Azamara Journey Cruise Review
Jeannine Cantin
cantin2@optonline.net
Itinerary: Mediterranean
Sailing Date: June 1st, 2008
Age: Feeling Young
Occupation: Hoping to Retire
Number of Cruises: more than 35
A Great Cruise on this Small Ship
"Azamara" – a new name in
cruising….the Azamara Journey just celebrated it’s one year
anniversary during our recent cruise. This is a former "R"
Ship….there were 7 of them built by Renaissance Cruise Lines
and were acquired by Oceania, Regent, Princess and Celebrity
when they filed for bankruptcy a few years ago. Azamara is
the upscale brand of sister company Celebrity Cruises.
Only 792 guests are
accommodated in mostly ocean view cabins and 68% of these
being balconies. We like this size vessel – lots of space –
never feels crowded, large enough to have a variety of
entertainment and able to cruise to ports that are sometimes
inaccessible to larger cruise ships. We docked in Monaco
instead of Ville -Franche and in charming Sorrento instead
of Naples. We chose this 11 night cruise from Venice through
Croatia, Italy and France because of the itinerary and
disembarked in Barcelona.
The "Country Club" Feel of
the Journey was Evident in its Library
Guests were generally well
traveled – age range – 40 to 80’s- mostly from US and Great
Britain and many were extending their trip with pre and post
cruise stays. No children were on board this cruise, since
it was in May and of a longer duration. The "Journey" has a
country club atmosphere – dark wood, rich colors and quiet
elegance – no blaring music, announcements all day long,
bingo or poolside games. We felt immediately comfortable
aboard this ship. The teak lounge chairs by the pool have
padded cushions covered in terry cloth during the day.
Everything was very clean, the pool and Jacuzzis were heated
to comfortable temperatures and a trio played for about an
hour at each sail-away.
The enrichment program on this
cruise was a series of presentations by a couple – he, a
piano player and she, a vocalist/actress…seven presentations
of one hour described the music and careers of Broadway Show
composers – Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and
Hammerstein, Cole Porter etc….It was so interesting….Quiet
rooms to read in or play cards, an internet café, a small
fitness center and a spa by Elemis. Books can be taken from
the library on an honor system.
Ocean View Cabin on the
Journey
Generally, the rooms are 172
sq. ft. and well designed and appointed. Two beds convert to
a king, a sleep sofa, a combination desk, dresser and corner
cabinet with a safe, umbrella, binoculars and mini bar.
Storage space was adequate, with hanging space, drawers and
shelves. Linens, towels and pillows were of good quality.
Frette robes and slippers are provided and small rugs are
changed daily in the Bathroom and at bedside. Elemis
products of a larger than usual size are provided, along
with twice a day service and pillow treats at turndown. All
rooms have a cabin attendant and a butler, but to tell the
truth, we saw no difference in service – In fact, when we
asked for ice to be delivered daily at 4PM, we were told
that we had to call each day and be present in the room. Tea
and hors d’oeuvres were also served between 3PM and 5:30PM –
but , again, you had to order daily and be present. We left
shoes to be shined and champagne to chill and had to request
these services a second time. We spoke with the hotel
manager – they are aware of the problem and are attempting
to make the butlers more proactive.
The Aqualina Restaurant
Dining is open seating in the
main dining room, two specialty restaurants require
reservations and incur a $5 per person mandatory gratuity –
much less than mass market ships. The buffet restaurant
serves sushi, pasta and a carving station each night, but it
is totally buffet with no cloths or table service, but they
do offer bar service. Although we never used room service,
it was available 24 hours a day and during restaurant hours
you could order from the dinner menu. Steak and Eggs and
Eggs Benedict were even available served in your room for
breakfast.
Entertainment was varied –
cabaret, magician, comedian, show productions by the staff,
classical pianist – mostly two shows per night in a small
showroom serving drinks. A trio for dancing played in the
Looking Glass Lounge after dinner followed by a DJ. The Cova
Café featured a harpsist and pianist from 6PM until late and
a guitarist played in the Martini Lounge from 6PM – 9PM.
Cocktails are not "pushed" when listening to entertainment.
Beer in the $4.00 range, cocktails about $6.00 and large
martinis $10 - $12. We found the pricing inconsistent – Our
Kettle One martinis – all of them large size – ranged from
$6 - $12 and this varied from day to day and lounge to
lounge. We brought both wine and liquor on board in Venice
and Sorrento and it was not confiscated – but the corkage
fee for wine in the dining room is $25 – a bit high I
thought.
Azamara Journey promotes
itself as a Deluxe product – not Luxury. It is also priced
as such. The staff is very courteous, friendly and service
oriented. The food is delicious and beautifully presented –
reminds us of Celebrity Cruise Line – years ago when
Michelle Roux was the consulting chef. I will certainly
cruise with Azamara again and hopefully the butler service
will be enhanced and the casino more lively.
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