Cruise Reviews

Well this was our first time with Azamara but our second time around doing several of the ports included in this Greek / Turkish Med 10 Night itinerary. I have to say in short that the service, food and overall experience on the Azamara Quest really was second to none and a unique experience. I hope you find this useful if you’re thinking about making Azamara your next choice, I can whole heartedly recommend them ! ! ! We have included some pictures as well on the user images tab, please feel free to leave any questions / comments and I’ll try to respond

The Ship / Service
Being a smaller ship (30,000 tonnes) the Quest had a very different feel from larger ships it felt much more intimate and friendly and everything is so close to hand. We found that we got to know everyone in a very small space of time and after about the third day we were greeted by the ships officers and staff on a first name basis in the Discoveries Restaurant and the Pool Bar and Casino. We never had to queue for anything and the open dinning option and relaxed dress code meant we could please ourselves each day and we had much more freedom to enjoy the ports of call. I must recommend as well the thalassotherapy pool which we had two passes for the duration of the cruise. This included use of the steam / luxury showers ( 7 jets !) in the spa centre and had a private deck to relax on. During the whole cruise we only met two other people on there and couldn’t believe more people weren’t taking advantage of the facilities.

Everyone that we met and spoke to didn’t have a single complaint to make about anything onboard which was a first for me as I know how particular my fellow cruises can be ! One evening during the ships entertainment on the pool deck, we noticed that the Captain of the ship and the Officers were joining the guests for a chat and a bite to eat. When we spoke to them about how we were finding the cruise, the itinerary and the food etc. we found out that the staff are treated very well onboard and it made a lot of sense as it really did reflect in the outstanding levels of service and the friendliness of the staff. We found there was a real mixture of ages and nationalities on the ship and quite a few families. As well, I must add that while the service and overall quality of the dining is superb, at the same time the atmosphere is very relaxed as well as the dress code (which we both thought was much better). Some people got dressed up on the occasional evening as we did on a couple of evenings as its nice to make the effort but there are no requirements to.

Food & Entertainment
The specialty restaurants (Prime C & Aqualina) were spectacular but we found that the Main Dinning Restaurant Discoveries was that good that we only tried them once each. (But I would definitely recommend trying them) We also enjoyed the windows café and inparticular the Sushi Bar and the noodle station (I’ve included some pics), when you’re in these small ports with dramatic back drops such as Santorini its great to have the option to dine outside and admire the view as we did many nights in the windows café out on the deck.
The wine included in the price of the cruise was changed each day and included with lunch and dinner, we found on most days the quality was excellent and was chosen to accompany the dinning options.

Ports Of Call

With most of the ports of call Quest would arrive early in the morning (around 7am) and not leave until 10 pm which made the whole experience when visiting the ports of call much more indepth (we haven’t seen many other cruises that stay in ports that long) We could explore around the ports in the morning and visit the various historical sites / points of interest until the afternoon then visit the ship and the thalassotherapy pool for a couple of hours sunbathing and spa then head back out in the evening when the ports come alive. In one day in Mykonos we visited the beach for the morning then headed out for some sight seeing in the afternoon then enjoyed a meal in the bay looking out to see, you really do feel like you’ve visited and experienced all the ports have to offer when you get a full day and evening their. We visited Athens, Santorini, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Mykonos and Istanbul. We would like to say we had a favourite but in all honesty each place had its own charm, highlights and contrasts. We would definitely recommend the grand tour of Instanbul as it’s a fascinating city steeped in history and we had a great meal out in Rhodes sampling the local cusine (we had kleftico).

All in all a great experience and after enjoying several years cruising I can certainly appreciate now the benefits of a more intimate and service orientated cruise experience, which offer more time to enjoy the ports of call.


Paul & Samanatha

Azamara Journey

Staff on board the ship could not do enough to help you. Everything seemed like it was tailored to your individual needs.

The cabins on the ship were perfectly spotless and very modern décor. We were really surprised by the size of the cabins, as the ship is quite small in comparison to others, we were expecting them to be smaller than normal. When we arrived, they were actually a really good size.

The food on board was of exceptional quality, and the choice seemed never ending, and still managing to vary each night. In the buffet restaurant you could choose every thing from serial to smoothies for breakfast, as well as the usual options. In the evening meal we had the choice of food from Beef Wellington to Stir-fry in the main dinning room as well as having the choice to dine in the buffet restaurant. One of the best things that we found in the main restaurant, is that part of the menu stayed the same each night, with a range of traditional English and American foods on them which ensured there was always something you liked, and with the ever changing menu’s in the a-la-cart restaurants, the food could not be faulted

With regards to the two specialty restaurants I would recommend people should book before they travel, as we found that they were so popular they were difficult to book on board, due to the high quality of food served. We would certanly have gone in these more if we could.

The ship is designed more for the couples market, rather than families, with very little facilities to cater for them. But having said that the staff are always on hand to make children feel welcome and included.

This was our first time cruising and as a young English couple in our twenties we were slightly hesitant as to what we might expect as a holiday - any reservations we had soon faded as we boarded the Azmara. We were absolutely captivated by how stylish the boat was the décor, furniture, layout, lighting – everything was well thought out and presented to such a high standard, we really no idea that we were on a boat and felt more like a high end hotel.

The three stand out areas for us were firstly the staff, for every two guests there is one member of staff so the service you receive throughout is world class, they can not do enough for you and they even think of things to do for you that you don’t even think about yourself. Every staff member is smart, engaging, friendly, and helpful and they really help to make your holiday a relaxing, indulgent delightful experience.

