We chose our 5th cruise on Azamara as our previous cruises with them had been excellent. This one was no exception with a great itinerary,a truly Amazing evening, great food and service.The only negative being that the evening entertainment was poor. The white night deck party was good with an excellent buffet. The Amazing evening at the city of Arts and Sciences was exceptionaly good . The logistics of getting all the passengers to and from the ship couldnt have ben managed better.The location and show spectacular and truly memorable.. Transfers and boarding was efficient and timely. Ports Free shuttles were provided as needed.. We managed our own shore excursions. Portimao walked town and PrIa Da Rocha Cadiz walked town and long promenade Gibralter walked to botanical gardens and shopped duty and VAT free Malaga did a day tour to Alhambra Palace (arranged ourselves) Valencia walked the city Barcelona took train to Gerona . Read Less

Have only ever sailed with Celebrity but wanted to try Azamara while still attaining credits to our Celebrity Captains Club status. Pleasantly surprised, smaller ship but never felt overcrowded, crew were wonderful and met some lovely passengers. Our first transatlantic which was leisurely but not tedious despite five and a half days at sea due to an itinerary change because of predicted bad weather at original ports of call. Found the main dining room too noisy and tables too close to each other so used Windows buffet for dinner which had plenty of choice and a more relaxed atmosphere compared to Celebrity.My husband enjoyed the daily talks by the retired Concorde Pilot but we found the evening entertainment limited. Quest has some signs of age but spotlessly clean throughouthe. Embarkation/Disembarkation very well organised. The staff and Officers were the friendliest we have ever encountered on a cruise ship.Very enjoyable and hope to sail Azamara again. Read Less

Highly recommend Azamara Club Cruises. I can only give a recommendation for the Azamara Quest ship as I have not traveled on the Journey or new Pursuit yet. First time on Azamara and as long as the Quest does not get rid of their live dealer table games in their casino, it will not be my last. I loved this cruise and line and the service and meals and everything about it. It was nice being on a cruiseline that really takes care of its guests. It was easily 5 star service. There are so many people who I knew and was on a first name basis with throughout the cruise and I'm not talking about the passengers, but the staff who were great and went above and beyond any prior cruise expectation I had had. I booked my cruise through a cruise travel expert, who, in turn booked every aspect through Azamara. From the first meeting in the baggage claim at the Miami airport, to the representative making sure we were all on the bus and on the way to the Lisbon airport, they had every single detail covered. It was like clockwork! The hotel check-ins were smooth and easy and they were well prepared for us. To the buses from the hotel to the pier before the cruise and to the hotel from the pier after the cruise. The ship check-in was the smoothest ever. There was literally no line, we walked right up, handed in our cruise ticket and credit card. Pictures were taken and we were given our ship pass/room key and away we went. Everything was easy! Upon arrival on the ship, champagne was provided, they didn't ask for our room card to charge the drink, it was free. In fact, the back of the bar menu showed all of the free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. All eating venues (with the exception of the two speciality restaurants) were included and the speciality restaurants weren't terribly expensive for the quality we received. Being docked in town was truly amazing. It was nice being on a small ship that was able to be right in the center of things. Literally off the ship and in the middle of town. Never had that experience on the larger ships that I have cruised on in the past. All communication from the captain was top notch, as well as from the cruise director, Tony. The activities planned from trivia to bingo to blackjack tournaments, guest lecturers, dance lessons, improv classes and the numerous musical events and shows were all unique and interesting to do throughout the cruise. The ship's officers were very visible throughout the cruise. The captain was available to speak to regularly, and many of the passengers were invited to dine with the officers during the cruise. It was truly a wonderful experience sitting with an officer and talking about his experiences and responsibilities. Captain Magnus truly commands a fine ship and wonderful crew. Almost every crew member I encountered really took care of me and other guests. Truly received wonderful service from the following team members: Ernest, Diana, Tony, Julia, Milda, Marina, Nikhil, Leon, Rebecca, Raymon, Ashley, Ernesto, Nikolai, Daniel, Yeldana, Shayla, Alicea, Mariana. I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting as I met so many wonderful crew members who graciously gave of themselves and made the voyage more enjoyable. Much different than the larger ships where you hardly get to know the crew at all, and certainly don't receive the same personal attention as you do on the Azamara Quest. Highly recommend you checking out Azamara Club Cruises, especially if you prefer port intensive trips and if you enjoy many days at sea on a transatlantic cruise. I've come home from my vacation truly relaxed and I have Azamara to thank. Keep up the good work and I can't wait until my next cruise with Azamara. Read Less

