My husband and I are both 53 and booked this cruise to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. He wanted to see Iceland and I wanted to be pampered!

We booked more than a year ahead of the cruise when I found a good deal (buy inside,upgrade to balcony). We bought a balcony guarantee and were assigned a cabin within days. I was allowed to change the room (within the same balcony category) through my big-box travel agent. We had taken one cruise together before, an Alaskan cruise on Princess. We did not like the large ship with lots of people everywhere and long waits to tender. My mom and I took an Azamara cruise from Istanbul to Athens 3 years ago and loved it. We liked the size, the friendly crew, good food, included wine, and the ability to vacation any way you want. My husband was willing to give Azamara a try. Overall, the trip was a great success! We both loved the flexibility of cruising with Azamara, the much smaller ship, the amazingly friendly and efficient staff, and the ability to relax in every way.

We arrived to embark in Copenhagen around 11:30 am and were on board within an hour or so. Very easy and efficient. We purchased the dining package upon embarkation (there was a table right next to the check-in lines) and made our reservations for 2 Prime C/ 2 Aqualina / Italian Chef’s Table. Read more