Azamara Azamazing!!

I hope I’m not droning on about my recent Azamara experience, but it really was that great that I cant help but gush about it. Of course reading about someone’s experience is never quite the same as actually doing it yourself but I hope if you haven’t sailed with them before you will certainly consider it. 

They aren’t for everyone, the ships are small with a boutique feel so they wouldn’t suit clients looking for wave machines and all singing all dancing Broadway style evening entertainment, but they offer so much more than the main stream cruise lines in other areas that will blow you away.

I touched on the level of service in my last blog, a small 694 passengers on both the Quest and the Journey with 400 odd crew so the attention to detail is fantastic, but I wanted to talk to you about the food. Oh my, the food. I am one that is often thinking of my tummy (what I can eat next, not the size of it!!) and for such a small ship the choice is impressive especially as Azamara have an open dining policy so you can come and go as you please every night of the week. 

The Patio – an alfresco dining experience where food is cooked to order. Anything from pasta and burgers to super little lamb or chicken kebabs, finished off with frozen yoghurt in several flavours with a huge array of toppings. I have to admit I was partial to an afternoon chocolate pot with crushed Oreo’s! One night a per 7 week cruise The Patio comes alive for the White Night where the evening meal is a huge buffet of everything from beautifully cooked seafood, Indian and Chinese, sushi, pastas, steaks, lamb chops etc and a BBQ offering which I confess I had two helpings too. The evening is danced out with the resident entertainers singing and dancing to music from all eras. A super night to get involved with.

Windows Cafe – A refined and sophisticated venue which is a leap away from the norm of buffet restaurants with a choice of indoor or outdoor dining (Sunset Bar for outdoor) and a menu to knock the socks of many main stream lines al a carte offerings.

Discoveries Restaurant – The main dining venue on board. A beautifully elegant yet warm and inviting restaurant where the wine is free flowing (don’t forget drinks are included from morning til night with Azamara) serving up tantalising choices spread across 7 courses. Scallops, soup, lobster, salmon, lamb, chicken and even fish and chips followed by creme brulee, lava cake, cheesecake all fantastically presented so well it almost seemed a shame to eat it!

And finally the specialty restaurants….

Aqualina – Serving a hugely inventive menu with an Italian theme. Choices here typically include dishes such as lobster ravioli, prosciutto chips, marsala custard, tiramisu and Venetian seafood platter to name but a few. 

Prime C – Effectively the steak house, but the best of the best steak houses. Serving top notch steaks that are cooked to absolute perfection along with crab cakes with remoulade, game hens and sea food and my personal favourite mini sugar cinnamon donuts with a choice of dipping sauces.

The Specialty restaurants are complimentary for all suite guests but for those not residing in the suites you can experience them for just $30 per person supplement. Azamara also offer dining packages starting from just $70 per person which gives you access to the specialty restaurants for 3 nights which I think, given the top quality of the food is well worth it.

So there you have it, azamazing food offerings with Azamara (And yes I did gain 3lbs!). Join me for my next blog and we can talk some more.