We chose this cruise because of the Florence, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona destinations. The Monte Carlo Grand Prix was the main event. The ship as always was great....okay, showers are tight but I think everyone knows that before they board the ship.....get over it. The bottomline is the crew, the officers, and, even more importantly, the fellow passengers were wonderful. The officers were very present throughout the cruise and the emphasis and training of Azamara staff on crew service was obvious. We were on the Azamara last August in St. Petersburg, Russia and needed cosmetic improvements have been performed and were also very obvious...nice. I would like to compliment the Captain, Safety Office, and crew for their world-class effort to safely bring passengers to the Monte Carlo Grand Prix although the seas were very rough and tenders were required. I have 40 years military experience and the tender execution in Monte Carlo was first rate. The food and beverage service was perfect. The Prime C restauranrt included local produce and treats such as Oysters on the half shell and Oysters Rockerfeller. The veal was among the best I've had and I have dined in ten Michelin one star and higher restaurants in the past year. Prime C is the best restaurant on the ship and well worth the additional charge. Service is perfect. The Aqualina restaurant is also very good and well worth a visit. The white night was great and the effort invested in making the evening exceptional was obvious. The white night food and entertainment was much, much more than I expected....from lobster to crepes, stir fry to grill there was somethibg for everyone. Read Less

After recent cruises with Silversea and Crystal, chose this port-intensive eastern Mediterranean itinerary for our preferred dates. We liked Journey’s Resort Casual atmosphere, but you get the room size you pay for, with bathrooms designed for hobbits. Unlike previous reviewers we enjoyed the entertainment: the excellent Standing Ovations opera quartet sang favourite tunes one night; another time an abridged version of Carmen in English, so you could follow the story. The Azamazing Evening chamber concert at Ephesus was very good but involved a lot of work behind the scenes for 40 minutes’ performance. There’s a good range of dining options. Deck 9 has the pool grill and Windows Café (buffet), both nice places if you don’t fancy much (or even if you do) or want to get to a show, say. The outdoor Sunset Bar is essentially part of Windows Café with a sea view. Portions are huge in the main dining room, Discoveries, though the menu doesn’t change much with just two daily specials. Tables are close together and it gets noisy. For several reasons, we had a disappointing meal there on our first night; after we mentioned this (tactfully) on the guest questionnaire two days later, we were impressed when the Assistant Maitre D’ came over to us to understand the issues and all of us were reassured. Service in Prime C was more refined with excellent steaks. It felt more like being in a Silversea restaurant, and was worth the supplement of $30 a head for a special occasion, but we did miss the White Nights party the same evening. Our fare came with $200 pp Onboard Credit which we put towards unlimited Wi-Fi (inevitably slow) and the Ultimate Drinks Package that includes Nespresso coffee and some of our favourite drinks. Most included wines were mediocre but we had some reasonable ones from New Zealand. We spent a lot of time with the friendly guys in Mosaics Café, but like all bars on Deck 5, it’s used as a thoroughfare. The ship was in port for full days plus some evenings, but we would also have enjoyed sailing by the Greek islands in daylight. We only went ashore ourselves for a few hours each day on organised tours. Most of these were reasonably interesting but no apology or recompense was forthcoming when the cable car in Santorini was suddenly closed and we had to descend hundreds of steps to the port. Tendering was efficient in the calm conditions, and the captain was often at the gangway to greet guests. The embarkation process at Piraeus was rather perfunctory. More irritatingly, on disembarkation day we were put on a coach transfer to Rome Airport that arrived 1½ hours before the bag-drop opened for our flight, even though we had queried the timing with Customer Services and other coaches left the ship later. Read Less