The Intensive Cuba cruise really gave me the time needed in Havana to see the many sights and get a feel for life in todays Cuba. I would have felt cheated if I had only one day (as a lot of Cuba cruises do). The crew on the Quest did a great job in making the cruise a success. The White Night and the AzAmazing Evening required hard work, and the crew came through.Service in the bars and restaurant was quick and efficient. The ship public spaces were well maintained and even with a full capacity did not feel overly crowded. Check in was under 20 minutes, and that included some paperwork for going to Cuba. Getting off was also quick -we self carried the luggage off - and made a 8:50 AM flight in plenty of time (because of Spring Break and Miami, this was the only flight available). I thought the food on board was certainly above the standard for most cruise lines, and some meals were excellant. Read Less

I selected Azamara based upon the itinerary that offered 6 full days in Cuba, providing the opportunity to explore this culturally rich, historical country. The stateroom was very comfortable and spacious as long as you put everything away. The bed and linens were very comfortable and allowed for restful sleep. The shower is incrediblebly small but does the job. The food was good and offered a solid variety to satisfy most taste. The all inclusive concept of wine, select alcohol, beer and gratuities was a huge plus. The highlight of the ship however was the service. The crew was attentive, professional yet friendly and went out of their way to assist. The entertainment was limited but the itinerary kept us so busy, I welcomed the quiet time. The security was on point, ensuring we accessed the boat with ease. Overall, it was an excellent cruise, the minor concerns were just that, minor and not significant enough to share. I will add, the internet package was slow and unreliable, buy what you need. Read Less

We wanted to go to Cuba, and chose the Cuba Intensive sailing. For us, 2-days in Havana would have been ideal. Cienfuegos was nice enough but not much to see; Santiago was horrible. The Cubans we saw tended to swarm us looking for money, and we found it quite unpleasant. We were scammed by several taxi drivers. Air quality is poor and the poverty is ever present. Not Azamara’s failure by any means but I question why ships are going to Santiago at all, or why they’d spend more than a day or two in Havana. We found Cuba very overrated. The Quest seemed like an older ship and we saw ongoing maintenance like painting railings and other areas. We received a note that they planned to paint our state room during the trip and we’d have to store all personal belongings. This was not ok for such a small cabin and such a pricy vacation so we called to ‘opt out’. Is this common? If so, customers should be offered something in return for the inconvenience. We found the food options plentiful and good; we didn’t feel the need to try the 2 upscale restaurants. The staff was unfailingly nice. We never felt crowded, even on sailing days. There are plentiful common areas in which to relax. We enjoyed 4-5 nights of the onboard entertainment which was just right. Overall, this tone of the ship compared favorably to the other 2 cruises I’ve done on Regent and Royal Carribean: it was low key, fun, and our fellow passengers were generally friendly. My only complaint about Azamara is that it’s not all-inclusive - they have several packages they try to up sell, and it was annoying. I prefer Regent in that respect, which includes everything and isn’t constantly trying to sell you upgrades. Regent also includes excursions which Azamara does not - and they were expensive. Read Less

We chose this because of the itinerary. It really was an intensive look at Cuba, with three days in Havana, a day in Cienfuegos and an additional overnight plus a day in Santiago de Cuba. In Havana the cruise terminal is right in the old city so walking off the ship to explore on our own was easy. I can recommend the rum museum in the old Havana Club, which is two blocks from the ship. Taxis were readily available, and the hop-on-hop-off bus even stops right outside the terminal. In each port currency exchanges were available in or next to the terminal. The shore excursions were very well planned and organized, with good guides. We particularly enjoyed a trip from Santiago de Cuba into the mountains. We visited a small village where we saw a major basilica and enjoyed a performance by an excellent steel drum band that had performed for the pope. We also visited San Juan Hill and sites important to the Castro Revolution and had a nice lunch in an elegant restaurant associated with Havana's Tropicana. There was a very interesting lecturer on board providing background on many aspects of Cuban history and culture. We were uncertain what to expect in Cuba, but came back very pleasantly impressed. Every Azamara cruise has an "Azamazing evening", a free local entertainment experience. On this cruise we had an evening at the Heredia theatre in Santiago de Cuba with welcome mojitos, local vendors, and some wonderful musical performances culminating in an example of the local festival parade. Really good. We have sailed Azamara (both the Quest and the Journey) before and appreciate the small size and the extraordinary crew--truly the nicest people on the ocean. The people at the guest relations desk are always helpful and patient. Every staff member you pass in the hall greets you with a smile. Within two days the bartenders know your drinks. It's the kind of personalized service that makes you want to stowaway and stay on board at the end of cruise. The food matches the quality of other higher end lines. There were two special meals. One was the Easter brunch, served buffet style in the dining room with several cooking stations and beautiful pastry and chocolate decorations. The other was the traditional "white night"; a buffet served on deck with the upper level crew doing much of the cooking and serving. In a nod to our location this one included a number of Cuban dishes including a suckling pig. Every evening there was a cocktail hour with tapas and music in the "living room", a nice way to relax and prepare for dinner. The entertainment was varied: a troupe doing short plays, a singer, a pianist, etc. They no longer had a song and dance cast, which we sometimes missed. Every evening a variety of music could be found around the ship for listening or dancing. We do not use the spa services or sports activities so I can't comment on them. The only negative is the fact that the cabins are small and the bathrooms are small. There is plenty of storage, and a veranda makes the living space larger. Of course a small ship will have fewer on board activities, smaller scale entertainment and fewer dining venues than a larger ship, but it compensates with convenience and comfort. There is a sense of intimacy which adds to a relaxing vacation. Read Less

