Will Us Azamara Newbies Be Happy?

[radarcruiser]

After many cruises on RCL and Celebrity we talked our friends into trying Azamara for a Med cruise this summer on the new Onward.  We had read and heard so many good things.  Now I’m wondering if we will be happy.

 

Azamara looks to be cutting back in a number of areas, and at the same time trying to extract as much onboard revenue as possible.  The Azamara Evenings that everyone raved about looks to have been replaced by bringing some local entertainment onboard one night.  The White Party, where an upscale buffet was served, has turned into “Bright Night” which is just a party after dinner now?  They have made it more difficult  to tour ports on your own by eliminating shuttle busses, forcing many into expensive shore excursions.  There’s going to be a new bar on Onward that will not offer any included drinks.  I can’t find a venue where we can get drinks outside, like the Sunset Bar on most Celebrity ships.

We are paying considerably higher prices for this cruise than Celebrity would cost and they would include premium drinks, etc.  Can someone ease my fears and tell me it’s still going to be a much better experience?
 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by radarcruiser

[combine]

Really cant blame you for being a bit anxious as there are many comments about the changes. No one else has chimed in yet so I’ll give it a go!  We are mere novices with only 11 cruises on Azamara but 3 more in the bag for this year! 
 

Some of the things you mention have changed short term because of the fallout of covid  ( yes that word ! ) and hopefully normal service will be resumed, as and when. I dont think Azamara cut back, I think they have adapted to the current situation as best they could . Only time will tell. 

 

The Azamara evening involved transporting  over 600 guests in coaches to a shoreside venue. Decision was made to suspend that procedure and bring it on board for health and safety reasons. ( some venues were unwilling to accommodate  those numbers and also many guests would not have been comfortable either) . That could well change as we go forward and the world gets back to some normality. To avoid high numbers gathering together,  the evening  on board is split into two shows.  We have  only ever done about 50% of the Azamara evenings onshore as  some venues just didn't do it for us. Its not compulsory 

 

 Shuttles were suspended by some port authorities for similar  covid reasons. All could change next week . We did have a port shuttle available in Tenerife in January  , we used it to get to the main town but walked back and you will find many ports are very easily accessible because of Azamaras close docking proximity to the town. Dubrovnik, Valencia and Porto are ports we have been to that definitely  need a shuttle. 

 

The buffet on White Night can get very crowded . Tables are shared on the deck which of course was suspended because of covid risks. We personally  have never eaten at the White Night buffet, preferring to eat in the main dining room and join the dancing afterwards.

 

All  ships have a pool bar, Quest and Journey have a sunset bar also. Not sure of the opening times, check out the desk plans. We have only had 2 or 3 included wines that weren’t  to our taste and we changed to a previous days choice. A Gordons g&t is fine for us and a poolside Pinacolada in the sunshine. 

 

Really hope you enjoy your cruise, hopefully others will comment soon! 

 

 

 

[marinaro44]

Unwarranted gloom and doom, sorry to say.  Azamazing Evenings have been kiboshed by Covid, as have a lot of good things in life.  White Night was as good as ever, with a slightly reduced menu because there were 200 on board, not the usual 600+.  Windows was closed for dinner for the same reason.  Putting out a full buffet for the 50 or so (of the 200 onboard) who choose buffet over the main dining room and specialties would generate massive waste.

 

Note the number of posters on board recently who have said Azamara's food now is better than ever. One problem with social media is that one person, like the guy here in the restructuring business, can post something uninformed, and others take it as gospel and let it affect their vacation choices. 

 

 

[Kimbasmum]

We have cruised on Celebrity once, but would not again.  We find Azamara suits our personal taste for a smaller, intimate atmosphere ship, with very good staff and service.  We enjoy the food in all venues and drinks are available in different venues/bars depending on time of day.  We were on the same cruise as Combine in January, and concur with everything she has said.  The included spirits etc. were fine for us and whilst we wouldn’t turn cartwheels about the wines, they were acceptable.  Whilst the entertainment is lower-key than the larger cruise ships, we feel much more involved and the enthusiasm of the staff is commended.

We are looking forward to our next cruise in two weeks when we will be accompanied by our friends.  We are confident they will enjoy the experience, as I hope you will too.

[radarcruiser]

Thanks for the replies and information.  I thought Azamara previously furnished the shuttle busses in most ports?  If they did, how can they be more concerned about COVID on those busses than the paid shore excursion busses?

