Another Journey Review, 2nd June, Long!

[lisiamc]

This is long, as I've tried to cover the bits I wanted to know about beforehand. At least it's divided into categories, so you can skip the ones that don't appeal!

Background:

This was our ninth cruise - the previous eight were with Celebrity. We were joined by two friends on this cruise. Our group was late 40s – mid 50s, no kids. We originally booked this cruise as a Zenith cruise, but we were all excited to try a different ship and a new cruise line.

Embarkation/Disembarkation:

We arrived at the port around noon. The embarkation process was very smooth, and we were on the ship in minutes, even allowing for the short bus ride between the terminal and the ship.

Disembarkation was also very smooth, with only a short wait to clear Immigration/Customs at the terminal. We had hoped to purchase transfers to the airport, but these were not available on board. We ended up with a mini-van, costing $60 for four of us plus luggage.

First Impressions:

As we boarded, we were immediately handed a glass of Champagne, and Misty from the entertainment staff introduced herself and chatted to us for a few minutes, making us feel welcome right away.

The ship is jewel-box pretty, with a marble staircase in the reception area, and dark wood panelling everywhere. Some things, like the chairs in the dining room, look as though they will be replaced or refinished shortly, but mostly everything looks new and clean.

We had balcony cabins on Deck 7. Our cabin was very similar in layout to the last one we had on Summit, but a bit narrower. The bathroom is also smaller than Summit, but adequate for the job, with lots of storage space. The towels are very thick and luxurious. The bed was very comfortable, with lots of pillows and a down comforter. There is a flat-screen TV, but no mini-bar yet.

There was a problem with delivery of the soap order for our cruise, so we had a large bar of Ivory instead of Elemis soap. We had all the other Elemis things like shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower gel.

Dining:

This was our first experience with open seating, and we were not sure how we would like it. Since this is also new for some of the staff, there were a few bugs to work out. Although we like to eat late, about 8:15 or 8:30, there were still quite a few people waiting for tables at these times. We had some conversations with Dominique, the Maitre’d, over the course of the week, and he feels that things will work better after some fine-tuning to the buffet. Between the two specialty restaurants and the buffet, about 1/3 to 1/2 of the passengers will probably opt to eat somewhere other than the main dining room on most nights, and everything will work more smoothly.

Our other concern was that we like having the same waiter and assistant waiter every night, so that we all get to know each other, and they get to know our preferences. We found a waiter we really liked, and had no problem with our request to eat in Brian’s section every night.

The buffet offered a nice selection of food for lunch (we never ate there for breakfast or dinner.) The layout is slightly awkward, but there seems to be plans to improve things in the future. They did offer sushi every night, the same types we’ve had on Summit in the past. Very tasty!

Food:

Overall, we thought the food was excellent. The fish dishes in the dining room were outstanding. The menus were a bit more imaginative than we are accustomed to on Celebrity, and I think the food quality benefits from the smaller quantities required.

We ate at both Aqualina and Prime C, but liked Aqualina much better for the service and the menu.

Dress Code:

Not enforced, unfortunately. We saw quite a few people in shorts at dinner every night. One family in particular looked so scruffy every night that we dubbed them the Walmart Hillbillies (No offense intended to Walmart fans or hillbillies!) They showed up on the very last night of the cruise in their best duds - suits and cocktail dresses - and they looked so nice we didn’t recognise them at first.

Smoking Policy:

It seems to be working pretty well, with some small exceptions. There was a cigar smoker in a cabin near ours. We know this because the corridor reeked of cigar smoke at regular intervals.

On the last sea day, the doors to Deck 9 (pool deck) were propped open, and the wind sucked all the smoke down into the stairwell. We could smell smoke all the way down to Deck Four on that side.

Our cabin smelled strongly of stale smoke, but it seemed to be in the air conditioner vent rather than in the curtains or carpet. I think it might be a leftover of the years with Pullmantur when people smoked in the cabins. Our butler tried to get rid of the smell, and we tried air fresheners, but probably the air conditioner filter needed a good cleaning. Our friends’ cabin didn’t have this problem.

Entertainment:

This was a problem for us. There were only a few evenings where the shows were offered at two times, so unless you eat early, you will miss most of the shows. We did see the comedian, who was great.

