Azamara Journey Review
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My husband and I are experienced cruisers, but this was our first experience with Azamara Club, a highly rated cruise line that sells itself as "luxury class." We therefore came on-board with great expectations, which were quickly dashed. In short, the Azamara Journey is a dated, mediocre ship, in need a major overhaul. It's going in to dry dock for a total of eight days. There is no way to fix its many problems in so short a time. In terms of its management, there is an overall impression of confusion and a definite lack of information, which is such an important aspect of a good cruise experience.
On to some specifics. The embarkation process was a disaster. We boarded in Mumbai. Yes, India can get confusing, but that should not be a surprise to a major cruise line. Getting into the port to board the ship bordered on the chaotic, with next to no guidance from Azamara representatives. My husband is Indian, speaks Hindi, and even he had a terrible time trying to find out how to get through. I later spoke to someone who paid for an Azamara transfer to the ship, and it was a worse experience: they were stuck on a bus for two hours, with luggage blocking the aisle. Not a great start.
Our cabin was a Veranda class with a balcony. It was clean, but the decor and furniture are dated. The bed was hard and uncomfortable. Our cabin attendant (who was very efficient and pleasant) added a comforter to help, but to little avail. The plumbing is sub-par. For example, one had to struggle to flush the toilet: you push the button multiple times, and then it responded weakly. The shower was okay, but not great. The television was nice, but the viewing choices were few, and way below those in quality and quantity of our last voyage, which was on a Princess ship of the same size. However, the worst part was the air conditioning. We were sailing in the Indian Ocean, but that is no excuse for the very poor air conditioning situation during the daytime (at night it was adequate). One's "luxury cabin" should not be a sauna in any given climate.
Cabin Review
Our cabin was a Veranda class with a balcony. It was clean, but the decor and furniture are dated. The bed was hard and uncomfortable. Our cabin attendant (who was very efficient and pleasant) added a comforter to help, but to little avail. The plumbing is sub-par. For example, one had to struggle to flush the toilet: you push the button multiple times, and then it responded weakly. The shower was okay, but not great. The television was nice, but the viewing choices were few, and way below those in quality and quantity of our last voyage, which was on a Princess ship of the same size. However, the worst part was the air conditioning. We were sailing in the Indian Ocean, but that is no excuse for the very poor air conditioning situation during the daytime (at night it was adequate). One's "luxury cabin" should not be a sauna in any given climate.