Is Azamara the Perfect Cruise Line for You? Here’s What to Expect

Azamara (previously Azamara Club Cruises) is a very small cruise line, with just 4 ships. All of the ships are fairly similar, so it’s a simple enough one to get your head around. The 4 ships are Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Onward and Azamara Pursuit. The passenger capacity does not exceed 700 passengers on any of these ships. To put this into context, Royal Caribbeans new ship, Star of the Seas will have a passenger capacity of 7600, so ten times this! Both ships and companies being perfect for the right passenger.

Azamara sits in a lovely place in the cruise market. As a premium cruise line it's not quite ultra luxury (like Regent Seven Seas, Silversea or Seabourne) but more of boutique cruise, with an obtainable enough price point. These small ship cruises hug coastlines and sail up rivers, allowing for a destination immersive experience.

Speaking of a destination immersive experience, it's worth noting that the onboard experience ties in beautifully with the cruise itinerary. For example, on the Irish cruises they have Draught Guiness on tap, on Greek cruises, they have a Greek beer. The menus will often reflect the destination as well as some onboard entertainment. I noticed they had a local trad band onboard for the Irish cruise for example. Every Azamara voyage includes standards spirits, beer and wine but you can upgrade if you prefer top-shelf brands.

Top tip - If you see a cocktail you like, but it has top self-brands, you can ask for it to be made with standard spirits. Azamara is also one of the few cruise lines here 1 person in the cabin can upgrade from complimentary drinks to a premium or ultimate drinks package.

Your main dining is included, such as the Discoveries Restaurant, Windows Café and The Patio and Swirl & Top. Aqualina and Prime C, are chargeable at a cost of 49.50USD per person. We ate in Aqualina while we were onboard, and the food was delicious. You also have the option of the chefs table, which is about 89USD per person, which I would absolutely recommend getting in the spirit of the cruise. For die hard foodies, there is a chef’s table / shore excursion which is an even more immersive experience done while in port. This is about 150USD per person. These are all bookable on board, Azamara is an app-less cruise line, which I love! I am in favour of anything that reduces pre-holiday admin, leaving more time to get excited about the actual experience!

Circling back to the cultural experiences, on voyages of 7 nights or more you will have an AzAmazing Evening. This was launched in 2011 as an as an experiential way for guests to dive deeper into cultures and traditions around the world. Since then, these bespoke one-of-a-kind events, have become a highlight of an Azamara Cruise. An example of an AzAmazing evening would be attending a private jazz concert and cocktail party or champagne reception with local entertainment at a French Chateau in Marseille.

So, this is my take from my day onboard - firstly I noticed the crew were exceptionally friendly, I spoke with one or two crew members who had worked for different companies and were very happy to work with Azamara. I noticed a lot of guests chatting with each other - I suppose the smaller passenger numbers mean you will bump into people again and again. There were NO LINES or QUEUES all day! Which I loved to see. There was no kids club onboard it this wouldn't really be a family cruise line. You might expect 0-4 children on board depending on the cruise, however if you did decide to do an Azamara cruise with your child, you could expect them to be made to feel very welcome!

The interior of the ship was cosy without feeling dated and was in fact very fresh and modern. I believe the evenings could be as lively as you wanted them, I loved hearing about the DJ and tapas at night. The demographic, like most cruise lines changes depending on destination and duration of the voyage.

This is definitely an experience for someone who loves to travel and have experiences as well as someone who loves to cruise.

If you think this sounds like a good fit for you - please don’t hesitate to reach out, the earlier your book the better value you will get! Drop me an email - joanne.obrien@myTC.com and we can find a time that suits you to chat about your Azamara Cruise.