We took a back-to-back cruise on this small "R" ship (THE JOURNEY), leaving Barcelona for a 16 night cruise to the Western Mediterranean: ports in Spain and France; Lisbon; London; Amsterdam; the Kiel Canal and Copenhagen and a 12 night cruise to the Baltic Region: Germany; St. Petersburg, Russia (for 3 days..perfect); Helsinki; Tallinn; Stockholm (for 2 days)and Lubeck. We missed one port on the first cruise (La Rochelle, France) due to a barricade of the port by fisherman on strike. Otherwise, every other port was excellent to outstanding...especially LONDON where we cruised the Thames River all the way to the London Tower Bridge, took a 180 degree turn and backed up to the bridge. Approaching the bridge that way was one of the highlights we will never forget. We took a full day private tour of Berlin (outstanding), and a private 2 day tour of St. Petersburg (unforgettable) and a flight to Moscow through the ship's excursion desk (our ONLY excursion through the ship and well worth it). Spending 3 days in Russia was one of the impelling reasons for booking this cruise and is nowhere enough time to see all there is to see of this incredible area. Cruising the Kiel Canal was delayed due to construction and traffic and our delay into Copenhagen caused a real headache for the front office. They handled it well and most passengers were satisfied with new flight arrangements thrust upon them. Fortunately for us, we stayed on the ship for our next cruise, although we had to change cabins (that's a long story for another time). The 2 cruises were outstanding and the food was excellent. We ate mostly in the dining room, open seating (we like it); but, occasionally we ate dinner in the buffet and several times in the "Specialty Restaurants": PRIME C Steakhouse and AQUALINA Seafood Restaurant. We liked the Aqualina better for service and enjoyed the fresh seafood selections over the offerings of the steakhouse. Both restaurants have excellent ambiance and wine selections. The service in the main dining room was excellent and the variety, taste and presentation of the food was as good as it gets. Our stateroom was comfortable and always kept in neat order by the attendants (we only saw the "butler" when we called for special service). But, we had fresh fruit and flowers every day. Room service was excellent and fairly efficient. The size of the ship is one of the best features: it is SMALL compared to the megaships we have cruised on before. Only 650+/- passengers and 400 crew. Having a cabin mid-ship (and on deck 4) was a plus: no walking down long hallways and hardly any sea motion, especially when cruising around Gibraltar where it got a little rocky. The "country club casual" dress code is also a PLUS. It was nice not having to wear a tie or jacket. This certainly also helped with keeping the weight of the luggage within airline limits. The staff: front office, officers, waiting, and activities was outstanding in every respect...they made us feel like royalty!! No exaggeration!!! We have been on ships with friendly staff; but, this experience topped them all. Even the Captain is young and was often seen around the ship mixing with passengers. Entertainment was very enjoyable with a variety of performers and guest lecturers, often very talented and interesting. Of course, we did not expect large production shows as on large ships, but the 5 member cast of dancers and singers were full of energy. The activities staff did a nice job of keeping us entertained. The library is pleasant with a fair collection of books. The bars and cafes are also fine, but we rarely used them. The pool area is also delightful with very comfortable, well padded, deck lounges and a very nice grill with terrific ribs, burgers, etc. We did not have time for use of the spa. Next time, possibly. We thought the prices of merchandise in the ship's stores was "pricey" compared with other ships, possibly due to this being an "upscale" cruise line. Embarkation in Barcelona was smooth and efficient as well as our transfer to the airport in Copenhagen 26 days later. Our only headaches were a strike at Charles DeGaule Airport on the way to Barcelona and a HUGE crowd of passengers waiting at Customs and baggage at Dulles on the way home. Flying is no longer fun and is the worst part of the experience.

We originally booked on the Regatta (Oceania Lines) but cancelled for the Journey instead. We are glad we did!!! We saved money and we believe Azamara is comparable with Oceania in every respect (this, based upon comments from many fellow passengers who have cruised on both lines). We are already looking into several more cruises on the Journey and one on the Quest (the sister ship). No doubt, Celebrity Cruise Lines has a really winner in these ships. We only hope the increasing costs of fuel and food do not put the cost of cruising on these lovely ships out of reach.