The Journey Orchestra split off into a jazz/swing ensemble on several evenings, and they were wonderful. The piano player in the Cova Café had a good repertoire, and was funny and informative between songs. The dance band Wave was great when the female singer was taking a rest - not so much when she was singing. I have heard some people on this board saying how much they liked the woman who played the harp and sang, and she seemed to have quite a following in the Cova. All I can say is that her appeal escaped me completely!

Casino:

This was quite large for a ship of this size. It was never crowded during our cruise, to the point where we heard that Quest might have a smaller casino.

Public Areas (a.k.a. bars!):

On our Summit cruises, we have been great fans of the Martini Bar. So we were disappointed to find that the Martini Bar on Journey had rather gloomy décor, and was basically a holding room for those waiting to be seated for dinner. We found the atmosphere we were looking for in the Looking Glass, Deck 10 forward. This is also the disco later at night, but it makes a nice place to go for pre-dinner drinks, and Alex, the cocktail waiter, is very entertaining.

We liked the Cova Café for post-dinner music. In the daytime, it is full of people reading, knitting, and occasionally napping. There is a shortage of quiet places to go in the daytime, especially if there is an activity in the Looking Glass.

Michael’s Club is technically a bar, but there is no actual bar in there. Servers come in from Aqualina or Prime C to serve drinks. It is also the library, but it has very few books. The skylight mural is beautiful, however, and worth the trip up there to look at it.

Service:

Excellent with one small exception. We had a waiter on the first night who must have been having a bad day. Other than him, we have never had such friendly, attentive service, and after eight cruises with Celebrity, that’s saying something. The Captain and the ship’s officers were often around, having a friendly chat with passengers.

Customer service on shore may be lacking. We overheard a man at the front desk complaining that Celebrity/Azamara never informed him of the change of ship, cruise line or required dress. (He booked directly with Celebrity.) He and his wife arrived with formal wear packed, and had a bad moment or two when there was no Zenith at the pier, only Journey!

Itinerary:

Bermuda, of course, is beautiful. The problem I saw was that Journey is not a good fit for the majority of Bermuda cruisers. I think she will suit the more exotic itineraries much better. Since this is her one and only Bermuda season, this is a problem that will fix itself.

We had slightly rough weather on the way to Bermuda, and missed docking in St George due to high winds. Evidently some people were feeling the motion and taking to their beds, but we thought it was fine. We received a one-day travel pass in compensation for not being able to dock in St George, which was a nice gesture.

Overall Verdict:

Wonderful ship, wonderful staff and crew. All week we noticed that the top people are being called in to fine tune the product. For example, Hieke Cramer joined the ship as Hotel Director the week we sailed. Azamara will find its rhythm, and the few remaining issues should be worked out soon.

While on board, we booked the Ancient Empires cruise on Quest in October 2008, and we can’t wait to see how things have progressed by then.

Favorite overheard complaint from passenger to butler: Please tell the Captain that this ship is moving way too much, and it’s unacceptable! Also, my husband doesn’t fit on the toilet!

If you’re still awake after wading through this, and you have any questions, I will do my best to answer.

Lisa

[Gadgetguru]

Lisa

 

Excellent review! Thank you for taking the time to do it. I have one Question regarding room service, did you ever have breakfast in your room and if so were you able to get more than continental breakfast? And was it set up?

 

Thanks

Bob

[BEBCRUISES]

Lisa:

 

Thanks for the detailed review. However, we find we have a few questions not covered.

 

My wife and I are booked on the 18 day South America (Brazil) repositioning cruise on 11-10, also on deck 7. Having had 29 other cruises in the past 11 years, we understand the old style cruises, but, our questions are as follows:

1. How was the ship's stability in the Atlantic? Wife is a little concerned with sea sickness.

2. Due to open seating, how were your tablemates? Dinner is a social occasion to us and as my wife has heard all my Navy stories, I need some new ears. The thought of starting over with new tablemates each night is a little scary.

3. Entertainment: One show only? We also prefer late dining and would hate to miss the entertainment.

4. How was the "Butler" service? Other posts have described it as only glorified or "punched-up" room steward service

5. My wife and I are asthma/COPD patients and down filled pillows leave us feeling smothered or breathless. Are foam pillows available?

