Current satisfaction with Azamara now that new Ownership has had time

[Vineyard View]

I have not been on the Azamara board for quite a long while. We had to cancel our first booked cruise due to high Covid concerns. Since then we sailed on Seabourn and really loved our experience with them, so much that we booked onboard a cruise for next month. Once again, we had to cancel due to a medical situation. So now I am researching for a trip next Apr/May. 
 

The most recent “sale” with SB is actually a very large price increase.  So much so that I am now looking at other lines (ie: same itinerary we were to sail next month is up 28%). We are also considering a land trip across the pond for the first time in years, as it is clear that Azamara, as well as Oceania, and definitely Viking, have bumped up considerably as well. We realize that this is occurring across the industry, and will likely continue until the point that consumers change directions (which may, or may not occur anytime soon). 
 

We don’t care about ship excursions, so that baked in price on Viking (after multiple sailings in the past), is off the table. 
 

I keep reading on Oceania about the reduced port times, and skipped ports, so much more than any other line that I look at. We sail for itinerary as well as line, so this is concerning. 
 

I just perused this morning the Azamara board. I am reading a lot about cost cutting, raised package prices on drinks and internet, cheap furniture that hasn’t been replaced on Journey, Azamara Evenings being a party on board now, and overall concerns around how the new ownership may be devaluing the brand.

 

With Azamara (Or Oceania R) we would book entry level suite due to bathroom size (I know, not worth it to many, but it’s what we would do). We see several itineraries of interest next year, which is what is drawing me back to this board. 
 

So I  am curious. A lot of you have spent so much time on Azamara over the years. Do you see the value proposition still there for Azamara over similar competitors in the premium/luxury category? What do you see in the current service/price model that makes Azamara the best fit (or not) for travelers who like to enjoy cocktails before dinner, are not focused on entertainment, enjoy spending time on their balcony at times, enjoy maximizing port times, DIY in port mostly, and have a taste for good food (and wine)?   I thank you in advance. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

I don't think you really have anything to worry about with Azamara, especially based on your particular plans.  If you book a Club Continent suite, you don't pay for specialty restaurants so the price increase doesn't affect you.  The beverage package upgrade sounds like a big % increase, but it is really a fairly small $ increase to cover the increased cost of wine and spirits – and you may not need to upgrade anyway depending on how much/what you drink.  The balcony furniture people are complaining about is on Onward.  AzAmazing Evenings are probably impossible to arrange post-Covid because the land vendors aren't available anymore, but they are still hiring local performers to bring the local culture onboard [and paying them to do two shows, not just one].  

 

There were some people who automatically expected Sycamore to bleed the brand just because they are a hedge fund, but all the evidence I see is that they are pursuing the opposite hedge fund MO:  build up the brand [they bought Onward and poured money into renovating it right off the bat] to make a profit by selling it for a high price.

 

Finally, Azamara's recent marketing now lists not just how many overnights a cruise will spend in port but also how many total hours in port – this may be a dig at Oceania, but it is also a promise that Azamara is not cutting back.

[TrulyBlonde]

We have taken 3 cruises with AZ prior to Covid & have been all over the World with many other cruise lines. It has been a few years since we have taken a cruise ( Covid turned us off of it). It has been land trips for us instead.

DH & I decided to take an Eastern Seaboard cruise starting in Montreal this year. I checked with Oceania, Crystal, etc. and AZ had the best pricing, longer port times, & more days and the ports we wanted.  We have been to many of the ports prior, but this allows us to revisit many of them. We have booked a Club Continent Suite (larger Suites were not available) & will use this as our floating hotel. We really could not find a better deal out there. It fit our needs the best. 

[1985rz1]

@Vineyard View  We just completed a 16-day circum-navigation of New Zealand on Azamara Journey.  Our go-to cruise line has been Oceania, so we were wondering how Azamara would compare to O's R-ships.  We were pleasantly surprised. 

 

We booked a Club Continent Suite, as we usually book a PH on O, so the comparison is pretty close.  We were pleasantly surprised.  The Journey needs some refreshing, but nothing that detracted from our experience.

 

The food was quite good, not quite as good as we had on O, but close. 

