Booked our first Azamara 2/24/10

[tawcat]

We'll be sailing the Caribbean out of Miami. Booked a balcony and will be staying in cabin 7062. Anyone with any info that you can share is greatly appreciated.

[Andy]

We'll be sailing the Caribbean out of Miami. Booked a balcony and will be staying in cabin 7062. Anyone with any info that you can share is greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Tawcat !

 

I havent been in that cabin, but I have relatives who were very close to 7062, and they said it was an excellent location. I think you will be happy with it. Enjoy your Cruise !

[swigso]

Hi The Journey is a great ship, we just did a similar trip February and would have done another next year if the Connie Itinery had not been so appealing.

You will have a greta time,the cabin is in a great location and the ship is beautiful.

[tawcat]

What kind of dress code on Azamara? I think they say smart casual, but I bet it's a step above RCCL's definition of smart casual.

[critterchick]

What kind of dress code on Azamara? I think they say smart casual, but I bet it's a step above RCCL's definition of smart casual.

 

RCI's definition of smart casual is pretty up there, but few people pay attention to it. It includes sport coats for the men, after all.

 

We only have one Azamara cruise under our belts, and I think the dress was pretty much the same as what we see on many people on RCI - For dinner we saw polo and Tommy Bahama shirts with khakis or Dockers on the men, skirts or slacks and tops for the women. Some dressed up more than that; few dressed down from that unless they were at the buffet. This was in the Caribbean.

 

I read here quite a lot that European cruises are more formal than American ones, but in our 3 European cruises I really haven't found that to be the case. People wear more clothing than they would for a Caribbean cruise, but not dressier stuff, if that makes sense.

 

We tended to dress up a bit more when we ate at the Specialty restaurants, but not all that much. DH wore long-sleeved shirts and dressier slacks and I wore - what DID I wear? I can't remember....:o

[molfetta]

on the cruise i was on 50% of the men on board dressed like they were at a company picnic in the evening.dont believe everytrhing you read here this is not the upscale cruise you have been led to believe.

[lisiamc]

on the cruise i was on 50% of the men on board dressed like they were at a company picnic in the evening.dont believe everytrhing you read here this is not the upscale cruise you have been led to believe.

 

I think it depends on where and when you cruise. We were on Quest in November in the Mediterranean, and about 95% of people dressed appropriately every night. The only night I really noticed some odd clothing choices was when were docked in Alexandria and many people had taken the long excursions to Cairo. I think some were too late and too tired to change clothes.

 

Lisa

[tawcat]

Thank you so much for that info. We surely don't mind following the posted dress code. We, one, do not want to carry formal clothes if not required; and two, don't want to out dress anyone else. I am very comfortable with polo's or Tommy Bahama type shirts with nice slacks. DW always dresses neatly and appropriately.

 

Any and all other info, recommended excursions/tours etc is greatly appreciated.

[marlong]

We were on the Journey February 24th this year. After cruising Princess 5 times, Celebrity 1, and Carnival 1, Azamara was the best!. The crew was absolutely very nice and friendly. The really seeem to enjoy their jobs. In fact they didn't act as if they were doing a "job".

 

The food was spectacular. There was not one thing that we didn't like. The Specialty Restaurant Prime C was my favorite. The Chef sent samples of a crab dish while we waited for our food - excellent. The banana cheesecake was to die for. Steaks were excellent. The menu in the regular dining room was excellent. Chef superb. The staff was also. The anytime dining worked well. Only on 1 or 2 occasions we had to wait for a table. And before I received my drink at the bar our table was ready. At dinner we always ate at a table for 2 since we weren't travelling with anyone. For breakfast or lunch we dined with other couples on a few occasions.

 

They really make you feel welcome and do their utmost to make sure every request is fulfilled. After the first day they know your names and always greet you. The Security staff when coming and going were the best. They really enjoy their job and welcome you back with smiles and conversation as to how your day went.

 

We particularly enjoyed the resort dress rules. Everyone still looked eloquent even without the tuxedo and gowns. It definitely is an upscale cruise and no one disrespected the rules.

 

The ports were great. My least favorite was St. Croix. My travel agent suggested we take an Azamara excursion due to previous trouble of robberies and attacks on the island to be safe. She used to live there. That was the only one island she made the suggestion for. We paid $89.00 person for a beach excursion that was definitely not worth the money. After that disappointment we decided to do our own thing by negotiating with the local taxi drivers. You're better off money wise.

Virgin Gorda's The Baths was a wonderful sight even though it was over-run with people, Samantha Brown from The Travel Channel was there. So watch for her story. I asked her photographer what was she doing, he said she was on a Carnival Cruiseline shoot. St. Barts was like being in Paris. Very expensive but very nice. We walked around town, window shopping, except for perfume, good buys. St. Martin, and Antiqua were the substitutes for Guadeloupe and Martinique. In Antigua take a taxi to Miller's by the Sea for a nice private beach. They only charge $5.00 for a beach chair. They have food and a bar. It is close to the pier and very, very clean, calm beach for swimming or just relaxing. It is a family owned establishment. St Martin we just shopped around. I was disappointed the itinerary had to be changed. But we still had a good time. The beaches in the substitues were beautiful. St. John's Trunk Bay was gorgeous as usual. We just relaxed and swam.

 

Over-all we loved Azamara, and you will too. We want to go to Europe

in 2010/2011 and it definitely will be with Azamara.

[tawcat]

Wow! We've sailed those as well and feel Celebrity was pretty special. Can you give an example of "resort dress." I'm sure the DW knows what it is, don't all women!

 

Thanks for great review, we are so looking forward to the Azamara experience.