Great ports of call and a refurbished ship attracted us to Azamara Journey. Embarkation in Nice was a breeze.

The Journey looked great. We had a balcony stateroom, 6082. The room was quite comfortable and the new furnishings gave it a touch of elegance. The only noticeable shortcoming is the tiny bathroom and unusually tight shower. At least RCCL gives you expanding doors for the shower. This one still has the old shower curtain motif that is claustrophobic if not impractical.

Dining was fine in the main dining room. Service was impeccable. Both specialist restaurants were nicely upscale. I preferred Prime over the Italian restaurant; the Italian one was fine except that it had no traditional Italian offerings that one would expect in the US. Read more