6. We need a refrigerator in the stateroom to store insulin. Was there a referigerator in your cabin?

7. We historically come aboard with diet coke in cans as a carry-on. Any ides if this will be a problem?

8. Unfortunately, Azamara has not completed their website and no info on shore excursions is available.

 

Any insight you can provide will be appreciated.

 

Harry & Brenda

[stefie67]

thank you so much for your detailed review, it sounds like you and your friends had a great time. i'm a little concerned about the husband not fitting on the toilet complaint. i am overweight and worried. are the bathrooms that much smaller than the zenith?

[lisiamc]

Lisa:

 

Thanks for the detailed review. However, we find we have a few questions not covered.

 

My wife and I are booked on the 18 day South America (Brazil) repositioning cruise on 11-10, also on deck 7. Having had 29 other cruises in the past 11 years, we understand the old style cruises, but, our questions are as follows:

1. How was the ship's stability in the Atlantic? Wife is a little concerned with sea sickness.

2. Due to open seating, how were your tablemates? Dinner is a social occasion to us and as my wife has heard all my Navy stories, I need some new ears. The thought of starting over with new tablemates each night is a little scary.

3. Entertainment: One show only? We also prefer late dining and would hate to miss the entertainment.

4. How was the "Butler" service? Other posts have described it as only glorified or "punched-up" room steward service

5. My wife and I are asthma/COPD patients and down filled pillows leave us feeling smothered or breathless. Are foam pillows available?

6. We need a refrigerator in the stateroom to store insulin. Was there a referigerator in your cabin?

7. We historically come aboard with diet coke in cans as a carry-on. Any ides if this will be a problem?

8. Unfortunately, Azamara has not completed their website and no info on shore excursions is available.

 

Any insight you can provide will be appreciated.

 

Harry & Brenda

 

Hi Harry & Brenda,

 

To answer your questions in order:

 

1. We had seas up to 9 ft. on the way out. There was some rolling going on, but not much pitching. My DH and I didn't find it very rough, but we are not prone to seasickness, so our opinion may not be too helpful! I did see several people with patches, and they looked pretty happy. I also heard of people lying low in their cabins and sipping chicken soup, though. I would take the seasick medicine with me just in case, if I were you, because you dedinitely will feel the motion more on a smaller ship like Journey. Most of the cruise back was as smooth as glass.

 

2. We traveled with our two friends, so we had a table for four every night. Because we did our own thing on shore, and didn't do any ship's excursions, we really only met a few people. I thought we would get to know more people because of the small ship, so it was a surprise that we didn't.

 

3. The show(s) are listed on the schedule the night before, so you can plan your time from that information. When there was only one showfor the evening, it tended to be around 9:30. We normally ate after 8, so we dind't have enough time to make most of the shows. A few nights there were two shows, and I think the later show was at 10.30, so that is easier.

 

4. Our "butler" did a super job. He really was functioning as a cabin steward, with an assistant to help him clean. We talked to him about the butler idea, and we got the impression that they were still hiring stewards and didn't have a full set yet, but don't quote me on that. That might be why the butlers are essentially stewards at the moment. At any rate, we had no complaints at all about the service he provided.

 

5. We never asked about foam pillows, so I can't help here. The comforter was definitely down-filled, and I think the pillows were too, but I can't say for sure.

 

6. There was no fridge in the cabin. We didn't hear any dates as to when the fridges/mini-bars might be installed, but there's no sign of them so far.

 

7. I carried on a six-pack of Diet Coke, and bought some more in Bermuda. It wasn't a problem at all.

 

8. There was a list of excursions at the Shore Excursion desk, and I saw people booking things, so I'm sure you can at least book them on board, if not in advance. It is very easy to do things in Bermuda, and you may find (as we did) that you can arrange your own sightseeing without using the ships' excursions.

 

I hope you have a great cruise!

 

Lisa

[lisiamc]

thank you so much for your detailed review, it sounds like you and your friends had a great time. i'm a little concerned about the husband not fitting on the toilet complaint. i am overweight and worried. are the bathrooms that much smaller than the zenith?

 

The main problem with the toilet is that it is kitty-cornered to the room. I think the lady's husband didn't fit because he was tall rather than wide. I don't have a small bum myself:o , and there was plenty of room width-wise. However, my DH is 6 ft, and his knee was about 1/2 inch from the wall. Anyone really tall is probably going to have to angle a bit.