The second impressive feature is the amount of activities that the boat offers you, you can get as involved as you want with what they have planned throughout the day and into the evening, and if you don’t fancy it then they don’t make you feel awkward. We were surprised at the mixture of ages, we thought we’d be the youngest by miles however there were lots of groups of young Americans our age and younger in the mix as well as older couples. The amenities are tremendous considering it is a smaller cruise ship compared to others, they really have everything you could need on board and again everything is clean, tidy and thoroughly presentable.

The last area which we really enjoyed were all the bars and restaurants, everyday you can have breakfast on your balcony over looking the new country you have arrived in over night – look out for hungry seagulls! Lunch is an enormous yet elegant selection, foods from around the world, we ate sushi everyday, they will make you any kind of sandwich and the hot food selection was always really impressive and to a high standard considering the scale. For dinner you had so many options, something for everyone and any occasion. We loved the steak and seafood restaurants – definitely worth a visit for a special dinner whilst you’re on holiday.

We visited 6 places in our 7 day cruise and it really felt like such a longer time away from home, we really unwound from daily life and completely relaxed in sailing life. We would definitely recommend this cruise line to any of our friends for a holiday with a difference, with refinement and with first class service.

Just returned from the Journey - from Athens to Mumbai. As this was our 25th wedding anniversary we decided on a suite. All I can say is "wow!" We have cruised many times before and now I feel that I have been spoilt. The food was second to none. The room was perfect. Our butler, Pravin was the most gracious man I have ever met - always there to please. Whilst Azamara is not the cheapest, you certainly get what you pay for. We ate at Prime C and Aqualina and both were great. The Captain was always on show and readily available for a chat. He was also very informative with any news he had to share. We had a fantastic time whilst on board, and there was plenty to do if you wanted it. Personally, I wanted to chill by the pool - which I did with little noise. If you want things to do for the children, this isnt for you. We had a fantastic time and hats off to Azamara for getting it perfect!

I have just returned from a 7 night cruise taking in Corsica, Sardinia & Sicily and have never enjoyed a cruise / holiday so much.
The main difference to other cruise lines is the length of time the ship stays in port. There is just no rush ! You can relax on deck in the morning, take lunch and still have enough time to explore the destination, as the ship rarely left port before 9 pm, and that was if it wasn't docked overnight!
It is the first time I haven't felt rushed to jump out of bed, grab breakfast and head off, to make sure I am back before the ship leaves.
It is just so relaxing to stroll in the destinations in the evening, have dinner and just relax.
They have recently renamed themselves as Azamara 'Club' Cruises, and this is for good reason. You are made to feel a part of this club / family. The staff are fantastic, you can see they love their jobs and all this just makes your holiday more enjoyable.
The Cruise Director Eric, even got up the morning we disembarked to say goodbye to everyone. These guys are committed !
Value for money is huge ! All soft drinks, water, tea, coffee, lovely wines with lunch and dinner are all included. There are also happy hours at the pool bar.
Tips are all included too, and a big bonus is the transfers they offer from the ship to the destination. It just made for a seamless holiday.
And I don't think I have ever spent so little on a cruise.
Can't rave about it enough.
Food was gorgeous, staff were brilliant, had an utterly relaxing week.
Already thinking where to go next.
My only small niggle is that the pool bar closed in the evening. But I put that on the guest questionnaire - so you never know.....

I went to visit the Azamara Journey just for a few hours. When we arrived we had to go through security and hand in our passports. This made me feel very secure once I was on the ship.

This is the first ship I have visited and it was definitely one to remember. It was a small ship but I had nothing to compare it to so to me it was huge. The first thing I noticed was the d�cor of the ship. It was very warm and homely. As it is a �small� ship, it was very easy to find your way around.

The staff onboard were lovely and made you feel very welcome. They said hello to you when you walked passed and stepped out of the way to let you get through. They were very polite and seemed genuinely friendly and happy to see you.

We went to see all the different types of cabins and they were all beautiful. I particularly liked the penthouse suite as I do like to be a lady of luxury and it was very spacious and had a huge balcony, however, I would say regardless of your budget you will find a cabin to suit. They were all lovely and I would be happy to stay in any of them. The interior, ocean view and balcony cabins were all around the same size and there was plenty of room in the cabins.

We went for a meal in the Aqualina restaurant and the staff in the restaurant could not do enough for you. There were constantly members of staff around your table so whenever you needed anything it was done straight away.
The food in the restaurant was brilliant and there was also food to choose from if you fancy something English. There is also a buffet restaurant where you can go for breakfast and lunch.

I was very surprised to see that you could have acupuncture onboard. I though this gave the ship and extra special touch. Although this is quite expensive, how many people can say they have had acupuncture on the sea?

The pool area was very clean and modern. The pool itself was not very big but the area around was spacious full of sun loungers. The loungers were very upmarket and all had mattresses on them for extra comfort. There were even some double loungers which I liked as this gave the extra intimate touch. There was a grill bar by the pool so if you got peckish whilst sunbathing you could grab a bite to eat.

It�s the little touches that make a difference. Whilst onboard I found out that with every meal you get complimentary wine and you are not rushed to leave after finishing your food so therefore, more wine. You are also given complimentary bottles of water at each port which I presume will be well needed when in a hot port of call.

Overall this ship is very intimate and can cater for your individual needs. As the ship does not have as many passengers as other ships there will not be big crowds and therefore I�d feel I could enjoy my holiday more. If this is what you want in a holiday then Azamara is the right choice. You are made to feel like royalty and nothing is too much for the staff. When it was time to leave the ship I found it was all over too quickly as I wanted to stay on longer, I was thinking nothing but good things about Azamara and I am now thinking of cruising next year. Azamara are definitely top of my list.






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