 

The entertainment and the lectures were better on A than on O, and we did have an off-shore AzAmazing Evening, as well as a terrific White Night.  A's ship excursions were very good to excellent.

 

Although the stateroom was of the same size as on O, A felt a bit more cramped in the "living" because of its layout. We prefer the sofa arrangement of O over the rather old fashion high back chair and desk chair which we did not find very comfortable. The butler was not as good as we've had on O. 

 

The senior staff was around and friendly, and the Captain very much involved with the pax, especially in keeping us informed, a big difference from O, where the officers seem to hide.

 

Given the same itinerary, we would still chose O over A because we like the food, the feel and the slightly more comfort of O.  But itinerary drives us and A has better itineraries. We have no qualms abut booking A again In fact, we have a 27-day b2b booked next year...and we have 2 O cruises later this year.

[harrodsfan]

We have cruised many many lines from regent, seabourn  to carnival, holland America.  We cruise for the itinerary and timing. We always do the biggest room or a suite. Our favorite room was our club continental on Azamara.. we even liked it over the Azamara suite. ( right over the anchor forward. Never again!) it had the best storage for everything.  we like the Azamara ports, food, service and size. Entertainment is ok.. the drinks are fine. Our favorite table servers have been on Azamara and then Royal Caribbean and believe it or not a carnival  trip with our grandchildren. If Azamara has the itinerary go with that. 

[Vineyard View]

19 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

@Vineyard View  We just completed a 16-day circum-navigation of New Zealand on Azamara Journey.  Our go-to cruise line has been Oceania, so we were wondering how Azamara would compare to O's R-ships.  We were pleasantly surprised. 

 

We booked a Club Continent Suite, as we usually book a PH on O, so the comparison is pretty close.  We were pleasantly surprised.  The Journey needs some refreshing, but nothing that detracted from our experience.

 

The food was quite good, not quite as good as we had on O, but close. 

 

The entertainment and the lectures were better on A than on O, and we did have an off-shore AzAmazing Evening, as well as a terrific White Night.  A's ship excursions were very good to excellent.

 

Although the stateroom was of the same size as on O, A felt a bit more cramped in the "living" because of its layout. We prefer the sofa arrangement of O over the rather old fashion high back chair and desk chair which we did not find very comfortable. The butler was not as good as we've had on O. 

 

The senior staff was around and friendly, and the Captain very much involved with the pax, especially in keeping us informed, a big difference from O, where the officers seem to hide.

 

Given the same itinerary, we would still chose O over A because we like the food, the feel and the slightly more comfort of O.  But itinerary drives us and A has better itineraries. We have no qualms abut booking A again In fact, we have a 27-day b2b booked next year...and we have 2 O cruises later this year.

Thank you for this comparison. I’ve ’talked with you” over on the O board. I genuinely appreciate this comparison. 
I wondered about the layout on the two different cabins/lines as it seemed to be less inviting on A with that big chair and a desk chair, rather than couch. Strange choices IMO. Not a deal breaker by any means,  but good to know. 
I am glad to hear about the overall experience being, as an Oceania go to person, one that you would come back to the brand. That speaks volumes. 
Thank you for the bullet point comparisons in this response. 

[Vineyard View]

20 hours ago, TrulyBlonde said:

We have taken 3 cruises with AZ prior to Covid & have been all over the World with many other cruise lines. It has been a few years since we have taken a cruise ( Covid turned us off of it). It has been land trips for us instead.

DH & I decided to take an Eastern Seaboard cruise starting in Montreal this year. I checked with Oceania, Crystal, etc. and AZ had the best pricing, longer port times, & more days and the ports we wanted.  We have been to many of the ports prior, but this allows us to revisit many of them. We have booked a Club Continent Suite (larger Suites were not available) & will use this as our floating hotel. We really could not find a better deal out there. It fit our needs the best. 

Thank you for sharing this. We too steered clear from sailing, until last Spring. Like you, I am finding some very attractive itineraries on A…..which is what prompted these questions. I am sure you would not have re-booked on A of your past experiences did not warrant it.
I hope you enjoy your Eastern Seaboard trip….that is one we have not yet done. 