 

Lisa

[lisiamc]

Lisa

 

Excellent review! Thank you for taking the time to do it. I have one Question regarding room service, did you ever have breakfast in your room and if so were you able to get more than continental breakfast? And was it set up?

 

Thanks

Bob

 

Hi Bob,

 

Thanks for the kind words!

 

I am ashamed to confess that we have never had room service in nine cruises. I can't help at all, I'm afraid, as I never even looked at the room service breakfast menu.

 

Lisa

[Melady]

Your review helped us settle down so we are more open-minded on Saturday 6/16 when we board the Journey. One question -- since the winds were strong and you couldn't dock in St. George's, where did you go? Did you have an extra day in Hamilton in lieu of being in St. George's?

[smj]

Thanks for the report. Was the cigar smoker reported and if so did the staff care? We will probably go in Sept and the main reason is the smoking policy. But if it is not enforced then we will not go.

[lisiamc]

Your review helped us settle down so we are more open-minded on Saturday 6/16 when we board the Journey. One question -- since the winds were strong and you couldn't dock in St. George's, where did you go? Did you have an extra day in Hamilton in lieu of being in St. George's?

 

We went straight to Hamilton, and stayed there from Monday morning to Thursday afternoon. We went to St George's by ferry one day and came back on the bus, so we don't feel that we missed out on too much by not docking there. I was sorry not sail through The Cut, but the ferry goes through there, so we got a mini version, anyway.

 

Lisa

[lisiamc]

Thanks for the report. Was the cigar smoker reported and if so did the staff care? We will probably go in Sept and the main reason is the smoking policy. But if it is not enforced then we will not go.

 

Someone, who may or may not have been me;) , went to the front desk and suggested that the passengers in that cabin be reminded about the smoking policy. The woman on duty made a note of the cabin number, and looked concerned. It must have worked because we didn't smell cigars outside that cabin after that.

 

I think as time goes on, more people will have booked knowing what the smoking policies are, so there will be fewer passengers who are unaware or uncaring.

 

Lisa, tattletale

[nlvc12]

3. Entertainment: One show only? We also prefer late dining and would hate to miss the entertainment.

Being docked at the same port likely influences the pattern of entertainment. Since most subsequent cruises will be under way during the evening, it is likely there will be more frequent entertainment.

 

5. My wife and I are asthma/COPD patients and down filled pillows leave us feeling smothered or breathless. Are foam pillows available?

I read elsewhere that there is going to be a 'menu' of pillows to choose from. I, like you, would prefer foam pillows.

 

6. We need a refrigerator in the stateroom to store insulin. Was there a referigerator in your cabin?

Refrigerators will be installed by the time you sail. They are currently available upon request, particularly for those with a medical need.

 

7. We historically come aboard with diet coke in cans as a carry-on. Any ides if this will be a problem?

Soft drinks are never a problem, just liquor &/or excessive wine.

 

Hope these answers help...

 

nlvc12

[Andy]

Hi Lisiamc !

 

Thank you for the excellent review !

[cruisingdelt]

Lisa,

 

Thanks for the review. Excerpts were added to my ongoing collection of Journey posts in preperation for my July 7 cruise. I will ask for Brian.

 

What cabin were you in?

[lisiamc]

Lisa,

 

Thanks for the review. Excerpts were added to my ongoing collection of Journey posts in preperation for my July 7 cruise. I will ask for Brian.

 

What cabin were you in?

 

We were in 7023. It's quite far forward, but very convenient to the forward stairs and elevator.

 

Lisa

[richsea]

Hi Lisa! Thanks for the great review! Sounds like you had a great time!

I just have one small comment......Ivory soap??........how the heck do they run out of soap?!!!

[lisiamc]

Hi Lisa! Thanks for the great review! Sounds like you had a great time!

I just have one small comment......Ivory soap??........how the heck do they run out of soap?!!!

 

Hi Rich,

 

I think something must have gone wrong with the delivery of the fancy Elemis soap. Freddie, our butler, apologised, and said they had plenty of shampoo, lotion, etc., but no soap (At least for our section. I think the suites still had fancy soap.)

 

This could start a trend, you know. Who would want frilly soap when they could have good, honest Ivory?

 

Lisa

[GigglewolfOfTheSeas]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for posting....

