The little things that make a BIG difference

I’m sure most of you already know that the end of April saw me jetting off to join the beautiful Azamara Quest for a short trip from Monaco to Rome. I was super excited about this trip mainly because Azamara are renowned for amazing food (and i do love my food), amazing service and premium boutique ships but also because I wanted to see what why have they have a 60% repeat client rate which is something to be very proud of and speaks volumes.

We joined the Quest in the lovely port of Monaco and I was surprised at how big she looked as we approached on the tender, I imagined her to be much smaller considering she carries just 694 passengers and 413 crew. Despite her small capacity she has ample space for sun bathing, reading or enjoying a dip in the pool, a choice of 4 restaurants all with fantastic menus and several bars to enjoy your favourite tipple. The ship itself is modestly beautiful, having recently undergone a full refurbishment including new carpets, fixtures and fittings and the edition of the Spa Suite staterooms (more about those another time) so she is all sparkly, fresh, airy and light and I’m not surprised clients return to her time and again.

As much as I loved the Quest (and the oh so amazing food which i will touch on next time) what stood out for me the most was the finer details. The little touches that makes Azamara so special and not something you would find on the larger, less personal ships.  One thing I loved was the little juice bar that sprung up on port side just before the red embarkation carpet each day. You went ashore and would return to an offering of iced water, iced lemonade or iced fruit punch served with a smile and a genuine interest in what you did that day, we were also offered hot chocolate with a top up of something to warm the cockles as a welcome back after an evening out. How lovely I thought that was to be greeted by a drink rather than a hand asking for your sea pass card to be allowed on board.

Remember I said Azamara Quest carries just 694 passengers and 413 crew? That is more than 2 crew members for each client on board and that really does make a difference. From holding doors to carrying your dinner to your table, fetching drinks (and remembering your order for the next time), a fresh ice bucket in the stateroom each evening along with little chocolates and a glass of bubbles at check in. They may be small details but those little things really make you feel pampered. Special. An extra touch of class and service that shouldn’t be taken for granted and certainly not to be expected on the larger ships afloat.

I cant wait to tell you more about the Azamara Quest and her special little touches as well as our AzAmazing evening with the three tenors, but you’ll have to wait for the next installment. I wouldn’t want to spill the beans in one go 🙂

Id love to hear about your experiences with Azamara and how you think they compare to other cruise lines. Are the bigger ships really the way forward or is there a gap in the market now for more smaller more intimate ships? What do you think?