 

Sounds like we will be pleased with the food and excellent service, which I continue to read great things about.
 

 

[uktog]

I’m currently onboard. Our Destination C Celebration event last night was as good as any evening off the ship except we didn’t have the activity of going to a venue (not always a positive experience!). 
We only have shuttles in one port everywhere else is walking distance to the centre. That shuttle is at the mercy of the local authorities who argue random groups on a shuttle is higher risk than excursions where it’s known who is on each bus. No one buys that not even the ship staff. 
They’ve no desire to force you to excursions as they know many aren’t happy with that and it puts them under pressure to source enough excursions to meet demand. 
So far I’ve found absolutely nothing to complain about other than the food which has caused all my clothes to shrink. 😀

[combine]

@Kimbasmum Stay safe and well for  23 April ! 

[Kimbasmum]

Thanks Lynda, we are keeping a low-profile to avoid unnecessary Covid-contact.  We hope you two keep safe and fit for travel too.

Uktog - yes the food has that effect on my wardrobe too!  Keep on enjoying.

[Mrs Skip]

We were on Quest last week Lisbon to Lisbon, and (other than the weather over which Azamara have no control) we enjoyed our 9th Azamara cruise as much as ever !

 

The pre-Covid Azamazing Evening and White Night have been 'tweaked' because of Covid, rather than any decision of Azamara.  It's clear that a lot of effort has gone into making them as enjoyable and as special as ever... and that effort has paid of.

 

Food, service, drink (we have always gone for the Ultimate Drinks Package) and entertainment were as good as ever, I think the food has actually improved.  On our cruise Aqualina and Prime C were both open which was an added boost.

 

I think what we all need to remember that as guests get back to 'normal' the crew are also adjusting back. The main impact of covid seems to be an even greater desire that all guests to have a great cruise. Based on the fact that covid has been so much harder for many of the crew,  I for one came away counting blessings.

 

I think you will have a great cruise... I'm seeing the power of social media growing more, especially on newer forums so i think we all need to read commentary with a 'pinch of salt'. Enjoy 🙂

 

 

[TeaBag]

Thank you so much everyone for the positive comments about Azamara.  We can't wait for July 25.

[betsey]

In February, we sailed on our 5th Azamara cruise. It was the first Destination Celebration, which we really enjoyed. We had a "White Night" as opposed to the previous "Bright Nights," so dinner was served buffet style.  The lines were controlled by calling tables up to the buffet in groups, as if you were at a banquet. Our sailing was very light on passenger numbers, so the service was quite personal.  The food was better than ever.  If you're the type that lives for "lobster night" or "baked  Alaska night" this isn't it. Portions are quite small, but well made with quality ingredients.  Our wine glasses never seemed to be empty.  My one complaint was many of the shore excursions that we had booked were cancelled when we got to the ship due to low numbers., so we ended up making switches to tours that we didn't find as appealing.   Other than that, we had a great time.  

[I'malreadypacked]

14 hours ago, radarcruiser said:

Thanks for the replies and information.  I thought Azamara previously furnished the shuttle busses in most ports?  If they did, how can they be more concerned about COVID on those busses than the paid shore excursion busses?

 

Sounds like we will be pleased with the food and excellent service, which I continue to read great things about.
 

 

I don't think it has to do with just sitting on the bus.  When used as shuttles, the passengers disperse throughout the town individually.  When used for a tour, the passengers stay together as one group that is watched over by the guide, the "cruise bubble", so to speak.  

 

Enjoy your cruise.  We'll be back on for our second and third Azamara cruises very soon.  

[Kitekat]

On our cruise on Azamara Quest in October last year, we experienced the Amazing Evening in Livorno which was the same port as a previous cruise in 2018. No, we were not able to go ashore this time but the same group who had performed in the theatre last time came on board for this event.

They were an exceptional group and provided a wonderful evening's entertainment. And in no way did we feel short changed. 

So, I would not worry too much the comments. We loved the cruising so much we booked more cruises with Azamara.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Way before Covid, we had an Azamazing Evening on the ship – because of thunderstorms in Panama City.  Frankly, we were really happy to have it that way:  no tender and bus ride to the venue; no sitting outside in humidity; no sitting on folding chairs; the Azamara Caberet Lounge is ideal for local culture shows like this because of the thrust stage, so we had better sight-lines than we would have had at the planned venue.  Not to mention that we were so tired from our all-day shore excursion that we were already debating bagging the event because it would have been too much more exertion.  So it was a win-win for us!