What was the steam room and sauna set-up like on the Journey? Are they located in a "Persian Garden/Etruscan Chamber"-like setting (like the Celebrity ships) with an extra fee and co-ed or are they complimentary and located in the locker room's for the fitness area?

 

Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

 

Best wishes,

"Gigglewolf"

:)

[lisiamc]

Hi Gigglewolf,

 

I only got as far as the front desk of the spa area. (I had acupuncture.) I could see into the gym, but not into the other areas, so I can't help. Sorry!

 

Lisa

[PFV]

Lisa, your review was exactly how we felt things went! We were in 6082 and also had no soap for the first night. Our Butler told us that the soap was on a pallet down below and could not be located in time of sailing? We did have soap by Sunday AM. We had both Ivory and the fancy stuff.....;)

 

We were a group of 14 people in 7 cabins. All of us us had a great time with no complaints. I think that Azamara has a bit of fine tuning to do here and there, but all in all it was a fantastic cruise. This was my 23rd cruise and would say it was one of the best? We all felt the crew did a wonderful job and always were smiling. A few in our group heard some people complaining about everything.... The food, service even the ship was called a "an old refurbished piece of poop" I changed the last word! I said are they on the same ship?:rolleyes: I guess some people aren't happy unless they are complaining to anyone who'll listen.

 

We had dinner one night at Prime C and they handled the 14 of us incredibly well. Our waiter Enrique was excellent to say the least. Even the Captain stopped and chatted with us for a few minutes. The food and atmosphere was excellent and would recommend it to everyone.

 

I would say that the the first few sailings problems are way behind them now!

 

Paul

[patchit]

Hi Gigglewolf,

 

I only got as far as the front desk of the spa area. (I had acupuncture.) I could see into the gym, but not into the other areas, so I can't help. Sorry!

 

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,

Wonderful report. How did you like your acupuncture treatment? My husband had acupuncture on our last trip on the Galaxy and it really helped him. So, he was thinking of doing it again--would you say it's worth it?

 

Patsy

[profzed]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for posting....

What was the steam room and sauna set-up like on the Journey? Are they located in a "Persian Garden/Etruscan Chamber"-like setting (like the Celebrity ships) with an extra fee and co-ed or are they complimentary and located in the locker room's for the fitness area?

 

Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

 

Best wishes,

"Gigglewolf"

:)

hi there gigglewolfoftheseas,i also have wondered about that, theres nothing better than having a good workout before dinner then a nice steam to finish off. it also saves having to have a shower in the cramped bathroom in the cabin. does anyone else know what the setup is?

[JPH814]

I've been asking for details about the spa for weeks. Apparently the early cruisers on journey were not into the spa, at least not he ones who report here. If you can wait a few more weeks, I'll be back on the 7th and will give a detailed report on the spa, fitness center, locker rooms, massages, steam room etc.

[sailing sal]

Lisa, your review was exactly how we felt things went! We were in 6082 and also had no soap for the first night. Our Butler told us that the soap was on a pallet down below and could not be located in time of sailing? We did have soap by Sunday AM. We had both Ivory and the fancy stuff.....;)

 

We were a group of 14 people in 7 cabins. All of us us had a great time with no complaints. I think that Azamara has a bit of fine tuning to do here and there, but all in all it was a fantastic cruise. This was my 23rd cruise and would say it was one of the best? We all felt the crew did a wonderful job and always were smiling. A few in our group heard some people complaining about everything.... The food, service even the ship was called a "an old refurbished piece of poop" I changed the last word! I said are they on the same ship?:rolleyes: I guess some people aren't happy unless they are complaining to anyone who'll listen.

 

We had dinner one night at Prime C and they handled the 14 of us incredibly well. Our waiter Enrique was excellent to say the least. Even the Captain stopped and chatted with us for a few minutes. The food and atmosphere was excellent and would recommend it to everyone.

 

I would say that the the first few sailings problems are way behind them now!

 

Paul

 

I agree - no matter what you do for some people, they are never happy. We sail 6/23 and are very positive after reading so many truthful reviews. From what I have read, I believe that Journey has tried to correct most problems and are still working on some. Every cruise/vacation has ups and downs. Thank you for taking the time to post your comments!;)

[Ships R Great]

Well, I had just about decided not to try to convince DH to try Journey but you have changed my mind. We just may book after all. Thanks for your"fair and balanced" review.