The itinerary was the reason for taking this cruise, e.g. circling the island of Cuba. The tours were good and we saw a lot of the Cuban countryside and how people live in both urban and rural areas. There were some differences in the places we visited (between buses) -- for the same tours - not just the order of places visited. We were somewhat bored toward the end of the cruise though. We felt the evening entertainment was weak. We didn't like their 'anytime dining' because we often had to wait for a table, unlike other lines with similar programs, but where reservations are taken. Azamara did survey some guests mid-cruise to see if improvements were warranted and they did follow up on the comments received. Staff was very pleasant, helpful and visible throughout the cruise. New captain was very personable and often seen around the ship. Embarkation and disembarkation was smooth and efficient for us. Read Less

I chose this trip because of the itinerary, which scheduled 3 nights in Havana, and also visited Cienfuegos and Santiago. The ship is fine, not much to do. The food at the buffet (I did not eat at the dining room) was OK, not great, soups were awful, desserts limited. Because of my booking date, I was able to do excursions on my own, although one is really on the honor system and it is possible to book private excursions. My problem with the ship excursions is that, because of the newest regulations, they emphasize "people to people" activities to the detriment of typical sightseeing. For example, the ship excursions I joined included time consuming visits to "private artists" and galleries, as well as some cultural dance demonstrations that were interesting, but took time from visiting tourist spots. I hired a private guide using the private agency "Customizing Cuba Tours" to visit Matanzas and Cardenas, two cities with personal ties. My guide, Hamlet, was OUTSTANDING. His agency was very professional throughout the booking process, and everything worked like a clock. The interaction in a private excursion is far more powerful than any other contrived "people to people" contact. I also hired Hamlet to drive me around Havana to visit some of my childhood haunts, and again it was a most rewarding experience, thanks to Hamlet's professionalism. I highly recommend "Customizing Cuba Tours". Read Less

Our original itinerary was changed to offer a 10 day intensive cruise in Cuba. We had never really thought about visiting Cuba but decided to accept the revised itinerary. We are so glad we did! We found Cuba to be a fascinating place , unique and very different from our lives and previous Holidays. Our favourite place was definitely Havana and we were glad to have a sustained stay, there. We are frequent cruisers and this was our 4th Azamara Cruise. We love the size of the ship and found most of our fellow passengers to be friendly and interesting to talk to. The cabin( balcony) was compact but comfortable and excellently maintained by our stateroom attendants. The shower area, as others have said, is really very small and the shower curtain gets far too friendly for comfort, but we knew that and felt Azamara’s other benefits, compensated for that! We found the food to be excellent in the main dining room ,The Patio , Prime C and Aquafina but felt that Windows cafe was a bit limited in lunchtime choices. We also did the Chef’s table, for the first time but were a bit disappointed in that experience! The food was good: the wines also good but very limited in quantity. Fabio, the chef was very personable but the situation of the table, in a corner of Prime C, the shape of the table and the fact that it was impossible to speak to anyone other than your direct neighbour did not encourage a convivial atmosphere. We were also unfortunate that two of the couples at the table were totally occupied in trying to outdo the other in who knew more about food and wine ( incidentally, neither couple knew much!) If this is what the Chef’s table encourages, I think we will give it a miss in future We thoroughly enjoyed both the White Night and the Azamazing evening and accept that the size of the ship limits the entertainment on offer. Personally, we enjoyed the short theatre performances but as always, that is a matter of taste! Tony, the Cruise Director was very available to talk to passengers and a very talented performer,in his own right As always, the staff onboard were superb.. Captain Magnus and senior officers were visible, approachable and friendly and the staff in general, worked very hard to ensure that guests were well looked after. This was in contrast to Azamara staff onshore, who gave little or conflicting information when we tried to gain information , pre cruise, regarding Cuban visas etc. We arrived at the ship a bit disgruntled but the excellent on board staff, made up for that. To sum up, we enjoyed our back to back cruises, met some lovely people from very diverse backgrounds and had a great holiday! We will definitely be cruising with Azamara, again. Read Less