We have sailed on a wide variety of cruises from a pricing perspective, with Azamara running towards the higher end. We chose this cruise based largely on its self-description as a port intensive, all inclusive journey. We found neither to be the case. Two of the ports were particularly disappointing. Invergordon, the port for Inverness, is a small town with very little going on, and is a 45 minute drive from Inverness. The ship’s most basic offering to Inverness was an “On Your Own” bus drive, at $114 per person. Our stop at Greenock, the port for Glasgow, was similar. There was very little to see in Greenock, Glasgow was 45 minutes away and the ship in this port offered no transportation to Glasgow so we were left with very little to do in this port either.

We did find the food and the service in the restaurants and in our cabin to be excellent. Our interior cabin was small but efficient, but we had to contend with housekeeping carts and laundry bags being kept outside out door for most of the trip.

With the exception of an excellent bagpipe/rock band that boarded the ship for two thirty-five minute segments on the highly touted Azamazing evening “excursion,” we found the entertainment on board to be dull and the higher level staff distant and unconnected with passengers. Guest services and Shore Excursion desks frequently were understaffed. Read more