We originally booked this cruise when it was being marketed under the Celebrity brand; before it became Azamara, so we had spent a long time reading the reviews, watching the cruise line evolve & were hoping for something a bit different & special. We were not disappointed. That is not to say there is still room for some improvement, but I am confident these issues will be ironed out soon & Azamara will find its well earned niche. Arrival & embarkation was the simplest we've ever experienced. There were a number of Azamara passengers on the flight from London and on arrival in Rome, the cruise reps were in the baggage hall to meet us & our bags whisked away. Once at the port of Civitavecchia embarkation was all over in minutes. As Captain's Club Select members we could bypass the queues (not that they were very long) & were quickly on board with no fuss. Clutching a welcome glass of fizz we easily located our cabin.

The cabin was standard size with clever storage & plenty of hangars. The balcony had a good sized table & 2 large comfortable dining chairs rather than loungers, so probably made the balcony seem smaller than it actually was; but on the other hand the table was actually a sensible size for dining. The bathroom was compact but functional. The shower had a removable shower head, there were Elemis products & the towels were soft & huge - a proper sized bath sheet. Luxury. There was also a flat screen TV. We had to call down a few times during the cruise to have it 're-booted' when the screen went blank & the choice of channels was fairly unexciting. There was also a fridge/mini-bar & safe, Frette bathrobes & slippers, umbrella & binoculars plus a very useful, good sized tote-bag which had a discreet Azamara tag instead of the name emblazoned on it. Used the bag everyday.

The cabin was always serviced whilst we were at breakfast. Although our butler, had mentioned afternoon tea & savouries in the cabin, it was some days before I discovered how to receive this delicious treat. At the back of the guest folder was a small order card which needed to be left on the door in the mornings. And what a delight these savouries were. Expecting to see a small plate of the usual style canapEs, we were surprised to receive several small dishes of original hors-d'oeuvres. We sampled salmon in salsa, scallops wrapped in bacon, mussels, fruit purees, Gazpacho, various cheese or meat dishes & so-on. Read more