Amazing Azamara

Last week I was lucky to sail onboard the Azamara Quest on a 4 night sailing from Nice to Barcelona stopping at Mahon, Ibiza town overnight, Palma and then to Barcelona.

I have never sailed on Azamara before and the only other luxury line I have sailed on was Seabourn so I was really looking forward to seeing what an Azamara cruise was like.

if you have never sailed on a smaller ship the first thing you will notice is as with only 686 passengers on board embarkation is extremely smooth and not the hustle and bustle and long ques you get with the larger ships.

from the moment you step on board, everything was easy! Upon arrival on the ship, champagne was provided, they don’t ask you for your room card to charge the drinks too. That’s one of the great things about Azamara is drinks and gratuities are included.  At the back of the bar menu it shows you all of the free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, the list isn’t that extensive of the free drinks but covers beers,  wines, spirits and a selection of cocktails. If the included drinks are not sufficient then you can upgrade your package and at only $15.95 a day it’s not too bad!

All eating venues (with the exception of the two specialty restaurants) were included and the specialty restaurants are only $30 per person so not terribly expensive and I have to say extremely  worthwhile, we ate at Prime C the menu choice is excellent lots of variety and the quality of the food is outstanding so I would say if you get the option definitely  reserve a table as you won’t be disappointed .

Even if you don’t eat at the Speciality restaurants this is where you notice a difference compared to the other mainstream cruise lines food in the main dining room is superb and again I was really surprised how varied the choices were. As you would expect there is a self-service restaurant which caters for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a good selection. There is a lovely outside area at the back (sunset bar) where you can sit out and enjoy your meal or a drink.

My favorite area for lunch was the Patio right next to the pool and outdoor partially covered are where you get the best burgers grilled meat etc this is also waiter service so you notice the difference compared to the mainstream cruise lines and the extra you are getting being on a luxury cruise ship.

The ship is certainly not overcrowded and no ques to be seen whether that be at the bars, getting off and on the ship or waiting for a table, also no having to fight for a sunbed around the pool.

Entertainment was good and compared to Seabourn I thought it offered slightly more choice and the ship itself was fairly lively on an evening the White Party which is held outside on an evening is a great night, firstly they serve food around the pool then the entertainment staff host a great party which had a great turnout and atmosphere and all under the stars whilst docked in an amazing port with amazing views.

The advantage of the smaller ships is Being docked in town which was truly amazing. It was nice being on a small ship that was able to be right in the center of things. Literally off the ship and in the middle of town. You don’t always get  that experience on the larger ships

There are activities planned from trivia to bingo to blackjack tournaments, guest lecturers, dance lessons, improv classes and the numerous musical events and shows were all unique and interesting to do throughout the cruise.

So i am absolutely now a true fan of Azamara I really couldn’t fault anything and I am already planning on sailing with them for my own holiday next year. I’m not saying its quite the same standard as Seabourn but then it doesn’t come with the same price tag! but it defiantly offers you a luxury feel and extremely good standard compared to the mainstream cruise line. They offer amazing ports where other cruise lines cant go and ultimately offer you amazing memories other cruise lines cant give!