is a very reasonable choice to sail from Miami in December. You are correct elsewhere it’s much more than mainstream. We had a sailing booked in April of next year on deposit on O that was significantly more expensive. After the first day on this sailing we canceled that future cruise on O. But I will say for a Caribbean sailing in December it’s about the best value around. I wish Azamara came here more

[BBMacLaird]

5 hours ago, ECCruise said:

Not that Azamara is perfect (we think lots of the pricing, frankly, is insane) but it when talking about this particular comparison, is just a better fit for us.  And happy that we have about 80 days booked on Azamara in the next 18 months or so.

80 days booked! Thank you 🥰

And thank you for your preference. 

Happy Holidays.

bonnie 

[uktog]

Interesting perspectives.  I think it’s only going to be by trying other lines we will know if the softer aspects of the Azamara product are worth the premiums they now command. Thanks to everyone who has helped us as we ponder where next.