[Vineyard View]

20 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I don't think you really have anything to worry about with Azamara, especially based on your particular plans.  If you book a Club Continent suite, you don't pay for specialty restaurants so the price increase doesn't affect you.  The beverage package upgrade sounds like a big % increase, but it is really a fairly small $ increase to cover the increased cost of wine and spirits – and you may not need to upgrade anyway depending on how much/what you drink.  The balcony furniture people are complaining about is on Onward.  AzAmazing Evenings are probably impossible to arrange post-Covid because the land vendors aren't available anymore, but they are still hiring local performers to bring the local culture onboard [and paying them to do two shows, not just one].  

 

There were some people who automatically expected Sycamore to bleed the brand just because they are a hedge fund, but all the evidence I see is that they are pursuing the opposite hedge fund MO:  build up the brand [they bought Onward and poured money into renovating it right off the bat] to make a profit by selling it for a high price.

 

Finally, Azamara's recent marketing now lists not just how many overnights a cruise will spend in port but also how many total hours in port – this may be a dig at Oceania, but it is also a promise that Azamara is not cutting back.

Thank you for your responses. I know that A is a favorite line of yours, and that you have a lot of experiences with many trips on Azamara. You make some valid points. The times in port and overnights are part of what is attracting us to the itineraries we are looking at. (Viking does not, and never has, posted port times, where O seems to be missing on hitting those posted times too frequently). 
We will likely upgrade the drinks package. The only time we did not need to was on SB last year. We enjoy nice wines, so hopefully that opens up the selection on A, or offers discounts on bottles. I haven’t yet looked into that piece. 
We very much enjoyed the all included (except excursions) on SB. The food, service, the itinerary, the officers presence, the layout of the stateroom (superb) - so we will keep our search within their options (only depending on future sales in the next few months), as well as Azamara and Oceania. All three have itineraries I have written down and am looking at. 
It’s good to know that you feel Sycamore is not degrading the brand.  I did read that speculation at the time. 

[Vineyard View]

17 hours ago, harrodsfan said:

We have cruised many many lines from regent, seabourn  to carnival, holland America.  We cruise for the itinerary and timing. We always do the biggest room or a suite. Our favorite room was our club continental on Azamara.. we even liked it over the Azamara suite. ( right over the anchor forward. Never again!) it had the best storage for everything.  we like the Azamara ports, food, service and size. Entertainment is ok.. the drinks are fine. Our favorite table servers have been on Azamara and then Royal Caribbean and believe it or not a carnival  trip with our grandchildren. If Azamara has the itinerary go with that. 

Thank you harrodsfan for your perspective. I appreciate that you are not necessarily brand specific. We’ve sailed on the larger ships in the past, and HAL back when they had smaller ships.  Large ships are not what we care to experience now (grandkids might impact that claim!). We like the opportunity to get into smaller ports with fewer people. When on SB we found ourselves several times as the only ship, and their tendering process was so smooth it was a non issue. 
It is encouraging to read the stand out qualities you called out with Azamara…servers can make your meals great memories! 

[1985rz1]

41 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Thank you for this comparison. I’ve ’talked with you” over on the O board. I genuinely appreciate this comparison. 
I wondered about the layout on the two different cabins/lines as it seemed to be less inviting on A with that big chair and a desk chair, rather than couch. Strange choices IMO. Not a deal breaker by any means,  but good to know. 
I am glad to hear about the overall experience being, as an Oceania go to person, one that you would come back to the brand. That speaks volumes. 
Thank you for the bullet point comparisons in this response. 

Yes, I remember our exchange there.  But, I thought postive comments about A from a usual O cruiser might be worthwhile here on the A board.

 

Part of the cramped feel on A was due to the desk being in the living area extending the wall furniture to the balcony.  O doesn’t have that additional storage, so the cabin's accessible floor space is actually wider, giving us more room in the living area.  Still, some folks might prefer the additional storage and flat surface.  For us, we prefer the more open space as storage otherwise is sufficient for us, but it's not a deal breaker if the itinerary is right.

 

Edited March 25 by 1985rz1

[Vineyard View]

12 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Yes, I remember our exchange there.  But, I thought postive comments about A from a usual O cruiser might be worthwhile here on the A board.

