Now that the bags are unpacked and the tan fading, thought we would share details of our recent sailing aboard the Azamara Journey (February 12, 2009)
At 600+ passengers, the Journey was the largest "small ship" we had yet experienced...with our previous sailings having been on the yachts of SeaDream, Windstar and Royal Clipper lines. Because of this, we had some reservations prior to booking, as to whether we would enjoy the same intimacy with passengers and crew. The answer is no, but this may be the only shortcoming of Azamara.
Having booked with an on-line cruise specialist, we were pleased to discover that we were eligible for one or more credits the cruise line was offering, having the effect of significantly reducing our cruise fare. Because of this, we opted to upgrade to a Sky Suite category, for a little more than the outside cabin with balcony we had reserved. While the room and balcony were indeed larger, it might not have been worth paying extra without the incentives. Check on these when booking.
Sky Suite was more than ample, though bath a little small. Balcony could have
been enhanced with addition of a chaise in lieu o chairs and table. All in all
it was lovely sleeping a night with the balcony door open and the sound of the
ocean lulling you to sleep.