This was our second time cruising with Azamara and it was just as wonderful as the first time. The Journey is a beautiful ship and has been well maintained since the dry dock last year. We love the decor with it's serene color palate with comfortable furniture throughout. Many of the repeat guests have expressed missing the old decor and dislike the new design. We think that ship has totally opened up and the light colors make the cabins and public spaces appear larger. Constant care is shown all over the ship with even slightly worn carpet being replaced in certain areas. The Living Room is a beautiful space with a great bar and dance floor. The talented guitarist was a wonderful backdrop for evening cocktail hour. There are different appetizers available each night with a favorite being a gazpacho shot topped with a lobster nugget. We really enjoyed the excellent cocktail service provided by Jacques and Pavlo and the perfect martinis poured by Juliana. Azamara offers inclusive cocktails, specialty coffees, and select beer and wine in the cruise fare. You may choose to upgrade to a package that includes more brand liquor choices for a daily fee but we found that the complimentary choices included were sufficient for our needs. I will say that the wines poured each day were not of the highest quality but they were mostly drinkable.

The cabin was just as beautiful as we remembered and the dreamy bed was a delight to fall asleep in each and every night. There is an abundance of storage space with a large closet containing slippers and two wonderfully plush robes. The bathroom may be small but was fine for our needs. Top this off with the excellent cabin service from Alfie and his assistant Jane, who could ask for anything more?

Onto the food. Delicious choices in almost every venue with a couple of additional specials offered for dinner in Discoveries every night. This is rare, but If you should have a problem with a dish they will be happy to rectify the problem. We had a package for the specialty restaurants which included 2 dinners in Aqualina and 2 in Prime C which was later altered to 1 dinner in each because we loved the choices in Discoveries so much. The specialty restaurants are great but didn't warrant more than 1 visit to each especially because there was a problem with a filet steak in Prime C and the filet we had in Discoveries was perfect without an extra charge. That said, the appetizers, soups, salads, sides and deserts were excellent in both fee restaurants. The Dover Sole and Limoncello Souffle in Aqualina are divine. The menu in Discoveries is easily accessed on the cabin television so you can arrive at the dining room ready to enjoy the mouth watering food. How could a gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce or a simple spinach and ricotta ravioli be so divine on the high seas? Both tasted home made and were scrumptious. Not every dish was a home run but the hits far outweighed the few misses. The buffet afforded bountiful choices at breakfast, lunch and dinner which every night hosted a different themed buffet like Greek, Indian, Spanish or French. We would try to have a drink at the outside Sunset Bar most nights and share a small plate of various tapas before heading to dinner. Gotta love cruising! The mostly mild weather allowed us to watch a beautiful sunset and enjoy a lovely martini poured by Jason. I must add that the specialty salads served at lunch everyday were varied and outstanding. Read more