Azamara Journey Review

Azamara Club Cruises-Journey-2014-02-17 East China Sea, Japan's Inland

Review for Asia Cruise on Azamara Journey
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puppypundit
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Feb 2014

This is my first review on Cruise Critic, the style is a little more narrative than a review however there is some good information about the ship, the service and the ports of call as well. I was traveling solo, female, mid-forties and had booked the trip only four weeks before sail-date but have been a Japanophile since I was a child.

The airport in Montreal was a madhouse on Saturday, February the 15th due to a weather event along the entire east-coast. So many flights had been canceled and getting anywhere interesting that day was impossible. At 3:30 am, I discovered that my United Airlines itinerary had been modified from a 1 pm flight to Newark connecting to Hong Kong to some kind of milk run via Cleveland getting me into HKG a full 24 hours late. My call to Choice Air Emergency Help Line was answered by a service rep who acknowledged and confirmed that the change was noted in my file and that the late arrival was expected.

Hoping against hope that if I just got to the airport early enough, they could re-route me, I got to the airport within an hour and at 4:30 in the morning found myself waiting in a long line of folks with the same idea.

Cabin Review

My room was lovely. It was a category six Oceanview on deck four, starboard forward section with a Queen bed and because it was an adjoining cabin, had an armchair rather than a sofa which suited me just fine.There were fresh fruit, bottled water, soft drinks and chocolate brownies in the room along with fresh flowers.As promised, robes, slippers, a set of binoculars and an umbrella were provided for use during the cruise and we were given a tote bag to take home.The vanity table had dim lights but admittedly, they probably matched the lighting in the dining room for make-up application purposes…they just weren't bright enough to write your thesis at the desk.Storage was more than ample for a solo traveler but probably was adequate for a couple. You really don't need a whole new outfit for every dinner on Azamara! I had brought seven cocktail dresses…totally unnecessary. Suitcases fit under the bed with room to spare.The bathroom was well-organized with cotton buds and amenities but next time, I will bring my own shampoo/conditioner as their brand didn't agree with my curly hair. The shower was just like every other shower on every other cruise ship but the Grohe fixtures were much, much nicer. I actually have the same hand shower in my own guest bath back home!Since I was an early to bed, early to rise kind of gal, there were some nights when I could hear the muted bass and drums coming from the Cabaret lounge on deck five but it was not disruptive. In general, other than some creaking and the sound of the bathroom vacuum system it was quiet.This cabin is two decks above the water-line so in rough seas the spray churns up into the large bay window and you can see the enormous waves as the bow ploughs through them. The area below the window is big enough to sit on. One night, I gathered up my comforter and fashioned a little bunk on the window ledge. I spent the whole night there sleeping and waking to watch the ocean show.It was around the same size as a business class lie-flat bed so I was pretty comfy. When he came to make up the the room the next day, the steward had a good laugh at my makeshift sleep area and called his buddies over to see what I had done.Overall, I was extremely satisfied at the comfort and set-up of the stateroom.

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