Azamara – well worth considering!

I have to be honest, I don’t do many bookings for Azamara Club Cruises, as they are now known, having recently reinvented themselves. They are the upper end of Royal Caribbean Cruises and Celebrity with just the two ships, Journey and Quest, and I really think that people just don’t know enough about them.

The two ships are quite small, carrying only 600 passengers. This means that the ships are able to dock in ports that the much larger ships just can’t get into, hence some fabulous itineraries. This year alone they will visit over 140 ports in 50 countries which is really going some!
So why would you book with Azamara cruises? Well, they have one member of staff for every two guests with Butler service in every level of stateroom. Dining is open and not formal, so you don’t need to pack the Tux or the ball gown, and you will find all sorts of little extras in your cabin including Elemis bathroom products which are lovely!

The real changes to Azamara come in April when they will become an All Inclusive Cruise Line, and the following will all be included in the price you pay.
Complimentary bottled water – in public areas and your stateroom.
Complimentary tea and coffe
All Gratuities included in the price
Complimentary shuttle buses at ports of call
Complimentary wine at lunch and dinner
Complimentary dining in speciality restaurants, Aqualina and Prime C steak house throughout the cruise (only for suite guests).
Now, I agree that you can book a cheaper cruise with another cruise line, but when you weigh up all these little extras that are now included in the price with Azamara the total cost can’t be that different, which means that Azamara is now a serious contender pricewise.

Is there anybody out there who has cruised with Azamara who could give their opinion? I have heard it said that they are merely a imitation of Oceania, the American cruise line. Well if they are I don’t think thats such a bad thing, there are worse things to imitate! If so, how do they compare with Oceania? Would you cruise a second time with Azamara or were you disappointed?