We (family of 4 including parents and 2 adult children) were on the Journey in May 2018 for the Greek Islands to Italy 8-day cruise. We chose this cruise as we had previously done this itinerary, and wanted to return with our children as adults. We were blessed with wonderful weather and we were very happy with the ports. This was our second cruise with Azamara We were very happy with the service and the attention we received from the crew. The cabin stewards, the bar personnel and the waitstaff were friendly, fun and very accommodating. We requested the same waiter every night in Discoveries and an effort was made in order to make this work for us. The senior staff was very visible and interactive, which I very much appreciate. They really seem to love their jobs and take very seriously their obligation to take care of their guests. Unlike some previous reviewers, we quite enjoyed the food on board! We found there to be great variety both at the buffet and in Discoveries, and were very happy with our selections; we liked the different chef’s recommendations as well as the locally flavored dishes (fresh tuna was offered on a few nights and was delicious every time!). We had a special dinner for LCV members which was excellent. 3 of the 4 of us drank the “house” wines—we are casual wine drinkers and could always find one of the 6 available (2 whites, 2 reds, 1 rose, 1 sparkling) which satisfied us each day. There seems to be some dissatisfaction regarding the entertainment on board. The live trio who appeared nightly in the Living Room was great, although the atmosphere early in the evening is low-key in that space. I was the only one of the 4 who attended performances in the Cabaret Lounge: although I am not an opera fan particularly, I found the opera singers quite good and enjoyed the performances; I also liked Eric the cruise director’s show. The live entertainment on White Night was very good. I was pleased with the entertainment provided, but this is not a priority for my husband and I. My 20-something daughters wished that the nightlife was a bit more lively. The gym is very nice and they offer a large number of classes, given the small number of passengers and the port-intensive itinerary. We purchased the unlimited internet package. The Wifi was a little slow, but not awful. It really did not cause me to complain--I have had much worse on a ship. Ports/Excursions: (Theme: leaving the main path, wandering, eating and drinking) We tendered at many of the ports. The tenders run continuously and there is not a long wait for a trip to shore or back to the ship. Mykonos: Took the ship excursion to Elia Beach-4 hours. Great beach, provided with umbrellas and chairs, beach has a bar and restaurant. Very happy with this--efficient and convenient (some folks take the buses to the beach but we didn't want to risk it). Wish it was 1 hour longer. Mykonos town is very picturesque but we didn’t feel that we needed to stay there for hours. Kusadasi/Ephesus: Took the ship excursion Turkish Landscapes: Wildlife, Flora and Fauna. Brought us to a national park and a mountain "town" which we really loved, but was unexpected. The town consists of about 50 homes high up in the hills which are beautiful--it is not a "town" as one would think, with shops, and restaurants. It is isolated and quiet. It is a very interesting and meditative experience. Two guides were wonderful. Kusadasi itself was a little tough to negotiate, with lots of aggressive merchants.The Azamazing evening was at Ephesus and was really wonderful and inspiring; there was no food or drink allowed at the event through no fault of Azamara but that did not diminish the impact of the performance or of seeing Ephesus at night. Rhodes: Crowded port with many shops/carts full of merchandise, from tchotchkes to high end jewelry. It felt very commercial. We got off the beaten path and had lunch on the outskirts of Old Town (Kerasma), then walked one of the less-crowded streets. Found a wonderful shop with handmade olive wood items on Pythagoreas street. Wonderful day! Santorini: Saw Fira and Oia with the help of a private guide (Santorini Private Tours). Had a great lunch, tour and wine tasting at the Venetsanos Winery; enjoyed the Atlantis Bookstore in Oia. Love it here! Taormina: shared a (van) taxi up to Taormina which was 40 Euro total. Walked the crowded street, walked up to the theater. Basically walked and stopped for drinks and snacks all day--this was a short day in port. Amalfi: Took the ship excursion boat to Positano (this was a big boat with 50-75 people, not a small motorboat) where we walked to the top, shopped, walked down, sat in a cafe by the beach, then motored back to Amalfi. In Amalfi, the church is beautiful, we found a wonderful paper shop, and had a great lunch at Taverna Buonvicinio Embarkation and disembarkation were quick and painless, as was the muster drill. All in all, we are enthusiastic and satisfied Azamara cruisers, and this cruise reinforced that. We like the long days in port, and the ease of getting on and off the ship, packaged in a casual, relaxed and friendly atmosphere which we love. It very much suits our approach to life and travel. We will definitely be back with Azamara! Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary and it as great. Ephesus was unbelievable and the private excursion was noteworthy. There were several great features and some poor features. The captain was delightful and went out of his way to be visible and friendly. The entertainment director is a very talented singer and entertainer and was a lot of fun. The cabin staff were very friendly and efficient. But the food was sub par and I had to return multiple items that I ordered. The food was served cold most of the time and the bread was stale The internet service very expensive and did not work at all. The Windows restaurant is little more than an average cafeteria. The wine served in the basic package is very low quality, maybe $6 a bottle. The stateroom was tiny and the bathroom smaller than a closet. I will not be back on Azamara. Read Less

We choose this cruise based on it's itinerary...Singapore, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cochin India, Goa India, Mumbai (Bombay) India & Dubai. There were 7 days "at sea". I have been cruising for over 35 years....53 cruises....on many different cruise lines. In my opinion this cruise had the worst entertainment of any voyage that we have been on. Azamara has made the decision to eliminate all "Production Shows" & eliminate all dancers from the entertainment schedules. They chose "Opera" and "54 Below" for the main entertainment. This was a very bad decision. The majority of cruise passengers hate "Opera". The 10% of the passengers that love opera, were very vocal about how much they loved the performances. Well, the show room was not full and half left the theatre before the performances were over. Changes must be made....especially with cruises having 7 or more days at sea. My wife and I really enjoyed the afternoon enrichment lectures...Dr. Connie and Dr. Kumar did an excellent job. The shore excursions that we booked on board the ship were excellent. The chefs are excellent and they have excellent cooking demonstrations. We really enjoyed the "Brunch Buffets". The "inTouch" WiFi was excellent. In the spa....I recommend purchasing the "Sanctum Terrace" package for $160USD....get access to a private sun deck on the bow of the ship and a private hot tub. We spent much of our "sea Day" time on the "Sanctum Terrace". This ship was built in the year 2000 and is starting to show it's age. The ship is small (700 passengers) and easy to navigate about. The room stewards are amazing. We will give Azamara another chance.....we are booked on "Azamara Pursuit" Nov 30 2019 voyage from Rio to Buenos Aires. I expect improvements with the entertainment, Read Less