 

Part of the cramped feel on A was due to the desk being in the living area extending the wall furniture to the balcony.  O doesn’t have that additional storage, so the cabin's accessible floor space is actually wider, giving us more room in the living area.  Still, some folks might prefer the additional storage and flat surface.  For us, we prefer the more open space as storage otherwise is sufficient for us, but it's not a deal breaker if the itinerary is right.

 

Thanks for this further detail. Pretty sure having more comfortable seating would be a bonus, but all things equal, itinerary wins out. 
Absolutely your extensive O experience, and now recent A journey is valuable. I appreciated that part as well! 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

We will likely upgrade the drinks package. The only time we did not need to was on SB last year. We enjoy nice wines, so hopefully that opens up the selection on A, or offers discounts on bottles. I haven’t yet looked into that piece. 

Don't upgrade until you get on board.  First, it's a daily charge so waiting saves you some money.  Second, the Ultimate package is really about high-end liquor, not wine.  Talk to the head sommelier about wine before you make a decision.  Find out what wines are actually available on the Ultimate package (the printed list is often out of date), then consider buying a bottle package – that opens up the entire wine cellar to you (any bottle up to a certain limit is included in the packages, but you can always take a more expensive one and pay the difference).  That's what I do.  And – buying wine on shore is another useful idea (no limit, free to drink in your cabin, and the corkage fee for the dining room is still very low).

[Vineyard View]

Excellent advice host Jazzbeau!  Thank you very much for this information!  Makes perfect sense! 

[Ethel6666]

5 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

The times in port and overnights are part of what is attracting us to the itineraries we are looking at

Hopefully Azamara does a better job of actually delivering on this than they did on our recent cruise. We are just off Onward and had quite a few issues with itinerary changes.

First sail away was changed to midnight instead of 6pm, so we missed seeing the harbour in daylight.

The first 2 ports were listed in our original itinerary as docked but were actually long tenders. So much less time in port than we’d expected. (And these weren’t last minute changes, locals confirmed that it is not possible for cruise ships to dock in these ports).

The next few ports went to plan.
The last two ports were scheduled as over night ports. We then heard that the ship had run out of fuel and we had to dock for a day in an unscheduled industrial port where we weren’t allowed off the ship. From there we missed 1.5 days in port. 
For the first overnight we arrived after 8pm instead of 1pm. And the last port which was meant to be a full day in port and overnight before disembarking arrived on the morning of disembarkation.

This was our first Azamara cruise. The service onboard was very good, but we didn’t enjoy the reduced itinerary. We did receive a refund of approximately 10% of our cruise price (as well as of course refunds for missed tours), but for us it didn’t really make up for missing our time in port.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Ethel6666 said:

Hopefully Azamara does a better job of actually delivering on this than they did on our recent cruise. We are just off Onward and had quite a few issues with itinerary changes.

First sail away was changed to midnight instead of 6pm, so we missed seeing the harbour in daylight.

The first 2 ports were listed in our original itinerary as docked but were actually long tenders. So much less time in port than we’d expected. (And these weren’t last minute changes, locals confirmed that it is not possible for cruise ships to dock in these ports).

The next few ports went to plan.
The last two ports were scheduled as over night ports. We then heard that the ship had run out of fuel and we had to dock for a day in an unscheduled industrial port where we weren’t allowed off the ship. From there we missed 1.5 days in port. 
For the first overnight we arrived after 8pm instead of 1pm. And the last port which was meant to be a full day in port and overnight before disembarking arrived on the morning of disembarkation.

This was our first Azamara cruise. The service onboard was very good, but we didn’t enjoy the reduced itinerary. We did receive a refund of approximately 10% of our cruise price (as well as of course refunds for missed tours), but for us it didn’t really make up for missing our time in port.

So far this is the first Azamara cruise that I have heard about with the fuel problem.  No explanation so far, so let's hope it was some kind of one-off.  The itinerary changes on Oceania have been voluntary (or probably demanded by NCL) and were strictly to save money.