[travelberlin]

I have enjoyed a lot the Azamazing Evenings and I do hope they resume after we have learned to live with COVID. The settings for most of those events were spectacular and cannot be reproduced onboard. 

For example a presentation at Wadi dessert in Jordan, a circus presentation in Monaco, a Carnaval Uruguayan Style in a famous theater in Montevideo, a music event  with an incredible setting open air (a castle of the Knights) in Cyprus, a presentation of the Saint Petersburg Philarmonic Orquesta in their St. Petersburg venue and a very good Tango show in Buenos Aires. 
 

I have also experienced a Samba show in Brasil onboard the ship and I did not find it comparable to have the same show at a Brasilian venue. Other cruise lines bring local entertainment onboard for example MSC. MSC does it in almost all voyages. The MSC events are good with good performers but the Azamazing evenings are spectacular because of the settings. 
 

Ivi

[Riocca]

Our cruise planner is now showing an AzAmazing evening for Onwards maiden 2nd May, it’s in Livorno and different from the ones we’ve had in Livorno before.

 

OVERVIEW

Discover the charms of Livorno at night during this exclusive evening event. A pleasant walk brings you to Livorno’s Old Fortress, which dates to medieval times and has witnessed many historical events. Explore the monument and its spaces, taking in every detail of the castle, which has been described as a “symbol of Medicean Livorno”. Indulge in a Tuscan aperitif made from fresh, local ingredients, and sip on a glass of wine as you explore the fortress. Afterwards, take a seat and enjoy a performance of La Traviata, a beautiful Italian opera featuring one of the most iconic, and tragic scores of all time. The Renaissance setting, Tuscan flavors, and romantic opera combine to immerse you in an authentic Italian experience and leave you with memories that will last forever. LVNO

[travelberlin]

1 hour ago, Riocca said:

Our cruise planner is now showing an AzAmazing evening for Onwards maiden 2nd May, it’s in Livorno and different from the ones we’ve had in Livorno before.

 

OVERVIEW

Discover the charms of Livorno at night during this exclusive evening event. A pleasant walk brings you to Livorno’s Old Fortress, which dates to medieval times and has witnessed many historical events. Explore the monument and its spaces, taking in every detail of the castle, which has been described as a “symbol of Medicean Livorno”. Indulge in a Tuscan aperitif made from fresh, local ingredients, and sip on a glass of wine as you explore the fortress. Afterwards, take a seat and enjoy a performance of La Traviata, a beautiful Italian opera featuring one of the most iconic, and tragic scores of all time. The Renaissance setting, Tuscan flavors, and romantic opera combine to immerse you in an authentic Italian experience and leave you with memories that will last forever. LVNO

Yes! This is what the Azamazing evenings are👌👏👏👏

I hope they do the same on our Pursuit cruise. We are also stopping in Livorno…

Ivi

[laurieb]

This makes me happy!  It sounds like a wonderful evening.  Wish we were going to be there.  Gives me hope that our cruises this summer could have onshore Azamazing evenings!

[Azamarajunkie]

2 hours ago, Riocca said:

Our cruise planner is now showing an AzAmazing evening for Onwards maiden 2nd May, it’s in Livorno and different from the ones we’ve had in Livorno before.

 

OVERVIEW

Discover the charms of Livorno at night during this exclusive evening event. A pleasant walk brings you to Livorno’s Old Fortress, which dates to medieval times and has witnessed many historical events. Explore the monument and its spaces, taking in every detail of the castle, which has been described as a “symbol of Medicean Livorno”. Indulge in a Tuscan aperitif made from fresh, local ingredients, and sip on a glass of wine as you explore the fortress. Afterwards, take a seat and enjoy a performance of La Traviata, a beautiful Italian opera featuring one of the most iconic, and tragic scores of all time. The Renaissance setting, Tuscan flavors, and romantic opera combine to immerse you in an authentic Italian experience and leave you with memories that will last forever. LVNO

We too are looking forward to this on the Christening Cruise, interestingly if you zoom into the Old Fortress on Google Earth, you can see a stage and seating set out in the open for a previous event. Fingers crossed the weather is good.