Azamara Journey Review
4.5 / 5.0
Spend-a-lot
10+ Cruises • Age 70s
Rating by category
Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Additional details
Sail Date: Sep 2015
Cabin: Club Oceanview Stateroom
Ship much older than one would think. Interior tries to intimidate the luxury of by gone days.
1). RECEPTION Check in at port excellent and quick. At reception it stated that the ship was full and no cabins were available to be changed. This was totally untrue. Upon reaching our cabin which was to be shared by two ladies we found it to be extremely small and dark and in no way suitable for a 12 day cruise. We returned to reception and as by magic another cabin materialized which obviously we had to pay for single occupancy then.
2). RESTAURANTS Open seating in main dining room which was comfortable also gave you the opportunity to meet other guests. On first night waiter came to table (when eventually full) to offer red or white wine with no knowledge of what was in the bottle. On only one evening did the waiter know or bother to explain what wine was on offer for that meal. The food was extremely poor and very badly presented. Even the menus looked like they had seen better days. Should one want any vegetables with your meal it was necessary to order these separately. Windows self service cafe gave good choices for breakfast. Nevertheless, while in port one day we had an invasion of flies. No preventative equipment to keep the flies of the food was available and the poor staff were left just using tea towels to try and swat them away. Most unhygienic.
Cabin Review
Club Oceanview Stateroom
In need of upgrade and refurbishment. Bathroom functional but extremely small.
Port Reviews
Athens (Piraeus)
Port well defined and easy for taxi to locate terminal. Allow plenty of time when travelling in Athens as traffic horrendous. All taxis are metered.
Haifa (Tel Aviv)
Unless you were on a pre booked excursion it was like a ghost town as it was the Sabbath and everything was closed.
Jerusalem (Ashdod)
It seems ridiculous that we visited Israel for three days and yet could only "do our own thing" for half of that time. The ship arrived on Thursday and from Friday mid day everything closed down including public transport, Therefore, only means of transportation was private taxi. Very bad planning on the part of the cruise company.
Rhodes
Ship docked in town. Lots to see and do without necessarily taking a taxi. There are open topped buses with a short tour which you can hop on and off and only about 12 euros per person. You may stay on as long as you like. The old town of Rhodes is well maintained and certainly worth a visit.
Kusadasi
This is certainly a place for the ladies. Lots and lots of shops. Jewellery seems to be the most popular of the shops. Ladies clothing out of date and boring, but men;s fashion much more current. Most shop keepers speak very good English. Bartering seems to be necessary to get a good deal on any item.
Istanbul
Stayed in Istanbul for a couple of extra nights after cruise finished. Ideal and very inexpensive way to get around is by tram. Grand Bazaar must be visited at least once although you need to have a good map to find your way around. Lots and lots of the same goods for sale, so take time to do a good search if there is something particular you are looking for. Do not buy the fake perfumes. Eating out is fun and lots of choice. Don't be put off by the people trying to sell you stuff in the streets around the Grand Bazaar. Sometimes if you haggle enough you can actually get a really good deal. Large selection of hotels around the centre and probably on reflection it would have been better to stay slightly outside the main hub and get the tram into town.
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