[Vineyard View]

5 hours ago, Ethel6666 said:

Hopefully Azamara does a better job of actually delivering on this than they did on our recent cruise. We are just off Onward and had quite a few issues with itinerary changes.

First sail away was changed to midnight instead of 6pm, so we missed seeing the harbour in daylight.

The first 2 ports were listed in our original itinerary as docked but were actually long tenders. So much less time in port than we’d expected. (And these weren’t last minute changes, locals confirmed that it is not possible for cruise ships to dock in these ports).

The next few ports went to plan.
The last two ports were scheduled as over night ports. We then heard that the ship had run out of fuel and we had to dock for a day in an unscheduled industrial port where we weren’t allowed off the ship. From there we missed 1.5 days in port. 
For the first overnight we arrived after 8pm instead of 1pm. And the last port which was meant to be a full day in port and overnight before disembarking arrived on the morning of disembarkation.

This was our first Azamara cruise. The service onboard was very good, but we didn’t enjoy the reduced itinerary. We did receive a refund of approximately 10% of our cruise price (as well as of course refunds for missed tours), but for us it didn’t really make up for missing our time in port.

Wow. That would not have left us with a positive attitude, and 10% would not have produced a satisfactory outcome. Might I ask where your itinerary took place?  Not that it should make a difference, but I am curious. I am truly sorry that you experienced this. 

[Riocca]

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So far this is the first Azamara cruise that I have heard about with the fuel problem.  No explanation so far, so let's hope it was some kind of one-off.  The itinerary changes on Oceania have been voluntary (or probably demanded by NCL) and were strictly to save money.

From other forums it was said that Onward had experienced stronger than anticipated currents which caused a higher fuel burn than anticipated.

Currently we are on Quests TA crossing and as far as Mindelo yesterday have had never perfect sailing conditions although Captain Johannes has been warning that things could be a little different north of Cape Verde. So yesterday just after sail away he announced that the weather system they had been tracking from Greenland was going to bring significant rough sea conditions so for the comfort and safety of passengers some changes to the itinerary would be made. So currently instead of heading to Tenerife as planned we are heading to La Palma which was the following port, our stay there is as was originally scheduled but we will then head to Tenerife arriving at 10pm staying until 10pm the following day. This will give shelter during the worst of the expected sea conditions, Quest will then head directly to Lisbon missing out Funchal to give us the smoothest ride possible.

It’s this sort of communication and care that makes Azamara special, we’ve travelled with other lines who wouldn’t make any changes just telling passengers to expect rough weather.

[Ethel6666]

9 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Wow. That would not have left us with a positive attitude, and 10% would not have produced a satisfactory outcome. Might I ask where your itinerary took place?  Not that it should make a difference, but I am curious. I am truly sorry that you experienced this. 

It was Sydney to Hong Kong on Onward. We missed 1/2 day in Manila and a whole day and overnight in Hong Kong. Mooloolaba and Airlie Beach were originally scheduled as docked ports when we booked but were actually long tender ports which meant we didn’t have enough time to make our planned travels from Airlie.

We didn’t have any noticeable bad weather prior to the fuel issue. We were a bit surprised that the ship didn’t have enough contingency for adverse currents encountered (but of course we don’t claim to have knowledge of the inner workings of cruise ship fuelling). 

[Post it]

I have taken 3 cruises post Covid on Azamara.  Azamara used to be my favorite cruise line in spite of the pre-cruise internet difficulties and the dated/worn cabin furniture. 

 

Unfortunately, the cruise I just took on the Onward in February was not as good as before.  Waiters and cabin attendants were attentive, and I enjoyed seeing crew members from my cruises last year.  However, the main dining room and buffet food was average at best.  Much of the food was bland including dishes from the Indian buffet.  It looks like they are cost cutting in the food department. (The meals in Prime C and Aqualina were good to excellent.) 

 

Entertainment and lectures were similar to before - 2 destination lecturers and 2 special evening performers (a magician and a comedian), in addition to bringing on a local musical act.  It seemed to me that they packed many more people on the expedition buses than before.

 

I did a back to back on this cruise with a Crystal cruise.  For about the same price I paid on the Azamara cruise, the Crystal cruise was dramatically better.  The food was very good to outstanding, and the service was on another level. 