After 7 previous cruise with Azamara this cruise was the straw that broke the camels back. The crew again were the highlight of the cruise. The entertainment was terrible or worse the on board lectures where boring how much do you need to know about Asia. The casino should be closed hardly any one playing. With a death and 4 broken arms and GI during the cruise more like a hospital ship than a cruise liner. No board games due to GI. Crew always wiping down the table and chairs while you were eating. Average age on this cruise 70+ . Highlight every day was the trivia sessions in the living room come on!!. Never saw Eric De Grey the cruise director around the ship during the whole cruise. The menu in Prime C was the same as 2 years ago. The showers in all cabins expect the suites are a joke you need to weigh no more than 60kgs or you will stick to the curtain. I could go on but it would only being back more bad thoughts. Read Less

Our 2nd Journey trek and we were actually impressed how much the service has actually improved.... and I didn’t think here was much room for that. The staff could not be better....from knowing your drink favorite to opening your cabin door and everything in between. Food...excellent in every way..variety, presentation, quality all good. Prime C excellent as always, Aquilina has good apps but the mains seemed strange. My only single negative is the lack of guitar or string group or soloist. I know it’s an individual like/dislike but it sure would be nice having a quality soloist in Moszaic and around the ship. I don’t dare mention any staff in particular less I forget one. ALL were excellent. I love not having to sign every time you want a drink. I know you “pay” up front but it’s nice. This cruise even the fellow passengers were all fun and interesting. All very well traveled ... what’s not to love about Aussie and UK “stories” over dinner or drinks. Read Less

We love Azamara and this was a Cruise that called at many destinations we had not previously visited. It also departed from and returned to the same port - Singapore. This made flight arrangements much easier. On this cruise we did notice small savings had been made. The food, while very good indeed seemed to lack some of the special touches we have come to love. However when we asked for something special that was not in the menu it was made specially for us. As usual the staff on board made the cruise . They welcomed us like family and could not do enough for us. The only downside of thIs trip was the entertainment. Azamara are trying a new format and no longer have production shows. This makes the atmosphere in the Cabaret Lounge less inviting. In fact this was the first time we have walked out of a show. The opera group,while they have lovely voices, did not sing enough popular tunes. Doing Carmen for a full hour was just too much for many. Also the trio, while good artistes, spent too long on their own material. I am sure that Azamara will listen to all the feedback and review their offerings in this area. That said, we would still,prefer to sail with this line. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary, we had never heard of Azamara. When booking we thought was quite expensive but as I can only travel during school holidays and this cruise fitted in with that. Embarkation was very smooth and quick, but had to wait 2 hrs for our cabin to be ready. The cabin 8021 inside stateroom was pleasantly spacious with a queen size bed and plenty of storage couch and 42" TV. All the crew and staff were always friendly. The dining was superb with plenty of options. We chose to go on azamara excursions and felt we were looked after very well even though they are a bit more expensive i definitely think it was worth it. The one time in banckok we did our own thing we were overcharged for taxi and boat trip etc and did not feel safe so for AsiaI would recommend sticking to ship tours. Entertainment could have been better. Went to a couple of shows which were good but others like opera we are not into. There was the living room for late night entertainment but not much on here. The DJ played the same playlist every night and it got quite boring. They need to up their game here and make it a more fun place to be. Much better fun to be had down at the smoking area where people tended to gather and get their drinks served here instead. Overall we enjoyed this trip. Read Less

good value for what you get. Ship is wonderful with only 700. Food is excellent in all areas Entertainment was changed from shows to Opera and Sting trio, it was O.K but not for everybody. Should have had more recognizable songs and tunes for all to enjoy. Was a bit average. The talent was first class but not for everybody. All crew were excellent. Port of Bindalu was not what expected as it was the first cruise ship to dock there and they were not prepared. Waiting in the sun for a bus over 1 hour when should have been every 15 minutes. When back a the ship 3 buses there waiting. Not Good. Could have been fixed at the time by ensuring buses were rotating empty or full. Many elderly waiting without shade, water or seats at the drop off point. All other ports were very good. Azamazing evening was first class and ran like a military operation. Read Less