 

I have an Azamara cruise scheduled for this summer that has an interesting itinerary and I will determine whether to cruise Azamara in the future.  Given the dramatic increases in prices, Crystal and other luxury lines will get more of my travel dollars.

Edited March 26 by Post it

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Post it said:

However, the main dining room and buffet food was average at best.  Much of the food was bland including dishes from the Indian buffet.  It looks like they are cost cutting in the food department. (The meals in Prime C and Aqualina were good to excellent.) 

You may have more evidence of cost cutting than you have shared here, but bland food sounds more like the main dining room chef's taste than cost cutting.  We found on one back-to-back cruise that the cuisine changed dramatically, just because of a change in the head chef.

[Post it]

7 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You may have more evidence of cost cutting than you have shared here, but bland food sounds more like the main dining room chef's taste than cost cutting.  We found on one back-to-back cruise that the cuisine changed dramatically, just because of a change in the head chef.

You make an interesting point.  To me it did seem like cheaper food options were sourced in addition to the choices made of how to cook items.  Even my significant other commented on how much the food had changed from last year.  Cost cutting was seen in the packed excursion buses.  Cost cutting was also seen with the talent brought onboard which consisted of 2 performers rather than the 4 pictured in the daily newsletter.  I also had problems getting the onboard credit until several days into the cruise.  It took multiple visits to Reception to get them to reimburse us.

[gowilk]

we are also just back from onward from sydney to hong kong and to further add to the discomfort the first two tender ports were horribly mismanaged. They limited how many tenders were used (took three hours for some to get ashore) and at the second the wait to get back exceeded 90 minutes of standing in 90 degree weather.  Either their planning failed or they were trying to save money or possibly one or more of the tenders was not seaworthy (God I hope not). An additional negative was that the food quality was not up to our prior expected quality which forced to eat at specialty restaurants most nights.
 

NOTE:  these complaints all recent experiences from Onward so many not be applicable to the whole fleet.

 

BUT we still believe that have one of the best crews in the entire industry and customer experience is always top notch. We will definitely give them another shot.

Edited March 26 by gowilk

[Vineyard View]

I agree that individual chefs can have a big impact on any cruise line. How much of the food experience was from cost cutting or the chef, is pretty difficult to discern. Dated/worn furniture is cost cutting if the ships aren’t going into dry dock with the new ownership. That does not sound like building up a brand. 
Reading Riocca’s telling of the impressive communication from the captain is, IMO, how it should be when sailings change. On any line. Without That, it leaves too much room for speculation and dissatisfaction.

Reading Ethel6666 experience, it sounds as if the opposite occurred with respect to communication. It truly sounds like a very disappointing and honestly, quite an unacceptable response from Azamara (10% credit for a future cruise), after all that occurred throughout that sailing. That would not entice me to sail on that line again. 
It would be reassuring to hear more about what the new ownership is doing to either keep the reputation at the level Azamara was when they purchased the line, or what they are doing to bring it up (other than the purchase from Princess). That said, my Thanks for all who are sharing their stories on this thread. They are helpful. 

[Grandma Cruising]

We recently finished a cruise on Pursuit and found the food in the MDR to be mostly as good as ever. There was one exception - I had duck breast one night and it was both very small and as tough as old boots. To be fair they were very happy to change it for another dish - I chose lamb chops and they were brilliant.

Everything was very tasty and very well seasoned, Thai dishes like hot & sour soup were terrific! We also had the Reistafel, which was great, but way too much food!

[PirateWife]

We have cruised on Azamara 5 times since Covid. There are more gluten-free food options than previously. We have always found the food bland, but we lived in New Mexico for years and like our food spicy. On the last two cruises, there were shortages of some food items. It was surprising, but then we remembered our local grocery stores have problems stocking certain basic items. The entertainment has been good. We like seeing new Cruise Directors. Talent brought on board was as it has always been, some excellent, some good, and some awful.

The changes we have seen are mostly due to causes Azamara has no control over. Ports are limiting the number of ships docking. Food supply chains are not the same. Global warming. More and more super big ships. Wars.

As to missed ports, check your trip insurance. Some will reimburse for missed ports.